“I’ll aggravate the wild boars. Since the adventurers outnumber us, we need to take them by surprise,” Lakan said.

  Rhazak, a young wolf-like beastman with an arrogant demeanor and sharp eyes that always seem to watch his prey. “We have a great number too, though. There are only six adventurers, and we have more warriors who can fight. Why not use them? I thought you were some kind of genius after your last plan somehow worked.”

  Lakan brushed off his remark with a smirk. “The wild boars total thirty. That’s enough to cause a commotion and draw attention from nearby adventurers. If we bring too many warriors, retreating will be difficult—and you know what happens next.”

  After a moment of reconsideration, the beastmen exchanged glances and nodded in agreement.

  Lakan crossed his arms. “Here’s the plan. Hide among the trees, and when I lure the boars, jump onto their backs—aim for their hindquarters to stay hidden. Once we’re close to the adventurers, strike them with the swords we took from the pursuers.”

  With their strategy set, the beastmen took their positions, disappearing into the foliage. Meanwhile, Lakan prepared to lure the wild boars. The adventurers, still struggling to kill monsters, moved sluggishly—a clear sign of their inexperience.

  Thwack!

  A sharp crack echoed as Lakan hurled a stone at a piglet, causing it to squeal. Instantly, the surrounding boars turned aggressive, their heavy hooves thudding against the ground as they charged at him.

  “Alright, they’re chasing me. The others should be in position,” he muttered under his breath, sprinting at full speed.

  But as he neared the trees, his eyes darted around—no movement. No one jumped onto the boars.

  Lakan’s stomach twisted. “Shit… Where are they?” His expression darkened, irritation creeping into his voice. “Damn those beastmen.”

  Despite the setback, the plan had to succeed. If the commotion drew too much attention, other adventurers might notice.

  His thoughts raced. “The main group should be far enough by now. I could abort this… He clenched his jaw. No. The potions and equipment—we need them. And the wild boars… we could hunt them, use them for food, maybe even tame them as mounts.”

  His fists tightened. There was no turning back now.

  Lakan exhaled sharply, his resolve hardening. “Screw it. I’m going to finish this mission.”

  Baloga and Zarik watched from the top of a tree, acting as scouts under the elder’s orders. Both remained alert, expecting a spectacle from Lakan.

  “I still don’t understand what the great Panday and the Elder see in that kid,” Zarik muttered.

  Baloga smirked. “His plan worked before, so I know he knows what he’s doing. But why don’t you trust him? Even if he’s half-human, he still shares your blood. I thought you were a great warrior, but you’re still clinging to the past glory of your race. What a shame.”

  Zarik glared at Baloga. “Your race never experienced glory—that’s why you can say that so easily.”

  Baloga scoffed. “Ah, shut up! I don’t care about past glory. We nomads enjoy a simple life, you know? Anyway, let’s just focus on the task we were given. But speaking of glory—your fellow beastmen just abandoned Lakan. So that’s what ‘glory’ means to you, huh?” he mocked.

  Zarik pinched the bridge of his nose, sighing. “Those kids have no shame. They really just left their comrade behind in the middle of a mission… Letting their emotions control them—this is embarrassing.”

  Meanwhile, Lakan continued his run, leaping from tree to tree with the agility of a true beastman. The silhouettes of the adventurers finally came into view.

  “Just a bit more… Alright, now!” he whispered.

  Grabbing a sturdy branch, Lakan used his momentum to swing himself back toward the boar. With precise timing, he propelled himself onto the massive creature’s back, hiding behind its enormous frame.

  The boars, startled by Lakan’s sudden disappearance, turned their attention toward the adventurers and continued their charge.

  Thud. Thud.

  “What’s that sound?”

  “There aren’t supposed to be any monsters nearby that we haven't accounted for. Maybe someone is fighting a big one. Hey! Beginners, kill those goblins already! Didn’t you receive your training?”

  Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

  The adventurers flinched as they heard rustling and rumbling behind the trees and bushes, drawing closer.

  Craak! Snap!

  Trees cracked and fell under the force of the stampeding boars. The adventurers, having just finished off their last monster, now faced another threat—a massive group of wild boars.

  The beginners reacted too slowly.

  "Aaahh! What's happening?!"

  "Help!"

  "My legs!"

  Panic set in as three of the adventurers were quickly incapacitated by the charge, leaving only three still standing.

  Thwack!

  Lakan slashed one of the remaining adventurers, killing him instantly.

  "Oho, this kid can fight! He used the blind spot to strike," Baloga observed with interest.

  "Hmm..." Zarik grunted, silently acknowledging Lakan’s strategy.

  The last two remaining adventurers, the most experienced in the party, managed to evade the boars and quickly spotted Lakan. Enraged by the sight of a beastman making fools of them, one of them, a mage, raised his staff.

  "You beastman! You killed our recruits—Fireball!"

