Tian then began to walk towards the forest. His hands gripped two sturdy branches that he had carefully chosen, strong enough for hunting.
"Wild boar or any other animal, whatever I can hunt today will be very helpful," he said enthusiastically.
His steps were steady on the slightly dry forest ground, accompanied by the soft rustling of leaves underfoot.
As he entered the forest, the atmosphere changed instantly. Tall trees loomed overhead, casting dark shadows that obscured much of the sunlight. The sound of birds chirping faintly in the distance could be heard, but other than that, the forest felt eerily quiet.
Tian had been walking for about five minutes into the forest, yet he had not spotted a single group of wild boars. After all, this was the Southern Forest—a place known as a den for ferocious monsters roaming freely.
"Hmm... is it because it's still morning? Maybe the wild boars are still asleep," he murmured, glancing around with a vigilant gaze.
His steps paused for a moment. Something made him stop. His ears caught a faint sound... a soft rustling from the bushes vibrating gently.
He held his breath, his body freezing momentarily.
But Tian quickly gripped the two branches he was holding tightly and took a deep breath.
"Calm down, Tian. You've done this before..." he whispered to himself, trying to steady his racing heart.
With slow but determined steps, he sneaked deeper into the forest. The morning sunlight pierced through the gaps in the trees, creating dancing shadows on the ground. The atmosphere felt silent... too silent.
Then—his eyes caught something on the ground.
Tracks of a wild boar, still fresh.
"This is it!" Tian whispered, his heart racing faster.
He crouched down, examining the tracks. The ground was still damp, a sign that the animal had passed by not long ago. Cautiously, he began to follow the tracks, making sure his steps remained silent to avoid alerting his prey.
After a few minutes of walking, he heard a sound from the bushes ahead. A clear rustling noise.
Tian held his breath. His hands gripped the branches tightly. Slowly, he approached the source of the sound, then...
"Crash!"
A wild boar burst out from the bushes, running in the opposite direction!
Tian's eyes sparkled. "I can't let this opportunity slip away!"
With agility, Tian ran at incredible speed, his steps so light they were nearly silent. As he closed in on the wild boar, he leaped forward and swung his branch with all his might.
"Hyah!"
"THUD!"
The sound of a loud impact echoed as his branch struck the wild boar's body with tremendous force, accompanied by the sound of "CRACK!" indicating that his branch had broken from the blow. The animal immediately fell, letting out a cry of pain before finally going still.
However, Tian had no time to feel satisfied. From the corner of his eye, he saw another wild boar trying to escape.
Without hesitation, he quickly discarded the broken branch and, with quick reflexes, spun his body. In a matter of seconds, he jumped and swung the branch in his other hand with all his strength.
"THUD!" "CRACK!"
The powerful blow hit its mark again, causing the wild boar to scream before finally collapsing on the spot. Meanwhile, the small group of wild boars had already fled.
Without wasting time, he took the rope he had prepared and tied the legs of both wild boars. Then, he placed them on a long branch he had just found to carry them more easily.
With a bit of effort, he lifted the branch onto his shoulder.
"Ugh!"
The two wild boars hung at the end of the branch, heavy, but Tian was still able to hold them.
He nodded firmly.
"I'll head straight to the market!" he said, then began to walk back to the meadow with burning enthusiasm.
Today, the hunt was successful. And his goal was getting closer.
~~
On the third morning since Tian started hunting, the sky looked bright as usual. Birds chirped in the branches of the trees, while a gentle breeze blew, carrying the scent of earth still slightly damp from the morning dew.
Today was an important day, the day when the traveling merchant was preparing to leave the village. This was Tian's last chance to sell his hunting results before they returned to the city. If he could get more wild boar meat today, then his goal of buying a female goat would be even closer.
With burning enthusiasm, Tian quickly finished his breakfast. After that, he took his goat to the meadow, tying it under the tree where it usually fed.
"Alright, you stay here again today," Tian said, patting his goat's back.
