However it has only three vitality. We can kill it with two MP if we have to long before it gets dangerously close. And I'm not just saying "wander aimlessly in the forest". I have given a very specific course of action in one of my previous posts. In short it says carefully capture and study the creature and the area we found the children, or failing that kill it.
It is a very dense forest. We are not not even likely to get a shot at it before it is trying to eat our face. Your "course of action" is nearly impossible, very probably useless, and most likely suicidal.
Apparently I do not believe that things are so bad we should give up yet.
Evidently you are delusional, and thinks we are a story book hero who can bring forth victory through pure heart and good intentions.
What choice do we have now? Where do we go from here if not through the forest? And we need no meatshield. Why would we? Physical shields are of no use against what lies there. Our powers are enough to handle this. You can't expect everything to be easy and risk free. Sometimes you have to take reasonable calculated risks.
The point of the meatshield is not kill the beast for us. It is to
die and buy us time to kill the beast. Because we have absolutely no skill in fighting and are going to die if it jumps us or get too close for casting. Physical barriers and shields are good to buy us time to try to cast a spell at whatever it is. And hope it actually works and it is not protected against it. Our powers are only enough if, not only it works, but we manage to cast before we are eaten and taken away.
And sure, sometimes we have to take reasonable and calculated risks. Sure, I don't expect everything to be easy and risk free. But I do like to avoid insane risks for very questionable gains.
And again, we barely know anything about the forest. For all we know there could be a small army of those things there and we were just lucky last time to only find one.
And besides, we are voting for what to do this afternoon since Omo and the priest have't returned. You want us to leave and go to the forest without now, without even finding them and telling you are going to try something?
Let's study the wards in the books. If we learn them well enough,
maybe we can try to do something against the beast(s) in the forest. Methodically. And carefully. And using bait (live chicken, rats, or rabbits might be good for that). Trying to check its limitations before actually going after it.