"An hour and a few minutes—that's what I've spent here," I muttered, glancing at my meta watch while keeping my eyes fixed on the creature at all times.
I was genuinely relieved that this mana beast wasn't from the poisonous class of mana beasts. If it had been, things would have gotten very bad, very quickly.
The beast rushed at me again, and this time I was ready. I spun around and fled, but almost instantly the creature gave chase with unrestrained fury, unwilling to let its meal escape so easily.
A glance over my shoulder revealed the beast directly behind me, gaining ground with every passing second. I looked forward and rushed toward a particular tree. It continued its relentless pursuit, matching my pace. Reaching the tree, I ran up its trunk briefly, but gravity decided it was time I fell. However, I leaped off at that very instant, narrowly dodging the creature's claws that would have torn through me. Instead, those claws struck the trunk with a thunderous crack.
