Chapter 4: Hunting the Berserk Warthog

5 Years Later,

Elder's Forest.

"Ooh-ooh-ooh!"

In the corner of Elder's Forest, several Steelback Apes huddled around two massive Ancient oak trees chanting and hooting two competitors.

Bam! Bam!

Leaves fell from the trees' branches as they were repeatedly struck with rhythmic intervals. "Ooh!" One of the competitors, a young Steelback Ape gibbered. It beat its chest and then once more ran at the tree. Bam! It crashed into the tree with its shoulder. The great tree trembled, and several pieces of bark fell off, revealing the young Steelback Ape's strength. Emboldened, the Steelback Ape beat its chest and then roared at its competitor.

"Hehe... Just this much? I can do it too." Shockingly, the Steelback Ape's competitor was a child who seemed to be seven to nine years old dressed in a pair of torn shorts and a dirty scarf tied over his head. The child's mischievous gray eyes shone with determination as he stared at his tree.

"Let's go!" The child, the now seven years old, Rao Wu, screamed at the top of his lungs and then charged into the tree. Just like the Steelback Ape, he used his shoulder to ram into the tree at full speed. Bang! Although not as much as the Steelback Ape, several pieces of bark fell off the tree.

"Guooo!" The young Steelback Ape stamped its chest as it taunted the child.

Rao Wu grumbled as he took a step back and glared hatefully at the tree. "Aish, Forget it. I'll never be as strong as you guys." He lifted his left arm to inspect the surface abrasions caused by the tree bark and then smiled when the injuries healed at a visible rate. Within a few seconds, it had scabbed over, and within a minute, the scabs fell off to reveal fresh new skin.

Rao Wu nodded like the healing was par for the course and then turned to face his competitor. "Alright. You won." Rao Wu regretfully raised his left hand and tapped the ring. A large, red, delicious fruit appeared in his hand. Gritting his teeth, Rao Wu handed the Seven Dew Fruit to the Steelback Ape, who chuckled as it threw the fruit into its mouth.

Rao Wu's eyes twitched when he saw the red juices flow down the Steelback Ape's mouth. "You! What a waste." The Seven Dew Tree bore a single fruit once every seven months. It was one of the tastiest fruits in the forest, and Rao Wu only stole this one after months of hardwork. He had just been anticipating mixing the fruit with Sour Nettle to produce the best-tasting bowl but to think he would lose it to a bet.

"Argh!" Rao Wu frustratingly scratched his hair, and then let out a frustrated sigh. "Aish, whatever, I'm going hunting." The youth picked up a stick that had a bone tied to the end and began walking away.

"Hoo-ooh!"

Rao Wu turned to look at the young Steelback Ape. "You want to come?"

"Hoo!"

"Alright, but you listen to me, alright?" Having received the young Steelback Ape's confirmation, Rao Wu jumped ran up a tree and then began traversing the jungle through the treetops. The Steelback Ape easily kept pace, swinging with vines or branches.

The young Rao Wu's eyes were peeled on his surroundings as he ran. The jungle was a dangerous place. Death lurked at every corner. Its inhabitants had to keep alert at all times, or a predator would snatch them.

As he ran, Rao Wu thought back to his life in the jungle over the last few years. His earliest memory was his Uncle Twilight telling him that he had to learn to survive in the forest on his own. As a result, ever since he was five, Rao Wu had to hunt for his meals by himself.

Of course, the soul monsters in Elders Forest were no picnic. To survive, Rao Wu needed to meet the requirements to compete for resources. To achieve this, Rao Wu copied the Steelback Apes' strength training. By ramming his body into the oak trees, and eating right, he was able to raise his strength steadily.

Unfortunately, try as he might, Rao Wu could not compare to the Steelback Apes. Even the one-year-olds were stronger than him. That was not to say all was lost, though. Rao Wu's training was ten times more intense than the Steelback Apes. He often pushed himself to the point were he bled all over and suffered multiple fractures and broken bones. Of course, this hellish training was predicated on the fact that he could return every night to the lake and heal every injury.

Through interchanging healing and breaking, Rao Wu's bones and skin grew considerably tougher. He might have lacked the Steelback Ape's strength, but his skin and bones had toughened to rival a high rank one soul monster's defense.

Lately, though, Rao Wu began to feel the training's effects start to slow. He needed to find some other way to strengthen himself. Only then could he hunt even stronger prey.

"Guoo."

The young Steelback Ape's call alerted Rao Wu to a herd of Phase 2 Wild Warthogs. These soul monsters were servant ranked monsters, but that did not mean they weren't a threat. Wild Warthogs attacked and defended as one. Rao Wu needed to be intelligent if he wanted to hunt one of these.

"Guoo!"

