013: Escape

Emerald Forest, 1.2 Derry from the edge. Two players, one tall and one short, were walking through the woods, intending to enter the forest.

“Is there really a hot spring over there?” asked the short, skinny one.

“Of course there is. Why would I lie to you?” The man responding was slightly irritated by his companion’s doubt. “Actually, I found that place a while ago, but there are lots of monkeys guarding it...”

“Just a few monkeys scare you?” The first speaker asked again.

“Not a few! It’s a whole troop of monkeys!” The man grew more agitated. “Do you know where this is? This is the Emerald Forest! Every kind of species lives here, and don’t even mention monkeys. Even if a little white rabbit was right in front of you, you’d have to consider whether it could kill you in one strike...”

“I don’t buy that. If ten thousand monkeys are standing there, do you really have the guts to charge in? By the way, do you still want me to take you there or not? If you want to go, stop asking so many questions!”

Though the short man was a bit unnerved, he felt somewhat reassured. After thinking for a moment, he decided to change his approach: “There are a lot of sunset flowers nearby, right?”

“Absolutely. From what I’ve observed, sunset flowers like to grow in warm, humid places like that.” Perhaps pleased to be asked about his expertise, the man became smug again. “And now that the weather’s warming up, those monkeys will probably retreat back into the deep southern forest. There shouldn’t be any monsters nearby that can threaten us...”

“It’s better to be cautious. I heard a few days ago a team encountered wild boars at the forest’s edge. They were chased all the way to the border, and in the end, one of them couldn’t escape death.” He sighed. “There was a post on the forum about it, full of sorrow and tears—it was heartbreaking to read...”

“Oh, I heard about that too,” said the other man. “That team had three people in armor, and one even had an iron shield. That’s pretty strong for the beginner village. Don’t even know where he got it...” He muttered quietly, then frowned. “But encountering wild boars near the forest edge like that is really rare. I’ve never heard of it before. Usually, those big guild teams hunt those creatures deep inside the forest, spending a lot of time and effort...”

“So, we probably don’t need to worry,” his companion said. “If we encounter one, we’d have to be really lucky... Hey, did you hear that?”

As he spoke, the other man had already stopped walking, eyes wide, staring intently in one direction.

“What’s wrong?” The first man looked that way too, and saw a figure sprinting through the trees, heading toward them.

The person seemed to be carrying something—or rather, someone—in his arms. As he drew closer, the two realized it was a person, struggling desperately.

Robbery? Kidnapping? Some kind of performance art?

Their doubts were abruptly swept away by a thunderous sound approaching.

They watched, stunned, as the running figure dashed past them on the left. Behind him came a massive wild boar, roaring and thundering after him. The boar’s red eyes were fixed straight ahead, not even glancing at the two bystanders.

Like a sudden storm passing through, several voices ran off in the direction the men had come from. Amid the chaos scattered across the ground, the two exchanged wary glances. After a moment, the short man broke the silence: “Wanna buy a lottery ticket?”

“Uh... Actually, I want to ask... do you still want to go to the hot spring?”

“Yeah, do we keep going or not...?”

The fallen leaves, stirred up by the storm, slowly drifted past them. Most settled back to the ground, but a few floated off toward the source of the commotion.

*******************

“Ouch... you, you bastard!”

Being casually held in a man’s arms was hard for any girl to accept. But as a modern young woman in this new age, moments like these called for setting aside feminine reserve. So her curses were not because of any lecherous intent from Duan Qing.

At this moment, she was once again thrown to the ground.

From Meng Zhu’s perspective, given Duan Qing’s novice strength, escaping a wild boar’s pursuit while holding someone was nearly impossible. Meng Zhu’s level and stats were stronger than Duan Qing’s, yet she barely lasted a few rounds against the boar, let alone Duan Qing while carrying her. Just holding her drained his stamina much faster than usual, not to mention fighting.

So, to escape, Duan Qing used every trick he had. He would often put Meng Zhu down, run back to lure the boar into a brief tussle, then return unharmed amidst its deafening roars, scoop up Meng Zhu’s soft body, and continue fleeing. Sometimes he didn’t have time for this cycle’s first step and had to do what he was doing now—just throw Meng Zhu out.

Though he tried to be gentle, throwing a severely injured person who was in pain was surely agonizing. The first time Meng Zhu was thrown, shock overwhelmed fear. Later, anger took over. Amidst pain and curses at Duan Qing, she barely noticed how he had narrowly escaped death several times.

