Chapter 39
As the monster named Zaharos the Corrupted finally emerged, the team realized that defeating it would take everything they had—even if it meant burning their very ethereal essences.
Morpheus said firmly,
"We fight with everything we've got, or we'll die—or worse, become corrupted monstrosities ourselves."
Isaac grimaced and exclaimed,
"Damn it! I don't want to turn into some disgusting beast! I still have to keep my handsome face to marry some noblewomen with, uh, generous assets!"
Rosemar shot him an irritated glare, while Morpheus allowed himself a faint smirk.
"That's the kind of spirit we need," he quipped.
But before they could say more, the monster let out a deafening roar that seemed to erupt from the very depths of hell. The sheer force of the sound caused the castle walls to crack slightly.
Yet the roar didn't just shake the walls—it sent waves of fear and madness through their hearts.
Isaac began sweating profusely, his eyes wide with terror as if he were standing in the center of a blazing volcano. Morpheus barely managed to stay composed, while Rosemar's forehead began to glow with the symbol of a purple chrysanthemum. Her hair shimmered gold as she spoke in a cold, magnetic voice that hardly seemed her own:
"How dare you, filthy monster, attempt to frighten me?"
From the ground, vines erupted—much larger than before, laced with crimson veins. The monstrous vines doubled in size, mercilessly assaulting the creature. The sheer bulk of the beast made it too slow to evade.
At the same time, a flower appeared on the shoulders of both Morpheus and Isaac, releasing a violet mist that cleared their minds. Isaac glanced at Rosemar in awe, his voice trembling:
"Y-You've been hiding this power all along? Damn, I wish I'd been blessed by a divine entity too!"
Morpheus thought to himself,
"So, the rumors were true. She really is the sacred daughter of the Church of Eternal Hope."
Despite the damage inflicted, the beast roared again, but Rosemar's flowers nullified the effects of its cry. Its body, however, was gravely injured, with even its grotesque magical limbs partially severed.
But the team's relief was short-lived. The creature began regenerating, its limbs growing larger and stronger. Morpheus muttered in disbelief:
"What the hell is this thing?"
Meanwhile, Isaac conjured massive fiery whirlwinds, hurling them at the monster without hesitation. Yet again, the creature burned, only to regenerate moments later.
Rosemar, her voice cold but strained, said,
"Hurry and find a way to kill it. I can't maintain this form much longer."
Morpheus devised a plan:
"Rosemar, pin it down with your vines and bind it to the castle walls. Isaac and I will attack it directly and search for a weak spot."
Rosemar launched another assault, her vines ensnaring the monster and anchoring it to the towering castle walls. Morpheus and Isaac scaled the walls, using their abilities—Morpheus leaping through shadows and Isaac hovering with bursts of flame.
As they approached the monster's head, it sensed them and began thrashing violently to free itself. But Rosemar's grip held firm, her vines regenerating faster than the beast could sever them.
At that moment, Morpheus shouted to Isaac:
"Now! Let's attack together—aim for its head!"
Morpheus charged his shadow blade for a decisive strike, while Isaac compressed several massive fireballs into a medium-sized orb that radiated intense heat, enough to ignite the very air around it.
Sensing danger, the monster's malevolent eyes glowed a sinister red. It unleashed an even louder, more powerful roar. Morpheus, feeling the imminent threat, yelled,
"Now, Isaac!"
They struck the beast with all their might. The impact caused a violent explosion, a collision of blazing fire and suffocating shadows.
But the monster managed to release a shockwave of sound, throwing both Isaac and Morpheus to the ground.
Moments later, they rose painfully, their bodies wracked with agony. They turned to see the creature writhing in pain, its massive form collapsing.
Isaac shouted,
"Quick, move! It's going to crush us!"
They scrambled to a safe distance just as the beast fell, shattering the ground beneath it.
Breathing heavily, Isaac muttered,
"Finally… it's dead."
Rosemar reverted to her normal form, exhaustion etched across her face.
"At last, it's over," she said.
But Morpheus, his eyes scanning their surroundings warily, said,
"If the challenge is over and the monster is dead, why hasn't the mysterious voice announced it?"
As if in response to his words, the beast's body began to swell ominously, as if it were about to explode.
Reacting with lightning speed, Morpheus grabbed Isaac and Rosemar without explanation and activated his shadow teleportation ability. In a fraction of a second, they were transported far away from the castle.
From their new vantage point, they heard the deafening sound of an explosion. The entire castle was obliterated, and a spreading corruption began creeping outward from the ruins at an alarming speed.
Isaac yelled in frustration:
"Damn it! Where's the mysterious voice? We completed the challenge!"
Morpheus, his tone grim, replied:
"This isn't the time to complain. Run!"
They fled as fast as they could, but even after reaching what seemed like a safe distance, they were horrified to see the corruption still spreading toward them.
Isaac groaned,
"Damn it… I guess this is the end for me. I'll never get to marry any busty noblewomen now."
Rosemar smacked him on the head.
"Is that all you ever think about, you pervert?"
Morpheus, however, remained silent, watching the relentless spread of the corruption. He knew there was no way to stop it.
He looked up at the sky, spreading his arms wide as if to embrace it, a faint smile crossing his lips.
Isaac and Rosemar exchanged puzzled glances.
Just as the corruption was about to reach them, the mysterious voice finally spoke:
"Congratulations, contestants. You have successfully completed the second challenge."
The corruption halted abruptly.
Isaac, his face red with anger, shouted,
"Where the hell were you, you idiot? We almost died!"
Morpheus, lost in thought, muttered to himself,
"Damn… I survived again."
The voice continued:
"Here are your scores:
Rosemar: 280 points.
Morpheus: 230 points.
Isaac: 227 points."
Isaac, his frustration evident, groaned,
"Damn it! Why am I always last?"
This time, however, he refrained from questioning Rosemar's top score. He knew that everything they had achieved was thanks to her.
Morpheus turned to Rosemar and asked gently,
"Are you alright?"
She replied, her exhaustion clear:
"I'm fine. Just… tired."