Andy raised a hand to stop Nak, then gave Sonata, standing at the cave entrance, a cold look. Slowly, he turned his gaze back to the hulking Quilboar before him.
When Sonata saw Andy's eyes sweep over him, a chill ran through his heart, but he soon felt relieved. Though he'd sensed something unusual about the boy when he first arrived, there was nothing he could do about it now. The Guard Captain was his trusted subordinate, someone he'd cultivated for many years. No one could command him except Sonata himself. That was why Sonata had dared to invest so heavily in him, even using up the potions he'd treasured for years to make him stronger. Those potions were priceless treasures to Quilboar like them!
At that thought, Sonata gave a sly chuckle. "Boy, I don't care what you are. You're not getting away today. And you, Nak! If you submit to me now, you can still be my dear nephew!"
"Pah!" Before Nak could spit out his curse, Andy spoke first. "You shameless old bastard. You don't have an ounce of shame!"
"Boy, shut up!" Sonata snapped, furious and embarrassed. "If it weren't for you, none of this would've happened!"
"If it weren't for Andy, how much longer would you have kept me in the dark?" Nak looked around with bloodshot eyes. The other Quilboar avoided his gaze. They weren't ignorant of Sonata's vile deeds; they simply hadn't dared—or wanted—to speak up, given the power he wielded.
"Number Two, attack!" A cold glint flashed in Sonata's eyes as he spoke.
The Quilboar Guard Captain—Number Two—let out a roar and charged, weapon raised. Seeing his fierce approach, Andy shoved Nak aside and quickly retreated. As he backed away, he reached for the bow on his back, nocked an arrow, took aim at the charging Number Two, and shot straight for his heart.
Number Two proved worthy of the years Sonata had spent cultivating him. His massive body twisted in midair, and the arrow skimmed past his chest before embedding itself in a wooden pillar. The shaft quivered, making a loud thunk.
Andy continued retreating at full speed. His only thought was to keep his opponent from getting close. He fired arrow after arrow at the Quilboar, but Number Two dodged every one. Andy reached behind himself again—and felt his heart sink.
He was out. His quiver was empty! Only then did Andy remember that he hadn't had many arrows left. He gritted his teeth, stopped abruptly, and faced the charging Number Two.
Number Two faltered when he saw Andy stop. Then he noticed Andy's back was empty. An ugly grin spread across his hideous boar's head, and he charged at Andy.
Andy threw his useless bow to the ground and drew the curved blade at his waist, watching Number Two rush toward him. Just as his opponent swung his weapon horizontally at Andy's head, Andy ducked. The weapon swept past his scalp, bringing a gust of cold wind with it. Andy didn't hold back either. Still crouching, he thrust his curved blade forward and suddenly lunged.
With a swish, Andy rolled and came up in a crouch behind Number Two. Number Two felt a cold gust brush past his thigh. Looking down, he saw a long cut across it. A moment later, a sharp burst of pain made him stagger, but he didn't fall or cry out.
Number Two ran a hand over the wound on his thigh. His palm was instantly covered in blood. He brought it to his mouth and licked it, a glint of red seeming to flash in his eyes.
Andy glanced at Number Two. His blade had wounded the Quilboar, but it hadn't taken him out of the fight. Worse, it had stirred up his bloodthirsty ferocity. Andy slowly straightened and fixed his gaze on Number Two without blinking.
Number Two suddenly let out two hoarse roars, then beat his chest as he howled at the sky. The muscles in his upper body began swelling at a visible rate. With a ripping sound, his shirt burst into tatters. Bare-chested, he was now covered in powerful muscles and more than an inch of brown bristles. His once-green eyes had turned completely red.
Andy stared at the transformation, momentarily stunned. What was this, some kind of shapeshifting?
The moment Nak was shoved aside, he'd seen the two exchange several blows. Andy's agility had given him a slight advantage, which had eased Nak's worries somewhat. But seeing Number Two transform left him horrified.
"Andy, watch out!" Nak shouted. "That's Bloodthirsty Berserk. It multiplies his strength several times over!"
Andy nodded to himself. Without his bow and arrows, defeating his opponent with only the curved blade in his hand would indeed be difficult.
But reality didn't give Andy time to think. Number Two was already charging at him with bloodshot eyes, howling as he swung his club. He slashed and smashed at Andy from every direction. Each blow left a huge crater in the ground, showing just how powerful the berserk Quilboar had become.
Andy didn't dare block the attacks directly with his curved blade, so he could only dodge from side to side. Gradually, inspiration seemed to strike him, and he moved faster and faster. As time passed, he even found openings to counterattack. His blows couldn't do much damage to Number Two, but they still disrupted him considerably.
Number Two was growing anxious too. Bloodthirsty Berserk had a time limit, and it was followed by a period of exhaustion. If he couldn't subdue his opponent in time, he was as good as dead. He could already feel the strength draining out of his body.
Andy noticed Number Two's condition too. While dodging, he suddenly lunged forward and hooked his curved blade around Number Two's club. Number Two felt a tremendous force and found himself unable to resist. He knew his berserk state had ended!
With a bang, Number Two's club flew far away. Andy was in a strange, almost mystical state, as if he'd just grasped something. His curved blade swept along with the motion, and a jet of blood spurted out. It flew two meters before falling in a spray to the ground.
Number Two clutched his throat, gurgling as blood poured from the wound and his mouth. At last, he collapsed to the ground with a thud.
Nak stared at the corpse on the ground, dumbfounded. He looked at Andy in shock. This boy was far stronger than he'd thought. It seemed he'd worried for nothing.
"Immediate quest complete!" the Monster Spirit announced. "Reward: +15 to all attributes. All attributes have reached 100. Advancement requirements met. Confirm advancement?"
Andy still held the pose from his final strike. Hearing the prompt, he looked dazed and answered yes in his mind.
"Advancement confirmed! The host's overall physical condition has reached level one. Class advanced to Novice Ranger." The Monster Spirit continued its announcement. "Melee skills unlocked. Skills acquired: Strangulation, Thrust, Evasion."
Andy snapped out of his previous state and turned around in shock. Number Two had already fallen to the ground.
Before you continue