Chapter 32: Defeating the Armored Boar

Around the time the Fang Boar had evolved, Masaya confessed to Fuyuhiko at the detective agency that he was a Cool Dreamer.

It was difficult to keep it a secret from Fuyuhiko, especially now that government officials have taken notice of him. So, he thought he should also let the guy know that he was a Cool Dreamer and that he might be receiving job offers as an advisor from the Japanese government.

“If only you had told me sooner, I could have used it for publicity for the agency,” Fuyuhiko lamented.

“That’s precisely why I didn’t tell you.”

At this time, Masaya received a sudden call from Kurobe of the Special Talent Application Division, informing him that he should head towards a certain location where a monster was causing quite the ruckus. To make matters worse, Fuyuhiko would be accompanying him this time since he was present during the call.

During the car ride, Masaya briefed Fuyuhiko on the situation they were heading into. The latter was surprised but seemed genuinely excited.

“So, what’s the nature of the request?” Fuyuhiko asked.

“They want us to confirm the identity of the monster,” Masaya replied.

“Ah, interesting. What kind of monster are we dealing with here?”

“It’s a monster that takes the form of a wild boar.”

“Oh, I see. Wild boars, huh? Sounds like they would make a delicious hot pot.”

“Are you thinking about eating it? We’re dealing with a real monster here, you know.”

The road leading to the station became jammed, causing traffic to come to a standstill. Masaya parked his car in a nearby parking lot and stepped out before clutching the staff he used for practice in his hand.

Fuyuhiko carried a paper bag with him. Masaya was quite curious about its contents, but there was no time to spare. So, they hurriedly made their way to the scene. Kurobe was waiting for them at the site.

“So, your director decided to join us too?” Kurobe asked.

“He insisted on coming along, so I had no choice but to bring him,” Masaya replied.

“This is also a request of the agency after all,” Fuyuhiko said.

Masaya shifted his gaze toward the monstrous creature.

“Hmm, this is not a Fang Boar.”

“Yes, although it initially resembled the one you encountered before, it seems to have undergone a transformation of some sort after devouring the flesh of that boy lying over there,” Kurobe explained.

Masaya was aware that monsters in the labyrinth could consume humans and evolve. This was knowledge he had acquired from the books he read, which stated that labyrinth monsters could absorb the magic energy within humans to undergo changes.

“Based on its characteristics, I would deduce that this one is an Armored Boar.”

Masaya explained the traits and weaknesses of the said creature to Kurobe. The weak point of the Armored Boar was located at the base of its hind legs. If they could manage to shoot it with a powerful gun in that area, they should be able to bring it down.

The Armored Boar, surrounded by police officers, began charging towards them. The top speed of a wild boar is typically around 50 kilometers per hour, but the Armored Boar surpassed that with ease.

Its running seemed to accelerate with each step, displaying an abnormal burst of speed. The Armored Boar sent the police officers flying and collided with the patrol car.

The patrol car was sent flying as if it had collided with a truck. A tremendous crash resonated through the air as the patrol car plummeted. The officers started scrambling backward, desperately trying to escape.

Inside the broadcasting van, the director, Maki, watched the battle between the police force and the monster with bated breath.

“Hey, hey, are the police truly powerless?”

“Well, they’re apparently preparing elephant guns.”

It seemed like regular firearms and rifles were ineffective against the Armored Boar. That’s why they had decided to bring in elephant guns specifically for this situation.

“Hey, a strange guy just jumped out. Focus on him!” Maki instructed the cameraman.

The person who emerged was a man wielding an axe. He appeared to be in his early thirties and had a solid build. With an air of confidence, he raised his axe high.

“You monster! I’ll take you down!”

The man shouted as he charged toward the Armored Boar.

The man engaged in a battle with the creature, and his fighting style looked pretty impressive.

“That guy. I feel like I’ve seen him somewhere before.” Fuyuhiko raised his voice.

“Could he be one of our previous clients?” Masaya wondered.

“No, I think I’ve seen him on TV.”

Kurobe’s eyes lit up.

“That’s Inamoto-san, a YouTuber. He is registered with the guild.”

Masaya observed the way the man fought, impressed by his combat skills. It seemed like he was accustomed to battling monsters; perhaps he was a labyrinth explorer in the other world.

“Hmm… Why does he have an axe?”

“Maybe he bought it somewhere around here.”

Fuyuhiko suggested, pointing towards a building with various tenant shops, including a carpentry tool store.

This Inamoto guy seemed to possess the True Names of “Strength” and “Resilience”. Although Masaya couldn’t be absolutely certain, he made a logical guess based on the other party’s fighting style.

