Chapter 9: Escaping The Cave
The pig made a final frantic jump that sent her into Yuno while her strong little hooves secured him before their bodies slid across the rough terrain. The two bodies intertwined with each other while dirt and loose pebbles spread out in all directions during their chaotic roll. The moment passed before Yuno could comprehend what had occurred because he landed on his back with his new limbs extended to the sides. The spinning in his head combined with the painful touch of the ground underneath him caused him to quietly express discomfort.
Silence enveloped the entire scene for a brief instant. The chase was over.
The pig hovered over him after she successfully caught him while he lay defenseless on the ground. The pig's warm breath caressed his cap while she performed an action he never expected before he could move.
She licked him.
A powerful shiver traveled from Yuno's body when the wetness touched his cap and moved toward his stalk. His body remained motionless because fatigue had drained all his strength away. His body went rigid while he kept his eyes tightly shut. Was this it? Was she preparing to eat him?
Another lick. Then another.
Fear paralyzed Yuno, who remained motionless in that position. He prayed the devouring process would happen fast if she planned to eat him.
The pig demonstrated different intentions than Yuno expected. The small eager tongue of the pig coated his body with a thin layer of warm saliva as she licked him. Yuno experienced the sensation of being licked as if the predator felt affection toward him.
No. That couldn't be right. Could it?
Yuno carefully activated his appraisal ability while slowly opening his eye as his body continued to tremble from shock.
The blue light in his field of vision examined the pig while he received an influx of data into his consciousness.
[Wild Piglet – Level 10]
[Attack Power: 50]
[Status: Normal]
[Special Trait: Frenzy (Activates when excessively hungry)]
His breathing stopped momentarily.
Level 10. The pig possessed superior strength in every aspect compared to him.
Yuno's recent evolution had not changed his Level 6 status. An enormous difference separated their abilities. The difference between them extended beyond strength because he became completely insignificant. His fighting abilities would not produce any positive outcome because she was too powerful.
At that same instant, the pig seemed to notice and then halted her movement. A slight movement of her ears signaled that her entire body became stiff. The pig's gaze focused on the cave opening as her eyes narrowed to observe something that no one else seemed to notice.
Yuno noticed it, too.
A strange shift in the air.
The earth beneath them started to shake while the shaking intensity increased with each passing moment. The dim moonlight passing through the cavern ceiling revealed tiny pebbles while dust swirled around the ground.
Then, a distant rumble.
The entire cave started shaking with such intensity that Yuno barely managed to respond.
A combination of groans and cracking noises spread across the walls, followed by the formation of numerous fractures across the rocky ceiling, which resembled shattered glass webbing. The falling debris hit the ground with explosive force while additional dust spread throughout the air.
"An earthquake?!" Yuno thought in a panic. No, it wasn't natural. Something else was causing this.
The unseen creatures moved rapidly in a huge crater outside the cave, creating movements that were too quick for anyone to track. Each step from these unseen creatures produced powerful shockwaves that shook the cave structure while speeding up its impending destruction.
Yuno's eyes darted back to the pig. She had already positioned herself defensively, her small body crouched low to the ground as she sniffed the air, her entire posture alert and ready.
Was she trying to tell him something?
Yuno wasn't sure, but his mind was racing. If the pig wasn't going to eat him, then this was his chance. He needed to escape now.
Just as he made up his mind to move, the ceiling cracked apart.
A massive stalactite, dislodged by the violent tremors, broke free and plummeted toward the ground. It shattered upon impact, splitting into jagged shards that ricocheted dangerously across the floor.
Yuno flinched, knowing that if even one of those had struck him, he would have been obliterated instantly.
The pig reacted without hesitation.
She bolted for the exit, her small but agile body weaving through the falling debris with a level of dexterity that Yuno could hardly believe. She was fast, far too fast for him to keep up with.
"Wait!" Yuno called out instinctively, his voice barely audible over the chaos.
The pig stopped.
For a brief moment, she hesitated, her ears twitching as if considering his plea.
Then, against all odds, she turned back.
Her hooves kicked up dust as she dashed toward him, dodging another falling stalactite with remarkable grace. Yuno barely had time to register what was happening before she reached him and, with a single nudge of her snout, flipped him onto her back.
His small limbs scrambled to hold on, wrapping tightly around her short bristles. It wasn't perfect, his grip was weak, and his balance was unstable, but it was enough.
Then, with a powerful burst of speed, the piglet ran.
The world blurred around them. Yuno clung to her back with all his strength as he tried to maintain his grip while she maneuvered through the collapsing cave. Her movements displayed an unnatural precision while she walked because she avoided rocks that might fall with expert skill.
The final flash of moonlight lit their way out.
The pig performed a final forceful jump, which propelled her body across the cave entrance before the entrance completely collapsed behind them. A thunderous collapse of rocks created an explosion of noise while a massive dust cloud streamed out from the blocked entrance.
For a moment, silence.
They had made it.
The intense rush of adrenaline made Yuno breathe heavily as his body trembled violently. The pig took deep breaths while her torso moved quickly up and down. But they were safe.
Or so he thought.
The scene in front of him made Yuno's eyes open wide.
Several strange beings waited in the open space in front of the cave.
They weren't alone.
The creatures stood in the bonfire's dancing light while watching them with motionless eyes. Yuno moved his eyes rapidly between the creatures while his breathing became heavy from observing their appearance.
They were boars.
Wild boars, their massive bodies far larger and more intimidating than the piglet beneath him. The massive boars appeared powerful with their thick muscular bodies and their sharp tusks shining ominously from the firelight.
Yuno gulped.
The appraisal ability in Yuno activated without effort to provide him with knowledge.
[Wild Boar – Level 18]
[Status: Cautious]
Wild boars exhibit a natural tendency to run away from danger unless confronted.
The boars possessed superior strength in comparison to the piglet. But more importantly.
His gaze shifted toward the biggest boar among them.
A massive figure dominated the front of the group as it loomed above all others at the gathering. Flames from the bonfire cast long shadows across its rugged body.
Yuno focused on it. His appraisal ability flickered again.
[Boar King – Level 35]
The enormous beast moved ahead while its sharp eyes fixed on them and produced a deep guttural noise that echoed throughout the area.
Yuno's entire body tensed.
The small pig remained motionless under his feet.
The two groups maintained eye contact for a prolonged and distressing period of time.