Taelan and the Gentleman

Tirion Fordring patted his son's head, his heart filled with comfort. "I suppose you have a conscience after all, lad!"

"We need to pick up the pace and find 'Gentleman' soon, but we must be careful. Among all beasts, wild boars are the most terrifying."

"Neither wolves nor lions are a match for a frenzied boar! Furthermore, those beasts usually assess the strength of their prey before attacking; they won't easily hunt unfamiliar targets. In the wild, if you get injured, you become someone else's prey!"

"But not the boar! They possess keen senses, and their bodies are often covered in a layer of stone-like hide—thick-skinned and sturdy. Once provoked, they launch into a maddened assault."

"I suspect this boar might be a magical creature! What do you think, son?" Tirion asked.

Taelan Fordring replied, "Yes, Father, I also believe this 'Gentleman' is likely a magical creature."

"As far as I know, although the magistrates of Lordaeron have grown lax lately and aren't as diligent as they once were, they are still subject to royal examinations. Their combat prowess is formidable."

"For 'Gentleman' to repeatedly evade capture, it must possess intelligence. Besides, I heard from Uncle Sam next door that pigs are inherently very clever animals."

"A book I read mentioned that once some animals awaken into transcendent beings, they not only become smarter but are likely to awaken innate abilities. Wild boars are most prone to learning skills like Charge."

"Also, Aunt Janice warned us several times to be careful, even knowing we were led by a Great Knight. I suspect this 'Gentleman' is quite vicious."

Tirion Fordring nodded. "Lad, you're right. I'll take the frontal assault in a moment; you find your opening and finish it off. And remember: never underestimate any enemy."

Taelan Fordring said, "Father, I want to try! I had some ideas I wanted to test during that fight with the wolf earlier."

"Then be careful. I will protect you."

Ding, you have discovered Bulwark of Light. Gained 300 experience points.

Throughout this journey, Taelan had accumulated quite a bit of experience by discovering new territories; he would soon reach level four. At level six, he would unlock new skills: Holy Bolt and Contempt.

Holy Bolt was a ranged skill, and Paladins in World of Warcraft typically lacked conventional ranged magical attacks. It could not only damage enemies but also heal friendly targets. Contempt, meanwhile, not only boosted defensive capabilities but also provided an additional defensive bonus to his core skill, Holy Shield.

They had left the farmlands and entered the mountainous region, where man-made paths no longer existed. The father and son fell silent. Tirion Fordring began to focus his attention, ready to provide assistance the moment his son encountered danger.

The path grew increasingly difficult. The afternoon sun filtered through the dense canopy, and as the altitude rose, the broad-leafed deciduous trees were gradually replaced by pines.

Suddenly, a cave appeared before them. It was unnaturally quiet. There was no chirping of birds, no sign of other animals, and no foul odor!

As the father and son prepared to explore the cave, a robust wild boar—"Gentleman"—stepped out and stood on the clean ground before the entrance. Its body, nearly the size of a young calf, exuded an intense sense of oppression. Its massive head bore two long tusks that looked like a pair of daggers. It stared at Tirion Fordring with a vigilant gaze.

Ding, discovered Gentleman's Villa, gained 100 experience points.

A villa...

Taelan Fordring immediately raised his shield, gripped his short sword tightly in his right hand, and took the stance his father had taught him, his body leaning slightly forward. No wonder the quest reward was a fine-quality helmet; it provided a full 6 points of intelligence. It seemed this item wasn't handed out for nothing.

"Gentleman" was quite clever; it had already sensed that of the two people before it, one was extremely dangerous.

Tirion Fordring was also taken aback. He hadn't expected "Gentleman" to be so large, and its two red eyes not only flashed with ferocity but also held a cunningness that no beast should possess.

It must have killed people, and it truly possessed intelligence! Tirion wanted to warn his son and finish the beast off himself.

Although this "Gentleman" was powerful, for a battle-hardened veteran like Tirion Fordring, he believed he could take it down quickly.

