Everyone quickly assumed combat positions as the boar pawed the ground, preparing to charge.
The beast launched itself at Vlad with devastating force, its razor-sharp tusks aimed directly at his chest.
"Look out!" Xolvion shouted, diving forward to knock Vlad aside just as the boar thundered past them.
The creature's momentum carried it into an ancient oak, the impact so violent that the massive trunk snapped in half with a deafening crack. The boar shook its head and turned back towards them, even more enraged.
"Attack!" Kerry yelled, charging in with both swords raised, slashing at the beast's left flank.
Holly leapt into the air, executing a perfect flip as she brought her leg down in a devastating axe kick.
"Phoenix Strike!" she shouted, her foot wreathed in flames thanks to her martial arts training.
"Fireball!" Junip called out, pointing her staff at the monster and launching a sphere of orange flame.
Kerry's twin blades struck the boar's hide but skittered off harmlessly—the creature's natural armour was simply too thick to penetrate with conventional weapons.
Holly's flaming kick connected solidly, but the boar merely grunted and began bucking wildly, throwing her off as if she were nothing more than an annoying insect.
Junip's fireball exploded against the beast's skull, engulfing it in magical flames, causing everyone to pause for a moment.
"Did we get it?" Holly called out as she landed gracefully, turning to assess their collective damage.
The boar suddenly burst through the dissipating flames, completely unharmed and charging directly towards Junip with murderous intent. The mage was a ranged combatant, ill-equipped to handle close-quarters combat, and panic froze her in place as death thundered towards her like a charging natural disaster.
"Junip, look out!" Kerry screamed, too far away to intervene.
At the last possible moment, Vlad shoulder barged into the boar's ribs, his shoulder strike knocking the massive creature off course just enough to save their mage's life.
The boar grunted in pain and fury as it skidded to a halt, turning to identify this new threat.
"That's right, you oversized bacon! Come and get me!" Vlad taunted, trying to draw its attention away from the others.
The strategy worked. The boar fixed its rage entirely on Vlad and charged again with even greater fury.
Vlad sprinted towards the base of a particularly large tree, timing his movements perfectly. At the last second, he threw himself aside, letting the boar's momentum carry it face-first into the massive trunk with bone-jarring force.
"Take this!" Vlad roared, raising his sword with both hands and bringing it down with every ounce of strength he possessed, aiming for a killing blow.
The blade struck the back of the creature's neck, but the boar's hide proved so tough that he barely managed to scratch the surface, leaving only a shallow gash.
"Impossible!" Vlad gasped, quickly retreating before the stunned beast could retaliate.
"This isn't good, it's far too strong!" Kerry called out, regrouping at Vlad's side.
"No, we can do this!" Vlad insisted, though doubt crept into his voice.
The giant boar shook its massive head to clear the ringing from its skull, then turned to study each member of the party. When its gaze finally settled on Xolvion, something changed. The beast's nostrils flared as it caught an unfamiliar scent, and its eyes narrowed with new understanding.
Xolvion could tell the monster had recognised he wasn't human like the others. For millennia, demons had enslaved and ruled over monsters throughout the realms. Some wild creatures still challenged demon authority as their right to freedom, and this boar clearly fell into that category.
Xolvion smiled grimly and shifted into a combat stance. "Come and get me then," he said calmly.
The boar roared its challenge and charged directly at him, smashing through the defensive formation as if the others didn't exist.
"Xolvion, look out!" Vlad shouted desperately.
But, instead of retreating, Xolvion allowed the mana flowing through his body to manifest, drawing upon the magical control techniques he'd absorbed from Junip during their intimate encounter.
"I don't think so," he said with quiet confidence, extending his hand towards the charging beast. "Fireball!"
The spell that erupted from his palm was twice the size of Junip's previous attempt, a roiling sphere of orange and red flames that struck the boar head-on with devastating force. The resulting explosion created a shockwave that knocked everyone backwards, the very air itself seeming to ignite with magical power.
Vlad and the others watched in stunned amazement as their newest party member demonstrated magical power far beyond what they'd expected from someone who'd appeared so recently.
When the flames dispersed, the boar was still standing, though its hide was blackened and smoking. Xolvion's attack had clearly caused significant damage, but the creature's natural resilience had allowed it to survive what should have been a killing blow.
"Your hide certainly is thick," Xolvion observed with interest.
The enraged boar charged again, this time ripping its tusks through the earth before launching them at Xolvion in a devastating upward strike.
Kerry watched in fascination as Xolvion flipped gracefully into the air, drawing his dagger in a fluid motion before landing squarely on the beast's back, straddling it like a rider.
The boar immediately began bucking and thrashing, trying desperately to dislodge its unwanted passenger. It slammed itself against trees and rocks, anything that might help remove the demon prince from its back.
"Take this!" Xolvion shouted, gripping his dagger with both hands before driving it with supernatural strength directly into the shallow wound Vlad had created.
