Glenn was on his knees, taking quick but deep breaths as he struggled to keep himself awake. His body felt likt it was not his, as if it wanted to move on its own.
"Is that you, Saroth?" Glenn asked in his mind. "If it is you, release me this instance!"
"It is not me," Saroth came forward. "Something else is causing this reaction from you, Glenn."
"But what?" Glenn clenches his chest and ripped his shirt open. He curved his body forward and screamed to the skies.
A beam of dark energy gushed out of his body. The force from the energy was so strong that it knocked away the trees around them.
"What's happening to Glenn?" Lapis asked. "Why is his magic that dark?"
John brandished his dagger and shook his head. "I wish I know the answer to that question."
"We don't," Gina said. "So the only thing we can do now is contain him until we find the answer."
"I don't think we're match against that," Lapis said in fear. "His magic is too strong. One step forward and I'm afraid we'd turn to dust. The dark magic is too much."
"Dark magic!" John whispered. "Oh. Glenn! Switch!"
Glenn looked at him, but John's voice couldn't enter Glenn's ear. It was as if there was an invisible force that blocked their voices from reaching each other.
"I can't hear you," Glenn said. "Make it stop. Please."
The magic from Glenn caused the sky to darken. A thick cloud blanketed the skies, creating mists below it that looked like it was going to rain down black magic.
The beam also caused attraction to dark mosnters nearby. From the sleeping giants to the smallest demons, they approached the area where Glenn was.
"Can you feel that?" John asked.
Gina looked at him and tried to sense anything, but she failed to do so. "What is it? I don't feel anything."
"There's darkness approaching us," John said. "It feels like there's a wave of darkness coming from all directions. It's scary."
As an Adventurer with the assassin role, Rogues and Thieves have high magic perception. They could sense magic from faraway lands if only they will it. This was why John could sense the approaching dark creatures.
"They're here for Glenn," John said. "They're here because Glenn produced this much dark magic. His aura is attracting them."
"What do we do?" Gina asked. "The Macatan Tribe is near here. If the dark creatures see the tribe, they will attack them."
"Too late," John whispered. "They're here, and they ignored the tribe."
"They ignored the tribe?" Gina gasped. "Just how much power does Glenn possess to do such a thing?"
"Make it stop!" Glenn cried. The pain he felt on his head has spread all throughout his body. Now, it feels like every vein he had stings and all the flesh aches. Tears had flowed from Glenn's eyes as he kept asking for help.
"I don't want this. Please stop!" Glenn yelled.
When he senses the creatures approach him, Glenn's perception was warped. He felt a hundred eyes looking at him as they jumped from the trees and into the beam. "Don't come near me!"
The creatures were midair when thorns made of darkness grew from the beam. The thorns pierced the creatures, and then wrapped itself around them. The creatures inside disintegrated into little particles and was absorbed by the beam.
"He absorbed the creatures," Gina whispered.
"I saw that too," John said in shock. "How could he do that?"
"No," Gina shook her head. "More importantly, who is Glenn?"
Inside the endless beam of dark light, Glenn had fallen back into his knees. He felt the surge of magic from the creatures he absorbed, but he cried after feeling more pain.
"Have you tried switching back?" Saroth asked. "I'm concerned now more than everyone else here. If this goes on, your body will not handle this much energy and will be destroyed. I will be destroyed along with it."
"What are you saying?" Glenn scoffed. "You wanted this body, why are you concerned?"
"You just answered your question," Saroth scoffed back. "If anything were to happen to your body, then I'd lose a vessel."
"Then if you want this body, will you help me?" Glenn asked. "It's not part of our deal if we need both of it right now?"
"True," Saroth hummed. "Then, this once, our deal will be off and I shall take care of it."
"But how will you take care of it?" Glenn asked. "I can't even get myself to calm down."
"Just trust me," Saroth said. "Now, give me the rights to take over temporarily. Five minutes should be enough."
"I can't control my body right now," Glenn chuckled helplessly. "Do what you like."
"You're forgetting something very important, Glenn," Saroth said. "Your body is still yours to control. You're just succumbing to the pain that's why you're thinking that you have no power over it. Try standing up."
"Stand up?" Glenn repeated. He looked at his legs and thought that maybe Saroth was right. He fell to his knees because of the pain, he screamed because of the pain, but nothing was controlling him other than himself.
The man took a deep breath and used his strength to pull himself up. Glenn stood with both of his legs, a victorious grin displaying on his face when he did. "Saroth, you're right. I am in control!"
"Now, let me take over for a little while," Saroth said.
Glenn then hesitated, "What if you betray me and you'd kill everyone else after I let you take control?"
"I, Saroth, would never back down on my words," Saroth said. "I will put this curse upon us both."
Glenn's chest glowed and it showed a symbol. Three fangs lined up together forming a crown. The right fang had an extended bottom part where it reached the left fang and protruded down, making it look like an actual crown.
"What's this?" Glenn asked. "I had a symbol on my back and now I have one on my chest?"
"This is my mark!" Saroth yelled. "The mark of Saroth! Now give me your body."
When Glenn agreed, he felt his body get pulled back, but except it wasn't. His thoughts were the ones getting pulled back while he maintained consciousness.
"What?" Glenn asked as he watched the scenes unveil like he was watching a TV series from the MC's point of view.
Saroth raised his right hand and the dark beam vanished in an instant. "Good job, Glenn."
"Saroth?" Glenn asked when his vision became dizzy. "What are you doing?"
"Switch."