"I never agreed to this!"
A shout echoed through the dark forest, which had long since grown accustomed to such things.
On the ground, a rat struggled against the ropes binding him to a tree, desperately trying to break free.
"Damn it! Let me go, you bastards!"
"Relax. They need to take you somewhere to transform you, right?"
"I think so? How should I know? What's that got to do with anything?"
"Then all we need is some bait to lead us straight to the source."
"And what if they tear me apart right here, huh?"
"We won't let it get that far."
Vasant fell silent, staring at his feet as he ground his teeth.
"But what about your friend?"
He raised his head toward her.
"Why can't she be the bait?"
Kris rubbed his chin in thought before glancing at her.
The girl immediately took a step back.
"Don't even start. I don't want those things touching me."
"Well— you heard her."
"You barely considered it!"
"And what about you? Why can't you do it?"
"My body is inorganic. I'd be the first one they'd attack."
"Tch."
He lowered his head.
"You damn bastards. If I die, I'll come back to haunt you."
"Jeez."
"We're not going to let you die, idiot."
Sigh.
...
Suddenly, the nearby bushes rustled. Something was coming.
Kris and Marceline quickly ran off, hiding among the more distant trees.
The rat stared wide-eyed, his chest pounding like a drum.
Rustle.
A rabbit calmly hopped out of the bushes.
Vasant held his breath, only to let it out in a long sigh.
Its nose twitching, the rabbit simply scratched its face.
'Damn—'
The bushes moved again.
A greenish humanoid with a twisted body lunged out and snatched it away amid its frightened squeals.
The rabbit's mouth split into three, revealing rows of sharp teeth.
And still squealing, the rabbit was devoured by the creature.
The rat's breath caught in his throat once more.
Sweat ran down his face as his heart felt ready to burst from his chest.
When the creature finished eating, it raised its head.
Staring at him with a bizarre smile.
"Fuck this, I quit."
He struggled against the ropes.
"Hey! Idiots! Get me out of here!"
With its grin still stretching from ear to ear, the humanoid slowly approached with uneven, awkward steps.
Each step only deepened the rat's despair.
Among the trees, Kris and Marceline remained ready in case the worst happened.
When the creature stopped in front of him, Vasant lowered his head, refusing to look.
Contrary to what he expected, the humanoid grabbed the ropes and tore them apart with a few sharp tugs.
He was about to make a run for it when he felt a hand clamp around his neck.
Without much effort, the Corrupted dragged him through the forest.
"Help!"
Kris and Marceline quickly emerged from their hiding spots, following them while keeping to the cover of the trees.
"Where do you think it's taking him?"
"I'm not entirely sure, but I'm almost certain it's taking him somewhere to be transformed."
Unfolding the map in his hand, he traced the route they were taking.
After following them for a while—and pointedly ignoring the forest's whispers—Kris stopped Marceline, earning a confused look from her.
"They're going to pass through a swarm."
"Then let's kill them. The mission is to exterminate them."
"First, that would be a waste of time. And second, we still have to help the swindler."
"Oh. Right. Then how are we getting through?"
"We're going over it, obviously."
|Transition|
Dozens of Corrupted wandered in slow circles.
Their destination uncertain, their minds no different.
"S-Scared."
"M-Mom."
"W-Where's the way out?"
Their presence filled the forest with broken phrases, drowning out the whispers.
Yet they failed to notice something above them.
Holding onto Kris, Marceline flew overhead.
"Damn, and this is only one of the swarms?"
"Yes. That's why the Neechari can't do much about them."
Squinting, the two searched for the merchant among the crowd.
"There he is."
Marceline pointed.
Curled up in a fetal position, Vasant couldn't muster the courage to scream.
Still being dragged along, he was watched by the surrounding Corrupted and their ever-present smiles as they babbled broken phrases at him.
His eyes wide, every breath caught in his throat.
"Don't lose him."
"Got it."
She descended slightly, keeping her eyes fixed on them.
After the Corrupted finally left the swarm behind, they landed deeper within the forest, some distance away.
They followed the creature until it stopped near a cluster of trees.
The Corrupted reached a small pile of rocks and began climbing toward a dark opening.
"Looks like we've arrived."
Without hesitation, Marceline shot toward them, swinging her axe in a single arc that tore the creature's head clean off.
