In the dense, shadowed underbrush of the ancient forest, a confrontation brews that feels as old as the trees themselves. A massive boar, its tusks sharp as the blade of a well-honed sword and its hide toughened by countless battles, grunts and paws at the ground. Its opponent, a colossal wolf with fur as dark as the night and eyes glowing with a mix of intelligence and ferocity, circles around with a calculated patience. Under the control of Aidan, The wolf is not just a predator; it is a strategist, a creature whose intellect matches its lethal prowess.
The air is thick with tension, both creatures assessing the other, searching for any sign of weakness. The boar, relying on brute strength, charges first, its massive form cutting through the underbrush with terrifying speed. However, the wolf, a paragon of tactical acumen, deftly sidesteps the onslaught, using the boar's momentum against it. The wolf's movements are precise, almost surgical, as it aims to exhaust the boar, darting in and out of range, nipping at the boar's flanks.
The boar, enraged and bleeding, turns sharply, attempting to corner the wolf against a large oak. But the wolf anticipates this move, leading the boar into a chase that further drains the boar's energy. The dense forest, once a neutral backdrop, now seems to conspire with the wolf, its roots and branches hindering the boar's movements, while providing cover and vantage points for the wolf.
As the battle progresses, the wolf's strategic advantages become increasingly apparent. It exploits the terrain, leading the boar through thorned underbrush and over rocky ground, each step sapping the boar's strength and tearing at its feet. The boar, though formidable, cannot match the wolf's combination of intelligence, agility, and knowledge of the environment.
Finally, as the boar staggers, near exhaustion, the wolf seizes its moment. It leaps with a grace that belies its size, aiming for the boar's neck. The boar, too slow to react, can only grunt in defiance as the wolf's jaws clamp down. The struggle is fierce but brief; the boar's strength ebbs away as the wolf's bite proves fatal.
As silence returns to the forest, the wolf stands over its conquest, its breaths heavy in the quiet air. This battle was not just a testament to the wolf's physical might but a demonstration of Aidan's unmatched strategic intellect.
Before his rebirth, Aidan was a master of enslaving supernatural creatures for combat. Though his dominion in a past life extended over a vast army of bats, the essence of controlling creatures, he found, was universal. Thus, maneuvering wolves into battle was something he could do with ease and proficiency.
After the boar fell, Aidan swiftly took out the "Black Boar," placing it on the corpse of the wild boar. He stood his ground, his face a mask of tense vigilance. Despite the beastskin map indicating this area as relatively safe, nature was always ripe for surprises. What if the scent of blood drew a fierce predator?
Moments later, the "Black Boar" wobbled back into flight. The entire boar had been reduced to nothing but ashen fur and bones within. As for the boar's flesh, the majority of it had been consumed by the "Black Boar." Oddly enough, despite ingesting meat nearly a thousand times its own size, the "Black Boar's" form remained unchanged. Not a single drop of blood tainted it; it retained its pitch-black, ladybug-like appearance.
"After this meal, we'll hunt again in five days," Aidan remarked as he pocketed the "Black Boar." Instead of departing immediately, he drew a dagger and began to skin the boar, carefully removing its tusks. On the boar's body, three items held some value: the meat, the fur, and the tusks. However, with the boar's flesh nearly entirely devoured by the "Black Boar," only the tusks and skin held any worth. These could serve as sustenance for an Essence Conduit that feasted on teeth or as auxiliary materials for certain Essence Conduits' advancement.
Aidan concealed the tusks within a secret crevice in the rocks before returning to the dormitory at the academy. He didn't lie down to sleep; instead, he sat on his bed and began to cultivate.
"Black Boar."
His eyes closed, the 53 Essence Sigils across his body glowed, channeling a flow of Amber Bronze energy into the "Black Boar." Instantly, the "Black Boar" began to emit a dark energy, enveloping Aidan's body. From the outside, Aidan appeared shrouded in a cloud of black ink.
Every inch of Aidan's skin, every strand of muscle, bathed in this dark ink. A sensation of tingling numbness mixed with itchiness surged through Aidan's heart. The black ink was remodeling Aidan's muscles, allowing strength to seep into his body bit by bit, to reside permanently within him.
