"That's it! It's here—it's really here!!"
As the dark figure in the distance approached, the short and chubby farmer instantly began shouting in panic.
"Uh... are you sure?"
Ur stared suspiciously at the bouncing shadow coming toward them, which resembled a rabbit more than a boar.
"No doubt about it! That's the one!"
The farmer looked genuinely terrified, like he was staring down a demon from his nightmares.
Ur had been about to say something else, but when the figure finally came into full view.
He froze for a moment, then nodded.
"Alright... I believe you now."
Ur watched as the wild boar bounded through the air with graceful hops of several meters, like a spring-loaded ball of bacon, and even more agile than a rabbit.
Ur had complicated feelings.
The boar was fast.
With just a few bounces, it landed squarely in the middle of the farm.
The events of the last encounter had given it an inflated sense of superiority. Humans were no longer worth fearing.
Once it was inside the farm, the boar seemed to relax. With a haughty look, it gave Ur and the trembling farmer, who still clutched his stick, a dismissive glance. Then swaggered over to the middle of the field and began chomping on the vegetables with relish, ignoring them both completely.
"What the hell?!"
Ur's eyes widened.
He'd already gotten the impression that this boar was brazen from the farmer's earlier account, but…
It wasn't even pretending to care.
The boar wasn't even pretending to respect their presence.
"Sir Mage, I, uh—"
Seeing his beloved crops getting devoured again, the farmer was on the verge of bursting into another fit of sobbing.
Fortunately, Ur was faster. He immediately raised his hand to cut the man off and said with dramatic conviction.
"Don't worry. As long as I'm here, I won't let this beast do as it pleases."
Ur's words were righteous and awe-inspiring. The farmer was so moved, he looked like he might cry again, this time from gratitude.
However, if one of Ur's old friends from his past life were present, they'd know immediately.
That line was the definition of Grade-A bullsh*t.
It had been a long time since Ur had used that kind of empty reassurance.
But this farmer was just too overwhelming.
If it weren't for how unnervingly intense the guy was, Ur would never have bothered with such a dramatic line.
After Ur's stirring words, the farmer finally quieted down for the moment.
Taking the opportunity, Ur began analyzing the boar.
On the surface, it looked like a regular wild boar, maybe just slightly bigger than average. But in truth, as Ur had guessed, this wasn't an ordinary animal.
He could sense magical energy inside it. It was faint but undeniable.
Judging by the amount, it wasn't much weaker than his magic power.
His best guess?
It was a creature that had only recently been tainted by magic, just beginning to transform into a monster. It wasn't a born monster or the offspring of one.
Because of that, its offensive ability wasn't too scary. It didn't immediately try to maul people as most monsters did.
Still, despite its low magic power, it was smart.
And that was why Ur hadn't rushed to attack.
The boar continued snorting and chomping down on vegetables like a gourmet enjoying a midnight snack.
It was at ease, not caring at all about the humans nearby. After its last "victory," its confidence had skyrocketed.
It now saw humans as non-threatening.
Meanwhile, the farmer kept glancing at Ur, his mouth opening and closing. But each time he remembered Ur's "righteous" speech from earlier, he swallowed his words.
Still, as more and more of his crops were devoured, he finally reached his limit.
Just as he was about to speak, Ur moved.
Smack!
In the dim light, the farmer saw Ur's hands suddenly clasped together. Then, a dusty yellow magic circle appeared beneath the boar's feet, pulsing with power.
Lower-Tier Magic, Earth Spike!
Shing!
The spell activated in an instant.
A razor-sharp spike of earth erupted from the circle, aimed squarely at the boar's belly.
The moment the magic circle appeared, the boar sensed danger.
It let out a startled squeal and tried to leap away.
But Ur had been waiting for this.
He'd planned it carefully, letting the boar completely lower its guard before striking.
So even though it was nimble, it could only dodge slightly to one side.
And then, the earth spike pierced a spot even more devastating than its original target. A location so sensitive, it could barely even be described.
"SQUEEEEEAAAAAA!!!"
A sharp, blood-curdling scream shattered the silence of the night. Ur and the farmer both instinctively clamped their legs together and sucked in a breath.
"HISSSSssss…"
Both of their faces went pale.
Especially after they saw what exactly the earth spike had pierced. A spot that made their stomachs churn and their eyes water.
There are injuries in this world that could make you flinch just by looking at them.
And tonight, that boar had suffered one of those.