Demonic Beasts are monsters infected with Miasma produced by demon corpses rooting away, or their blood spraying over the floor. Because of the large demon battle that occurred some time ago, a lot of demon guts and blood ended being splattered over the forest floor. Some ended mixing into the ground, and ended infecting it with demonic energy, which after some time, ended turning into Miasma.
, over time, it continued to move across the forest, reaching these faraway swamps which are usually not visited by anybody. Although most of the forest was cleansed by the priest's magic, this area ended being one of the few places they couldn't properly reach due to its distance.
When monsters are infested with miasma, they either evolve and grow even stronger, or mutate and become Demonic Beasts, gaining traits from the Demons from another world and even being able to manipulate demonic energy, just pack of roughly twelve Gray Wolves, who have mutated into horrid versions of themselves, with extra eyes, limbs, heads, and enlarged tails with blade-like tips.
The alarming fact, however, was that they were way closer to the village than I had imagined. It could be possible that they had already begun an expansion outside of the Swamps. And above all, that these Demonic Beasts might be being controlled. From what I've researched, they're not cooperative with one another, even between the same species.
This only means one thing, there might be some sort of leader that holds authority over them.
The first Gray Wolf to move forward attacked furiously, swinging its long, bladed tail like a whip and trying to pierce my head with its tip.
However I swiftly evaded the simplistic attack, as I swung Gluttony with all my strength and slashed the wolf's tail cleanly, blood sprayed everywhere as the beast gave a groan of agony.
The beasts reflexes were faster than normal Gray Wolves, the moment I sliced its tail it pounced at me with furious speed, opening its enormous jaws and attempting to bite my entire head. This wolf's jaws were twice as big as the normal wolves, probably gigantism provoked by the miasma infecting its body.
Its jaws snapped right above me as I evaded his ferocious and lethal attack in time. I reinforced my Demonic Arm with Demonic Energy I've saved up and quickly pierced the wolf's neck with it, grasping the beast's jugular and quickly snapping it.
The beast attempted to slash me with its claws before dying, but it lacked the strength as it died almost instantly. I dropped the body in the floor, as the other Demonic Gray Wolves were already charging forward against our group.
"Finally, some monsters!" Erika said happily, as she had been craving for violence, apparently.
Her enormous sword attempted to slash the wolf running towards her.
However, she ended hitting the ground as the wolf swiftly evaded her attack with its superior speed and dexterity. To the surprise of the wolf, however, Erika didn't end her attack there, as she swiftly began to spin while holding into her sword and using the [Dancing] Skill from her Princess Talent, combined with her Swordsmanship, she became a spinning sword.
The wolf attempted to defend himself from her attack but Erika's speed while spinning was superb, in mere seconds her sword slashed through the wolf's body multiple times, as blood splattered over her sword. As it was cursed, the blade began to easily absorb the blood and grow stronger.
With a last slashing attack, the wolf's head ended rolling over the floor, as Erika seemed slightly pumped up now. I don't know what I've made her not, but it appears she had grown into quite the battle junky.
Two more wolves approached me from left and right, as I summoned Eleanora to take care of one, Blood, the Blood Wolf which was formerly an old Gray Wolf was also summoned by her side, as both fiercely fought against the two Gray Wolves.
Blood barked furiously as his aura suddenly unleashed a red color, generating blood through his newly awakened [Blood Edge] Skill and shaping the blood he summoned into small blades which he fired from a long distance against his opponents.
Both Demonic Gray Wolves roared furiously at Blood's attacks, as they suddenly unleashed auras of their own, of a similar red color as Blood's Aura, but darker, mixed with black color. These auras were Demonic Energy!
One of the wolves opened their mouths and unleashed an enormous Demon Fireball. Demon Magic was lethal as it could infect wounds with demonic energy, a substance that easily made wounds rot away and could cause death in mere seconds.
Blood, however, didn't fear the magic. He immediately conjured more Blood and shaped it into a shield, this was his other Skill [Blood Barrier]!
The Demon Fireball exploded before the Blood Barrier, strong enough to easily shatter the barrier, but not strong enough for it to reach Blood afterwards, the barrier successfully blocked the deadly attack!
Meanwhile, Eleanora emerged behind the wolf that had attacked Blood, as her Spear, Envy, swiftly pierced the wolf's jugular, and then swung horizontally , slicing the creature's head mercilessly!
Thanks to her amazing assortment of Skills specialized on stealthy movements and assassination, she received bonus damage whenever she surprised an opponent with an attack, giving her the ability to easily kill this monster strengthened with demonic energy.
The other wolf attempted to attack Eleanora while she was killing the wolf that attacked first, however, four F-Rank Fenrirs emerged from within the shadows of the Demonic Gray Wolf, fiercely biting its legs and incapacitating it!
Using Gluttony, I pierced the wolf's head and absorbed its blood through the weapon's powers, strengthening it.
Meanwhile, the rest of my party continued to fight the rest of the Demonic Gray Wolf pack we encountered, as I quickly gazed at a larger figure at the distance, hiding behind some trees.