A horrifying scene presented itself before James and Paulio, a scene filled with blood and death. Human figures seemed to be hanging from huge wooden spikes protruding from the tents. The bodies looked shriveled up as if their vitality had been sucked from them. Their eyes sunken, rivers of blood flowed from them, mouths opened like a hole that existed to devour eternally; for some reason, it kept expanding, but what stuck out were their missing arms and legs. James' muscles twitched, gathering momentum.
"James," Paulio called out, interrupting him. Paulio shook his head, warning James not to be anxious. [There's an enemy here], he mouthed off to him. James nodded as he and Paulio took a step into the encampment. --This situation is strange-- Paulio thought as he watched the trees' sudden shift. It looked normal on the outside, but it was happening, and with Paulio's special abilities, any moves that were happening within the forest were seen by him. The wooden spike slowly grew out of the tent, turning into trees that hung the bodies. Paulio could tell that, judging by the number of bodies here-- This is a sacrificial ritual-- he thought, placing his fingers on his chin. --Not only could the attacks ignore James' buffs, but the enemy has the ability to corrupt a beacon. What a terrifying ability-- Paulio shivered. Paulio was sure a higher power was involved. He hoped that Sanctuary would realize this anomaly and send help and more people to investigate. --Hopefully that bastard Jason gets in over his head and actually does something useful-- He thought, looking over at James. He knew James and Jason always had their differences; the news of James being preferred over him for the Gate Transmission Project would surely have burst a few bubbles. Judging by Jason's personality, he would definitely have tried some tricks on James. This mission was probably a mission to deal a great deal of damage to James to render him unqualified. --No... not even Jason could have foreseen this.--.
A gust of cold wind blew with stark rage, drawing the attention of James and Paulio towards a large glowing circular object in front of them. James opened his eyes in confusion--when did this get here?-- he thought. The circular object looked like a lowing mold of compounded flesh, beneath the flesh were pulses that looked like blood flow within it. The glowing object seemed to be pulsating with the trees hanging around it. Connected to the object were fleshing vines and tree roots that connected right into the ground. With each pulse, the object produced the surrounding trees would resonate. Paulio's face darkened as he felt a large sense of danger from the fleshy orb. Paulio clenched his fists, little glowing streaks and subtle circular fluffs of light gathering towards his fist. He stretched his fingers, allowing the objects of light to merge around his fingertips. The streaks merged, producing a bright blue light forming the silhouette of a sword. The blinding light slowly receded, leaving behind a delicate-looking glass sword. The glass sword was filled with exquisite dragon signs that seemed to be connected to the heads and tails of the two dragons. Paulio breathed out as he held the hilt of the sword, drawing his hands backwards, his muscles flexing and twitching. He threw the sword with such blinding speed, causing waves to flow behind it. But these waves, looking like the cause, were actually the propellers to the sword, increasing its speed and piercing force. The dragon symbols on the sword rotated with increasing speed, causing more propelling waves to appear. The orb sensing danger began to pulse continuously with unstopping speed. The forest began to shake, the trees scrambling and shifting repeatedly. The ground stopped pulsing, glowing with a large, blinding purple light that filled the encampment. The glowing fleshy orbs released their own waves in the form of a roar. The ground thawed open like the sea, and the ground slowly turned into waves, like a storm. A purple glowing crystal boulder flowed from the ground, sending more shock waves and aura, slowly disintegrating the blade that had reached inches away from it. The large crystal had a familiar figure in it. The figure's long blonde hair had turned completely blank, her eyes closed. She looked tranquil within the boulder. Her white, flowery dress seemed to have turned completely black. With a black foamy substance around her. -- That's pure dark mana. No.. That's liquidated mana--. Paulio and James watched Lily with weary eyes. Staring at her with killing intent, her large tummy twitching occasionally. The reason for Paulio and James having such an absurd reaction towards Lily was the liquidated dark mana. A mana form so corrupted with evil that it turns mana into a liquid dark form. The liquidated dark mana seemed to be connected to her tummy, slowly being absorbed by her. As the dark mana slowly entered her. Dark patterns began to flow from her tummy towards her neck, finally to her face. Paulio narrowed his eyes. -- So that's how she corrupted the beacon. Liquidated dark mana would have been enough to corrupt it. After all, it's something akin to those creatures-- Paulio thought, gritting his teeth. Lily opened her eyes, her dark coloured pupils twitching as her mouth scrunched in pain, her head twisting left and right in rapid succession. A screeching scream echoed from her already opened mouth, causing purple raging winds to appear. Lily's head abruptly stopped as she stared at Paulio intently. A heavy, dark purple aura spread forth from the crystal.
"Another forest?!" Paulio said in astonishment. Paulio knew that the one behind the forest was the same one controlling Lily. --Speaking of which where is Sebastian?-- Paulio wandered --Tsk!, That brat couldn't be dead, right? That's troublesome-- Paulio was less worried about Sebastian's demise and more worried about the entity that can create a forest within a forest. After all, Baron Circe was only a Baron-level warrior of an expert rank, whilst Paulio was a Baron-level awakened knight of the perfected level. Paulio could wipe out the whole Circe household on his own. The problem came after, the likes of which Paulio didn't care about. -- I heard of their techniques, I didn't really think I did meet them in this lifetime-- Paulio smiled. --Puppeteering Magic of the forbidden Mages. It seems they have begun to move-- Paulio thought. Waves slowly flowed within the void, blinding light shining from the ground. A familiar large crystal appeared, hovering within the void. It was Lily in the crystal, with little cracks in them. Little crackling sounds slowly began to resound within the dark void; more cracks slowly appeared, spreading and widening. Lily continued to stare at Paulio with killing intent. As the crack widened and spread in quantity, more waves of killing intent began to flow over to Paulio. Paulio smiled as he watched into the farther void, closing his eyes. Orange, large waves flowed from Paulio, as if scanning for something. The waves flowed into the void with resonating with the void.
"Heh! It seems you targeted me alone, not seeing James as a threat." Paulio laughed halfheartedly, and a solemn look appeared on his face. Paulio opened his eyes as pure white light flowed from them. Paulio inhaled deeply. "I didn't want to show this to anyone either way. Thank you." Paulio smiled.