His heart raced as Hector slipped back into the tree line, crouching low he used the trees to cover him from sight.
Thud.
Thud.
THUMP.
With a thunderous crash, something burst from the brush, tearing through saplings and low branches as it emerged into the clearing. Hector’s breath caught as the creature came fully into view. It was a massive pig; thick muscle layered beneath coarse hide. Jagged spikes ran along their spine, and enormous tusks curved from their jaw like those of an elephant. The thing was huge, easily the size of a truck. It lumbered toward the water, as Hector swallowed trying to focus.
[Analyze: Creature]
Name: Juvenile Hogzilla (F)
Threat Level: Medium
Condition: Thirsty
Notable Traits:
? Capable of fast speeds
? Aggressive disposition
As the creature bent its head to drink, Hector saw his chance. He turned and pushed through the underbrush, moving fast but fighting the urge to panic. He followed the same path he had taken in, heart pounding, and glanced back once to make sure the mountain of bacon had not noticed him.
THWOMP.
He slammed into something solid. Hector stumbled backward, barely keeping his footing as he tried to make sense of what he had hit, then the ground moved and his heart dropped. Rising from the brush was a second Juvenile Hogzilla, just as massive as the first.
[Analyze: Creature]
Name: Juvenile Hogzilla (F)
Threat Level: Medium
Condition: Agitated
Notable Traits:
? Capable of fast speeds
? Aggressive disposition
The creature snorted, steam blasting from its nostrils. It turned its head toward him and let out a deafening…
OINK!
Then it charged.
The Hogzilla was shockingly fast for its size, but Hector reacted on instinct. He rolled aside just in time, feeling the rush of displaced air as the creature thundered past. He popped back to his feet, breathing hard. His movements were quicker than he remembered.
“That has got to be the levels,” he muttered. “Thanks, Agility.”
The Hogzilla skidded to a stop, hooves tearing up dirt as it turned. Hector knew then there was no escape. Excitement surged through him as he raised his hands into a rough boxing stance. He had never been much of a fighter, but this felt… natural. Remembering his first fight, he focused and forced energy into his left fist. Unlike before, when his arm had nearly torn itself apart, this time there was only a faint tingle, then the Hogzilla charged again. Hector barely dodged as it thundered past, and as it did, he snapped out a quick jab, driving his fist into the thick meat of its hind leg. There was a strange, wet bubbling sound.
POP!
Flesh exploded outward. Meat sprayed across the clearing as a crater, twice the size of his fist, opened in the creature’s leg.
“Whoa!”
His hand tingled, numb but intact. A reminder that while he had power now, he still did not fully understand it. He watched as the Hogzilla crashed into a nearby tree.
WHACK!
The impact echoed through the forest, and blood poured from the wound, but to Hector’s disbelief, the creature hauled itself upright again, shaking its head as if the injury were little more than an annoyance. As Hector steadied himself for another exchange, heavy footsteps thundered behind him.
Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.
Then…
WHACK!
Agony exploded through his back, surprisingly, he was not sent flying across the forest floor. Instead, a sharp pain tore through his stomach, as his feet left the ground. Confused, he looked around trying to figure out what was going on, before fear overtook him as he saw the cause of his current predicament. A tusk was stabbed through him, exiting out his front side where his stomach should have been. The creature thrashed, flinging him free. Hector flew and hit the ground hard. Warmth spread beneath him as blood poured from the wound. He coughed and his vision began blurring. When he looked up, two massive shapes loomed over him, both Hogzillas staring down with furious, hungry eyes.
“Shit.”
[Warning: Health at 25%]
He knew he was in trouble, if he did not do something soon...Pain lanced through his body as he forced himself to his feet. Blood poured from the massive hole in his gut. He was surprised he could even move, must be system shenanigans, he thought dimly.
[Warning: Bleeding Status Condition Acquired.]
“Wait… what?!”
[-1 Health every 1 Second.]
[Congratulations. Pain Suppression has reached Level 3.]
