Alister let out a heavy sigh, somehow he knew that she would say this. But Alister knew deep down that this was the correct option. If they were to go and try to find a new shelter they would most likely encounter the same situation. Plus he also wanted to get an essence core to experiment with. But can this lack-luster team even kill a Corrupted? Just from the thought of fighting a Corrupted, they're practically shaking.
Leaning against a tree, arms crossed, voice tinged with frustration Alister spoke:
"So what do you suggest we do? We've been wandering aimlessly for hours, and now we're faced with this…situation."
Olivia was crouching to examine the scratch marks in the tree, her voice firm.
"We're going to fight the Corrupted, like I said. We don't have much choice at this point."
The boy sighed and rubbed his temples.
"I know that, but how? We're not exactly a band of ascended here."
Olivia stood up and brushed the mess off her hands.
"It's a single Corrupted, an awakened one most likely. Should be rough to handle, but manageable. Plus, we need the shelter that it's made its territory. Plus night is coming, and we can't stay exposed much longer."
Alister gestured to their small group nearby.
"With our ragtag group? We've got a people of unknown origin who've most likely never held a sword, bow, shield, ax or any form of weapon at that. Hardly seems like enough to take on something that can kill men in the tens if not hundreds."
Olivia turned to face Alister, expression serious. Her emerald green eyes sparkled with the setting sun.
"I know it's not ideal, but what choice do we have? That creature's lair is the only defensible position for miles. And if we don't deal with it now, we'll be left without shelter."
Alister was about to argue, but just scoffed and gave up. He knew he wouldn't win this argument, suddenly the ivory haired boy had an idea.
"Alright i'll help with your little extermination, But whoever kills the Corrupted keeps the essence core or cores."
Olivia thought about it for a second and then spoke in a neutral tone.
"I'm fine with that, to the victor goes the spoils and all that. But first and foremost, we should acquaint ourselves with our group. Considering that they will have to watch our backs."
***
Soon day fell into night, turning the azure forest into an azure hell, the only thing giving them light was the pale light of the three moons that cast its ethereal glow across the sky, making the night seem even more sinister. It's widely known that some Corrupted are nocturnal. Meaning this is the time we're the most vulnerable. But the group decided to attack the Corrupted at night, once it returned to the fallen tree to sleep.
They did discuss the formation for the attack. One archer in a tree providing overhead support. The other two archers were positioned behind one of two tanks. The two assassins behind the other tank, as well as one healer behind each of the tanks.
The tanks would take the right and left sides of the Corrupted, while Olivia took the rear. Alister unfortunately wasn't so lucky, he got the front. A square formation to trap the Corrupted and cut it down from all sides.
Just my luck, who else but me would get stuck fending off the dastardly thing.
Though Alister didn't say these things out loud, he knew the importance of morals. He did let out one of his signature deep sighs though.
I have a bad feeling about tonight.
Time passed slowly. Seconds felt like minutes and minutes felt like hours.
Eventually, as sure as night follows day, the Corrupted returned to its shelter. Everyone came out from where they were hiding before the Corrupted had time to react, they entrapped it.
The Corrupted was something made from nightmares. It had four eyes all of which were pitch black and it walked on four legs, which had sharp claws and feathers protruding from all four of its feet. As well as sharp teeth and it was dripping saliva from its maw. Its fur coat was a dark brown with ears like a bat.
Alisters eyes focused on the nightmarish Corrupted in front of him, then a status screen portraying the Corrupted status:
Name: Clawstalker
Rank: Awakened
Essence core: 3 cores
He would be lying if he said he wasn't scared, he knew that this wouldn't be an easy fight even if they outnumbered the Corrupted fifteen to one. Olivia after a couple seconds of watching the Corrupted, let out the cue to strike.
They all rushed in, letting out a guttural battle cry. Fear gripping their hearts, bringing the ball and chain of fear to their ankles. But they didn't stop their charge, not for a single damn second. In this Realm it's a dog eat dog world, kill or be killed, eat or be eaten.
But the Awakened Corrupted wasn't going to take its death laying down, it thrashes around, hitting the shields it was pinned between. Biting at any it could, slashing at the shields, at Alister's gut and feet. As well as trying to scratch at Olivia with its hind legs, only to have them chopped at by her sword.
