Chapter 221

221 Finger Shank

*Roar!*

A small rock molded, and it started expanding in size. The alpha bear intended to shoot an Earth Cannon towards Iris and her father.

Vincent felt his heart shrink right at this moment.

Ideas flashed in his mind, such as spending the remaining Soul Power for four more retainer bonds and gain forty stats in all categories.

Another idea conflicted with the previous one. It made Vincent remember what Kazumi said. A fight isn’t all about stats. Skills, abilities, spells, passives, items, and traps can change the fight’s flow. Healing is a great weapon to use.

Best

‘I don’t have time to overthink!’ Vincent shook his head to stop his thoughts from consuming precious time. The molding hardening earth forming a rock wasn’t going to wait for him to decide.

Vincent clenched his fist and noticed the sensation of one of his fingers. Overheat makes his forearms feel entirely numb. As if his arms are attached to his body yet not at the same time from feeling nothing.

However, right at this moment, Vincent could feel one of his fingers move.

“Huh? I can feel my finger again, and the gauntlet doesn’t look like it’s going to explode.” Vincent raised his index finger and curiously inspected every nook or cranny.

.....

A faint green light appeared at each crevice section of his finger. It looked mysterious, yet his finger felt fine and warm. However, the other fingers had no change.

[Then you better jam it inside the alpha grizzly bear because while you were looking at your finger as if you touched poop, the alpha grizzly bear has already molded the earth rock. It is about to shoot it at any moment now.]

Vincent immediately snapped out of the distraction. Vincent quickly leaned forward and rushed towards the alpha grizzly bear as fast as he could.

Vincent took a leap of faith and southed on the top of his lungs with a deep and threatening hoarse voice, “Don’t mess with my family!”

Vincent impulsively listened to Kazumi’s stupid-sounding suggestion in the heat of the moment. He extended his arm to stab a leg as large as a human with one small human finger.

“Haaa!!!” Vincent exclaimed while striking with his extended finger.

[Finger Shank!]

Kazumi exclaimed at the same time, but she forgot to mention a crucial make-or-break detail. Vincent’s finger appeared to have a lot of condensed mana collected inside of it.

From Kazumi’s point of view, she could see collected and condensed mana in his finger after using Mana Sense. It was similar to Ester’s condensed wind bomb, yet it looked much more stable and condensed.

Vincent’s finger glided through the air like a spearhead heading for its target. The mysterious finger approached and approached, and after the finger arrived and the tip touched the hardened flesh, none could stop its penetration.

*Splat!*

Vincent crashed finger first against the alpha grizzly bear. The pain felt as if someone intentionally slammed into a wall. The feeling of his finger wasn’t there anymore after the impact. As if it wasn’t there once again.

*Thud.*

*Roar!*

After the loud sound of a large molded rock fell on the ground, the sound of the alpha bear with a slightly pained roar blasted throughout the area a second later.

Vincent’s attack managed to interrupt the alpha bear. Fortunately, he could barely hear the loud roar and escape getting disorientated. However, a problem arose after saving Iris’s life.

Vincent’s finger managed to penetrate the earth element hardened fur and skin. Yet, in the process, his finger got stuck after the alpha grizzly bear contracted his muscles.

[Ride the bear as your life depends on it. I think it’s about to.]

The moment Kazumi recommended Vincent to grab the fur tightly and ride it until he could unstuck his finger, the alpha grizzly bear shook its body violently.

Vincent promptly moved his free hand to grab the fur a second before his feet left the ground. Not a moment later, the goblins saw Vincent getting propelled up and down, like a rodeo of death.

The alpha grizzly bear raised on its hind legs and lifted its towering size enough to hide the sun. Vincent gulped at the thought of what was going to happen next.

*Thud!* The alpha grizzly bear violently fell, and Vincent hit the ground hard.

Vincent gasped for air and raised his hands. On one side was a fist still clenched with fur poking out. On the other side was a finger covered with blood.

*Cough!* Vincent coughed blood, and his vision started to blur after hitting his head.

Vincent felt he was about to faint soon. The feeling of losing strength from his limbs and the breathing becoming heavier and heavier until the vision becomes dark was something he experienced multiple times before.

“Soul... Power... Minor... Heal!” Vincent difficulty exclaimed with all the remaining energy he had left.

