CHPT 242: A Brush of Black through a Forest of Green; Corruption in the face of Correction.

For the first time, stepping out into the night was uncomfortable. Uncomfortable in a way Claude wasn't entirely used to. The hairs on his neck stood on end during his runs, his eyes stayed in a flaming shade of green and flashed to any signs of movement in the dark and he forced himself to constantly take in deep breaths through his nose-- scenting the air with the urgency of one awaiting something horrible.

The HellBreeder's affects hit him like a boulder even when he hadn't seen its progeny in over a week. Maybe even more so for that exact fact. It made his head spin as he uncontrollably thought up why it hadn't shown up to take another stab at avenging its maliciously formed children. He was more than ready, and yet, nothing came. Even as he roamed the forests with his pack of Wolves, nothing.

Calm before the storm. That's what the feeling reminded him of. He felt vulnerable in its absence, like it was planning. He felt like the only doe on earth in a forest full of crouching tigers, sitting in the silence of the outside world while his mind screamed in the face of his perceived danger.

The feeling of oncoming danger stayed in his mind a way that felt almost suffocating. He had many future events to worry over with more dire consequences, but this one in particular-- it was too close.

Every time he changed, he was reminded of what he was and who despised that. Every-time he smelled the rich scent of blood, he was reminded of the many Raider's him and the Wolves of the wild had slain. Even the cold winds held a very strong reminder of what was to come. The winds that picked up with a harsh intensity by the day, growing colder and colder. Sure, winter was coming, but Hell was already here. And for the first time, Claude had no idea of where exactly.

The question festered and bloomed within his active mind until the rigorous tasks of cleansing Infested Areas was all he focused on.

With his white stone blade, Bane of the Undead, he cleaved through a batch of Skeleton Soldiers in record time-- returning to the SkyLight Guildhall only to pick up another Quest that resulted in him brushing up his spear skills in a cave full of Goblins. Luckily, he was able to save a few of their beaten and broken victims, but the rest had to be avenged.

It was a quiet night within the Guildhall, it seemed the cold was beginning to keep people within their warm and safe homes. With that in mind, Claude plunged himself into the task of Monster slaying and ignored the scarce amount of looks he got for speed-running Infested Areas.

By the time the beginnings of the morning sun lit the bottom half of the navy-blue eastern sky-- splashing it with shades of orange and purples, a good chunk of the Bronze Undead Infested Area Quests on the board were gone and Ilka looked happy enough to explode.

Ever since he failed to save the folks of the village she'd once visited, she seemed to look at the Board with a new understanding of its importance. And by completing these old Infested Areas, maybe he didn't save the ones she lost, but he stopped others from dying in the future.

It was a slow grind, but the bottom half of the board was clearing-- there would always be more, but he was keeping the numbers at bay. And along the way he was growing in power. When the doors of the SkyLight Guildhall shut behind him and he stepped out into the streets, he did so as a Lupine of Romulus at Level 19-- almost Silver Ranked....still worlds away from where he needed to be.

***

After returning his belongings to the his father's ghost of a cabin, he made his way back to the Aslan Estate, ready to sneak back inside and pretend he slept through the night like the rest of his friends.

The successful Night Run left his mind relaxed and muscles in a similar state-- allowing him to effectively speak to Arne about future events. Exercise never failed.

"[So, you do know what's to come after you reach Level 20 correct?]" Arne questioned as Claude walked through the wilds with Frosty and the Phantom Wolves.

"Stronger Monsters....?"

Frosty and Shadow filled the silence that followed with playful yips and grunts while they played around with a large stick.

"[Not quite. Not only stronger Monsters-- but also smarter. For most Tangent-Born creatures, the Mass Intelligence Increase hits at the Silver Rank. Monsters get smarter, therefor making them more deadly. Kobolds make more intricate traps, Gnoll's and Centaurs have the communication of Wolf packs-- even Goblins become more efficient workers....]"

While Claude listened to Arne's explanations of the Silver Rank and its new dangers he suddenly realized just how severe the Silver Reapings Prof. Raizen spoke about were for the second years. Your mind became just as important as your body-- even more so in some cases he assumed.

"[.....Speaking of intelligence and the mind. I hope you've been seriously reading through those Monster Anatomy books.]"

A lightbulb went off in Claude's mind, "Right. Monster parts and Weapon Empowerment. I remember.."

"[Good. With my help-- hopefully, this oncoming Rank Up shouldn't be too difficult to adjust to.]"

***

The two continued talking during their journey while the Wolves roamed ahead, following scents and playing on and off with the everlasting stamina all wolven-kind seemed to have. The sun rose further during their journey, splashing the forest in varying colors of bright sunlight and pale moonlight-- it was calming. No blood, No dead bodies, No Monsters and no unwelcomed sounds. Just his feet crunching through the dead leaves of the forest floor and his own breaths.

"..." He froze immediately.

He was in a forest, at the break of dawn. Yet, there was no sounds of life. No scampering rodents in the underbrush. No rabbits to drive the Wolves crazy. No early morning birds. Nothing.