"I know, Loudy." Rao Wu brows furrowed. Even Steelback Apes were afraid of pissing off a herd of Wild Warthogs. If he were more durable, Rao Wu would much rather prefer facing off against a single 5th phase Mad Bull. Unfortunately, weak as he was, Rao Wu could only hunt these bottom feeders. "Get the stone ready. I'll draw them over."

The young Steelback Ape, Loudy, let out a nervous gibber, but then it dropped to the ground, and then dug its hand into the earth. Strangely, a large chunk of the earth quickly broke out and then folded into the shape of a boulder. Steelback Apes had a mediocre Earth elemental talent, which at low levels, allowed them to do things like this.

With the boulder in hand, Loudy swiftly retreated into the safety of the trees. It then looked at Rao Wu and sent out another nervous gibber.

Rao Wu, however, chuckled and soothed, "It'll be fine." With those words, he scampered across the tree branches until he reached the edge of the clearing where the Wild Warthogs were grazing.

Rao Wu stood within the branches and silently observed the Wild Warthogs. The creatures looked like pigs but had three terrifying tusks on their noses. The adults could grow as large as 2-meters long, making them a feared foe in the forest. However, the scariest thing about the Wild Warthogs was their [Stampede] skill. Stampede boosted the Wild Warthog's speed when they charged at an enemy. At that speed, their horns could pierce even a Rank 4 defense.

Rao Wu did not dare get hit by that skill.

Rao Wu carefully scanned the group until he spotted a 3-meter tall Wild Warthog. Although rare, even Warthog's could mutate into a higher form. The 3-meter tall Wild Warthog was a phase four Berserk Warthog King. This soul monster was the ruler and protector of the Wild Warthogs. Rao Wu had made hunting that high soul monster his long-term target. However, since the Steelback Ape was present, he decided to push his plan forward.

Rao Wu shook his head and then turned to look at the rest of the herd. After confirming the angle, he took out ropes and a large piece of wood from his spatial ring. Rao Wu tied the rope around the wood and then secured the other end to a branch. Then with practiced steps, he carried the massive wood to a branch a few meters away. He confirmed that the path was unobstructed and then jumped down from the tree with his makeshift spear.

Rao Wu, then walked into the clearing with the bone spear resting on his shoulder. "Hey! Wart! I'm here for you!"

"Snggh!" The Berserk Wild Warthog grunted as it raised its head to look at the intruder. "Squeee!" The Berserk Wild Warthog's eyes turned red upon seeing Rao Wu! That was the blasted human that came to hunt its subjects every other week! The Berserk Wild Warthog did not care so much about the other Warthogs, but this child's constant challenge was an insult to its pride!

"Squee!" The Berserk Wild Warthog angrily squealed, and hundreds of eyes simultaneously turned to glare at Rao Wu.

Being glared at by over one hundred eyes would make even the strongest of men shake a little in their boots, let alone the little Rao Wu. Gulp. Rao Wu swallowed hard but did not let his fear deter him. Instead, he grinned and wagged his finger in a challenge. "Come, Dumb-Dumb!"

"Squeee!!!" Enraged by the child's challenge, the Berserk Wild Warthog ordered the tribe to pursue.

Rao Wu stared at the stamped with a nervous smile. Once he confirmed the Berserk Wild Warthog's movements, he turned and dashed into the forest. He immediately jumped into the treetops, but then darted at an angle perpendicular to where he laid the trap.

Bang! Crash!

Several soul monsters fled in rage and frustration as the single-minded herd plowed through the forest, smashing down trees in their frantic pursuit. Fortunately, while the Wild Warthog's possessed frightening strength, their stamina was greatly lacking. After leading them on a chase for thirty minutes, the Wild Warthogs began to slow down visibly.

Typically, this would have been the time Rao Wu doubled back to pick out a straggler to finish off. However, this time, he kept running in a visible route, as if waiting for something.

"Hnghhh!" Sure enough, an angry grunt exploded near Rao Wu as the Berserk Wild Warthog emerged burst ahead of the rest of the pack. Rao Wu smiled when he saw the enraged soul monster. It had already lost its rationale to rage. The ensuing fight should not be too hard.

Rao Wu smiled and then once more increased his speed. Only, this time, if one tracked his path, they would notice he was leading the Berserk Wild Warthog on a wide arc back to the trap.

Sure enough, Rao Wu finally reached the tree where he had set the trap. He paused for a second as he watched the Berserk Wild Warthog break through a dense formation of trees.

Thwack!

Before the Berserk Wild Warthog could catch its bearings, Rao Wu cut the wedge holding the wood in place.

Fwoosh! Bam!

