Eli coughed, rolled over, and pushed himself up. His ribs throbbed and his sword hand was trembling from the hit, but [Maid’s Dexterity] was already correcting his stance, pulling his weight forward and lowering his center of gravity.

His eyes locked on the boar.

"Now you don’t want to help me?" he yelled.

When he was being pummeled by wolves left, right, and center, Juli had been frantically trying to intervene whenever she could. But now? She was over there enjoying the show!

’She’s a wicked demon!’

Juli shouted from afar:

"Huh? I can’t hear you from all the over here!"

A thick vein throbbed on his forehead.

"You’re literally twenty steps awa—!"

The Mossback was already halfway towards him. Eli spat out mouthful of soil and raised his sword again.

He dodged left this time and swung low, aiming for the legs instead of the flank. The blade caught the boar’s front ankle and skidded off the bark with a sound that made his hair stand.

’The legs too!? Come on! Is there a single spot on this thing that isn’t made of wood!?’

It barely stumbled, already swinging around and came at him again.

’This relentless fucker!’

Eli dove out of the way, hitting the dirt and scrambling back to his feet before the boar could loop around.

It was a chaotic scramble. He had to use the "donkey-roll" technique that would have been deemed a disgrace to any reputable martial sect. If this was a murim novel, he would be the despised cannon fodder, laughed at for a thousand Chapters!

Even the martial brothers of the orthodox sects would never let him live it down!

’Alright, okay. Think, Eli! Swinging doesn’t work. Stabbing doesn’t work either. The legs are armored. The back is armored also. What ISN’T armored on this stupid pig!’

The Mossback kindly answered that question for him by not giving him any time to think about it.

It came at him — AGAIN — and this time, Eli tried to sidestep the same way as before, thinking its slower speed made it safe. That proved to be a mistake.

The slower charge gave the boar room to adjust the angle of its head, and it was just enough to clip his hip with a tusk.

"AH!"

The hit sent him spiraling, and he ate dirt for the second time.

’OW! My hip! That’s gonna bruise for a week!’

"That’s two!" Juli sang out. 𝗳𝗿𝐞𝕖𝘄𝗲𝕓𝗻𝚘𝚟𝕖𝐥.𝚌𝕠𝕞

’I KNOW IT’S TWO!’

Eli pushed himself up with difficulty. Luckily, this pig didn’t hit as hard as the Frostfang Alpha, but it still hurt for damn sure.

He wiped the dirt from his face and watched the Mossback as it circled back into position.

’Okay. Be serious now. Watch the damn thing.’

The boar paced in a wide arc, snorting while its head swayed side to side.

Eli tracked every step it took. The bark plates on its back shifted as it moved, grinding against each other.

’There has to be a gap somewhere there.’

The boar charged. Eli dodged cleanly this time, already used to its moves. But instead of swinging, he just watched it pass. The bark on its side looked seamless at full sprint, locked tight plate after plate.

’Nothing from there.’

It turned and rushed at him for the millionth time. Eli dodged again with even a touch of elegance. His eyes focused on a different spot this time — the belly. But the angle was impossible. He would have to somehow slide underneath the thing, and that was a death wish.

’Everything is out... Underneath, side, back obviously. What’s left?’

The boar turned its heavy body around to track him. When its head turned, the plates along its neck shifted.

’Wait...’

The plates pulled apart for just a brief window before settling back into place.

He wasn’t sure yet. It happened too fast.

’Do that again.’

It charged again, like a bull going crazy for a red cape.

Eli stepped to the right and let it pass. It unearthed the dirt as it stopped, then spun around.

’There it is!’

The plates at the base of the neck separated as the head turned, revealing a flash of dark flesh underneath before they closed up again.

’I got you, bastard!’

He just had to make its head shift near his area of attack, which was easier said than done.

The Mossback lowered its ahead and bulldozed.

Eli waited for his chance. Despite every instinct screaming at him to dodge early, he let it come closer than before and held his ground until the tusks were almost on him.

Then he sidestepped as its head tried to turn, pivoting his foot and trusting the blade toward the base of his neck.

’Too early!’

The plates hadn’t even opened. Eli was too rushed and let his sword scrape across bark with a useless screech.

’I have to time it right. Like a QTE.’

The boar circled back. Eli reset his stance and tried to calm his breathing.

It charged again. He sidestepped, waited for the turn, and stabbed.

’Damn it! Too late this time.’

The plates had already closed by the time his sword got there.

But the pattern was there. Eli just had to repeat until the sword touched skin.

The same routine happened: it charged, he moved out the way, and decisively stabbed one second after its head rotated.

This time, the blade hit the seam between the two plates, but at an awkward angle. It glanced off and slid sideways, barely nicking the flesh underneath before the armor sealed shut.

The Mossback squealed and suddenly kicked its hind legs out. One of them caught Eli square in the thigh and sent him stumbling back.

But he did not even whimper.

’I TOUCHED IT! I actually touched its flesh! But that was barely a scratch...’

"That’s three!" Juli called out, swinging her legs off the rock.

’When did she get there...? And that one doesn’t count!’

Confidence surged, his hand becoming steadier than ever.

The Mossback shook off the nick and stomped the ground twice. It let out a grunt so deep Eli felt it rattle through his bruised ribs, hip, and possibly thigh.

’Ha! You felt that one, huh?’

Eli planted his feet and readied his stance.

’Good, good. Because the next one is going all the way through!’