Inamoto swung the heavy axe with the force of a hammer. And despite being knocked back several times by the Armored Boar’s charges, he displayed the determination to rise again while enduring the pain.

“Not quite yet.”

And he seemed to also be a talker.

His body was covered in a copious amount of blood. Desperately dodging the Boar’s charges, he struck it with his axe. It became evident that Inamoto didn’t know the Armored Boar’s weak point.

The Armored Boar made yet another charge. Inamoto tried to evade, but he slipped on his own blood, losing his balance. That’s when the Boar’s charge hit its mark.

Inamoto’s body spun in mid-air like a spinning top before landing headfirst. After rotating like a breakdancer, he fell flat on the ground.

“Is this some kind of gag unique to YouTubers?” Fuyuhiko made a misguided comment.

“That can’t be it. He was seriously taken down,” Masaya responded.

“Seriously… Aren’t you going to help him?” Fuyuhiko questioned.

“If it were a girl, I’d rush to help without hesitation… But remember, our task this time was only to confirm the identity of the monster,” Masaya explained.

Kurobe cleared his throat, capturing their attention.

“If it’s possible to assist him, could you please rescue him? We’ll increase the reward fee,” Kurobe requested.

“Senpai, Can you do it?” Fuyuhiko asked.

“Well, I’ll manage somehow,” Masaya replied.

“Alright, put these on.”

Fuyuhiko took out goggles from the paper bag he was carrying with him. They were large goggles with a mirrored coating.

“Better to hide your face with this than let it be completely exposed.”

Masaya reluctantly put on the goggles.

The Armored Boar loomed, poised to deliver a fatal blow to the fallen Inamoto. In a split second, Masaya grabbed his staff and charged forward. Witnessing this, Maki, situated in the TV broadcasting van, swiftly instructed the cameraman to focus on the newcomer.

“Goggles. Is that guy a Cool Dreamer as well?”

“Maki-san, his weapon looks like a stick.”

“Seriously? He must be out of his mind.”

Masaya held the staff in a high stance. At the tip of the staff, a quaking blade had formed.

Maintaining his high stance, he sprinted forward while the Armored Boar charged relentlessly. Employing the agile footwork of the Miyasaka style, Masaya deftly evaded the charge, simultaneously bringing the quaking blade down upon the Boar’s skull.

The quaking blade sliced through the Boar’s tough scales, like a chainsaw shearing through wood. Even though the axe had proven ineffective, now a single gash appeared upon the Armored Boar’s head. The potency of the quaking blade seemed to surpass the combined might of the “Strength” True Name and the axe.

The Armored Boar seemed to be aware of its own weakness, and it denied Masaya any opportunity to attack its hind legs. Masaya skillfully evaded its charges time and again, landing counterattacks that, though potent, fell short of delivering a fatal blow.

While Masaya was engaging the Armored Boar, the police came out and carried the wounded man.

“That’s quite enough. You should run too!” Kurobe’s shout echoed.

If possible, Masaya wanted to flee as well. However, the Armored Boar wouldn’t allow it. Hence, Masaya contemplated trying out the new True Name he had acquired.

It was the True Name of “Sacred Sound” that he had obtained from the Dryad. This True Name possessed the power to influence those who heard the words by imbuing emotions and intentions into them.

And apparently, the most influential words were the True Name itself. However, humans lacked the ability to pronounce True Names as words.

As a compromise, the only way to exert its influence was by infusing emotions and intentions into the language they normally used. Masaya released the True Name of “Sacred Sound” and uttered words imbued with his will.

“Do▼not▼move▼.”

Not only the Armored Boar, but also Kurobe, Fuyuhiko, Maki in the broadcasting van, and others in the surrounding area all came to a halt. The words pierced their hearts, rendering them unable to move.

The time during which the monster came to a halt lasted about three seconds. Within that fleeting moment, Masaya swiftly closed in on the Armored Boar and forcefully thrust the quaking blade into the base of its hind leg.

One of the Armored Boar’s legs was severed and went soaring through the air. After that, it was an easy task.

Maki in the broadcasting van had been watching the mysterious Cool Dreamer triumph over the monster. Once the creature was sliced apart and immobilized by a mere stick, its massive form crumbled into dust and vanished without a trace.

And the moment it disappeared, the fangs and hide of the Armored Boar manifested as drop items. However, there was more to come. A new True Name descended upon Masaya’s spirit. It was the True Name of “Acceleration.”

Masaya picked up the dropped items and walked away.