The steel pierced through the tough hide and sank deep into the creature's spine with a wet, final sound. The boar's wild thrashing continued for one last agonised moment before it collapsed heavily to the forest floor, its massive frame going limp as death claimed it.
The others gathered around cautiously as Xolvion slowly stood beside their fallen prey, his clothes torn and dirty, but his expression triumphant.
"You did it..." Vlad said in amazement, genuine respect colouring his voice.
"But you're injured!" Junip exclaimed, noticing the large gash across his thigh where one of the boar's tusks had caught him during the struggle.
Xolvion glanced down at the blood running freely down his leg. "Looks like it got me after all," he said with a rueful smile.
"That looks serious! We need to treat it immediately, or you could lose the leg!" Kerry said urgently, rushing towards him with obvious concern.
"Don't worry about it," Xolvion said, waving them back with casual dismissal.
They all looked confused at his nonchalant attitude.
"Oh no, he's lost too much blood and can't think straight," Holly said, worry creeping into her voice.
"No, just watch," Xolvion replied, deciding it would be simpler to demonstrate rather than explain.
Placing his hand over the wound, he spoke the incantation he'd learned from the elven healer Phelorna.
"Heal."
Everyone watched in absolute amazement as golden light flowed from his palm, and the grievous wound sealed itself completely, leaving unmarked skin as if the injury had never existed.
"H-how did you...?" Kerry stammered, her eyes wide with disbelief.
"That's impossible," Junip whispered, adjusting her glasses as if they might be deceiving her.
"What is it?" Vlad asked, looking between Junip and the miraculous healing they'd just witnessed.
"That's divine healing magic," Junip explained in an awed voice. "The rarest and most powerful restorative magic in existence. It can cure anything—diseases, poisons, even fatal wounds."
"Is it really that remarkable?" Vlad asked, clearly impressed but not fully understanding the magnitude of what they'd seen.
"In all of the world, you could count the people capable of such magic on one hand," Junip said with reverence. "Most spend their entire lives studying healing arts and never achieve even a fraction of that potency."
"I had no idea you were so gifted, Xolvion," she added, bowing her head respectfully.
"Bloody hell, you're incredible!" Vlad said enthusiastically, clapping him on the back. "Magic, swordsmanship, and divine healing? Is there anything you can't do?"
If only you knew, Xolvion thought with hidden amusement. "We should harvest what we can from the beast," he said, redirecting their attention to practical matters. "The hide alone will fetch a considerable price, and the meat will keep us fed for days."
The others quickly agreed, knowing the work would be time-consuming but profitable. A creature of this size would provide materials worth several times their original quest reward.
"Right then, everyone, let's get to work!" Vlad announced, raising his arm enthusiastically.
The group set about the task of field-dressing their kill with efficiency. Whilst the others worked, Xolvion discreetly touched a small amount of the creature's blood to his lips, testing whether his absorption abilities would function on monsters as they did on intelligent beings.
To his disappointment, nothing happened. The power seemed limited to sentient races capable of genuine connection and emotion. He filed the information away for future reference and returned to helping with their harvest.
"Right, that's everything we can reasonably carry," Vlad declared as he secured the last of their materials in his pack.
"Everything worth selling, you mean," Holly corrected with a grin, shouldering her own considerably lighter load.
"Let's make sure to stay alert on our journey back," Vlad cautioned as they prepared to depart. "Success can make adventurers careless, and these woods still hold dangers."
"Agreed," the others chorused as they began their trek back towards civilisation.
The return journey would take the better part of a day, requiring them to make camp once more before reaching the city. As afternoon shadows lengthened and their pace began to slow, the accumulated fatigue of their successful hunt finally began to show.
The sun was sinking towards the horizon when Kerry finally called a halt, dropping her pack with obvious relief.
"I think that's quite enough walking for one day," she announced.
Vlad smiled and nodded his agreement. "Aye, we'll make camp here for the night."
Holly seemed perfectly capable of continuing—her enhanced physical conditioning from years of monastic training served her well—but Junip was clearly exhausted, dropping to her knees to catch her breath.
"Here," Xolvion offered, producing his water skin. "You look like you could use this."
Junip accepted gratefully, drinking deeply before returning it with a thankful smile. "You're very kind."
Xolvion remained remarkably fresh despite their exertions, the combined enhancements from his absorbed abilities providing him with stamina far beyond normal human limits. Seeing his companions' weariness, he made a practical decision.
"Why don't you lot rest whilst I prepare camp and get some food cooking?" he offered. "I've still got energy to spare."
The others all perked up at the suggestion, their faces lighting with relief and gratitude.
"Yes, please!" they chorused in unison, and Xolvion couldn't help but smile at their enthusiasm.
As he set about preparing their evening meal, using techniques absorbed from various conquests, Xolvion reflected on how far he'd come since fleeing the demon realm. Each day brought new opportunities to grow stronger, and each encounter added to his ever-expanding repertoire of abilities.
Soon, he would be ready to begin hunting far more dangerous prey. The Holy Saints awaited, and with them, the power he would need to reclaim his birthright.
The game was progressing beautifully.