Fighting the Boar

Vigilant, Kayden swiftly stood up, his eyes scanning the surroundings with caution. His hand instinctively hovered over the hilt of his sword, ready for any imminent threat.

Though nothing appeared amiss at first glance, he remained watchful, trusting his intuition that danger lurked nearby.

Suddenly, a faint rustling in the bushes seized Kayden's attention. His gaze locked onto the spot just as an enormous creature burst forth, hurtling toward him with unbridled speed.

Reacting with lightning reflexes, Kayden evaded the charging beast, narrowly avoiding its ferocious assault.

BOOM!

The impact that followed reverberated through the air like thunder as the creature collided headlong into a towering tree. The sheer force of the collision splintered the trunk, causing it to crash down to the forest floor.

Kayden swallowed as he imagined the devastating consequences of getting hit by the charge.

Even with the unlocked nodes and his strengthened body, he had no confidence in surviving a blow of such magnitude.

Gasping for breath, he finally managed to see the creature that had attacked him.

It was a massive, dark-brown boar, its imposing stature accentuated by long, razor-sharp fangs jutting from its formidable jaws.

Its compact, muscular body exuded an aura of sheer power, surpassing any boar Kayden had seen before, including the televised documentaries.

Standing at over a meter and a half tall, the creature's weight seemed immense, likely surpassing half a ton, given the ease with which it toppled the massive tree. It was clear that this was no ordinary boar, it was a creature of heightened danger and aggression.

With his eyes fixed on the animal, Kayden raised his sword, preparing to face it head-on.

The boar lunged at him once again but, with swift agility, Kayden dashed to the side just when the boar was about to hit him, unleashing his sword as hard as he could.

A smile flickered across his face when he felt how the sword found its mark. However, it quickly faded into astonishment as he realized the wound was merely superficial.

Kayden readied himself for a protracted battle, evading the boar's relentless charges while launching his own attacks with limited success.

The fight tested his resolve, but it benefited him in the long run as the boar's wounds piled up with each passing moment.

However, when he was about to dodge another charge, his foot stumbled on a tree root, briefly losing his balance.

He hurried to dodge, but this moment of instability was all it took for the boar to reach Kayden, striking him in the ribs with a glancing blow.

Kayden felt as if he had been hit with a colossal mace, but thanks to the fact that he had not been hit full on, he did not seem to have any fatal injuries.

Though the pain seared through him, Kayden pushed it aside, focusing solely on the life-or-death struggle before him.

This was the first time in his life with his life at stake.

He had fought before the Awakening, but they were after all contact sports so there was no real danger since the fights were controlled.

As for sparring at the base, it had been incredibly easy, and the same for the fight against Grayson.

Therefore, Kayden felt the adrenaline coursing through his veins, drowning out the pain as he locked eyes with the relentless beast.

As the battle waged on, both the animal and the human breathed heavily, their exertion palpable.

'I must finish with him soon,' Kayden thought, aware that another mistake would prove fatal. His eyes lit up as an idea came to his mind.

Once again, the boar charged toward Kayden wildly at full speed, causing the ground to tremble every time its paws hit it.

Yet, this time, Kayden did not wait until the boar closed the distance to sidestep and attack with the sword.

Instead, his eyes scanned the surrounding landscape before he began to run toward the tree that seemed to be the sturdiest.

The tree was around a hundred meters away, but Kayden closed the distance with ease. However, the wild boar did not give him a break, catching up with him little by little due to his stunning speed.

Just as Kayden neared the tree, he propelled himself forward with a mighty thrust from his left leg, launching himself toward the tree.

In a split second, he soared through the air, his body propelled by sheer force and determination.

With astounding agility, he reached the tree trunk in a blur of motion, using his other leg to push off, propelling himself upward exactly as the boar reached the spot where he had been.

BOOM!

The impact of the boar colliding with the tree reverberated through the forest. Cracks splintered across the trunk, and a cascade of leaves rained down from the canopy above. However, against all odds, the tree stood firm, unwavering in the face of the boar's onslaught.

In the midst of the chaos, Kayden gracefully descended from his airborne maneuver, landing squarely on the boar's massive back.

With a precision practiced during his long swordsmanship training at the base, he swiftly unleashed a powerful slash with his sword, aiming directly for the creature's eyes.

A piercing, agonized shriek erupted from the boar as the blade found its mark.

Enraged and wounded, the creature thrashed and convulsed, its frenzied movements a desperate attempt to dislodge Kayden from its back.

Yet, Kayden clung on tenaciously, undeterred by the beast's violent thrashing.

Blow after blow, Kayden relentlessly attacked, his sword striking with precision and determination. Each strike carried the weight of his resolve, fueled by the primal instinct to survive.

With every passing moment, the boar's strength waned, its movements growing sluggish and uncoordinated. Gradually, the once-formidable creature succumbed to the relentless assault, its body weakening and its resistance diminishing.

And then, in a final, resolute strike, Kayden delivered the decisive blow. His sword found its mark, piercing through the boar's tough hide and deep into its heart. The massive creature shuddered, its body finally succumbing to the relentless force exerted upon it.

As the boar's life force ebbed away, the forest fell silent once more, the air heavy with the aftermath of the fierce battle.

Covered in sweat and blood, Kayden stood tall, his chest heaving with exhaustion and triumph.