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23. The Magical Beast and the Joyful Summer Festival #3
There’s a saying: “To charge like a wild boar.”
In literal terms, this means to rush forward without care, like a boar running headfirst.
At first glance, it didn’t feel relatable, but…
—Take that!
Seeing a creature charging at me full throttle made the meaning crystal clear.
A thickly muscled, blubbery beast that could easily weigh hundreds to thousands of kilos was barreling toward me.
The ground shook as if a massive cannonball or a tank was rolling straight at me.
Was this how deer felt when facing trucks? I was thrown off guard by the unexpected speed of the charge.
‘If I get hit, I’ll be a pancake…!’
I urgently pushed my still legs aside just in time to roll away from its attack.
‘I thought pigs were lazy and slow!’
I stood up, shaking off the dust from my fur like a well-groomed fancy cat.
The creature halted and stared at me, raising one corner of its mouth.
—Hey, drifter from the South! If you’re a male, take my attack head-on!
—What a ridiculous notion.
The pig’s challenge made me scowl.
There was at least double the size difference between us.
With that kind of difference, could this really even be called fair combat?
—Don’t dodge!
—You’re making a fuss…!
The crowd of pigs and other beasts in the stands began to jeer at me.
The pig, Pao-Hoo, raised its front paw, egging on the crowd.
—I’ll smash the wimp from the South!
Pao-Hoo proudly declared, dropping into a four-legged stance, preparing to charge like an angry bull, pawing the ground and creating an intense pressure, ready to pounce on me.
‘Well, it’s a pig, so moving on all fours must be faster!’
Our gazes locked. Those eyes staring straight at me hinted that it would charge in a straight line again.
Simple yet incredibly heavy and speedy, a devastating charge was undoubtedly on its way.
—This time, don’t dodge! Fight like a noble warrior!
The pig kept insisting I take its attack, almost like some sort of wrestling match.
Was the way pigs fought just two opponents clashing with all their might, like sumo wrestling?
But if I went face to face, considering the size and muscle mass difference, I’d be at a serious disadvantage.
‘Avoid a head-on confrontation.’
I steeled my mind and glanced around.
I needed to use everything in the arena to my advantage to avoid injury and move on to the next match.
I dropped down to the ground, mimicking Pao-Hoo.
I placed my front paws on the ground, fiddling with the pebbles, teeth, and horn shards littering the floor of the arena.
—Ready to tussle, huh? I wonder if you can handle my muscles!
—Well…
—Hmph, you southern punk wouldn’t understand, but this match demands a sound mind and body…
As the pig puffed out its thick snout and began to explain, I didn’t waste any time. With a swift motion, I swiped at the ground.
My claws kicked up a storm of sand, rocks, and tooth fragments, blasting them right at its face.
—Y-you coward!
The pig grimaced as it floundered, presumably getting sand and debris in its eyes.
I seized the opportunity and dashed straight for its upper body.
—You cowardly little…!
Pao-Hoo flailed its front paws, trying to shake me off.
I dug my claws into its flesh and scratched mercilessly.
Its tough skin split, spilling red bl**d, but I wasn’t satisfied with the feel of it—I was struggling to inflict a real injury.
‘This skin is too thick! It has too much fat and muscle; dealing a critical hit is tough…!’
—Get off, you brat!
Suddenly, while thrashing about, the pig dropped to all fours and shot off wildly.
—Hey, hey, get out of the way!
—It’s charging at us! Can’t you see?!
The crowd split left and right to dodge Pao-Hoo’s charge.
Pao-Hoo sped toward me, carrying me along for the ride.
In front was a massive tree, and if we continued like this, a collision was inevitable.
I tried to yank my claws out to escape, but it was as if they were stuck in something solid, refusing to budge.
‘This is just like with Muhamba!?’
The ability to harden and expand muscles was something I had already encountered in Ant Cave.
Back then, my claws had gotten stuck in its thick muscles and I ended up getting hit back.
‘Do muscular beasts all think the same way!?’
Perhaps there’s a common method among muscleheads for dealing with sharp claws.
—Crash!
With a loud roar, Pao-Hoo smashed right into the tree.
Boom! A massive sound echoed as the tree crumpled like paper and fell.
—Ugh!
I rolled on the ground after smashing into something solid.
My vision swam as I struggled to breathe.
—Muscles are always right. They never betray hard work.
As my mind cleared, I found Pao-Hoo standing over me, looking down with a small lump on its head.
Given the full force of our collision, it seemed the creature had taken no real damage.
It looked at its own wounds and let out a scoffing hum.
—A slight muscle loss, huh? Sharp claws, I must admit. But still not sharp enough to match my muscles.
Then it brought its massive front paw down toward me.
The weight alone was a few hundred kilos, and that mighty muscle came crashing down on my chest.
