Ten Day Ultimatum

The black bear launched a flurry of attacks, each successive strike losing power and ferocity.
What once resounded as formidable impacts dwindled into mere swats against the iron plate.

"That should be the end of it," Qi Xia remarked, observing the waning strength in the bear's blows. "Its energy is spent."
Indeed, as Qi Xia anticipated, the bear’s final feeble attack ended with it cautiously eyeing the iron plate. After a few heavy snorts, it ceased its assault. Though it didn’t appear overly fatigued, it chose to retreat, relinquishing the offensive.
"Is it really over?" Qiao Jiajin cautiously peered around the edge of the iron plate. "The bear still looks like it has some strength left."

"Animals are different from humans," Qi Xia explained. "To survive constant dangers in the wild, they rarely exhaust themselves completely. Even if it has some strength left, it won’t fight to the death against this iron plate."
True to Qi Xia’s words, the Asiatic black bear, now resigned, turned away and ambled toward a nearby corpse—the body of a woman who had perished at the beginning of the game.
She was now a more certain and safer source of sustenance.

The bear fixed its gaze on the iron plate before lowering its head to sniff at the corpse. With a swift motion, it bit through her abdomen, resulting in a sickening splat.
The sound resembled a plastic bag bursting with liquid, and vivid crimson spilled across the ground.
The bear prodded the ruptured organs with its snout, then began selecting its preferred pieces with its tongue. Before long, the chewing sounds echoed, as if it were savoring a fine meal.

Everyone turned their heads away, unable to bear the grisly spectacle.
The black bear gnawed at the corpse while keeping its gaze fixed on the iron plate, creating a bizarre standoff between the two sides.
Luckily, time was running out.

Amid the tense and oppressive atmosphere, the bear refrained from further aggression. It continued devouring the corpse’s belly, leaving a few ghastly ribs exposed.
Qi Xia glanced at the clock—only 30 seconds remained. The game was nearing its conclusion.
But just then, the Asiatic black bear suddenly growled, twisted its massive body, and charged again. It seemed to sense that time was running out and intended to make one final, desperate effort.

"Here it comes! Get ready!" Qi Xia shouted, alerting Qiao Jiajin.
Qiao Jiajin quickly adjusted his stance, pressing his entire body against the iron plate at an angle.
The line behind him quickly reformed, each person grasping the clothes of the one in front with newfound unity and determination, ready to withstand the bear’s assault.

They believed they could endure this final attack, but to their horror, the bear reared up on its hind legs. The towering figure, over two meters tall, cast an oppressive shadow over the group.
"Not good..." Qi Xia muttered, sensing imminent danger.
In the next instant, the bear placed its massive front paws on the iron plate and leaned its head over. Its open mouth revealed remnants of human flesh lodged between its teeth.
"Roar!!"

The deafening roar felt like it would shatter Qi Xia’s eardrums. The bear’s fetid saliva sprayed across his face—a sickening reminder of the beast’s ferocity.
"Hold on!" Specs shouted.
Qiao Jiajin gritted his teeth, exerting all his strength to hold the table against the overwhelming force. He could feel the crushing weight—several hundred kilograms—bearing down on him, threatening to flatten him.

"This... mother... fucker..." he managed to gasp.
Qi Xia immediately stepped forward to brace the plate alongside him. The bear’s terrifying strength left the others momentarily paralyzed with fear.
Realizing it couldn’t push the iron plate forward, the Asiatic black bear shifted tactics. With a menacing growl, it gripped the edge of the plate with both paws and began pulling it toward itself.

Qiao Jiajin and Qi Xia, caught off guard by the unexpected move, felt the iron plate wrenched from their grip and thrown to the ground.
The abrupt shift in momentum caused both men to lose their balance and topple over.
Clang!!

The iron plate hit the ground with a resounding crash, leaving everyone exposed to the furious bear. With Qiao Jiajin and Qi Xia closest to the beast, the danger was palpable.
Before they could react, the bear swiped its massive paw at Qiao Jiajin.
Instinctively, he rolled to the side, narrowly dodging the blow. The paw struck the ground where he’d been, gouging the earth.

"Hey! Swindler Lad! Get up, quick!" Qiao Jiajin shouted as he rolled aside. "If you stay down, you’re dead!"
Qi Xia lay on the ground, struggling to get up. The impact had struck him in the chest, leaving him gasping for breath and wracked with pain. Despite his efforts, he kept collapsing.
Qiao Jiajin, now on his feet, glanced anxiously at him. "This is bad... Swindler Lad, get up!"

Seeing Qi Xia’s struggle, the Asiatic black bear shifted its focus. Realizing Qiao Jiajin was still agile, it turned its attention to the more vulnerable Qi Xia.
Qiao Jiajin gritted his teeth and sprang into action. With a determined run, he launched himself into a flying tackle, driving his knee into the side of the black bear’s face.
The bear howled in agony, eyes snapping shut as it lashed out. One of its blows struck Qiao Jiajin squarely in the abdomen.

"Ugh!"
Though seemingly haphazard, the attack hit a vulnerable spot. Qiao Jiajin was flung backward, crashing to the ground.
Cough cough... Damn it... he gasped, the sharp pain suggesting his ribs might be fractured.

"What—what do we do?" Specs stammered in panic. "We have to save them..."
In a moment of inspiration, he turned urgently to the middle-aged man. "Ole Lu! Take off your shoes! I’ve got a plan to save them!"
"Don’t be ridiculous!" Ole Lu retorted. "Specs, are you trying to throw yourself into the flames? The bear’s nearly done. If it eats them, we’ll be safe! Time is almost up!"

Specs glanced at the clock. Less than twenty seconds remained.
The Asiatic black bear extended its forearm toward Qi Xia. Though the game was nearly over, Qi Xia still faced imminent death.
He had tirelessly fought to protect the group, and regardless of his ultimate motives, he had indeed safeguarded their lives.

After a brief inner struggle, Specs resolved to act.
"Hey! You bastard!!" he shouted, leaping forward. "Don’t touch him!!"
The bear recoiled in surprise, momentarily halting its advance.

The middle-aged man looked on in shock and barked, "Damn it! Specs, are you insane?!"
"Blind bear!..." Specs ignored him. With a mix of bravado and desperation, he taunted the bear, "Come chase me if you’ve got the guts—"
Before he could finish, the black bear lunged at him with a thunderous roar.

Specs’ face went pale. He spun around and fled. He’d hoped to divert the bear’s attention just for a moment, like Qiao Jiajin had, but its sudden aggression left him scrambling.
He had never imagined how harrowing it would be to be pursued by a massive carnivore driven by bloodlust. The hot, rancid breath of the bear wafted behind him, a chilling reminder of the danger.
Despite his efforts to stay upright, Specs’ legs trembled uncontrollably. He stumbled and fell ◆ Nоvеlіgһt ◆ (Only on Nоvеlіgһt) again and again.

Each time he rose, he fell once more, as if the very ground conspired against his survival.
At this rate, he feared his own clumsiness might doom him before the bear ever got the chance.