From a young age, having known nothing but hard work and the life of a slave, Cercius desired nothing more than peace and a world without pain and suffering.
Especially through his time in Avalon, this belief had only grown stronger within him and had become an ideal. When he saw this peaceful place, where fairies and gentle animals could live in harmony, enjoying themselves undisturbed, he wished to create a place just like it—only larger, and for all living beings.
He longed for a paradise, a world without pain and suffering—a wish, an ideal—but he would make it reality.
"I'm truly sorry…"
But for now, he had to do what needed to be done.
To bring forth such a world, to make his ideal come true, sacrifices had to be made, and now he had no other choice but to fight for this dream.
Cercius drew his bow, took two arrows, nocked one and kept the other in his hand. "But for the sake of the peace I will create, you must become my first stepping stone!"
With determined eyes, he drew the bow as far as he could, held his breath for a second, fixed his gaze and aimed precisely at his target.
Then the arrow flew.
As soon as it left the bowstring, Cercius was already placing the next arrow, preparing to fire again.
The first arrow shot forward at high speed, cutting through the wind, splitting the air, and rushing toward its target. But it did not strike the boar—it landed just a few centimeters off, sinking into the earth.
Instead, the arrow startled the boar and several nearby animals, just as Cercius had hoped, sending them scattering in surprise.
As expected, the boar ran toward the forest, though not quite in the direction Cercius had intended.
Still, he had anticipated a slight deviation. For this, he had already prepared another arrow and fired it.
This arrow, too, flew swiftly, cutting the wind, and struck the ground just a few centimeters from the boar. It caused the creature to change direction and dash deeper into the forest.
Cercius leapt down from the branch where he had been perched and swiftly pursued the boar into the woods.
Even as he sprinted, he readied another arrow.
The boar charged through the forest at an astonishing speed, far quicker than one would expect from such an animal. Yet, despite its pace, Cercius managed to keep up.
Bow in hand, arrow drawn, he waited for the next chance to strike.
"Huu~" Cercius exhaled in focus, and then the opportunity appeared.
While storming through the forest, the boar dodged tree after tree, like a fast path winding with curves. It swerved to avoid another tree, leapt to the side—slowing down just slightly—and quickly surged forward again.
Cercius seized that brief moment of slowed movement and released the arrow.
It shot toward the sacred boar with near-perfect precision, aimed at its thigh. But seconds before impact, the boar's dark brown hide suddenly gleamed with a bright bronze light, spreading across its whole body.
When the arrow struck and threatened to pierce its flesh, the tip shattered as though it had hit a stone wall.
Cercius's eyes widened in shock.
"What…?" For a moment, he was speechless, utterly stunned. "Damn, so this is a creature of nature!"
But instead of despairing or being trapped in disbelief, his determination only grew stronger. He pushed himself harder, chasing even faster.
For a long time, Cercius pursued the boar through the dense forest, firing arrow after arrow, only for them to miss or shatter against its hide.
Though the boar was not especially fast, Cercius could not quite close the distance. Hours passed in pursuit until, at last, the boar slowed and ceased its flight.
By then, Cercius was exhausted, his stamina nearly spent.
When the boar finally stopped and slowly turned to face the one who had so relentlessly chased it, a mocking glint appeared in its eyes, belittling Cercius's efforts, as if ridiculing his exhaustion.
Cercius's face twisted in disbelief at the animal's scorn, and a fury unlike any he had felt before surged within him. How dare this filthy swine mock me?!
Humiliated by nothing more than a beast, Cercius swallowed his fatigue, nocked three arrows, and released them one after another without hesitation toward the sacred boar.
But the boar stood unmoving, watching the incoming arrows without a trace of fear. Each arrow shattered harmlessly against its skin.
What the boar had not expected, however, was that its pursuer had vanished.
Startled, it looked around for him.
"Got you!" a voice suddenly rang out above.
Before the boar could lift its head, something heavy dropped onto its back, pressing it down for a moment.
Cercius, perched on its back with a wide grin, clutched an arrow in each hand, struggling to keep his balance and not be thrown off.
And before the boar could react, Cercius drove both arrows into its eyes.
"Your skin may be tough, but your eyes surely are not!" he jeered as blood gushed from the creature's sockets.
GROAR! The boar bellowed in agony, thrashing wildly, its body convulsing as blood sprayed like fountains while the arrows burrowed deeper.
At last, Cercius released the arrows lodged in its eyes and clung to its back to avoid being thrown. But he had not accounted for the sheer force of its frenzy—he was violently flung off.
"Urgh~"
He rolled across the ground for several meters before coming to a stop.
"Damn, that—" As he scrambled to his feet and looked up, he saw the boar—despite its blindness—charging straight for him. You've got to be kidding me?!
Stunned yet impressed, Cercius met the furious gaze of the blinded beast.
The boar snorted furiously, hooves striking the earth, blood pouring from its ruined eyes. No longer a pure creature of nature, it now looked more like a deranged beast, consumed by rage and despair.
With a mad howl, it barreled toward Cercius, as though it could see him clearly.
"Damn it!"
