Chapter 45: Horde.

This night seemed endless for Ikem. He had to remain vigilant and alert, his encounter with the panther was still a fresh memory and that made him wary of facing any creature in the wild.

The knowledge that two creatures, each possessing the same amount of mana as the panther, lurked in the forest, waiting for his guard to drop, made it nearly impossible for Ikem to find rest.

Throughout the night, he kept watch, expecting an attack. It did come, but it wasn't from the ones he was expecting instead was from the weak creatures that wanted a go at him as they recklessly threw themselves at him, akin to a moth drawn to a flame.

With the sun beginning to rise, Ikem sensed the two mana signatures moving away. Taking a deep breath, he surveyed his surroundings, finding himself surrounded by the corpses of creatures he had slain in self-defence.