The son of the God-Emperor in Warhammer Fantasy

Sure enough, behind Eck, a giant bear over two meters tall was chasing him, and the wandering knight was running frantically, but the distance between them was getting shorter and shorter.

"Foolish, how can you run uphill when facing a bear? He'll be caught soon!" Ryan immediately picked up his warhammer and charged toward the bear.

Facing a bear, you should never run uphill. Bears climb hills very quickly because they have short forelimbs, long hind limbs, and powerful rear legs, which makes them very fast on slopes. Even the fastest human runners can't outrun a bear uphill.

The correct way is to run downhill. In this situation, bears have difficulty maintaining their footing due to their short forelimbs, causing them to roll. In such cases, humans can often escape.

What a huge bear demon. When it stands up, it might be three or four meters tall. Its gray fur was covered in dust and snow, and its eyes were blood-red. Its mouth was full of sharp teeth, with saliva dripping in long strands.

"Roar~ Roar~~" The bear demon was getting closer and closer to Eck. Ryan and Rost sprinted as fast as they could, shouting as they ran, "What's going on, Eck?"

"I... I just wanted to find a place to relieve myself!" The wandering knight Eck's eyes darted around, then quickly changed the subject, "Hurry, save me!"

Ryan was the first to arrive. He held his warhammer and cautiously observed the giant bear demon.

The bear demon also suddenly stopped. It seemed to realize that the human in front of it was not to be trifled with. It stopped about ten meters from Ryan, standing still and carefully eyeing the man with the warhammer.

Its fur was covered in dust and snow. Judging by its size and the length of its claws, this brown bear was at least ten years old.

Its eyes were bloodshot, its movements relatively sluggish. Then... well, no wonder. Ryan glared fiercely at Eck and then said to Rost, "I'll handle it. You look for an opportunity."

"Got it!" The barbarian said little and slowly backed away. Eck hurriedly got up and also drew his longsword, "The Albrecht family does not admit defeat!"

The bear demon looked around and finally chose the one who seemed easiest to bully. It roared and lunged at Ryan.

"Damn it, I knew it would come for me!" Ryan cursed, immediately rolling to avoid the attack. The bear's strength far surpassed that of a human. Even with his extraordinary physique, Ryan didn't dare to confront it head-on. This bear demon, at least ten years old, had a challenge level of at least mid-level elite, with strength no less than his own.

Among the three, Eck was wearing chainmail and a breastplate, wielding a longsword and shield. It was clear he wouldn't be easy to take down. Rost, tall and strong, wielded a spear, a weapon bears don't favor. Naturally, he wasn't the bear's first choice either.

Rolling on the meadow wasn't too bad, though he quickly got covered in grass and snow. Ryan swiftly got up and retreated again. The bear demon's huge paw missed him, and the chilling wind swept across his face.

Eck seized the opportunity. The wandering knight raised his kite shield and struck the bear demon on the head with his sturdy shield.

Shield Slam!

The heavy shield hit the bear demon's head, causing it to be momentarily stunned. This technique didn't inflict much damage but effectively suppressed its actions.

The strong dizziness made the bear demon pause. Taking this chance, Rost stabbed his spear into the bear demon's vulnerable waist, "Taste this!"

The spearhead pierced the bear demon's black fur but couldn't go any deeper. Rost felt something was wrong and quickly let go, "Oh! Damn it~"

"Roar!" The bear demon swung its front paw sideways. The barbarian had no time to retreat and was hit in the ribs. He cried out in pain, blood trickling from his mouth. Rost immediately withdrew from the battle, clutching his ribs, clearly injured.

The bear demon wanted to continue its attack, but the incoming warhammer made it sense danger. It instinctively gave up the chase and lunged at Ryan. Ryan stood firm, turned around, and the warhammer struck the bear demon's shoulder.

"Crack~" The sound of bones breaking, the bear demon howled in pain.

Next, it was time to test his earlier results, Ryan thought.

His left hand glowed with a faint blue psychic energy.

