Chapter 64: The Wild Boar
"Where are those things? Do we have to fight them?"
Brother Without Umbrella was in dire need of an outlet.
"No, keep moving forward. I'm not sure why, but those things seem to be afraid of something, which is why they won't come near us."
The more one knows, the greater the mental pressure. Su Xiao was the one under the most strain in the team.
Earlier, there were probably a few hundred of those things around, following from a distance. Su Xiao had considered engaging them, but that thought was extinguished as soon as it arose, because their numbers surged to several thousand within seconds.
The current situation was that the path ahead was clear, with none of those things present, while all other directions were surrounded. So, moving forward was the only option.
Su Xiao opened his task list. A new task had already appeared.
[The second stage of the hidden quest 'Land of Death' has been completed. The third stage (final stage) has been activated.]
[Dark King]
Difficulty Level: Lv.26
Quest Brief: Eliminate the Dark King before he fully awakens.
Quest Information: The Dark King's location is deep within the Black Forest. (Warning: If the Dark King fully awakens, the quest difficulty will increase to Lv.28.)
Quest Duration: None
Quest Reward: This is a chain quest; rewards are given based on completion.
Quest Penalty: None
...
The hidden quest had already skyrocketed to a terrifying Lv.26, with the possibility of rising to Lv.28 at any moment.
If that so-called Dark King fully awakened, Su Xiao was as good as dead. There was no turning back now; they had to press forward.
Just as they were advancing, a noise came from the forest ahead.
They focused their gaze and saw a wild boar.
This boar was pitch black, the size of a bull, with two prominent tusks jutting from its mouth, giving off a faint metallic sheen.
"What is it eating... that's disgusting."
Brother Without Umbrella frowned. The scene before them was hard to stomach.
The beast had a human arm clamped in its mouth. The arm was somewhat withered and mostly gnawed away, yet even so, it was still struggling fiercely, its fingers digging into the boar's nostrils.
The boar snorted in annoyance, flung the arm to the ground, stomped on it a few times, then picked it up and chewed it to bits.
Seeming to notice their footsteps, the boar turned its head.
"Living people?"
The boar spoke human language. More importantly, everyone could understand what it said.
"A... a boar that talks."
In this environment, the sudden appearance of a talking boar was a huge shock to their morale.
"Who are you calling a boar, you little punk."
The boar lifted its head, and only then did they see that its eyes were completely black, with no distinction between pupil and sclera.
Brother Without Umbrella was left speechless, hesitating for a long time over whether to curse back.
"Survival trial or here to complete a quest?"
The boar sat on the ground, seemingly without hostility.
"And you are?"
Su Xiao sized up the boar. It gave him a sense of familiarity mixed with strangeness.
"Your predecessor. A contractor who participated in the trial many batches ago, a fool who ventured deep into the Black Forest seeking benefits and failed."
Just as expected. From the boar's earlier speech, it was clear it was from Earth.
"So, what's with your current form?"
Brother Without Umbrella felt a chill down his spine. If this contractor had ended up like this, it meant the same could happen to them.
"Why should I tell you? You're surrounded by the undead. You're doomed. I suggest you have a last hurrah before you die. Lucky for you, there's a girl in your team. She's young, but she'll do."
The boar sneered, eyeing them with interest.
"I'll handle the negotiation."
Su Xiao stepped past Brother Without Umbrella and walked slowly toward the boar.
"Want to fight? Even though I'm neither man nor beast now, my strength has increased far too much. You first-rank..."
*Clang!*
A blade aura shot out. The boar quickly ducked. The half-meter-thick tree behind it was severed, the diagonal cut as smooth as a mirror.
"Hey, is that a blade aura? How can a first-rank contractor use something like that?"
The boar looked with lingering fear at the slowly falling tree.
Seeing Su Xiao already making a move, Brother Without Umbrella rushed forward. Little Confused cast several buffs on Su Xiao, while Old Bal turned his back to the group, guarding against any danger from behind.
"Wait."
The beast shouted, but Brother Without Umbrella and Su Xiao ignored it, charging straight at the boar.
"Hmph, so what if you can unleash a blade aura? I stood at the peak of first-rank in my lifetime."
The boar stomped the ground and charged at them at full speed.
Brother Without Umbrella halted his advance, positioning himself perfectly between Su Xiao and the boar.
He lowered his body, arms extended forward. Just as the boar reached him, steam surged from his gauntlets, and he grabbed the boar's head with precision.
*Boom!*
Like a high-speed train crashing into a rock, Brother Without Umbrella held the boar's head firmly in his grip.
Mud splashed beneath his feet, and a shower of dead leaves sprayed behind him. His legs sank into the ground as he leaned forward.
Fine cracks appeared on his shoulders, but Brother Without Umbrella didn't budge an inch. A main tank who runs away isn't worthy of the title—at least, that's what he believed.
"Not bad."
The boar sneered, and a chill emanated from its body.
*Schlick!*
A long blade pierced the boar's ribs. The boar's expression froze as a sharp pain shot through it.
Dragon-Slaying Flash had penetrated the boar's body. Su Xiao pressed down hard.
*Thud.*
The boar collapsed, dead leaves flying, its body completely impaled by the blade.
"Pain? Is this pain? Hahahaha! How many years has it been? How many years since I last felt pain?"
Though its body was pierced, the boar was laughing maniacally.
Su Xiao pulled out the blade. Brother Without Umbrella was still gripping the boar's head tightly.
Su Xiao flipped the sword in his hand, switching from a forward grip to a reverse grip. Holding the blade with his right hand and bracing the pommel with his left, he thrust downward toward the boar's skull.
*Schlick.*
The blade pierced the boar's brain. Brother Without Umbrella was about to let go.
"It's not dead."
Su Xiao gripped the hilt tightly and looked down at the boar.
"How did you do it? Make me feel pain."
The boar, with its skull pierced, spoke calmly, showing no signs of impending death.
Su Xiao withdrew the blade, switching back to a forward grip. He prepared to sever the boar's head.
"Wait, wait."
Su Xiao paid no attention, the blade still descending.
"Want to see the Dark King? That was my goal in life. You're here for him, aren't you?"
The blade stopped a few centimeters from the boar's neck. The sharp blade aura cut through its bristles.
"You've seen the Dark King."
"Of course. Turning into this was his doing."
The boar sized up Su Xiao.
"If the Dark King is in a half-awakened state, you might be able to kill him. I can guide you."
Su Xiao shook his head.
"I don't trust you. Chopping you up seems more reliable."
Su Xiao made as if to swing his blade.
"Chopping me up won't help. Even if you cut me into a dozen pieces, I won't die. Don't worry, in my current state, I have nothing to gain from deceiving you. To be precise, I'm already dead."
The boar sighed helplessly. Its pitch-black eyes held no trace of desire or greed—only a longing for death.