Author's thought:
I rewrote the earlier part of chapter 17 in case you want to check it.
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Because of their number, they quite easily broke through the first, second, third, and are currently stepping into the fourth entrance. This area is said to be a bit tougher than the previous.
The useless map given to them has truly become useless. It had reached its limit and cannot direct them anymore.
"From here on out, we are blind,"
The fourth entrance had monsters already waiting for them. They all went for the kill right after the first hunter stepped in. These creatures were truly tough, a lot more challenging than expected. The hunters were outnumber them by a little, add this fact to their simple intelligence, and you're gonna have a problem.
A few steps behind, the Nameless Hunter whose presence had not been acknowledged watched the unfolding battle ahead of him. No one needed his help, neither did he bother to render any.
One after the other, more monsters came out of their hiding. Still, the hunter began to gain the upper hand thanks to a few who were very powerful, able to slay multiple at once.
Leon, who looked like a rock was crushing skull after skull, brutally killing everything. This is a feat not many can stand up to. Soon, they looked up to him as he is without a doubt, the strongest among them.
In no time, the monsters decreased. Blood and gore everywhere. None of the hunters received any serious damage, none that couldn't be managed.
The Nameless Hunter noticed one Orclin who was clinging on to life, trying to crawl away to safety. With the metal bat, he smashed the creature's head, inflicting fatal damage to it.
'That's the best I can do,' he thought.
His action had attracted everyone's attention with many wondering why he was at a corner. Since when had he been standing there?
* * *
Angus had traveled deep into the forest but is yet to find what he is after. It seemed as though that one he met wandered off from the clan, and as a result, was separated from them. That is what he would have thought if he didn't notice footprints indicating that more of them are close. Hunting easy prey must have been a good reason to settle here.
He continued to track them using the footprint, and at long last arrive at their hive. There were bone fragments, several of them to be more precise but the so-called monster Boars is absent.
At least, two were keeping watch, nothing escapes their sight, not even his presence went unnoticed.
They began to growl, a third one joined them, giving the unwanted visitor a meaningful stare. Angus came out of his hiding as there was no need for that. A few seconds later, all three monsters are dead.
There is one Monster Boar that must perish, that one beast whose presence is a great encouragement to its clan.
By this time of night, it must have gone for hunting, taking with it, several of its kind. Any human found wondering where they shouldn't is surely going to die.
Troubled by this fact, Angus is confused, not sure where to start, how to find them before they cause any more casualties.
<<meanwhile>>
Hidden in the small grassy area, a hungry creature had its sight focussed on a simple household. The lights were still on, meaning that the residents are still active.
It waited and had been in the same position for a while. Hannah stepped out. She looked worried for reasons best known to her.
"He'll be fine," said Brad who followed her outside.
"He is not back yet. Why is that?!"
"You worry too much. Must I remind you that our son is a renounced soldier, one who had climbed the ranks... nothing can hurt him,"
"But_"
"No buts... come in with me," Brad gently tried to direct her back inside. This is when he sensed something and looked behind him.
"What is it?" questioned Hannah who had noticed the change in his countenance.
"Go inside," said Brad. He had the same expression just as Angus. That facial expression always terrifies Hannah.
"Something is here. It seems our careless boy had led a troublesome one here," said Brad. He had a smirk on his face, a smirk with unknown meaning.
* * *
Through the forest, a human running at an impossible speed had already crossed several distances. He used the visible footprints to guide his way.
Why is this leading him deeper into the forest?
"If they want to hunt humans, then I should be going the opposite way."
He took a huge leap onto a tree branch just so he could get a better view.
"Something is going on down there," he said.
Below him, he sensed several lifeforms orderly surrounding him. They were still hiding, waiting for him to come down.
The Monster Boars had noticed him not too long ago, and now that he had paused, they thought of an ambush.
"I must be close," Angus nodded. The Monster Boars are trying to hide something, something big.
"Could it be!"
Angus pressed his feet against the branch, pushing himself forward with a huge leap. His action did not go without consequence. The monster boars chased after him, trying their very best to catch up.
They were fast, very very fast. Angus was finding it hard to outrun them. One who had appeared from the corner accelerated its limbs towards him.
Angus evaded the beast, never slowing down. He got hit by another Monster Boar. This little distraction was enough for two others to catch up.
He is now surrounded. The one way to get past them is to fight.
"Good heavens,"
They howled but none of them made the first move, not yet. Angus darted towards one of them, leaving no chance to react before he crushed its face with his feet.
One tried to knock him off his feet but just wasn't fast. Angus had already changed position, killing another boar he came in contact with.
The third one died, and then the fourth, the fifth, until there was one, the last one standing. The monster boar ran away and Angus chased after the creature intending to kill it.
The monster boar covered many meters and then it noticed that the one chasing after it is nowhere to be found.
"You didn't think you could outrun me, right?"
The beast got chopped in two. Blood spilled everywhere...
Angus had to kill it so that it won't alert the others of his presence. His wishes did not go as planned. He sensed danger, a great murderous intention coming from behind.
A monster boar many times the size of the one Angus had killed jumped out, heading towards him. Its muscles were far bulkier. If was too large but still very fast.
Angus placed both of his arms in a protective stance. The impact proved to be unbearable. The big creature easily knocked Angus out of the way.
He remained unscathed and this displeased the beast who then dashed towards him again, preparing for another attack.
Angus stepped on a tree and pushed himself upward, punching the creature on its head. The Mega Boar lost its balanced for a second.
*KaPow!*
Angus followed up with another blow. They both struggled against the other. The Mega Boar will not go down without a proper fight, likewise Angus.
Unlike the creature, he isn't attacking blindly. Every blow or attempt was well calculated. That is why he scored more hits.
The beast's power output doubled. Its increased aggression did not give it much upper hand. Angus kept up, he adapted, albeit slowly. He refused to fall even when hit at full force, one that sent him a few feet away. Angus picked up a large part of a tree and pin the huge creature with it.
For reasons not known, he felt uneasy. Something is causing him to worry and until he finds what that is, he will not return.
Angus didn't have to go that far to witness what he wasn't supposed to see.
These are not Boars, no, not the kind that he is familiar with.
"They cannot be here," he mumbled, cursing under his breath.
If any of these things come out of their hiding, they would overrun the town. Angus cannot let that happen, yet, he alone stands no chance.
>>>
A large crater had been created in front of Brad's house. The Monster Boar who dared to attack soon realized its mistake. It messed with the wrong person.
There was a visible dent on the creature's neck. A precise blow from Brad broke the neck from the inside without doing much damage to the outside.
This was the first thing Angus noticed when he returned. His mother had never been so relieved to see him.
"What happened here?"
"That's a story for another day," said Brad. "Now, you must tell us why you rushed out the way you did,"
"...Yeah... I was getting to that,"