Chapter 26: A Taste of Blood and Battle
The forest was unnervingly still, as if the very air held its breath, waiting for something to happen. Only the faint rustle of leaves and the occasional chirping of distant birds broke the silence, but even those sounds felt muted, swallowed by the dense canopy overhead. The sunlight barely filtered through the thick branches, casting faint patches of light on the mossy ground, creating an eerie green hue that seemed to swallow the forest floor. The air was damp, carrying with it the earthy scent of wet soil and decaying wood.
Niko and his group huddled behind thick trees, their bodies tense, eyes locked on the beast before them. The Roughback Boar stood massive and imposing, its snout sniffing the air as it rooted through the underbrush. Its bulky frame, covered in coarse, brown fur matted with dirt and twigs, looked nearly indestructible. The creature's thick, curved tusks gleamed in the dim light, glistening with saliva as it drooled, leaving wet patches on the grass below.
A low grunt escaped the boar’s mouth, a sound that vibrated through the air, sending a ripple of unease through the group. Niko’s gaze shifted upward, where his Giant Mantis spirit floated above the boar, an ethereal green orb gliding silently through the air. The spirit moved without a sound, its translucent body ghostly in the faint light. The boar’s dark, glossy eyes narrowed in confusion as it noticed the strange presence above it, muscles tensing beneath its thick hide.
Suddenly, the stillness of the moment was shattered by an ear-splitting roar.
“ROAR!” Candreva’s [Powerful Beast Roar] erupted from his massive chest, not just a sound but a force that seemed to ripple through the air itself. The shockwave hit the boar head-on, making the trees around them quiver. The boar froze, its body paralyzed, eyes wide with primal fear. The moment of paralysis was brief, but it was all they needed.
“Now!” Niko commanded, his voice tight with focus.
The mantis spirit obeyed instantly, darting downward in a blur of green light. “Bang!” The impact was swift, like a ghostly punch aimed at the boar’s exposed underbelly. Though Niko's spirit lacked the raw power of higher-ranked entities, the precision of the strike sent the boar toppling onto its side, its legs kicking frantically as it squealed in agony. The sound was sharp, a high-pitched scream that echoed through the forest like the death throes of a wounded beast.
Without hesitation, Zheng sprang from behind the trees, his transformation already in full effect. His arms, now covered in thick purple fur, ended in long, razor-sharp claws—his [Nails of the Corrupted Dire Wolf] activated. His movements were quick, too quick for the massive boar to react. He pounced onto the creature’s soft underbelly, his claws ripping through flesh with ease. Blood sprayed into the air, painting the grass crimson. The boar’s squeals turned into desperate gasps before it finally lay still, its life draining away.
Niko, standing back, could feel the tension in his muscles ease slightly, though the scene before him still left a knot in his stomach. The brutality of the kill, the visceral sight of Zheng’s claws tearing through the boar’s insides, sent a chill down his spine. Even though death was becoming a familiar sight in this world, the violence of it still unsettled him.
“That was... efficient,” Niko muttered under his breath, though the revulsion in his voice was hard to hide.
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Ivanic stepped forward, his face devoid of emotion as he inspected the corpse. He nodded approvingly. "Good job. This one was a weak Roughback Boar, but it’s a start. You’ll get used to the gore—it’s common in this world. More than you'd think."
The scent of blood was thick in the air now, mingling with the damp, earthy smell of the forest. Niko wiped a bead of sweat from his brow, trying to shake off the lingering unease. “Should we harvest it?” he asked, remembering what Ivanic had told them earlier about the value of monster parts in the settlement. “Trade the parts?”
Ivanic shrugged, looking at the carcass with disinterest. “It’s easier to store the whole thing and trade it in one piece. The back of these boars makes decent heavy armor, and the meat’s edible. We might get something worthwhile.”
Zheng, his claws still dripping with blood, stepped up to the corpse and placed his hand on it. The boar vanished instantly, stored within his inventory with a faint shimmer of purple light. “This thing is taking up most of my storage,” he grumbled, flexing his clawed fingers before they slowly retracted back into his skin.
As Zheng cleaned the remaining blood from his hands, Candreva rubbed at his hairy chest, his stomach letting out an audible growl. “Why don’t we eat that boar? I’m starving!”
Ivanic chuckled darkly, shaking his head. "Haven’t you noticed by now? Hunger isn’t as frequent here. Time works differently, but we do get fed every eight hours back at the noob apartments. Let’s kill a few more, then head back."
Niko, still taking in the strange mechanics of this world, realized Ivanic was right. He hadn’t felt the gnawing hunger that usually came after such exertion. It was almost unsettling, another reminder that this world followed its own rules—rules that Niko barely understood.
“Let’s keep going!” Zheng’s voice was filled with barely contained excitement, his eyes gleaming with a wild, almost feral light. His excitement over the kill seemed unnatural, too intense, as if something inside him was enjoying the violence far too much.
Niko watched Zheng with growing unease. There was something off about him, something that went beyond simple bloodlust. Was it the influence of his skill? Or had he always been this way, and this world was just amplifying what was already there? Niko couldn’t be sure, but he knew one thing: Zheng was dangerous, and not just to their enemies.
Ivanic gestured for the group to move forward, deeper into the forest. “There’s more out there. Let’s stick to the plan, get a few more kills under our belts. No need to rush.”
As they pushed further into the forest, Niko’s mind drifted back to his old life. The sights and smells of the world around him, once alien, were becoming frighteningly familiar. The damp smell of moss-covered trees, the crunch of leaves beneath his feet, the ever-present threat of something lurking in the shadows—it was all starting to feel like home. A home that demanded blood and strength just to survive.
He missed the simplicity of his old world. Back on Earth, life had been easier, even when it felt hard. He had his online friends, his games, and most importantly, his sister. But now, that world seemed like a distant memory, a dream that he wasn’t sure he’d ever wake up from.
Here, in this harsh reality, he was surrounded by strangers—each with their own skills, their own secrets. Candreva, with his macho bravado. Zheng, with his unpredictable bloodlust. And Ivanic, their guide, who had survived this world long enough to know that trust was a fragile thing, easily broken.
The further they ventured into the wild, the more Niko realized that survival wasn’t just about fighting monsters. It was about learning to navigate the dangers that came from within—the dangers of the people you thought you could trust.
As the group trudged deeper into the forest, Niko tightened his grip on his resolve. He would continue learning, fighting, and growing stronger. One step at a time. For now, survival was all that mattered.