The lead hunter froze for a moment, but the owner of that ferocious, oversized head suddenly leapt out of the bushes with a thud, making the ground tremble beneath the hunters’ feet.

The hunters gasped in shock—it was a wild boar king, as big as a young elephant!

Its skin shone with a purplish luster, two razor-sharp tusks jutted out from its mouth, and its thick, short limbs looked like pillars.

This was the kind of beast hunters least wanted to encounter: thick-skinned, tough-fleshed, immensely strong, and extremely aggressive. It knew no fear—no matter what stood in its way, even a rock, it would charge straight into it.

The moment the wild boar king appeared, the hunters sensed trouble.

“Huff, huff…” The wild boar king snorted a few times, its two blood-red, beady eyes fixed on the lead hunter. Suddenly, it kicked back and charged forward with a thunderous rumble.

The lead hunter shouted, aiming his spear at the wild boar king’s gaping mouth and thrusting it with all his might.

“Humph-ha—”

The wild boar king let out a strange cry, bit down on the spear, and with a powerful twist of its thick neck and massive head, there was a sharp crack—the spear was snapped in two!

With a loud snap, the huge recoil from the broken spear sent the lead hunter flying. The wild boar king lowered its head, tusks forward, and charged at the lead hunter with savage ferocity.

“Ah!” The two hunters on either side shouted, swinging their hunting knives as they rushed in.

The wild boar king didn’t even glance at them. As it reached them, it swung its massive head, sending one hunter flying with a scream. A gash as long as a handspan opened on his thigh, blood gushing out.

The other hunter slashed at the wild boar king’s back, but with a clang, sparks flew! The hunter’s arms went numb, his hands cracked from the shock, and blood streamed down.

“Huff-ha, huff-ha…” The wild boar king locked its gaze on the lead hunter and charged at him again.

Henry Stone’s father stood at a distance. Without thinking, he shot an arrow at the wild boar king.

“Pfft!” Blood spurted everywhere. By sheer luck, the arrow blinded one of the wild boar king’s eyes.

“Awooo—” The wild boar king toppled to the ground, howling in pain at the sky, its four hooves pounding the earth like war drums.

Suddenly, the wild boar king leapt up, its remaining eye fixed fiercely on Henry Stone’s father.

The lead hunter shouted anxiously at his father, “Old Stephen, run, run!”

Thud, thud, thud—the wild boar king charged like lightning, the arrow still stuck in its eye, blood streaming down, hell-bent on its enemy—Henry Stone’s father. Henry Stone’s father dropped his bow and ran, the wild boar king chasing after him like a mad beast. It smashed aside saplings as thick as bowls and rocks as big as stools, its single eye glowing blood-red, locked onto Henry Stone’s father, determined not to stop until he was dead.

“Dad!” Henry Stone broke free from the hunter holding him and dashed toward the wild boar king. The lead hunter cried out in alarm, “Henry, come back, don’t—”

A hunter suddenly lunged from the side, grabbing Henry Stone around the waist and tackling him to the ground. “Are you crazy? You’re not helping your father, you’re going to your death!”

Henry Stone flung his arm, shaking the hunter off. The man couldn’t hold him down and was thrown aside. Henry Stone got up and charged at the wild boar king again.

Henry Stone’s father saw he couldn’t escape. With a sudden leap, he scrambled up a tree as thick as an ox’s leg. The wild boar king howled and charged, slamming its head into the tree.

Thud!

The tree shook violently, and Henry Stone’s father nearly fell off.

The wild boar king staggered back four or five steps, but it wasn’t done yet. Shaking its head, it charged again, ramming the tree with all its might.

Thud! The bark at the impact point exploded with a crack, leaves showering down. The tree was already leaning, the soil at its roots bulging up.

“Awooo—” The wild boar king let out a long howl, kicked back hard, sending clumps of dirt flying, and charged at the tree like a hurricane. It seemed certain the tree would not survive this blow—when suddenly, someone appeared in front of the tree.

The lead hunter shouted, “Henry!” The other hunters turned away, unable to watch.

The wild boar king charged madly, uncaring whether it was a person or a tree in its way—it would smash through anything. Henry Stone glanced left and right, grabbed a boulder as big as a person, roared, and charged at the wild boar king.

“Awooo—” the wild boar king roared.

“Ah—” Henry Stone bellowed.

Thud! With a deafening crash, the scene before the hunters stunned them all: Henry Stone, clutching the giant rock, collided head-on with the charging wild boar king.

The wild boar king, as big as a young elephant, was sent flying with a howl, rolling more than ten meters before coming to a stop, letting out a final groan, and lying still.

The boulder in Henry Stone’s arms cracked in several places, and Henry Stone’s entire foot was driven deep into the ground, all the way to his ankle.

Chapter 3 Mr. Bolton Marries Off His Daughter (Part 1)

“Whew…” Henry Stone let out a long breath, relaxed his arms, tossed the boulder aside, and looked back at his father in the tree. “Dad, are you alright?”

His father shook his head, jumped down from the tree, and patted the dust off his clothes.