Yuuto had grown comfortable in Elandrial, with its peaceful groves and the balance of magic and nature. Each day was spent honing his skills, mastering the elements under Aethir's guidance, and delving deeper into the mysteries of magic. But the tranquility of the Elven city was a stark contrast to the danger lurking outside its borders, and as much as Yuuto enjoyed the peace, he knew that Aetheria was a world constantly in turmoil.
One morning, after completing his training in elemental magic, Yuuto decided to venture beyond the safety of Elandrial. He had heard rumors of dark creatures stirring in the woods nearby—corrupted beasts, likely influenced by the spreading dark magic he had encountered before. It was a threat he couldn't ignore, not when he was growing stronger and more capable with each passing day.
Aethir had warned him of the dangers that lay outside the city, but Yuuto was determined to face them head-on. After all, what was the point of mastering the elements if he couldn't use them to protect the world from the growing darkness?
Equipped with his dagger, staff, and the Mystic Bracelet of Mana Efficiency pulsing lightly around his wrist, Yuuto set out into the dense forest that surrounded Elandrial. The trees stretched high above him, their branches weaving together to form a natural canopy that blocked out most of the sunlight. The forest felt alive, brimming with magic, but there was an undercurrent of something darker, something that made Yuuto's senses sharpen.
He moved cautiously, keeping his mana at the ready, listening for any signs of movement. The forest was eerily quiet, the usual sounds of birds and small creatures absent, as if something had driven them away.
As Yuuto ventured deeper into the woods, he began to notice subtle signs of corruption. Patches of the ground were discolored, the once vibrant grass now gray and withered. The trees, too, bore signs of sickness—some of their bark blackened and cracked, with veins of dark magic pulsating through them.
Dark magic is spreading here, too, Yuuto thought grimly, gripping his staff tighter. He had expected something like this, but seeing it up close made it all the more real. If this corruption continued, it could spread to Elandrial—and beyond.
As Yuuto knelt by one of the corrupted trees, inspecting the strange markings etched into its trunk, a sudden sound broke the silence. A low, guttural growl echoed from behind him, sending a shiver down his spine. He stood up slowly, his eyes scanning the surrounding trees.
At first, he saw nothing. But then, in the distance, the underbrush rustled, and Yuuto caught a glimpse of glowing red eyes staring at him from the shadows. The creature emerged from the darkness—a large, hunched figure covered in matted fur, its eyes filled with a feral hunger.
It was a corrupted beast.
Yuuto's heart raced as the creature growled again, its body coiled and ready to strike. It was unlike any of the beasts he had fought before—larger, more twisted, with dark magic oozing from its form. The air around it seemed to warp and shift, as if the creature itself was a manifestation of the corruption.
Without hesitating, Yuuto summoned the power of the elements. He raised his staff and called upon the wind, sending a sharp gust toward the creature. The wind struck with force, but the beast barely flinched, its glowing eyes locked on Yuuto with an unnerving intensity.
"This thing's tougher than it looks," Yuuto muttered under his breath, quickly shifting tactics. He channeled mana into his hands and summoned a burst of fire, sending a wave of flames toward the corrupted beast. The fire roared as it hit, but once again, the beast shrugged it off, snarling as the dark magic surrounding it absorbed much of the impact.
The creature lunged.
Yuuto barely had time to react. He dodged to the side, the beast's claws slicing through the air where he had just been standing. Rolling to his feet, Yuuto sent a pulse of earth magic through the ground, raising a barrier of stone between him and the beast. The barrier held for a moment before the creature's claws smashed through it with brute force.
It's too strong to fight head-on, Yuuto realized. He needed to weaken it somehow, but the dark magic corrupting the creature seemed to make it nearly impervious to his elemental attacks. He had faced dark magic before, but this was different—stronger, more resilient.
As he backed away, his mind raced. There must be a way to disrupt the dark magic.
Then, he remembered something from the forbidden knowledge he had unlocked. Dark magic often relied on specific nodes or weak points—corruptions that could be severed or disrupted. If he could find the source of the beast's corruption, he might be able to turn the tide of the battle.
Yuuto focused, allowing his mana sense to expand, searching for the source of the dark magic coursing through the creature. It was difficult to concentrate with the beast lunging at him, but after a few tense moments, he sensed it—a pulsating core of dark energy buried deep within the beast's chest.
"That's it," Yuuto muttered, his grip on his staff tightening. "That's where the corruption is coming from."
With newfound determination, Yuuto launched into action. He summoned a storm of wind and fire, not to attack directly but to distract the creature. Flames and gusts of wind swirled around the beast, forcing it to slow its attacks and giving Yuuto the opening he needed.
He dashed forward, focusing his mana into a single, precise attack. Channeling the earth's energy, he summoned sharp stone spikes from the ground, aiming directly at the beast's chest—right where he sensed the corruption.
The spikes struck true.
The beast let out a guttural roar as the stone pierced its chest, directly hitting the core of dark magic. For a moment, the dark energy pulsed wildly, but then, with a final shudder, the corruption began to fade. The beast's body convulsed, and slowly, the dark magic that had twisted it began to dissipate, leaving behind only a broken, defeated creature.
Yuuto stepped back, breathing heavily as the beast collapsed to the ground. The fight had been intense, but he had succeeded in purging the corruption from the creature.
As he stood over the fallen beast, a sense of relief washed over him. The danger was far from over—dark magic was spreading, and this was just one of many creatures that had been corrupted. But now, Yuuto understood the power of his elemental magic, and more importantly, he understood how to fight back against the dark forces threatening Aetheria.
But his relief was short-lived.
Before he could catch his breath, a rustling sound came from the trees around him—more growls, low and dangerous. Yuuto turned, his heart sinking as he realized what was happening.
From the shadows emerged more creatures—twisted wolves, their bodies hunched and covered in dark magic, their glowing red eyes fixed on Yuuto.
A wolf pack—and they were preparing to strike.
Yuuto clenched his fists, readying his magic once again. The fight wasn't over. The true danger was only just beginning.