Its body twitched for a second before collapsing on top of Vasant.
"Damn it, get this thing off me!"
The girl simply kicked the body aside.
"What a baby."
"Oh, shut up! I didn't even want to go through with this plan!"
"That's strange."
Kris muttered, interrupting them.
"This place isn't even marked on the map."
"Seriously? That's impossible. We've explored this entire forest."
"Looks like you missed a spot, then."
The rat scratched his chin, trying to understand why.
Marceline leaned against her axe while Kris picked up the gauntlet he had been carrying and slipped it on.
"Anyway, let's head inside. How do I use this thing?"
Vasant looked up immediately.
"It's an adapter. Stop calling it a 'thing'."
"Right. How do I use it?"
"There's a small valve on the wrist. Normally, with a battery connected, it should activate when you turn it."
"Let's get moving, then. You coming?"
"I... think I'd rather stay out here and keep watch."
"Your call."
They began climbing over the rocks.
At the narrow entrance, they noticed deep scratches carved into the stone.
Hunching down, the two squeezed through, pressed tightly against one another.
Feeling something wet beneath her hand, Marceline lifted it and grimaced.
Her palm was coated in a black liquid leaking from dark roots that spread across the ground.
The hole exuded a rotten stench.
She bumped her face into something.
"Watch it."
"Then get your butt out of my face."
"If only it were that easy..."
They continued crawling forward until a greenish light appeared at the end of the tunnel.
Finally emerging from the hole, Marceline was about to say something when Kris suddenly pulled her behind a cluster of rocks.
Below them, five Corrupted surrounded a glowing green well.
Distant screams echoed up from within, desperate and exhausted.
Every black root led back to the well, which pulsed through them like veins.
"What is that?"
"It must be the source."
The Corrupted below suddenly stopped, gathering into a small cluster.
With confused looks, the two waited to see where they were heading.
The creatures came to a stop in front of a hole and simply waited.
...
A massive clawed hand suddenly emerged from within, scraping against the walls as it gripped the edge.
Twisted Neechari crawled across the surrounding ground, closing in around the Corrupted.
Their mouths dripped with saliva, their eyes stretched wide.
A second hand seized the opposite side, finally revealing the creature.
A gigantic rat bearing a goat's horn pulled itself free with thunderous steps.
Its green eyes focused on nothing, rolling wildly in every direction until they settled on the Corrupted.
It opened its enormous maw, packed with jagged teeth.
With a single bite, it scooped up the Corrupted and began chewing.
Black blood spilled from the corners of its mouth.
After chewing them with unsettling calm, the rat lumbered toward the well.
Gripping the edges, it lowered its head and heaved.
From its mouth poured a black liquid streaked with sickly shades of green.
The fluid merged with the well, and the screams grew louder.
The roots pulsed harder.
For a brief moment, green light flooded the cavern.
Kris and Marceline stared with wide eyes.
Without realizing it, the girl crushed a stone in her grip.
The crack echoed through the chamber, drawing the attention of the Neechari.
The giant rat halted its vomiting, black fluid still dripping from the corners of its mouth.
"Nice job. While you're at it, why don't you get the entire forest's attention too?"
"Tch. Shut up."
The giant rat opened its mouth, tearing its cheeks apart.
With a thunderous scream, the Neechari scrambled across the walls toward them.
Kris immediately sprinted to the right while Marceline leapt to the left, splitting the swarm between them.
Transforming his left arm into a sharpened whip, he kept running as he lashed out at the creatures clinging to the walls.
Each strike tore through flesh and bone, cutting them down with brutal efficiency.
Marceline floated into the air, quickly finding herself "surrounded."
With a sudden burst of speed, she shot straight through them, tearing through the creatures with every swing of her axe.
The giant rat fixed its attention on her, forcing Marceline to dodge a powerful bite.
The impact shattered several of its teeth against the stone, yet it didn't seem to care.
She kept flying as the creature relentlessly pursued her.
Chasing after them, Kris lashed the rat with his whip, leaving behind only a thin cut.
"Tough hide."
Marceline glanced over her shoulder and let out a breath.
"Höllenfunken."
Her axe ignited with flames as she charged straight toward the rat.
However, the moment she drew close, the rat spun around and swatted her away with its massive tail.
"Guh—"
The impact tore the sound from her throat as she slammed into the cavern wall.
