The swamplands, boglands, Goblin country; these are some of the names given by the learned races to some regions within the Woods of Prismor that are mostly filled with mud, decay, and multitudes of strange and hazardous creatures.

The most prominent of these creatures were a type of small humanoids that made the bog their home. Their skin varying between sickening hues of green and purple, these diminutive creatures were at most only a little over three feet tall while the shorter ones were barely over two feet.

They were mostly bald with pock marked skin, along with long floppy ears and gnarled four-fingered hands. Their facial features are angular with long-pointed chins, varying noses, sunken yellow or red eyes, and a wide mouth filled with pointed teeth and two small upwards-facing tusks.

They understood the concept of using tools, but their belligerent nature has prevented them from ever forming a proper civilization. Because of this, they were still treated as monsters by the general populace.

These were the goblins.

There are many variants given different names based on mutations caused by mana, but the most proliferate of this humanoid species are the goblins. Considered a menace, they often attack most creatures unlike themselves.

However, there did exist a few exceptions. Despite their violent nature and low intellect, the goblins have surprisingly found ways to tame certain beasts to serve under them. These beasts range from small hounds to large insectoids that live within the swamp.

Usually, only a large horde lead by a larger variant of their species; a hobgoblin, possesses the means to tame other creatures.

In a certain region of the swamplands with few trees and more open land, one particular horde specialized in hunting and taming canid beasts. In a corner of the settlement, two white young wolf pups are being looked over by an unusual-looking cloaked goblin with a gnarled wooden staff. Its appearance was mostly the same as the regular goblins, but it was taller at around five feet and had a full head of black-grey hair.

The little pups whined in fear as the goblin lifted them one by one and looked over their little bodies, paw for paw, as if it were inspecting them. Appearing pleased, it motioned for a dark purple goblin to take away the wolf pups.

The purple goblin proceeded to bring them towards a fenced area filled with varying kinds of canids. It then placed them in a small kennel separated from the rest.

The two little ones whined, but in a low tone. The last time they made a fuss, one of them was slapped by a goblin and had its nose injured. While he was bleeding, his sister licked his wound clean hoping it would feel better. Afraid, they huddled together and cried as they thought of their father, hoping he would come.

Their cries weren’t unanswered.

A terrifying howl thundered throughout from the opposite end of the settlement. The force was so strong, it felt like a hurricane blew over the makeshift huts sending wood, stone, and dust flying all over.

Panic ensued as the many varying canines tried to break out of their holds out of fear. The tamed ones were no exception as some even attacked their handlers just to be able to flee from whatever beast was coming.

Their leader, the odd cloaked goblin, gave a series of cries and throaty calls to calm the horde. It then looked towards two large goblins; even larger than itself, to go see what caused the commotion.

It didn’t take them long as entire huts and disemboweled bodies were thrown all over the colony.

A massive horned beast of bristle and sinew went on a rampage as it tore down everything in its path. One goblin got thrown into the air screaming just seconds before it fell back down into the creature’s waiting maw, swallowing it whole.

The larger goblins were frozen in shock seeing the creature before them. It was almost as large as a troll; a larger variant of their kind that lived deeper in the swamp.

Not understanding why such a powerful creature appeared so close to the fringes of the swamplands, the goblins were shaken out of their daze when the beast suddenly turned to look in their direction; glaring eyes of black with menacing rings of deep blue.

Its bloodlust crashed onto them like a wave, almost knocking them down, as it let out another earth-shattering roar moments before it leapt at them, jaws wide open.

– - –

The beast didn’t remember much of anything after it morphed. The only thing it became aware of were a couple of scents that it locked onto.

Whatever possessed these scents, it instinctually knew it needed to find them to calm the boiling sensation in its blood.

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It charged, uncaring of anything as it tore through wood and stone while consuming all life within its path. Somehow, something within it was triggered that unlocked restraints that were originally set in place. A biological core programming that would activate should the creature be placed under extreme stress.

This was originally intended to maintain the subject’s integrity should unknown variables come to disturb its psychology or physiology, but the activation of the program causes a strain in its vitality.

Needing more fuel to burn, the subject is put in a state that necessitated it to consume all biomatter it could find until the program’s deactivation.

Therein lies the problem.

Deactivation required an external procedure that forced the subject’s metabolism to slow down. Once slowed to its original state, the program would initiate its own deactivation.

This was why the beast became aware of the world once again when it awakened in a half-frozen state.

Halfway down its gullet was a large green leg while in its claws were two mangled bodies of some kind of bipedal creature; one of them being the owner of said leg.

