Broken immediately went on high alert when he saw the powerful monster appear, as did the other three players, who quickly got into position. Broken was still holding Polly, the little fox, but he noticed that Polly's body seemed to be weakening, and her eyes were not as lively as usual.
"Polly, are you okay? We will find food for you soon."
"I can still fight, Master," Polly said weakly. "I'll help in the fight... I can still do it."
"No, it's okay," Broken replied firmly. "You stay hidden, Polly. I'll defeat this monster and bring you the food."
He then ran to the side for a moment, gently setting Polly on the ground. "Go, take good care of yourself," he urged.
But Polly's eyes held a silent plea, staring blankly, still wanting to help.
"It's okay, you stay here, okay?" he said, then returned to the other three.
"I'll draw the monster's attention!" RememberMe shouted, moving quickly to attract the Wild Boar's focus.
Broken, sword in hand, positioned himself close to RememberMe, ready to strike.
Arrows rained down from the skies, shot by Forev. The arrows inflicted a speed debuff on the monster, causing it to move slower than before.
"Attack!" RememberMe yelled, leaping forward to land a powerful blow with his sword.
Broken also moved in to strike, attacking the monster from another angle. Meanwhile, PussyCat and Forev continued their ranged assaults, supporting the melee fighters.
Despite the barrage of hits, the monster remained strong, retaliating and sending RememberMe flying backward with one powerful blow.
Broken immediately unleashed a combination of his skills.
[Charged Attack (Active Skill) Lv. 1]
Broken shot forward and landed a solid hit on the monster, forcing it to take a step back. He quickly repositioned himself to deliver a follow-up attack from the side, avoiding the monster's potential counterattack.
[Quick Strike (Active Skill) Lv. 1]
He followed up with another attack that caused considerable damage. The wild boar staggered and was thrown against a nearby tree.
[Mystic Evasion (Active Skill)]
Broken quickly leaped out of the way as the monster lunged at him in an attempt to counterattack.
Meanwhile, RememberMe kept shifting position to come at the monster from different angles.
The Wild Boar ran around erratically before darting off in another direction.
"PussyCat, cast crowd control skill!" Forev yelled desperately, but the Wild Boar was already heading straight for the mage girl.
"Shit, PussyCat!" RememberMe yelled frantically, trying to reach her in time, but it seemed too late. The monster had the advantage: PussyCat had low defense and health, and a direct hit could be fatal.
PussyCat had yet to master the art of fighting in a party, as she was overly reliant on using high-damage attacks rather than techniques that could hinder her opponents' movements. Ultimately, her impressive offensive power made her an easy target for the enemy's attacks. Additionally, the trio didn't focus heavily on leveling up; they mostly played together for fun.
Just as the wild boar was about to strike PussyCat, a fox figure leaped in, smashing into the boar.
"Polly!" Broken exclaimed, rushing to Polly as she shifted into her battle form.
"Multiple cutting edges!" Broken shouted, wielding his sword and swiftly slicing the monster's body, delivering a deep and devastating blow.
"Master, last hit!" RememberMe shouted, indicating the monster's health had reached a critical stage.
Without hesitation, Broken dashed forward and impaled the monster's neck with his sword. The wild boar flailed wildly for a few moments before ultimately succumbing and collapsing to the ground.
The monster's body suddenly became translucent, with numerous pixels forming and then dissipating. Several objects enveloped in green, yellow, and red auras rose from the ground and flew towards Broken as if absorbed into his body.
[You have successfully slain the Rare - Wild Boar Lv. 80]
[You have obtained 1 piece of Medium-Quality Wild Boar meat]
[You have obtained 1 piece of Medium-Quality Wild Boar skin]
[You have obtained 2 Rare - Wild Boar Monster Cores Lv. 80]
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" PussyCat said in a panic, examining Polly's body, which now lay in Broken's arms. Her face was full of regret as she continued, "Oh my, is the spirit beast okay? I got a bit too excited about dealing skill damage and drawing the monster's attention to me."
"It's okay. She's fine," Broken reassured her quietly.
Forev, the archer, stood beside PussyCat, her face now relieved after successfully finishing the fight earlier. However, RememberMe showed a different expression; his face was enthusiastic.
"Did you guys see that?" he said loudly, catching the attention of his two female friends. "There were two monster cores that dropped from the monster. I'm sure of it!"
Forev nodded slowly. "I also saw two monster cores, but it could just be a skill scroll or something, right? Maybe we were mistaken."
Broken remained silent in response to their questions, but his eyes were wide with excitement. He had obtained two monster cores from the monster earlier, and he knew that the Bountiful Harvest skill had given him an extraordinary advantage in the game. It felt almost like cheating.
He then placed Polly on the ground and promptly withdrew the monster core from his inventory. "Polly, can you eat this?" he asked.
Polly lifted her head and nodded eagerly. "I like monster cores," she said softly. "May I eat it now, Master?"
"Yes, of course," Broken replied nonchalantly.
Forev sat beside Broken, observing Polly, who was attempting to devour the monster core. "Spirit beasts have the ability to draw energy from the monster cores and monster souls they consume, granting them exceptional skills and the aptitude to harness the same elements as the monsters they eat," she explained slowly.
"Does the type of Monster Cores also need to be matched specifically?" he inquired.
"Yes, the type of Monster Cores, the type of monster, the element, and the skills the monsters possess—all these factors influence their growth in the future," Forev explained.
"Thanks," Broken replied. He then watched Polly, who had started to stand again, her eyes wide and blinking repeatedly. "Thanks, Master, I like the boar," she said.
PussyCat then sat down beside them and gently touched the tip of Polly's ear. "Hey, you saved me. I'll treat you with another Monster Core. Would you like that?"
Polly looked back at PussyCat with her round eyes, hesitating for a moment before turning to Broken. "May I, Master?"
"You shouldn't refuse someone's kindness, you know," Broken replied with a giggle.
He then turned to Forev, inquiring, "You seem to know a lot about spirit beasts. Do you possess one of your own?"
Forev nodded, a slight smile curling her lips, and at that moment, a movement stirred within the leaves. Suddenly, a hawk flew through the air, flying slowly before landing gracefully. "That's my spirit beast," she replied calmly.
She continued, "However, I'm certain your spirit beast has a higher grade. But don't worry, I'm not like that jerk RememberMe. I won't pry into your secrets."
"Shut up, Forev… you've known me longer; you should be supporting me," RememberMe complained. "You all saw it, didn't you? The monster dropped two Monster Cores. One is rare enough, but two? Are you still convinced he isn't using some kind of cheat?"