Chapter 24 | Primal Combat

Leon snapped another branch free, his fingers bleeding as he frantically scraped the branch against rough bark to forge a crude point. His lungs burned, and his heart hammered against his ribs as he worked. Four minutes until the simulation ended, if the timer still functioned properly at all.

"RAAARRR!!" A bone-chilling roar echoed through the canopy.

The five Furibears–each twice his size—were closing in, and would spot him any second. Adrenaline surged through his veins as he launched himself to the next tree, his movements fueled by desperation.

The ground shook violently again. A massive tree splintered with a deafening crack and crashed against his perch, sending tremors up the trunk.

Leon clung desperately to the swaying limb, knuckles white, bark cutting deeper into his already torn palms. The moment the shaking subsided, he snatched a fallen branch, frantically working the ends to lethal points.

The final spear remained half-finished when the forest erupted with thunderous growls. The Furibears emerged from the undergrowth, saliva dripping from yellowed fangs as five pairs of predatory eyes locked onto him. One beast lunged at his tree, massive claws tearing chunks from the trunk as it began to climb.

"Shit!" Leon hissed, abandoning the third half-finished spear and scrambling higher before leaping to an adjacent tree. Branches whipped his face as he crashed through the leaves.

Three minutes and thirty seconds. Just hold on.

The simulation flickered, and the branch beneath him vanished. Time slowed as Leon fell, the ground rushing up. Directly below, a Furibear waited, jaws gaping wide enough to swallow his torso, razor teeth gleaming in anticipation.

Leon twisted mid-air, both makeshift spears clutched as hard as he could, points aimed downward. He plunged toward the beast and drove the weapons with all his strength.

They missed the skull but sunk deep into the beast's shoulders.

The Furibear's triumphant roar transformed into an agonized howl that shook the forest.

Leon's feet slammed onto the beast's massive shoulders. Pain shot through his ankles as he fought for balance. The wounded beast thrashed wildly, nearly throwing him off as it snapped at his legs, jaws closing inches from his thigh.

Hot breath reeking of decay washed over him as claws raked his right leg. Searing pain traveled through his thigh as fabric shreds and blood sprayed in a crimson arc. Leon bit back a scream, the metallic taste of blood filling his mouth as he bit his tongue.

"STOP—MOVING!" Leon roared, abandoning one spear to form a tight fist. He drove it into the Furibear's snout with every ounce of strength he possessed.

He winced as his knuckles collided with cartilage and bone. Something cracked, his hand or the beast's face, he couldn't tell with the adrenaline coursing through his system. The impact stunned the Furibear, its massive body staggering backward before toppling like a fallen redwood.

As the Furibear crashed down, Leon pushed off, wrenching the right spear free with a wet, sucking sound. He hit the ground rolling, his wounded leg buckling beneath him, sending him tumbling across the forest floor.

Each rotation sent fresh waves of agony through his lacerated thigh. Blood soaked his leg, leaving a crimson trail behind him.

Gritting his teeth against the pain, he pivoted back toward the dazed beast. Without hesitation, he stabbed the bloodied spear up through the soft flesh beneath its jaw.

The point punched through bone, penetrating deep into its brain. He yanked it free with a spray of dark blood, the beast's eyes dimming as it convulsed once, then went still.

Three minutes left. Keep moving.

A snap of a twig behind him and the distinctive whoosh of claws slicing air alerted him to a new threat. Leon threw himself forward, diving across the fallen Furibear as massive paw missed his spine by mere inches, close enough that he felt the wind of their passage against his neck.

His injured leg dragged uselessly now, forcing him to adapt. He pushed up with his good leg and turned to face the remaining threats, using the fallen Furibear as partial cover.

"RAAAAARRR!" A challenge erupted from the second Furibear as it squared off against him, muscled shoulders bunching beneath matted fur. Two others stalked in a tightening circle, red eyes calculating, waiting for him to show weakness. The fifth beast was still descending from the trees, momentarily out of the fight.

Around them, fragments of the environment stabilized; pixelated areas solidifying and glitching sections becoming clearer. The simulation was being repaired.

"Recruits, we are stabilizing the environment and have secured the breach," announced the technician's voice. "Finish current wave to safely exit the simulation."

The lead Furibear waited until the announcement faded, as if understanding the words, then unleashed a roar that vibrated through Leon's chest cavity. It charged with terrifying speed, claws extended like daggers.

Leon backpedaled desperately, dragging his wounded leg. His retreat was awkward and slow, each step sending lightning bolts of pain through his thigh. His back slammed against solid wood. Trapped.

The charging Furibear closed the distance in heartbeats, jaws wide enough to engulf his head.

At the last possible second, Leon dropped and rolled sideways, his injured leg screaming in protest. The beast's momentum carried it headlong into the tree trunk with a crack that echoed through the forest. The impact was so violent that bark exploded outward in a shower of splinters.

In the split-second as the beast stood dazed, Leon drove his spear deep into its side with a primal scream. The wooden shaft vibrated as it pierced vital organs.

Hot blood gushed over his hands as he wrenched the weapon free and hobbled behind the tree, narrowly avoiding a final retaliatory swipe that gouged four deep furrows in the trunk where his head had been moments before.

Two minutes. Just survive for two more minutes.

