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Join the Server“Huh? Did a wolf appear?”
As far as I knew, monsters didn’t appear near the cliff.
Yet there was screaming like this.
Moreover, from the last line, I could recall the identity of the person screaming.
‘Was that the user digging the ground earlier?’
Before I met Jackson.
The user who was digging in front of the cliff, chasing me away saying it was his spot.
I was certain it was his voice.
“Let’s go take a look!”
“Indeed!”
We ran toward the source of the scream.
Since it was an area with few trees to begin with, I quickly identified the screaming user and the cause.
“…A boar?”
“Mister! Please save me! That boar, my potential hidden item!”
“GWOEK!”
It wasn’t an ordinary boar.
It was a massive boar, its size comparable to Jackson’s hut.
‘I’ve never heard of something like this in the training ground hunting area.’
The boar was digging up the ground the screaming user had been excavating.
The user was trying to protect it somehow.
But there was no way a trainee could stand up to such a massive boar.
“Gah!”
“Gwoek!”
With a light charge from the boar, the user logged out.
Watching this, Jackson spoke in a trembling voice.
“Th-the Reckless Tusker! That’s the one!”
“The Reckless Tusker?”
“It’s the one I was going to send you to for the test. The monster that could be called the master of this forest!”
A monster for a test.
That meant it was a boss monster that had respawned the moment I met Jackson.
Was it because it heard Jackson’s startled voice?
The boar turned its head and looked toward where Jackson and I were standing.
Then it began charging without hesitation.
True to its name Reckless Tusker, it lowered its massive tusks.
“Summon Salamander—no, Chorong!”
Whoosh!
‘So this was what he was going to make me catch?’
I had felt it during the trials inside the cliff too, but this quest seemed deliberately designed to be impossible.
Just by looking, it was clear that this was not something a trainee could handle.
Even if they tried to overwhelm it with numbers, it wasn’t a monster that trainees could deal with.
“Mr. Jackson! Get back!”
CRASH!
“Gasp! Thank you!”
I pushed Jackson to the side while barely dodging the boar’s charge.
A simple charge.
But given its size, its range was far too wide.
It looked difficult to dodge by simply rolling just before the attack.
‘Can I catch it? No, I have to catch it!’
I could easily run away.
But Jackson was the problem.
Against this surprisingly fast boar, it seemed difficult for the two of us to escape unscathed.
As soon as I made up my mind, the boar turned toward me again.
“Chorong! Attack it! Aim for its head as much as possible!”
– Kkyuuu!
Whoosh!
The moment Chorong released flames, my mana began to drain rapidly.
The firepower was on a completely different level from when cooking.
Right now, Chorong’s attack was at a level impossible for a trainee to use in the first place.
Without the ‘Mana Consumption Reduction’ effect that had appeared when I gave it a name, my mana would have disappeared in an instant.
At the same time Chorong spewed flames, I threw myself toward a nearby tree.
“GWOEK!”
The damage to the boar wasn’t great.
But wild animals in the forest instinctively fear fire.
So it charged behind a large tree to avoid the flames.
And right above that tree,
I was already there, having predicted the boar’s movement.
“I was waiting!”
Slice!
“GWOEK!”
“Tch!”
Using the momentum from jumping down from the tree, I slashed deeply into its flank.
But perhaps due to the overwhelming stat difference?
The wound left on it wasn’t very deep.
“The rustling leaves, the dense trees. The sturdy roots that support them. Binding!”
Creak!
I had already anticipated that a direct attack wouldn’t work well.
So I recited the incantation I had memorized in advance, and with most of my remaining mana draining away, the boar’s legs were bound.
Just one spirit skill and one spell.
That alone exhausted most of my mana.
Even though my stats had risen slightly, this was a moment where I keenly felt the limitations of being a trainee.
“Gwoek? Gwoiiik!”
It was flustered by its legs being bound by tree roots.
But it wouldn’t hold out for long.
The roots were already being roughly torn out, making dangerous sounds.
Stab, stab!
In the meantime, I stabbed my sword into its wounded flank.
Before the binding came undone, I needed to stack as much damage as possible.
After about four stabs,
Crack!
“Squeal! GWOEK!”
Thud!
The tree roots tore away, and the boar’s body rolled forward.
Suddenly freed, it couldn’t control its momentum.
– Master! Cooking Swordplay!
“Ah, right.”
I had been so focused on recalling my pre-regression skills in combat that I had forgotten my newly acquired technique.
Though the fight had only been going on for a few minutes, my mana was already depleted.
Then, due to the Executive Chef’s class perk, my satiety began to decrease instead of mana.
A little quick, but it was time to finish it.
“GROOOOAR!”
It let out a pained roar as blood spurted from its flank.
Honestly, if I just let it run away now, it would probably die from bleed damage.
But.
“You’re plenty good for a first test subject.”