This time was no different—though pain was nearly blinding her.

Throw, pivot, dash forward, then suddenly stop—just ahead, the charging boar’s figure loomed larger!

“A bluff charge...”

Duan Qing leapt right to the side with his last ounce of strength. The huge boar stopped where Duan Qing had just stood, its massive body’s gust blowing him back.

Rolling with the momentum, he stood again and carefully edged right, slowly circling the boar while watching its twisting body. When its enormous head nearly faced him, he accelerated his movement.

“Don’t go behind it...”

He silently reminded himself, scanning the surroundings with peripheral vision for an escape.

Anything would do—trees, huge rocks, preferably a deep pool...

Roots, vines, bushes, ravines... To shake off the ever-angrier boar with bloodshot eyes, he had already used every obstacle along the way. The last time he escaped, he used a seemingly solid boulder, tricking the boar into crashing into it. He thought it would stun the beast for a while, but the flying debris was spectacularly destructive—just recalling it made his face twitch.

The big tree the boar crashed into while attacking Meng Zhu—could it be an “iron tree”?

He guessed maliciously, then glanced toward a spot he’d chosen: a fallen tree with withered branches, lying there for some time.

He hopped left and right, not putting much distance between him and the boar. The beast kept swiping with its tusks, seeming to dance with Duan Qing.

They bounced like this, slowly approaching the fallen tree. Duan Qing, seeing the space behind it, smirked mischievously.

Leaping, he dashed beside the fallen tree, creating distance from the surprised boar, then flipped over to the other side. Turning, he planted himself, grabbed a branch, and held it horizontally before his chest, facing the boar. “I’m going to defend now. Come hit me...”

The fool predictably jumped.

*******************

Unlike Meng Zhu’s rushed state, Duan Qing had a fleeting moment to recover some stamina. He lunged forward, falling to the ground.

The boar’s bulky body soared over the sky, the tree trunk, and over Duan Qing’s head, then crashed straight into a pit behind.

“Too stupid...” Duan Qing muttered.

The pit looked natural, with some unknown plants and mushrooms growing inside—clearly there for a while. The boar hadn’t expected the pit; its landing was awkward, and its wide red eyes showed a flicker of panic.

“Boom!”

The sound of earth being struck rang out. Duan Qing didn’t turn to gloat over the boar’s hard landing, instead slowly jogging back to where he had thrown Meng Zhu. She was still lying there, struggling lightly. He scooped her up and continued running toward the forest’s edge.

As expected, Meng Zhu’s complaints echoed again.

“You don’t know what it means to cherish a lady? That really hurt! Please don’t throw me to the ground like that next time, okay? No, better yet—no next time at all...”

Whether from resignation or injury, Meng Zhu’s voice grew faint. She knew this was the best outcome the man could manage now. Until they were safely out of danger, this ordeal might repeat itself—meaning she’d probably be thrown a few more times...

The earth-shaking sound and furious howling came again, proof the boar hadn’t given up.

“Phew, it really won’t quit...” Duan Qing panted from the prolonged tension. “Last time I saw someone chased to the forest edge—it ended with death...”

Thinking back to his early days in the game, Duan Qing quickened his pace. Ahead, the light suddenly brightened, and through the sparse trees, he saw the green meadow beyond the forest’s edge.

Victory was within reach, but the howling behind grew louder.

A tremendous roar came from behind; without looking back, Duan Qing sensed the boar charging again. But unlike before, the acceleration point was much farther back!

For some reason, a mental image of a player rushing out of the woods when he first entered the game flashed through his mind. Suddenly inspired, he stomped his foot, darted toward the nearest tree, then, ignoring Meng Zhu’s startled cries, threw her out once more.

Having been held all this time, Meng Zhu had no idea what Duan Qing sensed in those seconds. It was only when she was flung through the air, a brown shadow flashing past her eyes, that she realized she was flying past the edge of a tree trunk.

“Do you really want to kill me by throwing me like this...?” she thought bitterly, bracing for the pain of landing again. But this time, a sharper stimulus hit her brain, stronger than the pain of falling.

The deafening roar, the heavy impact, and the crackling of breaking branches all came at once. The tree that had just brushed past her shattered under the force.

The trees at the forest’s edge were sturdier than those deeper inside, so this one broke without surprise. Struggling through the pain, Meng Zhu shifted slightly, narrowly avoiding becoming the first player killed by a falling tree in the open world.

