Attack On The Mangleon’s.

As Magnus ventured deeper into the forest, Vorax coiled around his neck, it wasn't long before they encountered their first group of beasts. The encounter was brief and effortless; the creatures were swiftly dispatched.

More followed, each group succumbing quickly to Magnus and Vorax's combined power. The deeper they went, the more numerous the beasts became, their strength increasing in tandem with their numbers. Yet, even against this escalating threat, Magnus and Vorax remained unchallenged, their coordinated attacks leaving a trail of blood in their wake.

Finally, Magnus came to a halt in a section of the forest that bore the scars of a violent upheaval. "What the hell happened here? Did a tornado rip through this place?" he muttered, surveying the scene of utter devastation. Trees were splintered and broken, the ground churned and scarred. He had arrived in the heart of the Mangleon territory.

While leveling up quickly by hunting was one of the reason for this expedition, Magnus's true purpose was to investigate the Mangleons' sudden, uncharacteristic aggression against his territory.

With the first trial of the territory looming – a trial that all signs pointed towards being a beast horde – Magnus knew he couldn't ignore this threat. Mangleons were not inherently aggressive unless provoked. Their participation in a beast horde was highly unusual, indicating something was amiss, something Magnus needed to rectify swiftly. An undercurrent of curiosity also spurred him onward.

Gazing at the destruction before him, Magnus struggled to understand what had happened. He initially suspected an attack, perhaps by humans, which had enraged the Mangleons and driven them to retaliate against the nearest human settlement. The scene seemed to support this theory.

Just then, a group of ten Mangleons, bristling with fury, trotted into view, heading straight towards Magnus. He swiftly concealed himself behind one of the few undamaged trees, the thick trunk shielding him from their view. He'd timed it perfectly; the Mangleons thundered past, their enraged roars and heavy footfalls echoing through the ravaged forest.

Once they were gone, Magnus emerged from his hiding place. He could have easily dealt with that group, but he didn't want to attract the attention of the entire Mangleon population. He needed to investigate further before deciding on a course of action.

Continuing deeper into the Mangleon territory, Magnus was struck by the sheer scale of the destruction. What surprised him most, however, was the evidence suggesting the Mangleons themselves were responsible for the devastation. Why would they destroy their own home? Magnus frowned, perplexed. None of this made any sense. Yet, he pressed on, dodging individual Mangleons and small groups as he ventured further into their domain.

The Mangleon territory was vast, home to thousands upon thousands of these creatures. If this entire population turned on his territory, the consequences would be dire. He had to find a solution, and quickly.

As he progressed, a nagging feeling of unease grew within him. Something felt fundamentally wrong, but he couldn't quite pinpoint what it was. Then, Vorax, who had been silently observing, communicated with Magnus through their mental link.

Magnus's eyes widened as he processed Vorax's message. Realization dawned. "So that's it," he murmured, "there aren't any young Mangleons here."

Mangleons, like humans, lived in communities comprised of both adults and their offspring. Yet, strangely, Magnus hadn't encountered a single young Mangleon, only mature adults.

"Strange," he muttered again, scanning his surroundings as various possibilities flashed through his mind. There were no signs of a battle, only the unmistakable evidence of the Mangleons' own destructive rampage. What could have possibly happened?

The reason for the Mangleons' aggression was now clear. Someone had infiltrated their territory and somehow taken their young. Magnus wasn't sure how they had managed it, but the absence of any corpses suggested the young Mangleons had been abducted, not killed.

And whoever orchestrated this managed to do so without a trace, unless the Mangleons' subsequent rampage had obliterated any evidence. Who could it be?

Magnus's first suspicion fell on Gaylord, but he quickly dismissed the idea. First, for Gaylord to pull this off, he would have needed a substantial force to contend with the Mangleons and reach their territory. Their path would have taken them near Lancaster's territory, and there was no way such a large group could have passed unnoticed. Magnus would have been alerted.

Second, even if they had somehow slipped past his defenses and reached the Mangleon territory, such a feat would still be impossible, even with their entire force. The adult Mangleons wouldn't simply stand by and watch their young be taken; a fierce and bloody battle would have ensued. But judging by the scene, there had been no such conflict. Whoever, or whatever, was responsible had accomplished this without engaging the adult Mangleons.

Magnus pondered the methods used, a chilling sense of unease settling upon him. What kind of ability could allow someone to achieve this?

Lost in thought, Magnus became oblivious to his surroundings. He failed to notice a Mangleon straying dangerously close. The creature spotted him, and with a guttural roar that reverberated through the forest, it charged.

The roar jolted Magnus back to reality. The Mangleon was already too close; there was no time to draw his sword. He had stowed Voidreaver in his inventory upon nearing the Mangleon territory. The weapon's potent aura of death and evil acted like a beacon, attracting unwanted attention. Since his initial objective was to investigate, he had dismissed it to facilitate stealth.

Reacting purely on instinct, Magnus ducked and rolled, narrowly avoiding the Mangleon's furious charge. The creature skidded to a halt, kicking up a cloud of dust, before turning its attention back to Magnus and charging again.

This time, Magnus was ready. Vorax was already sliding off his neck and beginning its transformation. Magnus summoned Voidreaver, the wicked scythe materializing in a burst of malevolent energy. He could feel the weapon's power surging through him, amplifying his attributes.

As the Mangleon lunged, Magnus sidestepped effortlessly and swung Voidreaver. The scythe's blade sliced through the creature like a hot knife through butter. But Magnus felt no sense of triumph, only heightened vigilance. His brows furrowed as he scanned his surroundings.

The ground trembled as the sound of approaching Mangleons grew louder. The earlier commotion had alerted the others, and they were converging on the intruder in their midst.

Magnus's expression hardened, but he wasn't worried. He had already resigned himself to confronting the Mangleons. He had hoped for a simpler solution, but seeing the devastation and understanding the Mangleons' motivation, he knew they wouldn't stop. It was only a matter of time before they attacked his territory, wreaking havoc. He had to deal with them, and the only solution he could envision was eliminating the threat entirely.

The approaching footsteps grew louder, and soon Magnus spotted several Mangleons charging towards him. Vorax, its transformation complete, raced towards the oncoming creatures.

Magnus followed close behind, swinging Voidreaver. His technique was still rough, lacking finesse, but the scythe's preternaturally sharp blade compensated for his lack of skill.

A chorus of roars erupted from the Mangleons, shaking the very ground. Vorax answered with its own terrifying roar, its aura momentarily giving the Mangleons pause. But their rage had already consumed them, and they pressed their attack.

Vorax spun, its massive, spiked tail slamming into the oncoming Mangleons, sending several flying. Magnus joined the fray, dodging an attack and bringing Voidreaver down on another Mangleon, killing it instantly. And so began a bloody massacre.