I needed to change my strategy.
But how?
My eyes quickly swept the surrounding area, large trees, protruding roots, and big rocks.
Then I saw something.
A large dead tree, half-fallen, leaning against another tree at a steep angle. Its position was to the right, about ten meters from their location.
An idea began to form in my mind. If I could force them to move to the position I wanted...
But how to force them? They wouldn't foolishly move just because I wanted them to.
Unless...
Unless I gave them a reason to move.
I took a deep breath, then started running.
Not towards them. But sideways, circling their position at full speed.
The two underling boars immediately responded. Their eyes followed my movement, and their heads turned to track me.
Then they began launching attacks.
SYUUT! SYUUT! SYUUT!
Earth spikes emerged along my path, trying to cut off my run.
I jumped, changed direction, and kept moving.
KRAK! KRAK!
Cracks appeared in front of me, trying to make me fall.
I jumped over the cracks and kept running.
They were frustrated. I could feel it. Every one of their attacks missed, and I kept moving, circling around them.
And slowly, their position shifted.
They began to rotate, trying to keep facing me. And with each rotation, they moved a little closer to the dead tree.
The leader, still slightly affected by the poison, also joined the rotation, following his underlings' movements. His movements were still somewhat stiff, but he kept trying to maintain their formation.
Six more meters. Four meters. Three meters.
They were almost in the position I wanted.
I took a risk. I stopped running and immediately turned, jumping high towards them.
The two underling boars reacted instantly.
SYUUT! SYUUT! SYUUT! SYUUT!
Four spikes shot from various angles at once, forming a deadly net in the air.
But I had anticipated this.
I twisted my body hard, using my jumping momentum to forcefully change direction, veering sideways towards the large tree at their side.
My foot kicked the tree trunk, using it as a foothold to jump again, towards the dead tree.
My body landed on the sloping trunk of the dead tree, then without stopping, I ran up along its trunk, using its slanted angle as a path.
The three boars below stared at me in confusion for a moment. This likely wasn't a movement they had predicted.
And when they finally realized what I was doing, it was already too late.
I reached the highest point on the dead tree, then jumped. Not towards them, but towards the living tree that was supporting the dead one. Then my foot kicked the trunk of the living tree with all my strength.
KRAK!
The dead tree leaning against it immediately lost its balance. With a loud, ear-piercing creak, the large tree began to fall.
Falling directly towards the three wild boars below.
"SKREEE! SKREEE!"
They reacted too late.
The leader tried to run away, but its large body, still affected by poison, made its movement slower. The two underlings also ran, but the tree was too big and too fast.
THUUMMM!!!
The large tree hit the ground with a rumble that shook the entire area. Thick dust billowed, dry leaves flew everywhere, and the ground beneath it cracked from the heavy impact.
I landed on the ground several meters away, breathing heavily. My eyes narrowed, trying to see through the still-thick dust.
Screams came from within the dust. Not a single scream, but several. The sound of something heavy shifting.
Slowly, the dust began to settle.
And I saw the result.
The first, smallest boar, was trapped under the tree trunk. Its body was still moving, its legs kicking the air, but it couldn't free itself. Blood began to flow from its mouth, its eyes wide with panic.
The second boar had managed to avoid most of the impact, but one of its legs was badly injured.
And the leader...
The leader had completely avoided the tree, but the impact of the falling tree had flung it sideways. It was standing now, but its body trembled, the combination of the still-working poison and the shock from the falling tree made it look exhausted and unstable.
Their formation was shattered, and their coordination was beginning to fall apart.
This was my chance.
I didn't waste time.
I ran straight towards the first boar trapped under the tree. It was still trying to free itself, its legs kicking desperately, but to no avail.
Its eyes saw me approaching. The panic in its eyes turned to pure fear.
I raised my hand, my nails still darkened by poison glinting momentarily. Without hesitation, I drove them directly into its neck
KRSSHHH!
"SKREE—!"
Its scream was cut short. Its body convulsed once, then went still.
One down.
I immediately turned, searching for the remaining two.
The boar with the injured leg tried to flee, limping on only three legs, leaving a trail of blood on the ground. However, its speed wasn't enough to save it.
I chased it, the distance closing easily. Within seconds, I was behind it.
My claws rose, ready to finish it—
SYUUT! SYUUT! SYUUT!
Shit!
Suddenly, three earth spikes shot from the side with terrifying speed. Not small spikes, but the size of the large spikes the now-dead boar had launched before.
I immediately jumped back, avoiding the row of spikes that almost pierced me.
My eyes widened as I saw the source of the attack.
The leader.
It stood several meters away, its eyes focused on me with an intensity that made the hairs on my neck stand up. Its large body trembled slightly, the effect of the poison I had scratched onto its tusk earlier was still working, but not enough to completely incapacitate it yet.
Wait...
Since the beginning, since the fight started, this leader had never used earth magic. Only the two underlings kept launching spikes and creating cracks. The leader had relied only on its physical strength.
Why? Why didn't it use magic from the start if it could?
