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Chapter 8: Night of the Beasts

Chapter 8: Night of the Beasts

The peaceful river flowed under the soft glow of the moon, the gentle sound of water lapping at the riverbank a stark contrast to the deadly stillness of the forest. Insanity lay on the ground near the river, his eyes shut, resting for the first time in what felt like an eternity. His body was still, his breathing steady, but the air around him was thick with tension. The forest's silence was deceiving, for tonight, it wasn’t just a place of quiet—it was a den of waiting predators.

The beasts of the forest had been watching Insanity ever since he entered their domain, their glowing eyes tracking his every movement. They were patient, waiting for the moment when his guard would lower, and now it had. The dangerous creatures of the forest, from vicious carnivores to the lordly beasts that ruled these lands, crept silently through the underbrush.

Among them were the *Shadowclaws*, swift and cunning hunters whose sleek black fur allowed them to blend with the darkness. Their fangs were long, curved, and razor-sharp, capable of piercing even the toughest armor. Alongside them prowled the *Gorehorns*, massive, muscular beasts with twisted, spiraled horns that could easily tear through stone. And towering above them all, watching from the shadows, was the *Forest Lord*—a colossal creature with eyes like molten gold, capable of wiping out entire cities with a single swipe of its massive claws.

As they surrounded Insanity, their steps were soundless, their breath shallow. Their eyes were locked on him, knowing that the time to strike was now.

A Shadowclaw inched closer, its muscles tensed, ready to pounce. The rest followed suit, closing the circle around the sleeping man, their sharp claws digging into the earth, leaving shallow trenches behind. One by one, they prepared to strike, their hunger for flesh outweighing any fear they might have had.

But as the first Shadowclaw leapt, its sharp claws aimed for Insanity's throat, something happened. Insanity's eyes snapped open, gleaming with a strange light. Before the beast could even touch him, his hand shot out, grabbing the creature midair by its neck with ease. The Shadowclaw let out a strangled snarl, thrashing in his grasp, but Insanity's grip was like iron.

Without a word, he stood, hurling the beast into a nearby tree. The impact was bone-shattering, and the Shadowclaw crumpled to the ground, motionless.

The other creatures froze for a moment, surprised at the sudden movement. Insanity turned to face them, his eyes glowing faintly in the moonlight. His face, however, was unreadable—a mix of boredom and mild irritation.

"So this is how you want to play it?" he muttered under his breath.

With a single motion, he took a step forward, and the forest seemed to tremble in response. The beasts hesitated, but their bloodlust outweighed their fear. More Shadowclaws lunged at him, their fangs gleaming in the moonlight. Insanity didn’t flinch. He was faster.

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In a blur of motion, he moved. One moment he was standing still, and the next, his fists were a blur. He struck the creatures with such force that they were flung through the air, their bodies hitting the ground with sickening thuds. The few that remained howled in pain, retreating into the shadows.

The *Gorehorns* charged next, their heavy hooves pounding the earth as they rushed toward him. Insanity smirked, cracking his knuckles as he watched the beasts approach.

"Is that all you've got?" he taunted, his voice calm, almost mocking.

The first Gorehorn lowered its massive head, its spiraled horns aimed directly at Insanity's chest. But as it charged, Insanity sidestepped with inhuman speed, grabbing one of the creature's horns and twisting with a sudden, brutal force. The sound of cracking bone echoed through the forest as the beast was brought to its knees, roaring in agony.

Insanity didn’t give it a chance to recover. He lifted his foot and brought it down on the beast's skull, crushing it into the dirt. Blood splattered the ground, but Insanity barely glanced at it.

The remaining Gorehorns halted their charge, backing away slowly. Even they, with their brutal strength, were beginning to sense that this was a fight they couldn't win.

But it wasn't over.

The ground shook as the *Forest Lord* emerged from the trees, its golden eyes locked onto Insanity. It towered above him, its massive form casting a shadow over the entire clearing. Its fur was like dark stone, impenetrable and unyielding, and its claws gleamed like steel. It let out a deafening roar that reverberated through the entire forest, causing the trees to tremble and the beasts to scatter in fear.

Insanity, however, remained still, his eyes narrowing as he watched the massive creature approach. This was what he had been waiting for.

The Forest Lord swung its massive claw, aiming to crush Insanity where he stood. But Insanity was ready. With blinding speed, he dodged the attack, rolling out of the way just as the claw struck the ground, creating a massive crater where he had been standing.

"You're big," Insanity muttered, standing back up and brushing off the dirt. "But size doesn't mean a damn thing."

The Forest Lord roared again, its golden eyes blazing with fury as it swung again. Insanity dodged, moving with impossible speed, weaving between the creature's attacks. Each missed strike caused the ground to quake, trees to topple, and rocks to shatter.

But Insanity remained untouched.

Then, in a flash, he moved. Leaping into the air, he delivered a powerful kick to the creature's jaw, sending it stumbling backward. The Forest Lord let out a pained roar, but before it could recover, Insanity was on it again, striking its body with a barrage of brutal punches and kicks.

The once mighty Lord of the forest staggered, its movements sluggish and pained. Finally, with one last, devastating blow, Insanity drove his fist into the creature's chest, sending it crashing to the ground.

The Forest Lord let out one final roar before it lay still, its golden eyes dimming as the life left its massive body.

Insanity stood over the fallen beast, breathing heavily. He looked around at the carnage—broken trees, shattered rocks, and the blood of beasts staining the earth.

"That was… underwhelming," he muttered to himself, wiping the sweat from his brow. "Guess I’ll need to find something bigger next time."

With that, he turned back toward the river, indifferent to the destruction he had caused. The forest was silent once more, but this time, it was a silence born of fear.

Insanity lay back down near the riverbank, closing his eyes once again. He would sleep, but now, even the mightiest of beasts wouldn’t dare to disturb him.