  Lakan leaped backward, landing on the back of another boar just as a fiery blast scorched the spot where he had stood.

  The boar, now facing the two adventurers, let out an enraged snort and charged.

  "Smoke Area!"

  The mage cast a spell, blanketing the battlefield in thick smoke, blocking the boars' line of sight.

  "Shit! I can't see them!" Lakan cursed, quickly leaping from boar to boar to avoid getting caught in the smoke.

  As the boars charged through, the smoke began to clear.

  Swish!

  A knight, having activated his Mana Frame, launched himself at Lakan the moment visibility returned.

  Whoosh!

  Lakan, caught off guard, barely had time to react. He raised his sword to block.

  Clang! Boom!

  The impact sent Lakan flying into a tree. Though his body was stronger than most twelve-year-olds, he still couldn't match the sheer power of an adult knight.

  "We should help him!" Zarik urged.

  "Wait! Leave him for now. His life isn’t in danger yet," Baloga replied.

  Lakan groaned as he pushed himself up, coughing. Blood trickled from his mouth.

  "Damn it..." he muttered.

  Then, he recalled his father’s words:

  "If you're weaker than your opponent, use your surroundings. Find anything that can help you win—or at least survive."

  Lakan’s eyes landed on a piglet nearby. A plan formed in his mind.

  Grab.

  "This will do," he whispered.

  Dashing into the forest, he disappeared from sight.

  Squeak!

  The sharp cry of the piglet echoed through the battlefield. The boars, upon hearing it, roared in fury and charged toward the sound—straight at the knight and Lakan’s previous position.

  The mage, still fending off boars, flinched at the sudden squeal.

  "Dirt Wall!, what the boards are backing up " she shouted, erecting a barrier to block the stampede.

  "Elliot! Where’s the beastman? The boars are heading straight for you!"

  The knight, Elliot, dodged and countered the incoming boars, but despite his experience, the sheer number of them made it difficult to keep control of the fight.

  "Damn it, where is he—"

  Thwack.

  A blade pierced him from behind.

  “Augh! Cough—shit! You... damn beastman...”

  Elliot collapsed, his body crushed under the stomping hooves of the enraged boars.

  Lakan swiftly retreated back into the forest.

  "Huph!"

  He hurled the piglet with all his might at the mage, even with broken ribs he endure the pain. Though only twelve, Lakan's beastman heritage and years of labor as a slave had given him remarkable strength.

  The boars, reacting on instinct, charged toward the mage, desperate to check on the piglet.

  Lakan sprinted alongside the stampede, using them as cover.

  "You dirty beastman!" the mage spat, fury blazing in her eyes. She raised her staff once more.

  "Dirt Wa—"

  Swish!

  A sword spun through the air toward her. She dodged, tilting her body just in time, but the sudden attack threw her off balance, making her stumble and fall onto her back.

  She barely had time to react before she saw him—Lakan—rushing toward her, his sword aimed directly at her throat.

  Whoosh! Splat!

  A sharp pain. Then, silence.

  The mage’s eyes widened in shock. As the world around her faded, one final thought crossed her mind:

  "What did we ever do to you...?"

  Her lips never got the chance to form the words.

  Lakan kicked her lifeless body aside, yanking his sword free.

  After killing the mage, Lakan ran into the forest, the boars still chasing him. He climbed a tree to rest and waited for them to leave.

  After a while, all the boars left the glade where the battle had taken place.

  “Ahh… I think some of my ribs are broken,” Lakan muttered, wincing in pain. “I guess those adventurers weren’t all experienced. They must have been new recruits, and those two were training them.”

  Lakan climbed down and began looting the adventurers.

  “They had some good equipment and weapons. Let’s see what’s inside their Magic Storage. Since they have died, their Magic Storage is now accessible.” Lakan said with anticipation.

  A Magic Storage was a ring that allowed its user to store items for their adventures or everyday life. Lakan had seen them often when he was hunting—or being used as bait for monsters—back when he was still a slave.

  “I hope there’s a healing potion or something useful,” he whispered.

  After opening each of the adventurers’ Magic Storage rings, Lakan was quite pleased with the loot.

  “Ooh, not bad. I should drink a bit of Healing Potion to fix my ribs,” he said.

  Just then, Baloga and Zarik dropped down from the trees to meet him.

  “Young boy, you did great! I thought we’d have to save you, but you stood your ground,” Baloga said with a grin.

  “What?!—what are you two doing here?” Lakan asked, startled.

  “We were ordered by Elder Ulganar to watch over you,” Baloga replied. “And I’m glad we did. You put on quite a show! Hahahaha!”

  “Let’s regroup with the main group now,” Zarik said. “We shouldn’t wait around for more adventurers to show up.”

  Baloga scoffed. “Can you not spare a moment to savor our triumph, Zarik?”

  The three of them cleared away any evidence, buried the adventurers, and made it appear as though they had been killed and eaten by the boars before finally leaving.