I was curious about the power of the swordsmanship left by the Great Hero Gatros.
And somehow, I was confident I could finish it in one blow.
“Chorong, fire enchant. Dwell on my blade.”
– Kkyu!
Whoosh!
As Chorong merged with my sword, the blade blazed hotly.
Whether it had overcome its fear of fire due to its wounds, the boar charged, scattering blood on the ground.
“The added attack power from cooking, a fire enchant. With Cooking Swordplay on top of that, it’s enough.”
This was why I was confident.
No matter that I was a trainee, I was on a different level from ordinary trainees.
I poured all my remaining power into the sword, leaving only enough satiety to use Cooking Swordplay once, along with the enchanted Chorong.
Whoosh!
– Kkyuu!
The sword blazed even brighter.
Then, looking at the boar charging recklessly, I calmly adjusted my stance.
The technique that followed.
The first chapter of Cooking Swordplay.
“Cooking Swordplay, Chapter 1: Meat Preparation – Cutting the Fascia.”
Whirl!
The sword in my grip moved so fast it was invisible.
Only Chorong’s flames remained, tracing its path.
As the wave of fire swept over the boar’s body,
THUD!!
Its massive frame collapsed to the ground.
[Level increased.]
[Level increased.]
[You have hunted the training ground hunting area’s boss monster, the ‘Reckless Tusker’, for the first time.]
Fame +200
[Achievement ‘Master of the Training Ground Hunting Area’ acquired.]
Strength, Vitality +4
Fame +500
“Phew. This is no joke?”
The power of Cooking Swordplay.
Even compared to the legendary swordsmanship I had before regression, it was in no way inferior.
For a mere Lv 1 (+1) skill to have this much power.
I couldn’t even imagine how strong it would become as the skill level increased.
“To think you actually hunted this monster. Hoho, I can no longer even be surprised.”
“Not at all. If it were before I obtained the manual, it might have been dangerous.”
“By the way, don’t you smell something delicious?”
“Huh?”
“Sniff, sniff!”
Come to think of it, there was indeed a delicious smell in the air.
I looked around and saw the boar’s flesh cooking from my final attack.
“Wow, that looks delicious! Master, what are you doing? Hurry up and butcher it!”
“Right.”
Because of the fire enchant, the meat had cooked, giving off the aroma of grilled pork.
I swallowed my saliva—it hadn’t been long since we ate—and immediately began butchering.
“…Though I was the one who cut it, this is impressive.”
“Right? Cooking Swordplay is impressive, isn’t it? Even though you’re still only at the level of a bird’s footprint compared to the real thing!”
The power was impressive, but I could also feel it as I started butchering.
The boar’s meat was undamaged, and only the joints and vital spots had been cleanly severed.
Thanks to that, butchering wasn’t difficult.
No, I wondered if I had ever butchered something this perfectly before.
[You have successfully butchered a boss monster with perfect skill.]
The quantity of acquired items increases.
[Butchering skill level increased.]
[You have acquired Reckless Tusker Meat.]
[You have acquired Reckless Tusker Tusks.]
[You have acquired Reckless Tusker Hide.]
As expected, my feeling wasn’t just an illusion.
At a glance, there were about twice as many items as usual.
Since the system window only displayed basic information, I immediately expanded it.
< Reckless Tusker Meat >
Grade: Magic
Description: Meat from the boar that ruled as the master of the training ground hunting area. Contrary to expectations, it boasts a tender, non-chewy texture.
Ability: Provides additional effects related to vitality to the completed dish.
< Reckless Tusker Tusk >
Grade: Magic
Description: From the… It looks suitable for processing into a weapon.
Ability: Provides additional effects related to vitality to the completed weapon.
< Reckless Tusker Hide >
Grade: Magic
Description: From the… It looks suitable for processing into armor.
Ability: Provides additional effects related to vitality to the completed armor.
All of them were magic-grade items, known to be absolutely unobtainable near the training ground.
I could probably commission artisans to craft something from the tusks and hide once I left the training ground.
They would certainly make quite useful equipment.
Plus, there was a considerable amount of meat.
Enough that if I had butchered ordinary boars, I would have needed to hunt about fifty of them.
“Gulp!”
“Huh?”
As I was admiring these items, I heard someone swallowing behind me.
It was Jackson, as expected.
“Well, now. Ahem, since we have time anyway, shall we eat a little before setting off?”
– Kkyuu! Kkyu!
Well, the smell of pork had been filling the air for a while.
It couldn’t be helped that he reacted like that.
Of course, I didn’t mind either.
“Then shall we eat a little before going?”
“Hoho! As expected, I knew you’d say that!”
– Kkyuuu!
– It’s time for this body to shine again! How about direct-grilled pork skewers?
“Just hearing the name makes my mouth water!”
“Hahaha.”
At the end of the training ground hunting area, in front of the cliff, the unexpected scent of grilled meat filled the air.
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