The massive boar charged forward, ignoring the panic around it.

Arthur could only brace himself. Despite being considered one of the strongest in the group, he was no frontline fighter.

As a mage and long-range combatant, Arthur had formidable offensive power—but his body was fragile and couldn't withstand direct hits.

In seconds, the boar had crossed a significant distance with astonishing speed.

Just as Arthur began to lose hope, something clicked in his mind. He quickly reached into his pocket and pulled out a worn scroll. Feeling its familiar texture beneath his fingers, he channeled mana into it.

Swoosh!

Light enveloped the scroll, followed by a cloud of dark smoke that shot toward the boar. Arthur could only hope it would work.

But to his dismay, the boar didn't slow down. It kept charging as if nothing had happened.

Everyone, Arthur included, stood frozen—resigned to their fate.

Then, just as the boar was about to barrel into them, something strange happened—it kept running... and charged right past them.

Some remained stunned in confusion until a loud crash echoed in the distance.

Boom!

Arthur realized he was safe. Relief flooded through him as he turned toward the sound.

There, the massive boar lay twitching on the ground, surrounded by shattered trees.

It had slammed into them after losing control. But why? Everything had seemed normal just moments ago.

After some thought, Arthur could only conclude that the scroll he activated had disoriented the boar, throwing it off course.

Even so, he remained uncertain. Too many unpredictable variables existed in this wild forest.

As the group was still recovering from the ordeal, the sound of rustling leaves returned.

They turned—and saw the boar, once dazed, now rising to its feet with renewed energy. Its vitality and endurance were nothing short of monstrous.

Without hesitation, the beast charged again—this time, straight at Bravus.

Arthur panicked. Even though he wasn't the target, the idea of losing someone due to carelessness filled him with dread.

But the boar moved too fast—unnaturally fast for its size. A few tried to react but were grazed nonetheless.

Bravus, the direct target, stood frozen. His face turned pale, lips cracked, limbs trembling.

As the boar bore down on him, Bravus lost all control—wetting himself out of sheer terror.

He knew it, but didn't care. All that mattered was surviving.

Yet instead of ramming into him, the boar simply ran past—leaving Bravus completely unharmed.

Staring at the beast in disbelief, Bravus noticed its bloodthirsty gaze had dulled. Its eyes looked vacant—soulless.

Was he hallucinating?

Seconds later, another crash rang out.

Boom!

The farmers remained too shaken to move. Their nerves had been toyed with like passengers on a never-ending roller coaster.

But amid the chaos, a commanding voice rang out.

"What are you waiting for?! Attack—now!"

"Fire Magic: Grand Fireball!"

Swoosh!

A large, blazing fireball launched toward the boar, marking the start of their counterattack.

The others snapped back to their senses and began an all-out assault. Spells and weapons rained down on the beast.

As the barrage ended, everyone watched the creature closely, praying it was finally dead.

But to their horror, the boar slowly rose again. Bloodied and battered, its eyes gleamed once more with relentless fury.

Arthur narrowed his eyes and shouted:

"Don't let it recover! Hit it again!"

Another wave of attacks ensued. Arthur joined in himself.

But he grew increasingly frustrated. Even after such a brutal beating, the boar wouldn't fall. At first, it continued to lash out at the hunters—but after sustaining more wounds, it began to retreat.

Gradually, it became clear the creature was trying to flee.

Arthur couldn't accept that. After all the chaos, how could he let it escape?

He launched more attacks, but it was no use. The boar fled with surprising agility.

In a last-ditch effort, Arthur had a sudden flash of inspiration. He quickly pulled out another scroll and activated it.

Just like before, the boar lost its bearings and crashed into more trees.

Arthur inwardly cheered and shouted for the others to attack.

But their hopes were crushed once again. The boar's eyes reignited with intensity, and this time, it moved even faster—likely driven by desperation.

In mere moments, the creature had vanished into the distance.

The group stood in exhausted silence, overwhelmed by regret.

When everyone was too drained to move, Bravus—who had remained silent the whole time—suddenly got up and walked off in a single direction. His movement drew attention.

Then someone remembered—Bravus's perfume. The very thing that had triggered the disaster.

Anger began to rise.

Sensing the tension, Arthur quickly stepped forward and called out with a firm, authoritative voice.

The commotion died down. All eyes now locked onto Bravus, their gazes cold and hostile.

Bravus scowled, but he knew better than to talk back. He lowered his head and walked over.

Before he could arrive, Arthur's voice rang out:

"Bravus, do you realize how much trouble you've caused?!"

Bravus kept his head low, silent.

"If anyone had died today, it would've been your fault. I'm warning you—change your attitude. If you keep this up, I won't take you on any more hunts!"

Bravus scoffed internally. He thought Arthur was bluffing.

To him, the idea of being cut off was unthinkable. After all, he had the magic perfume that boosted hunting efficiency. Even if Arthur turned him away, another team would surely want him.

So he said nothing.

Arthur continued, "Fine. Since everyone's still alive, I'll let it go this time. But don't ever repeat this mistake."

Bravus nodded and returned to his place.

Arthur then addressed the group with a sharp tone:

"All of you need to stay focused and be more careful. I won't tolerate a repeat of what just happened. If it does, I won't hold back."

Everyone nodded in agreement. Arthur's threats weren't empty. Unlike Bravus, most of them didn't have any bargaining chip.

Arthur gave a satisfied nod.

"For today… we all owe our thanks to Clayton."

Everyone glanced at each other, confused. Even Equus and Bravus were stunned, not understanding what Arthur meant.