"First, the zero-level cantrip Light Spell, go!" The blue energy condensed into a ball of light, hitting the bear demon's eyes. The intense light made it extremely uncomfortable.

"And then..." Ryan brushed his hand over the warhammer, and a large amount of moisture condensed into frost on the iron hammerhead.

Thunder Strike! Ryan slammed the warhammer onto the ground. The area within two meters of him froze, and the bear demon was covered in thick frost, temporarily immobilizing it.

Support from afar arrived quickly.

The first arrow hit the bear demon's shoulder. Before it could react, the second and third arrows struck its forelimb and chest.

Then came the fourth, fifth, and sixth arrows. The bear demon soon turned into a porcupine, surrounded by guards and mercenaries. Even the bear demon realized something was wrong. It roared, causing everyone nearby to feel dizzy, then curled up and rolled down the mountain, raising a cloud of dust.

The bear demon rolled quickly, covering dozens of meters in just a few breaths, and its speed continued to increase.

"Alright, stop chasing! Let's move on!" Ryan sheathed his weapon and said in a deep voice.

"Why not chase?! That beast was nearly dead!" Eck's face changed as he hurriedly stepped forward.

"Chase? How? On horseback? Is your horse an elven warhorse? Or a Bretonnian mixed-breed horse? Are you sure it won't be frightened and throw you off when the bear demon roars?" Ryan retorted, his face also dark.

"Why not? I don't need to fight it on horseback! That beast is severely injured. Once it rolls down the slope, it won't be able to move. Give me some time, and I can take its head!" Eck said anxiously, "Just cover me, and this important honor will be within reach. What's there to hesitate about?"

"Our valuable manpower isn't for you to use to gain glory, Mr. Eck!" Ryan interrupted harshly, "If it weren't for you, Rost wouldn't be injured, right?"

Rost was being bandaged and treated. The mercenaries gave him a potion. He clutched his chest and forced a smile, "It's nothing, just a minor injury. I'll be fine in a few days."

Eck wanted to say more, but Ryan leaned in and whispered, "You know that even during hibernation, it's hard to kill a bear demon in one blow. So, what makes you think you can kill a slightly injured giant bear demon?"

The wandering knight's face turned blue and white. He finally gave up but spoke disdainfully, "I see, Mr. Ryan, you don't want me to gain glory. Your plan is good. This way, you can always maintain your leadership, right?"

After speaking, Eck walked to Ryan's side, eyes blazing with hatred, "You don't care about this little trophy, do you? Your reputation is already well-known. You are a knight of the kingdom, but what about me? I need this! I need it badly!"

"Enough, Eck. Don't forget, you were the one who provoked this thing. We have no obligation to pay for your mistake! Learn the difference between bravery and recklessness." Ryan scolded again.

"Fine! I understand!" Without Ryan's support, Eck finally gave up the pursuit. He pushed Ryan's hand away and shouted, "You have the luxury of cowardice, don't you? You fear losing, fear damaging your reputation."

After speaking, Eck walked away without looking back.

The wandering knight's words left the others looking at Ryan with suspicion. If Ryan had agreed to pursue, the bear demon wouldn't have survived.

Ryan frowned. He could see that most of the mercenaries and guards in the caravan wanted to pursue. His order not to pursue was indeed puzzling. A bear demon was incredibly valuable. All its organs combined could sell for at least fifty gold dinars, or if sacrificed to Ursun, it could yield at least a fifth-ring divine scroll and Ursun's blessing.

Only the half-elf came to show understanding to Ryan, "Mr. Ryan, everything has a spirit. We clearly disturbed this bear demon's hibernation. Letting it go back is the best outcome."

"You think I spared the bear demon out of pity? You think too much." Ryan shook his head directly.

"Then why did you let it go?" The half-elf also found it strange.

"I have an ominous feeling that this journey won't be easy. We can't split up. In the darkness, something seems to be watching us." Ryan squinted his eyes, feeling an almost tangible gaze.

