Detective Lothran reporting for duty. [Month 2 Day 9]

The eight of us soon arrived at the outskirts of the dark forest. I was in here before and it was where I meet with the Elder wolf and the massive pack that he had.

Not only will we potentially have to deal with higher-ranked monsters but also any Guja that lurk in the dark around this area and whatever caused that earthquake. Our best chance of getting through is to stick low and avoid fighting and maybe luck will be on our side and most of the monsters will be fighting one another.

With that in mind, we kept our heads down and booked it in the direction of the smokestack which has started to go down but is still visible in open parts of the canopy.

Oddly we did not encounter many monsters. It seems that the monsters also hunkered down in their homes during the demon attacks. I am basing off the fact that there were many monster corpses around that had been half-eaten, cut up, ripped in half, or burned to death. Though those were the only ones that I saw so I can only imagine that plenty more died and in most likely more gruesome ways.

Most seemed to be low ranked monsters but there were also the occasional higher ranked monsters. Not wanting to waste anything we searched their bodies mainly the higher-ranked ones to look for their core but when we did, we had found that they had been removed.

Around where the cores were so post to be we found bite marks, large scratches, and holes. Looks like the demons were ravenous to eat their cores, the demons are really after the magic of things then. Case closed then. You're not funny Lothran.

We continue to make our way further into the forest and continued our way towards the smoke and on Day 12 was when we finally got close enough to the smokestack to see destruction all around the forest which just got worse the closer, we got.

Trees uprooted and fallen to the ground, with massive holes where they once stood proud. Thousands upon thousands of dead Guja lay litter everywhere. Massive piles of them lay around literally creating a layer of Guja on the ground.

The further we went in the more destruction and chaos there was. Gija lay on the ground cut in half, and some riddled with arrows whilst looking closely around new demon bodies started to appear.

[Race: Beldos, Sex: None, Rank: E+]

Often called the farther of Guja despite having no gender the Beldos also go by another name. Frenzy Freak as once they get into a higher enough frenzy, they become crazy destroying everything in their way. Even themselves by the end.

[Race: Iszoz, Sex: None, Rank: E]

Often called the Mother of Guja despite having no gender the Iszoz also go by another name. Magma Mistress as using their blood they create a deadly weapon that burns and melts what they touch.

[Race: Elder Guja, Sex: None, Rank: F]

Eventually, the ant needs to become bigger when the elephant decides to grow armour. With stronger muscles, shaper claws and unlocking their ability of burning blood they sure have grown stronger.

[Race: Elder Gija, Sex: None, Rank: E-]

POWER needs more POWER. Grow big and strong to get that POWER.

Man, this is one messed up family. The freaky parent giving birth to messed up children. The overgrown muscular cousin that is all about POWER and big muscles. This is just one family I wonder what the rest of the demon families will look like.

I'm also curious about this burning blood so getting a stick I poke the blood of the Iszoz, but nothing happens. I then also do it for the Elder Guja, and nothing happens. Taking a risk, I decided to tough the blood with my hand and found that it does nothing and feels the same as the Guja blood that I toughed.

Seeing how it is an ability I will assume that they can turn it off and on when they want, or when they use it as a weapon only the blood, they use turns hot. Interesting stuff. Getting distracted again though.

Making our way further in more and more bodies pile up until we finally arrive at where the smokestack is rising form.

A burning and destroyed village are what is causing the smokestack. Houses that are attached to trees burn. The houses burn but the trees don't.

[Race: Unyielding Friidil, Sex: None, Rank: S]

For millions of years, Friidil trees have stood looking and watching as the world drifts them by. Feeding off the earth and magic that surrounds them to continue to stand. Watching and waiting.

Wow. S rank trees bro what. No wonder some crappy fire can't do shit to it. But looking around I see one tree that has fallen over, and it looks much the same as the Friidil.

[Race: Sapling Friidil, Sex: None, Rank: D-]

The watch and wait must start somewhere and all things much grow. Being so young makes them vulnerable if they grow in an unlucky environment.

Poor little sapling he seems to have been knocked over, it's most likely going to die. Sorry, little guy. But the life cycle goes on.

Heading further into the village we are just met with more carnage. The ground has been spit open where I can see that houses on the ground level have fallen into it. More houses above are on fire and more demon bodies are piling up.

Strange that I see no other bodies of a different kind as it not demons. I mean who killed the demons in the first place?

Me: "Valret have you seen any bodies that were not demons."

Valret: "Not a single one. This seems very odd. Something does not seem right about this."

Me: "I feel the same, keep a lookout we need to find what happened here."

???: "It's behind you."

Me: "What."

I don't recognise the voice, so I turn around and am greeted by about 50 people pointing their weapons at us. How the fuck did so many people get behind us without ANYONE noticing. We are so fucked.

[Race: Dark Elf, Sex; Female, Rank: D]

Although reclusive they never want to close themselves off from the rest of the world. Often willing to explore, find and settle in the new area they never shy away from something new.

Looking around I can see that quite a few are around D rank.

Yep, we are screwed. It's looking like detective Lothran has bitten off more than he can chew.