-Grrrr!


    -Growl!


    -Growl!


    With a burst of speed, all the Frostbearanun toward me within the smoke!


    ''Shit, I exposed myself!'' I cursed mentally as I knocked another arrow into my bow however I was too slow they were already near me.


    I gritted my teeth and quickly ced the Nightshadow bow in my bracelet and ready myself for close-quartersbat.


    "Haaa!"


    I stepped into the striking range and let out a fierce battle cry as the Frostw Bear swung down its w at me.


    I swiftly sidestepped and evaded the oing blow with precision.


    Thwam—!!


    Seizing the opportunity, I stepped in closer to the mana beast and dropped to my knees before seamlessly spinning on one foot.


    In a fluid motion, I aimed a quick, low reverse spinning kick at the giant Bear''s leg.


    Then—!!


    "Arghhaaa!"


    As soon as my leg hit the Bear, the impact resonated throughout my body, sending shockwaves of force coursing through my muscles.


    It felt as if I had tried to hit a boulder. The sheer impact jarred my bones while the Ice-w Bear remained unscathed.


    Gritting my teeth, I endured the pain and channelled mana into my fists, causing them to illuminate in the brightest shade of azure.


    Without hesitation, I jumped back to my feet and unleashed a rapid onught of punches upon the Bear''s ribs.


    Thwack, Thwack, Thwack, Thwack—!!!


    "Gawd!!"


    Against my relentless barrage of lightning-fast punches, the bear could only let out a pained groan.


    However, even though my attack managed to hurt the mana beast, it was clear that this alone wouldn''t be enough to kill it.


    Just as I was about to change my strategy and use a different approach to kill it, a sudden movement in my peripheral vision caught my attention.


    A second Frostw Bear had appeared beside me.


    Reacting swiftly, I dodged the iing swipe of the second Frostw Bear''s w, narrowly avoiding being caught in its deadly grasp.


    "Haa!" I retaliated with a quick, spinning kick to the second bear''s side, creating some distance between us. The alpha Frostw Bear was still recovering from my previous assault, providing a brief window to deal with the new threat.


    With two formidable foes closing in, I assessed the situation. My mana reserves were depleting rapidly, and the prolonged battle had taken its toll on my stamina. The Mana Coating enhanced abilities offered a temporary advantage, but I needed a more strategic approach to ovee these powerful mana beasts.


    But there is no time for that.


    Sliding across the snow, I hurdle back of Frostw bear while at the same time, evading one of his ws by inches.


    Without any dy, I jumped and sped the bear''s neck from behind using a single hand, locking it in a one-handed neck lock.


    From what I know, the weak point of the Frostw bear is the neck, the neck muscles of the Frostw bear are very soft spot. That''s why they try to not let any attack hit there.


    Using my full strength I started to choke the Frostw bear...


    As I applied pressure to the Frostw Bear''s neck, its growls turned into distressed roars. The second bear, momentarily distracted by our struggle, hesitated before lunging towards us.


    Feeling the imminent threat, I intensified my grip on the first bear''s neck, leveraging my mana-enhanced strength. The struggle between us continued my focus on maintaining the chokehold while dodging the swipes of the second Frostw Bear.


    The frosty breath of the bears created a chilling atmosphere, and the snow-coveredndscape bore witness to our intense sh. Adrenaline coursed through my veins as I sought to exploit the weakness in the mana beast''s anatomy.


    With calcted precision, I shifted my weight, causing the Frostw Bear to lose bnce. Seizing the opportunity, I released my grip on its neck and swiftly manoeuvred to evade the iing attack of the second bear.


    With the agility granted by Mana Coating, I slid beneath the second bear''s swipe and positioned myself strategically. As it recovered from its missed strike, I unleashed a barrage of kicks and punches at its vulnerable spots, targeting areas where its mana defences were weaker.


    The relentless assault gradually wore down the second Frostw Bear. It growled in pain, its movements bing sluggish as I exploited the weaknesses in its magical defences.


    As I thought I was going to win, at that moment the situation turned to worse.


    I felt a chill run down my spine. Instinctively, I turned my head around to the left and saw a flurry of huge Ice Shards hurtling towards me with rming velocity.


    ".....?!"


    Widening my eyes, I bent my knees and pressed my legs against Frost w Bear''s back.


    Then, using its back as a springboard, I propelled myself backwards to evade the iing Ice Shards.


    Thud—


    With a resounding thud, Inded a few steps back from my previous position and shifted my focus to my left once again.


    There, to my surprise, I spotted a remarkably different Frostw Bear.


    This one appeared older and had a wooden shaft in its hand. It also wore a shoulder robe crafted from the hide of another Frost w Bear.


    "A mage?!" I eximed out, my luck is worse.


    I know that Frostw bear could use magic but this is my first time seeing a Frostw bear that only uses magic attacks.


    This one must be a leader of the pack!


    The mage Frostw Bear wielded its icy staff with a level of sophistication unseen in its counterparts. The surrounding air seemed to resonate with a faint magical aura, signifying its ability tomand the element of ice with a degree of mastery.


    The Ice Shard attack from earlier had emanated from this newfound adversary. My gaze shifted between the elder Frostw Bear and the two weakened ones I had been engaging. The odds had taken a drastic turn, with a formidable mage joining the fray.


    With a calcting expression, the mage Frostw Bear raised its staff, summoning an arctic gust that whipped through the snowyndscape. The cold air intensified, creating an aura of frost that cloaked its massive form.


    I quickly reassessed the situation, realizing that conventional tactics wouldn''t be sufficient against a magical adversary. The elder Frostw Bear''s eyes glowed with an intelligence not typical of regr mana beasts.


    As the mage Frostw Bear prepared for its next move, the other two mana beasts, though weakened, renewed their onught. Their coordination hinted at a shared consciousness, guided by the mage''smands.