Emerging from the shadows were four monstrous beasts.
Leading the pack was a mutated bipedal creature with four arms—the Termination Boar. Standing nearly three meters tall, its massive head bore crimson eyes that locked onto Allen just meters away. Two tusks jutted from its mouth, drool dripping incessantly as it snorted heavily.
Trailing behind were three canine-like beasts resembling Dobermans—the Assault Hounds. They bared their sharp, gleaming white teeth, incessantly pawing at the muddy ground, eager to tear Allen apart.
The campfire's glow had attracted these forest dominators.
The Termination Boar abruptly halted, positioning the less intelligent Assault Hounds protectively before it, squinting its crimson eyes to scrutinize its prey.
It sensed a threat from the weapon at Allen's waist—a long, slender object it had seen before. In a southern village, a formidable human male had wielded a similar weapon, slaughtering a creature even stronger than itself in mere moments.
Before it stood its prey, only reaching its waist in height, just slightly taller than the quadrupedal Assault Hounds. Allen raised an eyebrow, stepping forward with his right foot into a bow stance, lowering his center of gravity, and placing his right hand on his sword.
He smiled effortlessly, brimming with interest.
"Seems the village isn't far. To think I'd encounter a plot-driving boar from the novel. Good thing I didn't venture out alone at four years old; getting eaten by a pig wouldn't be amusing."
"But times have changed. Now, the unlucky one..."
With a swift motion, his toe dug an inch into the forest's moist soil.
"...won't be me."
He dashed forward, leaving a residual image, charging fiercely at the beasts!
Though possessing some intelligence, the Termination Boar was not particularly bright. Seeing Allen's provocative stance, its primal instincts ignited. With a roar, it shoved aside the Assault Hounds and charged like a massive, black freight train, intent on crushing Allen.
In a single breath, man and beast were within arm's reach.
At that critical moment—
"Dodge quickly!"
A sharp, feminine voice pierced through the sudden gust of wind, reaching Allen's ears.
Something sharp and swift burst from the dark woods behind the beast! Cutting through wind and leaves, it sped like a boat slicing through waves, tearing through the forest foliage!
In that instant of upheaval, Allen's dark gray pupils contracted to pinpoints, a warm surge from his abdomen flooding his limbs.
Within his abdomen, a walnut-sized "Dragon Saint Battle Aura Core" was suddenly gripped by a force called consciousness! Dragon Saint Battle Aura surged forth like a torrential stream joining a mighty river.
Following this torrent, the aura coursed through Allen's entire body!
Adrenaline surged! His senses and thoughts overloaded!
In an instant, the world 'slowed down':
Leaves in the forest ceased their rustling; mountain winds crawled slowly over his skin; cold light glinted off the boar's massive tusks; damp air mixed with the beast's stench wafted into his nostrils.
In this bullet-time moment, Allen's eyes slowly turned, peering through the gaps between the beast's arms and body, spotting the object hurtling with the wind behind the creature.
—A crystal-clear water sphere.
Information rapidly flashed through his mind.
'Approximately 150cm in diameter. Intermediate attack magic—Water Cannon? No, the shape is off. It's the basic spell—Water Ball.'
'The speed and volume approach that of Water Cannon, indicating a deliberate increase in mana output efficiency. Choosing Water Ball was to shorten the chant and trigger it faster.'
'Continuing to attack the beast would also get me caught in the Water Ball's blast, so they warned me to dodge? No, there's a time lag. The caster didn't anticipate my proactive attack, leading to this mishap.'
'Who is it?'
The Termination Boar's tusks were mere inches from Allen's eyes, less than fifty centimeters away, while the powerful Water Ball spell was just two meters behind the beast.
Every cell in his body screamed, urging Allen to dodge immediately!
Yet, the cold feedback from the sword sheath in his hand extinguished the 'alarm' in his mind.
A smile slowly formed at the corners of Allen's mouth.
'Dodge quickly?'
'I could, but there's no need. North God Style—Combat Practitioner.'
'Draw Stance. Twenty Slashes!'
His pupils contracted again, nearly showing the whites of his eyes. His muscles tensed, reacting with astonishing speed:
He narrowly evaded the boar's tusks; ducked under the following sharp claws; sidestepped past an Assault Hound, locking eyes as he passed.
Like a butterfly weaving through flowers, he maneuvered through the gaps between the beasts.
Accompanying his movements was the dim glow of the campfire.
The light flickered rapidly around Allen's body five times, as if reflected by a smooth, sharp, and swiftly moving mirror.
The light vanished.
Allen had bypassed the beasts, now standing directly before the rapidly approaching Water Ball.
Still in his sword-holding stance.
As if he had never drawn his
In that moment:
The rapidly expanding Water Ball, tinged with an orange hue from the campfire, filled Allen's entire vision.
It was just a hand's breadth from his face.
Yet Allen simply stared at the Water Ball, not even blinking.
At the point of his gaze, a white line appeared on the sphere's surface, vertically aligned, with ripples emanating outward.
It split open.
Split cleanly into two halves, the water sphere grazed past his hair, brushing lightly against his cheek.
Allen's eyes shifted, glancing at the cross-section of the water ball on his right cheek—campfire light diffused through the rippling liquid, casting dazzling, flickering orange waves.
Strikingly beautiful.
Allen blinked.
With that motion, the Dragon Saint Battle Aura gradually stilled—
—and time surged forward!
The world roared back to life!
The forest leaves clapped and cheered!
Mountain winds whipped at his robes!
The sheath in his hand was firm and warm!
The sundered water current howled as it split past his head!
BOOOOM!!!
An explosive roar thundered from behind on both sides! Two tree trunks, each as thick as a man's arms outstretched, collapsed with a crash!!
And yet, the four monsters directly behind Allen stood frozen, utterly motionless, as if caught in a timestop.
Rustle, rustle, rustle!
Someone stepped hurriedly over fallen leaves, rushing out of the shaded woods in a panic.
Allen looked up toward the source of the magical attack that had revealed itself.
His face showed surprise, then gradually shifted to a look of dawning realization.
He let go of his sword.
That small motion seemed to tug on the fabric of time—
Shlick—
The Termination Boar and the Assault Hounds' massive heads shifted out of alignment with their necks.
Plop. Plop. Plop. Plop.
One by one, they dropped to the ground.
Four sounds—each corresponding to one strike of "Twenty Slashes."
But earlier, hadn't the reflected glint from the blade flickered five times?
—The shattered trunk behind him, severed by the bursting water ball, had already given the answer.
Ssss...
Blood surged like a fountain from the beasts' cleanly severed necks, falling in a torrential crimson rain.
And amidst that "rain"—
A small figure in a mage's robe, carrying a giant suitcase and wearing a hood, ran into the circle of firelight.
From beneath the hood, blue bangs caught the flame's glow and shimmered with a faint green edge.
She sniffled with her small nose, eyes wide in astonishment as she stared at Allen.
Allen's gaze slid from her face down to the boots that barely reached her knees.
In the campfire's glow, black stockings pressed tightly against her well-shaped calves, creating a faint ring of pale skin just above.
The admiration in his eyes was so evident, not even the night could conceal it.
With a smile, he spoke:
"I dodged it. Thanks for the warning."
The "girl," her long twin braids in deep blue nearly brushing the backs of her knees, panted lightly.
She looked at the child before her—only a head taller than herself—standing there in the middle of a blood-soaked rain.
Then to the headless corpses behind him, and the trees shattered by the bisected water sphere spell.
Her mouth opened slightly.
She glanced at the tree trunk not far away, snapped cleanly in half by her own spell.
Her expression turned dazed.
He… dodged it?
She didn't know how to respond.