The dust of Boro City was still fresh on my boots as I set my sights on the horizon. My destination: Tora.
Tora stands as a vital urban heart within the Bariro Region, positioned directly to the east of Boro. It wasn't a planned trip, but fate—and the desperate pleas of fellow Slayers—has a way of shifting one's path. It all began a few hours ago at the local guild.
Upon entering the guild's bustling hall, I was intercepted by the three Slayers I had pulled from the brink of death just the day before. The trio—two young women and a young man—looked significantly better, though their faces were tight with anxiety.
"Sable! Thank the gods we found you," the young man called out.
They explained their predicament: they had signed on to escort a merchant named Plereo to Tora, but the route had become a death trap.
"The destination is Tora," one of the women explained, her voice trembling slightly. "It's a major hub, but there's a nightmare blocking the gates. A Rank 2 Great White Boar. It stands over five meters tall and has been terrorizing the outskirts for days. The local Slayers are spread too thin to stop it."
Recognizing my strength from our previous encounter, they practically bowed in the middle of the guild hall. "Please, Sable. We need an extra hand. We can't guarantee Plereo's safety against a Rank 2 beast alone."
"If that's the case, I'll join you," I replied, crossing my arms.
Before setting out, we took a moment for proper introductions. I introduced myself as Sable Kaelo. The group, I learned, was a diverse mix of talents:
Rim: A charming girl with shoulder-length pink hair. She is a Prayer talent user, drawing power from divine pleas.
Mason: A woman with flowing yellow hair and the composed, protective aura of a mature older sister. She specializes in Incantations.
Luke: A cheerful, green-haired youth who, like me, focuses on the Circulation method.
Ambush on the Eastern Road
Our journey was interrupted sooner than expected. As the merchant's carriage rattled along the uneven path, the rattling was drowned out by the dry clicking of bone. Out of the treeline swarmed a pack of roughly twenty-five Rank 1 Skeletons.
I didn't hesitate. With a thought, I summoned my Steel Gauntlets, the metal shimmering as it formed over my fists.
"Wait!" Luke shouted, his eyes wide with shock. "Is your primary talent the Artifact/Staff path? I thought you were a physical fighter!"
"Focus on the fight!" I barked back.
I didn't have time for a lecture on hybrid builds. I activated my Circulation technique, feeling the Atara surge through my veins like liquid fire. It channeled into my limbs, turning my body into a blur of motion. I lunged, my blade singing through the air. With a single strike, I shattered a skeleton's ribcage into a cloud of white dust.
Behind me, the air began to hum with divine energy.
"O Great God of Venlanthira, heed my plea and grant me the essence of your flames!" Rim chanted. Her voice was melodic, yet it carried a weight that shook the air. A massive sphere of roaring fire manifested before her and surged forward, incinerating two skeletons instantly.
Mason wasn't far behind. Her voice was a low, chilling whisper as she uttered an ancient frost incantation:
"Apolia Hesto!"
The effect was instantaneous. A wave of absolute zero swept outward, encasing the remaining skeletons in a thick, jagged layer of frost. They were frozen mid-stride, brittle and helpless. Together, we shattered the icy statues, clearing the path in minutes.
A Taste of the Bariro Region
Later that afternoon, we took a reprieve under the sprawling canopy of a massive ancient tree. The merchant, Plereo, was so grateful for our defense that he insisted on preparing a meal himself. He brought out a pot of Futo Spice Stew.
The Futo is a curious creature—a white, four-horned buffalo-like animal native to these plains. Plereo explained that its meat is remarkably similar to chicken, but far more tender and marbled with rich fats.
The stew was a revelation.
"The texture..." Luke muttered between mouthfuls. "It's like it's melting."
The moment the meat touched my tongue, it felt as though tiny bubbles of flavor were bursting against my palate. It was a sensation so delicate, yet so incredibly rich, that conversation died out entirely. We finished the entire pot before we even realized the sun had begun to dip.
The Terror of Tora
When we finally reached the gates of Tora, Plereo wasted no time. He immediately set up his stall, displaying vibrant Koran fruits and the white, prickly Vantio fruits—fist-sized delicacies that looked like sea urchins but tasted like the sweetest grapes.
