Chapter 59: Unexpected Reinforcements

Chapter 59: Chapter 59: Unexpected Reinforcements

With the six new boars and the four remaining on the battlefield, they now had to face a full ten Thorny Wild Boars at once.

Worse still, they were caught in a pincer attack, completely surrounded.

Moreover, the new pack of boars was now gathered right under the large tree where Laila was hiding.

"Gods above! What the fuck is going on?!"

At the sight, even the ever-optimistic Belte couldn’t help but curse under his breath.

"Watch out!" Zoya’s voice suddenly rang out.

In the split second Belte was distracted by his concern for Laila’s safety, the Thorny Wild Boar he and Zoya had been fighting seized the opportunity.

It violently arched its body, and every thorn on its back shot straight up—

[Thorn Burst]!

Zoya’s warning was swift, but Belte was caught off balance. He had no time to rush forward and interrupt the attack, nor could he fully dodge the close-range burst.

He could only let out a Roar and desperately swing his wide Two-handed Broadsword horizontally in front of him, trying to shield his vital spots.

But a Broadsword isn’t a Shield, and its coverage was limited.

THUNK! THUNK! THUNK!

A dense volley of thorns instantly enveloped him. Though he blocked most of them with his Broadsword, several thorns still pierced his arm, shoulder, and the side of his neck. Blood immediately soaked through his clothes.

"Argh!" Belte grunted in pain and staggered back a few steps. He quickly fumbled at his waist for a Healing Potion and, wincing at having to use it, took a small sip.

Hesia and Hulk watched, frantic. They wanted to help but were pinned down by the two boars that had recovered, unable to break away.

The two smaller boars were exceptionally cunning.

As Demons, they possessed a certain degree of Wisdom.

After seeing or sensing their packmates get injured multiple times by the sharp stone spikes that shot up from the ground, they began to instinctively watch their footing.

At the slightest sign of trouble—a faint fluctuation of Magic Power from the ground or a slight bulge in the soil—they would immediately leap aside, causing Hesia’s [Earth Spike Technique] to miss repeatedly.

As for the Pig King with the grievous throat wound, not only did the injury fail to slow it down, but a dark red, bloody Qi began to steam faintly from the gash.

It was as if it couldn’t feel pain; its eyes held nothing but a pure lust for slaughter.

Its blood-red eyes locked onto Hesia as it advanced step by step, its massive frame exuding an immense pressure.

Hesia took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down.

’The more critical the moment, the calmer I need to be.’

’The biggest problem right now is the Pig King’s defense. It’s too high; a regular [Earth Spike Technique] can’t get through.’

’And the more powerful [Enhanced Earth Spike Skill] has a casting and channeling time that’s a fraction of a second slower. Against these cunning, ever-watchful boars, it would be even easier to dodge.’

At this critical impasse—

SPLAT!

SPLAT!

Several dark, lumpy objects suddenly flew in from the side, accurately striking the faces and bodies of the three boars Hesia and Hulk were fighting.

Pungent, foul-smelling mud exploded on impact, splattering black filth all over their hides and thorns.

’...Clumps of mud? And something else mixed in?’

Hesia turned his head, stunned. Behind a nearby field ridge, several familiar figures had appeared.

It was Fast-legged Tom! He was leading a few brave villagers. Each of them had a small bucket at their feet filled with dark clumps of mud, which they were grabbing and hurling at the boars!

"Quick! Keep throwing! Aim for their eyes and noses!" Tom yelled to the other villagers as he threw another clump. "Let’s give these animals a whiff of our special recipe."

He saw the surprised looks on Hesia and Hulk’s faces and explained, "Don’t mind us, Adventurers! I’ve been watching these beasts for days. Their eyesight is terrible, but their sense of smell is incredibly sharp. We mixed rotten eggs into the mud. Once we plaster their noses and eyes, let’s see how they like it then!"

Hesia immediately understood their plan.

A strong, pungent stench drifted over on the wind, and even he couldn’t help but wrinkle his nose.

He quickly shouted a warning, "Got it! But that smell... Be careful yourselves, and keep your distance!"

He turned to look ahead. Sure enough, the two smaller boars that had been harassing him were affected.

The sticky, foul-smelling mud was plastered over their eyes and noses. The stench made them extremely agitated. They shook their heads nonstop, trying to rub the filth off their faces, and their once-agile footwork became chaotic.

Hesia yelled to Hulk, "Captain! I’ve got this side. Go help Belte and the others!"

Hulk glanced at the six boars approaching from the forest, his expression hardening. He knew this was no time to hesitate.

He said in a low voice, "Be careful. Just hold them off."

With that, he slammed his Shield into the boar in front of him, knocking it aside, then turned and sprinted toward Belte and Zoya.

Hesia stopped paying attention to the other side of the battle and focused completely on the enemies before him.

Two boars with mud-caked faces, and the Pig King, which, despite its grievous wounds, still radiated a savage, murderous intent.

He took a deep breath, and the remaining Magic Power in his body began to surge.

[Enhanced Earth Spike Skill]!

This time, he didn’t target the more vulnerable smaller boars. Instead, he aimed directly at the Pig King, which had just regained its footing and was trying to lock onto him again!

The Pig King seemed to sense the danger. It let out a startled, angry squeal and tried to twist away, but the combination of Hulk’s shield bash and the distracting mud made it a beat too slow.

BAM!

A thick Earth Spike slammed violently into its side. The massive force of the impact sent it flying sideways, and it rolled several times across the ground before coming to a stop.

’Good, now’s my chance!’

With the Pig King temporarily out of the picture, Hesia immediately shifted his focus to the two smaller boars.

He focused his mind completely.

THWIP! THWIP! THWIP!

Three Earth Spikes erupted in a triangular formation, a crude pincer attack aimed directly at one of the smaller boars, the one shaking its egg-smeared face.

Two Earth Spikes shot up to its left and right, boxing it in. The third, like a striking viper, burst from the ground and stabbed upward into its throat, exposed as it thrashed its head.

SQUELCH!

The muffled sound of a blade sinking into flesh followed.

The Earth Spike had pierced straight through its throat!

The boar’s squealing cut off abruptly. Its limbs convulsed a few times before it collapsed to the ground, blood gushing from the wound.

[Earth Spike Skill Proficiency +2, Level 2 (10/20)]

[You have extracted the trait — Wild Charge — by killing a Thorny Wild Boar]

[Wild Charge]: The muscles of your lower limbs are reshaped by primal Power. When activated, you gain astonishing acceleration in a straight-line sprint, your footfalls as heavy as War Drums. The kinetic energy built up during the charge is infused into your next attack. The longer the charge, the greater its destructive Power.

[Power +2]

Hesia felt a surge of joy at the successive notifications, but his hands didn’t pause for a second.

THWIP! THWIP! THWIP!

Another three Earth Spikes.

He formed another deadly triangle.

It finished off the last, panicking smaller boar!

[Earth Spike Skill Proficiency +2, Level 2 (12/20)]