THE COSMOS

They all came back with more information, all of the victims to be abducted had a great magic affinity, as they could use magic best than anyone in the entire village.

Modez listened to all the information brought forth by his team, and decided to set out for the Hunt. They carried every necessary equipments and food for the forest was not that easy to traverse.

When they reached at the entrance of the forest everyone was on edge as the forest was dense and mostly packed with magical beasts, they were all reserved as they went in the forest, not knowing what await them in it.

Joles could feel the magic being corrupted in the forest, and told his squad members of it, it is not an easy feat to corrupt magic as it requires a great dear of sacrifices and mastery of magic.

Modez and other listened to Joles with more attention. There was a story of what corrupted magic can do to any living being, Joles casted a protective spell on his squad members, magic circles appeared on their feet, as a soft and refreshing feeling passed inside their body.

As they went forward, they saw a trace of wet blood on the grass, meaning the danger was not far from them, "Germin stay to the front, Marci to the back, Joles in the middle, Jender take the left and I will take the right" Modez told everyone in the squad.

As soon as the orders were given, a giant bear with red eyes jumped out of a bush, the bear did not stop, it ran straight towards the group with a roar, Germin struck the bear with his shield, while holding his sword on the right hand. "This thing seems out of its mind,can we take it straight or we ambush it with surprise attacks??", Germin asked.

"Not time to waste let's give it a peaceful death" Modez muttered. As he finished his sentence, Marci ran up to the giant berserk bear, and whacked it's head with her sword, not giving it a chance to compose itself.

Modez swooped it's legs with his spear, while Jender struck it's neck with his daggers, as the bear went down. It was welcomed with earth spikes, and there it was lying lifeless on the the earth spikes like a skewer.

Not one among them breaked a sweat,as they all looked at each other with smiles on their faces."Not much but if we meet more than two, we will have to find a better approach,Let's keep moving"Modez said.

Before leaving Joles bent down, took his pouch and pointed his staff to the corpse, and it all vanished into the pouch.

As they kept moving they fought other corrupted beasts,their synergy increased due to the constant battles together. One time Germin got hit, while tanking one of the corrupted buffalo,he was thrown into the tree like a kite, but he had only superficial injures, Joles gave him a potion and he was okay.

As they went on they came across an area with little corrupted magic, they all looked at each other knowingly, as they all became vigilant.

On the foot of a mountain they saw two figures carrying boars on their backs speaking to each other with no care.

"Seems like we are near their turf we need to be more careful" Modez said. He ordered Jender to go on and investigate their enemies.

A little while Jender came back with the entire layout of the camp,"There are twenty swordmen, twelve mages, ten archers on the outside of the cave" Jender reported.

"It seems there are more people in the cave, we could wait around here, but we can be ambushed by beasts, so let's take a rest in the trees" Modez instructed.

They all went up the trees while observing their enemies, in the evening some people with black robes were seen coming out of the cave, and when behind the mountains.

Modez gave a hand signal to Jender, understanding the order he went secretly after them, he saw them using a teleportation circle, which was covered under the grasses.

He came back to report his findings and everyone knew there was something fishy going on in the cave. When night came they all ambushed quietly the cave, the people guarding the cave passed out suddenly, that was the work of Jender.

Before they could enter the cave Joles stopped them, as he could sense magical fluctuating at the entrance of the cave, "it's not a trap but an alert spell, when we pass here they will be alerted of or intrusion" Joles said.

"If there is an alert spell, it means there is an escape way, let's find the escape way first before entering, thus we can be sure that there is no mistake after we enter inside" Mode said.

As they all stopped talking, after seeing Joles going at the center of the crealing, he performed magic incantations and slammed his staff to the ground. After a while he said, "to the east of the mountain there is an escape way".

Modez instructed Marci to cover that area while the others entered the cave, Marci rushed at the instructed area and searched for the opening, she found trees on the side of the mountain, just before them there was an opening leading inside the mountain, she positioned herself, so as to be able to capture whomever came out of it.

On the other side as Marci left, they gave her a little time. Joles felt that she was able to locate the escape route, so they rushed inside fast. Modez leading the ambush with Jender and Germin at his right and left, Joles behind them, they came across empty cages, Modez could smell a stench of blood ahead.

He jumped forward reaching a corner, he could see a man dissecting a beast on the table, he struck his neck with a spear as he was falling down, he caught him to avoid making more noise.

Jender saw two men coming from another path of the cave, and struck them on their necks with his daggers, they fell lifelessly on the ground.