[Silver-Maned Wild Boar captured; evolution possible.]

The wild boar was already formidable before evolution; one could only imagine how powerful it would become afterward.

Oliver lay beneath the massive oak tree, panting heavily. His body ached excruciatingly from riding the boar, which had charged through the forest with reckless abandon, leaving him with serious wounds. He feared he would have to spend a considerable amount of coins on medicine upon returning. Beyond the physical pain, a mental fatigue weighed heavily on him, rendering him almost unable to stand.

The core ability of his mana core—capturing creatures—was an immense drain on his energy, not something to be used lightly. At this moment, if any other dangerous creatures were to appear, he would be in serious trouble.

After catching his breath for a while, Oliver turned his attention back to the system panel.

[You can expend 50 points of Life Essence to evolve the Silver-Maned Wild Boar into a Unicorn Boar.]

50 points of Life Essence…

Unfortunately, he didn’t have any Life Essence at the moment. He couldn’t help but examine the new abilities granted by the wild boar he had captured.

[Mana Core 1 – Elysian Nexus Core – Red – Current Form: Hound Form.]

[Life Essence: Zero]

[Forest Favorability: Zero]

[Transformable Forms: Silver-Maned Wild Boar Form]

[Captured Creatures: Silver-Maned Wild Boar (Red), Fusion Level: 10%]

[Evaluation: A relatively common Silver-Maned Wild Boar in the forest, possessing immense brute strength and considerable resistance to damage; its abilities are not yet fully developed.]

With a thought, Oliver switched his mana core's form to that of the Silver-Maned Wild Boar.

Relief washed over him. It seemed that the transitions of his mana core were smooth and effortless, free from any cooldown periods. Upon shifting to the boar form, he immediately felt a surge of strength coursing through him, as if he possessed an unending reserve of brute force!

As he continued to inspect the information about the Silver-Maned Wild Boar, more details emerged before his eyes.

[Silver-Maned Wild Boar (Red): Current fusion level low; can significantly enhance strength.]

[Special Skill: Super Adrenaline, which triples strength for a short duration and allows one to ignore pain!]

[Expend 50 points of Life Essence to upgrade this form and the captured creature simultaneously.]

Super Adrenaline! This skill was impressive! Moreover, by consuming Life Essence, he could enhance not just his mana core, but also his boar companion.

This ability was incredibly powerful! Oliver felt a rush of excitement but didn’t dwell too long on the joy of having a new pet. He quickly turned his gaze to the Mandrake root beneath the great oak.

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Tearing a ragged piece of cloth, he plugged his ears and took a deep breath before reaching down to pull up the Mandrake.

Just as legends described…

Screeeech!

A piercing scream erupted, sending a jolt of pain through Oliver’s head. Luckily, his ears were plugged, sparing him from serious harm. The massive root of the Mandrake truly resembled a human figure, a bizarre sight to behold.

More importantly, system notifications popped up before him.

[Mandrake: A special herb rich in magical energy; once detoxified, it can be consumed.]

[Consuming the entire Mandrake can increase Life Essence by 10 points.]

So that’s how Life Essence is obtained?!

However, it required 50 points of Life Essence to evolve the Silver-Maned Wild Boar. This Mandrake, as precious as it was, only provided 10 points of essence.

Life Essence was not easy to come by!

Furthermore, Life Essence not only enhanced the boar’s abilities but also increased the fusion level of his mana core. It was said that raising the fusion level would strengthen his powers. It seemed Oliver had a considerable need for Life Essence!

“Looks like magical plants can increase Life Essence. In this extraordinary world, acquiring magical plants might not be so difficult after all.”

With this thought, Oliver felt a weight lift from his heart. It appeared that evolving and enhancing his mana core would not be too challenging in the future!

His prospects looked bright!

With this mana core, he would surely thrive in this otherworld, carving out a path for himself!

As he contemplated this, Oliver glanced at the massive wild boar quietly resting beside him.

Now transformed into his pet, the boar seemed much tamer, akin to a giant dog. Oliver was confident that at his command, the beast would roll over and wag its tail in excitement—though, admittedly, the boar's tail was short and hardly noticeable.

“From now on, I'll call you Little Pig,” he mused. However, he realized he couldn’t take this creature back to the village. It was best for it to remain in the forest, roaming freely as usual. Perhaps it would even stumble upon another magical plant like the Mandrake?

As dawn approached, Oliver felt the fatigue from his long night of toil. He turned and headed back toward the village. Cautious by nature, he understood that his mana core was likely quite unique, and he didn’t want too many people discovering its secrets.

Nighttime activities were preferable; during the day, he could rest. Ah, and he still had those small creatures in hand to sell for some copper and silver coins. That weasel with the sharp teeth felt heavy in his grip, bringing him a sense of joy at the thought of its value.

Five silver coins.

That was a substantial sum for him!

He wouldn’t have to go hungry anymore!

No longer would he have to eat that dreadful rye bread stuffed with wood shavings. He could indulge in buttered bread and delicious cheese…

And with winter fast approaching, he should buy a few warm outfits.

Oh, and his house still had leaks; it needed repairs, which would cost money too.

Not to mention little Isabella next door—he ought to help her if the opportunity arose.

Thinking about it all, Oliver realized he had many expenses to cover. Those five silver coins might not go very far after all.

But it was okay; if he could earn five silver coins today, he could do so tomorrow—and perhaps even more.

His life was finally starting to improve!

Yet, there remained one more problem.

As a farmer, he technically had no right to hunt. Once or twice, he could get away with it. But if he continued, it would only be a matter of time before someone came calling.

However, according to the laws of the Kingdom of Riverhaven, if a farmer willingly surrendered all his land to the lord, he could be granted the status of a hunter. But few would ever do such a thing, as hunting was not for everyone. Most who acted recklessly ended up dead in the woods.

Now, however, Oliver faced a pressing issue: a thug named Grik had stolen his land. This scoundrel had once served as a squire to an old knight, making him tougher than the average man.

After Oliver’s father passed, leaving behind a few parcels of land, this thug eyed the helpless orphan and concocted excuses to take his land deeds time and again.

Oliver had nearly starved to death after crossing over into this world because of that rascal.

“I have to find a way to reclaim my land deeds. Only then can I obtain hunter status from the lord and truly hunt to earn my fortune.”

Once he had wealth, he could even venture into town, perhaps to the city, to learn magic.

At that point, he would finally have a foothold in this otherworld.

As Oliver pondered, he suddenly heard a shout nearby.

“Oliver! I was just about to come looking for you. The matter of selling yourself has been arranged; all you need to do is sign!”

Sell myself?

Sell myself to become a slave for the rich?

What kind of nonsense is this? There’s no way I would ever sell myself!