The boar was even bigger up close. It was a hulking thing, its shoulder two or three heads taller than Cass. Its body was covered in steel grey bristles. They had a metallic sheen, that promised they were tougher than hair had any right to be. Its tusks were longer than Cass’s forearms and wider than her calves.

It rooted around in the dirt between the shear cliffs to either side, its snout throwing up a cloud of dirt and dust.

Thunderback Boar (Lord of the Pass)

Lvl 31

[There has always been a Lord of the Pass guarding the entrance to the Uvana Valley. This Lord has held that title for three consecutive years.

Though Thunderback Boar are common to the valley, this particular specimen is anything but common. Beyond being completely immune to lightning, this beast even controls it. Between its formidable size, Strength, and Will few are its match.]

It was an even higher level than Alyx had reported seeing on her way in.

How strong is this thing? Cass asked

A monster of its level? Salos hummed to himself. It's what I’d call a defense type, but strength is clearly not something it would ignore either. Probably more than 50? And it's a physical-bodied being, that's a more-than-50 modifying its enormous muscles. Expect that to hit hard.

Like a truck, got it, Cass muttered to herself dryly. She could feel Salos’s confusion but moved on. And its Fortitude? You said it was defense-focused?

Oh, easily, easily above 50. Less than 100, probably. Oh, call it 70? And again, that’s modifying the natural toughness of a boar’s hide. They have boar where you come from, right? You know how tough that can be?

Obviously, there were boar on Earth, however Cass had no idea what their hides were like. She’d take his word for it.

So what are our chances of killing this thing, even with Levina’s unwilling help?

Low, he snorted. Non-existent? Suicidal?

Cass groaned.

It isn’t too late to stab Alyx in the back.

Cass ignored him. Hit me with Fairy Fire, I’m going to get its attention.

Of course you are, he sighed as his purple flames wreathed her body.

Cass dropped Stealth and stepped toward the enormous boar. It didn’t immediately react. Cass stood there, awkwardly.

Well, attack it or something, Salos said. It's dense enough it will not notice you unless you make it clear you are looking for a fight.

Oh, okay?

Cass yelled and threw a Wind Blade against the Thunderback’s side. The blade struck the metallic bristles and broke, harmlessly whirling off as idle eddies of air. The Thunderback didn’t seem to notice.

Cass’s heart stopped at the sight.

Can we abandon Alyx now? Salos asked. This plan will not work.

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

“What am I doing wrong?” Cass asked. This couldn’t be right. Cass didn’t care if it had 70 or 100 Fortitude. This was the final straw. Why was Wind Blade so weak? It bounced off everything when used in its ranged form. She didn’t think it had successfully injured anything since she’d gotten it.

“What?” Salos asked.

Cass pointed at the boar. “Why are my Wind Blades so weak?”

Was it not empowered by her Will? Was that not a respectable 36? Maybe that was too low compared to the Boar’s massive Fortitude, but it should be doing something! Not just breaking against its hide.

“Is now a good time for this?” Salos asked.

Maybe it wasn’t. Alyx was fighting for her life as she wasted time here. But also, the plan wasn’t going to work if the Boar didn’t chase her back to the assassin.

“You have any other suggestions? I’m standing here and it doesn’t seem to care.”

“You have a massive level difference.” Salos shrugged.

“And? It's supposed to be super territorial, right?”

“Yeah, but, the level difference. You’re inconsequential to it. Not even worth the experience of crushing you.”

“So it's ignoring me? Isn’t it supposed to be guarding the Pass or something?”

“Well, you defeated the epherwing, didn’t you? You could get in that way. Makes this Pass entirely optional.”

“So it doesn’t need to keep me out?” Cass asked incredulously.

Salos shrugged again.

“Is this why you didn’t try to stop me?”

“Didn’t try to stop you?” He scoffed. “Which part of, ‘this is a bad plan’, ‘this won’t work’, or ‘we should backstab Alyx’ sounded like I was encouraging you?”

“You could have told me that the Boar would ignore me before I came all the way out here! Alyx is waiting for us!”

“Right, but if I’d told you, you would have been killed by the assassin already.”

Cass scowled. “So, since you’re in no hurry to get me back to Alyx, tell me what I’m doing wrong with Wind Blade?”

“How should I know?” Salos asked. “It's your skill.”

“You know things,” Cass said, but it sounded petulant even to her ears.

He released another exaggerated sigh. “Show me the skill description.”

Cass pulled it up.

Wind Blade (lvl 6) (Wind)

[Through study of the winds, you have discovered how to shape them into a weapon of your will. None can stop the wind.

Condense the air into blades with your Focus. Direct with a melee weapon or send them at your targets with your Will for an additional Focus cost.

Association with the Concept of Wind increases the speed of the blades and allows for greater control of shape and direction.]

“Well,” he asked, “How are you controlling them right now?”

“I’ve been throwing them with my staff,” Cass said.

“Not how you manifest them, how are you controlling them?” Salos repeated.

“I don’t think I understand the question.”

Salos blinked slowly. A moment later he tried a different question, “Have you ever tried to control the shape or direction of your Wind Blades?”

“Um, the shape, when I’m forming it.” She’d not paid much attention to the last line of the description.

“Cass,” Salos sighed. “Are you an idiot?”

“What?” Cass glared at him, ready to defend herself.

“You aren’t controlling them at all, are you?” he asked. “You’re manifesting them and then throwing them off your weapon. Am I right?”

“I guess?” Cass crossed her arms over her chest. “Are you saying that’s entirely wrong?”

He started cackling. “Cass, how are you so good at your Elemental Manipulation but you’ve never once thought to apply that control to your Wind Blades?”

Cass scowled at him. Was it really that simple? But then, what he was describing made sense. Elementally Manipulated material, especially air and water, lost their cohesion as soon as she stopped applying Focus to them. If the same thing was happening to her ranged Wind Blades…

She manifested another Wind Blade on the end of her staff and swung, this time holding onto the Blade as she threw it from the end of her staff. She could feel the connection to it, even as it passed beyond where she lost control of things with Elemental Manipulation.

With a flex of her Will, she pulled the air that made up the blade tighter, sharper, denser. The air acquiesced like it was the most natural thing in the world.

It struck the boar, this time slicing through the outermost layer of its bristles. The blade warped as it struck, fracturing into several smaller gusts. Cass held onto only the largest piece, guiding it deeper into its hide.

It struck true. A slender cut found its way across its skin, oozing ever slightly crimson blood.

Cass whooped in delight. “HAH! You see that?”

Salos shook his head, as the Boar took interest in them.

“Oh, right,” Cass muttered at the Boar.

It squealed and charged.

Cass took off running.