Chapter 25 - Travel (3)

<p>For once, I didn't dream.<br/><br/> Instead, I slept peacefully in empty bliss. That is, until a certain young boy shook me awake.<br/><br/> The first thing that registered in my head was the smell of bacon. I bolted upright, sending the poor kid flying. This didn't dishearten him, as he ran full speed back to where I had been laying. Thanks to Eniyala's healing, I was able to regenerate my Health, and it was almost back to full now. Spotting the blue-haired lady leaning against a tree, I notice the dark bags under her eyes, and make a note to not only take care of the majority of the enemies we come across today, but also to take first shift tonight. <br/><br/> Raeki has a Boarskin holding a large pile of bacon upon it, and without missing a beat I begin wolfing down several pieces at once. Raeki giggles, jumping to his feet with his arms spread wide. "Happy Birthday!"<br/><br/> I smile happily at the boy, speaking in between large bites. "Thanks, Raeki. We need to focus on getting to the town as fast as possible, so we should just focus on traveling today."<br/><br/> Raeki's smile transforms into a pout. "No fair! We have to celebrate you becoming a undolt, just like we did with my Sis!"<br/><br/> "Adult, not undolt," Eniyala chimes in.<br/><br/> Seeing how the boy was going to be quite stubborn, I hold up my greasy hands in surrender. "I promise we can celebrate once we reach the town, and find your dad. Deal?"<br/><br/> With the reasonable request, the boy ponders for a moment before smiling again and nodding. "Deal! Only if you tell me how you beat all those Boars, though." <br/><br/> Seeing his begging eyes, I cave in quickly. "Fine. Let me finish breakfast, at least."<br/><br/>* * *<br/><br/> As I walked towards the Boars, sword in hand, the first one to notice me was none other than the leader. He snarled and snorted at me, alerting his comrades to my presence as well. This had the exact effect I needed, which was turning the Boar's attention away from the fire, where the siblings were sleeping.<br/><br/> "Why are you talking like that?"<br/><br/> Me and Raeki both angrily shush Eniyala, who throws her hands up in defeat as I continue.<br/><br/> … Anyways, the Boars came rushing at me in patterns. Two kicked out to the left and right, darting in unpredictable zigzags, similar to my new fighting style. I cut them down with that style. It was three sharply turned cuts, making an almost Z-pattern in their skin as they fell lifelessly. With an angry squeal, another one came charging straight at me, full speed. The Boars are the opposite of their Strong-Armed counterparts. Their front half looks normal, but past their lower back is all simply densely packed muscle, causing small explosions as their undersized hooves pushed them forward at incredible speed.<br/><br/>[Strong-Legged Boar has activated Screech.]<br/>[Paralysis effect failed.]<br/><br/> I set my blade up near my shoulder, as if I planned to thrust it forward. As soon as the Boar entered my range, however, I swung it backwards, building up speed and force as the blow swung around to turn into an upwards attack.<br/><br/>[Skill Slash was activated.]<br/><br/> Slick!<br/><br/> I leapt into the air, running on top of the charging Boar as it slams into the ground, sliding several more feet before it comes to a stop. A line splits open down the middle of its face, splitting its head in half. <br/><br/> The leader and three of the Boars hesitated after seeing the display, but the three clear hotheads of the group snarled loudly as they pounced at me all at once. I dashed back several feet, stalling for Slash's cooldown, as I pushed Mana into my legs, attempting to figure out how to use Sprint.<br/><br/> "Even kids can learn Sprint. What's so hard to learn about it?"<br/><br/> I simply glare at Eniyala, who was clearly terrible at listening to stories. Ignoring her comment, I continue on.<br/><br/> The Boars quickly closed the distance, and I activated Slash again, cutting the legs off of one. The others stared at the ground pork for a moment before attacking me from both sides. Since Mana was still residing in my legs, I cycled it out for a new flow of Mana. This resulted in a strange, but pleasant feeling within my body, and I immediately continued cycling it. <br/><br/> Ding!<br/><br/>[Sprint: Progression increased.]<br/>[Total Progression: 100%.]<br/>[Sprint Skill has been learned.]<br/><br/> My body got lighter, and I dashed out of the way, letting the two Boars collide heads, dazing each other before I targeted them with my eye. I ignored the new stinging pain in my right leg; the cut wasn't severe enough to worry.<br/><br/>[Targets in sight.]<br/>[Critical Eye Skill activated.]<br/>[Critical Eye Skill activated.]<br/> <br/> Dashing forward again before the Sprint duration could end, I unleashed several hard-turning slashes. With Sprint activated and my passive Erratic Movements, I felt like I was flying as I decimated the Boars, finally killing the one I had left as a pork nugget as well.<br/><br/> "What's a nugget?" Both of the blue siblings asked, to which I gave them a hopeless look.<br/><br/> "There's this thing called a chicken nugget in another world. It's an exquisite, yet affordable delicacy offered to the masses for everyone to enjoy. You haven't lived properly until you've had one."<br/><br/> As they pondered what wonders a chicken nugget may hold, I continue.<br/><br/> Before Sprint ended, I managed to kill two more Boars. By circulating the Mana in my blade the same way I did with my legs, it began to pour out violently from the blade in a violet mist, and then—<br/><br/> Ding!<br/><br/>[Slash Skill was forcefully upgraded to Slash+.]<br/><br/> The last Boar blocked me from killing the leader as it ran away in fear, its muscled backside taunting me as it bounded through the trees.<br/><br/> The final defender was a bit stronger than the others, but it was slightly less agile. Still, it caught me by surprise with one attack, cutting a line across my forehead and skewering my arm with its tusks before I beheaded it with the newly upgraded Skill. The pain wasn't nearly as bad as some I had experienced, so I endured it. As I went to look at my notifications, a screech pierced the air as another 4 Boars all charged me. The leader stood in the back, panting smugly as it eyed me with contempt. <br/><br/> I had to put one stat into my Agility and one into Dexterity to keep up with the endless attacks coming at me. I quickly dispatched another three Boars, which caused the leader to run off again, using his comrades as fodder, and I ended up using the dead bodies to block some attacks by jumping behind them. Eventually, I took them out, and that was when Eniyala showed up. Easy.<br/><br/> Raeki clapped his hands, cheering. "Yayyy! You won against the carredy Boar!"<br/><br/> "Scaredy, Raeki," Eniyala corrected, a small smirk on her face. "That easy, huh? That's why you needed a heal, huh?"<br/><br/> "Uh, I told you I didn't nee—"<br/><br/> "Exactly, you needed one."<br/><br/> "… So, should we get on the road?" I quickly surrender, changing the subject off of myself.<br/><br/> Raeki jumped up, giving me a big thumbs up. "Let's go!"<br/><br/> We packed up, heading off down the road once again. Raeki was excited to see his father again, which was beginning to make me worry.<br/><br/> 'What if somehow, something happened to him?'<br/><br/></p>