Roaring Boar

The Roaring Boar lived up to its name as it opened its mouth and let out a deafening roar when it charged. Just hearing it made Nick weak in the knees and full of despair. He couldn't even think of running away.

The only thing he felt was that his house suddenly felt fragile. In front of the large boar, it would be like a straw hut.

He understood why they were called monster kings. This was an animal above all others. It was as big as a moose, and just looking at it made Nick regret waking up that day.

It was halfway across the clearing, and Nick had already started wondering where to put his bed in the afterlife.

However, before he could get that far in reality, a shadow lunged from the side, leaping onto the boar's back and sinking its long, sharp claws into the boar's thick hide. The shadow was heavy enough that it pulled the boar aside and managed to bring it down on its side.

But the boar wouldn't just go down that easily. It rolled over on the other side and used the momentum to get back up, forcing the shadowy figure to jump away or get flattened into a pancake.

The shadow figure landed several strides away and stood still long enough for Nick to see what it was.

It was a black panther. Its head and front were lowered, and it showed its teeth with a rasping hiss that sent chills down Nick's soaked spine. There was a gash on its side. It was an injury that looked like it was a couple of days old.

This was the monster king that had fought with the Roaring Boar once already. Based on its appearance, it was probably the Midnight Panther.

Nick's eyes widened in realization.

The Midnight Panther was his nightly visitor.

That was the only thing that made sense.

It was weak after taking a beating from the Roaring Boar. Although it was a monster king, it couldn't risk hunting in its injured state. But Nick had left some food out for it that it didn't have to struggle or fight to secure.

Whether it was repaying Nick's unintended kindness or taking revenge on the Roaring Boar, the Midnight Panther was fighting the boar and stopping it from attacking the house and Nick.

The Midnight Panther and the Roaring Boar glared at each other for several tense seconds.

They both stood at the apex of Tiabe Forest. They didn't need to fight. There was nothing to gain from doing so.

But the Midnight Panther had avoided a fight with the Roaring Boar for another reason.

It was because it was weaker.

It was an ambush predator that relied on its stealth and the cover of night to hunt its prey.

The boar was a living tank. It didn't matter if it was ambushed or not. It didn't care. It was too tough. The Midnight Panther's claws had sunk deep into its thick hide but barely managed to draw blood.

The Midnight Panther would have to risk its life just to injure the Roaring Boar. It was not even wroth trying.

The Roaring Boar, on the other hand, was strong enough that it could easily trample the Midnight Panther as long as it got its hooves on it. It didn't have a reason to fight, but at the same time, it didn't have a reason not to fight.

The only thing keeping the Midnight Panther alive was its superior agility. The Roaring Boar couldn't catch up, especially when the Panther took to the trees.

But now, for whatever reason, the Midnight Panther was on the ground, ready to take the fight.

The Roaring Boar didn't mind and charged again. But it didn't run at full speed. It held back a little. When the Midnight Panther darted to the side to try and circle around the Roaring Boar and attack it from behind, the Roaring Boar was ready and just turned on the spot to chase after the Midnight Panther.

The Midnight Panther had to pull in its tail and jerk away its rear to avoid having a chunk of it taken away by the Raoring Boar's tusks. They had already scratched it once. The Midnight Panther was not going to let it happen again.

It dashed away as quickly as it could in a straight line.

The Roaring Boar looked at the swiveling tail as the Midnight Panther disappeared into the forest. It snorted with an audible puff of air.

It was not going to chase after the Midnight Panther. It knew it couldn't catch up. It was different in the open space of the clearing. But as soon as they entered the forest, the Midnight Panther could seize the advantage or flee to the ends of the world without the boar ever catching up.

So, instead of continuing to think about that, the boar turned around and focused on what it had come for. It looked at the house and its inhabitants.

How dare they intrude on its turf?

The boar scratched its hoof against the ground.

The Midnight Panther turned around and saw that the boar wasn't charging after it. It looked at the house.

If the boar tore it down and killed its inhabitants, it wouldn't get any more sausage. It wasn't the end of the world, but it was a tragedy.

However, it was powerless to do anything about the boar.

It sneaked out of the clearing and soundlessly crept up behind the boar. It flexed its claws. Before the boar could smell it, the Midnight Panther lashed out with a paw against the boar's hind ankle, trying to sever the tendon there. If it couldn't run, it was no longer a threat, and the Midnight Panther could take its time whittling it down.

The Midnight Panther's claws sank into the boar's leg. The boar reacted instantly with a yelp and jerked forward before the Midnight Panther could retract its claws. The boar pulled the panther along as it ran forward, its legs kicking the panther in the head.