The outpost loomed ahead, a skeletal husk of what it once was. Charred remains of wooden barricades stood in defiance against time, their edges blackened and brittle. The stench of decay clung to the air, thick and suffocating, mixing with the omnipresent weight of corruption that seeped from the land like a festering wound.

  Fuu… I exhaled sharply, steadying my breath as I gripped the skull staff in one hand and my sword in the other.

  "Alright," I muttered, rolling my shoulders and loosening my joints. "Let's do this."

  meow~

  Luna let out a soft meow from her perch on my shoulder, her little claws gripping my cloak.

  “Yeah, I know,” I said, glancing at her. “But we can’t keep running from danger forever.”

  She meowed again, quieter this time, her tiny pendant glowing faintly, as if bracing for what was coming.

  I took another deep breath and let Exira flow into my blades.

  A faint purple sheen flickered across the bone blades, humming with power as I honed them. The swords vibrated ever so slightly, eager—alive. The weight in my hands felt lighter, the edge sharper, Exira intertwining like an extension of myself.

  As soon as the blades were honed, I let the energy flow through my body, steady and deliberate. It pulsed in time with my heartbeat, grounding me as I stretched my joints and muscles, loosening up for the fight ahead. For a moment, I closed my eyes, focusing inward. Expanding Exira outward, I pushed it toward the outpost, extending my senses to their absolute limit.

  The strain was immediate. A sharp, throbbing ache built behind my eyes, spreading like a migraine. I hadn’t felt this kind of backlash in a while, and it was a harsh reminder that I was pushing too hard.

  “Ahhh… I’m never gonna get used to this pain," I muttered, clenching my jaw as I held the connection for a few more seconds.

  The effort paid off.

  There were still goblins inside the camp—at least six or seven of them, their corrupted forms twisted and darkened, barely clinging to what they once were.

  But the real problem was at the centre.

  A massive source of corruption radiated from the heart of the camp, its presence suffocating even at this distance. It didn’t take a genius to figure out what it was—this had to be the chief, the one who’d led the outpost before it turned into this hellscape.

  “Fuu…” I let out another deep breath, easing the strain on my mind as I pulled Exira back.

  I’d gotten my answers, but they weren’t comforting. Strapping the skull staff to my back, I adjusted its weight before gripping my sword tighter.

  With a deep breath, I stepped toward the outpost, and the moment I crossed the gate, I slammed down the Exira I had been channeling.

  The reaction was immediate.

  A ripple of energy burst outward, slamming into the corrupted camp like a shockwave. The very air thickened in response, as though recoiling from my presence. The taint reacted violently, stirring something deep within the ruins.

  Then—the noise.

  Shrieks and roars erupted from deeper within the outpost, guttural and inhuman. The sound clawed at my ears—a cacophony of rage and suffering, the unmistakable cries of creatures long lost to corruption.

  I felt them before I saw them.

  Goblins. Their twisted, malformed bodies emerged from the shadows like rabid animals. Mottled black and gray skin. Glowing, sickly yellow eyes. Their jagged teeth bared in feral snarls.

  There were five of them.

  They moved erratically; their once crude but effective goblin coordination was now warped and unnatural. Some twitched violently mid-step, while others jerked forward like broken marionettes.

  Corruption had eaten away at their minds, leaving behind nothing but hunger and madness.

  Disgusting… It's bad haaa… if not for Noctis, just being inside the outpost would have been difficult.

  I also noticed myself getting stronger; I was slowly gaining an increased perception and rush of strength, which I was sure was Notcis doing. Focusing on the enemies in front of me, I took a deep breath, shifting my stance. Exira pulsed through my veins, my senses sharpening as I studied their movements.

  “Let’s test something,” I muttered, channeling Exira into a quick level 1 burst.

  The unseen energy rippled outward, slamming into them. They faltered for a moment, their movements stuttering, but then they surged forward again, completely unfazed, with no signs of any suppression or damage.

  "This goddamn corruption, Exira won't be of any use at level 1... I should start ramping up the output and I’m damn sure they won’t be feeling pain…” I growled, gripping my sword tighter."

  There were five of them in my view, their coordination sloppy but overwhelming in sheer numbers. I steadied my breathing and channeled Exira at Level 2, feeling the faint mental strain in the back of my mind.

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  Let’s do this, Lexi.

  The first one lunged.

  Its jagged claws slashed toward my chest—too direct. Predictable.

  I sidestepped, letting its momentum carry it past me. In the same motion, I twisted my body, bringing my sword up in a clean arc—

  Shing!

  The blade met flesh.

  A sickening squelch followed as my sword cleaved through its side, splitting it open from the ribs to the hip. Its body folded inward, collapsing with a wet thud.

  One down.

  The second goblin came at me immediately after, swinging wildly. Erratic, fast, but unrefined.

  I raised my sword, parrying its reckless swipes. Sparks flew as metal clashed against corrupted claws. It was strong. Unnaturally so. But strength without skill was nothing more than wasted energy.

  I caught its wrist mid-swing and twisted—

  Crack.

  It screeched as its arm snapped backward at an unnatural angle. Before it could recover, I brought my second sword up—a quick, brutal thrust straight through its throat.

  It gurgled, choking on its own blood as I ripped my blade free.

  Two.

  The remaining three had seen enough. They moved together now, attacking in a frenzied pack.

  Fuuu! I exhaled as I dashed forward, taking the initiative. I slammed Exira into it mid-charge; the force of the impact sent it stumbling backward.

  “Guekk!” it screeched, choking on its own breath as my blade cleaved through its neck in one fluid motion. Its head rolled to the ground, followed quickly by its collapsing body.

