The cracked wasteland shook as another corrupted beast hit the ground, its body dissolving beneath Yuto's Purification field.
Silence followed. A heavy kind of silence, One that only appeared after something dies.
Yuto exhaled, rolling his shoulder.
"Ok, next one."
[Advisor: "Try to take a break?"]
"No."
Because every second mattered now.
He could feel the distant tremor of something massive breathing somewhere in the corrupted lands. A presence like a sleeping volcano waiting to erupt.
That thing, He might have to face it later .
[ It feels like the presence of something mighty, probably a dragon]
Even thinking about it tightened Yuto's chest.
Not fear… Anticipation.
Something deeper than survival. Something primal.
His evolution humming inside his spirit veins like coiled lightning.
He turned east..
Where the corrupted fog thinned just enough to see shapes moving farther ahead.
Dozens of them....
---
After dealing with them, he headed to the next region.
The next region was worse.
Trees hung like melted bones. The ground throbbed with pulsing infection. Shadows slithered along the roots as if alive.
Even the air tasted wrong.
[ Advisor: "Yuto, based on reading, this area holds mid-tier corrupted beasts. Stronger than the Dragonkin you fought."]
Yuto froze.
"…Stronger?"
[Advisor: "In groups."]
"Oh good. Group discounts."
He stepped forward, Spirit Instinct activating instinctively.
Silver light flickering in his eyes....
A twisted roar erupted to his right, two corrupted manticores burst from the mist, wings torn, venom dripping like acid.
Yuto vanished.
Reappeared mid-air.
Foot extended.
CRACK!!!
The first manticore slammed into a tree and disintegrated.
The second lunged, firing corrupted spikes..
Yuto sliced through them with Spirit Edge and countered with Purification Burst.
Light erupted.
The beast screamed until nothing was left but glowing ash.
Yuto landed, breathing heavily.
His stamina was improving… But the corruption was adapting too.
And now he sensed...
Not Just Beasts.
He sensed… something else.
Humanoid.
Watching.
Monitoring.
Deep in the corrupted fog.
[ Advisor: "Warning. Something with intelligence is tracking you."]
"Not a beast?"
"No."
Something skatered behind the trees, Not animal movement. Too precise.
Yuto turned slowly.
A voice echoed out, distorted..
"Hum… you are the one evolving…"
A figure slowly walked out.
Half-human. Half-unknowable.
Its flesh corrupted into jagged obsidian scales, its eyes swirling purple and black, like galaxies collapsing inward.
It smiled..
"Show me."
Then its arm tore open like a flower, releasing dozens of writhing shadow tendrils.
Yuto vanished again.
---
He appeared in front of it, Fist already moving..
BREAK-
The figure blinked out of existence.
Not dodge.
Teleportation.
It reappeared behind him, Its arm transforming into a corrupted blade.
SLASH!!!
Yuto spun, blocking with Spirit Edge, sparks of silver and black scattering like fireworks.
"What… are you?"
The thing tilted its head, voice echoing like several speaking at once.
"A messenger."
Corruption Messenger : Unknown Class
Not an ordinary monster.
A corrupted humanoid. Maybe once a person. Maybe something else entirely.
It lunged again, faster this time.
Yuto ducked.
Spirit Instinct flashed warnings. He countered with triple strikes..
BREAK..LINE..STORM!!!
Three hits slammed the messenger backward, tearing through corrupted flesh.
But instead of dying..
it regenerated instantly.
Black veins knitting flesh back together.
Advisor's voice dropped.
[ "Regeneration type. Very rare. You need pure purification damage."]
Yuto smirked.
"Then let's go pure."
---
Purification Limit : Extended Mode
He raised his palm..
Purification Flare.
A pale gold aura surged outward,
The corrupted earth trembled, The messenger screamed. Its regeneration slowed.
The creature staggered back..
eyes widening,
"You, approach Ascension…"
It spoke like it was remembering something distant.
"You are almost ready…"
Yuto's heart froze.
Ready for what?
The messenger extended its arms, Corrupted symbols burned across its body.
Black lightning erupted..
creating a portal behind it.
Not teleportation.
A gate.
The creature stepped back into it, smiling strangely.
"We wait… for your ascension… Overlord candidate."
The gate folded like collapsing glass, then shattered into dust.
The corruption pulsed once then vanished with it.
Yuto stood still.
Silent.
He could feel sweat down his spine despite the cold atmosphere.
An intelligent corrupted entity… preparing him?
That meant only one thing,
The mysterious monster wasn't just wandering here.
It was waiting.
---
Advisor Analysis
[Advisor: "Yuto… your evolution progress just spiked again."]
"How much?"
[ Advisor: "69%… to 74%… it increased just from fighting that thing."]
Yuto inhaled slowly.
"Oh, that's definitely intentional."
[ Advisor: "Yuto, I believe corruption is testing your purification limit. Preparing for a confrontation. Possibly a ritual. Possibly evolution based."]
"So I'm a target."
"No. You're selected."
Yuto rubbed his neck, annoyed.
"Hate that."...
The earth vibrated below him, gold filaments rising around his feet.
He looked down.
His aura was shifting again.
More gold than blue now. More divine than mortal.
It felt like his body was rewriting itself cell by cell.
"Not yet… I'm not ready yet…"
[Advisor: "Which is exactly why they're scouting you."]
Yuto turned toward the corrupted horizon.
Wind shaking the trees. A low distant growl echoing through mountains.
That thing was awake.
And aware.
Watching him...
The sky suddenly turned dark, as if clouds were forming out of corrupted mana.
The ground trembled. Birds fled.
Then..
A roar.
So far away yet loud enough to shake marrow..
WHOOOOOOOOOOOOMMM!!
Yuto froze completely.
Not like the Dragonkin roar.
Deeper. Older. Heavier.
It was like a real dragon's roar.
Pure corrupted origin.
Even the air shivered.
Yuto whispered..
"…I'm coming for you…"
---