The timer on the Scry-Screen froze at a crisp six minutes and twenty-four seconds. A final, golden notification confirmed the absurd result: [The wild Manticore has been successfully SUBDUED. Method: Aggressive Pampering and Tactical Cuddling.]
The portal to my "Creature Comfort Corner" swirled shut, leaving my exhausted team in a state of stunned, triumphant silence. They had done it. They had defeated a Manticore with a spa day, setting a ridiculously fast time to beat.
But their victory had created a new, very large, and very sleepy logistical problem.
About ten minutes after the team's victory, the golden portal swirled open in the "Creature Comfort Corner" again. This time, a team of very serious-looking 'Royal Beast Handlers' stepped through, armed with thick leather gloves and heavy magical chains.
They were clearly expecting to find a sleeping Manticore, but this... this was something else entirely.