"Something's here...." He snarled quietly while he looked around the forest. Even the Wolves noticed the change-- now circling him defensively with their teeth bared and noses to the sky.

"[Your absolutely right, but whatever it is-- it's either incredibly stealthy or far away. You would've heard or smelled it already if it was as near as it should be...]"

A shiver ran down Claude's spine, "Wha--....Are you saying whatever cleared out the prey in this forest...may not even be in the forest yet?"

"[....I'm afraid so.]"

His thoughts scrambled-- but the back of his mind was screaming the answer at him to the point that he couldn't ignore it.

In a rush, he crouched and placed his hand into the cold dirt of the forest ground. He let the connection form a line of communication from him to the surrounding forest as the image of the woodlands in his mind glimmered to life. The easiest way for him to find the HellBreeder's tainted offspring was to feel for their incorrectness in nature-- like a large stain that drowned out natural life with its oily black evil.

While he waited, he activated, (Sensory Focus), letting his enhanced sense of smell paint a picture his eyes would never see.

Frosty and the Phantom Wolves began to stir with anxiety while he scented the air.

Dirt...vegetation...wood...fur..water..urine..feces...flowers...fire--something burning. The scent was faint-- but it was growing. Whatever it was--- it moved fast. Smelling of an acrid burning scent. Like burnt poison. The smell made his eyes water.

As if performing a long distance assault, the being entered the forest immediately after his nose and eyes began to sting-- only agitating them further and making his body break out in cold sweats.

The image of the forest within his mind. He could see it all. A valley of green trees and woodlands as far as the eye could see-- when the being entered, murky black tendrils began to blot out the forest following its destructive trail of corruption. Within his mind, it looked as if someone had a can of black paint and just poured it down his forest in a straight line. Heading directly towards the epicenter-- where he stood.

If he were to simply go based off this experience. This was the strongest Demonic Creature he'd ever encountered.

In a rush, he stood up and unsheathed his sword-- not even worried about not wearing his armor since he knew it would do nothing. All he needed was a weapon, his Lunar Artifact and and his growing thirst for revenge.

The assumed HellBred was coming-- any second.

For a tense stretch of seconds, he listened to the forest. Just barely, he could hear it crunching through grass, breaths uneven and fluid-filled. The smell of burnt poison now hung thickly on the air like a focused fog.

The beginnings of green energy flowed from his left hand-- ready to manipulate the Nature in the forest to try and skewer the fast approaching creature, but then, the footsteps disappeared.

FwoooOOOO!

Something above-- closing in.

Claude realized it jumped into the dark sky just in time to look up and see a massive shape falling through the sky as a blur.

In a rush, him and his wolves moved just in time to avoid the crash site of the Demon.

FFFBOOOM!

An unearthly silence followed the heavy impact. Claude didn't even remember getting up, yet he was. Staring at the cloud of dirt and dust cloaking the creature while its shadow was emboldened by the backdrop of morning sunlight.

Slowly-- and stiffly, the creature raised to its full height. An action that took a horrifyingly long amount of time. It rose and rose through the dust until it's head peaked out over the cloud of dirt surrounding its body. It had to be at least 13 feet.

Claude felt his stomach drop.

With just it's head visible, all he could look into were its wild eyes. One humanoid pair at the front of its disgusting face-- glowing orange like the flames of hell. And another pair on the sides of its head, slitted like the eyes of a snake.

He expected to find two devilish horns topping its head-- but all he found was solid dark-- almost black, brown plating and two spiked ears.

The dust continued to settle, revealing more of its face. Revealing the mandibles that moved like they were flexing over the sudden gap in its plating that made up a smiling lipless mouth.

More dust settled, showing its armored chest adorning dozens of cuts in its dark brown shell and leaking stab wounds. It was injured-- a fact made more noticeable when he realized it's left arm was gone. Completely ripped off, leaving the oddly colored black-blooded ribbons of torn flesh to hang from the injury.

Despite this, he wasn't anymore relaxed. If the thing in front of him was what he thought it was-- then he was still in for a challenge of disastrous proportions.

His suspicions were solidified completely when a object moved through the dust-- clearing the debris and revealing the rest of the creatures damaged body. The thing that moved the dust in a sweeping motion retreated back to its spot behind the creature where it slithered and hovered as if it were a living snake and not a giant scorpion tail with a glowing red point that steamed with a hellish heat.

With a shaky sigh, the creature leaned down to watch Claude at eye level from the across the forest and did something he wasn't at all ready for.

It's mandibles split and the thin slit of a mouth it had moved, bringing forth words that came out in an eerily feminine voice lined with the throaty bellows of something reptilian like an alligator.

".....Hello....Clllllaaauude. Do yyou know whooooo I am?"

Silence followed. Speech was a difficult task at the moment.

Wisps of steam rose from his exposed flesh while his muscles bubbled with Lupine power and his eyes erupted with vengeful ferocity like two green explosions.

The wild glow of his eyes was abruptly swallowed by the tornado of darkness that surrounded him only to quickly disappear and reveal the Phantom Legion suddenly towering behind him with eyes that glowed like the moon.

They all knew who it was. They'd been ready to see it-- her? all day.

"You're the HellBreeder....."