The lead Rockfang Boar pawed the ground, its massive tusks gleaming under the dappled sunlight filtering through the canopy. It snorted, steam rising from its nostrils, and I knew this wouldn't be easy. These creatures were known for their durability and overwhelming physical power, but I wasn't here to retreat.
"Kas, stay sharp," I said, gripping my sword tightly. Kas uncoiled and slithered to my side, his scales glinting ominously.
The boar charged, its speed surprising for something so massive. Its hooves thundered against the earth, and the ground trembled as it barreled toward me.
"Quick Dash!" I shouted, activating the skill just in time to sidestep the attack. The boar plowed into a tree instead, its tusks embedding deeply into the trunk.
"Kas, Erosion Spit!"
Kas hissed and unleashed a glob of corrosive venom at the boar's side. The liquid sizzled as it made contact, eating away at the boar's stone-like hide.
[-90 HP]
The boar roared in pain, thrashing wildly as steam rose from the wound. But before I could celebrate, another boar charged in from the left.
"Double Jump!" I activated the skill to leap above its tusks, flipping midair and slashing down with my sword. The blade connected, leaving a deep gash on its back.
[-60 HP]
The second boar stumbled but recovered quickly, its eyes blazing with fury. I landed in a crouch, the force of the impact jarring my legs. Before I could react, the first boar had freed itself from the tree and turned toward me again, its red eyes gleaming with vengeance.
"Kas, Coiling Dominion!"
Kas darted forward, his body elongating and wrapping tightly around the boar's legs. The beast thrashed, trying to shake him off, but Kas held firm, squeezing with relentless force. The boar's movements slowed as Kas's pressure cut off its circulation.
I didn't have time to celebrate. The other two boars were circling, their heavy breaths misting in the cool air. One of them stomped the ground, activating its Earth Tremor skill. The earth beneath me shook violently, throwing off my balance.
"Animal-Stance: Unity!" I activated the skill again, sharpening my senses and regaining stability. I lunged forward, slashing at the boar responsible for the tremor.
[-75 HP]
The boar roared, and I noticed Kas had successfully crushed the first boar's legs, leaving it immobilized. He hissed victoriously before slithering toward me, his aura of chaos radiating menacingly.
"Kas, let's finish this. Erosion Spit on the wounded one!"
Kas launched another glob of venom at the boar I had just attacked. The corrosive spit hit its neck, and the creature staggered, its health depleting rapidly.
[Critical Hit! -150 HP]
The boar collapsed with a deafening thud, its body twitching before going still.
[System Alert!
You have defeated Level 17 Rockfang Boar!
+1300 EXP (650 x 2 with Bonus Multiplier)!]
Two down. The remaining boars seemed hesitant now, their earlier confidence replaced by caution.
I grinned, adrenaline coursing through my veins. "You're next," I said, pointing my blade at them.
The larger of the two remaining boars charged again, but I was ready. "Quick Dash!" I darted to the side and countered with a precise slash across its flank. At the same time, Kas leapt onto its back, sinking his fangs into its neck.
[-100 HP]
[Poison Effect: -50 HP per second]
The boar screeched, its movements growing sluggish as the poison spread through its system. Meanwhile, the final boar made a desperate lunge at Kas, trying to shake him off its companion.
"Not so fast," I muttered, intercepting it with a sweeping strike to its legs. The creature stumbled, and I delivered a decisive slash to its exposed underbelly.
[-120 HP]
Both boars fell within moments of each other, their massive bodies collapsing to the ground.
[System Alert!
You have defeated Level 16 Rockfang Boar!
+1200 EXP!
You have defeated Level 15 Rockfang Boar!
+1100 EXP!]
[Level Up!
Congratulations, George Carter! You have reached Level 16!]
[George Carter
Level 16
Exp:2300/3500
Str: 9.6
Agi: 9.8
Int: 8.1
S.P 12
Skills:
Animal-Stance: Unity
Madness (Lvl 7)
Quick Dash (Lvl 4)
Low-Level Swordsmanship (Lvl 4)
Double Jump (Lvl 1)
I stood there, panting, as the forest fell silent once more. Kas slithered back to me, his scales coated in dirt and blood but his eyes shining with triumph.
"Good work, Kas," I said, crouching down to inspect him for injuries. He flicked his tongue, unbothered, and coiled around my arm.
The battles had been intense, but the rewards were worth it. Not just the experience points, but the feeling of progress. Each victory brought me closer to my goal.
As I glanced at the defeated boars, an idea struck me. Their tusks and hides could fetch a good price. It was time to start thinking about resources, not just strength. If I wanted to stand out during the assessments, I needed better equipment and perhaps even a secondary weapon.
With that thought in mind, I began gathering materials from the fallen beasts, putting them in my inventory. The sun was starting to set, casting long shadows across the forest floor, but I didn't mind.
The following morning I went to sell the tusks , obtaining 80 silver pieces. I checked my inventory:
[Inventory:
E-rank Sword
4 Health Potion
2 Exp Voucher
3 gold
86 silver
50 bronze
F rank shield]
It was time to upgrade my items, as my powers started becoming too much for them to handle.
The sword had already started leaving cracks whenever I hit an beast too hard, and one could see my socks through the E rank boots.
Afterwards, I checked the shop for new equipment:
[D rank Mythril Edged Sword-30 silver
(Boosts user fighting power by 60%, made 80% of iron, 15 % of mythril ore )
D+ rank Magic Boots -80 silver
(Boosts speed by 50%)
E rank iron helmet/pads/chest plate-20 silver each
(Boost defense by 20% each)
"I need to test my new powers"I tought as I left the building.