The tension from Daemon's abrupt, lethal assertion of dominance over Sheila von Lancaster still hung like a shroud over the team as they navigated the increasingly dense forest. For nearly thirty minutes, they moved in a strained, silent formation—Daemon leading, Julian and Corleys flanking, and Sheila trailing, nursing her bruised dignity and trying to regain control of her breathing. The hunt was forgotten; they were consumed by the internal shock of the commoner's hidden ferocity. They came to a sudden, horrifying halt near a shallow ravine. The scene was grotesque: freshly devoured carcasses of several Goblins and even a group of muscular Demonic Boars lay scattered on the ground, their forms torn open and partially consumed. The true culprits were quickly identified: six Wendigos. They were terrifying figures—tall, slender, and unnervingly human in origin, their hairless bodies tainted with corrosive demonic energy that fueled their insatiable hunger. They were hunched over their prey, their empty, sunken eyes fixing on the four mages. The silence was absolute, locking the two groups into a deadly faceoff.
Daemon knew that waiting for a tactical consensus would be fatal; the Wendigos were faster than they looked. Before Sheila could channel her Lightning or Julian could fully sheath himself in metal, Daemon launched a decisive, opening attack. He channeled his Fire affinity, creating not a bolt or a stream, but three fist-sized rings of pure, focused crimson flame. He set the rings spinning rapidly—a deliberate technique to maximize the energy's surface area—and flung them toward the center of the Wendigo cluster. The Fire affinity, concentrated by the spinning motion, struck with devastating precision: two of the flame rings impacted the chest and neck of two separate creatures, instantly searing and neutralizing the primary feeding muscle groups. The third flame ring, flung slightly too wide in the hasty action, missed completely. The initial attack was costly but effective. Two Wendigos instantly collapsed, their demonic vitality unable to recover from the sudden, catastrophic thermal damage. Four Wendigos remained, now screaming a high-pitched, furious sound that promised immediate retribution. By the time Julian's jaw dropped and Corleys' eyes widened, Daemon's weapon was already in his hand. He drew his Ninjatō in a fluid, silent motion and took a low, defensive stance, the blade held ready to counter the inevitable charge.
The remaining four Wendigos moved in a blur, splitting into two pairs and charging from opposing flanks. Julian, recovering from his shock, immediately channeled his magic. His right arm and torso were instantly sheathed in blackened, quenched steel. He roared, channeling his fear and adrenaline into the taxing transformation, and moved to meet the pair charging the front line. The first Wendigo raked its claws against his metal chest; the steel rang with a dull thunk, holding firm. However, the energy drain on Julian was immense, forcing him to keep his counter-attacks slow and economical. Corleys, realizing the immediate necessity of ranged support, began channeling his Wind attribute. He launched a rapid series of compressed wind blades towards the Wendigos engaging Julian. The blades were sharp, but the Wendigos' unnatural speed and agility allowed them to weave and dodge the majority of the attacks, though one sliced a deep gash into the leg of a beast. Corleys swore under his breath, recognizing the difficulty of targeting such quick, erratic threats.
Sheila, still physically shaken but forced into action by the sight of blood, channeled her Lightning affinity. She favored raw power and immediate output, firing a wide, crackling forked bolt of electricity. The blast was powerful, but undisciplined; it struck the ground near the center of the melee, briefly stunning one of the Wendigos that was circling wide, but the wide discharge nearly clipped Julian. She hissed in frustration at her own lack of precision, desperate to reassert her competence.
Daemon focused entirely on the two Wendigos that had broken away from the front line, attempting to flank the team. He relied fully on his augmented speed and strength, his Ninjatō a blur of defensive and counter-attacking motion. He met the attack of the first Wendigo with a clean, low parry using his blade, channeling a surge of his Healing affinity into the parry to ensure the steel held the impact without faltering. The parry shifted the Wendigo's momentum, and before it could recover, Daemon transitioned into a powerful horizontal sweep, carving a deep wound across the Wendigo's lower torso, crippling its mobility. The second flanking Wendigo attempted to leap over Daemon. This was the moment for his new, hidden card. As the creature launched itself, Daemon instantly channeled his Steam affinity. He did not aim for a burn; he aimed for control. A sharp, pressurized burst of high-density steam erupted from his free hand, directed straight into the Wendigo's face and eyes. The sudden shock, heat, and instantaneous obscurement caused the creature to shriek and flail wildly, its jump falling short. With the Wendigo momentarily blinded and disoriented, Daemon executed a vertical slash with his Ninjatō, a clean, rapid strike that ended the threat.
With his immediate flank secured, Daemon shifted his attention back to Julian, who was flagging under the relentless physical attacks of the remaining Wendigos. Julian's metal skin was scored, and the visible shimmer of his Aether indicated his internal energy was being dangerously depleted. "Corleys! Obscure the center!" Daemon yelled, the command ringing with clear, tactical authority. Corleys, recognizing the tactical authority in Daemon's voice, instinctively obeyed. He ceased his wind blades and instead conjured a fast-moving, localized vortex of dust and debris, directing it to swirl around Julian and his two remaining attackers. The obscurement was total, forcing the Wendigos to rely on sound and smell—their weakest senses against a rapidly moving, augmented opponent. "Julian! Retreat!" As Julian broke contact and staggered backward, Daemon charged through the blinding, swirling cloud. He channeled a high-intensity Fire affinity into the tip of his Ninjatō, turning the blade into a glowing spear of white heat. He used his augmented senses to track the motion within the cloud, not sight, and executed two quick, decisive thrusts. The Wendigos, unable to dodge in the confusion, were struck by the searing, magnified power of the weapon. They fell instantly. The cloud of dust settled, revealing Daemon standing over the final two neutralized creatures, his blade glowing faintly before the heat rapidly dissipated. The silence returned, broken only by Julian's heavy, labored breathing as his metal skin receded. Six Wendigos had been neutralized in under ninety seconds. Daemon did not check on his teammates. He simply sheathed his Ninjatō, his breathing steady, and began the cold process of collecting the proof: Wendigo ears and teeth. The initial points were secured.