Serpent Quest III

Serena frowned. "But this serpent didn't eat a Corrupt Fruit. It swallowed a Corrupt Core whole."

Asher stood, his eyes locked on the pulsating mass. "Which means someone planted it." He nudged the Core with the tip of his boot. "This wasn't natural corruption. This was intentional."

Serena's grip tightened around her daggers. "That's bad. Really bad. If someone is deliberately corrupting creatures, it means they're either experimenting…" She hesitated, the implication settling in. "Or building an army."

Asher exhaled through his nose, his expression unreadable. "Either way, we need to find out who. And why."

A sudden rustling in the bushes made them both snap to attention. Asher's eyes glowed faintly red again as he extended his senses outward.

"Something's watching us," he murmured.

Serena took a slow step back, her body tensed. "One of the villagers?"

"No." Asher's voice was firm. "Not human."