An Ambush in the Woods

The next few weeks passed in a blur of soft routines and simple victories.

Aelira and I spent most of our days gathering herbs and hunting the occasional small-fry monsters around Eastmere. Nothing too dramatic—just enough action to keep our skills sharp and our coin pouches steadily growing. She was hesitant about the mace at first, but day by day, she warmed up to it. The weapon suited her natural strength far better than a sword ever had, and the grin she gave each time she floored a creature with a single swing was proof enough.

As for me, things were going surprisingly well.

We both ranked up to F-class with the guild, and I had accumulated over 3,500 XP—just five hundred shy of reaching E-rank. My name had crept up the guild board too, now sitting comfortably at Rank 2,352. Still nothing flashy, but enough to feel like I belonged.

The town had slowly started to feel like home.

Between jobs, I made sure to spend my downtime where it mattered most. Helping Tilly practice her "sword" swings in the backyard, sharing quiet meals with Aelira and Marla, and occasionally treating myself at the Hearthleaf Kitchen whenever the craving for garlic glazed mountain boar kicked in. I even kept up my book habit—thanks to Burun's store, where I must've bought half the books by now. From histories of Elarwyn to obscure writings on magic theory and mana core growth, I soaked it all up like a sponge.

I'd managed to save up quite a bit too—1,150 cens tucked safely away, edging me closer to my goal of affording the permanent Mana Enhancement scroll I'd had my eye on. It was slow going, but steady, and I was fine with that.

For the first time since I'd landed in this strange new world, things felt... stable.

Comfortable, even.

The chaos of my sudden arrival had faded into the background, replaced by the rhythms of daily life. The unfamiliar faces in Eastmere had become neighbors, friends. My room at Marla's felt like a real place to return to. I had warm meals, laughter, plans. I wasn't just surviving anymore—I was living.

But life has a funny way of shifting just when you start to settle in.

And deep down, I knew that peace like this never lasted forever.

So when the wind began to change, I wasn't surprised.

I just hoped I'd be ready for whatever came next.

***

It was supposed to be another easy day.

Aelira and I had fallen into a routine—gathering herbs, hunting horned rabbits, and turning the whole affair into a half-serious training session for her. She'd gotten shockingly good with the mace, landing blows with a satisfying thunk that sent the rabbits tumbling unconscious instead of… well, squished. I still had to remind her occasionally. Not that it stopped her from humming like she was out for a walk in a flower field.

"Why do I get the feeling you're just pointing at random bushes and hoping something jumps out?" she teased, wiping her forehead with the back of her hand.

"Because I'm naturally gifted at educated guessing?" I shot back with a smug smile.

"Mhm." She narrowed her eyes and crouched near a patch of grass I'd marked. Sure enough, another rabbit popped out like it heard its name and got bonked into dreamland a second later.

Aelira blinked. "Okay, every guess of yours is spot on. How?"

"Luck," I replied, far too quickly.

She gave me the look. The I-don't-believe-you-but-I'll-let-it-slide look.

We both laughed it off, content with the rhythm we'd built.

But then, it happened.

A ripple.

Not the gentle, ambient pulse of rabbits or birds or harmless critters. This was something else. Like a stone had been hurled into my mana detection pool. Deep. Heavy. Wrong.

I stopped mid-step, my body going stiff.

"What is it?" Aelira asked, noticing my sudden halt.

I didn't answer immediately, eyes narrowing in the direction the ripple had come from. It wasn't close yet, but it was moving—and fast.

"We need to move. Now."

She blinked. "Again with the spooky sixth sense. Seriously, how do you—?"

"Just trust me, please."

That got her attention. I wasn't smiling, wasn't joking. She nodded immediately, tightening her grip on her mace. We turned on our heels and started back toward the direction of the trail.

But then I felt it again.

Another ripple.

No… not again. My head snapped toward the side path ahead—something was coming from there too. Closing in.

"Aelira—!"

Too late.

Two figures burst through the underbrush like runaway carts. Massive. Familiar. And absolutely the last things we wanted to see.

Horned boars.

But these weren't your average garden-variety types. These beasts were almost twice the size of the one we'd faced weeks ago. Tusks longer, eyes fiercer, muscles rippling like they were carved from mountain stone. They skidded to a halt on either side of us, snorting, pawing at the ground.

Aelira took a step back. "That… is not a rabbit."

"Yeah, I noticed."

"We've been strictly avoiding boars ever since that incident!"

"I know, Aelira!"

We stood back to back as the boars growled, lowering their heads. One snapped its jaws toward us, the tusks slicing air.

No witty remarks came to mind this time.

We were surrounded.

And this time, we weren't getting out of it so easily.

***

With both boars blocking any escape, I exhaled sharply, calming my racing heart.

"We're not getting out of this one by running," I muttered, tightening my grip.

Aelira nodded, her usual light-heartedness gone. "Then we fight."

