My eyes widened in horror at the sight before me, my mouth hanging open in shock.
The bloody corpses of the adventurers lay scattered ahead. Alde was the last one standing — barely. He was missing an arm, yet still trying to fight.
Halrig! Is Halrig—?
My thoughts froze as I turned to the other side. There he was. Halrig's corpse lay motionless, tears still stained on his face. He was clutching his stomach, which had been torn open.
I gasped as panic overtook me. I trembled in fear… and grief. Halrig had helped me, guided me when I was lost. And now, he was gone.
Shifting my gaze slightly, I looked at the Corrupted.
It was staring straight at me.
It had no face, yet I could feel it smiling. Laughing. Laughing at Halrig's death… and the deaths of the others.
I fell to my knees, unable to gather my thoughts. I couldn't defeat it — not when it took down Halrig so easily.
Alde could barely dodge, and even then he was falling apart. If he couldn't win… what chance did I have?
Then it hit me again — that same crushing truth I had felt before.
I'm not special.
I'm always going to be worthless. Weak. If I'd been more cautious, I could've prevented this. I could've saved them.
As I remained frozen on the ground, the beast charged toward me.
Its blow slammed into my stomach. Blood burst from my mouth. I couldn't even breathe.
Mana had been reinforcing my body, but the impact still hit me like a boulder. I clutched my stomach tightly, my eyes blurring as tears began to fall.
"Damn… it…" I muttered under my breath.
A voice I recognized shouted from afar, "Alex! Are you just going to sit and cry after he murdered Halrig?!"
It was Alde.
The Corrupted didn't move. It stood still, watching me. Mocking us. It didn't need words or a face — I could feel it laughing.
"Avenge him!" Alde shouted once more, before collapsing and losing consciousness.
Those words snapped me back to reality.
Just like when Anna almost died because of me.
I can't let Halrig's death be in vain. I won't.
I wiped the tears from my eyes as I stood, still clutching my stomach in pain. I had no choice. I gritted my teeth and forced my trembling hand to steady the sword.
"Form One!" I shouted.
Mana surged to my skin like wildfire. The same force I once used on slimes and wolves… now needed to do more. Now it had to kill.
My entire body ached when I used it, but I didn't care. Even if it meant dying, I had to use it.
I felt my mind blank out, my emotions swelling so hard I could barely hold them in. I felt like puking.
Still, I gripped my sword tighter. I moved toward the Corrupted and swung for its thin neck.
It dodged, but I felt it — it was going to counter from below.
My instincts had sharpened over the course of my commissions, and now, enhanced by Form One, they screamed at me.
I stepped aside just in time as the creature aimed another blow for my stomach.
The beast left itself wide open. I didn't think — I just slashed. Its extended arm fell to the ground.
It stumbled back, still expressionless. Just looking at it made my blood boil.
Furrowing my brows, I rushed forward again, raising my blade. I channeled an air spell beneath my feet to launch me toward the beast faster — straight for the head.
It saw me coming and raised its only remaining arm to strike me. I knew it expected me to go for the neck again.
But I wasn't going for the neck.
I dropped the blade mid-air and went for a cleaving strike.
Its fist collided with my face — hard. But my blade struck first, carving a clean line across its chest as I went flying backward, the world spinning around me.
I barely landed on my feet.
The beast looked… unscathed.
Now wasn't the time for doubt. I spat out the blood and moved again, no hesitation.
I blinked for just a second — and it vanished.
Panic surged through me. Memories flashed of when it first appeared behind me.
"I see you!" I turned instantly and slashed at the space behind me—
—but there was nothing. Just empty air.
My eyes darted around, scanning the area. I knew it was still here. I could feel it.
Then, fog appeared. Thick and cold, rising like creeping hands and blinding everything.
I couldn't see. Could barely breathe. My wind spell was useless — it was like trying to blow away the ocean.
I stayed alert. Form One was still active, but it was draining me. My body ached.
Nothing. Just endless waves of fog.
I grew wary. If I didn't deal with this fog soon, I'd either suffocate or the beast would escape.
My blade, still glowing with purple and black, almost felt alive. As if guiding me. Urging me to strike.
Knowledge began flooding my mind — just like the first time I used Form One.
I gripped my sword with both hands and concentrated.
I inhaled deeply. Then… I listened.
I heard everything. The wind, the bugs, the faintest of movements.
Then I heard it. Footsteps — behind me.
It was the Corrupted.
My body moved on its own. I slashed before it could react.
With Form One active, and air spells reinforcing me, it felt like wearing full iron armor while still floating like a feather.
"Die!" I shouted at the top of my lungs, swinging my sword with everything I had.
As my blade neared its target, I froze.
It wasn't the Corrupted.
It was Alde.
My blade was an inch from his neck. I had stopped just in time.
He looked at me calmly. "He's gone now."
"Gone? You let him run?!" I shouted, breathing heavily, bloodied and exhausted.
"I saw it myself," Alde said. "It ran off and released this fog before disappearing."
I clenched my fists. "We could've defeated it—!"
Then I looked at him properly. His severed arm was tied off with a makeshift bandage. His face was a bloody mess.
"…I'm sorry," I muttered.
He frowned, as if blaming himself. "I know the way out. Follow me."
I stumbled after him, my body trembling in pain. My mind burned with the image of Halrig's corpse. Each breath in the fog felt like glass.
After several painful minutes, we reached the carriages we'd arrived in. The corpses were already being gathered.
The sky had darkened. Clouds blocked the sun. And there, wrapped in a blanket, was Halrig's body.
"Go rest. We can talk later," Alde said, walking off into the mist.
I stepped toward the carriage, but before I could even sit, my legs gave out. Exhaustion and the toll of Form One overtook me.
As I collapsed, I whispered to myself:
"I… will kill you."