"Well then, let's see how well you can do," Raven muttered, a dangerous smirk tugging at her lips. Her grip on the hilt of her katana tightened as she lowered into a fighting stance, her sharp purple eyes locked onto the massive wolf-like beast.
Without wasting another second, she surged forward, her movements swift and precise, a blur in the misty air.
[Mana Blade Infusion]
A faint hum echoed through the stillness as dark mana surged from Raven's core, flowing into her blade. The katana's steel glowed ominously, now sheathed in a shimmering aura of dark magic. Wisps of energy flickered and coiled off the edge, crackling faintly as if alive. The blade's transformation cast an eerie glow that illuminated the fog around her, giving her an almost spectral appearance.
The shadow beast snarled, its glowing red eyes narrowing as it lowered its head, preparing to counter her advance. Dark mana rippled through its own form, its claws sharpening into lethal edges.
As Raven closed the distance, the beast lunged first, a blur of shadow and claws aiming for her throat. But she anticipated the attack. Twisting her body mid-step, she avoided the deadly swipe by a hair's breadth, her katana flashing upward in a precise arc.
The infused blade clashed against the creature's shadowy form, dark mana meeting dark mana in a brief, violent explosion of sparks. The force of the strike sent shockwaves rippling through the fog, momentarily clearing the air around them.
The beast howled, retreating a few paces as dark wisps bled from the shallow wound left by her blade. Raven didn't let up. She pressed her advantage, her katana a blur of lethal precision as she unleashed a series of rapid strikes, each one crackling with dark energy.
"Not bad," she muttered, sidestepping another attack with ease. "But if this is all you've got, you're not going to last long."
The wolf growled, its shadowy form seeming to shift and ripple. Suddenly, it split into multiple copies, each identical in appearance. The glowing red eyes of the clones stared her down, surrounding her in a semi-circle.
Raven halted for a moment, her katana poised in front of her. A flicker of amusement crossed her face as she assessed the situation.
"Trying to confuse me?" she mused aloud. "Cute trick, but it won't work."
[Phantom Blade Dance]
Her form shimmered as she activated the technique, her movements becoming almost imperceptible. To any observer, it would appear as though there were now multiple Ravens, each one an afterimage of the other, moving in perfect synchrony.
She dashed between the shadowy wolves, her blade carving through the air with deadly precision. The clones faltered, dissipating into dark mist as her strikes found their marks. Within moments, only the original beast remained, its glowing red eyes wide with fury and a hint of fear.
Raven stood a few paces away, her katana still humming with power, its dark aura pulsing faintly. She narrowed her eyes, observing the shadowy beast as it prowled in a half-circle, its crimson eyes glowing menacingly through the fog. "You should've brought more friends," she said, her tone mocking as she adjusted her stance, readying herself for whatever the creature had planned.
A low growl echoed through the fog, followed by another, then another. The sound multiplied, growing louder and surrounding her in a chilling symphony of menace. Shapes began to emerge from the haze—faint outlines of wolves, identical to the beast she faced.
Raven tilted her head, a wry smile forming. "Oh, you did," she remarked dryly, scanning the encroaching figures.
The beast—Gloom—lowered itself into a crouch, its body melting into the fog as if it were one with the corrupted landscape. The illusory wolves stepped closer, their glowing eyes fixed on her. Raven tightened her grip on her katana, her sharp instincts warning her to tread carefully.
Suddenly, the flowers littering the ground began to pulse with a sinister light. The petals shifted and twisted unnaturally, exuding a dense, oppressive mana that clouded her senses. The air grew heavier as the corrupted blossoms seemed to multiply, their vivid black and crimson hues stretching out into an eerie, endless field.
"Tch. This is new," Raven muttered under her breath, trying to steady her focus as the illusions began to warp her perception. The wolves flickered in and out of view, their positions seemingly shifting at random.
Raven narrowed her eyes, her katana at the ready. "Using flowers to mess with my head? That's cute," she murmured, the edge in her voice betraying her irritation.
She closed her eyes briefly, shutting out the distorted visuals, and focused on the mana in the air. Her years of training had sharpened her ability to sense mana flows, even without relying on her unique abilities. Her heart steadied as she tuned out the chaos, zeroing in on Gloom's unmistakable dark presence amidst the illusions.
With a sudden burst of speed, Raven dashed toward one of the wolves. Her katana cut through it cleanly—but instead of resistance, there was nothing. The illusion dissolved like smoke, leaving only the pulsing flowers in its place.
"So that's how you want to play," she muttered, a glint of determination in her purple eyes. "Fine. Let's see how long your tricks hold up."
Gloom's growl rumbled again, louder this time, as if mocking her. The illusions closed in, the corrupted flowers casting flickering shadows that made it nearly impossible to differentiate reality from deception. Raven adjusted her stance, her katana glowing brighter as she infused more mana into the blade.
[Mana Blade Infusion]
With a swift, precise slash, Raven unleashed a wave of dark energy, cutting through several illusions at once. The force of the attack disrupted the fog momentarily, revealing Gloom hiding among the projections. Its hulking, shadowy form bristled as it snarled at her, baring razor-sharp fangs.
