Kael sprinted through the forest, his heart pounding in his chest.
His mind was fixed on the horrifying revelations from the Void Bandits' hideout and the threat over Raven Town's outskirts.
Neo's voice broke through his thoughts. "Kael, you have to move faster. The attack has already begun."
"I know," Kael growled, pushing his body harder. His legs burned, and his breaths came in short gasps, but he didn't slow down.
Every step brought him closer to the outskirts, where he knew the people were unprepared for the onslaught heading their way.
The trees decreased as he reached the edge of the forest. Ahead, the open fields surrounding the outskirts of Raven Town stretched out, dotted with small cottages and farms.
In the distance, faint orange glows flickered in the darkness.
"Fire," Kael muttered.
As he crossed the fields, the sounds of chaos grew louder. Shouts and screams echoed in the night, mingling with the clash of steel and the gut turning roars of corrupted creatures.
Kael's fragment pulsed in his palm, its rhythm quickening as if sensing the danger ahead.
Neo's voice came calm but tense. "You need to find the towns' elite guards. They'll be the key to turning this around."
Kael reached the first farm, its fields were trampled and the buildings around it were scorched. He paused at the edge of the property, scanning the area. The barn had collapsed in on itself.
Then he saw figures moving through the wreckage.
At first, Kael thought they were bandits. But as they stepped into the light, he realized they were something far worse.
The corrupted.
These weren't like the corrupted Kael had fought before. They had not completely transformed to corrupted beings. These corrupted were grotesque mixtures of humans and monsters.
Kael gritted his teeth, his grip tightening on his blade. He stepped forward cautiously.
One of the creatures snapped its head toward him, its hollow gaze locking onto his. It let out a hoarse screech as it charged.
Kael braced himself, raising his blade as the corrupted closed the distance. Its movements were erratic but fast, and Kael barely managed to sidestep its first attack.
He hesitated for a second. "Are these humans or corrupted?" He thought to himself but also to Neo.
"No. These are humans who are going through the pain of turning into these creatures. Killing them would only put the out of their misery." She responded.
With that, he strengthened his resolve and countered with a quick slash to its hip, his blade biting deep into its twisted flesh, his faced turned so he could only see the corrupted side of it.
The corrupted shrieked, black blood spraying from the wound, but it didn't stop. Kael struck again, this time aiming for its legs and then the core, which was the fragment in it's abdomen.
The creature crumpled, its body twitching violently before finally going still in a pool of black and red blood.
"Kael, more are coming," Neo warned before he could get the time to express his disgust.
Kael looked up to see three more corrupted emerging from the shadows, their forms lit up by the fire around them.
"I don't have time for this," Kael muttered, frustration filling his voice.
Kael charged toward the corrupted, his blade a blur as he struck with strained precision and speed.
His, whole body was painful, the slash given to him by the large corrupted earlier pained him deeply. Had these been a stronger corrupted, he would had died from exhaustion already.
Despite that, he forced his body to carry on. The fragment in his palm flared, its energy guiding his strikes and enhancing his reflexes.
Each corrupted fell one by one, their disfigured bodies collapsing into the dirt. But the exertion was taking its toll on Kael.
"Neo," he gasped, "how many more of these things are there?"
Neo's tone was grim. "Too many. The bandits have unleashed a horde. This is only the beginning."
Kael's got even more angrier by the second. The Void Bandits weren't just raiding Raven Town. They were trying to destroy it.
He continued towards the town's wall, leaving the farmstead behind as he followed the sounds of battle.
The outskirts were in chaos. Small groups of villagers and guards fought desperately against the corrupted, their makeshift weapons and fragment-powered tools barely holding them at bay.
Kael spotted a group of guards near a crumbling stone wall, their armor dented and bloodied. They were outnumbered, their faces etched with fear and exhaustion.
Kael didn't hesitate. He charged into the fray, his blade flashing as he cut down the corrupted surrounding the guards.
The men stared at him in shock as he fought, their disbelief quickly turning to hope.
"Who are you, an elite guard?" one of them asked, his voice hoarse.
"No, I just a traveler here to help," Kael replied. "What's the situation?"
The guard pointed toward the town. "The bandits are attacking from all sides. They prevented us from contacting the elite guards who're out of the town right now. We're trying to hold them off, but these... things are overwhelming us."
Kael nodded. "Get as many people as you can into the town. Fortify the gates, hold the line and try to reach the the elite guards."
The guard hesitated but nodded, his expression resolute. "Okay."
since the elite guards were out and there was no one to report to... Kael moved through the outskirts like a storm, his blade cutting through corrupted and bandits alike.
He used the terrain to his advantage using guerilla tactics to take them out. He was running between buildings and striking from the shadows.
But the closer he got to the town, the more resistance he faced. The bandits were well-organized, their better fragment-powered weapons and fragment users giving them an edge over the villagers.
The fragment's power, Kael's will and the adrenaline coursing through his veins were the only things that kept him moving.
"Kael, you need to find their leader," Neo said. "Cut off the head, and the body will fall."
"But be careful. Once your adrenaline runs out you'll be as good as dead"
Kael nodded, his focus sharpening. "Where is he?"
"To your left," Neo said, directing his attention to a tall figure near the edge of the town.
The bandit leader stood at the center of the chaos, his armor reinforced with glowing fragments. He barked orders to his men, his presence commanding and fearsome.
Kael took a deep breath, his grip tightening on his blade. He would end this.
The battle raged on as Kael approached the leader, his movements swift and near silent. The air was thick with smoke and the stench of blood, the sounds of battle echoing all around him.
The leader turned as Kael approached, his dark eyes narrowing. "So you're the one stopping the corrupted from advancing," he growled. "You've made a big mistake."
Kael didn't respond. He charged, his blade aimed for the leader's chest.
The leader raised his weapon, a massive glowing war hammer and blocked Kael's strike with ease. The force of the impact sent a shockwave rippling through the air, knocking Kael back.
"Who the hell are you kid? You'll regret crossing us," the leader said, his voice full of malice.
Kael gritted his teeth. "We'll see about that."
The two clashed in a fierce battle, their weapons colliding with deafening force. Around them, the chaos of the battlefield seemed to fade, the world narrowing to just the two of them.
Since he couldn't see a fragment on the guy, Kael's strikes aimed at the weak points in the leader's armor. But the leader was fast, his strength and skill making him a formidable opponent.
"You're strong little man," the leader said, his tone mocking. "But not strong enough."
Kael didn't answer. He focused on the fight, with unwavering determination.
The leader then shot a small black orb towards Kael. Fortunately, it was slow and easily dodged by him.
Moments later that orb hit a large rock not too far behind Kael, exploding and turning it to dust.
Kael gritted his teeth. "His fragment ability is slow but formidable."
As the battle raged on, Kael began to notice something. The leader's movements were slowing, his strikes becoming less precise.
Neo's explanation came in time. "He's fragment is corrupted remember? I don't know how he stayed human for this long, but he's burning through his fragment energy. Keep the pressure on."
Kael nodded then he dodged a powerful swing from the leader's hammer, countering with a quick slash to his side. The leader growled in frustration, his armor sparking from the impact.
"You'll pay for this," the leader snarled, his voice filled with fury.
Kael's fragment flared brighter, its energy surging as he prepared for the final strike. The leader raised his hammer for a powerful blow, but Kael was faster.
He dodged to the side, driving his blade into the leader's chest. The fragment embedded in the leader's armor shattered, releasing a burst of energy that sent both men flying.
Kael hit the ground hard, the air forced out of his lungs.