However, the commerce was short-lived. A chorus of blood-curdling screams pierced the air.
"Run! It's the Great Boar! It's broken through the perimeter!"
The marketplace turned to chaos. People scrambled over stalls, abandoning their goods. I caught snatches of panicked whispers from the locals.
"The hoarders... they say it's on a rampage because someone touched its treasure stash!" one man yelled. "Where is the Blue Sword team? Are they still not back from the mountains?"
I turned to my group, my eyes narrowing as I spotted a massive cloud of dust rising from the city center.
"Watch the merchant," I commanded. "I'll go check it out."
"We're coming with you!" Luke protested, reaching for his weapon.
"If you leave, who's going to protect Plereo?" I snapped, my voice harsh with urgency. "Stay put!"
Without waiting for a response, I focused Atara into my legs. The ground cracked beneath my boots as I leaped toward the source of the screams, roof-hopping to gain a better vantage point.
The Stand at the Plaza
In the middle of the main thoroughfare, I saw them. Two children—a young boy no older than seven and his tiny little sister—were trapped. The massive white boar, a mountain of muscle and coarse fur, was lowering its head. Its tusks were the size of scythes.
The boy didn't run. He threw himself over his sister, shielding her with his small body. "Don't be scared," he whimpered, his eyes squeezed shut. "I'll protect you!"
CLANG!
I slammed into the cobblestones between them just as the beast lunged. I caught the boar's massive tusks with my Steel Gauntlets, the impact vibrating through my very marrow.
"Run, now!" I roared over the beast's guttural snarls.
The children looked up, tears streaking their dusty faces. "Who are you, big brother?" the boy whispered in awe.
"It doesn't matter! Just get out of here!"
Once the children scrambled to safety, I shifted my stance, my boots skidding against the stones as the boar pushed back with terrifying strength.
"Now it's just you and me," I muttered, a grim smirk tugging at my lips.
I lunged forward, aiming a heavy, Atara-infused punch at the boar's thick skull. I knew my limits: at my current level, I could only maintain maximum Circulation for about thirty minutes—maybe an hour if I risked permanent damage to my circuits.
The blow landed with a dull thud. To my shock, the boar didn't even flinch. With a casual flick of its neck, it tossed me aside like a ragdoll. I crashed through a nearby brick wall, the masonry crumbling over me. I emerged from the rubble, coughing up blood, my ribs screaming in protest.
"This thing is even more vicious than the bear from yesterday," I thought, wiping a crimson smear from my mouth.
I closed my eyes for a fraction of a second, recalling the lessons from my old books. Circulation isn't just about physical strength; it's a physical element itself. Unlike the other nine paths of magic, Circulation provides a unique, tangible protection—a shroud of raw power.
I centered myself. I concentrated every drop of my Atara into a singular, condensed point, wrapping my gauntlets in a dense, swirling vortex of visible energy.
The boar charged again, a white wall of death.
I moved. Not with the speed of a man, but with the speed of a gale. I sidestepped the tusks and delivered a devastating blow directly to the center of the boar's forehead.
BOOM!
The impact sounded like a cannon blast. The sheer air pressure from the strike shattered the surrounding bricks and sent a shockwave through the street. I felt the boar's skull crack beneath my fist.
The mountain of flesh collapsed instantly, dead before it hit the ground.
Aftermath
By the time Rim, Luke, and Mason arrived with the backup Slayers, the battle was over. They stood frozen, staring at the fallen Rank 2 beast and the lone man standing over it.
I didn't say a word. I pulled a short blade from my belt and set to work, carving into the beast's chest. After a moment, I reached in and retrieved a glowing Yellow Atara Stone—the core of its power.
The locals began to emerge from their hiding spots, their faces filled with a mix of terror and profound gratitude.
"You've saved us, traveler," an elder said, pointing toward a narrow, winding alleyway. "You're hurt. Go see Ban Bwa Bwa. She's the best healer in Tora. If anyone can fix those ribs, it's her."
Author's note: 10/?score "How many points out of 10 would you give?"