"There you are," Raven said with a smirk, locking eyes with the true form of Gloom through the shifting fog. Her voice carried an edge of confidence, her crimson cloak swaying in the corrupted breeze. "No more hiding, Gloom. Let's settle this."
The corrupted flowers around her pulsed, their glow intensifying in unison as the illusions reformed. Shapes emerged from the mist—dozens of shadowy forms identical to Gloom, their glowing red eyes glaring from every angle. The false beasts blended seamlessly into the fog, creating a disorienting tapestry of menace. But Raven stood her ground, katana raised, her grip firm, her heart steady.
"You think this will work on me?" she muttered, her tone almost amused. She let out a slow breath, focusing her mana. The illusions flickered in her vision, each indistinguishable from the real thing. Yet Raven didn't falter. If she was thrown off by a few tricks, then her three years of training would've been meaningless.
The shadowy wolves began to circle her, low growls vibrating through the thick air. Gloom's illusions moved in perfect harmony, each step designed to confuse and overwhelm. The corrupted flowers emitted faint, rhythmic pulses as if mocking her resolve.
"Let's end this once and for all," Raven said, her smirk returning as she steadied her blade. "I'm tired of keeping you company in this wasteland. And I have 50 gold waiting for me."
Her mana surged, flowing through her body and into her katana. The dark blade responded eagerly, its aura crackling to life with an ominous hum.
[Chains of Void]
In an instant, dark mana erupted from the ground beneath her, forming ethereal chains that coiled like serpents through the air. The chains lashed out with precision, bypassing the illusions to seek their true target. The corrupted flowers wilted in their presence, their lifeline severed by the void's touch.
A growl of pain and fury echoed through the fog. The chains struck true, binding Gloom's shadowy form in their unyielding grip. The beast writhed and roared, its illusory doubles flickering out of existence one by one. The fog seemed to recoil, thinning as Gloom's grip on the surroundings weakened.
"There you are," Raven said, her voice calm but charged with anticipation. The chains tightened, glowing faintly with the dark energy she poured into them. "Not so clever without your tricks, are you?"
Raven stepped forward, her katana leveled at the writhing form of Gloom. The corrupted fog began to thin, peeling back like the dissipating remnants of a nightmare. The barren, desolate terrain came into clearer focus, revealing the stark contrast between the fading corruption and the untouched ground beyond its borders. Her mismatched-lit eyes bore into the beast, unwavering and unyielding.
"It's over," she said softly, her voice carrying a finality that echoed in the stillness around them.
Gloom thrashed violently, its shadowy form convulsing as it tried to free itself from the dark chains binding it. The corrupted flowers pulsed one last time, their eerie glow flickering like dying embers. Raven's katana glimmered with a faint aura of dark mana as she raised it high. Every movement she made was deliberate, precise—a culmination of years of training honed for moments like this.
The beast let out a guttural growl, a desperate sound that reverberated through the clearing. But its defiance was short-lived. With a swift, fluid motion, Raven brought her blade down in a clean, decisive strike. The edge of her katana shimmered as it sliced through the shadowy flesh, severing Gloom's head from its massive body.
The beast's head hit the ground with a heavy thud, its glowing red eyes dimming into lifeless blackness. Its body dissolved into an inky mist, the remnants dissipating into the air like smoke caught in the wind. For a moment, the world seemed to hold its breath.
The fog that had blanketed the area began to retreat, unraveling in long, wispy strands. The corrupted flowers that had thrived on dark mana withered in unison, their once-vibrant black petals crumbling into ash. The oppressive weight of the dark mana lifted, leaving the air clearer and lighter. The landscape, though scarred and barren, seemed to exhale a collective sigh of relief.
Raven lowered her blade, the dark aura around it fading as she sheathed it with a sharp click. Her crimson cloak swayed gently in the clearing breeze, now free from the oppressive grip of the fog. She glanced at the ground where Gloom's head had fallen, only to find it gone—dissolved like the rest of the beast.
"Well," she muttered, brushing a strand of dark hair from her face, "that's one way to earn 50 gold."
Above her, Mavis descended from the sky, her small dragon form glowing faintly in the soft sunlight that pierced through the thinning mist. "Not bad," Mavis said, her voice carrying a tone of reluctant approval. "You handled that better than I expected."
Raven smirked, stretching her shoulders with a satisfied sigh. "Of course I did. Was there ever any doubt?"
"Plenty," Mavis replied dryly, her wings folding as she landed lightly on Raven's shoulder. "But I'll admit, you might be worth something after all."
Raven chuckled softly, her gaze drifting to the horizon where Hathwick town lay. The ominous presence that had loomed over the area was gone, leaving behind a fragile peace.
"Come on," she said, turning toward the path back to town. "Let's collect our reward and get out of here. I've had enough of corrupted flowers and shadow beasts for one day."
Mavis gave an amused snort. "I'm sure the townsfolk will be overjoyed to part with their precious gold."
Raven's smirk widened. "They'd better be. After all, heroes don't work for free."