Evolution of the Ruined Heir

Chapter 218: Corrupter

As Malakai pulled up his map on his lifeguard, he instantly saw what had her worried.

‘The darkness creatures are moving.’

Across the map, the red dots that had converged on one point had begun to spread.

“We have to move.” Laila’s voice was urgent. She had already begun sprinting through the forest before her words had even dropped.

“Little bro! Chubby cheeks! We’ll fall behind, let’s go!”

The forest floor trembled as Grunde shot forward behind her, speed blazing fast.

“Why couldn’t he call me little bro too…” Renlo muttered, clearly downcast at being called chubby cheeks.

He turned to look at Malakai, only to see he wasn’t there, he’d already taken off into the forest.

Renlo sighed, pulled a ration pack from his utility belt, and shoved it into his mouth. Feeling a small surge of energy, he took a deep breath and dashed after the squad.

‘What is going on?’ Malakai kept his thoughts sharp as he pushed himself to keep up.

Although Laila and Grunde could definitely move faster, it was clear they didn’t want to leave them behind, despite how urgent things were.

‘I’m still too weak.’

Malakai shoved down the feeling as he turned to his lifeguard.

‘We’re almost there.’

Seconds passed before the group reached the edge of a large clearing. Malakai’s gaze landed on the scene unfolding, and his eyes narrowed.

‘What the hell…’

In the middle of the clearing, a lone Blood Guardian was engaged in battle with two… figures. That was the best way Malakai could describe them.

They were barely covered, scraps of beast hide only shielding their privates. They were humanoid in form, but with grotesque bestial features, one had antlers jutting from his head, another baboon like fists, and the first had the four legs of a gravetorn.

They fought like they looked, like savage beasts. They overwhelmed the guardian from every angle. Each clash cracked the earth and shook the ground.

“Grunde will assist the guardian!” Grunde shouted before Laila could give orders, bursting into the clearing with a sonic boom.

“Can you handle a grade two?”

Malakai was pulled from his thoughts by Laila’s sudden question. He tracked the creature sprinting toward one side of the forest and answered, “Yes.”

“Alright. Renlo,” she turned to him just as he arrived.

“Y-yes, lieutenant!” he saluted, struggling to hold back his panting.

“You handle the grade one,” she said, pointing toward another direction. Two grade ones were headed there. “I’ll deal with the two grade twos that way. When you’re done, regroup back here. Understand?”

“Yes, lieutenant!” Renlo said quickly. Malakai gave a short nod.

“Good. Now move.”

As Laila vanished, Malakai met Renlo’s gaze. The latter nodded back, more serious now, before sprinting away toward his target.

‘It must’ve been pushed out from the clearing by the intensity of the clash.’

Darkness creatures were drawn to the nearest vita source, or more often, the one with the highest amount. Unfortunately for the grade two, the ones battling in the clearing were at the synergy stage. The sheer energy of their clashes had driven it off.

As Malakai neared the creature, his eyes narrowed.

‘A grade two corrupter.’

One of the more dangerous types.

‘Good thing we’re in the middle of nowhere.’

A corrupter’s ability matched its name, it corrupted. If other humans were nearby, it could influence those with weak wills, disorienting them or taking complete control, sometimes driving them to suicide and using their death to spawn more darkness.

They were dangerous.

The creature noticed Malakai. It stopped, turning sharply. Its gaze glinted with hunger. High vita source. Weaker than those in the clearing. The perfect prey.

Its lips curled into a wide, unhinged grin, revealing jagged, spiky white teeth. It dropped to all fours.

‘It’s coming.’ Malakai tensed.

Corrupters weren’t like summoners. The latter lacked strength and relied on their beasts. But corrupters… they had power befitting their grade.

It moved, a streak of black shooting toward him like a missile. Malakai’s eyes constricted.

‘Fast…’

This was the first time he was facing a grade two alone.

He focused. Felt the vita roar through his body. Then reached outward, activating his perception field. Twenty meters around him lit up like a canvas.

He saw it clearly. A lanky, humanoid beast, far too long in limb, its fangs glinting, claws sharp like iron nails, rushing him at speed.

He didn’t waste time.

He drew the curved staff from his waist and poured vita into it. Two curved, translucent blades materialized from its ends just as the creature’s claws reached him.

The creature’s smile widened as a dark wave burst out from its body, slamming into Malakai with crushing force.

‘It won’t work.’

Malakai had already braced himself. It was one of the corrupter’s signature attacks, corrupter’s wave. It was a wave that struck the mind. At best, it could paralyze. At worst, it could take over completely.

But Malakai’s will had long surpassed that of a typical node formation evolver. He didn’t even flinch.

He shifted to the side, just enough to let the claws sail past his head. Then, without hesitation, his right arm snapped upward, the scythe blade tearing toward the corrupter’s neck.

The beast widened its eyes. It reacted, its other arm moving to parry the scythe.

But unfortunately for it, it was a grade two claw against a grade three weapon. The result was obvious.

The blade tore through its claws then neck without resistance, and its head hit the ground before its body did.

Malakai wore his surprise on his face. He looked at the weapon in his arm, then at the severed remains of the grade two corrupter on the ground. The sliced part still sizzled.

‘It’s amazing.’

His weapon was better than he’d expected. It had torn through the hard claws of the creature as though it were nothing. Numerous scenarios began to play in Malakai’s head, but he pushed them all down and quickly approached the creature.

‘It reacted at the last moment.’

Although Malakai had caught it off guard by being unfazed by its corrupter wave, it had still reacted to his attack in the last second. The battle would’ve lasted longer if not for his weapon.

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