As I enter the forest behind the farm I slow down here a bit and look around warily. There is still a ways to the resting grounds, but they are wild beasts after all, they could be wandering the area so I need to keep my head on a swivel. To be honest, I am a bit nervous about the whole affair, especially since I am alone and I've never killed a spiked boar before.

I pull out my halberd and extend it, looking at the unique weapon warily. Bydel praised my rudimentary use of it in the shop, but that was all stuff I've never actually used in practice. A fight, a real fight, against wild animals, would be different and much harder. The blade should be sharp and strong enough to cut through their hide, but if I wasn't careful it could get stuck and I'd lose my weapon.

I grip the long handle tightly and walk carefully, squinting as I walk through the highly contrasting bright and dark patches caused by the midday sun as I approach the site. I know I have many skills and magic abilities related to being the hero, but people would be suspicious if I couldn't use my weapon properly as fighting isn't something the body forgets. I also need to research my abilities and maybe even find an Appraiser so I don't accidentally use the ability that Levi blew himself and his party up with.

I finally can see the clearing through the trees and to my relief there are a group of 8 spiked boars resting in a small grassy area surrounded by a few boulders, exactly the amount mentioned on the request, so I shouldn't be surprised by any wandering the area right now. 2 of them are juvenile. They are mostly spread out and I notice and old gray one in the back missing several spikes sitting on a rock and casually watching the group.

I hide back around the tree I peeked out from behind of and am a bit unsure of what to do now that I'm here.

Spiked boar hides are tough and they weigh a ton. They have no spikes on their heads as they use it for ramming, but that can be just as lethal. My halberd should reach their hide between their spikes, but even with its length I would have to get close. 8 is quite a number too. Considering the youngsters will stay behind with their mothers, I should only be fighting 4 at once, but I've never even killed a single one before.

I breathe deeply through my nose and out my mouth in an attempt to calm my nerves and try to think rationally. Boar hides are weak in a few places, but the easiest to reach would be the underside of their necks. The eyes would require much more precision than I am currently capable of and my weapon could get stuck like I was worried about before. If I taunt them to charge, I might be able to step aside in time and slice their necks with my halberd's blade. They aren't very good at turning when they charge so it shouldn't be too hard, right?

I look back out and prepare to approach, hoping to catch at least one off-guard, when I notice the grey one is missing. I look around the clearing frantically before I pick up a thumping and crashing noise growing louder to my left.

I barely have time to turn to face the beast before something that feels like a rock crashes into my abdomen. The wind is knocked out of me instantly and I painfully exhale as my vision is filled with grey spikes and I am propelled backwards. Everything flickers black as I hit the tree a moment later and my head slams painfully into the trunk a split second after my back. I cough out what little air was left in my lungs at the impact, unable to react as I can barely focus on not dropping my halberd as it is nearly wrenched from my hands by the impact.

The force of the boar is enough to knock the tree over and I feel the weight disappear as I topped backwards. The tree groans and lands on its side with a loud crashing noise. I fall off the trunk onto the ground, coughing in a desperate attempt to breathe and squinting through the tears in my eyes as I look around for the boar, using the fallen tree to help me lift myself painfully onto my feet. I clutch one arm around my bruised and perhaps even broken ribs, surprised that my armor appears more or less undamaged.

You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

In all reality taking an unguarded hit from a spiked boar, a large one, into a tree no less, should have killed the old me. I manage to finally take a much needed gasp of air and locate the boar behind the spiky stump of the tree still. It is striking the ground with its hooves and exhaling loudly through its nose. I look back towards the clearing to see 3 other boars of the same group approaching after being alerted by the commotion.

I managed to hold onto my halberd so I assume a defensive stance and ignore my pain as I make my way around the tree, hunched over as it hurts to stand up straight, but more or less ready to fight it out. I have to, and quickly, considering the other boars are approaching. I still have my original plan, so as long as I don't get hit again I can still win this...but if I do take another hit like that it will be my own life that is in danger. This would be so much easier with magic! They are just spiked boars! Farmers take down one or two every so often by themselves, no Hero powers involved either.

I grit my teeth, subconsciously telling myself to suck it up, and bend my knees as I face the grizzled boar, nothing between us anymore. I lower my head and wait, taunting it to try again. The boar huffs at me and stomps aggressively before tear into the dirt as it runs at me. I wait as it approaches, my heart racing as I try to judge when to move as this huge spiky beast bears down on me.

I wait for it to get within 1 spear-length before dashing to my right, sticking my halberd's blade out in front of it as I do so. It tries to turn and manages to get close but still misses me. The closest edge of my halberd nicks it's throat before being pushed out of the way and I growl as I moved too soon and it got too close to me to land a killing blow. I'll also need to put more upward force to really get deep enough to kill it.

I turn around, painfully aware of the other boars picking their way through the brush behind me, and the old spiked boar faces me once again. I lower my head and widen my stance as I bend my knees to ground myself. It huffs, a bit annoyed at the paper cut I gave it, and charges once more. Sweat is dripping down my face and I blink to clear it as the boar seems to be running even faster this time. The boars behind me have started to charge too, but I can't strike too soon or I'll miss again.

Wait...

I am perfectly still as the pounding hooves get louder and louder. It is 1 spear-length away.

Wait!

I am gripping the halberd so hard I fear I might crush the metal. It comes within half a spear's length.

Now!

I jump desperately to one side and push the blade upwards under the boar's neck with all my might at the same time, my muscles straining at the unfamiliar motion. The blade strikes its mark and cuts into the boar's neck like butter, slicing all the way through and cutting its head clean off to my surprise, but I have no time to marvel at the quality of my halberd's blade as the others approach. The body flies into the three approaching spiked boar and they are knocked on their backs, squealing as they are knocked down. I notice this and ignore my complaining limbs as I turn around and run towards them.

There is no time to even think as I cut the neck of the first, still on it's back. I quickly spin to flip the blade over and do the same to the second just as it looks up after righting itself, and slide on one knee to stab under the neck of the third that was able to get on its feet. I pull the spiked-end of the blade from its neck and turn around, breathing heavily as I look towards the clearing. The two remaining females and juveniles are retreating, running deeper into the forest away from the scary predator, and will never return in order to not meet the same fate.

I sigh heavily and wipe sweat from my face as I step back and look down at the bodies of the four spiked boars, wondering how I am going to carry them back.

I pause and place a hand on my helmet as everything seems to spin a little and I finally notice the pounding in my head. I feel something drip down the back of my neck and wipe it to find that my head wound has reopened from the Hero's fight. Maybe I should have spent today resting... I think as the pain and exhaustion of even just that short fight catch up to me.

My vision becomes blurry, and not because of the sweat. I'm having a hard time staying on my feet and stumble away from the dead boars as the world begins spinning worse.

I drop my halberd as I cough violently, causing a shooting pain in my abdomen. I see a blurry red spot on my glove as I wipe something dripping down my chin and I've just noticed that it hurts a bit to breathe.

My foggy brain finally remembers that I've brought something for this and I reach for the health talisman in my waist-bag. My vision grows darker as my hands fumble on the latch of the leather pouch, unable to take it out before my legs give out. My arms don't catch me as my head hits the ground and I pass out.