However, this sensation of tingling soon turned into pain. The pain, initially numb as if electrocuted, morphed into an intense agony as if each muscle was being excruciatingly severed by an axe!
Aidan quickly ceased the "Black Boar" operation.
Moderation is key.
The "Black Boar" could not be overused; approximately a quarter of an hour each day was the limit. Beyond that, it would induce pain, growing more intense with each passing moment.
If forcibly activated at this moment, it might even cause unbearable pain and possibly death!
...
...
...
Time passed quickly, as if in the blink of an eye, it was already mid-August.
On a summer night, the golden moon hung high in the sky, illuminating the earth with its gentle light.
The wind blew in gusts, rustling the leaves and causing the moonlight to sway. The sounds of cicadas and frogs filled the air, occasionally accompanied by the distant howl of a wolf, echoing across the wilderness.
On a riverbank, the stream had washed smooth white round rocks. Next to the riverbank, a battle was taking place.
A wild boar was covered in long, deep wounds. It kicked and charged towards Aidan again, blood spewing from its wounds, leaving a trail of fresh red blood.
Aidan, now transformed into a Werewolf, was calmly dealing with the boar. The boar was critically injured and on the brink of death, but it was precisely in this state that such beasts were most dangerous. They would burst out with the last light of life, becoming more frantic and tenacious. One careless move could result in a fatal blow, with its fangs tearing through the intestines.
Aidan remained calm, his dark eyes shining with a cold light in the moonlight.
With five hundred years of experience, he was immersed in the battle while also keeping a part of his mind alert to the surroundings. There were several occasions during wild boar hunts when other creatures interfered. Once it was another wild boar, several times it was wild wolves, and there was even a time when a stray tiger wandered over.
As time passed, the wild boar's attacks finally slowed down.
Aidan's eyes shone brightly. With a few quick strides, he suddenly closed in on the boar, then lowered his body and lifted the car-sized boar with a sudden heave.
"Ha!"
Aidan let out a low shout, his face turning red. With a push, he lifted the boar high above his head.
The boar struggled weakly.
Aidan's body swayed, using all his strength, he threw the boar with force.
With a dull thud, the boar smashed into a huge rock on the riverbank, letting out a miserable howl, accompanied by the sound of ribs breaking.
It fell from the rock, hot blood gushing from its ears, nose, and mouth.
It struggled for a few more moments before finally losing its breath.
Calm returned to the surroundings.
The river water flowed gently, carrying the crimson pig's blood into the distance.
"My strength now is enough to lift a wild boar! Tonight, I'll try moving that giant stone in the passage." Aidan stood in place, panting heavily, excitement gleaming in his eyes.
These days, he had been using the "Black Boar" to reform his body, increasing his strength. He could clearly feel his strength growing.
In the past, he needed to simultaneously activate "Wolf Fang" and "Werewolf" two Essence Conduits, transform into a werewolf, and coordinate with his giant wolf to safely kill a wild boar. Now, he only needed to transform into a werewolf to easily handle a wild boar, and even lift it up!
Of course, the "Black Boar" would not give Aidan strength indefinitely, and he had reached his limit now. Once this limit was reached, he could no longer use the "Black Boar" to increase his strength.
After feeding all the meat to the "Black Boar," Aidan carried the boar tusks and skin on his back and went to the crevice secret cave.
As for the boar corpse, he didn't need to deal with it. In the summer night, beasts were frequent, and it was estimated that in a while, beasts would smell the blood and come to clean up for Aidan.
Back in the dimly lit secret cave, Aidan casually threw the two boar tusks into the corner.
The boar tusks collided, making a crisp sound.
In this corner, there was already a small pile of boar tusks. These were all recent hunting achievements of Aidan.
Aidan went straight into the passage and returned to the bottom of the passage.
Walking in the passage, the sound of footsteps buzzed in the passage. The sight was dimly lit with a red light.
Everything remained unchanged, the giant stone still lay there, quietly blocking the way. As for the pit where he dug up the Earth Concealing Flower, Aidan had already filled it back up.
"Ha!"
Aidan approached the giant stone, raised his hands, and pushed with all his might.