Not far behind, the huge head rocked twice, as if trying to shake off dizziness from the impact. Then, the bloodshot terrifying eyes fixed on the purple figure struggling to crawl away on the ground.

This prey looked familiar...

Realizing her movements couldn’t fool the boar, Meng Zhu gave up struggling. Gritting her teeth, she rolled onto her back, facing the sky. Staring at the tusks nearly as long as her body, she appeared resigned but her scream still trembled: “You bastard! Using me as bait! I’ll remember you! If you just run away, I’ll—”

The beast’s breath sprayed across her face, mingling with its drool and its menacing head, silencing her words. The boar locked its blood-red eyes on its prey, then—suddenly nodded.

A stone bounced off its head, flew past Meng Zhu’s eyes, and rolled away behind.

“Hey, hey, I’ve been saving you all along...” Duan Qing stood up from nearby, breathless but resolute. He pulled out a jagged stone and hurled it at the boar. With a “clang,” the boar’s head jerked slightly.

“Don’t know if you can understand me, but this seems appropriate...” Duan Qing caught his breath and took a deep breath.

“You son of a thief!” he shouted.

Startled, the boar slowly turned its head, eyes fixed on Duan Qing. The red in its eyes deepened into a fierce crimson.

“Uh-oh, this looks... bad...” Duan Qing muttered, then turned and ran.

Dust clouded as the boar charged. Meng Zhu’s tense body finally relaxed. Though she’d acted fearless before, the thought of dying was terrifying. She spread her arms, lay flat, breathed heavily, and murmured, “That was thrilling... but why did you run back into the woods...?”

She turned her head, looking toward the dust-filled direction. “Why...?”

******************

Duan Qing had a reason for running into the woods.

Though at the forest’s edge, there was still some distance, and trees grew sparser near the border. If the beast charged like before, escape would be unlikely.

Besides, after all this noise, there was probably no one inside the woods.

He ran toward a spot he’d noted earlier: an excellent terrain feature. He kept an eye on the boar, maintaining a safe distance. The boar charged; as usual, Duan Qing dodged and weaved, then used a tree to entangle the beast. Though strong, the boar’s known moves were limited, and Duan Qing felt he had a good grasp of its attack cues. It was essentially a strong, simple-minded animal.

Well, except for that last charge. That one demanded reevaluation.

In any case, the monster was still within normal bounds. Handling it with conventional methods would suffice... he thought, stopping by two closely spaced trees with a nearly two-meter gap between.

“So narrow, it should get stuck...” Duan Qing leaned against one tree, catching his breath and waiting for the boar. When the beast burst out from behind another tree, Duan Qing dashed toward the gap.

Distance was right. Now, will you charge or jump...?

He thought this as a roar came from behind.

“Come on, little boar, into the pot you go...” he muttered, gritting his teeth, then sprinted through the gap. The sudden burst drained his stamina instantly. Using his last strength, he lunged forward and rolled several times before stopping.

The crash and the boar’s roar came simultaneously. Duan Qing looked back: the boar’s barrel-shaped body, thick in the middle and tapered at the ends, predictably jammed in the gap.

He sighed, then laughed loudly. “Hahaha, poor pig general, you think I’m one of those dumbasses you slaughtered...”

His laughter abruptly stopped.

To Duan Qing’s astonishment, the boar dug its front hooves hard, and with a series of grunts, “pop,” it pulled itself free from the gap.

******************

The boar shook its bulky body, then hopped back and forth like stretching after exercise. Its eyes curved in scorn—looking at the prey that had toyed with it all this time. Judging by its practiced movements, this wasn’t the first time.

“Definitely a freak with some brains...” Duan Qing’s mouth hung open in surprise. “And it knows how to taunt...”

The pig general shook itself, then circled around the trees. It regarded Duan Qing, who was slowly rising, with interested eyes, snorted twice, tusks swinging, eyes raised, as if to say, “Come on, try to run again.”

Duan Qing backed up slowly, eyeing the approaching boar. “I’m telling you, don’t mess with me...”

The boar snorted.

“If you keep pushing me, I’ll call for help...”

The boar snorted again.

“Don’t go too far... Fine, you win.” He kept his distance and drew his short sword.

His eyes closed slowly as his body relaxed. He breathed out, then opened his eyes, which suddenly blazed with fierce determination. “You look down on me even though you’re just a pig. How can I stand that? You think I came here just to ambush you?”

