"GRRRR," even the ursa major threat''s passive sounds sent a chill down Jimmy Jack''s back.


    This was no Winnie the Pooh. This was a damn kaiju. Visions of the disembowelment it could inflict infected JJ''s mind. He didn''t need to use his imagination too much. A not-so-meager brethren had been vivisected nearby. If this beast would do something that heinous to its own kind, Jimmy Jack shuddered to think how many of his guts would be strewn across the forest.


    "Of course," Jimmy Jack whined in the softest pitch possible. In the time it had taken to process the behemoth, a seal of shrubbery blocked off any backtracking. It may have been moss and leaves but it was as fortified as titanium. Jimmy Jack''s blade was as effective as a pocket knife.


    The rampaging zoomies looked to have no end in sight. Jimmy Jack was willing to wait until it tuckered itself out. If it was early summer here like it was back home, all he had to do was wait about five or six months. A spine-tingling brush against his ankle caused a gulping JJ to look down. Nothing more than a garter. Harmless.


    "Get offa me," the adventurer mouthed as he reached to swat away the buzz on his back. Even in another dimension, skeeters were still a problem. "JESUS!"


    The graze was no gnat or fly. It was a spider or some twisted alternate take on Earth''s most famous arachnid. It had some similar features to the ones Jimmy Jack was accustomed to: eight legs, furry carapace, silk dangling out of its butthole. The hyper-realistic face that met him eye to eye was new though. JJ''s fearful collapse had allowed him to fall out of range from any attacks but the mighty roar that sent a visible shockwave that nearly clipped our hero proved he was not out of the woods, literally.


    Jimmy Jack''s heart sank as the Terror Bear locked its sights on him. Leaving the mess it was making behind, it began to stalk JJ, never once leaving a bipedal stance. Now with a clear view of its front, Jimmy Jack could make out failed attempts to dethrone the royal, none higher than the ankle. One eye was black, the other, red. A perpetual foam dripped onto the crunchy bed. Its hair was matted to the point it looked to have a mohawk. The teeth? Surprisingly immaculate. It may have feasted on bone and blood but at least its oral hygiene was on point.


    The arena seemed to have some size to it but Jimmy Jack was quickly stunned by how much ground each stomp covered. Logs the size of vans were crushed into nothing. The ambiance had added some percussion to hammer the point home that Jimmy Jack was fucked. For minutes, all he did was loop around the perimeter, not even able to scout out a weak point.


    "Come on, ya furry bastard, show me something," Jimmy Jack bobbed close enough to draw an attack but far enough to weave away from it. It seemed like every third maneuver was that power swing that dizzied it for a handful of moments. Perhaps he could play the methodical route. A few cleaves and retreat. Rinse and repeat. With the tower loopy, the swordsman smacked its biggest toenail. The blows felt incremental but successful nonetheless. This bout had no time limit and he didn''t have anywhere to be.


    Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    "BRARRRRRR!"


    "DOOF!"


    The boss had a kickback recovery and a smarting one at that. The sharp punt launched Jimmy Jack off the barrier that refused to deactivate. Jimmy Jack could already feel his limbs grow heavy. There was a decent chance he wouldn''t survive another smash. The long game had been cut short. It was a game of sudden death, at least on one side. The Terror Bear could probably go for another eight or nine hundred swipes. Whatever strategy he needed had to arrive fast because those paws were getting closer with each thrash. JJ needed to create some distance.


    "What are you doin''?" a frantic JJ stopped the planning he never really started to analyze the wind-up. "What are ya gonna do? What are ya gonna do?"


    The courthouse-sized animal rolled with ferocity, flourishing with a dual fist pound. Jimmy Jack had mercifully dodged the blow but had nearly been nicked thinking the slam had grounded the guardian for an extended period of time. Another attempt to build some space resulted in a trio of foot stamps, each with its own wave. Jimmy Jack was able to jump, at least that''s what we''re gonna call it, out of the way of the first couple but it was evident he had gained no athletic prowess from portal-hopping. It was minimal damage but his body shook in place like jello.


    Primed for a finishing move, the titan meandered to the boy missing autonomy. At this point, he was button-mashing without a controller. Paralysis ended just in time for the claws to miss by centimeters. However, Jimmy Jack was now cornered. Desperate, JJ started ripping out everything in his pockets. Nothing looked effective. He was doomed; fucked. The Terror Bear signaled for the killing shot. Jimmy Jack screamed and flung the only thing he hadn''t pulled and prepared to state his case to Saint Peter.


    "I''m alive?" Jimmy Jack was confused. Turning around, he fell back upon seeing the thick fur once again. However, it was stunned mid-attack, just like he had been seconds before. Those things worked after all! The joy was short-lived when the roadblock began to stir. JJ lobbed the whole supply but even the last one eventually started to wear off.


    "CRACK!"


    Jimmy Jack knew that loud crunch belonged to his bones. Strangely enough, being massacred didn''t hurt at all. Ready to ascertain just how badly he had been torn apart, he was ecstatic to find every part was still where it was supposed to be. He couldn''t say the same for the bear though, who laid dead, its neck draped over a stump. Even the biggest sumbitches need that small hyoid bone. It had slipped upon regaining control of its legs; a literal lucky break. The felled foe soon burst into the ether, leaving behind only a ginormous slab of uncooked meat.


    "Might get a couple meals out of this," even with unlimited space, pocketing the remains proved difficult.


    The back door shriveled, granting Jimmy Jack passage to town. Even though they had yet to meet him, conquering that terror surely merited a party of some sorts. Curing that tree would probably net a second celebration. Hell. he may be mayor when it was all said and done. Walking down the lone path, JJ spotted the Sun as the trees thinned. The village that showed up shortly looked to be a civilized center although it seemed like everyone was stowed away in their homes. No matter. It was time to find city hall and announce the arrival of the savior.


    "MAN-THING," was the last thing Jimmy Jack heard before the punch in the nads crumbled him to the ground.