The Mechanical Era

3rd of Nativitas, 5018. It was a bright sunny day in a lush green forest, beautiful and peaceful as ever before. The clear blue river in the middle of the forest provided the animals inhabiting it with a good source of fresh water. From pray to predators, including demons, all were required to drink from the river to survive, and any animal would.

Coming over to the same river, was a monkey that resided in the forest. It had come along with his troop pals, who after feasting on a dozen bananas, needed to drink a bit of water to moisturize their throat and allow the food to make it to their bellies as easily as possible.

They approach the water's edge and sit on their haunches. Using their cupped hands, they scoop up the water and quench their thirst. Before they all can fully replenish their thirst, one of them alarms the rest of the troops of a predator coming their way.

Almost immediately, the monkey troops ran away from the river back into the forest, and onto a tree branch, where they can be safe and have a good vantage point. They were not done drinking yet and decided that it was best to wait. From what they can see, a bunch of singefurs; monkey demons, sangliers; boar demons, and a bunch of other demonized animals working together, all occupying the river.

They didn't seem to drink the fresh flowing water. They just kept staring at the river with blank expressions, patiently waiting. The monkeys, despite their animal brain, got curious as to why there were doing so. As they continued to watch, neither of them realized what was going above their heads.

Slowly, the once-clear sky started to dim, as dark clouds gathered around to block out the sunlight from the land. Once it was much darker than before, small pockets of purple appeared to open up in the sky, dropping off these little alien creatures, with a variety of colors such as white, blue, green, yellow, and violet.

The creatures dropped down to the ground, the trees, and the river itself. As soon as they did, many of the demonic animals that stood by the river jumped in and swan over to go collect and rescue the creatures and bring them back to land, risking their own 'lives' in the process.

As the monkeys were distracted, being held back by their curiosity about what these demons were doing, one of the alien creatures landed on the tree on which they hung. It was made mostly out of blue slime, with a blue mana core inside it. It silently made its way down, and jumped on the back of a monkey, clinging on to it, and enveloping it inside the slime.

The other troops, upon seeing their friend, immediately fled. However, it did not take long for more of these strange slimes to catch them all. The blue slimy creature started merging itself with the primitive, changing its physique, growing horns, gaining more muscle, and strengthening its senses.

Once the process was one, it opened its eyes, revealing them glowing and oozing blue. The mana core itself placed itself on its forehead, near his brain to help control it, making the primate its puppet. As it finishes merging and corrupting the poor animal, it sent out a sort of wave for the other demons to pick up. More portals start opening up in the sky, dropping even more of these strange creatures.

...

"Damn, is there going to be rain today? It sure got cloudy real quick," a knight remarked, noticing the world around him dimming. He was with another knight and a bunch of herbalists who came over to pick up some healing herbs.

Considering that the demonic wave could hit at any moment, people were advised to stock up on everything, from food to water and even medical herbs, essential in the creation of magical potions that will help to last out the wave.

To make sure that the herbalists were safe, these two were assigned to guard them against any incoming demon. Armed with a very sharp spear, a wooden shield, and a suit of runic plate armor made of iron, they were more than enough to counter a horde of weak demons.

"If that is the case, we might have to head back to the caravan quickly. Though, I haven't managed to fill my basket yet," one of the herbalists suggested. The knights reassured him that it was fine.

"No, take your time. We might need those herbs sooner rather than later," one of the knights replied. The herbalist simply nodded and continued to pick up the supplies from the ground. As they did so, the two sat down on a rock, waiting for them to finish.

Just then, the two of the knights had this feeling of uneasiness, causing them both to breathe a little heavily. The herbalists all noticed his sudden state of exhaustion, causing them to question whether this is a good idea.

"You alright there, sir knight? You don't appear to be well." a herbalist asks. The knight removed his helmet and placed it on the ground. They could see that he was profoundly sweating, even as the environment around them got colder.

"I am fine. There is this... feeling of uneasiness..."

pαndα,noνɐ1,сoМ "Uneasiness?"

"Yes... I usually happen when..." the knight then remembers his training, and what usually causes his specific type of uneasiness. Considering it was the month of the demons, there was a chance that this feeling was a warning, that they had arrived.

"Just... one minute..."

The knight closed his brown eyes and focused around himself. Just then, he mutters a spell. In his mind, a mental map of every creature within a 25-meter radius pumped up with mana in their blood forms inside of their heads. As they waited, they notice that the number of creatures just appear to keep on increasing, compounding every minute.

"Everyone, I want you all to head back to the caravan. Stop what you are doing, and follow me back, alright?" the knight instructed.

"Is there something the matter?", one of the herbalists questioned the knight. The rest all just whispered to each other.

"We have both sensed that there are a high number of demons in his area. It is not safe for any of you to remain here. If you all want to be with your families, I advise you to follow us back to the caravan," the knight replied.

"But sir knight! I thought that this area did not have any demons?"

"It does now. Now, do you all wish to risk your lives for a bunch of plants, or do you all want to head back home to your families?" the knight reiterated. Although the description used by the knight was rather insulting, they did not need fully convincing to get back to the caravan.

The knights made sure to escort the men all back to the caravan, and had it sprint off back into the town nearby. While one of them went over to protect it, the other was left behind, wanting to investigate further. Before he ventured deep into the forest, the man took a deep breath, and walked right in.