As dai yaun walked towards the body of the ironclad python, he keep his attention at max, ready to dash away at the instant of the sign of any danger. Despite having gotten stronger from the addition of physical prowess brought by the shamanic rune from earlier, dai yaun did not allowed himself to get carried away with delusional thought of having the power to battle any beast, without any cultivation and a piece of chipped axe.
Dai Yuan, suddenly come to a pause as he felt a tingling sensation traveling across his back, causing him to shudder slightly. His gaze swept through the undergrowth thicket,while his senses tingled. The increase brought by the shamanic rune seems to have made a number on his intuition too, feeling the slight tingle in his sense, He felt something was here and nearby, but due to the low visibility, Dai Yaun could barely see what it was. Though he could smell the musky, earthy scent of it, a raw odor that prickled the hairs in his nostrils.
Suddenly the sound of bush moving resounded from his back, while he keep his gaze a front of the python's body. But before he could turned his back to see what it was, a shadow flickered to his left, too large and too fast for an omnivore. He didn't even have time to fully turn before a dark, and rotund mass of flesh clad in crimson scales exploded from the thicket, a guttural snort echoing through the sudden silence.
Rolling out of the way for the charging beast, in a fluid and controlled pattern, dai yaun escaped being impaled by the two shiny red tusk protruding out of the mouth of the beast, the beast which look like nothing of it counter part in the outside world, turned out to be a boar, clade in crimson plates, the scale of this boar look tough and rougade, it tusk long and yellow curved upwards ready to impale what ever stands in it wake.
The monster had been aiming for a full-impact charge from his blind spot, but Dai Yuan's senses which had been strengthened, had given him just enough warning. As the boar's massive shoulder brush past him with enough force to shake the ground, which feels like the stop of an elephant. The beast skidded to a halt, before turning around and turning its small, vicious red eyes on him. Steam puffed from its nostrils,sending a challenge in every snort, as it kick it leg ready for another charge.
"Oh boy, you scared the shit out of me you know" Dai Yuan muttered, his heart pulsating in tension.
"Let's try this." recalling the memories of the skill which comes with the rune, Dai Yaun took a deep breath, focusing. This is the perfect time to test the skill, feeling the faint pressure radiating from the crimson scaled boar, dai yaun felt reassured of escaping if worst come to pass. Gathering all of his breath as he take in a deep inhale, he puffed his mouth while leaning back, visualizing the majestic, terrifying roar of a forest king.
He opened his mouth, prepared to unleash a sound that would shake the beast into suppression and surrender.
Instead, a pathetic, high-pitched 'mrrroww?' escaped his lips.
The sound hung in the air, ridiculously out of place. It wasn't even a proper meow,it felt more like a startled, and confused sound of a kitten.
The Crimson-Scaled Boar, which had been winding up for another charge, took an abrupt stop. Its tilted its head slightly, its red eyes which had been clouded with murderous intent now blinking, as if trying to process the ridiculous sound made by the huge guy.
Did you just... meow?
Silent filled the air as a human like expression appeared on the boar face, the air felt awkward between the man and beast.
Dai yaun's face instantly turned cramped from embarrassment, his first attempt at releasing a dignified roar, comes out as an absurd cry of a cat, the fuck happened to the mighty roar that played in his head from the before. Dai Yaun frustrating, dai yaun thought while keeping his eye on the boar.
His 'Tiger Roar' had devolved into a kitten's whimper. It felt humiliating and was infuriating, but lucky for him no one was here to witness his embarrassing moment.
The boar on the other side was quickly recovering from its moment of bizarre confusion. Its confusion have now morphed into what looked suspiciously like contempt, then pure, unadulterated fury masked the monster's face.
Snort!!
It snorted, releasing a deep rumbling sound coming out of it mouth.
"Alright, fine!" Dai Yuan chuckled from embarrassment as he grip his axe tightly with legs wide apart ready to meet the incoming beast, spitting out the last vestiges of shame.
The boar charged forward, it breathing scalding the sparse grace which had survived the onslaught of the previous battle, it muscle and scales rippling with every step it take. As it close up to him, Dai Yaun sidestep and release his axe in a horizontal swing aiming low at the boar's front leg, refusing to meet it head on.
CLANG!
The axe head, bounced back almost slipping out of his hands, the chipped head cracking more,it merely skated across the boar's iron-hard scales with a jarring metallic shriek. The impact vibrated up his arms, leaving his hands stinging. The boar, barely felt the impact, snapped its head sideward, its tusks missing his chest by inches as he hastily rolled away.
"Damn what the fuck are those scales made of?" dai yaun gritted out, scrambling back,as he narrowly avoid another savage tusk sweep. Getting up from his laying position, Dai Yaun ducked under a wild lunge, the boar's powerful shoulder grazing his side and sending a jolt of pain through his arms.
The crimson scaled boar was built like a thank, dai yaun distanced himself after avoiding another charge.
This beast was a tank, a direct hits will be useless. I needed to find a weakness, and fast.
Thinking rapidly dai yaun, danced around the boar's relentless charges, using the dense trees to his advantage, forcing the beast to slow and turn. He feinted left, then spun right, searching for an opening , try to hit it in every vulnerable position that comes across his mind, its soft underbelly, the vulnerable eyes, the joints in its legs. But each time he swung his axe, the axe rang against the beast impenetrable armor, leaving barely a scratch.
The boar, however, was growing frustrated. Its snorts became louder, and its charges become more reckless, colliding into tress and branches along it path. With a loud bellow from it gullet, it launched itself at Dai Yaun in a wide, sweeping arc, powerful lunge that left it slightly off-balance for a fraction of a second.
It was at this moment, dai yaun's eyes flashed a light of brilliance, he dropped low practically sliding under the boar's massive head, he gripped his axe tightly in both hands. He aimed for the single, most vulnerable spot he had seen, the soft unprotected flesh of the boar's inner thigh, exposed just as it lunged.
SQUELCH!
The axe bit deep, not with a clang, but with a sickening tearing sound. A roar of pure agony ripped from the boar's throat as it stumbled, its powerful leg momentarily giving out.
Blood, thick and dark, spew out from the wound.
Dai Yuan didn't hesitate for a second. Before the beast could recover, he surged upwards, his axe coming down in a swift, brutal arc. This time, he aimed for the exposed side of its neck, just where the thick hide met the base of the skull, the spot was less armored and now twisted by its fall.
The impact was solid hit. The boar let out a shuddering gasp, its legs collapsing beneath it. It thrashed for a moment, a final and desperate struggle, before its massive body hit the forest floor with a dull thud. Its red eyes stared blankly upwards, the steam slowly dissipating from its nostrils.
As the boar took it last breath while, Dai Yuan suddenly collapsed from exhaustion taking a toll on his gigantic body, he took in deep breath as he lay on his back, chest heaving, staring up at the fractured canopy. His arms trembled and his muscles aching from the exhaustion.
"Still alive," he whispered.
After several breaths, he rose from the floor steadying his breath, as he slow walked over to the monster carcass..
The boar was dead.
Truly dead.
"Hahahaha!!"
Looking back at his though battle against the boar, Dai yaun laughed out happily, realizing that he has gotten strong, finding confidence and passion in the new found sensation from the battle.
Despite being it a physical enhancement, dai yaun felt no doubt that he can punch the former him to death in a few blows. Clenching his shaking, waved his hand towards the sky with a bright smile on his face.