Chapter 61: Reaping

Chapter 61: Chapter 61: Reaping

The desperate struggles of a dying beast are often the most lethal.

At that moment, the sound of a charge grew closer, and a cloud of rising dust drew the attention of everyone on the battlefield.

The figure was charging from the direction Galen was supposed to be guarding!

The implication was obvious.

’That commotion... Is the biggest boar charging over?! Galen... Could he already be...?’

Belte’s heart sank. The boar before him seized the moment of distraction, roaring as it lunged at him again.

He could only scramble to dodge, alarm bells ringing in his mind. He had to deal with the boar in front of him while also bracing for the deadly charge from afar.

Of the others, only Laila, perched in a tree, could spare the focus. She immediately aimed her bow, attempting to fire an arrow and help Belte out of this sudden crisis.

But as she squinted, trying to make out the blurry figure in the dust, she froze.

’That figure... It’s human?’

Galen???

Before she could even process it, Galen was already in front of the boar.

The strange dagger in his hand plunged straight into a vital point on the boar’s neck, exposed by its lunge!

Unlike the first heaven-shaking impact, this time, Hesia had clearly controlled his speed and force.

Thanks to the two-point Physique bonus from the [Thick Hide] trait and the buff from the Split Hoof Beef, his total Physique had now reached 14.

This time, the recoil from [Wild Charge] only made him stagger back a step before he firmly planted his feet.

Hesia looked at the boar he’d killed with a single strike and felt a slight sense of disappointment.

It neither dropped a new trait nor increased his Earth Spike Skill Proficiency.

’Still... this dagger really is incredibly Sharp!’

When he killed the Pig King, he thought it was the immense power boost from [Wild Charge] that had allowed him to pierce its defenses.

This time, he had deliberately slowed his speed, yet he’d still pierced the Thorny Wild Boar’s tough, leathery Thick Hide with ease.

Belte remained frozen in a defensive stance.

He could still feel the foul stench of the boar’s charge. One moment, he was expecting the clash of tusks against his Broadsword. The next... his enemy was a corpse.

The sudden turn of events left his mind completely blank.

Hesia patted his shoulder lightly. "You’re badly hurt. Fall back and rest. I’ll take it from here."

Belte nodded instinctively, moved to the side, and collapsed onto the ground, panting heavily.

Meanwhile, Hulk, who was single-handedly taking the brunt of the stout sow’s attacks, also caught a glimpse of the scene.

Even for someone as composed as him, a flash of surprise appeared in his eyes.

"Galen, your side...?"

"Yeah, it’s handled."

Hulk was shocked, but his years of experience as an Adventurer allowed him to make the optimal decision in an instant. "Good!" he said in a low, serious voice. "Zoya’s taking the most heat. Go help her first! I can still hold out!"

Hesia didn’t hesitate. His eyes immediately shifted to the four smaller boars that Zoya was kiting.

He noticed one in particular. It had Laila’s arrows in its eye and the side of its neck, and its body was covered in a network of fine cuts from Zoya. Its movements had become noticeably sluggish.

’That’s the one!’

’Earth Spike Technique!’

The same triangular kill pattern reappeared. Two Earth Spikes instantly boxed in the heavily injured boar, one of them precisely striking its throat.

This was the second small wild boar to fall.

He immediately shouted to the agile, dark figure in the distance, "Zoya, head toward me!"

Zoya heard him and, without a moment’s hesitation, tapped her toes on the ground and instantly reversed direction. Like a black swift, she darted toward Hesia.

The three Thorny Wild Boars, not as agile as Zoya, made a clumsy, wide turn and also roared as they charged toward Hesia.

Just as Zoya brushed past him—

"Go help the captain," Hesia said in a low voice.

Zoya didn’t break her stride. With another light tap of her feet, she executed a beautiful change of direction and dashed toward Hulk, who was locked in combat with the matriarch boar.

A perfect battlefield handoff.

Hesia, on the other hand, stood his ground, calmly watching the three wild boars charging at him, patiently refraining from immediately casting his Magic.

He was waiting for the perfect distance and timing.

Ten meters... eight meters... five meters!

’Now!’

’Earth Spike Technique!’

’Earth Spike Technique!’

’Earth Spike Technique!’

Three consecutive waves of three Earth Spikes each erupted from far to near. A total of nine spikes, all angled slightly, appeared like thorns of death sprouting from the ground, instantly blanketing the boars’ charge path!

The wild boar charging at the very front had no time to slow down and smashed headfirst into them!

CRACK!

CRACK!

The first few Earth Spikes broke on impact.

But the boar paid a heavy price. Its chest and abdomen were torn open by the jagged, broken spikes, leaving a bloody, mangled mess. It died instantly.

[Earth Spike Skill Proficiency +3, Level 2 (15/20)]

The other two desperately tried to slow down and dodge, but they also crashed into the subsequent Earth Spikes, letting out shrill squeals as their front legs and abdomens were pierced, and they collapsed to the ground.

Laila, still in the tree, seized the opportunity. She held her breath and focused, drawing her longbow taut once more. She aimed her arrow at the neck of the boar closer to Hesia.

The instant she released the bowstring, the arrow shot forth with a whistle!

However, the arrow had barely left her fingers when Hesia’s Magic struck again.

This time, it wasn’t the triangular kill.

A single Earth Spike erupted from the ground, precisely under the neck of the collapsed boar, delivering an instant killing blow.

Laila’s arrow could only thud uselessly into the boar’s corpse.

She had no choice but to immediately switch targets, aiming at the last injured boar and drawing her bowstring halfway again.

But before she could release—

Another Earth Spike mercilessly erupted from the ground, piercing the boar’s vulnerable neck right where it was pressed against the dirt.

Laila: "..."

She sullenly relaxed the tension on her bowstring. The feeling of having a shot lined up only to be repeatedly cut off was incredibly frustrating.

"This guy... where on earth does he get so much Magic Power..."

Hesia, for his part, noticed that clearing out the last few small boars had only granted him a single skill proficiency increase and hadn’t dropped any new traits.

’It seems good luck has its limits.’

He turned his gaze to the final target on the battlefield.

The large matriarch, pinned down by Hulk’s frontal assault while Zoya constantly harassed it from the back and flanks.

’Only one left. No point in waiting for Earth Affinity to recover on its own.’

Without hesitation, he pulled the spare Magic Potion from his belt and took a small sip.

A cool burst of energy spread through his body, swiftly refilling his nearly empty Magic Pool.

"Captain! Zoya! Get back!" Hesia yelled.