The Blackwood Territory was a battlefield unlike any noble court.
Here, words meant nothing.
Here, power was earned in blood and dominance.
Lucien had already slain the Abyss Troll, proving that his mastery extended beyond deception and illusions.
Yet the forest remained alive with other horrors—creatures that did not bow, that did not fear titles or influence.
Creatures that recognized only one ruler—the one who could truly command the night.
Tonight, Lucien intended to become that ruler.
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### The Goblin Warband
The first strike came swiftly.
A pack of goblins, their bodies hunched and gnarled, their blades smeared with ancient venom, burst from the underbrush.
Their leader—a Goblin Warlord, taller than the rest, its armor pieced together from fallen warriors—let out a shrill battle cry.
And then, the forest erupted into chaos.
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### Dimensional Step: Mastered in Combat
Lucien vanished.
A pulse of magic ripped through reality, pulling him beyond space—six feet behind the warlord in an instant.
The goblin leader reacted too slowly.
A precise arcane strike pierced its chest, sending it reeling.
The rest of the warband hesitated—just for a breath, just for a fraction of a second.
But that was all Lucien needed.
His illusions unfurled, twisting shadows, turning the forest itself against them.
Trees became monstrous figures.
The moonlight shimmered like the eyes of unseen predators.
The goblins' minds faltered—fear creeping into their veins.
And then Lucien struck again.
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### Victory Through Control
By the time the battle ended, the goblin corpses littered the ground, their warlord lying motionless at Lucien's feet.
The forest was silent once more.
But it was no longer hostile.
Because Lucien had conquered it.
Because now, the monsters themselves recognized a greater predator had entered their domain.
And soon, even noble society would understand that his control extended beyond politics and deception.
It extended to the very foundation of their world.