826 Bear fights the Tiger Wolf - Kuma Kuma Kuma Bear

I detected a response from a monster using her detection skills. "Kuuun." Kumayuru and Kumakyu snuggled up against me. "I know." The response from the monster was from a Tiger Wolf. It seemed to be approaching slowly, as if stalking its prey. As I contemplated what to do, Lydia stood up. "Something's approaching." "A monster!?" "The sound of crushing brush underfoot is heavy. It's bigger than a wolf." Lydia confirmed while placing her hand to her ear. "Didn't you suppress your magic power?" Mane asked, sounding exasperated. "I did, but I kept thinking what if we were attacked while collecting materials." "That's why I said it's okay since Yuna is here." "I know, but..." "Old habits die hard, I suppose." Mane sighed. "Yuna, what are they saying?" "It seems to be a Tiger Wolf." My words made all three of them pale. "We need to get out of here quickly. Lydia, which direction is it coming from?" "From over there." Lydia pointed to the trees off in the distance. Her hearing was truly exceptional. The detection skills also indicated the Tiger Wolf was in the direction Lydia pointed. "How far?" "It's quite a distance, but if it starts running…" Even if it was 100 meters away, a running Tiger Wolf would catch up in no time. "Let's quietly move away from here." Apparently, this was a common occurrence, as Zect started packing up our things promptly and efficiently. "Yeah, we've gathered enough. Let's get moving." Are we running? It's been a while since I've encountered a Tiger Wolf. It could be a gift for Fina. "Is fighting not an option?" They looked at me as if I was foolish. "You’re talking about it like you’re meeting an old friend or something! Are you stupid? It's a Tiger Wolf. We're supposed to escape!" Apparently, they did think I was being foolish. "Mane, your voice is too loud." Lydia cautioned, but it was already too late. "It's coming!" Lydia exclaimed as she confirmed the sudden, rapid approach of the Tiger Wolf with our detection skills. It was better to face it than to run. "You three, fall back! Kumayuru and Kumakyu, please take care of them." As I watched the direction the Tiger Wolf was coming from, it suddenly leapt out. "What is this? Is the Tiger Wolf supposed to be this big?" "I've seen a defeated Tiger Wolf before, but it wasn’t this large." The Tiger Wolf approaching was significantly larger than the ones I had fought before. Not exactly gigantic, but boss-level in appearance. It growled, watching us intently. "Sorry, it’s my fault for raising my voice." "What should we do?" "We could escape riding on these kids, but I'll fight it, so stay close to Kumayuru and Kumakyu." It had been a long time since I faced a Tiger Wolf. Fina would love it as a souvenir. Even if it's bigger, it's still just a Tiger Wolf. "Yuna, are you sure you can handle it?" "Mane, you've heard stories from Ellelaura, haven't you?" "Even knowing that, it's natural to be worried when encountering a Tiger Wolf." "I'll be fine." I smiled to reassure them. The Tiger Wolf started moving in a clockwise circle, observing us. As I stepped towards it, it fixed its gaze on me, recognizing me as its primary target. The moment I thought it was ready to charge, it sprung forth. Fast. It closed the distance swiftly, aiming to bite with its sharp fangs. I dodged sideways, spun around, and launched an air bullet to avoid damaging the fur. The Tiger Wolf twisted its body, dodging the air bullet attacking from behind. Did it just evade? Unlike the Tiger Wolves I fought previously, this one dodged the air bullet and immediately counterattacked. It was fast. I leapt back to avoid it, but it shortened the gap. Its claws swung at me. As I landed, I deflected the Tiger Wolf's forepaw with a Bear Punch, then followed up by punching its face. The Tiger Wolf, hit by the Bear Punch, was sent flying. I pressed the attack, launching air bullets before it could regain its footing. But the moment they closed in, the Tiger Wolf twisted mid-air to dodge again. What? After evading the air bullets, the Tiger Wolf charged at me, mouth wide open. I aimed a Bear Punch for its mouth. The punch crackled with electricity. The Tiger Wolf bit into the electrified Bear Puppet, but its fangs couldn't crush it, and it collapsed with a thud. I had managed to take it down without damaging its precious fur. "Yuna, are you okay!" Mane hurried over to me. "I'm fine." "You can't be alright; it bit you!" Mane touched my hand worriedly, the spot where the Tiger Wolf had bitten me. "There's no bleeding, but could there be a fracture?" "I was fine because I cast a spell inside the Tiger Wolf’s mouth before it bit me." To prove it, I shook my wrist. If there were broken bones or pain, I wouldn't be able to do that. "You