Duan Qing held his sword horizontally and swung it to the right. The boar lowered its head, tusks aimed forward.

“I came here... because no one can see us.”

He charged with his sword.

According to his experience, the boar changed tactics and made a forward butt. Duan Qing sidestepped and spun around; the tusks grazed his back by a hair’s breadth. He pushed off with his right foot, shifted left forward, spun once, and slashed with his sword using the twisting force of his waist.

A spinning slash!

The sword’s arc cut through the air, leaving a deep bloodied gash on the boar’s rough right side hide.

“Damn...” Duan Qing cursed inwardly, then jumped back several times before the boar could sweep.

If a professional player were here, they would applaud that strike. But if the village blacksmith were watching, he’d probably just shake his head and sigh at how weak it was.

“Thick skin...” Duan Qing muttered. After some days adapting to the game, he felt he had decent control over his body. That spinning slash probably had about seventy to eighty percent power. But the absolute difference in attributes couldn’t be overcome by skill alone.

Still, after all these years, Duan Qing no longer thought of giving up easily. As the boar inhaled slightly, he charged again. Having studied the boar’s defense, he altered his tactics, seeking new openings.

“If this game is realistic enough, you must have weaknesses...”

After several dodges, he closed in again. The boar stopped roaring and swung its head in a slanted swipe.

A mysterious shadow flashed. Duan Qing’s feet tapped rapidly, accelerating, moving behind the boar, then standing still with sword ready. Seeing the boar unprepared, he stabbed downward.

A thrust!

The sword tip pierced slightly, but the boar spun sharply, nearly knocking the weapon away.

“Not the back...” Duan Qing’s face was expressionless. “Well, just let’s bleed you a bit.”

After exchanging a few more moves, Duan Qing circled the boar again. This time he kept a rapid pace, casually slashing at the boar. No matter how agile the boar was, it couldn’t handle such speed. Its turning was delayed, making evasion difficult. Its back, front and hind legs, and belly all suffered many cuts. Although none were fatal, some blood splattered.

Perhaps annoyed by the non-lethal attacks or sensing death instinctively, the boar’s eyes turned fully crimson. It suddenly rose, raising both front hooves high while shifting its back legs. Its front hooves pointed down at Duan Qing, who now appeared small and vulnerable below the looming glare, as if ready to crush him in one blow.

Duan Qing moved twice, confirming the boar was aiming with that stance. A strange thought crossed his mind: “What’s this? No more letting me circle behind? Don’t underestimate me...”

He crept closer, planning to rush behind the boar while it shifted its legs. But as he neared, the boar’s eyes flashed fiercely, and its massive body slammed down.

“Boom!”

Leaves whirled around in the gust as a massive shockwave burst outward, with Duan Qing’s small figure at the center. Though he dodged the direct strike, the aftershock threw him like a skipping stone, bouncing several times before crashing into a tree.

The impact forced him to spit blood, but he rolled quickly and gritted his teeth to stand. This hit drained almost all his health, and his back ached terribly. Unlike Meng Zhu, Duan Qing showed no signs of giving up. His eyes burned brighter with determination. He checked his health and slowly gathered stamina, shrugged his shoulders, and an idea flashed through his mind.

After the dust settled, the boar stood upright again, the two pairs of eyes glaring fiercely at Duan Qing.

It was clearly aiming for relentless suppression... But this move wasn’t flawless; only if...

The prey’s expected panic didn’t appear. The boar approached again with small steps. Duan Qing matched the boar’s “aiming” movement, slowly luring it sideways.

He measured the distance, stepping back carefully while the boar shuffled forward. The delicate balance held a few seconds before breaking. Duan Qing stepped forward then leapt back.

In front of him, the huge shadow struck down again, the shockwave stirring dust in all directions. The force seemed even stronger than before, but Duan Qing knew the truly threatening moment had passed.

His body flew out and, as expected, his back slammed against a tree. He had calculated the position and distance, adjusted his defense, so after the hit, he still had 8% health left. He spread his arms, arched his back against the tree, and as he began to slip down, planted his feet on the trunk like a coiled spring.

The next moment, the spring exploded. Timing caught the boar off guard—it hadn’t yet stood.

“I heard you’re really smart...” Amid the dust, Duan Qing lunged to the boar’s front and stabbed his sword down. “I heard you look down on people...”

The familiar roar sounded again, but this time it was painful and sharp—

The sword struck precisely into the boar’s eye.