NPC Code: Red Riding Hood

Chapter 57 - Boars Are My Enemy

There were five boars, and four of them went on my way. I ran to my right side and called out the four others, hoping those brainless animals would follow my tail.

Each of the swine snorted like rabid beasts compared to their actual species. All five boars had pointed tusks on their forehead, directing in my direction, as if killing me from afar. The boar had the size of a cart, like the carriages from a kingdom ramming on the roads. One strike would leave anyone motionless, or even die because of the damage.

Those hogs wanted to impale me with that thing, but I wanted to stay alive.

However, that single lost boar did not heed my words and tried charging straight from where I had left. The trees that the animal rummaged became uprooted from the ground, forcing a violent quake that disrupted my balance.

Now that I had realised, the ground that I had stepped on was not ordinary soil. Inside the forest, countless traps killed most adventurers inside. My system warned me about this late and told me that quicksands surrounded the place.

I had no other choice but to slide sideward and used the rock as my shield. The two boars weltered on the muddy ground, while the other pair squelched to the wet soil. Those four boars had a burdensome time breaking free from the latches of mother nature.

Those few seconds allowed me to escape the quicksand and rush to the campfire. I took my sluggish body with me and dragged my foot over to the sides. It took me some time before running towards the forest's exit.

While this was going on, I had no clue where the boar was right now. The last time I saw the feral animal was before the boar went towards another route.

'I need to save Match!' There was a ticking time bomb that reminded me inside my head as I amplified my speed.

My eyes shimmered more violently than before, augmenting both my stamina and my arcane capacity. I used [shadow walk] and travelled through the dark areas that light had never reached. I travelled as fast as the speed of sound, hoping that I had caught up with the boar.

By the time I entered the meadow, the image of Match running in circles, avoiding the pig's tackles, welcomed my eyes.

"Hang on, Match!" I screamed, and tossed my knife over to the swine.

The boar moved at extreme speed and dodged the blade before it could hit its body. The dagger flew and almost crushed the boulder as if it were not for my ability to withdraw my weapon from afar.

I caught the penitent's blade in my hands while staring at the beast. The boar returned my gaze and puffed out the steam coming from its two noses. The animal also aimed its tusk in my direction, just like the four that I met from before.

With my words, four of the same swine I talked about emerged behind me. It was the same four boars that I knew got trapped from the muddy site before. They freed themselves from the sticky situation and came back here to haunt me once more.

The single boar that dodged the dagger I tossed from behind multiplied and called for a back-up. All the swines wheezed out a mist that came from their nose and twitched their heads. It was not a pleasant sight, but I had to monitor each of them within my vicinity. Match and I were their prize, and these boars would not stop hunting us as their meal.

"Remember your training, Match," I expressed, while extending both of my arms to prepare for the worst. "Run away if you can't fight them. These animals are not the opponents we would want to face."

"I know, Red! You don't have to tell me twice!" Match retorted.

After our exchange, the four boars charged towards me, while the single boar kept Match busy. I needed to distract and force these swines to attack each other or kill them within one swoop. But I did not know how to do it.

Despite killing the two powerful royalties from before, five boars posed a threat to Match and my existence. These boars were exceptional beasts that lurked within the forest. Because of our hunting schedule, the bunnies that should be the boar's prey became scarce. The environment forced these boars to travel everywhere, searching for food.

With the help of my system, my body moved like fluid, dodging every attack thrown at me by the boars. The two ran at me on each side and tried squeezing me like a sandwich. I sprung from the ground and used the boars' force to slam against each other with their heads. The pair bumped their heads and fell to the ground.

The two others realised what had happened, and did not fall for that trap. Instead, a swine approached me without sprinting, yearning to confront me in a one-on-one battle.

I knew that if I accepted that duel, I would lose the fight and end my life right there. So I ran towards where Match was and helped her with the hog.

Thanks to the exercises we did from the last two weeks, Match could race with the boar and even outrun the animal. However, the little girl was up against a four-legged animal. And her body had yet matured throughout her young age. Despite her quick movements, the boar caught up with Match and crashed its body against hers.

Match took the damage and rolled towards the bunch of leaves, lying in wait for her injured body. The girl groaned at first from pain but stood up from the ground. She grabbed her left hand and wrapped it around the other, and glared at the boar. Her wobbling legs told me that another assault would make her unconscious, so I had to save her before the situation became worse.

And that was what I did. I disregarded the two bastards chasing me around and went for the boar that Match was fighting with her bare hands. I knew that the dagger I threw would not save me, so I pulled out another weapon.

A long-ranged tool meant for targeting enemies from far away. Although the distance between the boar, Match, and me was roughly around twenty feet away, I still needed something quicker than a hurling blade.

The bow and arrow was my answer.

My hands reached out for the ominous portal as it took the longbow from inside. I positioned myself and knelt on the floor to achieve better precision of my foe. I placed the bow between my fingers and clipped it on the string.

"You can do it, Red. You need to hit Match," I mumbled, and took a deep breath to calm my nerves.

I had zero experience wielding such a range weapon. Nobody had the time to teach me. I did not even buy this weapon, but swiped it from Nirvana, the land of elves. But here I was, attempting to hit the boar from a few feet away.

I needed something swift and accurate to stop the boar from hitting Match in the distance. The hurling blade was brisk, but not quick enough to damage the boar. My [shadow walk] would not be fast enough to arrive on time in front of Match. Since no shadows surrounded the two, I had to take a detour and travel through a darker area.

Using the bow and arrow was worth the shot, and it was the only option that I have right now.

This event was the first time for me to experience a vibrant light that came from my right eye. Throughout my journey, the light that controlled my body granted me power. It did not increase my arcane or anything that involved raw energy, but it heightened my senses.

I could perceive everything around me, including the things I saw in front. The tiniest details that were strenuous to gaze at from before became crystal to me. It was as if I had the perfect lens to use the bow gripped in my hands.

I pulled the string back and let the arrow drift through the current. The shaft glided like an eagle, with nothing stopping its course. As the dart hovered forward, a swooshing sound came over and followed the bolt. It resonated so fast that the arrow left first, before the sound could even occur.

The hog was in breath's length with the running Match. That animal was in a range where it could smite the little girl with its razor-sharp tusk. However, the boar noticed nothing within its surroundings.

And that was the gravest mistake the animal could have forgotten and taken its life.

Within five seconds, the dart pierced the boar, who attempted to chase Match behind.. With a terrifying squeal, the boar was no more alive in this world.