Chapter 61: Chapter 61: A New Threat
The forest was unusually quiet that morning, so quiet that the absence of ordinary sounds had become more noticeable than the sounds themselves.
There were no birds singing between the trees, no insects moving through the grass, and not even the distant cries of monsters that usually echoed throughout the deeper parts of the forest. The farther one traveled beneath the thick canopy, the more unnatural the silence became, as though the forest itself had sensed that something was moving through its territory and had decided to remain completely still.
Several figures slowly wandered between the trees.
At first glance, they appeared vaguely humanoid, but the longer one looked at them, the more obvious it became that whatever they had once been, they were no longer anything that could be considered normal.
Their bodies were covered in patches of blackened flesh that looked as though they had been burned from within, while thick, dark veins spread across their skin like cracks running through dried earth. Some possessed unnaturally elongated arms that hung almost to their knees, while others had twisted legs that forced them to walk with strange, uneven movements. Their mouths stretched far beyond the limits of a normal jaw, revealing rows of irregular teeth that appeared to have grown without any regard for the shape of their original bodies.
Their eyes were completely black.
There were no pupils, no irises, and no trace of intelligence behind them.
They simply wandered through the forest.
Step.
Drag.
Step.
Drag.
Every few moments, one of them would stop without warning and tilt its head toward some distant sound before releasing a low, distorted growl from somewhere deep within its throat.
"Grrrr..."
Another creature would answer from somewhere farther between the trees.
"Urrr..."
Then they would continue walking as though nothing had happened.
They were known as Blightborns.
No one knew exactly what they had once been.
Some appeared to have originally been humans, while others possessed characteristics that suggested they had once been monsters. There were even several whose bodies had been altered so extensively that identifying their original species was impossible.
Whatever their origins had been, it no longer mattered.
Something had corrupted them.
Something had twisted their bodies, destroyed whatever remained of their minds, and left behind creatures that seemed to exist only to wander, hunt, and spread the same corruption to anything unfortunate enough to cross their path.
A branch suddenly snapped somewhere ahead.
Every Blightborn stopped.
Their heads turned toward the same direction almost simultaneously.
For several seconds, nothing moved.
Then footsteps could be heard approaching through the trees.
A group of adventurers eventually emerged from the vegetation.
There were four of them.
A swordsman wearing worn leather armor stood at the front, his equipment covered in scratches that suggested he had already survived more than a few dangerous encounters. Beside him was a female archer who immediately reached for an arrow the moment she noticed the creatures, while behind them stood a young mage gripping his staff tightly and another adventurer carrying a shield and short sword.
They had been traveling through the forest for several hours when they encountered the strange creatures blocking their path.
The swordsman slowly raised his weapon.
"W-What are those things? They don’t look like any monster I’ve ever seen."
The mage stared at the creatures, his expression becoming increasingly uneasy.
"I don’t know, but whatever they are, I don’t think we should stay here long enough to find out."
The archer drew an arrow and carefully aimed toward the nearest creature.
"There are too many of them. We should retreat while we still have a chance."
The swordsman glanced around.
At least fifteen Blightborns were visible among the trees, while several more shapes could be seen moving farther behind them.
His expression hardened.
"We’re already surrounded. If we try to run now, they’ll probably attack us from behind."
The shield bearer tightened his grip around his weapon.
"Then we don’t have much of a choice, do we? If we’re going to survive, we need to break through them."
The swordsman nodded.
"Stay together and don’t let them separate us. We’ll push through one side and get back to the main road."
The Blightborns suddenly moved.
Their twisted bodies accelerated with frightening speed, turning what had appeared to be slow, mindless creatures into a mass of violent movement.
"Here they come!"
The first creature lunged toward the swordsman.
CLANG!
He brought his sword up just in time, the impact forcing him several steps backward.
"What strength..."
Before he could recover, another Blightborn attacked from his side.
The shield bearer immediately stepped between them.
BOOM!
The creature struck the shield with enough force to drive the adventurer backward through the dirt.
"Too strong!"
The archer released her arrow.
SHING!
It pierced the head of one of the creatures.
The Blightborn staggered.
The archer’s expression briefly brightened.
"I got it!"
Then the creature slowly raised its head.
The arrow remained lodged inside its skull.
It continued walking.
The archer’s face went pale.
"It didn’t stop..."
The mage immediately raised both hands.
"Move away!"
A burst of fire erupted across the forest.
BOOM!
Several Blightborns were swallowed by the flames, their bodies disappearing behind the intense light.
For a brief moment, the adventurers thought they had created an opening.
Then several silhouettes emerged from the fire.
