Back to the present. The clearing erupted into chaos the moment the bandit leader fell.
His massive form hit the ground with a loud crash, sending a cloud of dust. The remaining bandits froze, their weapons trembling in their hands as they stared at their fallen leader.
But the silence didn't last long.
"You're dead!" one of the bandits roared, charging at Kael with a blade crackling with lightning from fragment energy.
Kael dodged the first swing, his reflexes sharp despite his exhaustion. He countered with a quick slash to the bandit's arm, disarming him before delivering a swift kick to his chest.
The bandit staggered back and fell, unconscious.
Neo's spoke in his mind. "Without their leader they are desperate. That makes them dangerous. Stay focused."
Kael nodded, his breathing heavy. Around him, the remaining bandits were regrouping, their fear giving way to anger and a desperate need for revenge.
"Take him down!" one of them shouted, rallying the others.
Kael's fragment pulsed in his palm, its energy syncing with the adrenaline coursing through his veins. He tightened his grip on his blade, his mind racing as he assessed the situation.
The bandits moved in unison, most of their weapons glowing faintly as they surrounded him. Kael backed toward the edge of the clearing, his eyes darting between his attackers.
"You need to act quickly, Kael," Neo urged. "You can't let them box you in."
Kael glanced behind him, spotting a narrow gap between two tents. Without hesitation, he ran towards it, narrowly avoiding an arrow that shot past his shoulder.
The bandits gave chase, their shouts filling the area as Kael ran through the camp. He used the terrain to his advantage, ducking behind crates and slipping between tents to stay ahead of his pursuers.
But they were relentless, and Kael knew he couldn't run forever.
He skidded to a stop near the edge of the camp, his back to a large boulder. The bandits closed in, their expressions a mix of rage and determination.
"You've got nowhere to go," one of them sneered, raising a glowing spear.
Kael's grip on his short sword tightened. "I don't need to go anywhere."
The first bandit lunged, his spear aimed for Kael's chest. Kael sidestepped to dodge the attack, using the momentum to drive the back of his blade into the bandit's jaw. The man fell to the ground, unconscious.
Another bandit came at him from the side, swinging a giant mace. Kael ducked under the swing, slashing at the bandit's legs to knock him to the ground.
The remaining three bandits hesitated, they were loosing confidence as they saw their comrades fall.
"Keep fighting!" one of them barked. "He's just one man!"
Kael's fragment flared in his palm, its energy surging through him as he raised his blade. "One man's all it takes."
Th fragment's energy took over him, granting him the power he had used before. Something he could not comprehend or control.
He charged, his movements were quick and precise. His blade flashed in the moonlight as he disarmed one bandit and knocked another unconscious with a well-placed kick.
The last bandit dropped his weapon and fled into the trees, his shouts of fear echoing in the night.
Kael stood alone in the clearing, his chest heaving up and down as he surveyed the aftermath. The camp was eerily silent, the once mighty bandit group reduced to a scattered group of unconscious men.
Neo's calm voice broke the silence. "You did it."
Kael nodded, his grip on his blade loosening. "For now."
But his victory was short-lived. A low growl echoed from the shadows, sending a chill down Kael's spine.
He turned slowly, his eyes widening as a figure emerged from the darkness. It was another huge corrupted, its grotesque form lit up by the faint glow of fragment energy.
It had no skin, leaving only exposed muscle and flesh. Half of his body was made up of crystals. A single, oversized eye dominated its face, the eye was fierce, while rows of razor-sharp teeth curved into a menacing growl.
Its massive body loomed over Kael. Unlike the other corrupted, this one wasn't just massive and muscular—it was big and muscular but it's legs seemed to be built for speed, and its presence alone sent a chill through the air.
"Kael, you can't fight this thing head-on. It's too strong. And you're too weakened." Neo shouted in his head.
Kael gritted his teeth, his blade steady in his hand. "Then I'll find another way."
"And by the way. You're in my head, I can hear you even if you whisper. That means you shouting is load as heck!" He added, annoyed.
"Sorry."
Just then the corrupted lunged, its claws slicing through the air with unnatural speed. Kael dodged, rolling to the side, but not without receiving a huge wound to the chest. Gritting his teeth, he slashed at the creature's arm.
Black blood sprayed from the wound, but the creature didn't falter.
Kael moved quickly, using his surroundings to keep the corrupted at bay. He led it toward the edge of the camp, where the the bandit leaders body lay.
'Neo,' Kael called to her in his head. 'Can I use the fragments in the leader's armor?'
Neo hesitated. "It's risky, but it might work. Aim for the largest fragment."
Kael nodded, his eyes locking on the faint glow of a fragment embedded in the leader's chest plate then to a large rock not too far from it.
He lured the corrupted closer, dodging its attacks with stained precision.
When the creature was within striking distance, Kael lunged, driving his blade into the corrupted fragment and then quickly jumping behind the rock for protection.
The reaction was immediate. The fragment shattered, releasing a burst of energy that engulfed the corrupted in a blinding flash of light.
Kael shielded his eyes, the force of the explosion knocking him to the ground. When the dust settled, the corrupted was gone, its body reduced to pieces.
Kael pushed himself to his feet, his body aching but intact. He glanced around the camp, ensuring there were no more threats lurking in the shadows.
Neo spoke softly. "You need to keep moving. There's more to this than just bandits."
Kael nodded, his resolve hardening. He had seen enough to know that this was only the beginning.
With one last glance at the fallen bandit leader, Kael turned toward the forest, ready to uncover the truth behind the darkness that had taken root in the land.
And destroy it.