Walking over the crest of the hill what I saw was nothing short of awe inspiring.
The City of Adventurers.
Known for it's incredible abundance of adventurers there for the commission of getting rid of the corrupted and on another extent the corruption itself.
The sight of a large spanning fortress facing a purple sided world that had nothing but evil intentions.
I had already seen the city of Tinell from afar from the cave I once came out of, but at that point I was so overwhelmed by the free atmosphere that was so different from earth's that I couldn't properly admire it.
But now that there was nothing hindering me, and my attention paid to the corruption was already satisfied.
I looked at the city, and admired it for what it was.
Tall stone walls made of several large stone bricks stood against the purple haze as purplish blood splatters stained the pristine stone walls.
The long stone walls that stretched for kilometers and encircled the city like a stalwart bastion against the waves of corrupted.
The tall towers firing magic and arrows at the waves of corrupted that struck against the walls of the... city...
"..."
'Something ain't right'
Blinking a few times I opened my eyes widely as the Wandering merchant besides me gasped in surprise.
"It seems that we came at a bad time seeing that these guys are attacking the city, I was wondering why we didn't see any adventurers on the way here"
I was wondering about that question as well seeing as the borders were rather long.
I was expecting lots more people to meet so that we could talk.
But it makes sense now.
How could they go out to fight the corrupted when they were literally right on their front door?
'...'
"We should help them right?"
"Wait what?"
Glancing at me in surprise the wandering merchant looked at me in confusion.
"Why should we?"
"Wha What?"
"I said why should we?"
Falling into confusion I came to a revelation.
The merchant had lots to lose and little to gain if they participated in the middle of the grand melee happening currently.
The hoards of purple monsters being held off by the desperate adventurers and city guards were a swell of creatures commonly found in nightmares.
And even now the hoard grew as they swallowed the dead and literally grew larger.
Staring at the hoard of monsters before looking at the merchant with a complex look images of fire came to my mind.
Frowning at the thought I turned and began walking to the hoard of creatures from above the crest of the hill.
Frowning upon seeing my actions the merchant stopped me. "What are you doing? Are you trying to get killed? You'll lose everything"
Or they tried at least.
Shrugging off the hand on my shoulders I looked at Sky before looking at the hoard.
"Do you know the meaning of being alive? Actually let me rephrase that"
Manifesting my marksman's bow and pulling the string back while an arrow rested in my grasp.
The sharp iron headed tip pointed to the monstrous hoard that continued to surge at the city, my finger pointing at it's possible destination.
"Do you know the meaning of being human?"
"What? No?" Flustered at my sudden question, Sky's face turned darker as they frowned. "Actually, what type of stupid question is that?"
"Your about to sacrifice your life!"
Ignoring their shout I let the arrow in my hands fly loose before continuing to point my finger through the air, an unnatural calmness filling every fiber of my being.
"I'm asking do you know what is the meaning of being human?"
"Why are you asking stupidly philosophical questions!?" Pointing at the crowd of monsters that had been shot by the arrows that I released.
A few of them noticing me and breaking off the main group before utilizing their strange unnatural bodies to run forwards.
"We're about to die because you attracted a few monsters!"
Memories of a furiously burning flame filled my mind as I calmly released a few more arrows.
The arrows finding their places in the heads of the creatures, either tearing them to bits or killing them.
"Well I also don't know what the meaning of being human is"
"Than why did you ask me!?" Shouting wildly Sky loaded their revolver as they grimly stared at the monstrous beings that were nearing us.
"I'm not finished" rolling my eyes, a flash of black filled the air as Sky felt blinded.
'What the hell?' Rubbing their eyes the sight that filled their eyes was one that was honestly hard to believe.
'What the Hell!?'
Behind the man named Slade were several corpses of the corrupted variety.
The local wildlife and adventurers being the majority of the corpses.
They had been sliced to small bits and scattered to the point that if one could a puzzle matching game with their corpse.
Which, to any seasoned detective wasn't fun in the slightest.
"I honestly think that the reason that I am human is to help other humans"
Looking at the hoard of monsters that was ballooning to larger sizes at the arrival of other corrupted all around the biome.
Attracted to the sounds of battle, any human beings who caught sight of this were usually running away from it.
Only to get mauled by the occasional corrupted that slipped past the defenses of the city of adventurers.
Recalling the strange blue sword and pulling out the bow before pulling back the strings, the arrow suddenly manifesting into his grasp.
Slade continued.
"I won't try to convince you to help me, but you can't convince me to not help people"
Loosing an arrow.
The arrow somehow reached it's mark as it shot down a corrupted beast that was running at one of the fleeing stragglers.
Looking at Sky with his own Orange eyes.
"I won't stop you if you want to leave, in fact I welcome it"
Sky felt attracted to the Orange eyes that had an unknown intensity to them, she felt... a strange feeling blossom in her chest.
"However when I'm here I'll make sure that the people here have a higher chance to live another day."
And before she could properly wrestle with her feelings and understand what the hell they were.
Slade turned around and ran at the monstrous beings.
---
'Never again' Staring at the hoards of beings, a hand stretching out of the fire that burned brightly in his mind surfaced.
Before the memory was suppressed by the monster that decided to take all of his attention.
Bringing out all three hot bars even though I knew that they would take some mental strength to keep up and realize what were in what slots.
The weapons that I had placed there ahead of time were sitting in their places.
The item that I had taken from Katrina also making it's appearance at the end of my terrarian hot bar.
Jumping into the hoard of beasts, blades at the ready.
The story of the Corrupted Hoard Slayer started to make it's rounds in the city of adventurers.
+++
Next chapter is one that will be testing my writing skills to the fullest.
It will be an incredibly battle filled chapter.
Bloody tree hungry for blood