The night after their victory was restless. The Red Fang slept in shifts, warriors on edge as if the enemy would strike again at any moment. Reid sat awake by the embers, the shard's faint glow visible even through the cloth he had wrapped it in. Each pulse seemed to sync with his heartbeat, louder and more insistent with every hour.
The Bond's voice slithered into his thoughts, softer than before but dripping with influence. "You feel it, don't you? The shard calls to you. Feed it to me, and together we will ascend."
Reid closed his eyes, resisting the urge to grip it tighter. "Not yet. You'll have your time when I say so."
"You speak as if you command me, host," the Bond replied with a low chuckle. "But you and I—we are the same. This shard only proves it."
A rustle behind him broke the moment. Kaela stepped into the firelight, her eyes sharp. "You haven't slept."
Reid smirked faintly. "Neither have you."
She sat down across from him, resting her spear on her knees. "I don't trust that thing. I can feel it—like it's alive."
Reid looked at the shard, its glow softening as if hiding from her gaze. "It is alive. Or something close."
Kaela's voice lowered. "Don't let it twist you. If it does…" She didn't finish the sentence, but the weight of her meaning lingered between them.
Far to the south, Selene stood with Commander Ryn overlooking rows of new war machines. The moonlight gleamed off their reinforced armor, each one etched with fresh glyphs.
Ryn's voice was laced with pride. "The abomination may have fallen, but our next step is ready. The shard's influence will spread through him, just as you planned."
Selene's lips curved into a cold smile. "Good. Let him grow stronger. When the corruption blooms, we will strike the final blow."
She turned toward the horizon, eyes glinting. "Prepare the Hunters' Legion. He won't survive the storm that's coming."
The following morning, the shard's energy flared. Reid felt it burning through the cloth as if it wanted to escape. When he touched it, a surge of power coursed through his veins, and for a moment the world sharpened—every sound, every movement clearer.
The Bond purred, pleased. "Yes… that's it. You feel it now, don't you? The shard is a piece of me, a fragment of what we could be. Use it."
Reid staggered back, heart pounding. Kaela rushed to his side, steadying him. "What happened?"
He caught his breath. "It's… feeding me power. But it's not free."
Lira appeared with her usual grin, though her eyes narrowed on the shard. "You're playing with fire, hero. Careful you don't get burned."
Mara's voice was cold. "Maybe we should get rid of it before it gets worse."
Reid shook his head. "No. We use it. We use everything."
System prompt:
[Quest Updated: Resist or Embrace Corruption]
[Hidden Effect: Shard Synchronization Progressing]
As the day wore on, Reid noticed subtle changes—his movements faster, his strikes sharper, his senses heightened. But with every surge of strength, a faint black mark spread from where he had held the shard, creeping up his wrist.
Kaela noticed first. "Your arm…"
Reid pulled his sleeve down, hiding the mark. "It's nothing."
The Bond laughed softly. "Tell them it's nothing, host. They wouldn't understand what we're becoming."
That night, the camp prepared for travel, unaware that the line between man and something more was beginning to blur.
The Red Fang moved cautiously through the misty valleys, their war songs replaced by an eerie silence. Every warrior knew the council would not rest after losing their weapon. Scouts whispered of strange lights in the night sky and the sound of marching far beyond the ridges.
Kaela led the formation, her gaze constantly scanning the horizon. "Something's wrong. They're too quiet."
Reid walked beside her, his senses sharper than ever, every rustle of leaves magnified. The shard's influence thrummed under his skin, making him restless. The Bond spoke in a calm, almost proud tone. "They're here. I can feel them watching. They're not hiding from you—they're stalking you."
Lira twirled her blade, smirking despite the tension. "Let them stalk. I'll be the one doing the stabbing."
Mara shot her a glare. "This isn't like before. If they've sent their best, we have to be smarter than them."
The first sign came as a flash of movement in the distance—a formation of black-armored soldiers advancing with perfect precision. Unlike the hunters Reid had faced before, these warriors moved as one, their armor etched with complex glyphs that pulsed like living veins.
Kaela's voice tightened. "The Hunters' Legion. They've never left council territory before."
System prompt:
[Quest Updated: Survive the Hunters' Legion Assault]
[Optional Objective: Capture Legion Commander]
The Legion struck at dusk, descending from the cliffs with terrifying coordination. Their weapons crackled with glyph energy, each strike resonating like a bell of death. The Red Fang met them head-on, their war cries echoing across the valley.
