Faust had to use three healing rune leaves to fully heal the bear—one per day, essentially. The scars didn't disappear; the healing rune could close injuries and heal internal damage, but it couldn't recover old wounds or erase scars. Its healing capacity was also limited.
He moved into the bear's cave, using the bear to help transport all the small weapons.
Faust began training with the bear. He had no words to describe it—it was simply amazing. It was stronger than all the creatures he'd encountered before, combined. Faster, more resistant, and it usually kept other animals away. It was a great trade. No regrets lingered in his heart.
During this time, he trained with it regularly, taking it out to hunt wolves. He barely had to move—usually standing behind the bear or riding on its back. He felt powerful, in control. The only issue now was that he had to manually dismantle each kill, as the goblin was dead and the bear would just thrash the carcasses.
They managed to hunt over thirty wolves during this period. The hardest part was finding a pack—most didn't dare to come close to the bear. Still, with the loot he acquired, he easily remade his wolf leather "cape," this time with even more leather, making it even warmer. He also started getting the hang of crafting clothes. It wasn't easy, but he was improving. The surplus of wolf meat was also a good extra; it was enough food for him to survive for a lot of time.
The winter was colder than ever. Water would almost instantly freeze when left outside. That wasn't entirely a bad thing—it made storing food easier. He just had to leave them outside, and they'd freeze naturally. Thanks to the bear's presence, no other beasts dared approach, so there was no risk of the food being stolen.
Faust no longer lacked materials. The only thing he couldn't make was poison, as most herbs didn't grow in the harsh winter. However, Huntress'Luck still did, so he kept storing it. He focused on crafting other items instead.
Even though the bear did most of the heavy work—hunting and transporting carcasses—Faust never stopped training. He made more javelins, sharpened rocks, and engraved dozens of detonation runes throughout the cave. Even with the bear as an ally, he wasn't going to be caught unprepared. It was already in his nature; he was in a dangerous situation basically all the time, he couldn't afford to not be careful.
Just like that, two weeks passed since the battle.
On a dark night, Faust sat at the entrance of the cave, watching the snow fall. His pale skin looked healthy, his black hair long, and his dark red eyes fixed on the snowflakes. The bear lay behind him like a couch. Its black fur contrasted sharply with Faust's pale complexion. Both bore scars, though the bear's body carried far more.
The bear now had two large sacks made from wolf leather tied to its sides, strapped over its back with a thick cord—similar to saddlebags on a horse.
Faust was preparing to leave. He had stayed in the forest through the winter to subdue the bear, but now that it was his, he wouldn't linger much longer, he had no reason to. The bear's meat pile had included human bodies, meaning a village or road couldn't be too far. If they were hunters, they must have had a camp. With the bear's speed, finding something shouldn't take long.
When the sun began to rise, Faust mounted the bear. He had food, materials, weapons, healing leaves—basically everything useful that he could carry. The two sacks were nearly full.
He left the cave.
Days passed as he followed the path the bear used to take—something he'd discovered while tailing it before. Eventually, he found a small, abandoned camp. He observed it first, before getting off the bear.
It had three tents. One was bloodied. Another had collapsed and was almost completely buried in snow. The last was torn—basically unusable. Near the tents, there was a small wooden chest. Perhaps something inside could be of use. Faust remembered the black sword was still too heavy for him, and he didn't know swordsmanship. The spear, easier to wield, had broken during a past hunt. The javelins suited him better, but the sword might be useful in the future, so he hadn't discarded it.
There was also a broken-down curing stand—likely the bear's doing.
Faust tried to open the wooden chest, but it was locked. He tried to force it open, but lacked the strength. He then ordered the bear to try. With one swipe of its paw, the chest's upper half was shattered.
Inside, he found adult clothing—some pajama pieces, that is. Probably not everyone had been awake when the bear attacked. There was also a small crossbow with a quiver of ten bolts, a meat cleaver, a few wooden bowls and cups, a coal pencil, and a small book. Out of all these, the book caught Faust's eye first. It had been so long since he'd seen one. Its cover was made of old leather, slightly damp, and the pages were yellowed.
"A beast attacked near the village while Parzo and Anna were out. She managed to escape while he held it off and bought time. Anna made it back, but Parzo didn't. We didn't find his body—probably eaten. She said it was a black monster, so that's what we'll search for. A great hunter lost to a foul beast—that's unacceptable. Tomorrow, Robert, Lucius, and I will hunt it. The village elder is traveling, but he'll pay if we kill it. I spoke with his representative, and we just need to document everything in a journal—so here it is."
Faust flipped through the pages. Most detailed their tracking of the beast, while others were other insignificant stuff.
Then he stopped.
"We found the beast. The so-called black monster is a bear. But it's obvious why Anna thought it was something else. That thing is massive. We watched it from afar—its black fur made it look like a shadow. Its speed is impressive, but not enough to dodge attacks from the three of us. We found its cave and plan to wait until it returns. When its guard is down, we'll kill it. Shouldn't be too hard."
"We failed. We had to run. But we injured it heavily—though our injuries were worse. Robert lost his left arm. Lucius and I took heavy wounds to the chest and belly. Sir Elder, if you're reading this, please consider a higher reward. We've already lost a lot—Robert dropped his sword when we were running, my spear's broken, and only Lucius still has his crossbow. He can't kill it alone. We're heading back to the village to recover and find someone to replace Robert, he can't fight anymore. We'll hunt it again once we're ready. Now that we know where it lives, it shouldn't take more than two weeks."
The rest of the pages were incomplete. The bear had likely killed them early that morning. The journal explained its scars—it had killed three hunters. Its strength was terrifying.
Faust collected the contents of the chest, examining them.
"The crossbow's useful, but I'll have to learn how to shoot. It probably isn't too hard. I'll take these pajamas; I just need to fold the sleeves and legs, and they should fit. I guess the hunters didn't care about changing. If they had, I could've taken their hunting attire, it would have been useful. Oh well, it is what it is."
He picked up the cleaver. The blade was still sharp, though slightly rusty.
The chest had protected everything inside. Despite the brutal weather, the items were in good condition.
The cleaver could work as his weapon. It was small, sharp, and light—easy to swing. It didn't require advanced techniques or training. It was more of a tool than a weapon, which suited him. It would also make dismantling animals much easier than with stone tools. He strapped it to his waist alongside his javelins. They were all secured by a leather belt he had crafted in the cave after killing the first goblins.
He kept the book and pencil with him—he wanted to write and draw. He could draw runes on paper and actually use them, much better than using rocks and leaves. The journal had about fifty blank pages—much easier to work with.
He stored the remaining items, like the pajamas, to decide later if he'd use them. For now, he wasn't feeling the cold. His wolf leather outfit was complete—it covered from his shoulders to his legs and resembled a strange full-body dress. But it was practical.
"According to the hunters' records, a village shouldn't be too far from here. But I don't know the direction they came from… Well, I'll find it eventually. At least I hope so."
He mounted the bear once again and left the ravaged camp. A village wasn't far now. And once he found one, it wouldn't take long to find the way back to his own.
That was Faust's true goal.