Alden trudged through the Glacial Belt, his expression one of resigned misery.
The wind howled in his ears, and the blizzard continued to rage, unceasing in their attempts to drive him mad.
In his right hand, the young man clutched a metal disk.
Before he had set off, he had racked his brain for a while, trying to come up with a way to make the trek back home less dangerous. He had found his answer inside his Dimensional Bracelet: the Runic Item left behind by Swifty, the rapacious red-haired Scout. And while its effect seemed less potent than before - Alden wasn't sure if the disk was unable to handle his now higher-quality mana, or because the Rune etched on its surface was slowly fading away - it would still come in handy.
At the very least, it could mask his scent from any Defiled prowling the surface of the frozen plain.
For those that burrowed beneath the ground, however…
He would have to deal with them on his own.
'Nothing like being easy prey for a bunch of Ice Wyrms.'
Alden thought, the corner of his lips twitching slightly.
He shook his head, deciding to channel his energy towards pressing on instead of wasting it on meaningless thoughts. And press on the young man did, slowly, carefully, making his way across the Glacial Belt. The harsh environment continued to batter his frame, and there was more than one close call with a bloodthirsty Defiled roaming the land for its next meal.
Alden's good fortune did not last, however.
Having learned his lesson from previous encounters, he kept sending steady bursts of mana through the ground beneath his feet. And just then, he sensed a small vibration. In the next moment, a harrowing maw of needle-like teeth burst up, spraying snow everywhere. Alden had already reacted, shifting his body to evade the blow.
He dismissed the metal disk, snarling as a tenebrous blade immediately manifested in his hand. Without wasting any time, Alden lunged. The abyssal construct in his grasp hissed as its very nature sought to defy and resist the frigid cold. The Ice Wyrm shifted, its frost-encrusted horn glowing with an ominous pale light.
Alden's figure immediately sped up under the effect of [Haste]. He activated the Skill again, however, this time, he did not let it trigger. A slow pressure built in both his mind and body, rapidly growing larger. The mental burden mixed with his muscles screaming their protests almost made Alden release his hold. However, he resisted, somewhat used to the sensation after briefly trying it out in the cave.
Eventually, it felt like he was about to burst. Alden could hold it in no longer.
He gritted his teeth, and tensed his legs, which were coiled tight like a spring, waiting for desperate release. In the next second, an explosive burst of frenzied energy propelled him forth, and his expression eased.
The pitch-black blade in his hand flashed…
And in the next second, a fountain of fetid black blood sprayed through the air. The dark life blood quickly froze over, crystallizing to form shards of frozen blood. The Ice Wyrm screeched, its serrated horn lying on the snow a couple of meters away.
The appendage stained the immaculate white surrounding it, slowly freezing over.
Alden felt a dark satisfaction well within his chest at the sight. He finished his swing and pivoted in one smooth motion, assessing his foe. Now that the Dark Brood had lost its horn - the conduit by which most of its magical power was stored - he did not have to fear it too much. Sure, It still had that annoying ice blast, but if Alden's guess was correct, it would be a lot weaker now.
…Enough that he did not need to worry about his decay being overwhelmed.
Grinning to himself, Alden was just about to take a step forward, when he froze.
He watched in disbelief as a Snow Tiger suddenly lunged at the Ice Wyrm from the side, enveloping the Defiled abomination in its terrifying maw. The latter screeched, attempting to break free. Alas, the former's grip was too strong, and soon, the creature that had once given Alden a lot of trouble departed the land of the living, into whatever realm these corrupted creatures found themselves in after death.
Alden's gaze turned grim.
He internally cursed, his whole body turning tense.
Hurriedly, the young man summoned the metal disk, activating it without a moment's hesitation. Then, he slowly crept back, breathing a slow sigh of relief. Thankfully, it seemed the abomination was too focused on devouring its newest meal to pay him any attention. Alden's lips twitched at the savage display - the striped Defiled was tearing into the fresh remains with the wild abandon only those starved possessed.
Suddenly, Alden paused.
There, beside the ravenous Snow Tiger, shielded by its larger frame, he spied a smaller, tinier version of the creature gazing at its parent's latest meal. It cried pitifully, doubtless wanting to eat. Unfortunately, the older tiger seemed to ignore its plea, too focused on the dead Ice Wyrm.
Alden felt his heart soften for the poor thing.
Actually, he was quite surprised these Tigers still existed, considering the sheer number the Dark Elves had unleashed upon the Sanctuary, and how many of them the defenders had killed during that assault. Still, he was even more surprised at the presence of the young cub.
Alden had always wondered what the offspring of the Defiled would look like. Now, he discovered that they were just like any other offspring. In fact, the only indications that the little tiger had been corrupted were its bloodshot eyes and faint traces of miasma emitted by its figure.
Other than that, it appeared to be a perfectly normal cub. It seemed the abominations only turned into true Defiled when they matured. Sure, intrinsically, they were all the same. However, time was a crucial factor for the young offspring to both develop its murderous instinct and the ability to act on it. Right now, it would be safe to say they were only partially abominable.
Alden's gaze lingered on the little tiger. He wondered if there was any way to cleanse the creature of the vile Defilement which had doubtless claimed every inch of its frame and soul. Alden wouldn't be surprised if the latter was corrupted - perhaps that was how the vileness could gain complete control and influence over these beasts.
A certain healer came to mind. If it was her, maybe she could find a way to solve this. Especially, since she also had one of the Divine Sovereigns as her Sponsor.
One… who had absolute authority over Life.
Alden mentally conjured an image of Celeste ridding the little tiger of the wretched corruption. He smiled slightly, envisioning his precious love embracing the small animal and giving it all the love it deserved, chasing it in the snow and snuggling with it to transmit her warmth. A while later, he shook off his daze.
The larger Snow Tiger had almost finished masticating, and Alden didn't want to wait and stick around when it did. He threw one last glance towards the young cub and turned around, closing his good eye.
The young man then exhaled a turbid breath.
'One day… Arkanis will be rid of this wretched curse.'
He began moving, his feet leaving faint footsteps in the snow.
'I will make sure of it.'