Reid clashed with the first wave, Veil Rend cutting through their defenses. Unlike previous enemies, these soldiers adapted quickly, shifting tactics mid-fight. One struck low while another aimed for his back—forcing him to teleport away with Veil Step.
The Bond hissed approvingly. "They're strong. Good. Break them."
Lira danced through the chaos, striking with surgical precision, while Mara's arrows found weak points in the gaps of the Legion's armor. Kaela held the front line, blocking a surge of attackers with fierce determination.
Then a towering figure appeared behind the Legion—its commander, clad in blackened steel, wielding a spear glowing with crimson energy. His voice cut through the battlefield. "Veylan! The council has decreed your death. Submit, and your people may live."
Reid met his gaze. "Tell the council they'll have to try harder."
The commander charged, his spear clashing against Veil Rend in a shockwave of energy that lit up the battlefield.
With each clash, Reid felt the shard's power feeding into him, enhancing his strength but clouding his thoughts with an edge of rage. The black mark on his arm spread further, glowing faintly as he struck harder and faster.
The Bond's voice purred, almost intoxicating. "Yes… this is what we are. More. Give me more."
Kaela's voice cut through the noise. "Reid! Don't lose yourself!"
Her words grounded him just enough to focus. With a surge of controlled fury, Reid drove the commander back, forcing him to retreat behind his soldiers. The Legion regrouped, forming a defensive wall as the Red Fang pressed the attack.
The commander signaled the retreat, his eyes locking with Reid's. "This isn't over, Marked One. Next time, you won't walk away."
System prompt:
[Objective Complete – Legion Repelled]
[Hidden Effect: Corruption Growing]
As the Legion vanished into the mist, the Red Fang cheered, though their voices carried unease. They had survived, but only barely. Kaela approached Reid, her eyes full of both pride and worry. "You fought like a demon out there. But you're changing—and not just in strength."
Lira leaned against a tree, smirking. "If this is him changing, I like it."
Mara crossed her arms. "I don't."
The Bond's whisper slid through Reid's thoughts like a shadow. "They fear you, host. Good. Let them."
Reid clenched his fist, the shard's energy still pulsing in his veins. "This is just the beginning."
The night after the Legion's retreat was tense. The Red Fang celebrated the narrow victory, but whispers rippled through the camp about Reid. They had seen the black marks spreading on his arm, glowing faintly in the firelight. Some warriors looked at him with awe, others with fear.
Kaela stayed close, her watchful eyes never leaving him. "You're not sleeping again."
Reid stared at the shard in his hand, feeling its heat grow stronger. "It doesn't let me."
The Bond's voice was low and insidious. "Why resist? Every second you hold me back, you waste power. They'll turn on you sooner or later—use me to crush them first."
Mara approached from the shadows, her voice quiet but sharp. "You need to stop using it. Every time you touch that thing, it takes a piece of you."
Lira strolled up behind her, smirking. "Or maybe it's giving him what he always needed. I say let him see how far it goes."
Reid rose to his feet, gripping the shard tightly. "I'll use it when I choose. Not when it chooses me."
That night, the shard flared so brightly that Reid was pulled into a vision. Darkness surrounded him, broken only by red glyphs swirling like a storm. From the void, a massive shape emerged—something ancient, draped in chains of light and shadow.
"Do you see now?" the Bond's voice echoed, louder and deeper than before. "This is what the council fears. This is what we are meant to become."
Reid stepped back, but the darkness clung to him. "This isn't power. This is corruption."
"Corruption?" the Bond laughed, a chilling sound. "No, host. This is freedom. You will understand soon."
When he woke, his arm was fully marked, the black veins reaching his shoulder. Kaela was there, gripping his hand. "Reid… what's happening to you?"
He pulled away gently. "I don't know. But I'm not stopping now."
System prompt:
[Quest Updated: Balance Power or Fall to Corruption]
[Hidden Effect: Bond Awakening Accelerates]
The Council Strikes Again
At dawn, horns sounded through the valley. Scouts raced back with urgent news. "The Legion is returning—twice as many this time, and they're bringing siege engines!"
Kaela tightened her grip on her spear. "We won't hold against that many."
Reid stood tall, the shard's energy radiating faintly from him. "Then we don't hold. We break them before they reach us."
The Bond purred with satisfaction. "Yes, host. Now you're thinking like me."