“Shit, shit, shit! Not the time, you crazy system!”
He staggered toward the nearest tree, pressing his back against the rough bark and using it as a temporary shield. Green light gathered in his trembling hand. Across the clearing, the pair of Hogzillas stared at him intently, almost as if they were charging themselves for the final blow. Before they could move, Hector willed every drop of mana he could into his wound and cast Emergency Heal. The flesh knitted together, so he dumped more mana in, hoping the healing would quicken, spoiler alert, it did not.
[Health Restored: 75%]
[Status Condition: Bleed Healed]
[Warning: Mana at 75%]
[Emergency Heal Increased to Level 3.]
[Emergency Heal Increased to Level 4.]
[Emergency Heal Increased to Level 5.]
Then it came, the all too familiar sensation of internal carbonation surged through him. Immediately, he cut the flow of mana, several lesions burst across his stomach, splattering the forest floor with fresh blood. It took everything he had not to collapse.
[Warning: Overheal.]
[Warning: Overheal Damage Received.]
[Warning: Health at 50%.]
Hector winced, forcing his vision to steady and shoving the mess out of his mind. The fight was not over; he needed to prepare for his next move before the porcine duo started charging again
One of them finally did. The massive boar barreled forward, catching him mid-thought. Hector kicked off the tree, narrowly missing the tusks as they tore through the space where he had been standing moments earlier. He barely had time to look up before the second monstrous boar charged. On instinct, he cast Emergency Heal at full output, forcing the spell to gather into his hand. He tried to move, and his body locked up as his muscles refused to respond. Hector fell backward as his joints seized; his body no longer listening to him.
“Not now…”
Thankfully, the Hogzilla charging him was the injured one. It moved slower, favoring one leg, its charge uneven, that single flaw bought him time. His backward momentum carried him into a deep lean, almost a limbo beneath the boar’s bulk, and that was when it clicked.
Hector thrust his green-lit fist upward, like he was reaching for the sky at a concert. His punch connected with the boar’s exposed underside. He dodged the front hooves, but the back ones caught him anyway. The impact sent agony tearing through his arm. He heard the Hogzilla screech as it tried to stop, followed by a deafening crash. As the energy discharged from his fist, Hector felt his fingers crunch and break, and pain screamed up his arm. He looked down and saw his hand had become a mangled mess, his fingers were bent at impossible angles. He cradled his hand instinctively. Then a series of loud sounds caught his attention
POP.
OINK.
CRASH.
Hector braced himself against the nearest tree, forcing his legs to work. When he looked up, he saw the Hogzilla had crashed mid-charge, its massive body plowing through brush and dirt before coming to a violent stop. Skid marks gouged the forest floor where it had tried, and failed, to recover.
[Enemy Disemboweled: Incapacitation Status Effect applied to Hogzilla One.]
[Emergency Heal Increased to Level 6.]
He did not hesitate, moving with a burst of strength and speed that could only be system enhanced, Hector lunged forward. With a thought, he willed the Wampus Cat claw into his good hand and drove it straight into the creature’s eye.
The Hogzilla screamed and thrashed wildly, still alive, still dangerous. Hector swung his remaining functional arm, driving the claw deeper. With each impact, he watched bright green energy race along the claw and spill into the creature’s body. The flesh convulsed where it spread, unable to contain the foreign force. He kept punching, repeatedly, until the claw vanished entirely. The Hogzilla twitched several times, then it went still, as blood poured from its eyes and mouth.
[Hogzilla (F) defeated. EXP gained.]
[Hector has reached Level 4.]
[Hector has reached Level 5.]
[Hector has reached Level 6.]
[Wampus Cat Claw has been destroyed]
Hector dropped to one knee, hitting the ground hard. Exertion ripped the breath from his lungs, leaving him gasping.
“Finally…” he rasped.
A shrill squeal tore through the forest and Hector stiffened. Across the clearing, Hogzilla number Two charged straight toward him, and it looked furious.
