It spun on her and I was barely able to get a shield conjured in time to protect her. Then the charmed monster entered the fray, and we finally had a tank that I didn’t have to work so hard to protect.

  The nest mother seemed to be moving a bit slower after being drained, so I took a moment to cast Boon-Bane again. The mana from the staff had been drained by those five shields, so this had to come from my own. It was nearly 20% of my mana for one spell, but immediately the effect was shown and the enemy seemed to move slower.

  I sighed in relief and said, “We’ve got this.”

  Crag gave me a pained look, as though to ask me why I’d say something like that. Before he could make any kind of smart ass comment though, a roar echoed through the swamp. That wasn’t a slug for sure.

  Dori groaned, “Greta.”

  I should have kept my mouth shut.

  Chapter 26- Being Hunted by Big Game

  Earth Countdown: 392 days, 5 hours, 22 minutes.

  Challenge Countdown: 13 hours, 59 minutes

  Everyone froze for a moment. Even the nest mother was paralyzed for just a moment. The only thing which kept moving was Nevin’s charmed swamp slug. It kept attacking because that was all the charm allowed it to do.

  Dori shouted, “Fight or run?”

  Nevin said, “I’ll send my pet to stall Greta but we need to finish the nest mother quickly.”

  Crag and Dori both launched attacks right away, cutting into the creature's unprotected flesh. I manipulated the shields to try to cover them because the charmed monster broke off and started heading for the monstrous feathered-bear that was roaring in outrage that someone was in her domain.

  It was all that I could do to move the shield. I conjured another one using my mana and again split my focus. I don’t think it would have been possible for the old me to move six objects around like this, but while a higher Mind stat didn’t make me smarter it apparently made me a better multi-tasker.

  Even then, I was only one tiny slip up from leaving my teammates exposed.

  A firebolt streaked past me and hit the slug. It didn’t cause any damage, but Nevin likely didn’t have any good spells to use against it. At least it distracted the monster and allowed the other two to get in clean hits.

  The battle dragged on for a few more seconds and I started to hope that we were gonna make it in the clear. This time, I made sure to keep my mouth shut. The nest mother was weak and leaking fluid everywhere. My shields were breaking, but I still had almost half my mana and was conjuring replacements as necessary.

  Nevin called out, “My pet’s down.”

  I almost asked if he could charm the feathered-bear but didn’t have the mental energy to spare for a joke. Controlling six shields at once was taking a toll on my mind and I was growing weary. All I could do was shout, “Hurry, I can’t keep this up much longer.”

  Dori’s dagger suddenly glowed with a brilliant purple light and then she shoved it into the nest mother so deeply that she buried her arm up to the shoulder. She screamed in pain as she did so, but whatever attack that was, it erupted inside the beast and a moment later; I got an XP notice, which I promptly pushed aside.

  I ran to Dori who was holding her arm to her side. Her breathing was ragged, and it was clear that she was still in intense pain. When I got next to her, I saw why. The skin was almost completely stripped from her arm.

  Healing Grace

  I didn’t believe for a second that my little spell could undo something like this, but some of the flesh started to regrow, if slowly.

  Nevin and Crag poured a pair of Uncommon Healing Potions down her throat in rapid succession and the wounds closed further.

  Crag’s eyes got wide and I could hear Greta getting closer. She was closing in on us. The only reason I could think of for why she hadn’t rushed us yet, was that she didn’t see us as a threat. She plodded, lazily meandering over toward us. Her eyes almost seemed to glow with a red tinge. She never took them off of us, even as she grunted and growled.

  The extra regeneration from my auras would be slowly helping Dori. However, none of us had leveled, so my mana didn’t get filled back up and Dori couldn’t instantly heal that way.

  Sometimes you do something stupid. You know it’s stupid when you do, but you do it all the same. This was one of those moments. “Run. Get Dori out of here. I’ve got an idea.”

  They wanted to argue, but I didn’t give them a chance. I turned and started running towards the massive feathered-bear. From a distance she had looked like she was the size of a cottage, up close, it was so much worse. It wasn’t that she was bigger than that; it was just that she had to be death incarnate.

  I did the only thing I could think of then and dropped the last of my free stat points, which I had gained with my previous level up into Charisma. It pushed me to 43 with another 10% boost of effectiveness.

  I had no illusions about my strategy being enough to stop Greta, but I just needed to do enough to help the others get away. They had to run all the way back to town. I simply had to get out of the swamp and make it to the portal location where I had appeared. It was only a few miles away in the forest. As long as I could do that, I’d be able to leave.

  At least that was how I understood it to work. It was hardly the only thing I was betting my life on, but then again, this was hardly a sound decision. I ran up towards the feathered-bear.

  She was monstrous, towering high above me, her massive bulk casting a long, dark shadow upon the muddy swamp beneath. Her fur was as dense as the undergrowth, a rich, primal brown, matted and streaked with mud and marsh weeds.

