Chapter 109

“From the right!” Wil shouted, the elemental warning him of danger just as a massive beast emerged from the forest. It broke through the multicolored and twisted trees, smashing the malformed plant life that had been distorted from the corrupting mana of the Wilds.

It was a bear, with matted brown fur and a staggering, lumbering gait. What separated it from its more mundane counterparts was its size, it was bigger than many of the houses of Ur, and from its neck sprouted two heads!

From the neck of the bear, sprouting out like a tumor or cyst, was another head, this one belonged to a lion, its mane ending at the bear’s body.

The lion and bear both roared as they spotted the group on their horses, before charging forward, each step shaking the ground. The bizarre creature was Rank 6, its mana turbulent and chaotic, enhancing its strength to extraordinary levels.

The ‘Triplets’, being the closest to the beast, formed a barrier against it, the three men holding their shields in a line, connected. Wil could sense their mana flowing into the items, enhancing their strength and durability.

The monster crashed into the shield wall, roaring in anger as the ‘Triplets’ matched its strength with their own, their shouts adding to the cacophony of noise. Pushed back, their feet skidded across the grass while their horses bolted, scared of the creature approaching. Finally, the beast was halted, the shields holding steady while their swords left wounds on the beast’s hide with every blow.

Wil felt the presence of the Elemental, another warning, and he looked at the forest where another creature was emerging.

“There’s more!” Wil shouted, already forming his mana into a spell matrix for the Tier 2 Spell ‘Cloud of Daggers’. He wanted to provide a cover for the fighting ‘Triplets’ before the other creatures arrived. Unfortunately, at the worst possible time, the Matrix crumbled, the spell fizzling to nothing as the chaotic mana of the Wilds distributed his magic.

“Shit!” Wil swore, already drawing on more mana to recast the spell. Luckily, a spear thrown from ‘Dragon’ flew from behind him, piercing the eye of the Bear/Lion hybrid and sinking deeply. With a roar of pain, the creature stumbled for a moment, before collapsing to the ground.

“Beast Tide!” ‘Dragon’ mask roared, pointing to the forests where dozens of creatures were emerging, drawn by the fighting and the smell of blood. Many were Rank 6, while some were Rank 7 and 8. Even with their combined strength, there was no way the party of humans could withstand this onslaught.

“Scatter! They’re drawn to our mana!” ‘One’ ordered, a fireball already forming in the air above her head. With a gesture, the giant ball of flames flew towards the forest, exploding in a bright blast of fire, hurling the beasts back and granting them time. The tree ignited from the sudden heat, adding to the confusion.

Not hesitating, Wil let his horse flee, carrying him away from the groups as the others did the same. His last sight of the others was of the ‘Triplets’ fleeing for their lives, each group riding in a different direction.

Creatures of the Wild were drawn to combat and the mana of humans like moths to a flame, and a beast tide was the worst-case scenario for adventurers in the Wild. Dozens, even hundreds of powerful beings would fall upon their party, an almost endless tide of beasts that could easily overwhelm even the strongest of Guild members.

The only recourse was to run, separating from the others in order to lose the beasts, diluting the trail left by their mana. A concentration of a dozen humans like theirs would be a beacon for the Beast Tide.

Wil rode as swiftly as the brown mare could carry him, moving through the tall grass at a gallop, following a small trail left by passing beasts, the roar of the monster echoing behind him.

They had been in the Wilds for a week now, almost halfway to their destination, and Wil had spent every waking moment attempting to learn as much as possible about surviving in this place. Although separating from the others was a worst-case scenario, once this disaster passed, the elemental should be able to lead him back to them, provided they survived.

Calling the elemental with a small pulse of mana sent into the ground, Wil commanded it as soon as it appeared.

“We need to cross a river, something wide enough to lose them!” Wil shouted, desperation tinging his voice as he heard the crash of the beasts only moments away, chasing behind him. He needed to remove his scent from the trail, and flowing water was the quickest way to do it.

The elemental nodded, leading the way, its body half submerged in the ground as it moved swiftly, the earth pushing its body from behind. Galloping hard, Wil pushed his horse to move faster, the stomping of the beasts shaking the ground around him.

Ahead, through the grass, he could see the swiftly flowing water of a river, wide enough that even Wil, with his teleportation abilities, wouldn’t be able to cross it in a single spell. Grinning in relief, he pushed his horse to move faster, the mare breathing hard from the exertion.

They almost made it.

From the side, a massive black shadow shot out from the grass, slamming into Wil and the horse. Instinctually, Wil covered himself in a thick layer of mana, cushioning the blow. Wrapped tightly in his shield, he hit the ground hard, bouncing and rolling across the grass before coming to a stop, just a few feet from the river’s shoreline.

His horse was not so lucky, as Wil witnessed its two severed halves slam onto the ground, one right next to him. Standing over the bloody mess that had been his horse was a black panther, its fur shimmering in the sunlight. From where its tail should have been, long black tentacle-like appendages emerged from its body, swaying slightly as it stared at Wil with emerald green eyes.

Wil cautiously climbed to his feet, his mana still around him in a protective shield. Each movement he made, the beast in front of him watched with intense wariness. It slowly took a step forward, and for a moment, it seemed to fade out of existence, blending in with its surroundings, before coming back into focus.

He had no idea what this beast was, he hadn’t learned about it from his conversations with ‘Dragon’ on their ride here, but he knew that the creature in front of him was a Rank 10, his equal in mana, although it likely far outstripped him physically.

And with his magic so unreliable…

Not hesitating, Wil broke out into a run, using all his mana to enhance his strength. The beast leapt forward, close on his heels, only inches away.

Unwilling to risk his magic in a life and death situation, Wil slammed his hand down on the sandy beach of the river, his mana fueling the spell in his ‘Ring of Frost’. Rather than freeze the ground, he used the cone of intense cold that shot out of the ring to propel himself upwards, shooting through the air and away from the Panther-like beast behind him.

The creature, unwilling to lose its prey, jumped into the air, its claws raking at Wil as they both hung suspended in the space above the beach. Spinning, Wil thrust his hand towards the monster, the ring already prepared for another blast. Intense cold air crashed into the creature, coating its black fur in a layer of frost.

Both Wil and the beast separated, the momentum carrying Wil over the river, before he plummeted down towards the water. Crashing into the cold river, the force of his fall pushed him deep below the surface. Flailing his limbs, it took him a long moment before his head crested the surface once again.

Looking around, he saw the beast growling in frustration at the river’s shoreline before the current swept him away.

Wil stayed in the river for nearly an hour, all to ensure that whatever scent the beast had of him would be thoroughly removed. It wasn’t until the river slowed, and the current carried him close to the far shore, that he swam onto the dry, rocky shore on the opposite side of where he had entered.

Sending a pulse of mana into the ground, a subtle sign to the Elemental on where to find him, Wil laid back on the sand, exhausted. The evening grew late, and the temperature dropped, before the elemental found him.

Its head emerged from the ground, looking around curiously for a moment, before focusing on Wil.

“Can you find the others?” Wil asked, still lying on the ground. It took him three tries before the drying cantrip took hold, removing the water from his clothing.

“Yes. Betrayer close.” It rumbled, pointing the opposite direction from where Wil knew the others had gone. Perhaps this was the perfect opportunity to leave the group and seek the Betrayer, before meeting up with the others once more. It only took a moment for Wil to decide.

“Show me.”