Corruption

Time seemed to freeze as Nathan stared at the black substance slowly infiltrating through the crack. An acrid smell, like burnt metal, began to fill the workshop.

"I need to do something," he murmured, his gaze frantically scanning the room for a solution.

Echo had curled up in a corner, his body trembling and his eyes fixed on the intrusion. The sylverain's obvious panic only heightened the sense of urgency.

[Corruption analysis: 7%]

[Available options:

Use magical essence for neutralization Create a secondary barrier Directly repair the crack] [Recommendation: Prioritize neutralization]

Nathan grabbed his vial of magical essence. Only three units remained, precious and insufficient to reinforce the entire workshop. He needed to be precise.

Approaching the crack cautiously, he noticed that the black substance seemed to react to his presence, slightly accelerating its movement in his direction.

"Not so fast," he breathed, uncorking the vial.

An idea came to him. Instead of simply pouring the essence onto the corruption, he used his engineering knowledge. Fluids followed precise physical principles, even in this strange world. If the corruption was liquid and flowed downward...

[New approach detected]

[Calculating efficiency...]

Nathan poured a few drops of essence above the crack, creating a barrier that would force the corruption to follow a predetermined path. Then he traced a circle of essence around the contaminated area, isolating it from the rest of the structure.

The two substances made contact with an electric hiss. Where they touched, blue sparks crackled, and the corruption seemed to dissolve, leaving behind a grayish smoke that evaporated rapidly.

"It's working," whispered Nathan, watching the phenomenon with fascination.

[Effective approach: +10 experience points]

[Creative solution: Essence consumption reduced by 37%]

[Corruption progression: Stopped at 12%]

A sinister cracking outside reminded him that the entity responsible for this attack was still present. The scratching against the stone resumed, more frantic this time, as if the creature felt the frustration of seeing its infiltration neutralized.

Echo slowly approached, sniffing the air around the treated area. His ears were no longer flattened against his head but remained alert, rotating toward the source of the outside noises.

"Looks like we won this round," said Nathan, gently stroking the sylverain. "But what exactly was that?"

[Partial information available]

[The Corruptors: Class 2 Shadow entities]

[Characteristics: Tactical intelligence, infiltration capability, matter corruption]

[Assumed weakness: Sensitivity to high-frequency vibrations]

"High-frequency vibrations?" Nathan frowned, pondering this cryptic information.

A second impact, more violent than the first, suddenly shook the west wall. A new crack began to form, thinner but extending more rapidly.

"It's changing tactics," realized Nathan. "It's looking for weak points."

[Alert: Multiple attack points detected]

[Recommendation: Global solution required]

[Time remaining: 28 minutes]

Nathan rushed to the workbench, his mind racing. High-frequency vibrations... How could he generate something powerful enough to repel this creature?

His gaze frantically swept over the available tools and materials. Oxidized iron, pieces of wood, some ancient springs found in a drawer of the workbench... His engineer's brain was already assembling these elements into a possible solution.

[Improvised schematic detected]

[Makeshift weapon: Sonic projector]

[Required components identified]

[Warning: Proximity to target necessary]

"This is going to be close," he murmured, immediately getting to work.

His hands flew from one component to another, quickly assembling a structure vaguely resembling a crossbow, but instead of a bolt, the mechanism was designed to project a concentrated shock wave. A taut spring, reinforced with a few drops of magical essence, would serve as a propellant. A curved metal plate, fixed to the end, would act as an amplifier.

Outside, the attacks intensified. Three cracks were now visible on different walls, each beginning to ooze the corrupting substance.

[Construction in progress: 67%]

[Estimated time to completion: 4 minutes]

[Alert: New breach imminent]

"Faster, faster," Nathan repeated to himself, his fingers working with a precision he didn't know he possessed.

Echo nervously climbed along the walls, signaling each new crack with a high-pitched warning cry. The creature seemed to understand what Nathan was trying to do and was attempting to help in his own way.

A sinister cracking in the ceiling indicated that a fourth crack had appeared, this time directly above Nathan. Drops of corruption began to fall, dangerously close to him.

"Just... one... moment..." he grunted, fixing the last piece to his improvised weapon.

