Azrael looked at the massive level 23 boar, its two long, razor-sharp tusks jutting menacingly from its snout.
'Perfect. This will do nicely to test the effect of the Rule Stone,' He thought to himself as he stopped about two hundred meters away from the monster.
"It's a land wild boar. Should we kill it, or should we change our direction and climb the cliff from the other side?" Luo Bingqing asked in a low voice.
"Can you see any other monsters nearby?" Elyara asked immediately.
"No," Luo Bingqing shook his head. "There are no other monsters within a radius of two kilometers."
Elyara nodded and turned her gaze toward Azrael. "What do you think?"
"We should just kill it," Azrael replied calmly. "Changing direction will waste too much time. Better to take care of it and move on."
Both Elyara and Luo Bingqing nodded, silently agreeing with his reasoning now that they knew no other monsters were lurking nearby.
"I will handle it. You two keep watch on the surroundings," Azrael said as he walked forward. . "If you notice anything unusual, let me know immediately."
Elyara raised an eyebrow as she watched him move ahead alone. "If we fight together, we can kill it more easily and much faster."
"That's true," Azrael admitted without denying her words. "But what if a high-level epic creature gets attracted once the fight begins? Just in case, someone needs to remain alert for unexpected threats. If you notice anything unusual, inform me immediately and we'll run without hesitation."
Both Luo Bingqing and Elyara thought over his reasoning and nodded.
Still, Elyara was not entirely reassured. As Azrael advanced, she summoned a radiant golden bow into her hand, ready to assist if needed.
The bow was an epic-level artifact and unlike most epic artifacts, which demanded high level requirements, this one could be wielded even by class-rank warriors.
Luo Bingqing glanced at the bow but wasn't surprised as he had already witnessed Elyara using the weapon during the sparring matches on the first day at the academy.
Without a word, he refocused his attention on the flock of ice birds soaring high above, their sharp eyes surveying the barren landscape for any approaching danger.
Of course, Azrael wasn't acting selflessly by going ahead alone. If not for his need to test the effect of the Rule Stone, he would have allowed both Elyara and Luo Bingqing to assist him.
As soon as he crossed within one hundred meters of the massive five-meter-tall boar, its eyes snapped open.
With a guttural snort, it exhaled hot air from its nostrils, glaring at Azrael with its deep yellow eyes.
Seeing the monster awaken, Azrael didn't slow down and a sharp gleam flashed in his eyes.
'It's also a good chance to test the Wings of Wind.'
The land wild boar released a monstrous roar the instant it saw Azrael and sprang to its feet. From its oppressive aura, Azrael felt pressure nearly equal to the beast that had killed him within seconds during the ninth level of the Tower of Trials.
'But this time… things are different.'
A black light flared in Azrael's right hand as Fallen Star appeared.
The boar's killing intent surged when it saw the black greatsword. With a thunderous stomp of its front hooves, the blood red ground split open in a jagged line, sending a volley of sharp, jagged stone spikes shooting straight toward him.
Azrael activated True Focus, watching as the deadly barrage slowed in his vision. His body bent slightly forward, and Fallen Star glowed, wrapped in sharp gales of wind.
At that exact moment, just as the stone spikes were about to impale him, his eyes flashed and two wings of pure wind element burst into existence on his back.
He flapped them once—
A sonic boom resounded as he broke the sound barrier, his body shooting forward in a streak of green light.
The ear-splitting crack of shattering stone echoed as he tore through the barrage using the Fallen Star, reaching the land wild boar in the blink of an eye.
The monster suddenly felt its entire body seized by an icy sharpness, its dark brown fur bristling to no end.
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A grey stone armor instantly materialized over its body. But the very next second—
The sickening sound of flesh being ripped apart rang out, followed by the boar's agonized roar as dark red blood sprayed. A deep wound opened across its neck, though not enough to sever its head.
Azrael's eyes narrowed in surprise as he hadn't expected the beast to react so quickly, successfully defending itself with stone armor and surviving what was intended to be a beheading strike.
Suddenly, the monster's deep yellow eyes locked on him with raw fury.
Seeing the monster's eyes, a chill raced down Azrael's spine, goosebumps prickling his skin.
The next second, the boar's tusks glowed with a dense brown light, and it swung its massive head in a violent arc, aiming to skewer him.
The boar's tusks tore through the jagged crimson rocks, sending shards like shrapnel flying at Azrael.
Without hesitation, Azrael flapped his wings and in an instant, he shot straight upward, narrowly avoiding the tusks and flying stones, his body soaring ten meters into the air.
Before the monster could respond to his sudden flight, Azrael tightened his grip on Fallen Star and slashed downward. A razor-sharp wind blade roared forth, carving a fresh, bloody wound across the boar's back.
The creature bellowed in pain, lifting its bloodshot eyes to glare at him with boundless rage.
Azrael, however, was utterly unfazed by its fury.
If he didn't possess the Wings of Wind Essentia Art, killing a level 23 land wild boar would have required far more effort. But now, with the wings, the battle was all too easy.
The Wings of Wind was a versatile Essentia Art, covering all aspects of combat. It allowed flight, granted incredible agility, and could manipulate condensed wind to unleash deadly attacks. When needed, it could even wrap the user in protective winds to defend against powerful strikes.
Since there was no urgent need to end the fight quickly, Azrael refrained from expending too much energy by releasing wind-based attacks using the wings as In this unfamiliar environment, conserving cosmic energy was essential.
Instead of using wings for attack, he relied on its speed. Flying around the land boar at blistering velocity, he gave it no chance to mount an effective defense.
Within a single minute, the monster's body was riddled with dozens of deep sword wounds, dark red blood pouring uncontrollably from its mangled flesh.
The boar roared in agony, staggering as its massive frame weakened.
As soon as Azrael noticed the monster's weakened state—
The air split apart with a chilling sound as the blade of Fallen Star fall from the sky, plunging deep into an open wound on its head.
The beast's yellow eyes widened, flashing with stubborn resentment before the final spark of life drained from them. Its colossal body crashed to the ground with a thunderous impact, lifeless.
Azrael gazed down at the corpse and a second later, a notification flashed before his eyes, confirming what he had suspected about the Rule Stone.
(You have killed Level 23 Land Wild Boar. Strength +2, Stamina +2, Agility +1)