The wood swung down and then accurately struck the defenseless Berserk Wild Warthog's abdomen. A sickening crunching sound echoed out as the Berserk Wild Warthog was sent flying into another tree, which shattered from the impact.

Rao Wu grinned as he jumped down from the tree. However, he did not approach the Berserk Wild Warthog. That strike was powerful. Maybe even enough to break one or two bones, but it definitely did not kill the Berserk Wild Warthog.

"Hnnggh!" An angry snort escaped the Berserk Wild Warthog's nose as it rose to its feet. Its reddened eyes glared hatefully at the kid. If only Rao Wu let down his guard and approached, it could have finished him off. Unfortunately, the kid's survival instincts were not for show.

Rao Wu brandished his bone spear as he carefully observed the Berserk Wild Warthog. It was a seemingly comical sight as the small seven-year-old boy squared up against the Berserk Wild Warthog.

Rao Wu took a deep breath to calm his nerves, and then shouted, "Come!"

As if to fulfill his wish, the Berserk Wild Warthog put its head down and suddenly charged. The Berserk Wild Warthog's charging speed was scary. It seemed to disappear and then reappear right in front of Rao Wu.

Rao Wu felt the cold touch of death as the Berserk Wild Warthog's hot breath blew into his face. However, rather than break out in panic, Rao Wu steeled his nerves and took a few steps back in retreat. Only, these steps were not so simple. His feet seemed to follow a strange mesmerizing pattern that just put him beyond the Berserk Wild Warthog's reach.

If a human were there, their eyes would have popped out of their sockets. Those footsteps were a simplified version of Small Dipper Steps, a Rank 2 soul monster evasion technique. It wasn't that humans could not learn soul monster techniques, but they usually required manuals and were challenging to master. Yet, a seven-year-old in the jungle was efficiently utilizing these hard-to-learn skills.

Rao Wu's technique ended with him slightly stepping to the right, just as the Berserk Wild Warthog brushed past. Bam! The Berserk Wild Warthog's strong shoulder muscles barely touched Rao Wu's crossed arms as it passed by, but to Rao Wu, it felt like he collided against a truck. The force sent him flying off the ground for over ten meters, but not before he gritted his teeth and swiped at the Berserk Wild Warthog's side.

Splotch!

It wasn't deep, but the spear tore a red line along the Berserk Wild Warthog's abdomen. "Squee!" The Berserk Wild Warthog squealed in pain and then turned to glare at Rao Wu. More accurately, it glanced warily at the claw tied to the end of the spear. It knew that swipe Rao Wu's strength played no part in that strike. The claw's sharpness ultimately facilitated its penetration.

Meanwhile, Rao Wu patted his chest after screeching to a halt. He glanced at the claw with a thankful expression. The nail was the only reason the child dared to hunt the Berserk Wild Warthog. Uncle Twilight awarded him with the claw for his 7th birthday so he could begin challenging stronger creatures.

Rao Wu did not know what monster Uncle Twilight killed to obtain this claw. Soul monsters' bodies weakened considerably after death. It was not uncommon for their bodies to reduce by two to three ranks. This phenomenon was caused by the energy in their bodies dissipating after death. This claw that could easily cut the Berserk Wild Warthog was roughly around rank five offensive. Taking the weakening phenomenon into consideration, its owner had to have possessed a rank 7-9 offensive strength in life! As expected, Uncle Twilight was strong. Compared to the pressure of training with him, this dumb warthog was nothing!

Rao Wu gritted his teeth and once again brandished his spear with determination in his eyes. He took a deep breath, and then roared, "I'm coming!" This time, he chose to go on the offensive.

Spltch! Spltch!

Utilizing evasive footsteps, Rao Wu kited around the angry Berserk Wild Warthog. He did not dare engage it in a full-frontal strength contest, but instead, focused on wearing out its stamina and striking its sides with opportunistic attacks.

Unfortunately, most of Rao Wu's successful strikes dealt with nothing but shallow wounds. Rao Wu could not help it as he did not dare get too close. The Berserk Wild Warthog was very agile, and a moment of carelessness or greed would quickly result in getting skewered or struck by its hind legs.

Naturally, everything did not go so smoothly for the young hunter.

Bam!

Rao Wu peeled himself off a tree for the umpteenth time. Although he managed to dodge the Berserk Wild Warthog's frontal charges, many times, he could not evade its suddenly lateral lunges. At these times, Rao Wu would cross his arms and tank the hit, often ending up plastered into tree barks.

Unfortunately, the Berserk Wild Warthog refused to take the bait to charge at Rao Wu. The young man was banking on the Berserk Wild Warthog's charge to dupe it into smashing into the oak tree. These oak trees were immensely strong. Even adult Steelback Apes could not easily fell one. It could be imagined what would happen to the Berserk Wild Warthog if it crashed full force in one.

