The next day, Grey still hadn't woken up. Richard hadn't come home the night before either, and even Alissa was absent—that is because she was now inside a corruption field.
As soon as grey left yesterday, she received a call from her friends, it was a mission to eliminate corruption fields placed down by the evolver's association and she accepted it without a thought.
Inside a corruption field, four figures battled desperately against a towering monster.
The corruption field quaked with every step of the beast. Its massive body loomed like a nightmare, twisted and grotesque, with a hollow cavity gaping in its chest. Two jagged horns curved upward, dripping with red miasma, while its eyes resembled collapsing black holes, devouring the very light around them.
"As expected of a Seventh-level monster, there's no way I can take it on alone!" Evan, Alissa's most trusted friend, roared. His sword blazed with Sword Energy as he dashed forward at inhuman speed. His blade carved through the haze, leaving trails of distorted air in its wake.
Clang!
His strike smashed against the monster's hardened arm, sparks bursting as the beast bellowed. The sheer force hurled Evan backward, but he twisted mid-air, landing like a predator ready to pounce again.
"Evan, on your left!" Alissa shouted, her hands weaving in a blur. A frost-laden circle unfolded before her, countless spears of ice erupting outwards. They slammed into the monster's flank one after another, cracks of frozen energy spreading across its flesh and slowing its movements.
Further back stood Albert, Alissa's other friend—a young man of average looks with black hair and brown eyes. He drew his bow of light taut, the string of pure energy humming as it strained. His eyes narrowed.
"Pierce!"
The arrow streaked forward like a comet, drilling straight into the hollow of the monster's chest. The beast shrieked, a storm of red miasma exploding outward in retaliation.
"Careful, its aura's flaring again!" Elen cried out; her voice urgent. Her palms glowed with soft radiance, waves of green energy washing over Evan and Alissa. Shallow wounds sealed instantly, and their drained stamina surged back like a tide.
Elen had been Alissa's best friend since childhood. With long black hair and striking blue eyes, her above-average appearance was enough that, with time, she would undoubtedly grow into a true beauty.
The monster lunged, its massive claw tearing through the ground where they had stood moments before. Evan's figure blurred, reappearing on its shoulder as his sword blazed with combat aura, the edge cutting down toward its jagged horn.
"Fall!" he roared, his strike crashing down with the force to split a house in two. The horn cracked with a deafening snap, releasing a ripple of distorted miasma.
"Now!" Alissa's eyes gleamed as she seized the opening. Raising both hands, frost surged violently around her, and a gigantic ice lance condensed in the air. Its glacial tip shone sharply even in the suffocating dark.
With a fierce shout, she hurled it forward.
The frozen spear shot through the air like a thunderbolt of ice, drilling straight into the hollow between the monster's twisted horns. For a heartbeat, the entire corruption field went deathly silent.
Then—
CRACK!
The ice erupted outward, spreading jagged frost through the monster's skull. Its black-hole eyes flickered violently, the red corruption energy shrieking as if alive before it shattered into motes of dying light.
The beast let out one last distorted roar, shaking the very ground, before its colossal frame toppled forward. The impact thundered through the battlefield, sending waves of dust and debris into the air. When it settled, the creature's head lay buried in the earth, frozen solid and lifeless.
Evan lowered his blade, staring at the corpse. "…It's dead."
Albert let out a low whistle. "Tch. One strike… Alissa, remind me never to piss you off."
"You guys should be grateful! Wouldn't have made it without my healing technique!" Elen's proud voice came from behind as she came forward and hugged Alissa.
"You were so great Alissa." Elen said as she rubbed her face on Alissa's plump chest.
Then, all of them looked at each other and smiled.
"Everyone, with this, we cleared three corruption fields in a day worth of time!" Evan proudly announced.
"Yeah!" Elen cheered while albert adjusted his glasses and Alissa stood there with a small beautiful smile which could captivate anyone.
Both Evan and Albert. Even Elen fell in to a trance seeing that smile.
"Alright, let's take out the Corruption field's core and leave." Evan coughed slightly and pulled everyone back and spoke.
The others nodded. Evan walked up to the center of the Corruption field, in the center was the necro star.
Evan flared up his Sword Energy and swiftly sliced the ball of light down.
Immediately, the dark sky above their head returned to normal and the red miasma around the place vanished as if it no longer existed.
They could now see the outside world and the Soldiers who were stationed near the Corruption field in case things went wrong.
"Today was a long day. Let's head back early and rest before doing anything else," Evan said to his team. He glanced at his three companions, gave a nod, and they each went their separate ways.
Alissa checked the time—it was only 10 a.m. She had thought the battle would drag on into the night, but it ended far sooner than she expected.
With that, she headed home. By now, her father Richard should have returned from his late-night shift.
Click.
The door to the housing unit opened. The faint sound of a TV echoed from the main hall. That could only mean one thing—Grey.
Alissa slipped off her shoes and walked inside. Her stomach growled; she hadn't eaten properly since yesterday morning, busy clearing corruption fields. She recalled there was still some ice cream in the fridge, so she made her way toward the kitchen.
But since the kitchen was open and directly connected to the hall, she had to pass through it first.
The moment she stepped into the hall, she froze.
Her eyes widened in disbelief.
On the sofa sat a young man, cross-legged, a tired and sleepy look plastered across his face as he lazily chewed on a slice of pizza, eyes glued to the TV.
Alissa's breath hitched. "Who are you?"
Who is this? What happened to Grey?
She instinctively stepped back, dumbfounded. Then, remembering she was an evolver, her expression hardened, and she stepped forward cautiously.
The man shifted slightly, tall and imposing, his long hair framing his face. His irises glowed a deep purple, while his pupils had turned pitch black, giving his gaze an intense, almost otherworldly aura.
This guy… he looked almost exactly like Grey.
Three giant question marks practically popped above Alissa's head.