Their bodies were burned and blackened, yet the damaged flesh was already beginning to close.
The mage stared at them in disbelief.
"What kind of monsters can survive that?"
The swordsman gritted his teeth.
"Forget that. Keep fighting!"
He rushed forward and swung his sword with all his strength.
CLANG!
The blade severed one Blightborn’s arm.
The creature stumbled backward.
But before the swordsman could finish it, another creature appeared behind him.
"Watch out!"
The shield bearer rushed forward and slammed his shield into the attacking Blightborn.
BOOM!
The creature was pushed away, but another one immediately appeared behind him.
He turned.
Too late.
A claw tore across his armor.
"AGH!"
Blood sprayed across the ground.
The swordsman immediately stepped between them.
"Fall back! We can’t keep fighting them like this!"
"There are too many!"
"We can’t break through!"
"Then keep moving!"
The adventurers continued fighting desperately, but the situation deteriorated with every passing moment.
Every time they managed to bring one Blightborn down, several more seemed to appear from between the trees. The forest became filled with distorted growls, the ringing of steel against corrupted flesh, the crackling of magic, and the increasingly desperate voices of the adventurers who were slowly running out of options.
The swordsman was already bleeding from several wounds.
The archer had nearly exhausted her arrows.
The mage’s breathing had become heavy from repeatedly casting spells.
The shield bearer could barely keep his injured arm raised.
The mage looked around desperately.
"At this rate, we’re not going to survive."
A Blightborn suddenly lunged toward him.
He raised his staff.
There was no time.
Then—
SHING!
A black blade flashed through the forest.
The creature stopped in midair.
Its head separated cleanly from its body before falling to the ground.
THUD.
The remaining Blightborns froze.
The adventurers froze as well.
Another black blade flashed between the trees.
Then another.
Five figures emerged from the darkness.
They wore the familiar black attire of the Eclipse Order, their bodies concealed beneath long dark cloaks while their faces remained partially hidden beneath their hoods. Their movements were calm and disciplined, completely different from the chaotic battle that had taken place only moments earlier.
At the center of the group stood a young man carrying an enormous double-headed war axe across his back.
Ken.
One of the Ten Reapers.
His expression remained completely calm as he surveyed the battlefield, his eyes moving across the corrupted creatures before finally settling on the adventurers.
"So these are the creatures our scouts reported."
One of the four Sentinels standing behind him nodded.
"Yes, Sir Ken. Their appearance matches the descriptions we received, although their numbers are considerably higher than expected."
Ken’s gaze returned to the Blightborns.
"How many can you see?"
"At least fifteen, Sir Ken, although there may be more hiding farther inside the forest."
Ken slowly reached behind his back and grasped the handle of his enormous double war axe.
"Then we should make certain none of them remain."
The nearest Blightborn suddenly lunged toward him.
Ken drew his weapon.
The enormous double-headed axe flashed through the air.
SHING!
The creature was cut apart in a single motion.
Its body fell to the ground before Ken had even completed the swing.
Another Blightborn charged from his left.
Ken turned.
BOOM!
The side of his double war axe struck the creature with enough force to crush its upper body and send the remains crashing against a tree.
The four Sentinels immediately moved.
One disappeared between the trees and reappeared behind a group of Blightborns, his sword passing through two bodies in a single movement.
Another moved directly into the center of the horde, cutting through corrupted flesh with precise and efficient strikes.
The third fought from a distance, using controlled magical attacks to prevent the creatures from surrounding the others.
The fourth remained near Ken, eliminating anything that attempted to approach from behind.
The Blightborns had overwhelmed four adventurers through sheer numbers.
Against the five Eclipse members, their numbers meant almost nothing.
One creature leapt toward Ken.
He caught its attack against the shaft of his war axe before twisting his body.
He swung.
BOOM!
The double-headed axe tore through the creature and buried itself briefly in the ground.
Ken pulled it free and immediately turned toward the next target.
Another Blightborn attacked.
He stepped forward rather than backward.
The creature’s claws passed beside him.
Ken rotated his body and brought the opposite blade of his axe upward.
SHING!
The creature was split apart.
The remaining Blightborns began attempting to flee.
Ken looked toward the Sentinels.
"Don’t let them escape. If even one reaches another settlement, we may be dealing with a larger outbreak before we understand what caused this."
The Sentinels immediately changed direction.
"Understood."
They disappeared into the trees.
The forest became a battlefield once again.
But this time, there was no desperation.
There was no uncertainty.
There was only the systematic destruction of the corrupted creatures.
One by one, the Blightborns were cut down.
