Let me tell you something about adventuring.
It's not glamorous. Sure, the posters always show some dashing hero slaying a dragon, standing atop a mountain of treasure, and grinning like they've never had a bad day in their life. But in reality? Adventuring is a mix of boredom, exhaustion, and occasional life-threatening terror.
Like today.
I was crouched in the middle of a dense forest, mud up to my ankles, swatting away bugs the size of my fist while squinting at a piece of parchment. It was a guild-issued bounty poster, crumpled and slightly damp because I'd tripped earlier and landed in a puddle.
"Okay," I muttered, reading it again. "One Wildfang Boar. Aggressive. Loves shiny things. Last seen near the Glimmering Pines."
I looked around. Trees. Mud. More trees. Not a single glimmer in sight.
Garek's voice echoed in my head: "Always check your surroundings, Leo. Don't rely on dumb luck."
"Yeah, yeah," I muttered, stuffing the poster into my bag. "Like you've never winged it before."
I'd been an adventurer for a few months now, and while I wasn't exactly raking in the gold, I wasn't dead either. That felt like an accomplishment. Still, jobs like this made me question my life choices. Tracking down an oversized boar with an attitude problem wasn't exactly what I'd pictured when I first dreamed of adventure.
The forest was eerily quiet as I moved deeper in, my boots squelching with every step. I kept my pickaxe strapped to my back and a small, hardened earth blade in my hand. Not my best work—it looked more like a jagged potato than a proper weapon—but it would do in a pinch.
After an hour of searching, I finally found something. Or rather, something found me.
The bushes rustled, and a low growl sent a shiver down my spine. Slowly, I turned, gripping my blade tighter.
Out stepped the Wildfang Boar, and let me tell you, the poster did not do it justice.
This thing was massive—easily twice my size, with bristling fur that glimmered like shards of obsidian. Its tusks were long and curved, sharp enough to skewer me with one swipe. But the worst part? Its eyes. Bright, beady, and filled with pure, unfiltered rage.
"Oh, great," I muttered. "You're angry. That's… perfect."
The boar snorted, pawing at the ground like it was getting ready to charge.
"Okay, Leo," I whispered to myself. "You've got this. It's just a giant, murderous pig. No big deal."
The boar didn't wait for me to finish hyping myself up. It charged, the ground shaking beneath its hooves.
I barely had time to react. Dropping to one knee, I slammed my palm against the ground, summoning a wall of earth between us. The boar crashed into it with a deafening thud, and for a moment, I thought I'd stopped it.
Then the wall cracked.
"Oh, come on!"
The boar broke through, sending chunks of stone flying in all directions. I rolled to the side, narrowly avoiding a tusk that could've turned me into a Leo kebab.
This wasn't going to be easy.
"Alright, big guy," I said, scrambling to my feet. "Let's see how you like this!"
I stomped, sending a wave of jagged rocks rolling toward the boar. It roared, leaping over the attack with surprising agility for something so bulky.
Before it could land, I shaped the ground beneath it into a spike, aiming for its belly. The boar twisted in midair, taking the hit on its shoulder instead. It let out a pained bellow but didn't slow down.
"Really? That didn't stop you?"
The boar lunged again, swiping at me with its tusks. I dodged, but not fast enough. One of the tusks grazed my arm, tearing through the sleeve of my shirt and leaving a shallow cut.
"Okay, that's it," I growled. "No more Mr. Nice Leo."
Summoning every ounce of focus I had, I molded the earth beneath me into a makeshift ramp, launching myself into the air. As I flew over the boar, I shaped my blade into a spear, aiming for its back.
The spear struck true, lodging itself between the boar's shoulder blades. It roared in pain, thrashing wildly as I landed behind it.
"Stay down!" I shouted, slamming both hands onto the ground. The earth beneath the boar shifted, trapping its legs in hardened stone.
For a moment, I thought I'd won.
Then it broke free.
The boar charged again, and this time, I didn't have time to dodge. Its tusk caught me in the side, and the pain was immediate and blinding, like someone had taken a red-hot poker and jammed it into my ribs.
"Gah!" I stumbled back, clutching my side. Blood seeped through my fingers, warm and sticky.
The boar wasn't looking so good either. My spear was still lodged in its back, and its movements were slower now, more erratic.
This was it. One of us wasn't walking away from this fight.
Summoning every ounce of stubbornness I had left, I forced myself to stand. "You're not taking me down, you overgrown pork chop," I snarled.
The boar charged one last time.
I met it head-on.
As it lunged, I thrust my hands forward, shaping the ground beneath it into a massive spike. The spike shot up, impaling the boar clean through the chest. It let out a final, earsplitting roar before collapsing, its body still and lifeless.
I stood there for a moment, breathing hard, my vision swimming.
"Ha," I said weakly. "Take that."
Then the pain hit me again, sharper this time. I sank to my knees, clutching my side.
"Okay," I groaned. "That hurts. That really, really hurts."
Blood dripped onto the ground, and I pressed harder against the wound, trying to stop the bleeding. The tusk had left a deep gash, and every breath sent a fresh wave of agony through my ribs.
"You're fine," I told myself, gritting my teeth. "It's just a flesh wound. Probably. Maybe."
Stubbornness got me this far, but even I had limits. If I didn't get back to the guild soon, this little victory might turn into a permanent defeat.
The trip back to the guild was a blur. Every step was a test of endurance, every movement sending sharp, burning pain through my side. By the time I stumbled through the guild's doors, I was half-drenched in sweat and blood.
"Leo!" Sara's voice cut through the din, sharp and alarmed.
"I'm fine," I said, my voice slurring slightly. "Totally fine. Just… need a nap."
And then I passed out.
When I woke up, I was lying on a cot in the guild's infirmary, my side heavily bandaged. Garek was sitting nearby, arms crossed, looking both relieved and furious.
"You're an idiot," he said.
"Nice to see you too," I muttered, my voice hoarse.
"Do you have any idea how lucky you are? That boar could've killed you!"
"But it didn't," I said, grinning weakly. "So technically, I win."
Garek sighed, rubbing his temples. "You're impossible."
"Thanks," I said, leaning back against the pillow. Despite the pain, I couldn't help but feel a spark of pride. I'd taken down the Wildfang Boar. Sure, I'd gotten hurt in the process, but that was just part of the job, right?
As I lay there, listening to Garek lecture me about being more careful, I couldn't help but smile.
Adventuring wasn't easy. It was messy, painful, and downright terrifying at times.
But it was worth it.