[Time Remaining: 55:23:10]
"We are finally out." Lark grabbed the water canteen and emptied it in one go.
He laughed out loud.
"Why the long face? Wasn't the rush satisfying?"
"…."
Ryan kept cleaning his greatsword silently.
"So, you can also use your head sometimes, huh? It was a good idea to throw that idiot over the Blood boar. It started jumping up and down to throw him off and ran somewhere else."
Lark was used to Ryan's silence so continued unilaterally.
"Betraying him then doesn't sit well with me. I wanted to use him like the guy on the first day! Though we were lucky to meet that smart idiot. He helpe-"
"Where are we going next?"
At Ryan's interruption, Lark's brows furrowed. But he answered in his cheery tone.
"Guess where?"
He stretched his words at the end and took a dramatic pause before continuing.
"We are going to meet our idiot friend's companion. A friend's friend is also our friend. We can't leave them alone."
***
[Time Remaining: 56:23:13]
I held my urge to vomit and grabbed the Iota-rank boar's mane tightly.
After Ryan threw me above it. It started darting here and there to throw me off.
In its frenzy, it also killed a lot of Meta-rank boars.
We were now away from the horde.
The boar kept smashing into trees as it tried to remove me.
I had no choice but to cling to it.
The only way I could think of escaping was by tiring it out.
The boar ran to another tree when suddenly it fell. Its body balled over and started rolling.
I knew I would get squashed like a mosquito if I came under it. So I jumped.
Before jumping, I again looked at my status.
======
Name: Nathan Hunt
Rank: Meta
Level: 6
Exp: 150/900
Remaining SP – 02
-->Stats:
Strength – 09
Agility – 16
Stamina – 11
Constitution – 11
Aura – 10
Intelligence – 11
Luck – 07
-->Skills:
[Pierce [Common-Rank]]
Extend the tip of your weapon by 5 feet.
=========
My body rolled over a dozen feet before coming to a stop.
GRAUU-!
Blood curling scream came from the blood boar as it tried to stand
"It's injured."
My brows knit as I looked at the Iota-rank boar.
There were several cuts on his body, and its front legs were swathed in blood. But that blood had already dried.
This suggested it was injured before it attacked us.
"This was the reason."
The last of the pieces puzzle came together and finally, the picture was completed.
I could help but grind my teeth at the realization.
"Someone other than us was also hunting the blood boars."
This would explain why the stampede had happened early.
I never thought someone strong enough to kill tens of blood boars was also in the same territory.
This Iota-rank beast must have escaped them and joined the horde.
Upon seeing someone similar who had injured it, it must have decided to get revenge. This would explain why it was dead set on killing us.
"Haah…"
I knew I couldn't complain about what had already happened.
I should be happy that it was at least injured.
[Agility – 16 --> Agility – 18]
GRAUU-!
The boar screamed again as it finally stood up.
I held my spear up ....and realized it was missing.
"Shit!"
It must have fallen during the earlier scuffle.
Not wasting any time, I took my broken spear out and held both the pieces in my hands.
-THRWKR
The blood boar ran towards me. Every step it took made the earth tremble.
Before I could get familiar with my newfound increase in agility, it was already upon me.
I jumped and rolled sidewards to avoid it at the last moment.
CRASH-!
It crashed into a tree and knocked it over.
Without giving me any rest, it again tried to run me over.
The only sound I could distinguish was my heart thumping against my chest as I waited for the perfect timing.
Timing my roll, I dodged just before it was about to crush me.
But this time I didn't wait for it to crash into a tree.
I jumped to my feet and ran behind it to attack.
I thought I could inflict wounds on it by focusing on its cuts.
A mistake.
The moment I stepped near it, it swung its head and easily flung me away.
My body flew and crashed into a tree.
"Cough..."
The air was knocked out of my lungs. I couldn't breathe for a few good moments.
GRAUU-!
Holding back the murky liquid rising in my throat, I stood.
'I shouldn't attack it recklessly again.'
I needed to stay calm if I wanted to have a chance at defeating it.
Ignoring the pain, I tried to find another way to attack it.
'Eyes.'
No matter how strong the beast was, the vital points should be the same.
-THRWKR
'Should I throw the spear to attack its eyes?'
I stood rooted in the same place and waited for it to come to me.
'Or should I try to jump on it and then attack its eyes?'
It didn't even take a few seconds to arrive in front of me.
I settled on the safest approach and threw the wooden part towards its face.
The boar closed its eyes to protect them and swung its head.
At the same time, I rolled over to dodge it when suddenly I was yanked.
The boar's tusk got entangled with my half-torn jacket!
The jacket ripped even more and covered its eye.
Losing the vision in one eye, the boar started to swing its head wildly.
It felt like my organs were being twisted. Still, I held tight.
This was an opportunity in itself!
I used my free hand and plunged the spear in its eye.
GRAUU-!
It penetrated until only a part of the spear was left out.
But the tip still hadn't reached its brain.
The rattling intensified, and the boar howled in pain.
I could feel my grip losing at any moment.
"PIERCE!"
Before the boar threw me off, I used my only skill.
CRASH-!
I was slammed against the rough ground.
"Sh..it"
I unconsciously cursed.
The skill didn't activate.