I quickly wiped my mouth and surveyed the surroundings for abnormalities.

“Ah.”

I spot a cloud of dust in the distance and what appears to be a person running upstream from my right side.

“Help meeee! Please HELP!”

A teary eyed girl is sprinting full force towards my direction, a large beast can be spotted behind her, it appears to be a Horhog, a giant rhino looking beast with a boar’s facial features including the trademark fangs and snout.

According to the knowledge from the slime, the hide of the Horhog is extremely tough, they are usually docile creatures but if angered, they are unstoppable.

“Wow the trees are like sticks to that beast.”

The speed and power of the beast caused me to admire it but I must figure out a plan before the girl gets closer so I can have a chance to help and save her at least.

“Please help me!”

Maybe if I make a trap? No that would take too long...

“I don’t want to die!”

Maybe I’ll try and make it trip? Actually I don’t think that will work with the way it's knocking over trees like that…

“Please…”

I turned around to look for a potential solution.

“Ah! Maybe that could wor-”

*Smack*

“Ugh!”

A palm sized rock drills into the back of my head, leaving a perfectly swollen bump.

…

I look again towards the girl getting chased…

“(Ah, oops.)*” *unknown girl quietly whispers

“Oh um… it wasn’t me...”

… her eyes are swimming in the most obvious manner possible.

“It was clearly you!? You have more rocks in your hand!”

“Ah this? This is- ok fine I did throw a rock, but I didn’t actually mean to hit you, I thought you didn't notice. I was just trying to get your attention!”

Why is she yelling at me instead?

And also-

“... oi-”

They are getting closer and closer, wait, hang on a minute!

“Oi oi OI! WHY ARE YOU RUNNING TOWARDS ME WITH THAT THING CHASING YOU!”

“I don’t know! I thought you could help!”

“No no no. Now we both need help because of you!”

I start raising my voice at her while running, goddammit this stupid girl, now I have gotten dragged into this mess as well.

“Hey maybe if we keep running it will get tired and stop chasing us?”

thi- this idiot...

“Yea because we won’t get tired at all right?”

“We won’t?”

“I’m being sarcastic you idiot!”

“... I’m sorry.”

Ah, her voice is tracing off. I feel kinda bad now.

No, focus, let's think of a way out of this.

I spot a large boulder slightly further ahead towards the left, maybe…

“Hey you.”

“Wh-who me?”

“Yes you, I mean there’s no one else here besides us…”

“...”

“Anyways listen, I have a plan, see the dried leaves laying around on the forest floor?”

“Yea?”

“Pick up a big bundle of them as we keep running towards that big boulder up ahead on the left.”

“I don’t see how a bundle of leaves can help us?”

“... just pick up a bundle and stop worrying!”

This girl…

“Ok is this enough?”

Oh that was fairly quick, she’s now hudling a bundle of dried leaves in her arms.

“Yea that’s a good amount, ok now listen to me carefully. When we get close to that big boulder, on my signal, throw that bundle of leaves behind us towards the Horhog, then make your best effort to jump to the side. Got it?”

“*nod nod* ok!”

I hope she understands... Anyways there is no time, we’re almost approaching the boulder.

I turn around to check on the Horhog, it is still definitely on our tail.

I ready a fire spell and waited while running…

“Ok, NOW! Throw the leaves!”

“Here!”

She threw the leaves on que, the leaves quickly scatter in front of the beast behind us…

“Fire shot!”

I shoot my spell at the leaves and they suddenly burst into flames and a momentary fire and smoke screen covers the Horhog.

We both quickly jump to the sides before the boulder, however the Horhog did not hesitate, it’s vision was blocked by the smoke screen we created and it’s velocity did not decrease at all.

*Kaboom!*

A loud collision is heard and rocks and dust begin raining down, I quickly covered my head and waited for the havoc to settle.

After the cloud of dust dissipated I got up.

“Fuuu, looks like it worked.”

I breathed a sigh of relief at the scene, the giant boulder was smashed, however the Horhog who ran into it was knocked out spectacularly, although it received minimal damage it did snap one of its larger horns at its snout…

What a fearsome beast.