[Construction complete: Sonic projector]

[Estimated efficiency: 62%]

[Warning: Requires activation in immediate proximity to Shadow source]

Nathan grabbed his creation and a vial of magical essence. He had understood that to be effective, he would need to directly confront the threat, not just defend from inside.

"Stay here," he ordered Echo, who emitted a whimper of protest.

Taking a deep breath, Nathan headed for the door. The sound of scratching was louder than ever, suggesting the creature had concentrated its efforts on the entrance.

[Alert: Extremely risky action]

[Chance of success: Incalculable]

[Suggested alternative: None]

"Very encouraging," muttered Nathan as he unlocked the door.

He flung it open and leaped outside, his weapon ready. The night immediately enveloped him, cold and oppressive. And there, right in front of him, stood the Corruptor.

The creature was different from ordinary Shadows. Larger, denser, its vaguely humanoid form oscillated between solidity and mist. Two glowing red orbs served as eyes, fixed on Nathan with what seemed to be surprise.

Without hesitation—knowing that hesitation would mean his end—Nathan plunged forward, pouring the rest of his magical essence onto the mechanism of his weapon. The blue substance infiltrated the gears, making them glow with supernatural light.

The Corruptor extended an appendage toward him, the black substance stretching like a living whip. Nathan rolled to the side, narrowly avoiding the attack, and pressed the trigger of his projector.

A deafening sound exploded into the night—a visible shock wave, amplified by the magical essence, struck the Corruptor head-on. The creature contorted, emitting a shrill howl that resonated through the ruins.

[Direct impact!]

[Efficiency: 89% - Higher than predicted]

[Side effect: Residual shock wave]

The force of the recoil threw Nathan backward, causing him to hit the workshop wall. His vision blurred from the impact, but he kept his weapon pointed at the creature that seemed to be disintegrating under the effect of the vibrations.

The Corruptor tried to reform its silhouette, but each time it almost succeeded, a new wave of the residual shock traversed it, destabilizing it again. With a final cry of impotent rage, the entity dissipated into shadow fragments that scattered into the night.

[Corruptor neutralized]

[Analysis: Temporary dispersion, not destruction]

[Estimate: Withdrawal for regeneration]

Nathan remained motionless for a few moments, panting, his back sore from the impact against the wall. His weapon, now unusable, smoked in his hands, the components melted by the power they had channeled.

The ordinary Shadows, which had retreated during the battle, began to approach again. Nathan painfully got to his feet and rushed back inside the workshop, closing the door just in time.

Echo welcomed him with a concert of agitated trills, climbing onto his shoulder to inspect him as if looking for injuries.

"I'm fine," Nathan reassured him, although his aching body suggested otherwise. "We got it... for now."

[New ability unlocked: Rudimentary weapon construction]

[Experience points gained: +120]

[Current level: 2]

[New schematics available in the construction interface]

"Level 2, huh?" Nathan smiled weakly. "I guess surviving an attack from this 'Corruptor' deserved a promotion."

He dragged himself to the hearth where his roots, miraculously preserved from the chaos, had finished cooking. The pleasant smell reminded him that he still hadn't eaten.

As he savored his simple meal, sharing a few pieces with Echo, Nathan contemplated what he had just learned. The Shadows were not all identical. Some possessed tactical intelligence, an ability to analyze and adapt their attacks. And sometimes, the best defense was a bold attack.

"Next time, we'll be better prepared," he said to Echo, who had curled up against him, visibly relieved that his human friend had returned safely.

[Suggestion: Rest recommended]

[Current defenses: Temporarily reinforced – The attack generated a repulsive field] [Necessary repairs: Moderate, can wait until dawn]

Nathan felt fatigue overwhelming him. These two days in this strange world had put his body and mind to the test. The adrenaline from the battle gave way to profound exhaustion.

"Just a few hours," he murmured, his eyelids growing heavy. "Tomorrow, we'll explore that structure to the west..."

He fell asleep against the wall, Echo nestled on his lap, while outside, the ordinary Shadows timidly resumed their ineffective attacks against the protected workshop. The Corruptor had disappeared, but Nathan instinctively knew it was only a matter of time before it returned.

For now, at least, he could sleep.