I wasn't confident. While I was soon to awaken myself, I was still just a normal human — a Normie.
And that thing towering in the clearing? That was an Awakened creature.
The gap between an Awakened and an ordinary human was massive… but not impossible.
At least, that's what Father said.
He raised a hand, signaling me to stop. His voice came low, steady — a whisper that cut through the hum of the forest.
"A Gravibear."
The name alone made my pulse quicken. I'd heard of them — beasts that could manipulate gravity through their mana, crushing prey without even touching them.
I sighed, drawing my bow, my breath shallow. The string creaked softly as I nocked an arrow, faint violet light shimmering along the runes carved into the wood.
Father glanced at me, his gaze steady, his nod slow and deliberate. That look alone steadied me.
I focused on the bear, tracking every movement, every breath. I waited for the perfect opening.
The Gravibear was still feasting, gulping down fruit after fruit. Then it caught one in its right paw and raised it toward its mouth.
Now.
I exhaled and released the string.
The arrow sliced through the air with a sharp hiss. It didn't slow — as though gravity had forgotten it existed.
Thwack!
The arrow pierced the creature's lower jaw, driving through and embedding deep into its paw. A spray of blood followed.
The bear roared — a sound so deep it shook the ground.
I didn't hesitate. I drew again, mana gathering at my fingertips. The runes glowed brighter as I loosed a second arrow.
But this time, the Gravibear was ready. The lines along its fur flared bright purple, and my arrow — flying true just a second before — suddenly dropped. It hit the ground and crumpled, crushed as if under an invisible weight.
The creature turned its blazing eyes toward me.
"Ah. Damn."
It charged.
The ground cracked beneath its weight as it barreled forward.
"Shit," I hissed, loosing two arrows at once.
Both shot forward, glowing faintly violet. But the Gravibear roared again, and the arrows bent midair, slamming into the dirt before they even reached it.
It kept charging until it was nearly upon me. I barely had time to dodge as the Gravibear's paw slammed down where I'd been standing. The impact exploded dirt and leaves upward.
I dove, rolled, and drew my sword in one motion — a clean, silver arc that caught the sunlight.
The beast swung again; I ducked, slashing across its leg, and rolled back, my blade grazing fur and flesh. Blood sprayed, hot and red.
The Gravibear howled, the markings across its body glowing brighter — until they blazed.
"Shit—!"
A column of purple light erupted around me. Suddenly the air collapsed.
My body felt like it was being ripped downward — spine compressing, ribs screaming. The ground cracked under me. My knees buckled as every bone groaned under impossible weight.
I forced a scream through gritted teeth, struggling to breathe. The world blurred.
With every ounce of strength, I threw myself forward — out of the gravity pillar — and rolled, gasping.
The moment I was free, the pressure lifted. My chest heaved. Blood dripped from my nose.
That one hit alone nearly killed me.
I looked down: a deep gash ran along my side, torn open from rolling over jagged stone. My arms shook, and my sword hand was slick with blood.
But the Gravibear was coming again.
"Alright," I growled. "Come on, you bastard."
It lunged, and I met it head-on, darting to the side and slashing at its shoulder. The blow carved deep this time — muscle and fur splitting as the beast roared again, swiping wildly.
Its claws caught me across the chest.
Pain exploded through me. My body went flying, crashing into a tree. Bark split under my weight as I slid down, gasping for air. Blood ran warm down my chest, soaking into my coat.
For a moment, the world tilted. I thought about staying down.
Then I through about all the effort I put to get here.
"Persevere Astri... persevere."
I spat blood into the dirt and pushed myself up. My legs shook violently, but I moved anyway.
The Gravibear was limping now — its right paw barely holding its weight. The wound from my arrow was still bleeding.
"Yeah… that's it," I muttered, steadying my sword. "Come to me."
The beast charged again.
I ran toward it, low and fast. At the last moment, I dropped to one knee, sliding under its swing. Its claws missed my head by inches.
I drove my sword upward with both hands, cutting deep through its wounded paw — slicing along the same line as my first strike.
The beast howled, the sound shaking the leaves loose from the trees.
I twisted the blade, ripped it free, and drove it again — this time straight into its chest.
The Gravibear staggered, clawing at me with its remaining strength. Its paw grazed my shoulder, tearing skin open as pain flared bright and white.
I screamed but didn't stop. I shoved the blade deeper, putting every ounce of strength I had left behind it.
There was a loud crack — like stone splitting — and then silence.
The bear's glowing lines flickered, dimmed, and went dark. Its body collapsed, shaking the ground one final time.
I dropped to my knees, clutching my bleeding side, chest heaving.
Blood, dirt, and sweat mixed on my skin. My sword hung loosely in my hand, its edge red.
I looked at the Gravibear's still body, disbelief flooding in.
"...I did it."
A laugh bubbled out before I could stop it.
"Hah… hahaha—HAH!" I laughed louder, voice breaking with exhaustion and disbelief. "Damn you, stupid bear! That was easy! So— easy—"
Mid-celebration, pain stabbed through my ribs, and I folded over with a groan. "Okay, maybe not that easy…"
While I was still clutching my side, I heard slow, steady footsteps behind me.
Father.
He walked past without a word, dagger in hand, until he stopped beside the Gravibear's fallen body. Then, kneeling, he made a long, precise cut through its chest.
He reached in, calm and practiced, his arm disappearing up to the elbow.
After a moment, his movement stopped. Slowly, he withdrew his hand — and in it, he held a heart made of crystal.
It glowed faintly purple, pulsing like something still alive.
"This is a mana core," Father said, his tone even. "Specifically, the Gravibear's."
He placed it carefully in a metal case before handing it to me.
I stared at it, the light reflecting on my blood-stained fingers. "Mana core?"
He nodded. "A mana core is where mana gathers and condenses — the heart of all mana-born life. They come in many forms. Some beasts form them in their brains, others in their stomachs. A few even grow a separate organ for it entirely."
I listened silently as he went on.
"Cores like this one can also be used to awaken. By absorbing it, a human can draw the beast's mana into themselves and evolve — even gain fragments of its abilities. But doing so is dangerous. The body must be tempered to withstand the power, or it will tear itself apart."
He glanced at me — calm, proud. "That's why I made you train as you did. Every wound, every scar, every hour of pain was to prepare you for this moment."
He looked down at the Gravibear's corpse once more. "A rare prize. The core of a Gravibear holds tremendous gravity mana — concentrated and pure. It should grant you a versatile ability around gravitational control. You did well, Astri."