Desperate

Pluck...

I drove my blade forward, burying it deep into the side of the creature mauling my leg.

Crimson blood sprayed from the wound, however, even with a sword impaled in its side, the creature refused to release its grip on my leg.

Its teeth dug deeper into my flesh, making my vision blur with pain.

'It hurts...'

A choked cry escaped my lips.

Tears welled up in my eyes as the razor-sharp fangs pierced through my skin and muscle.

However, that wasn't even the worst part.

From the corner of my eye, I saw more of the monsters scurrying towards me. If I didn't move soon, I would be ripped apart by that horde of bloodthirsty creatures.

"Get off me!"

Driven by pure desperation, I mustered every ounce of strength left in me and wrenched the blade free from the creature's side.

With a guttural roar, I thrusted its tip into the creature's throat, severing its jugular vein and causing a violent gush of blood to spurt out.

Finally, feeling that it was about to die, the monster instinctively released its grip on my leg and stumbled back, gurgling sounds escaping its throat.

However, I didn't care about the dying creature anymore.

Looking at what was left of my mangled leg, I gritted my teeth and forced myself to stand.

Although my entire calf was basically torn off the bone, I knew that I couldn't afford being on the ground for another second.

Swish...

Another monster lunged forward, its massive jaws almost digging into my shoulder. I barely managed to duck in time, feeling the rush of wind as the creature's teeth narrowly missed my flesh.

At the same time, I also drove my sword upward, using every ounce of my remaining strength to impale the creature's jaw.

Luckily, the blade managed to penetrate all the way through, piercing the skull and silencing the creature's menacing growls.

However, I made a mistake.

As soon as the creature died, its weight was no longer supported by its muscles, causing its carcass to collapse onto me.

To avoid being crushed by the weight, I was forced to abandon my sword that was stuck in the creature's jaw and roll out from underneath it.

Now, I was left defenseless against more than a dozen rampaging monsters closing in on me.

Before I could fully realize what was happening, a massive claw appeared out of nowhere, slashing through the air with incredible speed.

I barely managed to raise my hands to shield my vital points.

However, even then it felt like I was hit by a freight train.

The impact sent me flying a few dozen feet through the air, my body crashing into a nearby tree with bone-crushing force.

For a moment, I even lost consciousness, everything fading into darkness as my body succumbed to the brutal onslaught.

However, I wasn't allowed to stay unconscious for long.

The first thing I saw when waking up was deep, bloody gashes across my forearms.

It took a second but pain quickly returned in full force, jolting me back to reality.

Groaning, I tried to move, but a white-hot agony lanced through my leg, making me gasp.

My vision swam, nausea bubbling in my throat.

Through the haze of pain, I saw the monsters closing in, their beady eyes gleaming with predatory hunger.

Panic clawed at my throat. I was like a beached fish, utterly defenseless on the cold, unforgiving ground.

My brave blade lay a good fifty feet away, far out of reach, mocking my pathetic state.

But I didn't want to die...

Not yet.

Adrenaline, that glorious pain-masking drug, jolted back into my system. I scrambled back against the rough bark of the tree, ignoring the fresh scrape across my back.

The ground was stained a gruesome crimson from my earlier battles, the metallic tang of blood thick in the air.

Roar...

A high-pitched screech pierced the air, and a blur of fur launched itself at me. I instinctively threw my arm up, trying to deflect the blow.

Claws raked down my forearm, adding another set of angry red streaks to the ever-growing collection. My vision flickered, the edges blurring as I gritted my teeth against the fresh wave of agony.

But this attack bought me a precious moment. With a desperate lunge, I grabbed a jagged piece of bark protruding from the base of the tree. The rough surface felt like sandpaper against my raw flesh, but I ignored it, channeling all my Mana into my grip.

The next creature was almost upon me, its slavering maw inches from my face.

Just as it lunged, I swung the makeshift weapon with all my might. The bark connected with a sickening crunch, digging into the flesh and showering both of us with a spray of gore.

The creature let out a surprised yelp, stumbling back. For a fleeting moment, there was a break in the relentless onslaught.

Desperate, I used that window to crawl further up the tree trunk, my mangled leg screaming in protest with each movement.

Reaching a small, gnarled branch a few feet off the ground, I hoisted myself onto it, panting heavily. The rough bark dug into my backside, but for the first time in what felt like an eternity, I was out of immediate reach.

Below, the remaining creatures milled around, frustrated growls echoing through the clearing. I slumped against the trunk, my entire body throbbing in a symphony of pain.

I can relax now...

At least that was what I thought.

Crack...

Suddenly, a loud and familiar cracking sound cut through the air, freezing me in place.

Slowly, my head turned towards the source of the noise, dread creeping up my spine.

"You have to be kidding me..."

Creak...