—Gah!
I exhaled every breath in my lungs and coughed up bl**d.
This was a first for me—spewing bl**d!
Pain quickly faded as my vision turned red.
—I’ll eat you alive!
I bolstered my spirit and barely managed to get back to my feet.
Pao-Hoo squinted at me with confused eyes.
—How did you get up after that? Have you come down with some madness? A sound short-term strategy for boosting strength, to be sure, numbing the pain…
Pao-Hoo lunged forward, kicking up dust as it charged at me.
—But such a fluke won’t defeat my hard work!
Its tusks collided with me. Even though feeling numb, I was overwhelmed with a sense of impending doom.
I gritted my teeth against the pain.
With its face dug into my body, I grasped its long canine with my front paws, muster every ounce of strength.
—Wh-what!? Let go!
The pig yelped, floundering as I lifted its hefty body off the ground.
—You’re lifting Pao-Hoo!? Where in that skinny muscle of yours does this strength come from!?
—Stop babbling about muscles, you annoying pig!
With a swift move, I slammed it to the ground like a body slam.
The weight of Pao-Hoo, combined with gravity and my strength, smashed the tusks apart, sending it rolling on the ground.
—Kraaaak! Ugh, my, my mouth!
Breaking its teeth seemed to seriously pain it as Pao-Hoo thrashed around, disoriented.
I knew I couldn’t let this attack opportunity slide.
‘Aim for a critical spot!’
I sharpened my claws, preparing for my next strike.
It would be best to go for its eyes or throat.
‘Let’s aim for the eyes first!’
I swung my paw down toward its face.
In that split second, realizing what was coming, Pao-Hoo turned its head, narrowly evading my attack.
It jumped back a bit, creating distance before spitting out a mix of bl**d and saliva on the ground.
—Kuh, breaking my teeth! Those were my precious tusks cultivated for thirty years!
It huffed in frustration, and from the look of fury in its eyes, I instinctively knew it was about to unleash a whole new level of attack.
It looked as if every drop of moisture in its body had evaporated, steam rising from its skin.
Not only that, its fat seemed to melt away, revealing its prominent muscles.
—From now on, all my movements will be over twice as fast. I’ll unleash all the hidden power I have. Consider it an honor to witness my talent, “Under Armor.”
‘Is it a skill that reduces weight-related destructive power while increasing speed? It can move twice as fast?!’
Whatever the case, this was undoubtedly a powerful hidden technique, and trouble loomed ahead.
I kicked up sand from the ground again, flinging it toward the beast.
—Not falling for the same trick twice!
It pulled its head back, evading my sand attack with ease.
For a beast, it certainly had a decent learning ability; it was indeed living up to the title of a mythical creature’s descendant.
‘Should I push through with strength against strength?’
Was it because the skill frenzy was active? I felt my power matched its for a time.
I’d be numb to pain, and I was confident I could win if we fought like this.
But I knew I’d sustain serious injuries in the process.
If this were just plain hunting, killing this one beast would be my endpoint, and I could manage any injuries.
But this wasn’t just hunting; it was a tournament-style bl**d festival involving beasts.
I had to face another battle after this one.
I wanted to preserve my strength without injuries as much as possible.
‘Fighting this beast barehanded is utterly reckless.’
I scanned my environment, searching for anything that could help me.
Then my eyes landed on the tree that Pao-Hoo had just smashed.
I picked up a hefty branch that was just the right size to hold in one hand.
‘Ah, a club. A magnificent tool passed down since ancient times.’
Memories surged back of using this club against Belger the hedgehog.
—You’re lifting a stick? Trying to imitate the Monkey all of a sudden? Hah! Can’t believe you don’t trust your own strength!
The pig, Pao-Hoo, berated me, but I brushed it off.
I swung the makeshift club through the air, satisfied with its grip and feeling rather pleased.
‘But it still feels a bit lacking…’
As I stared at the club, trying to think of a better way, an idea struck me like lightning.
I stretched my paw back, yanking a bunch of thorns out of my back.
I stuck them right into the club, creating a rather impressive weapon.
—Done!
I swung the club around in the air.
Though it was hastily assembled, it was quite a formidable weapon.
If hit with this, I could put a few holes in its head.
With this weapon, my attack range had increased three to four times longer than my claws, minimizing the risk of counterattacks.
—Not mimicking the heroic Monkey, but the cowardly, dirty humans instead.
The pig, Pao-Hoo, gave me a glaring look, rumbling from deep within its belly.
—You’ve seen humans before?
—Of course! They’re my favorite food!
With no hesitation, it charged at me.
True to its word, its speed had improved markedly. I was a tad taken aback, but the pressure coming from it had also lessened.
‘This feels doable.’
I swung my club with all my might toward its head as it barreled toward me in a straight line.
—Kweeeek!