He looked at his son, only to see eyes that were clear and resolute. He shook his head. Tirion was not as doting as Karandra, for men understood men better. His son had always idolized him, hoping to one day become a qualified Warrior and a noble Paladin. Taelan had his own persistence. Even though their time together had been brief, Tirion felt his son was exceptionally mature—he was already a little man!

Thus, Tirion gave an encouraging nod while remaining on high alert.

Taelan Fordring was contemplating how to defeat "Gentleman." Since the beast's attention was entirely on Tirion, he had ample time to think.

Suddenly, "Gentleman" broke the silence and charged toward Tirion. Taelan Fordring immediately moved to close the distance, preparing to strike the boar's hindquarters with his sword. But Tirion shouted, "Careful, Taelan!"

Taelan's reaction was a split second too slow. The charging "Gentleman" suddenly veered, a faint blood-red aura manifesting around its body, and its massive frame shot toward Taelan like an arrow.

As "Gentleman" collided with him, Tirion prepared to cast Blessing of Protection. Suddenly, Taelan raised his shield high. Tirion thought his son had been terrified, but the next moment he was stunned: a massive warhammer of holy light formed in mid-air and slammed heavily into the boar's massive head.

Hammer of Justice! The signature skill of a Paladin. A basic Hammer of Justice could stun an enemy for up to 3 seconds.

However, the hammer could not cancel the boar's Charge. Taelan braced his shield, and with a loud bang, he was knocked to the ground. Had the boar not been stunned, it would surely have used this opportunity to kill Taelan. Now, it could only watch as Taelan stood up, adjusted his stance, and raised his sharp short sword to carve a deep wound into its left foreleg.

Tirion immediately shouted, "Well done, son! Be careful, the Hammer of Justice is about to wear off!"

A novice might struggle to control the rhythm of the fight, but after Tirion counted to three, "Gentleman" did not attack. By the time he counted to five, Taelan had already landed two strikes before the boar recovered its mobility. Its already blood-red eyes turned completely crimson. The instinct of madness allowed it to overcome the pain in its leg; ignoring the bleeding, it charged at Taelan once more.

Man and boar engaged in a fierce battle. Although Taelan's Hammer of Justice was incredibly overbearing, he was still young, and his raw attack power was not yet high enough.

Fortunately, he had this "brick" that caused an exceptionally long stun. Whenever "Gentleman" initiated a Charge, Taelan would use the hammer to stun it, occasionally following up with a Mortal Strike. That brief stun made the boar's attacks stutter and falter.

Taelan's stamina began to wane, and his arm was gashed by the boar's tusks, blood flowing freely. Fortunately, he immediately used Mortal Strike to force the boar into a momentary, stun-induced pause.

Taelan decided to hold nothing back. He activated Aura of Might. His body erupted with milky-white holy light, and a ring of golden, sword-shaped radiance appeared beneath his feet, rotating counter-clockwise. The level 8 Aura of Might boosted his attack damage by a full 110%.

Taelan immediately felt a surge of immense power flowing into his body. He abandoned defense and unleashed a flurry of Mortal Strikes, switching his short sword from a slashing motion to a piercing thrust.

Perhaps the clever "Gentleman" sensed the coming crisis, for it abandoned all evasion and launched its Charge skill once more. Taelan no longer used the hammer to control the rhythm; instead, he raised his shield and launched a Mortal Strike, charging directly at the boar. The guaranteed-hit skill once again bought him an opening. Using the momentum of the impact, Taelan thrust his short sword out from the edge of his shield.

With a pained howl, "Gentleman," its neck pierced by the blade, turned and fled toward the cave. Boar-kin were known for their robust vitality, and large amounts of blood sprayed from the wound. Taelan immediately activated Hammer of Justice, stunning the beast, and followed up with two more strikes to end its suffering! Then, he collapsed onto the ground, sitting hard on the dirt!

Two chapters released at once! Posted first, edited later—comments and feedback are welcome!