The jagged peaks of the corrupted mountains loomed closer as Astrael pressed onward. The air had grown heavier, thick with the oppressive weight of chaos that pulsed through every inch of the landscape. The ground beneath his boots cracked and crumbled, and faint streams of red and green energy seemed to snake through the world like veins. Astrael's thoughts were still tangled from the previous battle, his body weary but his mind sharp. He had learned something crucial: to stop the corrupted creatures, he had to target the core—the heart of the chaotic energy.
As Astrael journeyed further, a low rumble shook the ground beneath him. His instincts kicked in, and he moved swiftly toward the source of the disturbance. When he arrived at the scene, his heart sank. Emerging from a massive fissure in the earth were dozens of twisted, grotesque creatures. Each one was larger and more deformed than the corrupted villagers he had fought before. The air around them pulsed with dark energy, their eyes glowing with that same malevolent red light.
Astrael's gaze swept over the mass of creatures, crawling out of the rift, their grotesque forms moving with unsettling, jerking motions. The sheer number made his stomach twist. He'd barely managed to take down five corrupted villagers, but this—this was something else entirely.
Over fifty of them… Astrael thought, his grip tightening on his sword. The odds weren't in his favor. His body was already sore from the relentless training and battles of the past few days, and now, he faced an onslaught that seemed impossible.
But there was no turning back.
As the first wave of creatures approached, Astrael readied himself. He steadied his breath, focusing his energy around his sword as he had done in the previous fight. His cosmic power hummed through the blade, guiding him as he prepared to strike at the core of their corruption.
The first creature lunged, its massive limbs flailing toward him. Astrael sidestepped and swung his sword with precision, aiming directly for the center of the creature's chest. His blade found its mark, cutting through the dark energy that held the creature together. The core shattered, and the beast collapsed into a heap of ash.
Astrael barely had time to recover before another came at him. He moved swiftly, dodging the attack and countering with a strike aimed at its heart. Another one fell, its body disintegrating as his sword cleaved through the energy.
But the creatures kept coming. For every one he took down, two more appeared, crawling out of the fissure like insects. Their numbers overwhelmed him, their grotesque forms surrounding him from all sides. Astrael's breath came in short, sharp gasps, his muscles burning with exertion as he fought to keep up.
He dodged as many attacks as he could, his agility keeping him just out of their reach. But with every minute that passed, his movements grew slower. His muscles screamed in protest, his body beginning to tire. He had been fighting for what felt like hours, and the sheer number of creatures was taking its toll.
Then, it happened—one of the creatures' claws swiped across his arm, the sharp, jagged limb tearing through his armor and biting into his flesh. Astrael winced, stumbling back as pain shot up his arm. Blood seeped from the wound, staining his sleeve as he gritted his teeth and forced himself to keep moving.
Another creature lashed out, and this time, Astrael wasn't fast enough to dodge. The blow struck him across the chest, sending him staggering backward. His vision blurred momentarily from the impact, and he felt the breath leave his lungs. The dark energy of the creatures crackled in the air around him, pressing down on him with relentless force.
Astrael took a deep breath, trying to steady himself. His agility was faltering, and his body was slowing down with each passing second. He couldn't dodge everything anymore. The fatigue was setting in, his movements sluggish, the once-fluid grace of his fighting style giving way to desperation.
Summoning every ounce of strength left in his body, Astrael focused his energy around his sword once more. The blade glowed faintly with the same cosmic power that had guided him through the earlier battles. He had learned how to control it, how to use it to target the core of the creatures' corruption. That knowledge was his only advantage.
Another creature lunged at him, and Astrael swung his sword in a wide arc. The strike landed true, shattering the dark energy at Its core and sending the creature crumbling to the ground. But even as it fell, more took its place, surrounding him on all sides.
Pain surged through his body as another strike grazed his leg, the force of the blow nearly toppling him. Astrael stumbled, barely managing to stay on his feet. His breath came in ragged gasps, his vision narrowing as exhaustion began to cloud his mind.
Focus, he told himself. You've learned this. You know how to stop them.
Another creature lunged, and Astrael swung his sword, channeling his remaining energy into the strike. The blade cut through the air with precision, and the creature's core shattered in a burst of dark light. But the effort had drained him. His legs trembled beneath him, his arms aching as he struggled to lift his sword for the next attack.
They were relentless. One after another, the creatures kept coming, their dark energy swirling in the air, suffocating him. Astrael's movements grew slower, more labored. He could feel his strength waning, his body on the verge of collapse. His vision blurred as pain radiated through his limbs, the cuts and bruises he had sustained weighing him down.
But he couldn't give up.
With a final burst of determination, Astrael pushed himself forward, his sword gleaming faintly with the last of his cosmic power. He swung again, and again, each strike aimed with deadly accuracy at the hearts of the creatures. One by one, they fell, their forms disintegrating as the energy that had controlled them was severed.
But the cost was high. Astrael's every muscle burning, every breath painful. His wounds throbbed, and blood trickled down his arm and leg, staining the ground beneath him.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the last creature fell. The air around him was still once more, the dark energy that had filled the battlefield dissipating into the sky like smoke.
Astrael stood there, his chest heaving with exertion, his sword hanging limply at his side. But he had done it. He had stopped them.
But Astrael's victory felt hollow. The battle had taken everything from him. He had pushed himself to the limit, and he knew that the real fight was still ahead. The true source of the corruption, the heart of Vaalgorth's corruption on this world, still waited for him in the mountains.
