"An hour and a few minutes, that's what I've expended here," I muttered, glancing at my meta-watch. My eyes remained fixed on the creature at all times, unwavering in their vigilance.
I was grateful—truly grateful—that this mana beast wasn't from the poisonous class of mana creatures. If it were, things could have gone very bad, very quickly.
The beast rushed at me again, but this time, I was ready.
I spun on my heel and dashed away, but almost instantly, the creature gave chase, its unrestrained fury palpable in the air. It wasn't about to let its meal escape so easily.
A quick glance over my shoulder revealed the beast gaining on me with every passing second, its massive form closing the gap. Turning my focus forward, I sprinted toward a particular tree, already forming a plan in my mind. The beast barreled forward without hesitation, following in relentless pursuit.
Reaching the tree, I ran up its trunk in a brief sprint. Gravity soon decided I had no business staying there, but just as I began to fall, I leaped away. The timing was impeccable; the creature's claws swiped through the air where I had been a moment earlier, instead slamming into the tree trunk with a force that splintered the bark.
Using this brief opening, I decided to end things quickly. Prolonging a fight was never my style—if I could finish it decisively, I would. Channeling my mana, I focused on fleshing out the theory that had been brewing in my mind.
"Element magic," I whispered, recalling the basics from class. This time, however, I didn't channel the mana outward through my palm. Instead, I concentrated it, weaving a thin, rhythmic layer of mana to coat the blade of my sword.
"Flames of Ephynia," I murmured, completing the spell. Suddenly, the sword emitted a strange purple glow.
I had no idea why the flames were purple, but I had a sinking feeling that it wasn't a good sign.
The look on the teacher's face earlier that morning had said it all. It was like she had seen something unsettling—something profoundly wrong.
With the sword now blazing in purple flame, I charged at the creature with all my strength. My swing was ferocious, the air itself seeming to burn in its wake.
Sensing the danger radiating from the sword, the beast tried to retreat, but it was far too close. My blade connected with its neck, and in an instant, the creature was decapitated.
"Haah," I exhaled heavily, exhaustion settling over me. The excessive use of mana had taken its toll—I was drenched in sweat, my body trembling from the strain.
Damn.
It was a good thing I'd thought of that idea, or I might've been toast.
Trying to attack it with just my sword alone had been a fool's errand; the blade was old and worn, unable to withstand such extreme heat. Its vulnerability stemmed from the fact that it wasn't a relic or forged from strong materials like Netaroid. It was plain, ordinary steel.
Running away hadn't been a viable option either. My mana pool was pitifully small, and I doubted I could've lasted much longer evading the beast. This was probably the first time I'd used my mana in six or seven years, and the long dormancy had left it weak and unreliable.
So I'd taken a gamble. The idea had seemed stupid at first, but as desperation set in, it started to make sense. I wondered: What if I coated my sword in flames? The risk of the flames melting the blade was real, but then I realized that the circulating mana would enhance and protect it, preventing such a disaster.
"Hm, it's getting warm," I noted as I approached the creature's lifeless body. The fur still radiated heat, though nowhere near as much as before.
Squatting beside the corpse, I carefully used my sword to remove its mana core. It was surprisingly small, fitting neatly in the palm of my hand.
"Alright," I muttered, glancing at my meta-watch and frowning. "An hour and forty minutes left."