Anomaly

Smack!

Smack!

Smack!

Three Water Bullets struck the wild boar "monster" right in the face, exploding violently and making it howl in pain.

As Ul's magical power grew and his study of magic deepened, the same spell could produce vastly different results in his hands.

"Roar!"

The wild boar "monster" bellowed wildly, its roar nothing like an ordinary pig's squeal.

Its eyes gradually grew bloodshot, and they fixed on Ul with pure hatred.

Ul's three Water Bullets had stopped its charge, but that hadn't made it give up. If anything, they had only stirred its viciousness. After a few seconds, it suddenly accelerated and charged at Ul again...

Basic Water Magic—Water...

Seeing the boar charge again, Ul instinctively tried to cast a spell. But this time, he hadn't even had time to draw a Magic Circle before the wild boar "monster" was less than five meters away.

The sudden attack made Ul's face pale. His mind even went blank for a moment.

Ultimately, he lacked combat experience. Especially when tense, he struggled to make the right decision in an instant...

Fortunately!

At the last moment.

Ul's body reacted before his mind. He pushed off with both legs and darted sideways, narrowly avoiding the attack.

With a boom!

The wild boar "monster" crashed into a large tree behind Ul, making it shake with a thunderous impact.

"Roar!"

After hitting the tree, the wild boar "monster" didn't pause at all. It instantly turned around, its eyes red as it launched a third charge at Ul...

And this time!

Ul couldn't dodge.

Bang!

The wild boar "monster" slammed both tusks into Ul's thigh, knocking him straight to the ground.

A wave of pain shot through his thigh.

It felt as if a car had hit him. His leg had nearly broken.

When I get back, I'm definitely going to find a martial arts school and train properly!

Clutching his badly bleeding thigh, Ul suddenly came to that decision.

In truth, with Ul's current physical abilities, he could have dodged the wild boar "monster's" charge just now. He simply didn't know how...

After all, the world Ul had lived in during his previous life was a very peaceful place. Aside from a few childhood memories of getting into fights, his body had no experience of combat to draw on.

"Roar..."

The wild boar "monster" growled.

After knocking Ul down, it had been about to press its advantage and gore the accursed human to death. But at that moment, a sudden pain struck its belly and groin, forcing it to stop.

The wild boar "monster" had used mud to slow the bleeding from its wounds. But after charging, its wounds had split open again. Ul could even make out the intestines deep inside the wound in its belly...

"ROAR!!"

The wild boar "monster" sensed that something was wrong and let out a series of threatening growls.

Its legs also began edging backward...

It was thinking of retreating.

After changing from a beast into a "monster," the boar had grown more intelligent, but it had also become increasingly afraid of death...

The wild boar "monster" knew very well that if it kept fighting here, it was likely to die.

Now that it had started to hesitate!

The wild boar "monster's" fighting spirit began to fade rapidly...

Seeing this,

Ul's eyes flashed. Magical power suddenly gathered within him, and as he moved his hands, an ocher-colored Magic Circle quickly took shape beneath the wild boar "monster"...

Basic Earth Magic—Earth Sink Magic.

The wild boar "monster" sensed the danger almost as soon as the Magic Circle appeared, but it was already too late.

The earth beneath its feet vanished instantly.

In the blink of an eye!

A pit several meters deep opened beneath the wild boar "monster." It managed only a single scream before its entire body plummeted into the hole.

As the wild boar "monster" fell, Ul changed the position of his hands and brought them sharply together.

Lower-tier Magic—Earth Spike!

Deep in the pit, an ocher-colored Magic Circle glowed. A spike of earth shot out from it, and with a faint squelch, pierced straight through the wild boar "monster's" body...

"Argh! Argh!"

The wild boar "monster's" body hung suspended on the Earth Spike. After struggling a few more times, its legs finally went limp.

"Phew!"

Seeing that his all-out combo had finally taken down the wild boar, Ul couldn't help but let out a long breath.

To be honest!

That combo had been Ul's last resort.

If it hadn't killed the boar, Ul himself would have been in danger.

At that moment, the System Attribute Panel showed that Ul's magic power had been completely depleted, and he could feel his body growing weak.

Magic power was a form of energy, closely connected to the energy within the body. Once it was exhausted, Ul felt a profound weakness and emptiness inside. The sensation was so strong that he wanted to lie down right there and sleep.

But just as that urge came over him!

Suddenly!

A rustling sound came from ahead.

Hearing it, Ul's heart lurched. He quickly forced himself to stay alert and slowly turned his gaze toward the source of the sound...

The next second!

A wild boar that looked remarkably like the "monster" ambled out from the depths of the forest.

"Oh no!"

The moment he saw the boar, Ul knew something was terribly wrong.

He sensed magical power coming from it too—the same kind as the power of the wild boar "monster" from before. If Ul's guess was right, this boar was likely its mate or a member of the same species...

This boar had clearly gained intelligence. Even after spotting Ul, it showed no intention of leaving. Instead, it warily began approaching the pit in front of him.

Seeing this!

Ul's heart sank. An unprecedented sense of impending death slowly descended over him.

No, I can't let it see the other boar's corpse. I have to strike first!

After making his decision, Ul gritted his teeth against the emptiness inside and began desperately squeezing every last bit of magic power from his body...

Just then!

The boar seemed to be drawn to Ul's movements. It abandoned the pit for the moment and started walking toward him.

Seeing this,

Ul grew even more anxious. His Mental Power surged as he desperately tried to form a Magic Circle.

As the boar drew closer and closer...

Suddenly!

A magical light flared in front of Ul.

But just as the light appeared...

Boom!

A vast, boundless surge of black magical power abruptly appeared before Ul, filling his entire field of vision in an instant...