It was one thing after another and Marcus' doesn't even have time to gather all his thoughts together.
His mysterious revival, being in an unknown location, the unknown shadow, and now being targeted by a thong-wearing pig archer.
Good thing, that it seemed like his danger sensing ability doesn't seem to be completely gone.
What sets this ability even stronger was that it doesn't just inform him of the incoming danger, but it would also tell him the intended direction of the danger and the level of malicious intent.
And just now, he detected the incoming danger from the arrow a few moments before it was even shot, including from where and when it will exactly come from unto which area the user aimed it into.
It almost works exactly like a mind-reading. And it's all because of the malicious intent that is coming from the pig.
Looking at the pig, he had many questions in his mind.
What is this thing? Is it alone? Is it edible?
To run or to fight?
Before deciding either, he had taken a few things to note.
The distance between him and the pig is about 30 meters, and at this distance the pig is an accurate shooter, fulfilling his sense's prediction with almost no error.
Thankfully, he could easily dodge the arrows and use the trees for cover.
Looking at the pig which was alone, at least right now, it was the only source of danger so there was no ambush aimed especially at him laying around the surroundings.
He doesn't know if he could overpower it on close-combat, but thinking that it was using a ranged weapon like a bow and looking at its potbelly, it doesn't seem particularly optimized for close-combat.
About this thing… Earlier, he just saw a floating shadow where he doesn't know anything about it. And he wasn't even an exorcist or anything, so he just decided to run away. But right now, he at the very least know what a pig is. He can't even count how many times he ate pork barbeques alone. It can stand, it had a bow, and it is wearing a thong, but so what? It was still a pig.
It was one strange thing after another, being confused, being attacked by a perverted headache, some kind of ghost started sneaking on his behind, and then now being attacked by a pig.
For the reward of a weapon, clothing and maybe even food. He is thinking that he had good chances. And so, he decided to be on the attack.
'Attack!'
He decided to be swift and decisive, running after the pig directly!
Meanwhile, looking at him, and seeing him going against itself, the pig stood its ground and reached out for 5 arrows on the wooden quiver on its back.
Taking 5 wooden arrows with its human-like fingers, with one throw, they were stabbed in front. Taking one of the arrows in front with its ugly human-like fingers, it then aimed at him, this time aiming at his left shoulder.
fshhh!
An arrow to the left!
Seeing the incoming arrow, Marcus shifted his body just enough to barely dodge it as he continued to run on the pig's direction.
23 meters!
The pig, thinking that Marcus' evasion was just a fluke, took another arrow in front and shoot at him again, this time aiming at the center of his chest.
Fshhhh!
This time, the arrow was much faster than before.
Receiving the trajectory from his sense and confirming it with his sight, Marcus adjusted his center of gravity with his upper body a lot closer to the ground, just enough to dodge the incoming arrow.
Fshhh!
Hearing the arrow pass on his back, Marcus continued. That arrow was faster and clearly aimed with a more chilling motive. Marcus frowned and accelerated his speed, gaining more momentum.
17 meters!
Seeing Marcus dodge the arrow, the pig picks two arrows this time and aimed again.
"Oink!" With a shout, 2 arrows flew consecutively.
Fshh!!
'!?' Seeing the two arrows flying consecutively, Marcus was shocked mentally.
Not just that, the arrows in particular. The 1st arrow was still aimed at his chest with the same speed of the previous arrow, but the second one was aimed so that it will hit his head if he repeated the way he dodged the previous arrow.
This pig is not your normal archer, it is clearly skilled.
This time, Marcus didn't wait anymore to verify its shot considering its speed. He moved out of the way of the arrows the moment the pig loosened its fingers with the 1st arrow, trusting his sense and the pig's skillfulness.
Fshhh!!
And it didn't let him down with its skills.
8 meters!
He got this!
It was the final round. He increased his speed even further using the bumps and roots as a foothold on the ground.
6 meters! he saw the pig reach for the final arrow in front…
3 meters! he saw the pig aim for him, following his movements…
2 meters! with the momentum he gathered, it was already hard to stop...
He sensed an arrow to his stomach! It was avoidable, there's nothing stopping him now! but then it suddenly changes!