The group did everything within their power to bring the Corrupted down, inching closer to its death second by second. The brutish tanks with there heavy shields and enhanced strength pinned it in place, slowly crushing its ribcage with every passing second. The archers littering its back with arrows, they shot at the creature for what felt like hours, making it resemble a porcupine's quills. The assassins and swordswomen stabbing, slashing, piercing and cutting it all over.
But Alister was in the thick of it, not only did he have to dodge its swipes at him. He also had to deal damage to it, he was at the head of the creature after all. He waited for his opening and when he found it, he delivered slashes to the eyes, even though it only rendered one useless it was progress.
Alister started to enjoy this instinctive fighting, his attacks grew faster as his smile grew wider. A smile of malice, of bloodlust, of cruelty. A stench of blood filled the air, the foul metallic scent filled the noses of all that were near.
The Corrupted screamed and howled in pain, but it fell on deaf ears. But if one thing was for sure it hide was thick, which only seemed to prolong it suffering. Its blood trickled from its wounds, its body grew heavy with every passing. Slowly, ever so slowly the Corrupted head started to fall.
Unfortunately for the Corrupted, Alister spotted its show of weakness and sunk his swords deep into the nape of its neck, carrying all the way through. Entering from its nape and exiting at its throat then hitting the ground. Alister, after taking a couple heavy breaths, slowly pulled his sword from the Corrupted neck and the Corrupted fell to the ground.
Its body twitched, clinging to what little life it had left. Alister felt no sympathy for the creature, he looked at it in its four eyes. Watch as life slowly left them, but the blood covered the creature all over, its own blood.
Alister was covered in it too, from his shoes all the way up to the splashes of blood he got onto his face. The same things could be said about the shields.
As Alister and everyone else caught their breaths, The same voice he heard when he was in that void spoke in his ear.
[You have slain an Awakened Corrupted: Clawstalker]
Thank the gods.
Alister breathed in a sigh of relief then he looked around and took note of the situation. The tanks were completely out of breath, near exhaustion. The archers were in a better shape, besides the shake in their arms from the flurry of arrows they rang out. The assassins and swordswomen were the same as the archers. The healers didn't even need to heal anyone since no one got hurt, they were in tip top shape. As for Olivia, she just wiped the sweat from her brow and lightly panted.
She's an odd one.
Alister thought to himself for a moment, then a realization dawned on him.
Did she put me in the front, the most dangerous spot to scope my skills? Why that little…
But before Alister could finish his thought, the cracking and crunching of sticks and dry leaves filled his ears. Something was approaching, multiple things at that.
"Stay on guard, something is approaching!"
Alister yelled out to the group. Which caused them to stand back up and start looking around.
Alister turned his head in every direction. Left, right, front and behind him.
Until he laid his eyes upon the creatures making the sinister symphony of steps that approached them. It was four more of the Clawstalkers, Alister let a soft chuckle under his breath.
What terrible luck. The scream the first Corrupted let out was a roar of its pain but also a roar to bring in allies. I hope we meet in hell, you fucker.
As the four Corrupted approached, he could see the moral plummet. Alister knew deep down that most of them wouldn't make it out of this fight. They were exhausted just from fighting one, but now they were faced with four.
Alister took a deep breath and let his voice ring out loudly.
"Steel yourself, Don't let the fear they love so much. We stand at the precipice of a battle, a test of our courage and our will. Fear not the monstrous foe that faces us, but embrace the opportunity it presents. In unity, we find strength. In determination, we find victory. Let us not merely survive this ordeal, but conquer it. Let our names echo through time as those who stood defiant against the impossible. As for those who do not make it out of this battle, fret not."
Alister's voice grew even louder, and with a heart pounding in his chest, he brought his fist to his leather breastplate, a silent prayer before the battle, while his hand gripped the sword hilt in an ironclad clutch. The sword covered the left side of his face.
"I'll carve your names into my flesh and remember your sacrifice for as long as I live. I vow this on my name, Alister Aetherbound!"
At the hearing of his vow as well as his name, they stood up and their faces held a steel resolve. Not too long they were regular people, with the exception of Olivia. But right now, they were war ready soldiers.
With that, Alister charged at them and pushed two away from the group of four. He planned on taking two Awakened Corrupted on all by himself. But he knew what he was doing, intentionally pushing them away by cutting at their legs, as to affect their movement.