The final creature attempted to crawl away through the dirt.
Ken approached it slowly.
The creature raised its head and released a distorted growl.
"Grrrr..."
Ken lifted his war axe.
"Whatever you were before, you’re no longer the creature you once were."
He brought the weapon down.
BOOM!
The forest became silent.
The final Blightborn collapsed.
Ken slowly lowered his weapon and looked across the battlefield.
The four adventurers remained frozen.
They had watched the entire battle.
The creatures that had nearly killed them had been eliminated in only a few minutes.
The swordsman slowly lowered his sword.
"Strong..."
His voice trembled slightly.
The shield bearer stared at Ken and the Sentinels.
"Thank you for saving us. If you had arrived even a little later, I don’t think any of us would still be standing."
Ken glanced toward them.
"You were fortunate that we arrived when we did."
The swordsman lowered his head.
"We owe you our lives."
Ken didn’t answer immediately.
Instead, his attention shifted toward the bodies scattered throughout the forest.
"Are these the corrupted beings?"
One of the Sentinels stepped forward.
"Yes. These are the creatures we’ve been investigating."
Ken crouched beside one of the corpses.
He examined the blackened flesh, the strange veins, and the unnatural structure of the body.
"This is troublesome."
He stood again.
"We need to report this to headquarters as soon as possible. If these creatures are appearing outside the areas we’ve already identified, then the situation may be developing faster than we expected."
One of the Sentinels nodded.
"Understood."
Ken looked toward the corpses.
"But before we leave, inspect their bodies thoroughly. I want you to determine whether they possess a core, magical organ, crystal, parasite, or any other structure that could explain the source of their corruption. Record everything you find, and preserve any samples that might be useful for further analysis."
"Understood."
The Sentinels immediately separated and began examining the remains.
One carefully cut into the chest of a Blightborn while another inspected its skull and spine, searching for anything resembling the core of an ordinary monster.
After several minutes, one of them suddenly stopped.
"Sir Ken."
Ken turned toward him.
"Did you find something?"
"Nothing resembling a normal monster core. However, there are traces of concentrated corruption embedded throughout the tissue, and the concentration appears to be considerably higher around the nervous system."
Ken’s expression became more serious.
"Collect a sample and preserve it properly. We need to determine whether that corruption is responsible for the transformation or merely a result of it."
"Yes."
Another Sentinel called from farther away.
"Sir Ken, there are similar traces here. The structure is different, but the corruption appears to be the same."
Ken slowly looked toward the surrounding forest.
"So it isn’t an isolated mutation."
He tightened his grip around the handle of his war axe.
"That makes this even more troublesome."
The four adventurers remained nearby, uncertain whether they should leave immediately or wait for permission.
Ken eventually noticed them.
"You four."
The adventurers immediately straightened.
"Yes?"
"Leave the forest."
The swordsman blinked.
"Leave?"
Ken nodded.
"We don’t know whether there are more of these creatures farther ahead, and remaining here would only put you in unnecessary danger. Return to the nearest settlement and report what happened to the local authorities, but do not attempt to investigate the creatures yourselves."
The swordsman quickly bowed.
"Understood. Thank you again for saving our lives."
The shield bearer lowered his head.
"We really thought we were finished."
The archer quietly added,
"We’ll make sure to report what we saw."
Ken nodded.
The adventurers exchanged glances before turning around and disappearing between the trees.
Once they were gone, Ken looked toward the remaining Sentinels.
"Have you detected anything else?"
One of them closed his eyes and expanded his senses throughout the surrounding forest.
A moment later, he shook his head.
"I can’t detect any others nearby, Sir Ken."
"Nearby isn’t enough."
Ken looked deeper into the forest, his expression becoming increasingly serious.
"Search the surrounding area and follow any traces of corruption you can find. If there are more Blightborns in this region, I want to know before they reach another group of travelers."
The four Sentinels nodded.
"Understood, Sir Ken."
They dispersed between the trees, carefully examining the ground, broken branches, and faint traces of corruption left behind by the creatures.
Ken remained where he was for a moment, staring at the blackened remains of the Blightborns.
The corruption around the corpses was faint, but unmistakable.
Something had created these creatures.
Something had changed them.
And whatever that something was, it had left behind a trace that the Eclipse Order could now follow.
Ken looked toward the distant direction of the capital.
"We’ll report this to headquarters."
His expression became colder.
"If these creatures are appearing in multiple regions, then the laboratories may not be the only problem anymore."
He tightened his grip around his double war axe before turning toward the forest.
"Keep searching."
The five Sentinels disappeared between the trees.
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