This fight was harder than the wolf, but still far easier than the poisonous lizard yesterday.
At least now I knew one thing for sure, this poison was truly effective.
Now it was time to continue the journey.
I didn't need to eat this bear. I already knew the result, and if I wanted to become stronger, I had to find new monsters.
I left the bear's carcass and continued my journey. Along the way, I marked trees and arranged stones as directional markers, all while following the instinct that kept guiding me.
I hadn't been walking long.
Just a few minutes, perhaps. And then suddenly my instinct gave a warning.
Not a heavy feeling. Just a soft whisper that suddenly appeared, clear enough to make my steps slow without me realizing.
There was something ahead.
I didn't know what, and I didn't feel threatened. But the instinct inside me was already alert first, drawing my attention in a specific direction.
Snorts. Movement. Sniffing sounds.
I moved cautiously, hiding my presence behind bushes and trees. Slowly, I approached the source of the sound.
And I saw them.
Wild boars.
But not ordinary wild boars.
Their size was large, almost rivaling the bear earlier. Their bodies were stout yet dense with muscle, with short, powerful legs and long tusks curving forward. Most striking was their backs, covered in sharp, black spines like a giant porcupine.
And what made them more dangerous...
There were three of them.
They were grouped, digging the ground with their snouts. Their formation was tight, clearly guarding each other with a position that looked... trained.
One of them, the largest, seemed like their leader. It moved with more confidence, occasionally snorting loudly as if giving commands. The other two responded with coordinated movements.
One of the smaller boars stood still. And suddenly, the ground around its feet trembled slightly. Just for a moment, but clear enough for me to see.
I frowned.
What was that?
Before I could think further, the same boar did it again. This time longer. The ground trembled, then suddenly—
THUD!
A small stone lifted from the ground, floated for a moment before falling back.
My eyes widened.
That… was magic?
They could use magic?
This wasn't like other monsters I'd fought. Wolves and bears relied on pure physical strength, and the lizard had poison. But this...
This was the first time I faced creatures that could manipulate the elements around them.
Earth magic.
I swallowed, my mind working quickly.
If they could control earth, then a direct attack would be dangerous. They could make the ground explode, or perhaps summon something from the earth to attack me.
I couldn't just charge in and attack as usual.
I needed a strategy.
I observed again. Their formation was still tight. The leader in the middle, the other two to the left and right, slightly behind.
If I could separate them...
But how?
I glanced around, searching for anything I could use. Large trees, rocks, thick bushes...
Then my eyes stopped on a rock large enough, the size of my head, lying a few meters away from me.
An idea began to form.
I slowly crawled towards the rock, keeping my movements silent. My hand reached the stone.
Carefully, I retreated to my original position, then lifted the rock to shoulder height.
I aimed for a spot about ten meters from their group, to the right. Far enough to make them curious, but not so far they'd ignore it.
With one quick motion, I threw the rock.
KRAK!
The rock hit a tree trunk with a loud sound, then fell to the ground with a heavy thud.
All three boars immediately turned. Their bodies tensed.
The leader snorted loudly, then began moving towards the sound. One of its underlings followed, while the other remained in place, watching the area.
Good.
They didn't completely abandon their position. One was still on guard.
But this was better; at least they weren't in full formation anymore.
I waited until the two boars were far enough, then I moved.
My target was the lone one.
I slid out from hiding, my feet moving fast and silent over the damp ground. The distance between us narrowed quickly.
Five meters, four, three—
The boar turned.
Its small black eyes widened, then it immediately let out a loud, shrill sound.
"SKREEE!"
Damn!
But I was too close to retreat now.
I jumped, my sharp claws aimed forward, targeting the side of its neck—
But suddenly.
SYUUT! SYUUT! SYUUT!
Three earth spikes shot up from below me with terrifying speed, forming a pattern that covered my entire jumping area.
Damn!
I twisted my body in mid-air, trying to dodge. The first spike missed. The second too. But the third spike—
SRASSH—!
Its tip grazed my thigh. Though not too painful, the impact was jarring enough to feel hot and leave a shallow scratch, enough to disrupt my balance. I landed imperfectly, stumbled sideways, and lost my attack momentum.
And the boar shrieked again.
"SKREEE! SKREEE!"
Its warning cry echoed loudly, shattering the forest silence.
I immediately heard loud snorts from the other direction. Followed by the sound of heavy footsteps starting to run.
They were coming.
The boar in front of me didn't waste time. It retreated several steps, then stared intently at the ground around me.
I knew what would happen.
I ran sideways, just as—
SYUUT! SYUUT! SYUUT!
Three earth spikes erupted from the spot where I stood a moment before. They shot up quickly, extending from the ground surface to almost waist height, their tips sharp like spears ready to pierce anything in their path.
These spikes were larger and thicker than the one that grazed my thigh earlier. If I had been a second slower, those sharp tips would have definitely hit my abdomen.
Even though my body was now harder and stronger after eating the lizard's flesh, I wasn't foolish enough to consider myself invincible. The attack earlier was proof enough.
SYUUT! SYUUT!
Two more earth spikes shot out in front of me, this time smaller, similar to the first ones. It seemed this creature couldn't launch large spikes continuously. I immediately jumped to the right, avoiding their trajectory.
