Chapter 12: Beasts of Hunger
The sudden, tense silence that fell upon the olive grove was more unnerving than any noise. Elara's whispered warning hung heavy in the air, a cold premonition that sent a shiver down Lykos's spine. The soft hum of Homerus's Ballad of Restoration ceased, leaving only the rustle of leaves and the faint thumping of Lykos's own heart in his ears.
The summoned Forager had adopted a rigid posture, her eyes darting between the dense olive trees with a predatory alertness that surpassed even Elara's.
"What is it, Elara?" Lykos whispered back, his hand instinctively gripping a heavy branch he'd been using to shake olives. It felt laughably inadequate.
"I hear… grunting," Elara breathed, her voice barely audible. "And a faint, musky scent. Like… wild boar. But larger. And too many."
Before Lykos could process this, a crashing sound erupted from a thicket of trees about fifty paces away. A massive, shaggy beast burst forth, its tusks long and yellowed, its eyes wild and bloodshot. It was indeed a boar, but unlike any Lykos had ever seen in a documentary or a game its hide was matted with thorns and dirt, its size monstrous, easily dwarfing a fully grown man.
Behind it, more crashed through the undergrowth, their grunts growing into a chorus of guttural roars. Five… six… eight of them, their forms blurring into a terrifying, charging wave.
Lykos's mind screamed. Wild boars! A whole pack! And these weren't docile farm animals; they were monstrous, feral beasts, driven by hunger. His foraging party was unarmed, save for Homerus's magical lyre and Theron's potential agility.
"To the trees! Climb!" Lykos yelled, his voice raw with sudden panic. He pointed frantically towards the tallest, sturdiest olive trees.
"Everyone, up! Now!"
Elara, Kalypso, and the summoned Forager immediately scrambled towards the nearest thick-trunked trees, their nimble fingers finding purchase on the rough bark. Theron, true to his hunter's nature, moved with astonishing speed, practically leaping onto the lowest branch of a towering olive, then pulling himself up with practiced ease.
The three summoned Laborers, however, faced a dilemma. Their strength was immense, but their movements were not agile. They were designed for heavy lifting, not climbing trees. Yet, their sealed Memory meant they lacked the complex problem-solving or self-preservation instincts of a living human. They looked to Lykos for instruction, their eyes waiting.
"Laborers! Form a line! Protect the base of the trees!" Lykos bellowed, a desperate gamble. He didn't have time to explain. He needed them to buy seconds.
Obediently, the three powerful Laborers moved, placing their broad backs against the trunks of the trees where the others were scrambling up, bracing themselves. They held no weapons, but their sheer mass and unyielding stance presented a temporary barrier. They were male, robust, and utterly fearless due to their lack of higher cognitive function beyond their task.
The lead boar, a hulking brute, slammed into the central Laborer with a sickening thud. The Laborer didn't budge, but the impact sent a tremor through the tree. The boar roared, shaking its massive head, its tusks scraping against the Laborer's thick linen tunic.
"Homerus!" Lykos screamed, his own heart pounding against his ribs as he clawed his way up a tree, pulling himself onto a branch just above Elara. He saw the sheer terror in Elara's eyes, a fear that mirrored his own. "Your Discordant Song! Drive them back!"
Homerus, still on the ground, raised the Whispering Lyre. His eyes, now filled with the profound depth of his unlocked Memory, focused intently on the charging pack. He began to play, and the air immediately filled with a horrific symphony of clashing notes.
It wasn't just jarring now; it was utterly, painfully chaotic. The sound seemed to pierce the very eardrums, a maddening, disorienting assault on the senses.
The boars, initially disoriented, began to squeal and snort in confusion. Their charge faltered. They shook their heads violently, their wild eyes rolling as the unholy symphony assaulted them. Two of them collided, snarling at each other instead of their intended prey.
It was working! Homerus's Discordant Song, now fully unleashed, was far more potent than its initial, instinctual use during the raider attack. It wasn't physical damage, but pure, agonizing sensory overload.
"Keep climbing!" Lykos yelled, already trying to think of the next step. They couldn't stay in the trees forever. The boars, though confused, were still large, powerful, and dangerous.
One of the boars, perhaps less affected by the sound, or simply more enraged, lunged at the exposed leg of a Laborer. Its tusks ripped through the fabric, drawing a thin line of blood. The Laborer didn't cry out, didn't flinch, but simply leaned harder into the tree, bracing.
It was a testament to their inherent resilience, but Lykos knew they weren't indestructible. If the boars focused their attack, even the Laborers would fall.
"Theron!" Lykos called out to the agile hunter, who was perched high above. "Can you find anything to throw? Anything to make noise? Drive them away!"
Theron, his face grim, quickly scanned the branches. He broke off a dead branch, surprisingly thick, and began to forcefully shake the olive tree. A shower of hard, unripe olives rained down on the boars below, peppering their thick hides. The impact wasn't damaging, but combined with Homerus's jarring music, it added to their confusion and irritation.
