To think a lower-tier spell could be this terrifying!
The sharp, lingering screams of the boar-monster pierced the night air. Ur and the farmer instinctively clamped their legs shut again and shivered.
Though the boar and the two men weren't even the same species…
Some kinds of pain transcend racial boundaries.
"Aaoo… Aaaooo…"
The boar monster thrashed wildly, trying in vain to pull free whatever had been pierced by the Earth Spike.
But every attempt failed.
Due to its anatomy, the spike had lodged in such a way that removal was impossible. The more it fought, the deeper the wound tore. The bleeding grew heavier, the pain more excruciating.
And the more it struggled? The worse the injury got.
The wound began tearing wider and wider, until—
A soft rip echoed in the silence.
With a soft tearing sound, something… long and dangly dropped from beneath the boar's belly and hit the ground with a sickening splatter.
Blood splattered across the ground.
Ur: "…"
The Farmer: "…"
The Boar Monster: "…"
For a moment, time seemed to freeze.
The entire farm was dead silent.
Then, a blood-curdling shriek shattered the night sky.
"SKREEEEE—!"
The boar monster writhed in agony, rolling across the dirt, its body trembling violently.
Its limbs kept trying to clutch the wounded spot beneath its belly, but because of how its body was, it couldn't even reach it.
Its whole body trembled as it tried again and again to reach the source of its injury with its hooves. But anatomically, it couldn't.
The more it failed to touch the wound, the more the pain intensified.
A vicious cycle.
A state of pure suffering.
Worse than death.
Watching this grotesque scene unfold, both Ur and the farmer felt a cold chill creep up from their groins. And their thighs snapped shut even tighter.
None of this had gone as Ur intended.
He had just wanted to kill the pig, not go for the family jewels.
It was a complete accident. But still, he felt slightly responsible.
And so, he figured he might as well finish the job.
Some pigs were destined to die.
Others needed a little help along the way.
Smack!
Ur once again pressed his palms together. While the boar was still rolling on the ground, he swiftly began casting another spell.
Lower-Tier Magic, Earth Spike!
A dusty yellow magic circle glowed beneath the boar.
Magical energy surged. And once more, a sharp earthen spear shot up from below, piercing straight into the boar's body with a sickening thud.
Blood sprayed.
"AOOOHHH!!"
The boar howled, then turned its head to glare murderously at Ur and the farmer.
Then, it fled.
Even though its movements were nothing like the graceful leaps it had shown earlier, the boar monster still managed to hobble toward the edge of the farm and escape into the darkness.
Despite the pain, it had enough intelligence to realize it had to run if it wanted to survive.
And even as it fled, it burned the image of the two humans into its memory.
And in its mind, a burning grudge was taking root.
It would remember them.
It would come back one day.
The boar monster was gone.
But unlike the lively, bouncing entrance it had made, its retreat was clumsy, wounded, and desperate.
Seeing the monster flee, the farmer finally let out a long sigh of relief.
Just as he was about to thank Ur, he suddenly saw Ur's figure blur and then shoot off in pursuit of the monster.
"W-Wait! Sir Mage! There's no need to chase it!" The farmer yelled in alarm.
After all, the task he had posted was to drive the boar away. Whether the creature lived or died didn't matter to him. But his cries were in vain.
Even if Ur had heard him, he would've ignored it.
Because... that wasn't a normal wild boar.
Ur understood the farmer's thinking well enough. He just wanted the boar to be scared off, never to return and destroy his crops again.
If it were just a regular boar, that logic would hold. With injuries like that, any ordinary animal would learn its lesson and never come back.
But it wasn't a normal boar.
It was a monster.
In this world, there was a fundamental difference between wild beasts and monsters—instinct.
Most wild animals would avoid humans.
But monsters?
Their first reaction upon seeing a human was usually to attack. Even if they failed to kill, they'd remember the encounter.
And wait for the chance to strike again.
The only reason this boar hadn't attacked earlier was that it had only just begun transforming. It still retained the temperament of a regular beast.
But over time, it would fully become a monster. And when that happened, it would come back.
For revenge.
And so, as a mage, for the sake of his mission, and more importantly, for his reputation and safety, Ur couldn't afford to let this threat walk away.
Ur knew he could not leave such a threat alive.