The smoke from the explosion still drifted through the forest, carrying the stench of burning sap and ash. The corrupted elf stood opposite Airen, its hollow sockets leaking black tears that hissed when they touched the earth. Tentacles coiled beneath it, writhing like serpents in rhythm with the pulsing ground. For a moment, the entire forest seemed to breathe—its heartbeat syncing with the creature's own.
Airen raised his bow, mana swirling in his palm, forming another arrow of condensed blue fire.
But before he could release it—
Glup—!
The creature's body melted, collapsing into thick tar that sank into the soil like spilled ink.
Airen's eyes widened. "Tch—"
A heartbeat later, the ground cracked open in front of him—
—and the parasite erupted upward.
Its black mass solidified midair, reforming its humanoid torso, tentacles anchoring deep into the dirt with a wet, shlkkk! sound.
Before Airen could react—
BAM!
Its fist smashed into his guard. The impact detonated a shockwave through the clearing, scattering ash and dust. Airen slid back several meters, boots gouging trenches into the ground, sparks sparking from the friction.
The parasite didn't stop.
Tentacles whipped outward, latching onto nearby trees. They tensed, bending the trunks until the air itself groaned. Then—
THWACK!
The parasite launched forward like a slingshot, its next punch already flying toward Airen's jaw.
In that same instant, Airen's hand flicked open.
A shimmer of blue light burst from his palm—
SHHHK!
—and a sword materialized from his inventory, summoned mid-motion.
Steel met flesh.
CLANG!
He deflected the strike just in time, the sound of ringing metal echoing through the forest. Sparks scattered in the air as the force of the blow sent ripples across the ground.
But the creature was relentless. A second strike came low from below, one of its tentacles snapping like a whip toward his legs. Airen twisted sharply, blocking with his elbow, the impact cracking like thunder.
Then the two collided in a blur.
Crack! Crack! Crack!
Each blow sounded like stone breaking under pressure. The corrupted elf moved with terrifying grace—each movement smooth, seamless. Tentacles lashed, retracting and reattaching to the ground, propelling it in unpredictable arcs. Even legless, it fought like a warrior who had mastered every inch of its mutated body.
Airen countered blow after blow, but his strikes were being redirected with precision.
He's weaker than me… Airen thought, ducking under a tentacle that slashed the air like a blade. But his technique—it's perfect.
The parasite's tentacles sank and reappeared through the ground like roots, each step creating ripples in the soil. When it twisted, the forest itself seemed to move with it—trees bending as though answering its call.
Airen swung a heavy punch.
The parasite parried easily, tentacle snapping around his wrist to redirect the force before it struck back, its knuckles grazing his jaw.
He stumbled one step, blood drawing from a shallow cut.
A low growl rumbled in his chest. "You—"
His body flared with mana, eyes narrowing to slits.
FWOOOOSH!
A fireball burst from his palm, exploding between them in a violent burst of flame.
BOOOOM!
The blast hurled the parasite backward, flames licking its blackened flesh. It hissed, its tentacles retracting into the ground like snakes escaping fire.
Airen landed lightly, a few meters back. His breathing was steady, but his jaw clenched tight.
"You're fast… but let's see how long that lasts."
He raised his bow again, mana flaring bright blue—but before he could shoot, the creature melted again, dripping into the soil.
"Damn it," he muttered under his breath, scanning the ground.
Everywhere he looked, the earth pulsed faintly—tiny tremors following the path of something beneath the surface.
It's using the roots… like veins. It's connected to everything here.
He frowned, his mind racing. "It's like fighting water that knows how to hit back."
Then, an idea clicked.
A thin, predatory smirk crept across his face. "Alright then… time to change tactics."
Without moving his lips, he whispered, "Nyx. When I go hand-to-hand again, stab it from behind."
The shadows rippled near his feet. Nyx's single eye flared once, and his shape dissolved into pure darkness, melting away until even his presence vanished.
[Warning. Nyx is still in a weakened state. If he's caught… he'll die.]
Airen didn't even blink. His eyes were cold steel, his tone cutting.
"Then let him die."
His expression hardened, merciless. "If he can't help me in a real fight, he's worthless."
The faint firelight reflected off his sharp features, his aura flaring like heat from a forge. The ground beneath him trembled slightly as his mana surged, coiling around his fists like smoke.
Across the clearing, the ground began to ripple again.