Let alone a concussion; it would be lucky to escape instant death.

Realizing that the oak tree plot would not work, Rao Wu determinedly charged at the Berserk Wild Warthog. This time, he fully committed to rendering as many small injuries as possible while circling the Berserk Wild Warthog. Tiny droplets of water can create an entire river. Rao Wu hoped that piling up these minor injuries would eventually lead to significant blood loss.

Bam! Crash! Boom!

Rao Wu and the Berserk Wild Warthog traded blows for over an hour until eventually, they both began to run out of stamina. A heavily panting Rao Wu ultimately became the first to make a fatal error. While dodging, he slipped, causing him to lose his balance. As a result, he did not avoid entirely, and the Berserk Wild Warthog's tusk grazed his stomach.

Unfortunately, with the Berserk Wild Warthog's strength, that small graze turned into a calamity for the child. The graze tore a massive chunk of his stomach and then sent him flying.

Scrtchh!!!

Rao Wu's crumpled body slid between two oak trees. Unfortunately, because he was not directly in front of one, the Berserk Wild Warthog did not hesitate to unleash Stampede, charging straight at the youth for the kill.

Du-du-du-DU!

Shockingly, Rao Wu's head suddenly shot up when the Berserk Wild Warthog was less than 2-meters from him. "Now!"

Vwooosh!

Following Rao Wu's shout, a missile suddenly tore through the air. At its pace and speed, the missile would smash into the Berserk Wild Warthog's brain.

Loudy had finally made an appearance at this critical moment! The Steelback Ape watched the missile with a worried expression. If it missed, then Rao Wu would certainly die there. Luckily, its intense training with Rao Wu paid off. The stone's trajectory and speed were perfect. Without any sudden changes, it would smash into the Berserk Wild Warthog's brain.

"Hngg!" Shockingly, the Warthog sensed this hidden danger and veered to the left at the last possible second.

Bang!

The stone crashed into the ground, causing Loudy's expression to turn ugly. But then the next second, its gaze turned incredulous.

Although the Berserk Wild Warthog dodged the stone, it forgot that the reason it dared to charge at Rao Wu in the first place. Boom! Blood splattered as the Berserk Wild Warthog's tusks crashed into the oak tree beside the child. The hide around the tusks ruptured, causing blood to splatter around, but luckily, the tusks also protected its head from striking the tree directly.

Unfortunately, the sudden stop caused the Berserk Wild Warthog's brain to dance around in its skull, giving it a sudden concussion.

Spltch!

Rao Wu would not let this carefully created opportunity pass. he sprung up from the ground and swiftly drove his spear through the Berserk Wild Warthog's exposed throat to its brain.

"Squee..." The Berserk Wild Warthog let out a sad and unwilling squeal but ultimately perished under the fatal strike. Blood burst from its neck, bathing Rao Wu in a pool of red.

Rao Wu ignored the blood and collapsed to the ground. He then took big gulps of air to calm his frayed nerves. He touched his bleeding stomach and revealed an ugly expression. That last gamble was too close. He had indeed planned on faking a careless mistake and then getting 'flung' to the trees. Unfortunately, he underestimated his fatigue and missed a step. That led to the damage being far worse than it should have.

Luckily, Rao Wu had an abnormally strong healing factor as a result of drinking Eternal Spring Water every day. That healing factor would keep him alive, at least until he got back to the cave.

"Hu-Hu," Loudy worriedly called as it landed next to Rao Wu and then examined the child's wound with concern.

Rao Wu, touched by the Steelback Ape's concern, chuckled and patted the Ape's shoulder. "Don't worry. I'll live." He then looked at the Berserk Wild Warthog with a rueful smile. "More importantly, can you help me carry that?"

Loudy looked at the corpse and then at Rao Wu. It then let out a teasing grin and thumped its chest before lifting the Berserk Wild Warthog over its shoulder.

"Yes, Yes. You're the strongest." Rao Wu childishly rolled his eyes and then looked up at the setting sun. "Come on, let's get back before it gets dark." Uncle Twilight always warned him against staying out at night. The jungle's night hunters operated in much more shameless and underhanded hunting tactics.

Even Rao Wu was not confident of his survival at night. With that thought, Rao Wu took out a cloth from his spatial ring, tied it around his stomach to protect the injury, and then rapidly ran through the forest with Loudy.

"Waaa~."

Halfway to their destination, Rao Wu heard a loud cry and suddenly stopped. He shared a look with Loudy. Indeed, the ape was just as curious as him. Neither of them had heard that kind of cry before.

Rao Wu and Loudy thus temporarily switched directions to check out the source of that strange sound. It did not take long before they reached the source. However, the sight that greeted them caused both of them to gasp in shock and confusion.