Cercius quickly grabbed his bow and fired arrow after arrow in desperation, hoping to stop the charging beast.
But as before, the arrows shattered uselessly against its hide. The boar drew closer, showing no sign of slowing.
Damn it, why won't it die?! Cercius tensed as the creature neared, frantically thinking of a new plan.
The boar surged forward, accelerating in the final stretch to ram him with its tusks, aiming to deal devastating damage.
Realizing his dire situation, Cercius rolled to the side, barely evading the brutal strike.
But the beast was relentless. Recovering quickly, it turned and prepared another charge.
It was strange—though blind, with arrows still lodged in its eyes, it seemed always to know where its target was. Likely, it relied on mana-enhanced perception, sensing nearby life signs.
"Tch," Cercius clicked his tongue in frustration. I have no choice—I'll have to drive the arrow deeper!
Resolute, he readied himself for the next clash.
The boar now looked visibly strained, its wounds taking their toll. Its adrenaline waned, and its injuries began to show. Yet it pressed on, charging with all its might.
This time, Cercius did not plan to dodge. He drew another arrow from his quiver and braced for impact.
The boar lunged like a battering ram. At that same moment, Cercius grabbed the arrow still stuck in its left eye.
Clenching his teeth, he prepared himself.
The boar slammed into him full force, its snout crushing into his stomach. It happened so quickly—just as Cercius wrenched the arrow free, blood spurted from his mouth. Yet at the same time, he drove the arrow in his hand as deep as possible through the ruined socket, piercing into the boar's brain.
The beast screamed in anguish, its strength fading rapidly.
Cercius, struck hard, was flung through the air, praying his reckless gamble had worked. He smashed against a tree and crumpled to the ground like a sack.
The blow had hurled him more than ten meters, surely wreaking havoc inside his body, perhaps even breaking bones.
"Cough Cough" Cercius spat blood, clutching his stomach in agony as he struggled to rise. "Did I… do it?"
His gaze fell on the boar, still standing, seemingly "staring" at him through labored breaths.
Cercius's eyes widened—he could only admire the beast's tenacity. To remain standing, blinded and grievously wounded, was something even the bravest warriors could not achieve.
But finally, the boar collapsed on the spot, succumbing to its injuries.
Relief washed over Cercius, and he let out a long, weary sigh.
I… did it.
[Congratulations, you have successfully cleared God's First Trial: "The Hunt for the Sacred Boar."]
[You have successfully written the Fable: "Overcoming Weakness," and increased its potential.]
Cercius was too drained to even speak, let alone stand. Yet he forced himself to approach the boar's corpse, ignoring the messages of the system and constellations.
["Throne that Spreads Joy" congratulates you on your victory.]
["Demon Consumed by Hunger" is bored of this performance.]
Reaching the fallen beast, he stopped and, with a faint, weary smile, stroked its now dark-brown hide with his hand.
Just as he was about to examine the carcass further, the same portal that had once brought him to this world suddenly appeared.
Oh, no! A terrible foreboding gripped Cercius as he saw the portal, his face twisting in pain. He seemed to know exactly what was coming, tightening his hold on his wounded stomach.
The next moment, a powerful force seized his body, dragging him helplessly—along with the boar's carcass—into the portal, whisking him away from the mortal world, D1.
It was a dreadful feeling, being pulled helplessly to another place, especially when exhausted and injured, when even the slightest tremor of the body brought pain.
After Cercius vanished into the portal and left the mortal world, silence returned as though nothing had ever happened.
Avalon.
A portal appeared out of nowhere on the magical, summery island adrift in the void.
The next instant, Cercius was hurled out roughly, landing hard on the sandy ground. Moments later, the boar's corpse followed, thudding beside him.
"Urgh~" A pained groan escaped his lips as he collapsed.
Clutching his stomach, teeth clenched against the agony, he tried to rise and see where he had been sent this time. But his attempt was interrupted by a gentle, melodious voice nearby.
"Congratulations, you made it," a kind, soft woman's voice praised. "As expected of my student."
"Hm?" Cercius strained to lift his head, meeting the gaze of the woman looking down at him as he lay on the ground. "Master… Urgh~" he gasped.
As he cried out excitedly for Morgana, the pain of his inner wounds struck, and exhaustion overwhelmed him once more.
"Haha~" Morgana chuckled in amusement at the sight of her weary pupil. "Here!"
With a wave of her hand, she cast a spell, enveloping Cercius in a gentle light that began to heal his wounds and ease his pain.
"You really pushed yourself, didn't you?" Morgana observed. "But your wounds aren't too severe. A little rest will see them healed. For now, go and rest—we can talk when you've recovered."
Cercius agreed.
He was utterly exhausted, after sleepless days in the forest and a grueling battle with a raging boar. He wanted nothing more than to fall asleep immediately. Yet, with no strength left to move, a few fairies came to his aid and carried him to his small home at the edge of the island.
Soon after he arrived at the little house—containing only a bedroom, a tiny living room serving as the entrance, and a toilet—Cercius drifted into a deep sleep.
Thanks to Morgana's spell, he felt no pain at all, as though under anesthesia, and had no trouble falling asleep.