  The silvery feathers adorning her neck and back were an eerie, otherworldly sight, shimmering under the murky, gloomy light. They rustled like giant leaves in a breeze as she moved, adding a strange, almost melodic rhythm to the otherwise ominous atmosphere.

  I gulped. Nothing I did could properly prepare me for Greta. The massive creature's paws were as big as boulders, lined with claws as long as short swords.

  The low rumble of Greta's growl echoed around me, the vibrations humming through the swampy ground and up into my feet. The growl was as much a physical presence as the bear herself. The smell of her was overpowering, a potent mix of wet fur, bog water, and an underlying musk that spoke of primal power and ancient wilderness.

  Then she reared back on her hind legs, and the swamp fell silent under the weight of her roar. It rolled over me like a shockwave, setting my heart pounding in my chest, pushing out all thoughts but one—survival. I tasted the pungent flavor of fear, my mouth turning dry, as my own ragged breath echoed in my ears. Yet, I continued to sprint towards her, my boots squelching in the mire.

  Greta's roar subsided, replaced by a deep, bass rumbling that sounded like distant thunder. Her eyes, twin embers of pure malice, bored into me, but then I activated my aura, Adorably Harmless.

  The sight of such an enormous, deadly creature focusing on me was terrifying. It was almost enough to cause me to lose my focus, but now she was no longer lazily meandering; she was now keenly aware, alert, and ready to strike. She tilted her head to the side as she stared at me.

  I silently willed my aura to affect her. I knew she was two rarity grades higher and had nearly twenty levels on me. Combat was pointless. I could only hope to distract her. Perhaps if she found me curious rather than threatening she’d delay and the team could get away.

  I felt my energies ebb as I sought to charm the gargantuan creature, but it was like throwing a pebble at a mountain. My aura didn’t work like that. It was a passive ability for a reason. I could turn it off if I wanted to, but otherwise it was always running, subtly in the background. I had already seen it influence other monsters, but they were pale shadows of this mountain of death and power, which stood only thirty feet from me now.

  I felt her attention shift, her burning gaze dropping from murderous to curious. Her massive head tilted slightly to one side as I stood there, arms outstretched, palms upturned. For a heart-stopping moment, we stared at each other. Then, with a snort, she lowered her head, her glowing eyes still locked on mine.

  Her growl, though still terrifying, was less thunderous now. Perhaps even...confused. I had forgotten to breathe, only daring to do so now, my heart pounding against my ribs as I held my ground. I wasn’t sure how to make myself seem any less threatening, but I kept that thought running through my head on an endless loop.

  Around me, the swamp seemed to be holding its breath. The air was thick with tension and the acrid, pungent scent of the marsh. In the distance, I could hear the hurried, desperate sounds of my teammates retreating. I spared a second to check the party interface and saw that they were almost a mile away. They must have been really hauling to make that much distance while carrying an injured Dori. I took comfort in the fact that even if this went horribly wrong, at least they had a good chance of making their escape.

  Yet, I didn’t want to die. I’d only met them a day ago. They were good people, and I was glad to have met them, but I wasn’t aiming to throw my life away for nothing. I couldn’t. Mom, Cece, and for that matter all of Earth was counting on me. Well, me and the other Forerunners.

  I took a step back, not breaking eye contact with the massive creature. Slowly, carefully, I began to back away, hoping that I had bought us enough time, hoping that my gamble had paid off. Hoping, above all, that I could outrun Greta the feathered-bear once her fascination wore off.

  It was a reckless plan, but it was the only one I had. And so, I retreated, each step a silent plea to the system or any gods that might exist for luck and timing.

  With each step, I could feel the cold squelch of the swampy earth through the soles of my boots. Impossibly, some of the mud made it through the material. It felt cold and wet against my skin.

  The whispering rustle of the reeds, the heavy, moist air, the distant hum of marsh insects—all these sights, sounds, and sensations were etched into my heightened senses. Each nerve was on fire, each beat of my heart pounding a singular rhythm in my ears—survive, survive, survive.

  Greta watched, her colossal head following my movement. She didn't move, but the shifting of her silvered feathers and the slight flexing of her boulder-like paws indicated her readiness to spring into action. Her curious gaze never wavered, her formidable presence radiating both curiosity and restrained power. A sense of raw, primitive instinct lay just beneath the surface of her interest, and it was only my thin veneer of charisma that kept it at bay.

  Then she moved, her massive frame bounding forward with surprising agility for a creature of her size. My heart leapt into my throat, the world slowed, and my breath hitched. But she did not attack. Instead, she moved in a way that seemed almost playful. Her movement was a mixture of primal elegance and predatory grace, her feathered back arched like a gigantic bird of prey, her eyes sparkled with what could only be described as amusement.

  For a moment, I dared to hope. The aura was working! The aura was... wait... She lunged again, faster this time. A playful swipe of her enormous paw made me realize that she had not seen me as a threat, but as a toy.

  With a burst of adrenaline-fueled speed, I dodged, my Agility allowing me to narrowly avoid a lethal blow. However, the ends of her claws gazed my shoulder, shredding through the fabric of my armor as if it were paper. Even the smallest contact was devastating.