I reached into my Inventory and pulled out the sword I'd bought from Elder Borik. This would be my first real fight wielding it. I didn't have time for doubts.

Alright… let's see if all that scroll study actually pays off.

Closing my eyes for a second, I activated my Strength Enhancement. A rush of power surged through me, as if my muscles had just remembered a version of myself that never existed in this life. My mana burned fast—but it worked.

Then, I let the sword technique take over.

The moment I stepped forward, my body moved with a clarity and grace that stunned me. My feet glided over the forest floor, the blade responding to my thoughts before I could even fully form them.

What the… am I actually doing this?

It was like my body remembered something my mind didn't. Each movement flowed into the next—strikes, parries, and sidesteps as natural as breathing.

The boar charged.

I met it head-on.

The blade moved faster than I expected, catching the beast's shoulder, then darting aside just in time to avoid a tusk. My enhanced strength gave the strikes impact, and the sword's craftsmanship sang in every clash.

Three clean cuts. One well-placed slash across the throat.

The boar collapsed with a loud, final grunt.

Chest heaving, I turned toward Aelira, a triumphant yell forming—only to stop cold.

She wasn't winning.

She was struggling.

Her mace slammed down hard, but the boar barely flinched. Its hide looked… different. Thicker. Almost metallic. She was panting, feet skidding as she tried to keep up with the beast's heavy strikes.

"Come on—!" she growled, swinging again. The blow landed—clunk—and bounced right off.

That's not normal.

I narrowed my eyes and focused, quickly casting Appraisal.

Species: Armored Boar – Variant

Threat Level: High F-tier

Notes: Resistant to blunt force; vulnerable to piercing attacks beneath the neck armor

Armored boar?! Seriously?!

"No wonder she's struggling…"

I didn't think. I just moved.

Mana still coursed through my limbs as I dashed toward them. Aelira spotted me from the corner of her eye, confused.

"Mr. Kaito!?"

"Keep its attention!" I shouted, racing in.

As the boar lunged for her again, she raised her mace with both hands, blocking it with a grunt. The impact forced her back, boots digging into the dirt.

But she held.

I ducked under its flank and slid across the grass, coming up right beneath its exposed chest.

One deep breath.

This better work.

With all my remaining strength, I drove the blade up—straight into the softer underside, just behind the front leg. The beast let out a monstrous howl, staggered, then fell with a heavy crash beside us.

I stumbled back, breathless. My enhancement flickered and died. Legs shaking.

"Are you okay?" I asked, turning to Aelira.

She looked at me, panting, sweat running down her forehead. "What… was that?"

I didn't answer.

I couldn't tell her I'd appraised the thing in mid-fight. Not yet.

So I just smiled.

"Teamwork."

She blinked, then laughed, still half in shock. "Remind me to never doubt your hunches again."

I grinned, barely able to stay upright.

Yeah… I'm definitely gonna feel this tomorrow.

***

We decided to withdraw immediately.

The hunt could wait.

Dragging two horned boar corpses through the forest wasn't something either of us was equipped to do… not even my inventory, so we made a brief stop at the guild to request transportation for the bodies. Lisa said she'd arrange for a pickup and mark the location on the map. I left it at that, too drained to say more.

My body felt like a wrung-out towel.

No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't activate my passive skills anymore. Not even Inventory. A soft pressure throbbed in my chest—my mana core was probably dry as a bone. I'd never felt it this empty before.

So this is my limit, huh?

I glanced at Aelira as we walked back. She was quiet for once, lost in thought.

Then she broke the silence.

"You were amazing back there, Mr. Kaito. I didn't know you were that good with a sword." Her eyes sparkled with admiration—and something else too. Pride?

"Ahh… I get lucky sometimes," I shrugged.

She didn't know I'd learned a skill scroll. For her, I was just a spatial-path adventurer with a decent sword arm and a weirdly sharp sixth sense.

I was not a liar, but not exactly honest either. But it was not my fault that the goddess sealed my lips.

Still, I smiled. "Guess I've got more tricks than I thought."

She nodded, clearly impressed. "And here I was thinking I'd be the one saving you."

"Well, you did… Just with your presence," I teased.

She rolled her eyes, but her smile stayed.

Inside, though, I was doing calculations.

If I had been alone… would I have made it?

Probably not. My Strength Enhancement lasted barely long enough for one boar. I had no spare mana left for anything else. The sword technique helped me move efficiently, but without mana, I'd be a sitting duck.

I needed to enhance my mana core.

Fast.

And maybe pick up a few more low-cost tricks for backup—non-combat ones. Something sustainable. Being a one-hit wonder won't cut it if I want to keep living in this world.

But for now, we'd survived. That was enough.

It was the first time since my very first job that I'd returned without completing a quest.

But I wasn't disappointed.

We made it back alive—and sometimes, that was the only success that mattered.

The rabbits could wait.

Tomorrow was another day.

*****