Everyone was in place, waiting to see what the forest keeper would do. The creature was still reeling in pain on the floor, but Logan expected it to recover soon.
In less than five minutes, the large creature cried out before settling itself. It started pulling the dead parts of its body off, roaring as if pulling out large patches of hair.
With each piece it removed, its overall appearance became healthier.
After finishing its painful task, the creature looked around. Its gaze first turned to Valeria and her panther, then to Logan and his group. It let out a long breath and, with a raspy voice, roared as if acknowledging their actions.
Using its strong arms, it began digging a large hole, its actions causing an earthquake as its claws dug into the ground.
In no time, the beast had disappeared, as if not wanting to show its disgraceful balding figure. Both Valeria and Logan were stunned by this but just laughed it off before focusing on the sound of fighting in the distance.
Their birds seemed to be in a scuffle with something in the sky—a large eagle that also seemed infected, its body halfway withered.
The raven, being the more experienced fighter, seemed to be giving orders, while Zephyr assisted from afar with wind magic.
This magic caused the eagle to worry about falling or struggle with the changing wind currents and pressure.
The raven used dark magic to produce dark tendrils, extracting a tiny blue crystal from the eagle. Once the crystal was removed, the eagle lost all its power. Zephyr then used wind magic to soften the blow as the eagle landed on top of a tree.
"It seems most of the beasts affected by the mutation are just starting. We need to move out; the culprit might still be around here." Valeria called her raven and panther back with a clear purpose.
Logan told his Falcon to listen to her orders as the boy followed from behind.
"We need to be careful not to scare whoever is causing this. I will be frank with you; it will most likely be a demon, probably the first one you have ever seen. Don't think that just because it looks human, it won't harm you," she said before mounting her panther. Logan followed closely behind.
Both of their birds began to scout the surroundings. An easier method to identify the source of the forest's problems was to follow the path of the mutants.
The raven, already aware of the strategy, ignored the infected monsters and began following the trail.
The falcon, inexperienced in such matters, followed a little behind to keep the team updated. It soared above Logan's group, communicating anything it could see from the sky.
They continued this cautious journey for an hour and a half, stepping carefully through the dense forest and pausing at every suspicious sound.
Although the team encountered numerous beasts in the early stages of mutation, they chose to ignore them for now. Finding the true culprit was their top priority.
The one responsible should still be nearby, as they approached an area where mutation was just beginning. Crystals were embedded in the ground near a food source, seemingly designed to attract the monsters.
"There is a clear culprit around here. Keep close, and try to make your tame less noisy as it moves. We need to capture at least one of them," Valeria said, her temper close to blowing as she saw how many beasts were dying or struggling against the mutation.
As they got closer to wherever the raven was leading them, they dismounted their rides.
Logan was instructed to follow at least ten meters behind, as his monsters didn't know how to navigate the forest without stepping on branches or leaves, causing noise.
As the raven finally perched atop a particular tree, Logan halted. He watched as Valeria jumped onto her tamed beast, directing it to climb a few large branches to stay hidden from view.
Logan couldn't see anything but sensed that up ahead, there were likely one or two demons they needed to take down. He stayed alert, trusting Valeria's lead and preparing himself for the upcoming confrontation.
His hands began to tremble as he recalled how Rubina's form didn't look much different from a human. He couldn't come to terms with what might come next.
Though he wanted to leave, he didn't want to abandon his mentor. What kept him in place was knowing that many creatures were suffering because of whoever was spreading the infection.
Logan steeled his heart; this was something he needed to do. He clenched his hands, waiting for any signal from Valeria.
It didn't take long. The raven cawed three times, prompting Valeria to have her mount close in on whoever was causing the trouble. In her hand, he saw a blade he had yet to see her use.
Logan moved a bit closer, leaving his goblin and fox behind. He kept only the slime, which always clung to him, and his raptor for ease of movement. He didn't yet feel capable of keeping both pets safe while running at top speed.
[When you hear something, rush forth, Scorch. We need to end whoever is doing this…] Logan communicated while taking out a dagger from his ring. It was a small blade, but it could possibly be enough to help him if the situation turned worse.
As soon as they heard the explosion, Scorch ran forward, dodging any trees in his path. Logan clung to Scorch's neck as they charged forth.
Before long, they saw three robed individuals. One of them was already engaged in battle with Valeria, while the other two were being stared down by her panther. It was a good chance.
[The one on the left!] he called out, trying to resist the wind pressure that was making him lose his grip. His raptor charged in, taking the robed individual by surprise.
Just like in the dinosaur movies, it leapt into battle, using its talons to attack from behind, piercing the body as if it were paper.
Logan felt sick looking at what his tamed creature had done, its talons already dirtied with red liquid. Nevertheless, he jumped as soon as his tame settled. The panther was already engaged in a fight with the other robed being.
Logan raised his dagger in defense, sensing the powerful magic the robed users were trying to unleash. He braced himself, knowing that the fight was about to reach its peak.
[Go for the one in front, I'll help Valeria,] Logan instructed, rushing toward his mentor's side.
Of the three, the one the panther and raptor were fighting was the strongest. Valeria struggled mainly because the robed one she fought was much faster than her.
Everyone seemed pretty capable in battle, which unsettled Logan. He didn't know what to do with his dagger and didn't want to find out. However, the chaos around him demanded that he fight.
Three explosions resounded as magic was cast. One was directed at him, which he dodged at the last second, but part of his clothes was singed. The other two explosions—one hit a tree, and the third hit his beast.
"Hey, watch where you're hitting!" Logan cried out in rage, now convinced he needed to use his blade. The situation was dire, especially after seeing some of his beast's scales torn off and hearing its pained groans.
The robed individual didn't see him but sensed the danger and jumped back. Valeria intercepted with a kick, pushing the person back into the battle. Logan didn't plan his next move, but he felt his blade connect as the robed person was forced back.
His hands trembled, but the anger in his heart didn't subside. He stabbed again, causing even Valeria to flinch at the young boy's intense determination.
After a few more stabs, Logan finally stopped, his hands red. The boy looked confused, breathing hard.
"What did..." he muttered, watching the body fall before him, its life fading away as the being began coughing blood.
You did well, boy. That is all," Valeria called out behind him, patting him before heading towards her tame, which had the final assailant by the throat, ready to break it if he tried to move.
"You also did well, Noire. Splendid job. At least we have one alive," she said, quickly using magic to cover the stranger's mouth and nose, making him pass out.
She suddenly heard the boy retching in a corner. The body he had stabbed had its face uncovered—it was a young girl, probably in her late teens or early twenties.
Her skin was changing back from blue to its normal skin color the only notable traits where two horns above her ears.
"Why did you look…" Valeria sighed. She knew what had made the boy sick. It wasn't something she had planned, but seeing the youth with trembling hands and a tear-filled face, she realized he should not have witnessed this yet.