He got lucky too, his dark clothing helped him blend into the darkness and cut the tendons on the back legs of one of them. Then Alister runs past them, leading them away from the group.
After he leads the two Corrupted far enough away, he stops and turns around and stares them down.
"It's gonna be a long night."
With that said, Alister lunges towards them.
Targeting the uninjured one, and maneuvering himself so that the injured Corrupted is behind the uninjured one. This was going to be his tactic for the entire battle, it was the reason he cut the tendons of one of them.
Alister dodges swipe after swipe from the uninjured Corrupted, who he has just been referred to as number two and the injured one as number one. He'd occasionally parry some and get counter attacks, which were just grazes. All while keeping number one behind number two.
You can't hurt what you can't touch, right?
Alister thought to himself, though if he were to say it out loud it would have been in a condescending tone, as to taunt them.
This went on for quite a long time, dodging and parrying, he was running out of breath and stamina. But what can he do? If he gets too close he'll be gutted like a fish, but if he's too far away number one will get around.
Eventually after the constant dodge and parry escapade, Alister finally got a good counterattack and slashes all four eyes of number two rendering them completely useless. But it wasn't without consequence, before Alister couldn't get out of range number two claws. Its claws cut him from his right shoulder, down to the bottom left of his ribcage.
Alister winced in pain and back stepped a couple feet. It cut right through his leather armor and shirt, it was deep but not life-threatening, at least not right now. His armor is useless, so he took it off and held it in his left hand.
Then Alister had an idea.
He got closer to the blind Corrupted and threw his armor and shirt at it. Out of instinct, the Corrupted took the bait and bit at it. Alister took this opportunity to dash to its left side and pierced it neck, killing it,
The familiar voice spoke in his ear.
[You have slain an Awakened Corrupted: Clawstalker.]
It was a small bit of pleasure, but he basked in it for a couple seconds. Then look at the remaining Corrupted.
Despite the disadvantageous situation he was in, he stood tall. As tall as the jagged mountains that scraped the sky back on earth.
The handsome ivory haired boy that had an apricot color spun at the tips stood without a shirt, bleeding from the clawmark cuts. His gem-like lavender eyes locked with the Corrupted's, daring the other to make a move.
But suddenly before the other could act, he heard Olivia's voice yell out to him.
He heard several footsteps coming toward him.
"Alister!"
Olivia spoke.
"Don't come any closer."
Alister spoke in a calm tone, despite the situation.
They stopped.
"This is my fight, so don't butt in."
Olivia took in the situation, then nodded.
Alister's eyes never left the Corrupted's.
He did have an ace up his sleeve and now was the time to use it.
Noradrenaline.
Alister knew all about the human body from the many books he read, he knew everything about noradrenaline as well. How it influenced the brain, via neurotransmitter. Or better to say it was a neurotransmitter by how it influenced mood, attention and arousal. How it increases heart rate and blood pressure to deliver more oxygen to muscles. How it constricted blood vessels in less essential areas to redirect blood flow to vital organs. How it dilates the lungs airways to increase oxygen intake. How it provided the muscles extra energy for increased physical performance.
Alister was going to utilize it and give himself a burst of power.
This is the power of the blessed bodies that comes from the Aetherbound legacy clan. Making full use of all that the body can offer.
Five seconds at best, that's all he could manage with how beaten up and exhausted his body was.
He breathed in deeply and let it out slowly, surging the noradrenaline.
It's as if everything slowed down to a snail's pace, his dynamic visual acuity as well as his momentary thought process skyrocketed. He took a stance that he saw his eldest brother: Haze, uses a lot. He puts his sword in its sheath and puts his right foot forward and the other back, ready to draw the sword at any time. He dashes to the right side of the Corrupted, but before it could even react he brings his sword from its sheath into a horizontal slash and severs the head of the Corrupted. Its head stayed on its shoulders for a couple seconds then slid off and hit the ground with a thud.
Finally exhaustion settled in and Alister fell to the ground and passed out.
But the system's voice spoke in his ear anyway.
[You have slain an Awakened Corrupted: Clawstalker.]
[You have received an Item: Mistgray Chestplate.]
[You have received a remnant: Clawstaker.]