Then understanding came like a lightning strike.
It was saving it.
It was saving its magic for the right moment. While its underlings expended their energy on continuous attacks, this leader waited. Observed. Studied how I moved.
And now, with its two underlings dead, it finally revealed its true power.
The second, injured boar was still trying to escape on three legs, but I couldn't focus on it anymore. Not with the leader staring at me like this.
I tried to move sideways, searching for a better angle—
The ground beneath my feet shook violently.
GRRSSH! GRSSSHH! GRRSSHH!
The vibrations were far stronger than what the second boar had made. This wasn't just small shake, it was like a small, localized earthquake centered right under me. My feet lost their footing, my balance faltered.
I fell to my knees, my hands touching the ground to brace myself—
SYUUT! SYUUT! SYUUT! SYUUT! SYUUT! SYUUT!
Six smaller spikes shot from various angles, not as large as the first ones but still dangerous. They moved fast, forming a difficult-to-predict pattern.
I rolled sideways, avoiding most. Two spikes grazed my arm, leaving shallow scratches. The others embedded themselves in the ground with a series of thuds.
I rose quickly, my breath coming in gasps. My eyes returned to the leader.
It still stood in the same spot, not moving closer. Its body trembled slightly more noticeably, though my poison was still working. But its eyes... its eyes were still sharp, and still focused.
This was different from its underlings who launched spikes in panic or haste. This was a calculated, deadly attack.
And that large spike earlier… I could feel myself the amount of energy needed to launch an attack like that. Most likely, just like its underlings, this leader also couldn't unleash it repeatedly. But those smaller spikes it could fire repeatedly, and in even greater numbers than its underlings had.
I had to change my approach. I couldn't attack the injured second boar first, the leader would keep intervening, launching spikes or shaking the ground every time I tried.
I had to deal with the leader first.
I took a deep breath, regulating my now-erratic breathing. My body was still strong, the minor wounds weren't too bothersome. But my energy was drained from the continuous fighting.
Then the leader moved first. Though its body swayed slightly from the poison's effect, its steps were filled with determination to attack.
It wasn't in a hurry. Every step was calculated, maintaining the perfect distance: close enough to launch magic accurately, but far enough to react if I attacked.
I retreated one step, assessing the situation.
The second, injured boar had stopped trying to flee. It stood in a side corner, its body trembling from exhaustion and pain. Its broken leg hung at an odd angle, and blood still dripped slowly.
Two against one now. But one could barely move.
My focus was clear. The leader was the main threat.
I took a step to the left, testing its reaction.
The ground immediately shook beneath my feet.
GRSSHH! GRSSHHH!
A hard vibration that threw off my balance. I jumped to the right—
SYUUT! SYUUT! SYUUT!
Three small spikes shot from the point where I would have landed.
I twisted my body in mid-air, changed my jump direction, and landed with one foot on a large rock protruding from the ground.
The rock was stable. It couldn't be shaken like the earth.
But the leader had anticipated that.
SYUUT! SYUUT! SYUUT! SYUUT! SYUUT! SYUUT!
Six small spikes shot out, trying to block my escape route.
I jumped again, passing over the spikes by a hair's breadth. One of them grazed my leg, tearing a bit of cloth and skin, but not deep enough to stop me.
I landed several meters away, on a tree root that rose high above the ground surface.
The leader stared at me from below. I could see its body trembling more noticeably now. My poison kept working, weakening its coordination bit by bit. But it was still dangerous.
Then, for the first time since revealing its magic, it moved faster.
It ran, that large body moving with impressive speed despite the poison, directly towards the root where I stood.
I jumped to another root, kept moving, not giving it a chance to pin down my position.
SYUUT! SYUUT! SYUUT!
Small spikes shot from the ground around the roots, trying to stab me from the side.
I kept jumping, moving from root to root, avoiding attack after attack.
But I could feel it: this leader was draining my energy. Forcing me to keep moving, keep dodging, waiting for me to make a mistake or run out of stamina.
And the second, injured boar... it still stood to the side, waiting for a chance to help its leader if an opening appeared.
I had to change this momentum.
I stopped on the highest root, looking down at the leader. My chest rose and fell rapidly, my breath ragged from the constant movement. But I made a decision.
I jumped directly towards it.
Not sideways. Not backward. But straight towards it.
Its eyes widened slightly, perhaps not expecting me to attack head-on like this.
And its reaction came.
SYUUT! SYUUT! SYUUT! SYUUT! SYUUT! SYUUT!
Six small spikes shot from various angles, forming a net in the air.
But I had accounted for that.
In mid-air, I twisted my body, my claw slashing at one of the oncoming spikes. Using it as a foothold to change direction, not descending straight down, but veering sideways, passing through the spike net by a very thin margin.
I landed right beside the leader, a distance of only one meter.
Close enough for an attack.
My claws, still dark with poison, I aimed at the side of its neck.
But this leader, though weakened, was still fast.
Its head turned, its tusk, the same tusk cracked from my first attack, swept with brutal speed to parry my strike.
CLANG!