The clearing was quiet, save for the distant rustle of leaves and the low rumble of wind. The siblings stood poised, weapons in hand, eyes fixed on the massive beast that stood before them—its emerald fur bristling, tusks gleaming in the moonlight. The Hundred Beasts King Windy Boar was all that remained between them and the summit of Slash Mountain.
"Now that we've cleared the others, it's just us and the King," Asier said coldly, his eyes never leaving the target. "Let's finish this."
Ilargia vanished into the moonlight, her Night Phantom ability already active. Unlike the draining burden it placed on her body under the sun, at night it became nearly weightless. Moonlight cloaked her like an ally. She was a ghost.
Nika surged forward like a living battering ram, club raised high. Asier remained hidden in the trees, hurling sharpened nails with surgical precision. Each projectile found its mark—joint, eye, tendon. The beast roared in fury, spinning in place, but found nothing. Its attackers moved too fast. Too smart.
Ilargia struck from the shadows, her spiked club slicing thin gashes across the boar's hide. Not deep enough to kill, but painful enough to disorient. She vanished after each hit, her outline melting into the silver glow of the forest.
Nika met the beast head-on. Each swing of his reinforced club clashed against the boar's tusks with a crack that echoed through the night. Sparks flew. Bones shuddered. But he held the line. His muscles bulged, his breathing steady. He'd learned—never give the boar space to charge.
Above, Asier moved from tree to tree, raining metal down like a hunter from legend. His every strike hit home. The boar, though tough, was bleeding from a dozen wounds.
Slowly, steadily, they drove the beast back toward a cliff wall.
High above, Ilargia reappeared—positioned perfectly atop the cliff. Her eyes locked on the scene below.
"Ready!" she called down.
Nika responded without hesitation. He swung with all his strength, smashing the boar into the rock wall with a thunderous crack. The beast staggered, stunned.
That was the cue.
Asier leapt from the treetops, a heavy net clenched in his hands. He hurled it with precision honed by countless hours of training. The ropes wrapped around the beast, pinning it against the cliff.
"NOW!" Nika shouted.
Ilargia pushed. A massive boulder tumbled down, gathering speed and force.
The boar thrashed, but the net held. The boulder struck with devastating impact.
CRACK!
The beast's agonized scream shattered the silence.
"Is it dead?" Nika asked, breathless.
Asier landed, eyes narrowed. "Still breathing. Finish it."
Nika and Asier stepped forward. Asier's club landed first, a brutal strike to the skull. Nika followed, channeling every ounce of his strength into a final, crushing blow.
The skull cracked.
The beast fell still.
Silence.
"It's over," Nika said, exhaling slowly. "Ilargia, you can come down."
She climbed down, her form flickering as her ability faded. The three of them gathered around the fallen monster.
They were bloodied, bruised, and aching.
Nika had taken the worst of it—his arms were covered in gashes, and his ribs ached from the brute force he'd absorbed. Ilargia's invisibility hadn't made her invulnerable—she had bruises and cuts of her own. Asier had minor injuries from the tree shocks, but he'd remained mostly unscathed.
"Let's loot it," Ilargia said, her voice calm but focused. "Its fur and tusks are worth a fortune."
"And don't forget the other bodies," Nika added, glancing at the battlefield. "We've got a small army's worth of carcasses out there."
After gathering the tusks, fur, and beast cores, the siblings trekked back to their base near the summit of Slash Mountain—their modest wooden house nestled among ancient trees.
Inside, they dropped their gear and collapsed around the fire.
"This trip was worth it," Nika said, setting down the tusks. "We pushed our muscles to Diamond, and my meat's about to evolve into Godly Meat. But most importantly—we fought something stronger than us and won."
Ilargia leaned back, thoughtful. "That battle confirmed it. My path is stealth and lethality. The Night Phantom ability shines when I strike from the shadows."
"You're an assassin," Asier said, nodding. "And me? I thrive at range. My ability needs time to focus, and ranged combat gives me that. The more time I have, the more clearly I can read their emotions, thoughts, and instincts."
"I'm built for melee," Nika said, flexing his sore arms. "But not with finesse weapons. Swords and lances don't suit me. I need something heavy—clubs, axes, maybe even a war hammer."
He paused, reflecting on his condition.
"Also... I discovered something. My Strengthening Sunlight doesn't just triple my strength. It enhances my regeneration. The more injured I am, the stronger the effect."
Asier's eyes narrowed. "That's dangerous. You're gaining power by risking your life."
"I know," Nika replied quietly. "But it might be the edge we need."
Ilargia broke the tension with a smile. "Let's rest. Tomorrow, we head to the village. We've got a pile of high-grade materials to sell—and some real weapons to buy."
The fire crackled, casting golden light over their determined faces. Outside, the forest was still.
They had slain the Hundred Beasts King.
But this was only the beginning.