It was fast. Fast in a way that defied its size, a blur of furry mass. Hops, stomp, hop, stomp—the ground thrummed beneath its impossibly quick advances. I never knew that charging while hopping was a lethal combo until it was bearing down on me. I barely dodged, a panicked, clumsy side-step, but the mere rush of air from its passage was enough to make my hair stand on end. Being stomped by that thing would leave a Kiko-shaped stain on the forest floor.
General Awareness: Rabboar: Fully grown. Status: Aggressive
It continued its relentless assault, a flurry of charges and near misses. After a couple of attacks from the creature, with no successful input from my end, it charged again.
But this time, it changed tactics. Just as I thought to do a thrust like I did with the Boapede, it jumped from a nearby boulder and lunged itself into the air, dropping at an alarming rate. I quickly sidestepped, followed by a thunderous crash as it slammed down.
It's my chance, I thought. I dashed, planning a swing, but it saw the move like it was yesterday and hopped with glee, tiptoeing away, shaking the fur on its back, visibly toying with me. "Squoink," it muttered, moving away.
"Okay, this thing has 2 attacks at its disposal: either charge or stomp. And three: it may chomp. I'll add it in there just in case," I thought.
This time, as the Rabboar passed over me, it stretched its hind leg out in a brutal, sweeping kick. Instinctively, I blocked with the side of my sword, a desperate, clumsy parry, but the impact was so strong it sent me flying. I landed hard on my back, the breath driven from my lungs in an "Oof!" that echoed the sudden pain.
I scrambled back to my feet, my muscles protesting. But as I gripped the Giant Rusty Kitchen Knife, I noticed something. The blade felt easier in my hands this time, almost lighter. It wasn't that the sword had suddenly become simpler to handle, but I knew how to handle it better. It felt… responsive. I remembered the Basic Sword Handling Learned skill I'd received back at the shack. This was it. I was beginning to understand how my skills worked. It wasn't magic, not really. It was my brain making sense of the impossible, translating it into something my gamer mind could process.
Just then, a new prompt shimmered into existence before me:
Basic Evasion Learned
I grinned. Keep them coming, I thought, acknowledging the new skill I'd just received. This was like the tutorial section of a game, only with real stakes and much more painful learning curves.
Squoink! The Rabboar let out a triumphant squeal, bouncing off the huge boulder it had just charged, ricocheting skyward. It went ballistic, aiming itself at me at an impossible speed.
My Heightened Awareness twitched to life:
Attack: Aerial Stomp Trajectory: Aerial to land; 2 sec before impact. Impact location: Marked with red dot.
A red bubble began to materialize directly under my feet, growing rapidly in size. "2 seconds?" My gamer instincts screamed, Run, you idiot! I didn't question it. I instantly jumped out of the red zone, throwing myself sideways, nearly being crushed as the beast slammed down. The ground crumbled under its massive weight, splashing rocks and dirt in every direction.
I made a messy forward roll, stumbling, but somehow managed to land on my feet, my grip on my sword locked. "Whoa," I muttered, shaking my head. I remembered doing that move. Not in a game, but summersaults in Burnham Park with my cousins from Baguio when I was a kid. Who knew playground antics would be my saving grace? And what's with that heightened awareness prompt?
Squoink! The Rabboar howled in frustration, a guttural sound that vibrated through my bones. It pointed its head towards me, then scratched the ground with its hoof-like feet, digging a shallow trench before hopping to charge me again.
My Heightened Awareness twitched again:
Attack: Charge Hop Trajectory: Directly where it's facing @ maximum of 50-60 kph depending on terrain. 2-3 sec before impact Attack location: Marking red a line
A glowing red line stretched from the animal directly towards me, indicating its path. "Game on!" My gamer mind sprung to life, knowing the attack, the trajectory, and the timing. I devised a plan in a split second.
The Rabboar hopped swiftly, thumping the ground with each bound, defying physics as it closed the distance. It charged, hopped over logs, roots, rocks, and then—me.
Before impact, I sidestepped swiftly out of the red line and harm's way, swinging my kitchen knife with all my might at the neck of the beast.
Thud! My sword ricocheted upwards, recoiling violently as if I'd hammered a tire. I stumbled back, catching my balance and finding a stable guard stance.
Due to its incredible speed and the unexpected hack it received to the neck, the Rabboar's head dropped mid-hop. This caused it to roll and spin wildly, careening off course. It crashed into a big rotten log with a loud splintering sound, breaking the log cleanly in two.
I didn't expect it to happen, but I was glad it did, as I knew my attack had been mostly ineffective. I let out a long sigh of relief in the sudden silence.
General Awareness: Giant Knife Sword - Durability: Questionable to "Wow, it can take a punishment."
Then, a rustle from the crash site. Squoink, Squoink, Squoink, came the soft, menacing sound, like the Rabboar was saying, "Bravo, bravo, bravo," clapping its invisible hands slowly to the side, completely unimpressed by my efforts. It limped into view, but with a different aura.
I swallowed, sweat brewing on my forehead.
General Awareness:
Rabboar
Status: Aggressive shifted to "Enraged!"
Additional info: Thick hide
Not good!