The parasite rose slowly this time, dripping with black ooze, its tentacles slithering outward and burrowing deep into the soil. They pulsed faintly—connected—every movement drawing power from the very forest itself.
And Airen smiled.
"Good," he said, rolling his shoulders. His voice dropped to a quiet, deadly calm. "Stay solid this time. I dare you."
The forest fell silent, save for the faint, rhythmic thrum of the parasite's tentacles breathing beneath the ground.
And then—
They both moved.
The silence shattered.
Airen and the parasite collided once more, their movements blurring into streaks of motion. Fists, blades, and arrows filled the space between them.
Every time one gained even a sliver of distance—
Twang!
A bowstring snapped.
An arrow tore through the air, either deflected by a sword or dodged by an impossible twist of the body. The exchange was lightning-fast—no time to breathe, no time to aim. Both fought like predators trapped in a confined space, reacting on pure instinct.
Arrows grazed skin and shattered against mana barriers. The ground beneath them fractured with each step, trees snapping under the shockwaves of their movements.
Then—
Thud!
One arrow pierced Airen's side. He gritted his teeth, grabbing the shaft, his eyes narrowing.
"…Huh?"
The pain was dull. The mana burst from it—weak. Far weaker than before.
He's getting slower.
"System," Airen hissed, his gaze flicking toward the corrupted elf still moving with unnatural speed. "His arrows—they're weaker now. Why?"
[To strengthen his arrows, he must draw from the forest's energy. But that process takes time.]
A grin flashed across Airen's face, savage and cold. "So that's what it is. Then I don't need to worry anymore."
He lunged forward.
The parasite tried to pull back, firing another flurry of arrows. They hit his body—but bounced, deflected by the mana coating his skin like armor. Each impact left a faint scorch but no real wound.
Airen marched through the barrage, step after step, aura flaring like a living inferno.
The corrupted elf hissed, panic flickering across its hollow face. Its tentacles slammed into the ground, anchoring deep—trying to retreat through the roots.
Airen saw it immediately.
"Not this time!"
His voice cracked through the forest like thunder. "Nyx—NOW!"
From the shadows, a pulse of darkness erupted.
SHHHK!
Nyx materialized behind the parasite, his body twisting into a black spear. The strike pierced clean through the creature's back, dark energy spreading like veins across its body. The archer screamed—an inhuman, choked cry as the corruption inside it flickered violently.
Its tentacles twitched erratically, their hold on the ground weakening. The pulse from Nyx's attack had disrupted the parasite's core—cutting its connection to the forest's energy.
Airen didn't waste a heartbeat.
He charged, with a sword on his hand. The steel gleamed faintly before mana surged into it, flooding every inch of the blade until it glowed with blinding blue light.
The parasite tried to recover—but it was too slow.
Airen swung.
SLAAAAASH!
The glowing blade cut through every tentacle anchoring it to the ground in one clean stroke. The forest shuddered violently—the veins of roots recoiling like wounded flesh.
But Airen wasn't done.
He stepped back, mana gathering in his hands. The heat was suffocating, his aura flaring so violently that the air itself distorted.
A massive sphere of flame began to form above his palm, swirling and roaring like a miniature sun.
[Warning! You don't have enough mana to cast that spell.]
Airen ignored it. His teeth gritted, muscles trembling as more and more energy poured from his core.
The sphere grew larger. One meter. Two. Then three—until it towered over him like a burning boulder of molten rage.
Sweat streamed down his temples. His body screamed under the strain, veins glowing blue beneath his skin.
"—Burn."
He hurled it forward.
BOOOOOOM!!!
The fireball struck the parasite dead-on.
A deafening explosion ripped through the forest, turning night into daylight for a fleeting moment. The impact cratered the ground, swallowing the creature whole. The earth split open for several meters, molten rock splattering outward as shockwaves flattened what was left of the trees.
Airen was thrown back, his body colliding with the dirt. His coat tore, blood streaking across his arm as he skidded through debris.
The world rumbled, then fell silent.
A crater smoldered in the distance—flames consuming everything that had once been alive. The heat shimmered off the molten edges, painting the ruins in burning gold and ash.
For a moment, it looked over.
But then—deep within the flames—something twitched.
A faint, wet sound.
The blackened soil stirred, and a thin tendril of corrupted flesh slithered upward, pulsing weakly in the firelight.
Airen's eyes narrowed. His breath was calm, but his voice came out cold.
"…Still alive, huh?"