One particularly enraged boar, its tusks dripping foam, turned from the Laborers and fixed its bloodshot gaze on Homerus. The old bard, unarmed and vulnerable, continued to play, his fingers moving with impossible speed over the lyre strings, maintaining the maddening melody. The boar charged.
"Homerus! Move!" Lykos screamed, sheer terror seizing him. Without Homerus, they were dead.
Just as the boar was inches from him, Homerus, without missing a single beat on his lyre, took a surprisingly nimble sidestep, dancing just out of the boar's reach. His Memory, now fully unlocked, had not only given him powerful musical abilities but also restored the agility and quick thinking that came with surviving countless journeys and dangers in his long life. The boar, thrown off balance by the unexpected dodge, stumbled past him.
This was a momentary reprieve, but Lykos knew it couldn't last. The boars would eventually overcome the disorientation. They needed a way to truly drive them off, or to hurt them.
I have 5 System Points. Still not enough for a Militia. But he needed some form of attack.
He looked at the scene, his gamer brain desperately searching for an exploit, a weakness. The boars were large, angry, but they were also animals. They understood pain and intimidation.
Then, a desperate idea struck him. He had no weapon, but he had a voice, and he had Homerus.
"Homerus!" Lykos shouted, once the charging boar had passed. "Can you play a different song? Something that sounds like… a larger predator? A growl? A roar? Something terrifying!"
Homerus paused for a fraction of a second, his brow furrowed in concentration. Then, the discordant melody shifted. The clashing notes remained, but a deeper, guttural thrum began to weave through them. It started as a low rumble, then swelled into a monstrous, primal roar, echoing through the olive grove.
It wasn't just a sound; it was an illusion crafted by Homerus's newly unlocked Epic Narrative skill, a terrifying auditory hallucination. The sound was so vivid, so utterly convincing, that even Lykos felt a chill run down his spine. It sounded like something truly massive, truly predatory, was lurking just beyond their sight.
The boars, already disoriented, froze. Their grunts changed to whimpers. They looked around wildly, their primal instincts overriding their hunger and rage. The sound of a colossal, invisible predator filled their senses, pressing down on them. One of the smaller boars let out a terrified squeal and bolted, crashing back into the undergrowth. Another followed. Then another.
The scarred lead boar, however, was a beast of immense courage. It hesitated, shaking its head, trying to locate the source of the terrifying roar. But the combined assault of the jarring music and the phantom predator proved too much.
With a final, frustrated snort, it wheeled around and, with the remaining boars, stampeded back the way they came, disappearing into the depths of the grove, their squeals fading into the distance.
Silence returned to the olive grove, broken only by the heavy breathing of Lykos and his companions. The crisis was averted.
Lykos slid down the tree, his legs shaky. He looked at Homerus, who, though pale from the exertion, managed a small, triumphant smile. The Epic Narrative skill had been truly devastating, a weapon of fear and illusion.
He looked at the three Laborers. The one who had been gored had a deep, bloody scratch across his thigh, but otherwise seemed unaffected. Their resilience was incredible. The summoned Forager stood calmly, basket still in hand. Elara, Kalypso, and Theron, however, were visibly trembling, relief flooding their faces.
[WARNING! External Threat Neutralized!]
Threat: Feral Boar Pack (Significant numbers)
Outcome: Retreat (Significant losses avoided, area cleared)
Bonus Objective Achieved: First Wilderness Victory!
Reward: 75 System Points
Lykos sagged against the tree trunk, a weary smile spreading across his face.
"Seventy-five System Points!" he muttered to himself. His balance was now 80 System Points (5 + 75). This was more than enough for a Greek Apprentice Builder.
"That was… terrifying, Prince," Elara finally said, her voice still a little shaky.
"Yes," Lykos agreed, looking at the dense groves. "This land is not as empty as it seems. We need more than just foragers out here. We need protection." He knew he had been too complacent. The victory against the raiders had given him a false sense of security about their immediate surroundings. The wilderness itself was a threat.
"Alright, everyone," Lykos said, his voice regaining its firm tone. "We can't stop now. We have to make this worth it. Homerus, can you manage a Ballad of Restoration again? We need to gather as many olives as we can before we head back. And Theron, keep your eyes and ears open. We need to be vigilant."
His new System Points burned in his mind. He would summon a Greek Apprentice Builder immediately upon returning to the palace. And then, he needed to think about future foraging expeditions. Perhaps a small, dedicated patrol unit for the wilderness.
The constant threat of this world was quickly teaching Lykos that in kingdom-building, every resource, every person, and every point had to be carefully balanced between growth, defense, and exploration. The boars had been a harsh lesson, but one he wouldn't soon forget. They would gather their harvest, and then, they would fortify their very presence in this unforgiving world.