With the verdant and rocky meadows of the Greater Plains, Nero was only moments away from combat against a herd of Swirling Horn Boars, each being a naturally ferocious creature that prowls in the open lands.
The brisk wind blew across the plains, scattering plants and dust across their positions as it swayed Nero's robes and it rustled the fur of each boar. The two sides glared are at each other, their eyes shining in cruel lights as if waiting for the right moment to charge.
At this moment, Nero had a sharp glint in his red pupils as he held his scythe at his side while scanning their stats.
____
[Swirling Horn Boar]
[Level: 5]
[Grade: Common]
[Health: 400/400]
[Magic Power 100/100]
[Combat Force: 127 stones]
[Body Tenacity: 49]
[Spiritual Awareness 29]
[Speed 65 km/h]:
[Skill: Horn Dash]
____
'It's a little more tenacious than the Death Guard and being a Level 5 Common Monster pushes its stats to a stage where it's pretty much like a Middle-Class Common Grade Level 4 monster,' Nero thought as he saw their details.
He leaned his body forwards preparing for an attack, but as if the boars took this stance as a means of provocation, they each roared before charging towards him from all sides.
Whoosh! The Swirling Horn Boars swept across the grass like an accelerating vehicle, their twisted horns gleaming in a sharp ray as they were angled at a level where they can easily pierce into Nero's body.
As they were faster than Nero by a few km/h, he had to push his awareness to the peak to keep track of them, he was about to jump in the air to avoid getting impaled, but at this time, Adult Nero spoke.
"Why even dodge? For straightforward and simple creatures like these, you are already more than capable of dealing with these beasts, a reaper kills in one motion… so remember the stance that you took to fight that Bit Hunter and kill them..."
As Adult Nero's voice sounded in Nero's mind, his eyes flashed with realization; he no longer tried to dodge, nor did he keep track of them with his eyes as he focused purely with his senses.
It didn't take long for them to slow down, moving at a speed that seemed no different from slow motion, Nero then recalled the scene of fighting Perm. The stance that felt natural when he had Digitized.
In a few moments, Nero adjusted not only his posture but his breathing, taking longer breaths as his body arched even further as if his torso was trying to touch the ground. His legs were crouched and spread apart as one arm was stretched far out behind him as it held the scythe with its edge facing inwards.
While in this pose, Nero's other arm was placed in front of him with his palms spread wide, he then made an okay symbol as if locking onto the first Swirling Horn Boar that made its way into his zone.
Adult Nero smile as he saw this, his eyes lit up when both he and Nero said the same thing as if by instinct, "In Zone..." A cold voice, unlike the norm coming from Nero's mouth as just by assuming this pose, he knew how to use it to gain an advantage.
Suddenly, time speeds up, and the first Swirling Horn Boar had lunged from the ground towards Nero, its body rose into the air before it made a graceful downward arc as it dived with his horns striking towards Nero's forehead.
Nero didn't even blink, his eyes staring at it as if it was already a corpse, in moments his body seemed to have become indistinct as he twisted his body with such force that he vanished from sight.
In this instant, the only thing visible was the edge of Nero's scythe that now drew a sinister arc, cutting through the body of the airborne Swirling Horn Boar with no effort.
Moments after, Nero had appeared directly behind the boar that fell from the sky onto the ground, its entire body now split apart horizontally as its blood and organs littered the fields.
Nero's stance remained the same as he held the scythe in the same manner; the only exception was that it was now dripping with blood.
____
Ding!
[You've killed a Swirling Horn Boar, gained 28 EXP!]
____
Unlike the more intelligent monsters, Swirling Horn Boars were mostly famed from brutal intent and wild nature. They ignored their fallen comrade and charged towards Nero in a frenzy.
From this stance, Nero glanced at the second Swirling Horn Boar that got into his range from the corner of his eyes. He then invoked his [For Point Unity Step] as his body swayed to the side, swiftly arriving at the creature's blind spot before he twirled and used his entire body's weight to swing his scythe once more.
Swing! Puff!
A similar scenario played out as the scythe's edge left behind only a dazzling arc that cut apart the second beasts. It didn't take long for Nero to start flashing about the field like a ghost that left behind only a few arcs of lights wherever he appeared.
Eventually, the ten-strong herd of Swirling Horn Boars had turned into cold corpses, their blood now staining this sector of the fields, leaving nothing behind.
____
Ding!
[You've killed 10 Swirling Horn Boar, gained a total of 280 EXP!]
Ding!
[You have leveled up! All stats have increased as follows HP: 20, MP: 20, SA: +5, CF: +10, BT: +3, SP: +3km]
____
Currently, Nero stood at the center of this scene of carnage. He didn't even bat an eye at the blood as he held the scythe over his shoulder while looking at them.
"I've grown stronger..." Nero said as he now felt a bit like a particular white martial robe protagonist from a specific fighting game.
Nero was feeling confident, but sadly, this mood didn't last as Adult Nero spoke, "Hmph! What are you feeling confident about? They are the weakest Level 5 beasts, and now that you're at their level, you'll need to hurry up and up your Combat Techniques to the Fifth Stage. Only then, will you be able to fight a Middle Stage Level 5 beasts properly."
Nero frowned at those words, but he didn't want to talk back, so he thought to himself, 'Jeez he's such a Grouchy Uncle... I certainly won't grow up like this…'
Adult Nero's face turned cold, a stifling chilliness coming from Nero's mind soon swept over his body. He was about to check his stats, but as he felt the chilliness, his face sunk. He gulped, no longer thinking about doing unnecessary things as he spoke inwardly, 'Fine-fine, I'm sorry, I'll also try to increase the mastery of at least one of them before I reach the Blackfern Hollows.'
Upon saying this, Nero hurriedly picked up the fallen coins and any random items that fell from only three of the corpses, before he dashed across the field not even lingering for a second.
Adult Nero took back his icy intent, his face having a smirk on its as he watched Nero ran, it was as if he was floating behind him like a specter as he muttered, 'Cheeky runt...'
As Adult Nero said this, however, he shifted his eyes to the side of the open field as a smirk came on his face as if he noticed something.
In a few moments, Nero's back had faded from sight as he rapidly made his way towards the distant and dangerous lands of the Blackfern Hollows. Yet, as Nero had left this area, on a stone that was a few meters away from his position was a blanket and a basket. The basket was toppled over with the fruits scattered on the ground as even the blanket seemed to have dust on it because of Nero's battle.
At this time, two gorgeous cerulean eyes with long eyelashes that floated in the void as if attached to an invisible body ruthlessly glared at Nero's direction. Suddenly, the eyes closed, and a series of indistinct steps sounded as if something moved at a rapid pace towards that direction as the vague sound faded into nothingness.
****
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