"He said 'master.' That means someone is making them while at the same time forcing his or her will onto them," Asher said, staring at the remains of the man.
"So, what now?" Serena asked.
Asher stood up. "Hm, I guess we return to the village and evacuate the people for now," he said as he turned.
They both started moving, but as they did, they saw the same thick black smoke rising into the sky.
"Fuck. It's from the village," Asher said, his expression darkening.
Without hesitation, he grabbed Serena's wrist, and then, in a blur of movement, black wings of blood unfolded behind him.
"Hold on," he said before they both darted toward the village at full speed.
The wind roared in Serena's ears as Asher propelled them forward with his Blood Wings, slicing through the night like a crimson shadow. The sight of the village growing closer sent a sinking feeling into her gut—thick, black smoke billowed into the sky, and the faint glow of fire flickered in the darkness.
Asher narrowed his eyes. "We're too late."
Serena gritted her teeth. "We don't know that yet!"
The moment they reached the outskirts, Asher released his grip on Serena, and they both landed on the ground, skidding to a stop. The once-peaceful village was in chaos. Houses burned, villagers screamed, and monstrous figures—warped and corrupted—moved through the streets, attacking anything in sight.
Corrupted beasts. Wolves with twisted limbs, boars with glowing blue veins, and even former villagers—now nothing more than puppets under the corruption's control.
Serena's heart clenched. "Damn it! These were people!"
A corrupted villager turned toward them, his once-human face now stretched into something inhuman, his eyes glowing yellow. With an unnatural shriek, he lunged.
Serena reacted instantly. Surge Step.
In a blur, she sidestepped the attack, her daggers flashing as she sliced clean through his neck. The corrupted body crumpled to the ground, black mist leaking from the wound. The source of this content is Novel~Fire. (n)et
Asher raised his hand. Blood Domain—Release.
A wave of crimson energy pulsed outward, engulfing the village in an unseen force. The corrupted creatures shuddered as Asher's power seeped into the air, weighing down on them like a crushing tide.
One of the shadowy figures turned toward them, stepping forward. Unlike the mindless corrupted, this one had intelligence in its eyes. A tall man, draped in tattered black robes, with a twisted grin.
"You must be Asher," the figure spoke, his voice eerily calm. "We've been watching you."
Asher's expression darkened. "And you are?"
The man tilted his head. "Call me Malakai. I serve the one who will remake this world."
Serena scoffed. "Let me guess—by turning people into monsters?"
Malakai chuckled. "Monsters? No. We are simply... evolving."
Asher's patience snapped. "Enough." He flicked his wrist, and crimson spears materialized in the air, aimed directly at Malakai. "I don't care who you serve. You're going to die here."
Malakai's grin widened. "I was hoping you'd say that."
The air trembled as Malakai's dark energy clashed against Asher's Blood Domain, the ground beneath them cracking under the sheer force. The corrupted creatures shrieked, their forms twisting unnaturally as Malakai's presence strengthened them.
Serena tightened her grip on her daggers, eyes locked onto Malakai. "This guy feels different from the others. Stronger."
Asher's eyes glowed a deeper red. "Doesn't matter. He dies here."
With a flick of his fingers, the Blood Spears shot forward, aiming for Malakai's chest and head.
Malakai simply raised his hand. A pulse of dark energy expanded outward, and in an instant, the spears shattered into crimson mist.
Serena's eyes widened. "Tch. He negated them?"
Malakai laughed, stepping forward. "Your power is interesting, Asher. But it's nothing compared to true corruption."
He thrust his hand toward the ground, and black veins spread like wildfire, corrupting everything they touched. The soil turned into a sickly, pulsating sludge, and from it, twisted figures began to rise—grotesque humanoid abominations with elongated limbs and glowing yellow eyes.
Serena grimaced. "Great. More of these things."
Before Asher could respond, the creatures lunged at them with inhuman speed.
Serena vanished in a blur. Surge Step.
She reappeared mid-air, flipping over the first creature and bringing her daggers down in a precise strike. Twin Fang Execution. Her blades sliced through its neck and chest in one swift motion, severing it completely.
Asher didn't bother dodging. He extended his hand, and the blood in the air condensed violently.
Blood Ruler—Crimson Chains.
Thick chains of blood erupted from the ground, wrapping around the creatures and crushing them in an instant. Their corrupted bodies convulsed before dissolving into black mist.
Malakai watched with amusement. "Not bad. But let's see how you handle this."
He raised both hands, and the black veins spread even faster. The ground trembled—then, something massive began to rise from the corrupted soil.
A towering, multi-limbed abomination with a grotesque, skull-like face and glowing blue veins.
Serena cursed. "What the hell is that?"
Asher's jaw tightened. "Something that needs to die."
The abomination let out a piercing shriek before slamming one of its enormous arms toward them.
Serena dashed to the side, barely avoiding the impact as the ground exploded beneath her. Asher, unfazed, stood his ground.
Blood Ruler—Execution Mode.
The air grew thick as his power spiked. His aura deepened into a dark crimson, and the blood around him began to boil.
Malakai's grin faltered for the first time. "Oh?"
Asher smirked, his voice laced with power. "Let's see if you can corrupt something that doesn't fear you."
In an instant, he vanished—reappearing right in front of Malakai.
His fist, coated in pure, condensed blood energy, struck Malakai square in the chest.
The impact sent shockwaves through the battlefield.
Malakai's body shot backward like a cannonball, crashing through a burning house and leaving a trail of corrupted mist in his wake. The sheer force of Asher's punch cracked the ground beneath them, sending a wave of dust and debris into the air.
Serena landed beside Asher, panting slightly. "Damn. You really sent him flying."
Asher's glowing red eyes stayed locked on the rubble. "He's not dead."