My eyes widened in horror at the sight before me, my mouth open in shock.
The bloody corpses of the adventurers laid right ahead. Alde was the last one standing — barely so. He was messing an arm, yet he was still trying to fight.
Halrig! Is Halrig—?
My thoughts stopped as I turned around to the other side, and there he was. The corpse of Halrig. He was dead, tears stained on his face as he was clutching his stomach, which had been slashed open.
I gasped as panic overtook me. I trembled in fear… and grief. Halrig helped me and guided me when I was lost. And now, he was gone.
Shifting my gaze slightly, to look at the corrupted. I noticed it was staring at me.
The Corrupted was smiling.
It had no face, yet I could feel it smiling. It was laughing at the death of Halrig and the other adventurers.
I fell down on my knees as I couldn't even gather my thoughts. I can't possibly defeat it, not after he took down Halrig so easily.
Alde could only dodge, barely standing. He couldn't even get close to it. If he couldn't win, how could I?
Then it hit me again—that crushing truth I had felt before.
I'm not special.
I'm always gonna be worthless, and weak like this. Had I been more cautious I could've prevented their deaths.
As I was still on the ground, the beast charged towards me.
Its blow slammed into my stomach, and blood burst from my mouth. I couldn't even breathe.
I was hit hard — mana was reinforcing my body, but the blow still dealt more than enough damage.
I looked down at the ground while gripping my stomach tightly, as tears of grief started swelling up in my eyes.
"Damn.. it.." I cursed under my breath.
A voice I could recognize came from afar, "Alex! Are you just going to sit and cry after he murdered Halr?!" Alde shouted.
The Corrupted stood still, watching closely. It made no sound, no expression, but I can feel it was mocking us.
"Avenge him!" Alde shouted once more before he lost consciousness.
Hearing those words snapped me back to reality. This is just like the time when I'd almost got Anna killed.
In order to not let Halrig and the others deaths go in vain, I must fight.
I got up as I wiped my teary face, still clutching my stomach in pain, but I had no choice. I gritted my teeth, ignoring the pain, and forced my trembling hand to steady the sword.
"Form One!" I shouted, as I let the mana cling to my body. Mana surged to my skin like wildfire, the same force I once used against slimes and wolves. But this time, it had to do more. It had to kill.
My whole body aches after I use it, but right now, I have to use it even if it means dying.
I felt my mind going blank by the moment, my emotions were swelling up and I could barely handle it. I felt like puking.
I gripped my sword as I got closer to the Corrupted, then moved it directly towards his thin neck, to slice it right off.
It dodged my attack, but I felt it. It was gonna attack me from below.
My instincts and senses gradually increased as I kept going on commissions, and along with Form One I could feel even more.
I instantly stepped out of the way as the monster tried dealing another blow to my stomach.
Seeing the monster was wide open, I slashed without even thinking at his extended arm, which he tried hitting me with.
His arm was severed as he stumbled back, with the same expressionless face. Just looking at him made my blood boil.
I furrowed my brows even tighter as I charged once more, I raised my blade once again, to get another hit at him.
By using an air spell to launch me towards the beast even quicker, I will go straight for his head.
As I reached closer to him, it seemed he anticipated I'll try to go for his neck once more, but I wasn't done.
I dropped my blade fast, aiming to cleave him in two.
As he thought I'd go for his neck, he raised his only arm to punch me back. I couldn't do anything but reinforce my face for mana, preparing for a direct hit.
His dark fist struck my face. Hard. But I slashed first. A line tore across his chest as I flew backward, seeing the world itself spin.
Barely landing on my feet, I got back to my stance and noticed the beast still looked unscathed by my attacks.
It isn't the time for doubts, I need to continue.
I quickly spat out the blood and moved again, with no hesitation to finish off the beast.
I blinked for a mere second, and then it disappeared. I lost sight of it. Then memories flashed when he first appeared behind me.
"I see you!" I turned instinctively as I shouted, with my blade still in my arms ready to slash whatever was behind me.
But, to my surprise, there was nothing.
I had just sliced at the air, leaving me more than just shocked. But even then, I knew it was far from over. I could still feel it.
My eyes scanned the area with a hint of annoyance in it. Finding it now is priority, if it reaches the town it'll be catastrophic.
All of a sudden, fog appeared in the area, blinding me completely. It was dense fog, making me unable to see.
I should've expected it to use spells, but this is too late. I thought as I raised my arm. Strong waves of wind came, to blow the fog off as I thought it would work.
The fog moved around me like cold hands. I couldn't see, couldn't even breathe properly. My wind spell barely stirred it, like trying to blow away the ocean.
I kept my guard up, ready for anything. Form One was still being used, and I could already feel my body aching in pain from using it.
Looking around even more, I noticed nothing but fog. Everywhere I went was waves of fog with no sign of the Corrupted.
I grew suspicious and even more wary. I'll need to do something about this fog before I get suffocated to death, or worse, the monster runs away.
My blade, still shining with a combination of purple and black I felt as if it was talking to me. As if leading me to slash.
Knowledge started pouring into my head, almost exactly like the first time I used Form One. I gripped my sword tightly and held it with both hands.
I had thought this move wouldn't be able to help me, but I was able to use it because of Form One. It needed a great amount of mana and visualization.
I inhaled deeply as I concentrated with everything I had. By using this ability, I heard everything nearby. From the sound of the wind, to the bugs underground. I heard every small step, every motion.
Then, it clicked. The small sound of steps creeping up behind me, it was The Corrupted.
My body moved on its own, I instinctively slashed at it before it had the chance to slightly move.
I was being enhanced greatly by cladding my body in mana, along with using air spells to launch myself. With Form One, it felt like I was wearing full iron armor, but I could still move as lightly as I wanted to.
"Die!" I shouted at the top of my lungs as I swinged at it, not even bothering to take a look at it.
As my blade grew closer to where I predicted its neck would be, I stopped instantly at what I saw.
It was Alde. I had mistaken him for being The Corrupted in this fog. My blade was standing directly next to his neck, as I was able to stop at the nick of time.
Alde declared, saying in a gentle voice, "He's gone now."
"Gone? You mean you let him run away?!" I shouted tiredly. I had been fighting him for a while now, injuring myself heavily in the process, just for him to get away.
I cursed under my breath before Alde reassured me, "It ran off in the distance before releasing this foggy maze. I saw it myself."
"Why would you let it run?! We could've defeated it–" I snapped at Alde before I took a better look at him. His arm was completely severed, tied with a bandage barely enough to suppress the blood from coming out, and his face was also just as messed up.
"I'm sorry." I apologized before turning my head. He frowned, as if disappointed in himself.
"I know the way out. Follow me." He ordered.
I felt dizzy just walking around, my body trembled in pain, my mind hurt just remembering the sight of Halrig's corpse. I could barely even breathe in this fog.
***
After we walked ahead for a few more minutes, both of us barely even being able to do so, I saw the same carriages we came from carrying the dead corpses.
The clouds grew even more, blocking the sunlight and leaving a painful scene standing in front of me. It was Halrig's corpse being covered by a large blanket.
"Go rest. We can talk later." Alde declared as he walked off in the distance, snapping me out of my thoughts.
I took a couple of steps forward to step into one of the carriages, but before I even knew it, I collapsed from exhaustion and overusing Form One.
Before completely collapsing, I muttered to myself, "I.. will kill you."