"Are you a part-time star mage of the Imperial Royal Mage Academy? Or a sky mage of the Wizarding Guild? Do you also have the ability to predict?" Estelle recalled that Ryan did cast a small spell during the fight.

"No, just a feeling." Ryan didn't reply. He couldn't explain it to everyone.

This was a discovery brought by his psychic abilities. He had just sensed a massive tainted presence watching the caravan's every move. When he tried to trace it, the presence vanished.

Ryan had experienced many battles, but this kind of blood-red, terrifying power was a first.

Perhaps Eck disturbing the bear demon was no

 coincidence.

After the encounter, the caravan continued on its way.

...

...

Deep in the forest.

Countless trees grew wildly, covering ancient roads. These trees, whether trunks, branches, or leaves, were an eerie yellowish-brown. Their tangled roots covered the ground.

Eldrad the Planter walked through the forest with his staff. He picked up a dead branch from the ground, his wrinkled face full of disgust, "The corruption is worsening. My lord, how can I save this land?"

Since the Chaos invasion, the corrupting winds of Chaos had steadily infiltrated the material world. Trees, under this corrupting energy, grew crazily but lost their vibrant green, their dense branches blocking out the sky, leaving no sunlight to reach the ground.

The Church of Nature had been resisting the Chaos invasion since its inception. Unlike the Church of Life, the Church of Nature stood with nature, not humanity. It had many rangers and druids who tried to keep any beings from disturbing the forest and nature's balance.

To farmers, druids of the Church of Nature were nature and tree lovers who often appeared as veterinarians, actively helping treat farm animals. They warned villagers of beasts and bandits in the forest, advising them not to enter or cut down the forest.

Trusting villagers usually heeded their advice, unaware that many of these beasts were raised by the Church of Nature, and many bandits were funded by them. Their main goal was to protect the forest.

By any means necessary.

One day, the truth was bound to be revealed, making the Church of Nature unwelcome among lords and nobles.

"The forest is crying. Its body is constantly being corrupted by vile Chaos energy. Only the deepest part remains pure. I must find a way to bring out its seed. As long as we have the seed, there's hope for the future." Eldrad used his staff to illuminate the forest. Soft green light shone from the staff's tip. Wherever it touched, the black Chaos energy was expelled. As the green light dispelled the corruption, the trees' diseased growth retreated, and new buds appeared on their branches.

"My lord, save this corrupted land. I am powerless." Eldrad sighed deeply. The Kingdom of Nord in the north, being closest to the Chaos Wastes, suffered the most severe corruption. The Church of Nature had made many efforts in this regard.

"Who's there?" A sound of rustling branches came from the distant forest. Eldrad instinctively turned but saw no enemy, "Not coming out?"

Green energy gathered around the druid and transferred to his staff, "Then, I'll make you come out!"

"Boom!" The wooden staff struck the ground, and green ripples spread from its tip, rapidly extending toward the source of the sound.

Forest's Wrath, Fourth Ring Divine Spell.

"Got you!" Eldrad roared, "Citizens of the forest, fight!"

Thorns and branches rose from the ground, binding the intruder tightly.

The intruder appeared before Eldrad. It was nearly four meters tall, with four massive bull horns towering in the air. Iron plates were deeply embedded in its muscular body. Its arms, thicker than tree trunks, wielded two blood-stained battle axes, covered in nicks. Spikes adorned the chest armor, and its large bull eyes were blood-red.

Each breath it took sent white mist into the air, shaking the ground. Even bound by branches and thorns, its body exuded only savagery and bloodlust.

"The Eight-Pointed Star of the Blood God?! You are?!" A deep chill spread through Eldrad. Looking at the beastman before him, he had a terrible realization.

"Human? No... a bear? No." The intruder's bull face faced the druid, eyes filled with fervor, "Not the target... a sacrifice! Fight!"

With those words, the intruder's muscles bulged, shattering the branches and thorns binding it.

"Filth! Today, in the name of my lord Tal, I will purify you!"