Chapter 19 - Slaughter

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Sitting on the thick branch of the tree, the boy's thoughts of guilt and uncertainty are abruptly interrupted the moment he spots a creature in the distance, near a lightly illuminated area of the forest.

A boar.

The creature stands about one meter and eighty centimeters tall, covered in coarse black fur. Despite the darkness, its eyes flicker due to the reflection of the moonlight, giving them a greenish hue.

The boar, distracted, seems to be devouring the remains of a deer carcass. He eats quickly, and the sound that echoes is undoubtedly disturbing, — very much like a malfunctioning washing machine.

Though initially startled by the scene, the boy gets up and begins to move stealthily forward until he gets closer to the animal.

Excellent...

In Rei's eyes, this is a golden opportunity.

Even if there were some plants and fruit-bearing trees in the area, they wouldn't be enough to feed Kazuki, Mia, Takayo and even the merchant.

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...

Never, in a million years, had the student imagined himself in a situation like this, sneaking with soft steps toward a wild creature.

If this were his world, he would surely be considered crazy... Although he'd probably do it anyway, depending on the context.

The closer he got to his goal, the more insecurity, fear and other factors began to assault him, but just like before, he continued to move forward.

After all, the boy could rely on his abilities-there was no real risk or potential for death.

"If I can kill a Demogorge, why not a creature like this...?"

He thinks quickly, trying to suppress his insecurity about his powers.

Sensing something, the boar suddenly turns and finds the boy only a few meters away.

The student hesitates, as if surprised by the creature's sudden reaction, but surprisingly, he doesn't run away, instead staring at it.

That was an extremely quick reaction...

Maybe it was the sense of smell?

Extrasensory perception?

Or perhaps heat detection?

In the worst-case scenario, maybe the creature was evolved or highly intelligent. However, at this point, none of that matters anymore.

Rei moves forward until he is directly in front of it, and without much concern, he utters a new ability.

[Imprisonment]

Roots sprouted from the ground and wrapped around the boar, restraining its strength and completely paralyzing it, covering its entire body with vines.

The creature, on the other hand, struggles to break free… But in the end, its attempt fails miserably.

"Huh... That easy?"

"Well, what was I expecting, after all."

The student rubs his chin with his index finger as he looks at the status screen that has just appeared.

The question is: now what? How is he going to kill it?

Using the Black Orb ability wouldn't be effective. The poor creature would be disintegrated.

The Root Ability? It doesn't seem like an offensive skill, more like a support skill.

Maybe Freezing Bolt? But the boar would freeze completely, turning into ice cream.

...Shit.

The best and most plausible solution is to use Creation.

Even though Rei considers Creation to be overpowered, the mental exhaustion from using it is extremely taxing.

In the end, judging by these minor setbacks, the ability isn't all that advantageous.

"Damn... Looks like there's no other way."

[Creation]

As soon as he utters the ability, the boy imagines the object with all its basic characteristics and details.

[System]

[Failure]

[Insufficient skills to create object(s)].

"..."

"Well, what was I expecting... Creating a weapon would be crazy."

He thinks and accepts the result.

"Looks like there's no other choice. I'll have to do it the conventional way."

[Create]

[Object successfully created!]

[Iron Dagger]

...

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Reluctantly, knowing what to do next, the boy approaches the boar with an extremely hesitant expression.

Rolling up the sleeves of his silk shirt, he grabs the dagger in his hand and positions it at the boar's neck.

Swallow.

"No turning back now..."

As the silence continues, cold sweat forms on his back, running down to his fists. And it's especially strange when he realizes that he has to kill a living being with his own hands.

Without looking away, Rei puts all his strength into his left hand and with a quick and precise cut, he feels the boar's skin slice open like a piece of cake.

The cut is quick and clean, sending blood spurting in all directions. The creature howls for a few moments, then stops struggling.

Maybe the Strength attribute played a role, or maybe the dagger he created was just really sharp.

It's likely that a combination of the two influenced the final result.

The boy's intention was to make it as painless as possible, but his efforts were in vain.

— Nothing personal, just a matter of survival.

— Rest in peace.

After a few words of reflection, the student runs his hand over his face, unable to believe that he had the courage to go through with it.

With trembling hands, he stands up and tries to calm himself, unaware of the tension running through his entire body.

"I did it. Shit, what did I just do?"

The boy slaps his hands lightly against his face, trying to snap out of the trance.

The sensation of wet flesh being cut repeatedly hammers into his mind.

"Wake up."

"It's getting dark... I have to act quickly. Wake up, Rei."

Even though his psyche was stable and he tried his best to appear strong, he was still human...

Things like this would affect anyone who considered themselves rational and emotional.

...

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[5 minutes later]

After a few minutes of collecting himself, the boy examines the body of the creature on the ground.

"The boar is too big, I won't be able to carry it..."

"What was I thinking...?"

Rei is momentarily disturbed by the thought that he might not be able to transport it, but after analyzing the situation with a clearer mind, he remembers that he has his telekinesis and his ability to animate objects.