Then the Stoneclaw Bear emerged from the darkness. Its massive body looked like it was carved from rock, patches of stone-like plates covering its limbs and shoulders. Its claws, thick, gray, and sharp, scraped the ground as it walked.
The moment it smelled the food, it roared and charged.
The carriage exploded into splinters under its weight. Sacks burst open, grain spilling everywhere. Several villagers flinched, a few even stumbled backward.
"D-Damn… look at the size of that thing," someone muttered, swallowing hard.
Another whispered, "We're dead… we're so dead…"
Their hands trembled. A few looked ready to bolt.
But the captain didn't hesitate. His voice rang out sharply, "Attack! Now!"
The villagers surged forward as best as they could, shouting to muster courage. Spears jabbed toward the bear, though most of them shook so badly the aim was off. The bear swatted one spear aside like it was a twig, sending the man holding it tumbling back on his rear.
The captain gritted his teeth and charged with his sword raised high. "Keep it busy! Don't let it rush the backline!" he yelled.
The bear roared again, swinging its massive paw. Sparks flew as its stone-like claws scraped against one man's blade, snapping the metal in half. The man fell backward, eyes wide in terror.
Aiden watched the chaos unfold, the tension thick in the air.
'These people really have no chance without help', he thought.
Aiden took a slow breath, watching the Stoneclaw Bear wreak havoc among the villagers. If the fight dragged on any longer, someone would die. He glanced at his skeletal subordinate.
"Go," Aiden ordered quietly. "Attack it."
The skeleton moved instantly.
Even though it was undead, there was a sharpness to its steps, a trained rhythm. A normal practitioner was easily three times stronger than an ordinary human, and even though this skeleton only possessed one basic martial art, it was enough to make a difference.
A simple style, thrust, slash, guard. Nothing flashy. But clean, efficient, and deadly in the hands, or bones, of someone with practitioner strength.
The skeleton's feet barely crunched on the dirt as it dashed forward. One of the townsmen saw the hooded figure rush past him and blurted out, "H-Hey! That guy's fast!"
The Stoneclaw Bear turned its massive head just in time to see a blade glint beneath the moonlight.
Thrust.
The skeleton drove its sword straight toward the bear's flank. The blade scraped against the stone-like hide, sending sparks flying, but it managed to pierce a gap between the plates. The bear roared in pain, twisting violently.
"Holy—! It actually hurt it!" one of the villagers shouted.
Slash.
The skeleton followed up immediately, its movements smooth and mechanical. It sliced across the bear's foreleg, forcing the beast to drop heavily on one knee. The strike wasn't deep, but it disrupted the bear's balance.
But the bear wasn't done.
With a furious roar, it swung its stone claws in a wide arc.
The skeleton brought its blade up—
Guard.
The impact was brutal. The sword trembled violently in the skeleton's grasp, and the undead was thrown back several steps, boots skidding across the dirt. Aiden felt the shock through their soul-connection, the force rattling his mind slightly.
"Tch… tough bastard," Aiden muttered.
The bear charged again, but now the villagers saw an opening.
The captain shouted, "While it's distracted—attack!"
Spears jabbed, swords swung, men yelled to build their courage as they swarmed from the sides. The Stoneclaw Bear growled in frustration, turning to defend against the sudden onslaught.
Aiden's skeleton steadied its stance and lunged back into the fray.
Thrust—Slash—Guard.
Slowly, the beast began to falter.
And everyone watching knew one thing for certain.
The hooded stranger's "subordinate" was the only reason they were still alive.
It didn't take long before the Stoneclaw Bear finally collapsed with a heavy thud. The villagers stood around its massive body, panting, bleeding, trembling—but alive. And that alone made the whole group erupt into excited cheers.
"We did it!"
"Damn thing is finally dead!"
"Ha! I thought I was going to die!"
A few clutched their wounded arms or legs, but not a single person had fallen. For a small, poor town like this, that was a miracle.
Several of them walked toward Aiden's hooded skeleton and bowed their heads in gratitude.
"Thank you!"
"You saved our lives!"
But the skeleton simply stood there, silent and unmoving, sword loosely in hand. Not a nod. Not even a grunt.
One man blinked. "Uh… he doesn't talk, huh?"
Another whispered, "Maybe he's one of those cold, expert practitioners…"
A few nodded in understanding. "Ah, the quiet mysterious type… got it."
Seeing their confusion, they shifted their thanks toward Aiden instead.
The captain approached, still catching his breath, but his eyes were full of genuine respect.
"Sir," he said, "you really saved us tonight. Without your subordinate, we might've lost half our people."
Aiden pretended to cough lightly. "He did fine. I'm glad he could help."
"As thanks," the captain continued, pulling out a small pouch, "I'll give you double the reward. Twenty silver coins."
Aiden didn't pretend to be humble. He reached out immediately. "Then, I'll gladly accept."
The captain smiled, tired, but relieved. "Well deserved."
Aiden gestured toward the skeleton. "As for him, don't worry. He just doesn't like to talk. He's… quiet."
Everyone nodded as if that made perfect sense for some reason.
"Well, quiet or not," one of the men said, bowing again, "please tell him our thanks."
Aiden smirked faintly under his hood. "Sure. I'll let him know."
Inside, he was thinking, 'If only you knew that he literally can't talk… or breathe… or blink…'
But he kept that to himself, pocketing the twenty silver coins and enjoying, for once, the feeling of not being completely broke in this strange world.