The camp was quiet at dawn, but it was not peace. The silence of the corrupted land stretched in every direction, broken only by the distant rustle of leaves that no longer looked alive. The trees around them twisted like bones pressed into the soil, their bark etched with black veins, their crowns drooping under an unseen weight. Even the air carried a stench of iron and ash, as though the world itself had been wounded and never healed.
Andy opened his eyes to that breath of corruption. His body had adjusted to sleeping lightly since stepping foot on this mainland, and the moment the wind brushed across his skin, his Dragon Senses stirred of their own accord. His silver hair shifted as he sat up, letting his gaze sweep across the horizon.
A faint glow blinked in his vision, unseen by the two women who were still wrapped in their cloaks nearby.
[System Notification]
[Dragon Senses Triggered → Corruption Saturation: 43%]
[Progress Bond: Nia ⭐ 40% | Aurelia ⭐ 36%]
His jaw tightened slightly. Forty-three percent. That was not just a trace; that was infestation. The land itself was bleeding, and every creature that survived here would be carrying its taint.
---
Nia stirred beside him, auburn hair spilling across her face as she blinked awake. She stretched lightly, the motion elegant even in travel gear. When her sapphire eyes found him already standing, staff Lumina glowing faint in her lap, she smiled sleepily.
"You're awake earlier than the sun again," she teased softly. "The corruption makes you restless?"
Andy glanced down at her, warmth in his eyes despite the tension in his chest. "Something like that. It feels alive. Watching."
Aurelia's voice slipped in before Nia could answer, playful and husky from just waking. "Or maybe you just didn't want to miss staring at us while we sleep?" She pushed herself up, golden hair falling loose from its braid, one strap of her tunic slipping down a bare shoulder. Her grin was wicked.
Nia rolled her eyes but leaned closer to Andy all the same, pressing her shoulder into his arm. "Ignore her. She doesn't understand restraint."
Andy exhaled, half a laugh. Even here, even in this broken land, their banter sparked light into the morning. "Both of you are impossible."
Aurelia smirked wider, sliding a finger along his forearm. "And yet, you wouldn't trade either of us."
He didn't answer aloud, but his silence, the flicker of softness in his expression, was answer enough.
---
They left the camp slowly, weapons already tucked safely into the Shared Inventory. Andy no longer needed to sling Ember Edge or Tide-Singer at his side—Draconic Oathblade had consumed them, its fused aura whispering at his hip with an invisible weight. He could call it with a thought now, and the system would answer.
As they walked through the outskirts of the corrupted forest, Nia tapped her staff against the soil. Light rippled outward, a cleansing aura trying to push back the corruption. The ground hissed but held firm.
"Lumina's ward doesn't bite as deep here," she murmured. "This place resists."
Andy placed a hand on the soil, feeling the way the corruption throbbed against his palm. It wasn't natural. It was pulsing with intent.
"This isn't just a place gone bad. Something… or someone… feeds it."
The words felt heavier because he knew the system agreed.
[System Notice]
[Corruption Source Detected → Radius unstable. Potential Hostile Tier I Corrupter nearby.]
---
By midday, the group reached the edge of a clearing. Villagers who had followed under their protection stopped short, some clutching talismans, others whispering prayers. The air here was heavier, each breath like ash scraping down the throat.
One of the older men shook his head. "This was once ground where the dragon-blood walked… now, no bird sings. Not even flies dare."
Andy stepped forward, aura expanding unconsciously. The villagers stilled as the weight of dragon and phoenix radiance brushed across them, comforting like a shield. They whispered his name like a ward of hope.
And then—the sky above the clearing split with a screech.
A silhouette stepped out from the tree line. Humanoid in shape, but scales rippled across its flesh, blackened and cracked as though burned from within. Its eyes glowed red, its mouth curled in a twisted smile that showed jagged fangs.
"You…" the creature rasped, voice layered with too many tones. "You carry the dragon's fire." Its claws extended, dragging sparks as they grazed the corrupted soil. "We steal what you protect. We consume what you cherish."
Andy's breath came steady, but his hand rose. Draconic Oathblade shimmered into his palm, and the air itself recoiled as fire, water, and wind swirled together, dragon core resonating at his heart, ember phoenix pulsing faint in his veins.
Beside him, Nia lifted Lumina, sapphire eyes burning determination. Aurelia notched a spectral arrow, her lips curving into a grin that was far too sharp for the moment.
The villagers clung to each other, trembling, but none dared speak.
Andy lowered his stance, eyes locked on the corrupted figure. "Then try. Let's see if you can take what was never yours."
The clearing held its breath. The corrupted land waited.
And with a roar, the first Corrupter lunged.
---