The Earth After Rebirth

Kiro was hard at work, or rather the regeneration skill was, it was healing him 100 HP and MP per minute. He was amazed at how his skills seemed to be connected, one way or another. He wondered if other classes had these perks, or it was just his.

Since meditation was low ranked, the skill took a long time using Chi to collect energy and then fine-tuning it into mana. He now regretted upgrading his lightning skill first.

Although people could rank up through repeated use of a skill, this method was long and rigorous. He didn't have time for that now, as he had a worthy foe to defeat.

It took him 5 long hours in-game to fully heal. The bear hadn't given up once and Ishaan was running low on mana. Kiro opened his eyes, and lightning crackled within them. He took some mana potions from his inventory, and tossed them to Ishaan.

"Use them wisely. I'm going out."

Without back talking, Ishaan let him out. He was perhaps, getting too used to Kiro's attitude. Or he was grateful for the potions, because he was already turning pale from fear.

Kiro stepped out, the bear quickly came running as if he were a snack. He closed his eyes, stood in a fighting stance. The bear was galloping towards him, it's strides as massive as it was. A crazed look in its eyes as it spent 5 hours in a rage.

'Why the hell does he have his eyes closed, is he crazy?' Ishaan complained, though he didn't dare say it out loud.

Kiro activated Vibrational Sense. He had this idea while meditating, he thought perhaps, since everything vibrates at a certain frequency, he could use that to predict movements.

He had his eyes shut so that they wouldn't disturb him. Eyes could be fooled, vibrations not so much.

Through vibrational sense, he 'saw' the direction in which the bear's claws were aiming. It was his neck. The claws were sharp, the bear would most likely have to hit Kiro twice to decapitate him.

If it weren't for everything he went through in life, he probably would've flinched and broke concentration. But he didn't survive the labyrinth of terror to be scared of a mere bear. Kiro stood motionless, biding his time. He knew that one mistake could spell his death.

When the bear's vibrations were so close that he could feel them on his skin, he took a step backwards and with his staff at the ready to block the claws.

CLANG!

The claws and staff connected. Ishaan had a look of shock and admiration. The hellhound was also watching apprehensively.

The minute they connected, that completely broke Kiro's concentration. He took a few steps back. Even though it was extremely hard to concentrate using that skill, he was grateful that his theory was correct. He knew he couldn't use the skill now, not in battle anyway, not yet.

He immediately blinked behind the bear while it was still disoriented from what had just happened. He attempted to pierce through it, but it's fur was simply too thick. It did nothing but chip away at its HP.

The bear quickly turned and swiped at him, he dodged but barely. The claws still grazed him on the side of his face. He didn't waste time and activated bending kick, which connected with the bear's stomach. It flew about 30 meters and crashed hard on its cave wall.

It stood on all fours now, and ran toward Kiro as if a bull seeing red.

"Whirlwind." Kiro said coolly.

The bear was blown backwards, the winds were so strong that they were leaving cuts on it's very hard body. It roared in fury, everytime it ran to its prey, it would easily get blown away.

Kiro summoned lightning, it came as a shock when the lightning cloud didn't appear. Instead, the lightning seemed to be in his body. It was still weak, but he could now enhance blink with a bit of lightning.

He could coat his staff with lightning without a cloud hovering about. He went at the bear at full speed, the bear saw everything but couldn't react in time as Kiro's foot landed on its chin, sending it to the roof of the cave.

Kiro had an evil grin on his face, the bear felt that it was no longer the predator instead, it was being preyed on by the man it thought they stood on equal footing.

The bear was pure white with a black spot over its eye. But now it was banged up pretty badly, cuts here and there, causing its pure white fur to be stained with crimson liquid.

Ding!

[You've fought valiantly against a mountain bear. It has lost all its will to fight with you. You have the option to tame it, if you do, that gash across your right cheek will heal but remain a scar. Tame? Y/N]

Kiro didn't care about scars. That's why, without thinking he responded with Yes. A golden light enveloped the bear and Kiro.

Ding!

[Congratulations on your first tamed beast. Careful what you tame. The spots are extremely limited. Please name your beast]

He looked over at the bear. Its details changed a bit. The slots for beasts he could tame at a time were 50. He didn't think it was so bad. But he knew that, selling them now was out of question.

"Let's see, Frost, let's name you Frost."

Their bond seemed to deepen.

"It's safe to come out now, chubby."

If anyone had walked in that cave at that moment, they'd call fallacy to any claims that the bear was ever violent. It had become so obedient and docile.

Ishaan's mind was too mesmerised to say anything. He quickly lifted up the force field. The hellhound was now scared of Kiro, since he had beaten the only thing it was scared of.

Kiro walked towards it and crouched in front of it. Lightning crackling on his finger tips.

"Last chance pup, if I can't have you I'll have to end you right here."

The hellhound whimpered. And so Kiro tried to tame it one last time.

Ding!

[You've tamed your second beast. A hellhound. Please name him.]

"You've done well." Kiro smirked mockingly. He thought long and hard to find a fitting name for a stubborn hellhound.

"I ought to call you a dunce, but I'm not that cruel. I'll call you Hubris."

He cursed under his breath when he realised that he wouldn't be getting any EXP. So he looked through his beasts' sheets.

Frost [Mountain Bear] rare

Level 50

HP: 100/10 000

Able to evolve

Hubris [Hellhound] - Legendary Beast

Level 50 weakened

HP: 500/5000

Able to evolve