"You're not going anywhere." Without hesitation, Elias rushed forward.
SNAP!
The whip snapped in two.
[Cruel Flare]
A scorching dome of sunlight erupted from Elias the moment he closed the distance with the bear once more, enveloping it in blazing light. At the same time, an earthen spike rose from the ground around the bear, piercing toward the sky.
However, this time Elias was prepared. He didn't falter for even a moment; instead, he leapt into the air and landed on the back of the Stone Bear.
The small stony spikes on its back dug into his skin, causing Elias to groan in pain. Even so, he didn't stop. He gripped the Mutated Rat Dagger, enveloping it with Sunlight, and drove it into the Stone Bear's neck.
Ting!
It failed to penetrate deeply.
"ROOARR!!" The Stone Bear leapt into the air and twisted violently, trying to throw off the irritating attacker so it could kill him.
Elias held on with one hand, refusing to fall. He continued stabbing into the Stone Bear's hide, trying to break through its defences. But his efforts only managed to draw a single drop of blood and scorch the area around its peeled skin.
Sensing the injury, the Stone Bear fell to its side.
"Tch!!" Elias had no choice but to leap off the Stone Bear's back, landing between the jagged stone pillars.
Elias looked at the Mutated Rat Dagger in his hand and saw that it was no longer sharp. Its tip was jagged and scorched, dulling the blade's sharpness.
He realised he could no longer use it. It was already a miracle that it hadn't shattered from striking the Stone Bear's formidable defences.
And this was a level 14 monster just outside the dungeon. Despite its overwhelming physical defence and strength, the one thing the Stone Bear lacked was speed, and that was something Elias had in abundance.
As the Stone Bear rose to its feet, Elias didn't hesitate and poured all his remaining stat points into Strength.
[Strength: 72 (360)]
Elias immediately felt a terrifying surge of strength flood through him. His muscles tensed and grew more defined. As his base Strength doubled to 72, his [Solar Ascension] form multiplied it by 400 per cent, causing it to skyrocket to 360.
[Radiant Heal]
A brilliant golden glow enveloped Elias, healing his injuries and restoring him to peak condition. The damage to his shoulders and torso from the Stone Bear's strike, as well as the wounds from the jagged stones, vanished. His skin became healthy once more.
Elias rushed at the Stone Bear, arriving before it in seconds.
BAMM!!
He slammed his fists, infused with Sunlight, against its skull.
The Stone Bear staggered backwards, its eyes stunned by the attack. It couldn't understand how this human, who had been running and trying to strike from the side, was suddenly facing it head-on.
If he had this kind of strength in you, why hadn't he started like this from the beginning, so they could decide the winner from the onset?
However, the punch was only enough to put a dent in the Stone Bear's defence and scorch the surrounding area. Even with Elias's strength, the Bear's defences were terrifying enough to withstand a direct punch from him.
"ROAARR!!" Before the Stone Bear could recover, Elias struck the same spot on its skull with another fist.
BAMM!! BAMM!!
Just like with the dagger, he continued striking the same spot on the Stone Bear's skin with his sunlight-covered fists until he finally penetrated its defences.
Suddenly, jagged, sharp pillars burst from the ground, piercing toward the sky and attempting to impale Elias. But Elias was prepared. He quickly cast [Light Step Boost], enhancing his speed and vanishing into a blur.
The moment the skill finished casting, he reappeared before the Stone Bear in a streak of afterimages, striking its head once more.
This time, he sent it plummeting into the ground.
[Cruel Flare]
Without giving the Stone Bear any time to react, Elias enveloped it in a scorching dome of sunlight, burning its defences and its open wound.
Hundreds of fists rained down—
Sunlight charred the stone-like hide of the Stone Bear, hardening and cracking it apart with each punch—
Under the process of artificial sedimentation and weathering, the Stone Bear's skin softened—
BANNGG!!
Elias's fist punched straight into its skull, causing it to burst open in gory brain matter and blood, killing the Stone Bear instantly.
The Stone Bear let out one last "Roar" before it breathed its final breath and collapsed dead.
A white orb rolled out from its corpse.
[You've killed Stone Bear. +1,586]
[Obtained Stone Bear Cuirass.]
"Sure enough, there's no weapon more powerful than my fist," Elias muttered under his heavy breathing as he looked at his bloody hands.
Elias picked up the white orb.
[Radiant Heal.]
A faint golden brilliance shone around Elias, overlapping with the golden hue surrounding him, enhancing their brightness until they glowed even stronger.
The injuries on his fists and the strain in his muscles disappeared, returning him to his peak capabilities.
Elias deactivated his [Solar Ascension] form. Then he crushed the white orb in his hand.
The orb scattered into countless lights that transformed into a deep brown cuirass with two arm guards, covered in intricate designs, appearing in Elias's grasp.
[Stone Bear Cuirass: A chest piece crafted from the hide of a Stone Bear. Despite its rough appearance, the inner layer is tough yet flexible, granting surprising protection without overly hindering movement. +50 Constitution. +20 Strength.
Passive: Gain +5 Constitution for 5 seconds whenever you take damage.(Can stack up to 3 times. Max +25 Constitution.)]
Suddenly, a surge of mana exploded at the edge of the earth spikes, crushing them with sheer pressure, reducing them to dust and scattering them into the distance. The immense mana whipped against Elias like a lash, forcing him to slide backwards briefly before he regained his footing.
A large, wide, square-shaped blue gate appeared a distance away from Elias.
"Congratulations. You've defeated a formidable foe, which is usually impossible for any normal person to accomplish at your current level," Queen Anna appeared beside Elias and said.