Chương 119: The Boar Hunting Squad

Inside an area completely surrounded by tall wooden fences, several enormous wild boars could be seen rampaging around. Zelier narrowed his eyes and counted. Hmm... Five in total. The boars were violently digging through the earth with their hardened snouts, turning the entire field into a chaotic mess. The crops had been completely ruined. Every now and then, the beasts even shoved each other aside, fighting over berries that had fallen from the branches.

"Alright." Looking at the scene before him, Zelier drew the brand-new longsword from his waist. This time, he had no intention of using magic. He wanted to properly test his swordsmanship.

"Time to get to work!"...... Marcus dragged over a small stool and sat beside the fence. Madame Ursa sat there as well.

"Madame Ursa, how is this year's harvest?" Marcus glanced toward the distant wheat fields.

"Judging from the fields, it looks like a bountiful year."

"Thanks to the gods." At the mention of it, the sorrowful expression on Madame Ursa's face finally softened into a smile.

"The rainfall was good this year, and the sunlight was perfect. If it weren't for those damned wild boars, the harvest would have been at least twenty percent larger."

"We'll solve this problem." Marcus nodded.

"After the Autumn Harvest Festival ends, you'll need to start storing the grain, smoking meat, preparing preserved vegetables, and getting everything ready for winter." Madame Ursa looked up at the sky and sighed.

"The autumn winds grow colder earlier every year. The elders in town say this winter might be especially harsh. We need to prepare ahead of time."

"Yeah. Winters are never easy." Marcus nodded in agreement. It wasn't only farmers who struggled. For adventurers like them, winter was equally troublesome. The cold season meant missions became far more dangerous. Heavy snow. Freezing temperatures. Bodies stiffened by the cold. Whether it was monster activity or brutal weather conditions, everything became a greater challenge. Some adventurers who lacked the courage to take missions during winter even had to temporarily work as laborers just to make ends meet.

You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. The two continued chatting casually. Finally, Madame Ursa couldn't help but ask:"By the way... aren't you going to help your teammates?"

"They told me to just watch from the side." Marcus shrugged. Inside the fenced area. Zelier lowered his stance, adopting a stable horse stance as he raised his longsword above his head. His eyes remained fixed ahead. His breathing was steady as he waited for the perfect moment. After being provoked, the wild boars quickly chose their new targets. Originally, they had intended to escape. After all, these humans were carrying sharp weapons and looked far more dangerous than the farmer's son from a few days ago.

That foolish young man had only carried a pitchfork and shouted loudly. But every time the boars charged toward the opening they had smashed into the fence, several cold arrows would suddenly streak out from an unexpected angle, accurately blocking their escape route. With no other choice, the boars could only roar in fury and redirect all their anger toward the two humans inside the enclosure.

"Watch carefully, Zelier!" Grey shouted. At the same time, the largest male boar charged toward him, its short legs pounding against the ground. Grey slid lightly toward the front-left. His body shifted smoothly, narrowly avoiding the charging beast. The instant he passed by the boar, his wrist twisted. A swift upward slash!

"Whoosh!" The boar's abdomen lacked the thick protection covering its back. The sharp blade tore through its flesh with ease. A massive wound opened instantly, and blood sprayed outward. The boar let out a miserable squeal. It stumbled forward several steps, its legs losing control before it crashed heavily onto the ground. After twitching a few times, it stopped moving. The entire process was flawless. Like flowing water. Zelier took a deep breath. He knew he lacked Grey's veteran instincts and refined footwork.

So he had to choose a more reliable method. Remembering the Half-Swording technique Grey had taught him, Zelier changed his grip. His right hand reversed its hold on the sword, while his left hand grabbed the leather-wrapped ricasso near the blade. With this altered grip, the longsword immediately transformed into something resembling a short spear. A wild boar charged toward Zelier. Wild boars were far from weak. A body weighing three to four hundred kilograms. A terrifying charging speed.

And two massive tusks protruding from their mouths. Combined together, their destructive power was enough that, in some ways, they were more troublesome than many [Simple]-Rank monsters. Zelier did not try to block it head-on. The moment the boar was about to crash into him, he stepped sideways and avoided the charge. At the same time, he shifted his entire body weight forward. Both arms erupted with force. He thrust downward with all his strength! The penetrating power of this thrust was extraordinary.

"Splurt!" The sword pierced straight into the boar's thick back. The blade sank several dozen centimeters into its flesh!

"SKREEEE!" The boar released a horrifying scream. Its massive momentum carried Zelier forward several stumbling steps while the sword remained embedded in its back. Its muscles violently convulsed as it twisted and thrashed wildly, desperately trying to throw the hateful human off. Zelier tightened his grip. Then he twisted the sword hilt. The blade violently churned inside the boar's body. That single motion completely destroyed its internal organs. The boar's struggles abruptly ceased.

With a heavy crash, it collapsed.

"..." Zelier pulled out his sword, bringing with it a spray of warm blood.

"Ha. Not bad." Grey's voice came from nearby.

"You're starting to look like an actual swordsman." Three wild boars remained inside the enclosure. Seeing their companions slaughtered one after another, they completely lost themselves to rage. They charged toward Zelier and Grey simultaneously. But it was meaningless. Grey repeated his previous technique. He casually dodged the charging boar and thrust his sword directly into its eye socket. Zelier also used the same method as before and took down another boar. Only one remained.

Rage and desperation were useless now. The only thing left in its mind was fear. The boar had clearly realized how terrifying these humans were. It no longer dared to charge at them. Instead, it ran around the enclosure like a headless fly, desperately searching for an escape route. Zelier and Grey had no choice but to chase after it. But the boar was slippery and extremely fast when panicking. Several times, it nearly escaped through the broken section of the fence. Vaelis leaned casually against the intact fence.

He glanced sideways at the two exhausted members of the "boar-catching squad," a faint smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. Finally— A brilliant blue light illuminated the farm. A crystalline arcane projectile erupted at incredible speed, instantly catching up to the fleeing boar.

"BOOM!!!" A tremendous explosion of mana erupted. With a deafening blast, the wild boar was blown apart completely. Not even a single intact piece of meat remained. Actually, a single Wind Blade would have been more than enough. But Zelier was clearly irritated. He had no intention of letting go of the boar that had made him chase it around for so long.