Damien’s heart raced as he rode atop Fenrir, the Monstrous Wolf’s powerful strides eating up the distance beneath them.
The forest blurred past, dark trunks and glowing foliage flashing by in a dizzying mix. Clinging tightly to Fenrir’s thick fur, Damien glanced down at Luton, his Stellar Slime, resting securely in front of him.
The small, Blood like creature shifted slightly, adjusting itself to the bumpy ride. They couldn’t afford to slow down, not with the horde on their tail.
Roaaaar!!
The beasts had appeared without warning—a stampede of over two hundred, crashing through the dense forest, their howls and roars blending into a deafening cacophony.
Damien had quickly counted at least eight Grade Five Mana beasts among them, far too many for him to handle at once. “Not today!” Even with Fenrir’s power and his own abilities, taking on that many high-grade creatures would be suicidal.
It was more than just the sheer numbers; it was the coordination and ferocity of the horde that made standing and fighting impossible.
And then, there were the demons. Although they were fewer than the mana beasts, their presence added an extra layer of danger. The demons moved with twisted, unnatural speed, their charred bodies and horned heads cutting through the chaos with a dark malevolence.
Skkrrreeeee!!
Some had wings, gliding above the stampede, while others clawed their way through the forest floor, their eyes glowing with a malicious hunger. It was a blend of danger that Damien had no intention of facing head-on.
“We need to thin them out,” Damien muttered, shifting his gaze from the path ahead to the writhing mass of creatures pursuing them. The gap between him and the horde was just enough to give him a moment to act.
He glanced at the dark shape streaking alongside Fenrir—Cerbe, his Three-Headed Hound, keeping pace effortlessly. The hound’s three sets of eyes glinted in the dim light, its powerful form surging forward with predatory grace.
“Cerbe!” Damien shouted, tightening his grip on the two essence cores in his hands. “Target the demons. Start with the weakest—make it quick!”
Grrr…
With a growl that resonated through the forest, Cerbe sprang into action, peeling away from Fenrir’s side and veering towards the back of the horde.
The hound leaped, its jaws snapping open as it lunged for a smaller, winged demon struggling to keep up with the stampede.
Chomp!
Cerbe’s middle head clamped down on the demon’s neck, while the other two tore into its limbs. The demon let out a guttural cry as Cerbe dragged it down, tearing through it with savage efficiency.
Meanwhile, Damien kept his focus on the essence cores he held, feeling the raw magic flow from them and into his body. The essence coursed through his veins like liquid fire, invigorating him as he absorbed its energy.
He had to stay sharp; every bit of essence counted right now. The power from the cores wasn’t limitless, and he needed to be smart about how he used it even though he had dozens.
Luton shifted slightly in front of him, its gelatinous form shimmering with faint red light. The Stellar Slime’s presence was reassuring, a reminder of their connection.
Behind them, Cerbe continued to wreak havoc, targeting the stragglers at the rear of the horde. Another demon fell, its charred body crushed beneath Cerbe’s powerful jaws. The hound was relentless, moving with a brutal efficiency as it hunted down the weaker demons.
Each kill sent a ripple through the pursuing creatures, causing the horde to fragment slightly, the weaker beasts veering away from the carnage. It was working—the demons were starting to fall back, and the mana beasts were losing their momentum.
Yet, Damien knew better than to let his guard down. They weren’t out of danger yet, not with so many high-grade creatures still in pursuit. He focused on absorbing more essence, the cores in his hands dimming slightly as their power drained.
The mana flowed into him steadily, bolstering his strength and sharpening his senses. His breathing steadied, and he felt his magic reserves swelling with each passing moment. It wasn’t much, but it was enough to keep him going.
The horde was starting to splinter now, with some of the lesser creatures scattering into the trees in confusion. It wasn’t total chaos, but it was close.
The larger mana beasts still pursued him doggedly, but their formation was falling apart as they had to maneuver around the fallen bodies of the demons. Cerbe was doing exactly what he had hoped—thinning the numbers and breaking up the group.
Damien cast a quick glance over his shoulder. He spotted a Grade Five Mana beast—a massive, stag-like creature with crystalline antlers—charging forward, its eyes glowing with an unnatural light.
It leapt over the carcass of a demon Cerbe had just brought down, its hooves thudding against the ground with enough force to crack the earth beneath it. Damien cursed under his breath; if that thing got any closer, it would be a real problem.
“Fenrir, faster!” Damien urged, leaning forward as the wolf’s speed increased. The Monstrous Wolf responded immediately, muscles bunching and releasing like coiled springs as it surged forward, widening the distance between them and the nearest threats.
The air rushed past Damien’s face, but he didn’t dare relax his grip on Fenrir’s fur. Every second counted. He kept one eye on the chaos behind them, watching as Cerbe tore into another demon, ripping its charred body apart with a savage bite.
Finally, the horde began to break up entirely. The weaker beasts darted off into different directions, fleeing into the safety of the deeper forest. The more powerful creatures slowed, hesitating without the strength of numbers to back them up.
Cerbe had returned to his side, blood staining the hound’s fur and three sets of teeth bared in satisfaction. The immediate threat was dissipating, though the echoes of the pursuit still lingered in the distance.
“Hold up.” Damien brought Fenrir to a halt, the Monstrous Wolf panting heavily, steam rising from its fur. Luton slid back a bit on the wolf’s broad back, its form quivering slightly from the residual tension.
Damien slid off Fenrir’s back, his boots landing softly on the forest floor.
Thud!
He still held the essence cores, though their light was nearly gone now. He let out a breath, his gaze sweeping the clearing around them.
“Good work, Cerbe,” he said, his tone calm but firm. The hound approached, its three heads lowering slightly in acknowledgment. Damien took a moment to count the bodies scattered behind them. It wasn’t as many as he had hoped, but it was enough. At least a dozen demons lay motionless among the leaves, their forms crumpled and broken.
He nodded to himself, satisfied for now. They had managed to thin out the herd and put some distance between themselves and the strongest threats. But the Forest of Twin Disasters was far from safe, and something told Damien the dangers that lurked just beyond the trees would not stay dormant for long.