The goat bleated softly, as if understanding its master. Tian smiled, then hurriedly headed to the forest.
Once he arrived at the forest, Tian stood for a moment at its edge, observing the dense thicket of towering trees. Sunlight filtered through the leaves, creating moving shadows that made the atmosphere feel more mysterious.
His eyes sharp, he scanned the surroundings with caution, looking for signs of wild boar presence like before. This time, he didn't want to catch just one or two; he needed to get more!
Tian stepped carefully, trying to avoid the dry twigs to make no sound. The deeper he entered the forest, the quieter it became.
Then, in the distance, he saw it.
A wild boar was wandering among the bushes, seemingly looking for food.
"Hmm... only one? Usually, they move in groups while foraging. Well, it's okay. I can always look deeper later," Tian murmured softly.
Cautiously, he crouched behind the bushes, spying on his prey. This time, he wouldn't use the easily breakable branches like before. Instead, he had prepared a large, oval-shaped stone—heavy and sturdy enough that it wouldn't break or shatter upon hitting the wild boar.
His fingers gripped the stone tightly, his body tense, ready to pounce on his prey.
However, just as he was about to leap, suddenly...
'RUSHH!!'
The bushes beside him shook violently!
Tian jumped, his eyes widening as a large shadow emerged from behind the foliage.
"Oh no!"
From the darkness of the forest, a giant wild boar stepped out. It was twice the height of a regular wild boar he usually hunted. Its body was robust with coarse black fur, and most terrifyingly, two sharp tusks jutted from its mouth, curving upwards like deadly spears.
The giant wild boar approached a small wild boar in front of Tian.
"B-BIG!" Tian instinctively let out a small scream, his voice echoing among the trees.
However, the giant wild boar heard Tian's voice and began to exhale heavily, then charged towards Tian.
"Don't tell me the small wild boar I've been hunting is just a baby?!" Tian muttered, momentarily stunned and lost in thought. "If so, the giant wild boar must be its mother. Ehh... Uahhh!" he shouted, snapping out of his daze as he saw the giant boar closing in on him.
Before Tian could dodge, the giant wild boar suddenly growled loudly—
"NGOOOORKKK!"
Then,
"THUD!"
The boar's tusks slammed into his body with tremendous force!
Tian's body was thrown back, crashing into a large tree behind him.
"KRAAAKKK!"
The tree fell instantly, its roots uprooted from the ground, sending dust and leaves flying into the air.
Tian fell hard to the ground, his body feeling heavy, and his breath came in gasps. His vision blurred momentarily, making it hard to focus.
"Ugh... Ouch... Oh no... This hurts..." Tian groaned, feeling pain radiating through his body.
"Gehk, my hands are bleeding. Damn, that giant wild boar! But the strength of this boar is insane... With a body that big, it can still move that fast?" he muttered in disbelief, struggling against the pain.
Slowly, he tried to move his body, but instantly felt a sharp pain stabbing at his waist. He wiped the blood from his hands onto the grass beneath him.
"Even so, I can't believe I'm still alive? Even just scratches and bruises after being hit by such a giant wild boar..." he whispered, half in disbelief.
However, the danger was not over. As he lifted his head, his eyes immediately met the giant wild boar, still standing not far from him. The creature snorted loudly, steam rising from its nostrils. It stomped its front foot on the ground, causing the earth around it to tremble.
Its eyes were still filled with rage. Then...
"NGOKKKK!"
The giant wild boar stomped its foot on the ground again, then lowered its head, its tusks aimed directly at Tian.
"Oh, no..." Tian swallowed hard, sensing the tension hanging in the air.
The wild boar was preparing to attack for the second time! Tian furrowed his brows as he stood up, brushing the dust off his clothes. His face showed a hint of annoyance, his eyes glaring sharply at the giant wild boar ready to charge at him again.
"But this time, don't think I'll fall for your attack again!" he said with determination, his voice trembling yet full of spirit.