really seem okay. When I thought it bit you, I was terrified." Mane looked visibly relieved. Seems I worried her quite a bit. But somehow, knowing someone was concerned for me made me a little happy. "Why are you smiling?" "Thanks for worrying about me. But a Tiger Wolf? It's nothing to worry about." "‘Nothing to worry about’..." "If it were us fighting, we'd have been done for." "I wouldn’t have even thought about fighting it." "Still, it's immense." Looking again, it was indeed the largest Tiger Wolf I had ever seen. It would make a great gift for Fina. I stored the Tiger Wolf in the Bear Box. With the danger gone, we resumed gathering Beltra herbs. No other monsters attacked, and the gathering was safely completed. "So, what will you two do? Are you heading back?" "We’d prefer to return with Mane." "If we return alone, any gathered herbs could be stolen." "Of course, if you say we’re in the way, we’ll leave." "If you’re willing to let us join, I can show you locations of other herbs." "Well then, Yuna, it’s your decision." Once again, Mane deferred the decision to me. She seemed eager to go with them to the herbal locations they knew about, though she didn't push her desires onto me. Instead, she sincerely sought my opinion as the one responsible for their protection. After all, the monsters around were just Wolves, Goblins, and occasionally a Tiger Wolf. While Lydia and Mane mentioned that encountering a Giant Snake was rare, if things got dangerous, we could always escape on Kumayuru and Kumakyu. "Sure, but you must follow my instructions," I agreed. "Of course." "Understood." And so, Lydia, Zect, Mane, and I set off to find the tree Mane was looking for. "So, where exactly is this tree you're seeking, Mane?" "Unfortunately, I don't have more detailed information. The adventurer who gave me this tip was attacked by monsters and had to run around blindly." "So you have no idea which direction?" Mane shook her head. "All I know is he went west." West is a broad area, but since that's the only information we have, we have no choice but to head there. "Any other clues?" "He mentioned passing by some explosive flowers." "Explosive flowers? What a dangerous-sounding name." "As the name implies, they explode. They're very dangerous." Explode, like a bomb? "Ah, we might know where they are," Zect chimed in. "You do?" "We can guide you there." With that, we decided to head toward the explosive flowers. "There’s a ribbon here," Mane noticed. "We put that there," Zect said calmly. "The ribbon is blackened?" The ends of the ribbon were black. "That means it's dangerous beyond this point." "Dangerous? What does that mean?" "This adventurer doesn’t know the significance of such ribbons yet," Zect mentioned. "That’s because I’m still quite new. It's been less than a year." "Ribbons are blackened to warn other adventurers of danger beyond that point," Mane explained. "However, whether you trust it is your decision. Some might do this to keep others away from treasure." "Whether you retreat in caution or proceed believing there might be treasure is up to you." To keep their finds from being stolen, huh? It really can make one paranoid. "We’re getting close now." "We should at least take a look from afar," Lydia suggested. We moved to a spot within safe viewing distance. "They really are explosive flowers." They looked similar to tulips, though they still appeared to be budding. "These are quite hazardous. I’d hoped to collect them if they were open." "So how powerful is the explosion?" I asked. Just then, a deer approached from the front. It hopped into the cluster of buds, and then suddenly collapsed. "What!?" Though I couldn’t see clearly, it seemed one of the buds had burst. "Did the flower explode?" "When a creature gets close, explosive flowers launch seeds contained within the bud with enough force to pierce flesh," Mane explained. "So that deer..." "It was riddled with holes and killed." It’s like a shotgun? How terrifying. "And then it uses the remains as nutrients to grow." Creepy. "So shouldn’t we destroy this explosive flower?" "It’s better to leave them. They take down approaching monsters and help reduce the number of dangerous creatures." True enough, by taking out monsters, they do help. "You need only remember their location and avoid them." "As for the power they gain, it's believed to come from the blood, flesh, and mana stones of fallen monsters." That's terrifying. "I considered taking one for research, but it seems too risky." "Should I fetch one?" "Yuna, didn't you hear me? That’s dangerous! You’ll end up like the deer!" "I'm sure I'll manage." Focusing on the explosive flowers, I prepared myself. As long as I kept my distance, I'd be fine. Channeling my magic, I created a mini bear golem.