As Akusashi tore the boar’s hide, blood spilled to the sides. Bryn’s hooves and the fur on his knees became dark red as his face brightened with a smile. Trhee notifications appeared before him. His sword and bow proficiencies and level had risen.

It is confirmed that hunting rabbits is easier but gives too little experience... This boar took me from the edge of level 8 to level 8 and 82%. I must focus on hunting stronger creatures. The proportions will be 3-3-2 on str, agi and vit for this and the next level. That will allow me to get to level 10 and achieve the ten points on INT to learn magic with a solid foundation.

“Congrats, Bryn! You were able to hunt a small one!” Michelle said, coming close to him and the creature.

“A small one?” Asked Bryn, considering the trouble it was to hunt it. Looking at his quiver, he found a single arrow.

“Yes, it's about three years old by its size…”

“How big can they get?” He asked.

“About double the weight, so this big…” Michelle used her arms to scale the difference over the dead animal.

“WHAT!” How would my arrows hit it?! He thought.

“Yes, and they get more intelligent as well… Wild boards are smart. You should be more careful on the next one.”

Bryn nodded in agreement, considering his possibilities. He walked around fetching his arrows and storing them back on the quiver.

Both kept walking around, trying to find traces of another creature. “We’ll have to walk more. Male hogs don’t get along. We must find the next one’s territory.”

“How big are the territories of wild boars?” asked Bryn.

“Young ones, not much. They can’t defend their home, and it doesn’t have a mate yet. Adults have areas as big as 15 kilometers.”

While they walked around the forest, Bryn analyzed his archery skills.

– Skill Description –

Archery Beginner LVL. 4 (51%)

Increases your ability with a bow.

Additional precision and damage when attacking with bow and arrows.

The beginner versions of skills are here to get a feel for the genre and see if I would like to follow that path… I should focus on reaching max level of Archery beginner before my sword skill.

“Bryn, look here.” Michelle pointed at some small grouping of feces. Using a branch from a tree, she pressed on them. The branch entered quickly and effortlessly, making Bryn’s lunch regurgitate. The aroma released by the squashing impregnated his nostrils as michelle laughed to his face.

“Wild boar have a strong sent.” She said between laughs.

Bryn gasped for air before answering only by showing his index finger and asking Michelle for another moment.

“See these tracks? They are similar to deer and the previous boar. What does it mean?” She asked.

Bryn used his hand to wipe some of the spit on the side of his mouth before answering, “We found our next victim!”. His eyes sparkled with the idea of leveling up once more.

“Very good, look closer.” She pointed to one of the footprints.

“They look larger and deeper into the mud. Is this an adult one?”

“I believe so. Even if not an adult, it probably weighs like the real deal. Let’s go, you track it.”

“Ok!” He said, picking up his bow from his back.

Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.

A hunter must be ready to act at a moment's notice. He thought, looking at the weapon in his hand.

The pair followed boar tracks for a long time but did not find the creature. Michelle was mainly silent as if this was a test of Bryn’s capacity to face a robust regular creature alone.

He kept finding conflicting tracks as if the creature had run in circles to confuse him. Still, he was encouraged.

Since tracks are not helping me to find it, let’s go with the following items on the list. Rooted ground, mud on trees and branches. Let's look for other signs if it uses its footprints as decoys.

Looking at the conflicting paths he had crossed before. All of them had mud and traces on the trees except for one.

Logic would make me keep following these paths once more, but if it is this smart, I’ll take the risk and follow the path without any markings… Bryn thought.

He slowed down and tried to erase his presence as he started to trace the very light traces. Michelle smiled with one side of her mouth as she grabbed her bow from her back.

Bryn made progress on the path left behind by the animal. A few dozen meters from where they branched from the previous route, the signs were more visible, as if the creature had relaxed once again. Bryn’s senses heightened as he instinctively placed an arrow on his bow. Visibility was not very good; the mix of shadows made everything below Bryn’s height much darker. The snow atop the leaves of the trees made it hard for the sunlight to pass through. Even without seeing it, Bryn could tell the creature was close. Looking around, he found nothing. Not even Michelle could be seen.

So that’s how it is… He thought, realizing he would be alone for the encounter.

The forest was quiet, waiting for him or the boar to make their first move. Not seeing the animal made Bryn anxious about his next step. Considering his possibilities, he climbed one of the trees to try and get a favorable position.

Slowly using the branches to get up, Bryn’s movements didn’t even disturb the leaves on the tree. He had mastered the art of climbing enough only to use the main trunk. Upon arriving, he said mentally.

There you are.