The three remaining Furibears hesitated, maintaining distance while watching Leon's every move with red eyes. Their massive forms shifted restlessly, but none advanced. An unexpected respite in the frantic combat.

Leon stood beside the body of the Furibear he had just killed, fighting to project strength despite his deteriorating condition. Blood streamed from his thigh wound, soaking his pants and pooling beneath his foot.

His face had gone ashen from blood loss, and countless minor cuts covered his arms and torso. Simply remaining upright required immense effort, his muscles trembling with exhaustion and pain. Still, he forced himself to meet their predatory gaze, refusing to show weakness.

He took a glance at the fallen beast beside him, noting its superior size compared to the others. Its scarred face and dominant posture when alive suddenly made sense.

Are they scared because I took down their leader? he pondered, understanding the pack dynamics that may be at play.

One Furibear stepped forward hesitantly. Leon immediately turned toward it, gripping his bloodied spear with white knuckles. The beast halted and retreated. The standoff continued, the beasts waiting for any sign of vulnerability while Leon battled the encroaching lightheadedness threatening to overcome him.

"One minute remaining," announced the simulation voice, seemingly restored to normal function as the environment stabilized around them.

The countdown appeared to trigger something in the predators' instincts. As though receiving a silent command, they charged simultaneously from different angles, converging on Leon with terrifying synchronization.

Think. THINK!

The closest Furibear reached him first. Leon gripped his spear with blood-slick hands, dropped into a crouch despite the pain in his injured leg, and drove the weapon forward with desperate strength. The crude point caught the beast in the throat, sinking deep as the creature's momentum carried it forward, nearly wrenching the weapon from Leon's grasp.

The dying Furibear's charge knocked Leon backward. His injured leg buckled beneath him, sending him sprawling against the corpse of their alpha. The world spun as his head hit the dead beast's side, consciousness threatening to slip away. He blinked rapidly, fighting to stay alert even as black spots danced across his vision.

Fifty seconds. Stay awake.

The second beast launched itself through the air, jaws open wide, claws extended for the kill. With no time to recover, Leon rolled onto the dead Furibear, using its massive body as a shield. The attacker crashed into the corpse, its claws sinking into its fallen packmate instead of Leon's flesh. It howled in frustration, trying to disentangle itself, powerful limbs thrashing.

Every movement sent fresh pain through Leon’s body. His injured leg had gone numb, probably a bad sign, but he didn’t have time to think about it. Gritting his teeth, he forced himself upright, swaying on top of the fallen beast.

The second Furibear broke free and lunged, jaws snapping for his legs. Leon drove the makeshift spear down with everything he had left, striking it in the eye. The creature shrieked, the sound ripping through the quiet forest. It thrashed, staggered back, and collapsed.

Thirty seconds.

The final Furibear stopped its charge abruptly, backing away after witnessing the swift demise of its packmates. Its behavior shifted from aggression to hesitation, head lowered and muscles tensed for either attack or retreat.

Leon yanked his spear free from the eye socket of the Furibear. Blood fountained from the wound, spraying across his face and blinding him. He wiped his eyes with a forearm already smeared crimson, his vision clearing just in time to see the hesitating beast charging forward. It recognized its opportunity when he couldn’t see.

Fifteen seconds. Just fifteen more seconds.

No time to dodge. His injured leg wouldn’t respond, and his reflexes had slowed from blood loss. Rather than attempt to dodge, Leon dropped to one knee next to the dead Furibear and braced the spear against its body, point angled upward in a desperate gamble.

The last Furibear crashed into him with the force of a battering ram. The impact drove Leon backward as the makeshift spear punched through the beast's chest. The wooden shaft snapped with a crack, leaving half embedded in its body. But the Furibear's momentum carried it forward, massive jaws closing around Leon's shoulder.

“AAAAAAGHHHH!”

His face twisted and his body shuddered as teeth pierced flesh and crunched bone. A scream released from his throat, primal and raw. Fighting through the agony, Leon jammed his thumb deep into the beast's eye socket with savage desperation. With a roar of pain, the beast let him go and reared back.

Leon kicked the lodged portion of the spear deeper into its chest, feeling ribs crack beneath the impact.

Five seconds.

Leon collapsed, clutching his mangled shoulder. Blood poured between his fingers. His vision narrowed to a tunnel, the edges darkening as consciousness began to slip away. He fought to stay awake, recognizing that surrendering to the encroaching darkness might mean death.

The wounded Furibear swayed on its feet several paces away, the wooden shaft protruding from its chest. Each labored breath caused blood to gush from around the wound. Its red eyes dimmed but remained fixed on Leon with murderous intent, gathering strength for one final attack.

Three seconds.

Leon dragged himself backward using his good arm, leaving a wide trail of blood on the forest floor. His breathing came in shallow, rapid gasps as shock took hold. The forest around him began to waver, reality distorting, whether from the simulation ending or his fading consciousness, he couldn't tell.

Two seconds.

The Furibear lunged with its remaining strength, a final desperate attack.

One second.

Leon's vision blurred completely. Through the haze, he saw the beast's claws coming—inches from his face—before they dissolved into pixels and disappeared.

The forest followed, breaking apart into digital fragments that faded into white nothingness.

"Wave Three Complete. Initiating simulation termination override," announced the system voice, the final sound before darkness claimed him.