'This is?!?!'
Instead of just a linear trajectory, it suddenly became an areal one!
An inescapable threat!
'What in the world?!?!?!'
1 meter! The pig is in front of him, and something is gathering on the arrow!
He was shocked and was about to defend to lessen the damage when his ability read that there was still time. it seems that it wasn't too late, the arrow needed time and it wasn't released yet, and Marcus won't be giving up this chance!
With all his strength together with his weight and the momentum he gathered, Marcus put everything he had as he performed a powerful jump!
Floating in the air, he aimed his legs and feet sideways and kicked the pig on its belly!
PAK!!!!!!
'Success!'
The resounding kick sent the pig flying making its hold on the arrow loose, firing it away in another direction without any surprise or whatever.
Thud!!!
As the pig fell on the ground on a loud thud, it tumbled away a few times before stopping. Following that, it attempted to stand up but only managed to get up on all fours before it then fell on the ground again and started salivating and imitating a shrimp as it kept on holding its belly from the pain.
"Bwughh-!"
It keeps on twitching for a while before it suddenly becomes unmoving.
The pig's sorry ass was laying on the ground completely at Marcus' mercy. Defenseless as it was, Marcus knew exactly what he had to do.
Seeing his chance, Marcus ran immediately after it. And as he reassured that he didn't receive any danger, he took one of the arrows on its quiver and started stabbing the pig's neck repeatedly. It jerked strongly on the first stab and tried to let out a squeal, but with each new stab, it would weaken with nothing coming out on its mouth besides blood and saliva. After a while, it didn't bother reacting anymore.
With tired hands, Marcus sat on the pig's body and gathered his breath.
He had a few more questions after facing off the pigman, but he still can't take it easy so he can't spend too much time trying to find answers for everything, he doesn't know when can another one of its kind appear out of nowhere.
Earlier, he thought it would be a breeze facing it off, however, it got some superb bow skills and even some kind of unknown ability making everything more dangerous.
Thinking about what he had sensed earlier on the pig's last arrow, he didn't know what would happen if he let the pig finished what it had wanted to do.
The fight was risky but he had no choice, he was getting anxious about this unknown place.
Earlier when he ran away from the ruins, he discovered many unknown plants and unknown fruits on the way. He was already starting to think if he was on another dimension, or perhaps even another world with all these unknown things.
Since his awakening, the pigman is the only one which he could somewhat recognize to some extent excluding the trees which to him would probably look the same everywhere.
He is not a botanist and he couldn't even differentiate many of the trees on his memories, he could only differentiate them on their fruit, and if they have none, then good luck.
And because of that, the presence of the pigman made him somewhat relieved a little bit, that perhaps this is just someplace hidden on the planet where pigs evolved their intellect instead of evolving the tastiness of their meat.
Marcus checks the body of the pigman.
Wondering if he should wear its thong, suddenly he could feel something being emitted around its body.
Intrigue, he checked what it was and discovered it was something like transparent smoke, and if it were not for the fact that he is somewhat attracted to it, he would never detect it.
"What is this?"
Strange, it was like he wanted to absorb it or something, thinking so...
It suddenly gathered around his body and entered his skin.
As the unknown invisible thing entered his skin, Marcus could feel his body cool down, like he had just finished bathing in alcohol and is feeling the coolness of the air on his pores.
It was a mystical and a curious happening.
As Marcus absorbed it, more and more of it seems to be getting absorbed from the pig's body, instead of being emitted slowly like previously, it was like it was transferring from the pigman straight to him. Together with it, he felt his muscle contract a little, like he was becoming a little stronger.
"Wait a minute, this won't turn me into a pig, won't I?"
Looking again on the pigman and how it looks like it was just like a miracle result of a human who interbred with a pig, he then stopped absorbing it.
He doesn't have enough information about this strange invisible thing, and the possible consequence of the mistake is too much for him.
"Better check for something useful on its body first"
But just as he was about to search the pigman if he could find any useful things, he suddenly started detecting danger from his back.
'?!?!' Again?!
But before he could even react or read what the danger was about, he suddenly started feeling sleepy.
And then he had gone to dreamland...