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[-10sp used for Soul Power Minor Heal on Vincent Agius. Host discount activates. 70sp Remaining.]

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The alpha grizzly bear viciously glared at Vincent with a contorted angered face and a pair of bloodshot eyes. The first being to hurt it for the first time after learning Harden was beneath its feet. All the arrogance turned into hate.

[Vincent, roll to your left this instant!]

Kazumi urgently warned. The alpha grizzly bear raised its upper body by about a meter high to crush Vincent into a pulp.

Vincent was currently in the process of healing, with a hue of green light covering his body. His condition improved and the predicament of fainting was no longer troubling him. However, after the cells started accelerating to promote rapid healing, his fatigue grew as a side effect.

Vincent raised his right hand and pushed with all his might while rocking his body to his left. *Thud!* the large paws loudly slammed on the ground, with a slight quake accompanying the sound.

Vincent rolled and rolled. His body evaded getting crushed by a hair. The healing light dissipated, and his vision became clear. He stopped rolling the moment he felt there should be enough distance.

Vincent hastily got up with his fists clenched and his guard up. Vincent was prepared to act the moment the alpha grizzly bear decided to attack.

[Now I understand! The two places where your hands held tightly are now covered with a hand-sized radius of chaotic mana. It’s as if the mana keeping Harden active is constantly getting disrupted.]

[Harden skill is magic-based, thus susceptible to your mana absorption. You plucked the bear’s fur as a result proving this theory as the feasible truth.]

[So... ahem... ride the bear until all its mana is gone, but... it might take hours... and, ahem, you can last for about five more minutes.]

Vincent glared at the alpha grizzly bear. He took a short glance at his hands mumbled, “What if I collect more charges? Five charges could change the situation if I land a swing in a vital spot.” He tried to find a way to survive.

[Umm, five fingers charged is too much to ask for. I think you can have two charges at max.]

“Then I have no choice.” Vincent declared. He clenched his fists, grit his teeth, and rushed towards the alpha grizzly bear.

The alpha grizzly bear became infuriated by its cub’s death. Even further after, its inflated ego got shattered from getting injured.

The one who caused all this emotional and now physical pain and suffering was as slippery as an eel. The hated human prey didn’t want to die.

The alpha grizzly bear opened its large maws and thrust its snout first, aiming to rip Vincent to shreds. Inch after inch and second after second, the two arrived at the point of impact.

Vincent extended his right arm forward without a speck of hesitation in his eyes. Even if the head of the alpha grizzly bear from neck to snout was about the same size as Vincent’s upper body, he didn’t falter.

Vincent had a plan in mind, and it involved using his mutated hardened blood gauntlet as bait. Vincent wanted his gauntlet to get bitten because he trusted it to withstand the powerful maws of the alpha grizzly bear.

Vincent directed his right arm forward and his left arm to keep balance.

The alpha grizzly bear shoved its maws and tightened its muscles. The closing maws of death needed to be as destructive and vicious as they possibly could.

*Clamp!* The sharp teeth landed on a material harder than metal.

The alpha grizzly bear glared at Vincent the moment its maws were stopped. The moment Vincent’s smirk entered its bloodshot glare, the alpha grizzly bear started gnawing the gauntlet with all its mighty strength.

“You activated my trap. ” Vincent smirked while the dents on the gauntlet increased.

Green light appeared from inside the alpha grizzly bear’s mouth. All the Mutated Ash remaining in the Soul Diminsonal Storage was materializing inside its body.

*Snap* Vincent snapped his finger, and *boom* he got knocked a meter back from the force.

The alpha grizzly bear didn’t die. It took a step back. When observed from the outside, the damage it took seemed negligible.

The alpha grizzly bear roared with a hoarse pitch and coughed a mouthful of green smoke a few times. As if it smoked for the first time.

Regrettably, Vincent didn’t have a lot of Mutated Ash saved up. The highly flammable material was almost entirely used to light the campfires and keep the fire alive with no hassle.

Not using Mutated Ash sparingly became a problem in his plan to blow the alpha grizzly bear’s head.

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[Condition] Slightly Injured, Enraged, Burns (Dry throat)

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Vincent momentary froze for a second after he looked at the inspection window.