Free Web NovelChapter 36: Chapter 36: The First Monster hunt
Chapter 36: The First Monster Hunt
The carriage rolled to a gradual stop at the edge of the forest.
Before them stretched an endless sea of ancient trees, their towering trunks blotting out much of the afternoon sun. Shafts of golden light pierced through the dense canopy, illuminating patches of moss and fallen leaves scattered across the forest floor. The cool air carried the scent of damp earth, crushed grass, and wild vegetation.
Andras stepped down first, his boots sinking slightly into the soft ground.
A moment later, Evelyne followed, her crimson cloak swaying gently in the breeze.
"This region was cleared of dangerous monsters many years ago," she explained while surveying the forest ahead. "The beasts that remain are intentionally left alive. They’re suitable prey for young nobles and soldiers experiencing their first hunt."
Andras nodded, silently taking in his surroundings.
This was different from the training grounds.
Different from the manor.
he had stepped into the territory of genuine magical beasts.
It was quiet.
Too quiet.
The forest seemed to be watching.
A sudden rustle disturbed the silence.
Leaves trembled.
Branches parted.
Something large emerged from the undergrowth.
Andras narrowed his eyes.
The creature resembled a wild boar from Earth, but only at first glance. Standing well over two meters at the shoulder, its body was wrapped in coarse, dark-gray fur layered over thick muscles. Two enormous black horns curved upward from its skull like polished lances, while yellow eyes burned with animalistic hostility.
Each heavy step caused loose stones to tremble beneath its weight.
Steam escaped from its nostrils.
It had already identified them as intruders.
System.
Show me its status.
A translucent blue panel appeared before him.
[Ding!]
[Name: Horned Boar]
[Rank: Class E]
[Talent: Hardened Hide (E-Rank)]
A defensive talent...
Interesting.
Beside him, Evelyne calmly folded her arms.
"Horned Boars are among the weakest magical beasts."
Her tone remained composed.
"They possess excellent endurance and impressive physical strength, but they’re predictable once you understand how they fight."
She looked at Andras.
"You should be able to deal with it without difficulty."
"I understand."
Without another word, Andras walked toward the beast.
The Horned Boar lowered its massive head.
For several moments, neither moved.
The forest seemed to hold its breath.
Predator.
Prey.
Neither yet knew which role belonged to whom.
Behind him, Evelyne expected Andras to draw his sword.
Instead, he calmly removed his cloak.
Then his gloves.
He folded them neatly before placing them on a nearby rock.
A faint smile appeared on his lips as he flexed his fingers.
Evelyne raised an eyebrow.
"No weapon?"
"I want to experience it directly."
His voice remained calm.
"I’ve fought people."
"I’ve never fought a monster."
A low growl escaped the Horned Boar.
It scraped one hoof across the ground before lowering its body.
Its muscles coiled like compressed springs.
The next instant, it exploded forward.
The charge was astonishingly fast.
Chunks of earth flew behind it as the massive beast thundered across the clearing, its horns aimed directly at Andras’s chest.
Yet Andras remained motionless.
His gaze never left the creature.
He watched the contraction of its muscles.
The shifting of its center of gravity.
The angle of its horns.
Its breathing.
Its rhythm.
His combat instincts pieced everything together almost effortlessly.
Ten meters.
Seven.
Five.
Three.
Now.
Rather than retreating, he pivoted around the charge with the smallest possible movement.
The horn sliced past his chest, close enough for the displaced air to brush against his clothes.
As the monster rushed by, Andras drove a fist into its shoulder.
The impact landed with a heavy thud.
The Horned Boar stumbled sideways, its charge briefly disrupted before it regained its footing several meters away.
Andras glanced at his fist.
Its hide absorbed more force than expected.
The beast shook its head violently before turning toward him once again.
Pain had only made it angrier.
With an enraged roar, it charged a second time.
Unlike before...
Andras didn’t move.
Mana surged through every pathway in his body.
Warborn Limit Release.
Power flooded his muscles with explosive intensity.
His heartbeat accelerated.
The ground beneath his feet fractured beneath the sudden pressure.
Even Evelyne’s calm expression changed slightly.
His physical reinforcement...
It’s stronger than before.
The Horned Boar closed the remaining distance in an instant.
Its massive horns lunged toward his chest with enough force to impale solid stone.
Andras stepped into the attack.
Both hands shot forward.
His fingers wrapped around the beast’s horns.
The collision echoed throughout the forest.
For a brief moment, neither moved.
Then the true force of the charge struck him.
His boots plowed through the earth, carving deep trenches across the clearing as the Horned Boar desperately pushed forward.
Loose stones scattered in every direction.
The ground groaned beneath the strain.
Andras’s arms trembled.
Not from fear.
From resisting several hundred kilograms of charging muscle.
Then...
He pushed back.
The veins along his forearms bulged.
Mana surged once more through his body.
Little by little, the beast’s advance slowed.
Its hooves dug desperately into the earth.
The momentum disappeared.
Andras took a single step forward.
Then another.
The impossible happened.
The Horned Boar began sliding backward.
Its yellow eyes widened.
Confusion gave way to panic.
Instinct screamed at the beast to flee.
Andras noticed the change immediately.
Fear.
He found the emotion oddly fascinating.
With a sharp twist of his arms, one of the monster’s massive horns snapped apart.
A sickening crack echoed through the forest.
The Horned Boar let out a shrill scream and staggered backward, blood pouring from the broken base of its horn.
It turned, attempting to retreat.
Too slow.
Echo Resonance activated.
Mana vibrated through Andras’s arm before concentrating around his clenched fist. The surrounding air shimmered as invisible waves gathered beneath his skin.
He stepped forward.
One punch.
Nothing extravagant.
Nothing flashy.
His fist sank into the beast’s shoulder.
The vibration erupted inside its body.
A deep shockwave rippled beneath its hide, pulverizing muscle and shattering bone before racing through its internal organs.
Blood burst from the Horned Boar’s mouth.
Its enormous body was lifted slightly off the ground before crashing heavily onto its side.
The earth shook beneath the impact.
For several moments, the creature struggled desperately to stand.
Its legs trembled.
Collapsed.
Tried again.
Failed.
Each breath became weaker than the last.
Andras approached without haste.
The monster raised its head with visible effort.
Gone was the savage hostility from moments earlier.
Only fear remained.
He crouched beside it, studying the beast in silence.
"So..."
His voice was calm.
"So even monsters fear death."
For reasons he couldn’t quite explain, he found that realization interesting.
He placed a hand gently upon the creature’s head.
"I’m disappointed."
The words were almost emotionless.
A single strike followed.
The beast’s skull shattered instantly.
Silence reclaimed the forest.
Only the rustling leaves and distant birdsong remained.
Blood slowly seeped into the earth beneath the fallen monster.
Andras stood quietly, looking down at the lifeless corpse.
There was no excitement.
No triumph.
No guilt.
Only observation.
This had been his first battle against a magical beast.
His first kill that wasn’t human.
After a long moment, he reached only one conclusion.
A Class E monster...
...is far too weak.
His gaze drifted deeper into the endless forest, where darker shadows stretched between the ancient trees.
He wanted to face something capable of fighting back.
