Attack On The Mangleon’s (2)

A ferocious roar ripped through the air as hundreds of Mangleons encircled them. Vorax answered with an equally savage bellow, charging into the oncoming horde, every part of its body a weapon in a whirlwind of furious attacks.

The Mangleons couldn't even get close. The spinning spike on Vorax's body was an impenetrable defense, grinding against any Mangleon foolish enough to attack. This gave Vorax a significant advantage, allowing it to tear through the creatures with terrifying efficiency.

Magnus didn't possess such a natural defense, but the tenfold attribute boost from Voidreaver had exponentially increased his strength. He cut through the Mangleons with surprising ease, leaving piles of desiccated corpses in his wake. Voidreaver consumed their life force, energy, and souls, leaving behind only husks.

Unlike Magnus, Vorax left no corpses. It devoured everything it killed, converting flesh and bone into energy. Magnus could only hope the beast cores remained intact.

Suddenly, three Mangleons leaped from the shadows, attempting a flanking maneuver against Magnus. He reacted instantly, his synthe slicing through the first attacker. Before the second could strike, it too fell victim to Magnus's swift blade. The third Mangleon got too close for a clean strike, forcing Magnus into a hasty retreat.

His speed was superhuman, granting him the distance he needed to swing his synthe. With a single, powerful arc, the Mangleon's head flew from its body.

More Mangleons charged, but Magnus's reflexes were razor sharp. He felt his skill with the synthe growing, each movement becoming more fluid and instinctive. The battle raged for hours, a relentless exchange of blows. Finally, with a single, devastating stroke of his synthe, Magnus ended the fight.

Vorax roared in triumph, celebrating their victory. Magnus, however, felt no such elation. Hours of intense combat had left him drained, his hand aching from the constant swinging of the synthe. Vorax, on the other hand, thrived. Its ability to consume and convert energy meant the battle had actually replenished its strength.

Magnus dismissed Voidreaver, feeling the boost fade away. He didn't mind. He collapsed onto a pile of dried Mangleon corpses, using them as a makeshift cushion, and breathed heavily, trying to recover his energy. Vorax, still in its battle form, stood guard over its master.

Although they had defeated a large number of Mangleons, the fight wasn't over. More would soon arrive, drawn by the sounds of battle and the scent of blood.

After resting for a while, Magnus pushed himself to his feet. Vorax stepped forward and opened its mouth, regurgitating a large pile of beast cores. Of course it taxed Magnus, but he didn't complain.

He reached out and scratched Vorax's head. "Nice job, buddy. Just a little more. Once we're done with these Mangleons, you'll get your reward."

Vorax nuzzled against Magnus's hand, and Magnus smiled, petting the creature affectionately. "Okay, let's get this done with," he muttered. Vorax returned to its normal size and coiled around Magnus's neck. Together, they set off in search of the remaining Mangleons.

Unbeknownst to Magnus, shortly after his departure, two figures descended from the sky. One wore a hooded dark cloak, revealing beneath it the face of a young man with black hair, brown eyes, and a scar that stretched from above his left eye to just below his right ear. The other man, seemingly in his forties, possessed a carefree, handsome face with blue eyes and long dark hair that reached halfway down his back. He was dressed in a royal white robe adorned with golden patterns.

As they landed, they both stared at the mangled, desiccated corpses of the Mangleons Magnus had killed, their eyes wide with shock.

"This aura… it's truly one of us," the white-robed man said.

"I can feel it too. This one seems special. He hasn't even unlocked his magical essence and affinity, and he can already do this?" The cloaked man spoke with a serious expression.

The white-robed man furrowed his brow, bending down to examine the corpses. "Their life force, energy, and souls have been completely drained," he murmured, his face grave. "I wonder what method he used?" he questioned, his brow still furrowed in thought.

"What should we do? Should we inform the others about this?" the cloaked man asked.

"We sensed the energy because we're close, but it won't be long before the others sense him too. It would be wise to tell them beforehand. But for now, let's keep his bizarre ability to ourselves. If we could recruit him into our alliance, he'd be a perfect weapon against Doom," the white-robed man replied.

"Hmm, that makes perfect sense," the cloaked man agreed. "But what about him?"

"We should leave him alone for now. We've already interfered enough by manipulating the Mangleons. If the others found out, it would raise eyebrows." The white-robed man frowned. "Besides, his territory is about to undergo its first trial. That's the perfect opportunity to see what he's truly capable of. Since your territory is closer to his, you should keep an eye on him. When the time is right, we'll make our move."

Having reached a decision, the two men ascended into the sky and vanished as quickly as they had arrived.

Meanwhile, Magnus, with Vorax still coiled around his neck, ventured deeper into Mangleon territory. For a fleeting moment, Magnus felt a strange sensation, but it vanished quickly, and he dismissed it as nothing.

A few moments later, having dealt with all the Mangleons he could find in the immediate area, Magnus emerged from the forest. He left Vorax to continue hunting, both to give the creature more opportunities to earn rewards and because Magnus was short on time.

After about five hours within the forest, Magnus hurriedly made his way back towards his territory. Halfway there, he spotted Robert and about thirty men approaching. Magnus furrowed his brow and continued forward.

'Did something happen back at the territory?' The dreadful thought flashed through his mind, but the approaching group quickly dispelled his worry.

As the men saw Magnus, they rushed towards him. Magnus noticed a look of deep concern on Robert's face.

"Lord Magnus, thank the gods you're alright! I was dreading the worst after you were gone for so long," Robert exclaimed.

'Oh, so that's it,' Magnus mused, realizing the situation. He looked at the faces of the men behind Robert. They, too, seemed concerned, though not as intensely as Robert. Magnus wondered if their concern was genuine or feigned, so he decided to use [Akashic Insight] to check their trust levels. He was surprised by what he saw.

The trust of the men ranged from 15% to 28%, much higher than he expected. While not incredibly high, it was a significant improvement from that morning, when their trust had been much lower. It seemed the "chosen by the gods" lie had had a considerable effect.

"I'm fine. Dealing with the Mangleons just took longer than expected. But what are you all doing here, so far from the territory?" Magnus asked.

"We came looking for you. I was worried something had happened to you after you were gone for so long," Robert stated.

Magnus frowned. While touched by their concern, he was also angered by Robert's actions. Not only had Robert put his men in danger by bringing them so far from the territory, but he had also directly disobeyed Magnus's orders. Magnus wasn't going to let that slide.

"Do you realize how reckless and risky your actions were?" Magnus asked, his voice stern.

Robert fell silent, and the thirty men behind him lowered their heads.

"While I'm grateful that you care about my safety, you disobeyed my direct orders and brought these men here. What if Gaylord's men had ambushed you on the way? Do you think we can afford to lose any more men right now?" Magnus's voice was laced with anger.

Robert's eyes widened, and he lowered his head in shame, realizing the error of his ways. His actions, while born from concern, had been foolish and emotional. Despite their different roles in the territory, Magnus was still his closest friend. Robert's presence here wasn't just an act of loyalty to his lord, but a selfish act of friendship.

Seeing this, Magnus sighed, his anger subsiding. "Let's return to the territory immediately. We'll save this conversation for later." He took the lead, and Robert and his men followed, returning to the shelter in a somber procession.