SYUUT! SYUUT! SYUUT!
Without pause, it launched three more spikes.
The boar kept launching spikes nonstop, its eyes following my every move, trying to predict where I would go next.
And worse—
The other two boars had emerged from behind the trees.
The leader in front, its body larger than the others, stared at me sharply. Its eyes locked onto me, clearly angry.
The second boar on its right was also ready.
I was surrounded.
No time to think. I had to act now.
I ran straight towards the first boar, hoping to finish it before the other two closed in.
SYUUT! SYUUT! SYUUT!
Spikes shot from various angles. I jumped, rolled, twisted, and dodged each spike by a hair's breadth. A few spikes grazed my arm and shoulder, causing sharp heat and impact, but all were still bearable.
I kept running, the distance narrowed. Five meters. Four. Three—
The ground beneath my feet suddenly cracked.
KRAK! KRAK! KRAK!
Cracks appeared rapidly, splitting the ground beneath me into unstable fragments.
My foot slipped, and I almost fell, my body tilting sideways.
And at that moment, from the corner of my eye, I saw something large and fast approaching.
The leader.
It charged with a speed unreasonable for its size. Its head lowered, its long tusks aimed directly at my falling body.
Damn!
No time to dodge completely.
I could only twist my body, raising my hand in a defensive stance.
THUMP!
The impact felt like being hit by a moving stone wall.
Its tusk slammed into my hand, and the whole world shook from the impact. I felt tremendous pressure crushing my bones.
"Ugh…."
My feet were dragged across the cracked ground, scraping a long line on the uneven surface. My muscles screamed.
But I held on.
My nails gripped the tusk pushing against me, digging as hard as I could into its hard surface. My arm trembled violently, every muscle fiber straining not to break under the pressure.
The leader snorted loudly, its hot breath hitting my face. Its small eyes stared at me with a mix of shock and anger.
It seemed it didn't expect me to withstand its charge.
But I couldn't hold this position long.
Its strength was too great. Its body weight was too much. Slowly but surely, my feet began to be dragged back again, leaving deep grooves in the soil.
The second boar, the one that had unbalanced me with the earth cracks, was already preparing its next attack. I could see from the corner of my eye, it was staring at the ground around me with full concentration.
And the third boar, the one I first attacked, had also recovered from its panic. It was circling, looking for an angle to launch spikes without hitting its leader.
I had to act. Now.
With full concentration, I focused energy into my claws. Imagining the dark fluid flowing within them.
My nails changed color, from pale purple to dark, almost black, with a faint greenish glow shimmering at the tips.
Then I slashed.
SHREEK—!
My poisoned claws scraped the tusk I was gripping, digging deep, tearing through the hard outer layer. Poison immediately seeped into the crack I made, seeking a path into the still-living tissue within the tusk.
The leader's reaction was instant.
"SKREEEEE!"
It roared loudly, not just a shriek, but a roar full of pain. Its head jerked back with brutal force, almost lifting my body off the ground.
I released my grip, letting the momentum throw me backward.
My body floated for a moment before I landed on one knee, my hand touching the ground to maintain balance.
The leader retreated several steps, shaking its head hard, hard, and hard again. As if trying to shake off the sudden pain attacking it.
My poison was working. I could see it from how its movements were becoming slightly uncoordinated.
But I had no time to feel relief—
SYUUT! SYUUT! SYUUT!
Three earth spikes shot from my left side.
I immediately rolled to the right, dodging the attack by a very thin margin. One spike almost hit my shoulder, but only grazed the top of my arm.
As soon as I rose from the roll, the ground beneath me began to crack again.
KRAK—!
Cracks appeared rapidly, forming a spiderweb pattern centered right under my feet.
I jumped before the ground completely collapsed, leaping towards the nearest tree—
SYUUT! SYUUT!
The first boar didn't miss that chance. This time, 2 giant spikes launched simultaneously from below, rising and merging to form a sharp wall that once again blocked my jumping path.
SHIT!
The spikes were too big. In mid-air, there was almost no room to evade.
Relying on pure reflex, I twisted my body as hard as possible, forcing myself to become as small as I could. The spikes passed by, but I was still grazed—one scratched my waist, and another sliced my shoulder—but none hit me directly.
I landed hard, my body tumbling over ground littered with stone fragments from the earlier cracks. My back hit a tree root with a dull sound that made my vision swim for a moment.
"Ughh..."
Pain radiated from my back through my entire body. Not debilitating pain, but enough to remind me that I could still be injured.
I forced myself up, my eyes immediately searching for the positions of the three boars.
The leader was still shaking its head, but it was beginning to recover. My poison was working, but not fast enough. A body that large needed a bigger dose to be truly incapacitated.
Its two underlings had taken protective positions in front of their leader, forming a living barrier. Their eyes were locked on me, alert and ready.
They had learned. They knew I was dangerous. And they wouldn't let me get close again.
I retreated several steps, assessing the situation quickly.
This wasn't working. A frontal assault wasn't working. They were too coordinated, too alert. And with their earth magic ability, every step I took could become a deadly trap.
I needed to change my strategy.