  Three

  Wasting no time, I kicked the corpse toward the goblin on my right, using the dead weight to throw it off balance as the goblin fell backward.

  Turning to the left, I launched into my next attack, my blade slicing through the air with precision. The goblin barely had time to react, dodging out of the way, but not without paying the price: its right hand was cleanly severed.

  They rushed in from different angles, attempting to surround me, but this time they were trying to dodge as well.

  I see. Testing my reactions.

  Fuu…

  Soon their patience ran thin as they lunged and their claws swiped at the air, inches from my face, as I backstepped to create space. My eyes gleamed as I channeled Exira, slamming it into them with enough force to push them back slightly.

  I stepped back, giving them ground. Let them think they were pushing me into a corner.

  A sharp burst of Exira-enhanced speed propelled me past their attacks, my body a blur. In an instant, I was behind them.

  Shing!

  My blade sliced cleanly through the back of one goblin's knees, severing the tendons. It collapsed, shrieking, unable to stand. Not wasting a second, I drove my sword down into its skull, silencing it instantly.

  Four.

  The other two whirled around, but I was already moving.

  The goblin to my right snarled, lunging with clawed hands aimed at my neck. Fast. Reckless. I feinted left, baiting it into overextending—

  Then I twisted sharply, driving my knee straight into its gut.

  Crack!

  It doubled over, gasping—and I seized the opening. Bringing my sword down, I drove the blade straight through its spine, pinning it to the ground.

  Five.

  Fuu… Even when corrupted and undead, they still retain their instincts and reactions. Like a normal living being.

  I kept my stance firm, my breathing steady as three more goblins emerged from the ruins ahead, their twisted forms lurching toward me.

  Shit. That made five left on the battlefield—I’d already taken out four, but I’d completely misjudged the numbers. Corrupted beings could hide from my Exira-enhanced sight.

  Something I would need to fix.

  “Graagaeewww!”

  The first two lunged, their jagged claws stretched toward me in a reckless charge.

  Predictable. Simple-minded. Easy.

  Fuuu!

  I focused, channeling Exira at full force. The moment the first goblin came within range—I released. A shockwave of concentrated energy burst forth from me, hitting the creature mid-lunge.

  Its glowing, corrupted eyes widened in panic, but it couldn’t move. Not an inch. As it fell down mid-lunge.

  One down. Next.

  The second goblin was already too close; its claws were slicing toward my throat.

  Faster than the others. Better reaction speeds.

  I twisted, shifting my weight just enough to duck under the swipe. The moment its arm passed over me, I stepped in, driving my elbow into its ribs—

  Crack!

  It screeched, momentarily stunned.

  I didn’t hesitate.

  With a quick flick of my wrist, my sword sang through the air, bisecting its throat in a clean arc. Blood sprayed in a fine mist, its body collapsing instantly.

  Fuuu…

  That was two—

  The moment the body hit the ground, the other three closed in.

  Smart bastards. Using the distraction of their dying comrade to press in.

  I grinned. Too bad for them, I’m not done yet.

  With everything I had, I jumped.

  The ground beneath me cracked from the sheer force, my body shooting upward like a projectile. I soared—higher than any normal human should—ascending far above the battlefield.

  And in that brief moment of suspension, I reached into my Blood Essence. I could feel it—a second heartbeat thrumming within me, and with all the bloodshed, the essence roared. Alive. Hungry. Ready.

  I grinned coldly, whispering the command:

  "[Sanguis Telum]."

  Every drop of blood spilled on the battlefield reacted.

  In an instant, the fluids from the fallen goblins ripped free from their corpses, pulled into the air toward me like a crimson storm. Their bodies convulsed violently, draining dry within seconds—shriveling into nothing more than empty husks. Most of the blood went into the skull staff automatically while the necessary blood coalesced around me, forming three deadly lances, each one glowing with a sinister crimson hue.

  Still airborne, I reached out with my free hand, fingers twitching as I directed the lances.

  My targets had nowhere to run.

  Swish!

  The first lance shot forward, piercing straight through a goblin’s chest—pinning it against the ruined outpost wall.

  The second and third followed in rapid succession; their deadly accuracy was undeniable.

  Pierced. Skewered. Nailed.

  The goblins didn’t even get the chance to scream properly—their corrupted bodies spasming violently as they were thrown backward, impaled against the wall beside their kin.

  Their eyes flickered. Twitched. Their life force faded.

  Silence.

  Fuuu!

  I exhaled sharply as my feet hit the ground once more.

  The momentum of my descent cracked the stone beneath me, but my landing was perfectly controlled.

  I took a second to steady my breathing, my heart pounding, and adrenaline coursing through me like liquid fire.

  The battlefield was quiet now. “hahaha! Man Blood is amazing."

  Only one goblin remained—the one still frozen in time, mid-air, paralyzed by my Exira. Its wide, twitching eyes locked onto mine.

  Desperation. Horror.

  I smiled darkly, never expecting these emotions in a corrupted being… is it due to it being newly corrupted?

  "Almost forgot about you."

  Slowly, deliberately, I walked toward it, my blade still humming with Exira’s faint purple glow.

  Luna let out a low, almost-amused meow from my shoulder.

  "Yeah," I muttered. "Let’s finish this."

  With one clean stroke, I ended it. Its body hit the ground with a dull thud, the glow in its corrupted eyes fading to nothing. I rolled my shoulders, finally relaxing.

  Five. No, nine down.

  I surveyed the battlefield, taking in the aftermath. Corpses drained of blood. Goblins pinned to walls. The remnants of my power painted across the ruins. This fight had been nothing more than an appetizer.

  Because I could feel it—

  The true enemy was waiting.

  |

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