Head cocked? Check. Immobile staring contest? Check. An unidentifiable and dangerous creature who is trying to kill me? Obviously a check.

Entering the next room has panned out fairly well if I say so myself. It’s got all the boxes checked on my “I wish I were anywhere but here” vacation list.

Lucky me!

To clue you in on what happened earlier, I had prepared my heart and opened the door as innocently and innocuously as possible to find, yes of course, another pig monster. This one was slightly different than the first though. It was still fat and small, but this one held a crude looking wooden club and stood on two legs. Its human way of standing almost brought it up to my chest level. Ah wait...if it has two legs that probably means I can use diplomacy to get through this situation, right? I won’t have to go through that horrible experience again.

Hello Mr.Pig, I’m terribly sorry to bother you. May I ask you to be so kind as to--

The rest of my deferent request was cut off by a raging inhuman squeal. I guess I was expecting this, but was worth a shot.

The pig began to run at me, obviously upset at my existing. Because it was so fat and carrying a heavy looking club I had time to crouch defensively and position my dagger. The adrenaline kicked into my system as I watched it, trying to stay vigilant against surprise antics.

His first swing was an overhead which came towards me looking very heavy. I knew it wouldn’t be a good idea to try to block it with my tiny dagger, so I sidestepped as quickly as I could. I saw an opportunity and lashed out with my dagger once, but before I could check how much damage I did he had started the next swing.

This one started from the ground and came up diagonally towards my leg. It would have cleanly connected with my kneecap had I not stepped back in time. The pig swung a few more times at me failing to connect each time. I could feel my nerves starting to fray, but the pig must have needed a break too because he stopped to stare at me and pant. I noticed a deep gash in his chest dripping blood, though it didn't seem to bother him much. His also had his head tilted to the side like he was considering me and trying to think of a plan that could overcome my speed difference.

This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

And so here we are.

I was too afraid to make the first move so I waited for him to charge again. I waited, but he must have realized that fighting conventionally wouldn't work. The monsters knees unbent and it held its club loosely, regarding me with a pig expression that I'm not quite sure how to translate.

Finally! You changed your mind and want to talk it out? I knew you could be reasonable

Wait, no. It doesn't seem like he's given up. I watched as he raised his club and cocked it over his head. What is he doing? When piggy's upper body leaned back the realization set in. He was planning to throw it. I dove out of the way just before he released, hoping that the pig wasn't smart enough to predict where I would land.

I was right in hoping, I mean thinking, that the pig would aim straight for where I was standing. The club rocketed through the air at speeds that I wasn't expecting. If I had waited a second longer the club would have probably caved in my chest, thats how fast it was going. The pig must have influenced the air somehow to make it travel faster and honestly that scared me to death. I needed to kill this thing before I figured out what other air manipulation tricks it had up its sleeve.

I sprinted as fast as I could towards the now weaponless pig, aiming to kill it as quickly as possible, and I was slightly relieved to see its eyes widen in what looked like fear. Reaching it, I tackled it to the ground and wrestled around its meaty body. After a minute of stabbing at any place I could find and grimancing every time my hand slipped on blood, the pig had died.

Oddly enough I wasn't as shaken up as last time. The triumph I got from ending the fight made me feel way stronger, invincible even. I don't think all these flawless victories are helping my grip on reality. I somewhat remember beneath all the emotions running through me that I had felt this same rush of power when I killed the pig in the first room. Humans are supposed to be extremely adaptable, maybe this way of coping is completely normal?

Regardless of the reason I backed away from the corpse and wiped the disgusting smelling blood off onto my pant legs. I watched it, waiting to see if it would dissapear like the last one. Soon enough the body began to fade at the edges and turn into motes of light that wisped away into nothing. Before my eyes the entire thing had transformed into nothing.

I really hope the safe zone has something that can explain all of this to me.

Well, only two more rooms to go.