  You have been critically hit by a feathered-bear.

  The impact sent my body spinning through the air. I crashed into the ground, feeling the muck and water splash into my face, up my nose, and even into my mouth. I bit down hard so as not to cry out in pain because I didn’t want to turn her playfulness into outright aggression. A sickly warmth began to seep down my arm. Blood, a sobering reminder of my situation, stained my clothes and dripped into the boggy ground beneath me.

  Potion. I needed a potion. With trembling hands, I summoned one from my spatial storage, gripping the small vial tightly. I uncorked it with my teeth and drank the healing concoction in one desperate gulp. I could feel its magic working immediately, the searing pain in my shoulder dulling to a throbbing ache.

  Greta was upon me, her hot breath washing over my face. The smell was overwhelming, a potent mix of beast and wild, primal nature. Her enormous face loomed over me, her glowing eyes locked onto mine. I could see the sheer power behind those eyes, a power that could end my life with a simple swipe of a paw. Her jaw flexed, revealing a row of serrated, sword-like teeth. The world faded away, all sounds muted except for the terrifying rhythm of her breath and the thudding of my heart against my chest.

  In that moment, I felt the icy grip of death. But I wasn't ready to die. I was feigning death to allow my racing mind a moment to come up with something, anything that might save me.

  As I clenched my hand into a fist against my chest, I felt the cool metal of my newly obtained magical ring. I didn’t know if it would be enough, but it seemed fortuitous that I would gain an item like the Ring of Blinding. I had one last trick, one desperate, final gambit. I punched my fist up and straight toward Greta as I activated the ring’s magic.

  A blinding burst of light erupted from the ring, aimed directly at Greta's face. She roared in surprise; the ground shaking under the sheer volume of her rage. A paw came up to shield her eyes, her once-threatening stance replaced by temporary confusion and pain.

  With a newfound surge of hope, I took the opportunity to roll out from under her and then scramble to my feet, not daring to look back. Ignoring the slight stinging pain which remained in my shoulder, I sprinted for where I remembered the portal to have been. I was counting on all those extra points in Mind to help me remember a specific location in the forest.

  Quickly, the ground grew more solid as I transitioned from the swamp back to the forest where I had originally appeared in this world. I was grateful for the lack of underbrush as it allowed me to run full bore.

  The rampaging roar behind me told me that Greta had recovered from her temporary blindness and was now chasing after me. The once playful pursuit had turned deadly serious. But I couldn't afford to think about that now. My biggest hope now, was that the trees, which allowed me plenty of room, were just a bit too close together to let Greta run at her top speed.

  All around me, the forest blurred into a whirl of green and brown. Each footfall was a plea for mercy, each heartbeat a prayer for survival. Behind me, Greta roared, a monstrous sound that cut through the fog of my fear. I swore to myself that I’d become strong enough not to have to run like this, but that was a secondary concern. Everything was secondary to survival.

  I was committed now, there was no turning back. I had to make it. I had to survive. Not just for me, but for my family, for all the Earth. I felt oh so tiny in this moment, but with only five Forerunners, Earth couldn’t afford to lose even one.

  With that thought fueling my desperation, I pushed myself harder, moving faster than I ever thought possible. I smiled as the air began to shimmer where the portal had been. I raced, pushing my enhanced stats to their max. My lungs were screaming for more oxygen. My muscles felt like they’d tear with each step, but I pushed, and pushed harder.

  Greta was almost on me as I threw myself forward, tumbling into the now visible portal.

  Chapter 27- Stats 1.0

  This chapter and any marked as a ‘Stats’ chapter is optional. You can understand the story without the stats and may not need the reminder. Yet a good portion of the litrpg audience like their numbers. I know that as a reader I do.

  Thus as a compromise, you will find a chapter like this 2-3 times per book showing the progress that Silas has made.

  Feel free to skip it or enjoy it as you will.

  Name: Silas Renner

  Race: Human (Basic)

  Age: 22

  Height: 6’3”

  Weight: 176 lbs.

  Class: Mage-Rogue-Healer

  Level: 13

  Total XP: 5,117

  XP to Next Level: 483

  Occupation: N/A

  Level: 0

  Total XP:

  Stats:

  Strength: 25

  Dexterity: 10

  Agility: 51

  Vitality: 35

  Durability: 25

  Endurance: 25

  Mind: 68

  Will: 39

  Charisma: 43 (+10%)

  Perception: 57

  Available Stat Points: 0

  HP: 350

  HP Regen: 35/hour

  Stamina: 250

  Stamina Regen: 25/minute

  Mana: 680

  Mana Regen: 39/minute

  Titles:

  One Small Step/One Giant Leap: Double level related stat gains.

  Blood Bather II: Gain an evolution by bathing in the blood of an enemy.

  Evolutions:

  Mana-infused Squirrel: 10%

  Spined Fox- Boss variant: Complete (2)

  Skills:

  Running: 7