It didn’t remember catching such prey and it was even stranger that it was already partly eating them. The strangest part was the current chimeric form it took, which it has no memory of ever thinking up its genetic composition. Realizing something was amiss, it thought back to the time as to why it transformed into such a creature.

Starting to remember the two little white furballs, it was about to go on another fit of rage when something cold and hard hit it at the back of its head.

Wondering what hit it, it turned around while breaking off the ice to see a cloaked creature holding onto a stick that it was aiming towards it.

Whatever this thing was, it appeared extremely agitated and started making strange croaking noises before the end of the stick lit up with a weirdly shaped object forming at its tip before flying off towards the beast.

It struck through hitting it square in the muzzle, but considering its armor of thick fur, it did nothing more than to annoy it for a few seconds before it scraped off the buildup of frost.

Seeing its attacks having little to no effect, the little creature screeched as it tried to run opposite of the beast.

Noticing its run towards the end of a fallen log, the beast simply stomped on the other end launching the poor creature like a shrieking comet towards the sky.

Moving forward to where it was landing, the beast caught the creature as it fell with one of its claws.

Reduced to a sobbing, squealing, maniacal mess, the strange creature struggled to free itself and keep as far away from the beast as much as it could.

The beast, not really thinking of the creature’s plight, brought it closer to examine it as it was a strange new gene source. It didn’t understand how such a creature could possess the means to generate balls of ice through the use of a wooden stick, so it decided to observe it for a little longer.

Seeing the object of its horror up close, the creature’s fear peaked as it made a final high-pitched squeal before it fainted while frothing at the mouth and losing control of its bowels.

Feeling it go limp in its claws, the beast was disappointed it didn’t get to see the trick to its abilities, so instead it did what it was best at and bit its head off.

Going through its genetic composition, it became even more disappointed and confused when it found out that it already completely assimilated their species.

Confused as to why it had access to completely assimilated variants of the creature, and disappointed that none of its variants had the answer on how to do that trick it did with the ice. The only thing it discovered was that the variant it just ate had a large pool of the unknown energy that kept eluding it.

Going by this logic, the beast came to understand that the ability the creature displayed earlier was another extension of the unknown energy. This might mean its applications may be endless or at least incredibly varied, so the beast became even more frustrated when it realized it was no closer to discovering how to properly use it.

Crossing it arms in frustration, a thought soon occurred to it that it was now standing more erect and it possessed opposable thumbs. At some point, its current form must have incorporated some features from these bipedal creatures.

Before it became lost in its thoughts once more at its new biological aspects, it suddenly heard some familiar cries.

Understanding who the owners of those cries were, the beast slowly morphed into the form of a familiar grey four-legged beast.

After fully changing, it then ran towards the wooden structure that held the two pups.

Excited at seeing the jelly in its gene host’s form, the two little furballs struggled to get through the gaps.

Relief washed over the jelly when it saw the two pups were fine. Looking around as it freed them, it came to understand that these bipedal creatures must have a symbiotic relationship with the four-legged howling beasts and must have captured the young ones to raise for their use.

Thinking about it, there wasn’t enough blood in the nest to show that the pups were killed. If anything, the jelly might have kept them from being raised in a better environment. Realizing all this and knowing it may have overreacted, the little jelly deflated onto the floor in exasperation.

Not really understanding the jelly’s thoughts, the two little pups happily played on top of it as they rubbed their little heads under its fur. Soon, tiny snores could be heard as the little ones went to sleep, likely from exhaustion.

Seeing the two little pups sleeping peacefully by its side, the jelly understood. There was no way it would’ve been able to let anything else take care of the pups.

***

Moving through the trees with its six appendages, a black gaunt inky form dashed across the forest like a blur.

Knowing it was being chased by powerful mana-wielding entities, it didn’t slow as it cradled the growths all around its body.

It didn’t know if it could escape its pursuers for long as it could feel the presence of something observing it getting closer, so it kept the young of its pursuers alive as a precaution against their attacks despite being able to use them to heal its injuries.

It was one step away from attaining its final metamorphosis. It only needed one final push before it was interrupted and lost some of its vital reserves.

It needed to consume something quickly, and it needed to be anything that possessed enough vitality to push it past the threshold to finally become a powerful existence in this world.

It heard the rumbling roar of a seemingly powerful creature earlier and locked onto its location, going past the forest and into the marshes.

Soon, it would become complete. Soon, it would become the hunter of those foolish beings.

***