The flames around her axe faded into weak sparks.
Before she could fall, the rat's enormous hand pinned her against the stone and slowly began to tighten its grip.
"Kris, a little help here?"
"Time to find out what this thing does."
He glanced down at the gauntlet and turned the valve on its wrist.
The cracks running along his arm spread wider, their glow growing noticeably dimmer.
The crystals embedded in the gauntlet lit up with a faint radiance, thin green strands connecting them.
He aimed at the rat.
...
"Huh?"
"Kris, anytime now!"
"I'm trying!"
'Damn it, work already!'
The rat tightened its grip and brought her toward its mouth.
"Kris!"
'Hm?'
He noticed that one of the crystals seemed slightly loose.
Twisting it into place, both crystals flared with an even brighter light, illuminating the entire cavern.
The sudden glow briefly blinded the rat, causing it to release the girl and roar in his direction.
Energy surged through the steel joints, flowing toward the ring embedded in the palm.
An orb formed at its center, making the joints and crystals tremble violently.
The monster took a heavy step toward him.
The moment the orb fully formed, it unleashed itself in a single blast.
The beam lit up the cave entrance, startling Vasant outside.
The rat raised its enormous hand in an attempt to block the attack.
The instant it connected, the hand melted away within seconds.
The blast tore through its chest, charring everything in its path, only stopping when it slammed into the cavern wall behind it.
With one final roar, even louder than the last, the green light in its eyes faded.
Its massive body crashed to the ground with a heavy thud.
"Damn."
The girl muttered as she got back to her feet, staring at the devastation left behind by the blast.
She turned toward where Kris had been standing, now buried beneath the recoil.
After digging him out, he stood up and scratched the back of his head.
"That's... a little disorienting."
"But it's pretty strong."
"It really is."
He raised his hand.
One of the crystals had shattered.
"Does that mean I've only got one shot left?"
"Why are you asking me?"
"I wasn't asking anyone in particular."
"Huh."
From the tunnel they had entered through, the sound of scratching echoed as black liquid dripped along the stone.
The two immediately tensed, preparing for another attack.
"Damn it, damn it."
Recognizing the familiar voice, they lowered their guard.
"What happened? I thought you didn't want to come in here?"
"Well, I didn't exactly have a choice once the monster you killed got the entire forest's attention."
"Huh?"
Marceline flashed him a smug grin.
"Look who's talking now."
Throughout the forest, everything was trampled without mercy.
Animals fled in search of shelter, while Sprouts buried themselves beneath the soil.
The Corrupted marched onward, emerging from burrows and hidden dens alike.
The swarms broke apart, converging toward a single point.
The tunnels trembled, spared only by their careful construction.
The entrance to the cavern was already surrounded and on the verge of being overrun.
Inside the cavern, screams and scratching were already spilling in through the entrance.
Everyone present was sweating, desperately searching for a way out.
Kris turned the valve on the gauntlet, causing his arm to darken completely.
The lone remaining crystal lit up with a faint glow, weak green strands crawling through the metal alloys.
He aimed toward the entrance, preparing for one last attempt.
Then his mind descended into a storm.
Flashes of the giant rat.
The way it devoured the Corrupted.
The way it vomited them back into the well.
The well.
Just as the orb was about to unleash itself.
...
The creatures burst into the cavern.
Marceline raised her axe.
Vasant was sweating buckets.
The moment the gauntlet was about to fire—
Kris turned.
And aimed at the well.
The blast erupted.
Merging with the liquid below.
And in a single instant—
The well exploded.
The light that had consumed the cavern vanished.
The roots connected to the well slowly withered away, crumbling into decay.
The Corrupted froze for a brief moment.
Their eyes widened.
Then they began to tremble.
Their skin bubbled and warped.
Eyes burst apart.
Flesh melted from their bones.
One by one, skeletons collapsed to the ground.
From where the well had once stood, blue lights drifted from the rubble.
They laughed.
They cried.
But most of all—
They celebrated.
Vasant and Marceline dropped to their knees, their legs trembling like jelly.
"Y-You're such a coward. Y-you know that?"
"L-Look who's talking."
Kris paid them no mind.
His eyes remained fixed on the blue lights.
Their glow reflected in his green ones.
One of them seemed to smile at him.
With a quiet sigh, he closed his eyes.