Chapter Thirty-Three: Taming the Wild Boar

From ancient times to the present, when faced with an invincible opponent, the first reaction of the people of this land has rarely been either to fight to the death or to surrender, but rather to seek to win the adversary over.

This method, known as "persuasion to submission," involves coaxing and enticing former enemies to lay down arms and pledge allegiance. Examples abound, from the minor—such as Dong Zhuo recruiting Lü Bu in the Three Kingdoms era—to the grand, like the imperial court in “Water Margin” granting amnesty to the outlaws of Liangshan Marsh. There are simply too many to count.

Thus, when Xu Kang realized he could not possibly defeat the massive wild boar before him, he did not hesitate to attempt to subdue it. He immediately threw out his pride and joy: a magical loaf of bread!

Wild boars possess an exceptionally keen sense of smell, and the pure, sweet fragrance wafting from the magical bread instantly captured its attention.

It snorted and huffed, nudging the bread with its large snout, sniffing intently as if trying to determine whether it was safe to eat. Seeing this, Xu Kang’s eyes sparkled with hope.

“Heh, there’s a chance!”

If it had been a carnivore, he might have felt less confident, but for an omnivore like a wild boar, resisting the allure of magical bread was nearly impossible.

Sure enough, the boar’s wariness lasted less than ten seconds before dissolving. It gave Xu Kang, who was hiding behind a tree, one last wary glance, then opened its maw and devoured the bread, chewing with gusto.

Smacking and chomping sounds filled the air as the boar quickly consumed the bread, which was even larger than a steamed bun.

Apparently enchanted by the sweet aroma, the wild boar, instead of attacking Xu Kang after finishing the bread, oinked in his direction, almost as if asking for more.

It was clear what it wanted.

Xu Kang understood at once and tossed it another magical loaf. “Here, eat up!”

Perhaps reassured by the first experience, or sensing Xu Kang’s goodwill, the boar this time did not hesitate. It gobbled the bread down in one bite, barely chewing before swallowing, then immediately asked for more.

Xu Kang could not help but laugh at the sight.

“Damn, do you take my magical bread for ginseng fruit? You barely even chew before swallowing it! Fine, I’ll give you a few more!”

With that, he threw over a dozen loaves to the boar. While it buried its head in the feast, Xu Kang reverted to his human form and prepared to use a signature rogue skill.

“Stealth!”

In an instant, his figure vanished from where he stood.

Just then, the wild boar looked up and, finding Xu Kang gone, blinked its beady, ball-shaped eyes in confusion. But its attention was soon drawn back to the magical bread on the ground, and it continued its noisy meal.

Meanwhile, Xu Kang, now in stealth, slowly crept up behind the beast and extended his hand toward it.

“Beast Taming!”

This was the hallmark skill of a beastmaster. If successful, it would turn the wild animal into a loyal pet, capable of following commands in battle.

As Xu Kang activated the skill, the feasting boar suddenly froze, and he sensed a faint, budding connection forming between them. Unfortunately, the connection broke within seconds, and the boar returned to normal, shaking its head, glancing around warily, and, seeing nothing amiss, resuming its meal.

Even a fool would realize the skill had failed.

“Damn, I knew it wouldn’t be so simple. Let’s try again!”

He took a deep breath and held out his hand once more.

“Beast Taming!”

Again, he felt that tentative bond form, the boar falling into a trance. Ten seconds passed, and the connection grew clearer—yet just as he sensed imminent success, it snapped once more.

This time, the boar became significantly more alert. It cocked its head, flapped its large ears, and scrutinized its surroundings before cautiously resuming its meal, now stopping to check all around after every few bites.

Seeing this, Xu Kang realized that as long as the boar remained so vigilant, any further attempts would certainly fail.

He decided to bide his time, staying in stealth and keeping still.

“This brute is too alert while awake. I’ll have to wait until it sleeps. Let’s hope its lair isn’t too far away.”

Just as he thought this, the wild boar, having finished the bread, lumbered away. Xu Kang hurried to follow.

Night in the forest belonged to the animals; many nocturnal creatures emerged to forage. Along the way, Xu Kang watched the wild boar chase away a small leopard and catch several snakes as thick as rolling pins, swallowing them whole like noodles, blood spraying in all directions.

The boar foraged as it walked, moving at an unhurried pace, making it easy for Xu Kang to keep up while stealthed.

But even so, he began to struggle as the beast showed no sign of stopping after two hours and nearly eight kilometers.

“Damn, this wild boar can really walk! If I weren’t in good shape lately, I’d have collapsed by now!”

Grumbling inwardly, he pressed on, unwilling to give up after investing so much effort.

Heaven rewards the diligent. After another half hour, the wild boar finally reached a massive, vine-draped stone cave, oinking softly as it squeezed inside.

Xu Kang breathed a deep sigh of relief.

“Whew... finally! Any longer and I’d have blisters on my feet.”

He pulled off his boots, massaged his aching soles, and only after feeling some relief did he put them back on. Then he drew out more magical bread and water for a quiet meal, listening closely to the sounds inside the cave.

When thunderous snoring echoed from within, a look of delight spread across his face.

“Asleep at last—now’s the time!”

He tossed aside his leftover bread and water and crept into the boar’s lair, enduring the pungent stench. With utmost care, he activated Beast Taming on the sleeping boar.

Just as he expected, the slumbering beast offered no resistance. Soon, he established a clear mental link with the wild boar.

Now Xu Kang could sense its emotions: a profound sense of satisfaction and contentment, the joy of a full belly and restful sleep.

This made Xu Kang laugh in exasperation.

“Damn, you’re satisfied, while I’ve spent half the night trailing you, exhausted! And you have the nerve to sleep?”

With that, he raised his foot and gave the boar’s rump a fierce kick.

“Wake up, you lazy beast! Time to get moving!”

The wild boar: “???”