Wiping the sweat and blood from his brow, Astrael sheathed his sword and took a deep breath. He had survived, but he wasn't sure how much longer he could keep going at this pace. The weight of the journey ahead pressed down on him, heavier now than ever.
Astrael stood panting, he watched as the last of the creatures crumbled to ash, their corrupted forms no longer animated by the chaotic energy that had held them together. His sword hung loosely in his hand, the faint glow of his cosmic energy fading as his power waned. But even as the battle ended, Astrael's attention was drawn to the massive fissure from which the creatures had emerged.
The fissure in the earth still pulsed with dark energy, the chaotic force that had spilled forth threatening to pour more of Vaalgorth's corruption into the land. The jagged tear stretched deep into the ground, its swirling black and red energy twisting like a storm, rising toward the sky in menacing waves. Astrael's heart sank as he realized that while the creatures had fallen, the true source of the corruption—the fissure itself—remained open, a gateway through which more chaos could flow at any moment.
His body was weary, his energy depleted, but Astrael knew he couldn't leave the fissure open. If he didn't stop it now, more creatures would emerge, and the battle would never truly end.
Summoning the last reserves of his strength, Astrael focused his mind. The cosmic energy that Xal'Anar had granted him was a force not only for destruction but for stabilization and balance. He had learned to channel It through his sword, to direct it with precision. Now, he would need to use that power to seal the chaos and restore some semblance of order to the fractured land.
Kneeling at the edge of the fissure, Astrael placed his hands on the ground, feeling the chaotic energy pulsing beneath him like a living thing. His eyes closed as he concentrated, drawing in what remained of his cosmic power. His breathing slowed, each breath measured as he reached out to the energy within the fissure, feeling its chaotic pulse like the beat of a twisted heart.
"I can't let this continue," he whispered to himself, his voice strained with exhaustion. "I have to stop it."
With a deep breath, Astrael extended his cosmic energy into the ground, letting it flow from his hands into the fractured earth. The energy hummed through his veins, flickering with the same vibrant blue light that had guided him through battle. Slowly, carefully, Astrael began weaving the strands of his power together, creating a net of stabilizing energy that could close the rift.
The fissure resisted. The chaotic energy within it pushed back, fighting against Astrael's efforts to contain it. The ground beneath him trembled, small stones and dust rising into the air as the very fabric of the earth seemed to twist and buckle. Astrael gritted his teeth, his muscles tensing as he pushed harder, his focus narrowing to a single point—the heart of the fissure, where the energy was strongest.
It was like trying to sew together a wound that refused to heal. Every time Astrael managed to close one section of the rift, the chaos would tear open another. Sweat dripped down his face, mixing with the blood from his wounds, but he didn't stop. He couldn't stop.
With a final surge of effort, Astrael poured everything he had into the fissure. His cosmic energy wrapped around the chaotic force like a bandage, sealing the cracks, forcing the dark energy to retreat. The ground rumbled beneath him, and for a moment, Astrael thought the fissure would reopen, spilling more corruption into the world.
But then, slowly, the tremors began to subside. The swirling energy within the fissure started to fade, the dark tendrils of chaos retreating back into the depths of the earth. The jagged tear in the ground began to close, the edges knitting together like a healing wound. Astrael could feel the resistance weakening, the chaotic force losing its grip as his energy took hold.
Finally, with one last pulse of light, the fissure sealed itself shut.
Astrael collapsed to the ground, his body drained of energy, his breathing ragged. The land around him was still, the chaotic energy that had once threatened to consume it now gone. The fissure was closed, the corruption contained—for now.
He lay there for a few moments, his mind numb with exhaustion. The battle had taken everything from him, and the effort of sealing the rift had nearly broken him. But as he stared up at the dark sky, he felt a flicker of hope. He had done it. He had stopped the immediate threat, sealed the gateway that had allowed the creatures to pour into the world.
But Astrael knew this was just one fissure, one battle in a much larger war. There would be more rifts, more chaos, more creatures twisted by Vaalgorth's corruption. And each time, the fight would grow harder. He wasn't ready for what lay ahead—he knew that much—but he couldn't turn back now.
Astrael lay on the ground, his body trembling from the effort it had taken to close the fissure. His breath came in shallow gasps, his mind numb with exhaustion. But despite the pain, there was a sense of accomplishment. The chaotic energy had been sealed, and the rift was closed—for now.
Slowly, he pushed himself up onto his knees, his muscles protesting with every movement. His vision blurred slightly as he rose to his feet, unsteady but determined. The jagged peaks of the mountains still loomed in the distance, a stark reminder of the battles yet to come.
But as soon as Astrael took that first step, the weight of everything he had done hit him all at once.
His legs buckled beneath him, and a wave of overwhelming fatigue crashed down on him like a tidal wave. The energy he had expended in the battle, the force he had used to seal the fissure—it all came rushing back, draining him in an Instant. His vision darkened, and the world around him seemed to tilt and spin.
Astrael tried to steady himself, but it was too late. His body could no longer keep up with the demands he had placed on it. His head felt heavy, his limbs numb. The sound of his heartbeat echoed in his ears, growing fainter with each passing second.
Before he could react, his vision went black, and the ground rose up to meet him.
Astrael collapsed, unconscious, his body lying still at the edge of the sealed fissure. His sword lay beside him, the faint glow of his cosmic energy flickering out as he succumbed to the exhaustion that had finally overtaken him.
The world around him was silent, save for the distant howl of the wind through the desolate landscape. And as the darkness took hold of him, Astrael's journey paused, his body and mind demanding the rest they so desperately needed.