A small clearing in the ground vegetation had a black creature lying there, breathing calmly. Bryn started his approach. He had to think before any and every movement. Focused on his sound and presence, Bryn tried not to disturb even the shades over the creature. His muscles tightened as he walked, evading branches and bushes. With each step, the creature got closer, and his tension grew. Before advancing further, he used his clothes to clear the cold sweat on his hands.

I can see its belly expanding as it breathes from here... How big is that thing? From here, it looks like it is sleeping. I must take advantage of that. If I attack it with my sword, the damage will be much more significant… But if I miss, I’ll be extremely close to it, and evading its charge would be almost impossible. What would Michelle do?

After thinking for a few seconds, Bryn moved once again. He went around the animal to where its belly was most unprotected—using a nearby tree to climb and be in the best place possible for a shot.

If I could land the perfect arrow just behind his front leg, almost at a 90-degree angle, I could puncture its vitals. He thought as he used his right hand to draw the bow.

At that moment, it was as if Bryn’s vision had fuzzed anything away from the boar. He had never felt that way before. He could tell that his body was responding to his worries by using everything it had to help him aim. The spot he wished to strike almost lit up in his mind as his left arm slightly adjusted the arrow tip.

His nostrils widened as he inhaled, and his lungs inflated slowly as he calmed his mind. His eyes looked down at the sleeping animal over the arrow's body. Its head is just to the left of the arrow’s sharp tip. As his cheeks relaxed and the air started to come out from his mouth, all three right fingers released simultaneously. His eyes were dead centered at the vital spot he aimed at, but his body instinctively readied another arrow. Bryn drew once more and then another. Each shot aims a bit up from the previous one but in the same general area.

The three arrows flew almost at the same time. The increased dexterity and archery on level 4 were shining for the first time. Bryn was unsure if it would kill the creature, but he couldn’t shoot better than those three arrows. He backed up when the third one left his bow, dropping from the tree.

Moments before the shot, Michelle watched as Bryn proceeded toward the animal. Her bow was ready to go at a moment's notice. Looking at Bryn’s posture, she worried. His movements were tense and clunky, meaning his shots wouldn’t be precise or strong enough. With every step he took, Michelle focused on the boar to ensure it was still asleep.

As Bryn reached the last tree top, Michelle let out a sigh.

Come on, Bryn! You can do this, just calm your mind! She cheered in her mind.

Her face smiled as she saw the young faun stabilizing his breathing. His posture became more robust as the bow was drawn. His movements were not robotic anymore; they were fluid. Breathing tuned with aiming, he felt like a completely different person from just a few seconds ago.

As she noticed the changes in him, she failed to notice the changes in herself. The arrow half drawn was now loose. Her subconscious had reacted to Bryn’s improvement without her realizing.

As the three arrows flew and his body jumped backward, her eyes focused on the boar. Michelle’s status were much higher than Bryn’s; when she focused, his shots were perceived as having the speed of a child playing catch.

Inch by inch, the shots reached their target. Her body returned to its senses, drawing her bow completely as she watched the impact.

The wild boar was sound asleep. As the first arrow landed, it contracted every muscle in fear. It felt its heart pumping much faster, sending blood to the body as adrenaline spiked in its mind. It moved its head sideways to scare whatever was attacking, but no enemy was around. As another impact followed, it tried getting up, rolling its body to get up on its front legs, but the third and last arrow arrived.

Without knowing the extent of its injury, the animal saw a shape flying down from a tree and instantly charged at him.

As Bryn’s feet touched the ground, he prepared to run. Looking back, he saw the boar dashing towards him faster than expected.

How can it be so much faster than the other one?! I can’t outrun or evade it! He thought, preparing for the headbutt. His eyes spooked, eyebrows raised, and lips half opened from his jaw clenching in preparation for a collision. With his left hand still holding the bow, he grabbed the short sword with his right. There was no smile on Bryn’s face now, only horror.

The distance between the two became minor. It felt like nothing would stop the boar from striking. Or so Bryn thought.

Michelle ran parallel to the animal, her bow drawn and her arrow aiming at it, but no shot was fired. She observed the creature's movements until the last possible second.

Adrenaline and fear are dangerous things; they often inhibit a person or animal from properly noticing wounds. That day, the wild boar realized how much it can hurt oneself. The combined arrows were able to find their way into its insides. None had hit their bullseye, but all three slightly damaged the animal’s heart. With the spike of adrenaline and the arrows still inside, as the boar got up and sprinted, the arrowheads tore everything around them even more.

Bryn used his arms to hit sideways, the strikes from right to left. His plan was as direct as they came. Use the bow on his left hand to minimally open an opportunity for Akusashi on his right hand to inflict a finishing blow on the creature. All muscle fibers exploded together as his stance deepened on the ground to help with the rotation speed of both weapons. It was a desperate attempt; there was no class behind the movement, but it was all he could do now.