Chapter 37: Battling the Regional Boss

The survivors of Channel 107 had all begun to accelerate their push up the rankings.

At this moment, on an island territory spanning over forty square meters, Han Xing was locked in battle with a massive creature. Before them stood a giant brown bear, three to four meters tall, roaring in fury. The creature’s information appeared before him:

[Iron-Back Brown Bear (1-Star Elite Creature)]
[Level: lv5]
[Strength: 31, Agility: 20, Spirit: 21, Constitution: 35]
[Skill 1: Bear Paw Slam (The brown bear slams its massive paws into the ground, creating a powerful shockwave that knocks back surrounding enemies and deals significant damage)]
[Skill 2: Iron-Back Charge (The Iron-Back Brown Bear charges at its target with movement speed increased by 100%; on hit, it is guaranteed to trigger critical damage and knockback effects)]
[Skill 3: Feral Roar (The brown bear emits a deafening roar, dealing sonic damage to surrounding enemies and increasing its own critical hit rate by 50%)]

A formidable stat sheet! Even in terms of base attributes, this bear completely crushed Han Xing, who was equipped with a full set of green-tier gear. Even "Coalball," already leveled up to 3, was suppressed by these stats.

"What a tough opponent. Is this bear the regional boss?" Han Xing mused.

However, Coalball’s agility had already reached 21, bolstered by the 200% movement speed bonus from its "Void Flicker" skill. Even this level 5 elite monster could not keep up with the creature’s pace. Han Xing could only see a black blur flickering constantly around the Iron-Back Brown Bear, leaving a few wounds on its body from time to time.

"Roar!"

The bear roared in rage, waving its fan-sized paws and clawing frantically at the air, but no matter how hard it tried, it couldn't even graze a single hair on Coalball.

Just then, Han Xing’s Wind-Chasing Arrow struck. The refined iron arrow tore through the air with a whistling sound, instantly appearing before the bear. Its target was the creature’s copper-bell-sized eye.

However, the level 5 elite monster’s reflexes were incredibly fast. The moment it saw the arrow coming, the Iron-Back Brown Bear spun around, presenting its back—covered in hair as stiff as steel needles—to intercept the shot.

Bang!

The arrow hit, but the expected scene of piercing flesh did not occur. When the refined iron arrow made contact with the bear’s back, it produced a dull thud, as if he had shot a concrete wall rather than a living creature.

"What terrifying defense!" Han Xing exclaimed. He noticed the elite bear’s Constitution of 35, which provided it with an incredibly sturdy physical defense. This shot caused no damage at all and, instead, completely enraged the behemoth.

The bear suddenly rose to its hind legs and began beating its chest with both paws.

Thump! Thump! Thump!

After a series of dull thuds, the bear opened its mouth and let out a long howl toward the sky.

"ROAR!!!"

A terrifying sonic wave began to spread.

"Oh no, it’s the elite monster’s skill, Feral Roar!" Han Xing’s expression shifted instantly. "Coalball, fall back!"

Feral Roar was an area-of-effect skill. While Coalball was strong, its constitution was quite frail compared to the bear. Taking that sonic attack at close range would at least result in severe injury, if not death.

Fortunately, Coalball wasn't foolish. Sensing the bear’s sonic attack, it had already begun to retreat. With a flash of black, Coalball appeared at the edge of the territory. The bear’s attack did not inflict much damage on it.

Han Xing breathed a sigh of relief, but he failed to notice that the bear had shifted its hatred toward him. A moment later, the bear dropped to all fours, drool dripping from its maw, its eyes glaring at Han Xing with fury.

A sense of foreboding rose in Han Xing’s heart. Before he could react, the Iron-Back Brown Bear launched itself forward like a cannonball! This was its second skill: Iron-Back Charge!

Danger!

In the critical moment, Han Xing utilized a basic hunter skill: Roll! He ducked and performed a roll on the ground, barely dodging the bear’s strike, his heart racing with lingering fear. The Iron-Back Charge was guaranteed to deal critical damage and knockback upon impact. Given his own fragile physique, if he had been hit, he would likely have been knocked into the air and sent plummeting off the floating island.

At that moment, Coalball flashed back to the bear’s side. There was killing intent in its eyes; it seemed furious that the bear had dared to attack Han Xing.

"Awoo!"

Coalball let out a growl that was half-nursing, half-ferocious. Han Xing watched as its figure suddenly turned ethereal. A moment later, sharp spikes sprouted from Coalball’s phantom form. The Void Shadow Wolf’s second skill, Counter-Spikes, was activated!

Ten spikes exploded simultaneously. Each spike carried the power of the void, possessing peerless lethality. Even with the Iron-Back Brown Bear’s terrifying defense, it was easily pierced; its massive body became a target in that instant.

Pfft! Pfft! Pfft!

With several wet thuds, the Iron-Back Brown Bear took the full force of Coalball’s burst skill at close range, with at least seven spikes embedding themselves into its body. The bear had never expected such a small creature to inflict such severe damage, and it grew incredibly enraged.

However, the Void-infused Counter-Spikes began to erode the bear’s wounds, causing its condition to plummet. The Void Shadow Wolf’s third skill, [Void Power], meant that enemies taking damage were not only inhibited from healing but also suffered a reduction in defense!

Han Xing’s eyes lit up. The opportunity had arrived! Without a second thought, he unleashed his most powerful burst skill: Multi-Shot!

Five refined iron arrows struck the bear with blinding speed. Furthermore, two of the five arrows triggered a armor-piercing effect, causing the damage to soar! This time, the arrows met no resistance, easily piercing the bear’s thick skin and lodging deep in its flesh.

Han Xing squinted, watching the massive monster expectantly, but found it still full of vigor, its movements showing no sign of slowing down.

"Is it immune? As expected, the snake venom from a level 1 monster is ineffective against a level 5 creature." Han Xing felt a hint of regret. Shaking his head, he refocused his energy on the battle.

By now, Coalball had regained the bear’s aggro, and Han Xing returned to his role as long-range support. It must be said that with such a formidable pet holding the front line, the hunter’s battle felt remarkably relaxed. Once the Iron-Back Brown Bear’s defense was reduced and Han Xing’s arrows could deal consistent damage, the outcome of the fight was no longer in doubt.

Three minutes later, the Iron-Back Brown Bear was covered in three or four dozen arrows, looking just like a hedgehog. It was completely exhausted.