Thankfully, Azrael's decision to take shelter and let the blizzard pass over them had been the correct one. The visibility was much better now, significantly reducing the chance of them being ambushed by a monster.
"Let's hurry," he said, glancing at Victor before increasing his speed.
The behemoth of a man scoffed and tensed his muscles, managing to match Azrael's pace.
The blizzard had likely swept across the entire area, so Azrael doubted there were any fools dumb enough to battle monsters in such a climate.
However, that was only if he considered the normal Chosen. What about the wealthy ones? He could bet there were numerous Chosen who had items that negated the effects of the weather.
'Or maybe they simply have an Inborn Trait that makes them proficient in fighting in the cold,' he thought, eyes scanning every nook and cranny.
'There!' His eyes narrowed as he changed trajectory, his companion following suit.
A second later, five creatures appeared in their view.
Quadrupeds that reached Azrael's waist in height. Their bodies were made from rugged ice, with three crimson eyes positioned on their heads, granting them 270-degree vision.
The most dangerous feature, however, was their tails—longer than their entire bodies and tipped with a sharp needle.
No doubt the monsters relied on their tails to inflict damage on their foes. With their vision and numbers, ambushing them was out of the question.
Before charging in, Azrael used [Inspect].
Name: [Unnamed]
Race: [Icethrall]
Danger Level: [Feral]
Corruption Rank: [Warped]
'These ones are as weak as they come,' he concluded, dashing in their direction.
Thanks to their superior vision, he was quickly spotted. The abominations opened their maws, releasing mighty roars before charging at him.
The instant Azrael reached the closest one, the creature lashed out with its tail, aiming to pierce his body.
It was almost certain the tail was poisonous, so he had no intention of letting it hit.
Twisting his body to the side, Azrael managed to dodge the attack. Then, accelerating his movements, he slashed.
The Blessed weapon given to him by Seyra passed through the monster's body without the slightest hint of resistance. A vertical line appeared along its form as it was split cleanly in two.
[Corrupt soul has been dev—]
The monotone voice of the system echoed in his head, but Azrael had no time to pay attention. Once the closest foe had been dispatched, his eyes darted to the next one.
Not allowing his body even a second of rest, he darted forward, scythe raised high.
By now, Victor had also reached the battle. His overwhelming power, combined with the Blessed Rank weapon he possessed, obliterated the monsters into shards.
The battle was soon over. Both men had successfully dealt with the abominations.
Azrael threw a quick glance at his Corruption Progression. It had risen, but it wasn't like he could avoid battling monsters because of it.
'I'll just have to focus on killing Chosen to keep my sanity in check,' he thought.
After confirming he hadn't gained any skills or items from the battle, he shot forward once more.
Whether his next foe was going to be a monster or a human, he didn't care. All he knew was that he was going to execute them and make himself stronger.
*****
Azrael moved swiftly, each step deadly. Even with their superior vision, most of the Feral monsters were too weak to sense him before they were defeated.
Corruption Progression: [19/100]
The corruption in his body grew, but so did his experience. With each battle, he noticed where he had made a blunder. Naturally, he adjusted his shortcomings for the next encounter.
Corruption Progression: [25/100]
He never made the same mistake twice.
Corruption Progression: [30/100]
About a third of the Corruption Progression had been filled. That, however, wasn't something he could celebrate.
At the beginning, he hadn't felt it—it was too low. But now, each corrupted soul he devoured made him stronger… and less himself.
Corruption Progression: [35/100]
It was a risk, indulging in it so much—especially considering he had yet to find any Chosen to dispatch. However, at the moment, he couldn't care less. The more he devoured, the better he felt. Like he was at home. Like he was doing the right thing. It was simply meant to be.
Corruption Progression: [40/100]
His skill [Blood Manipulation] reacted as if confirming his suspicions. It was still weak, unusable in combat. But thanks to it, he could feel the blood in his veins coursing. Maybe if he increased his Corruption a bit more, he could even utilize it in battle...
"Azrael."
A powerful slap on the back jolted him from his trance.
His eyes darkened as he turned to the man behind him. Victor was covered in monster guts from head to toe—no doubt from fighting by his side all this time.
Azrael's eyes lowered to his own figure. He was in an even worse state. The natural color of his uniform was long gone, now stained by the enemies slain by his scythe.
"What happened?" he asked, craving an explanation.
Victor shrugged. "Nothing really. We just killed every monster that crossed our path."
Azrael frowned. The exhaustion in his body, the small cuts scattered over it, and the state of his attire all confirmed the man's words...
Yet why did he feel like he wasn't the one in control the entire time?
He gritted his teeth. 'It seems that increasing my Corruption Rank isn't the only way to lose myself, even increasing its progression is enough. I can't continue killing recklessly, one after the other.'
Seeing that his companion was deep in thought, Victor sighed.
"Look, the only reason I broke you out of whatever trance you were in was because you were about to walk straight into the Rift. I know there isn't an actual danger in entering it, but you yourself said there are numerous Twisted and even one Tainted monster near it, right? It's not worth it to throw our lives away like that."
Azrael glanced at Gravebloom. The scythe was bloodied, but otherwise in perfect condition.
"Thank you," he said, nodding in appreciation.
Without hesitation, he moved again.
His goal had changed. Before, he was set on slaying both monsters and humans alike. However, after nearly losing himself, his plan had to shift.
He was going to hunt Chosen—exclusively—for now.
Since a considerable amount of time had passed since the start of the test, the Chosen had spread out. That allowed him to find a group relatively quickly.
Moving silently, he tightened his grip on the scythe, then glanced at Victor.
The man looked eager enough to enter battle. Whether it was monsters or Chosen, it didn't concern him in the slightest.
Seeing that, Azrael took a long breath—
And attacked.