Snap.

Wu Niu accidentally stepped on a large stick, causing it to snap underfoot quite loudly.

-Damn.

The Demon Beast stuck its head outside to check for the source of the noise, but Wu Niu managed to hide behind a particularly thick patch of bamboo.

"C'mon stick your stupid head back inside.", muttered Wu Niu under his breath.

After a few turns of its head, the demon beast pulled back inside and resumed doing whatever it was doing before.

Wu Niu's muscles began to relax as he continued down the path.

It was very dark, but Wu Niu could see well enough to make out the dirt trail in front of him. Looking up, he noticed the sky filled with various constellations specific to this time of year.

The star's vivid colors became more apparent to Wu Niu's recently improved vision. He could see the contrasting white and yellow lights against the vast pitch-black stretches of space, in between larger stars, smaller ones filled out the canvas before him.

There was a ceaseless quantity of stars that Wu Niu hadn't ever even seen until this moment. At that very moment, Wu Niu recognized not just the beauty of the world but the beauty of vision itself.

Before now, Wu Niu hadn't even contemplated stepping foot outside during nighttime. He was always far busy to consider relaxing, and he also usually passed out before it got dark. After all, exhaustion has that effect on the body.

***

As Wu Niu had almost reached the end of the path, a clacking sound emanated from behind him.

In an immediate reaction, Wu Niu dove to the side of the path, rolling back onto his feet. In doing so, he heard the creature lunge out at where he had been standing. It would have hit him had he not dodged.

-Is it the Panda-Tiger?

Wu Niu could hardly make out the creature standing before him. It hid in a tall patch of grass that went up to his waist, so it was definitely much too small to be the Panda-Tiger.

The creature cautiously approached, stepping out of the grass and revealing itself. It was black, hairy, and had a disgusting face that was flat and covered in fat rolls. Large tusks protruded out from the corners of its mouth that grew into its face leaving the area infected and oozing with puss.

The creature was a warthog. But not a normal warthog. This warthog was far too muscular and ugly.

-Pug-face warthog.

Pug-face warthogs are a species of demon beast below 1-star. They aren't that strong, and they're herbivores by nature. Despite this, they are very territorial, viciously so. Which means Wu Niu must have encroached on that territory.

-Time to fight.

A smile twitched on Wu Niu's face. He was itching for a fight after having had to run away with his tails between his legs only minutes earlier.

Wu Niu slid the knife back into the sheath and prepared to take the beast head-on. He didn't want to waste his perfectly good knife on something unworthy of taking it.

The Pug-face warthog huffed and kicked back dirt with its front hoof.

"C'mon then. let's dance piggy."

The hog huffed once more and then charged at Wu Niu. It angled its blunt tusk in the direction of Wu Niu's knees.

Wu Niu lifted his hands and leaned forward, lowering himself far enough to grab hold of the hog's tusks. Its forward momentum was enough to slide Wu Niu backward, but he managed to slow the hog down to a halt with the friction of his feet against the grass-covered ground.

Having stopped with its tusk fastened tightly between Wu Niu's firm grip, the hog violently shook its head in an attempt to escape Wu Niu's clutch. To the beast's dismay, his grip on its tusk remained resolute.

Wu Niu spoke with a subtle sneer.

"Sorry piggy, this is the end for you."

Wu Niu winded his right foot to his back and then released a devastating kick to the hog's jaw, shattering it on impact against his weighty stone greave.

Pulling back, Wu Niu readied another kick of which he unleashed, further obliterating the hog's jaw.

Wu Niu kicked the demon beast in the jaws five more times. His stone greaves fractured into three pieces as they fell to the ground.

-Damn.

Spinning around, Wu Niu back kicked the hog in its snout, knocking It to the floor, out cold. Its jaw was mangled and drooping. Wu Niu sneering subsided as a feeling of pity for the beast overcame him.

-You attacked me first.

Digging a small boulder from out of the dirt, Wu Niu held it extended above the beast's head.

-I want to do this in a single blow if I can.

Lifting the boulder overhead, Wu Niu threw it down with tremendous force, crushing the hog's skull and instantly killing it.

Wu Niu grimaced as he observed the carcass sprawled across the ground.