Corrupted Creature

"Come on, you can't beat me if you're not hitting me." I mock Zephyr, as I fly around while dodging her attacks.

This small body has its perks, I can easily dodge out of the way and then counter faster. Well, Aether is instructing me how to fight.

"You're fast, Master," She admits, her golden eyes tracking your movements, "But I will catch you."

"Only if you can keep up," I tease, dodging another burst of lightning she sends my way.

Zephyr narrowed her eyes, her smile showing just a hint of challenge. "We'll see about that, Master."

She raised her hand again, summoning not just one bolt, but a series of smaller, rapid flashes of lightning, scattering them around me. It was like she was creating a cage of electricity, limiting my movements.

I zipped between the arcs of lightning, my smaller body making it easier to dodge, but I had to admit she was getting clever. Each strike came faster, closer, as she adapted her technique.

"Not bad!" I called out, my tiny voice carrying through the air. "But you'll have to do better than that!"

Zephyr's smile widened, her eyes gleaming with excitement. With a sudden gust of wind, she propelled herself upward, using the air to shift her position in the blink of an eye. Before I could react, she was right above me, her hand crackling with lightning.

"Got you!" She said triumphantly.

But just as she brought her hand down, I vanished, flickering out of sight in a small burst of embers.

"Not quite," I said, reappearing a few feet away, my flame form flickering mischievously. "You're getting faster, but I still have a few tricks up my sleeve."

Zephyr landed gracefully, her golden hair flowing in the breeze as she turned to face me again. "You're right, Master. I need to think like you—unpredictable."

"Exactly," I said, nodding. "It's not just about power, it's about using it in ways your opponent doesn't expect."

She took a deep breath, focusing. The air around her shifted again, but this time it was subtle, more controlled. She wasn't summoning a storm, she was channeling the wind, using it to enhance her speed and agility. Her stance shifted, becoming lighter, more fluid.

"Alright, let's try again," Zephyr said, her eyes locking onto mine.

This time, when she moved, it was like a blur—her newfound control over the wind making her almost too fast to follow. I darted out of the way, but she was already there, her movements smooth and precise.

Before I knew it, she had her hand hovering just inches from my tiny form, crackling with electricity.

"Looks like I got you this time, Master," She said with a playful smirk.

I paused, floating there for a moment before breaking into a grin. "Alright, alright, you win this round."

She lowered her hand, the crackling energy dissipating, and we both shared a laugh. The sparring had been intense, but it was clear that Zephyr was adapting quickly to her new abilities.

"You've definitely improved," I said, floating back down to the ground. "You're starting to get a feel for the power you have."

[Notice: Primal Instinct is detecting high mana level from a distance.]

I froze for a moment as Aether's voice resonated within my mind.

[Notice: Primal Instinct is detecting a high mana level from a distance.] It repeated, the tone sharp and urgent.

Zephyr noticed my sudden change in demeanor, her playful smile fading as she tensed. "Master, what is it?"

"Aether's picking up something," I muttered, my small body hovering just above the ground. I focused, reaching out with my own mana senses to scan the area. Sure enough, a strong presence was approaching—one that felt both powerful and unsettling but also in pain?

I shifted, returning to my human form in an instant, my white hair flickering with embers. "Ready yourself."

Zephyr's expression hardened as she stood by my side, her body tense and alert. The wind around her began to shift subtly, reacting to her growing focus. "Is it hostile?" She asked, her voice low.

I closed my eyes for a moment, extending my senses outward, trying to pinpoint the approaching presence. It was strong, powerful, but there was something else—something off. The closer it came, the more I could feel it. Pain, desperation...and confusion.

"I'm not sure," I said, eyes snapping open. "But something's wrong."

Suddenly, the figure came into view, stumbling from the dense forest. It wasn't cloaked in darkness or aggression like I expected, but rather, it looked...wounded.

"Master... That's a wolf."

"A wolf?" I echoed, my gaze sharpening as I studied the figure stumbling from the forest. It was more than just a wolf—its enormous size and powerful aura hinted at something else.

As the creature stepped into the open, I realized it wasn't just any wolf, it was a massive, silver-furred wolf, limping heavily with deep gashes across its body. Blood matted its fur, and each step seemed to be an effort, yet its glowing blue eyes remained sharp, scanning its surroundings with caution.

Zephyr shifted beside me, her hand crackling with barely contained lightning. "Master, should I—"

"Wait." I raised a hand, stopping her. "Let's see what it wants first."

The wolf's gaze locked onto mine, and for a moment, I felt a strange connection, almost like it was trying to communicate. It wasn't hostile, despite its injuries, but there was something more—something primal and desperate in its eyes.

It took a few more shaky steps forward before collapsing to the ground with a soft whimper, its breathing labored. The magical energy radiating from the creature pulsed erratically, clearly indicating that whatever had caused these wounds had nearly drained its life force.

I reached out, placing my hand gently on the wolf's fur. My fingers glowed faintly, as I channeled a soft healing magic to try and stabilize its erratic energy.

"Chrono Healing." I muttered.

As I whispered the words, a soft golden light enveloped the wolf's body, sinking into its wounds. Time itself seemed to rewind in small, subtle ways, the blood around its fur receded, the gashes knitting themselves together.

[Notice: A hostile creature is approaching.]

I immediately looked up, and Zephyr was already on alert, her golden eyes narrowing as she scanned the surrounding forest. The air around us grew tense as the presence made itself known... a deep, unsettling aura, much darker and far more malicious than the injured wolf before us.

The ground trembled slightly, and from the shadows of the trees, an eerie figure emerged. It was similar to the twisted creature we had encountered when we saved Lyra, but larger... its form more grotesque and its mana far more oppressive.

This one was no lesser minion. Dark, corrupted energy rippled off its elongated limbs as its sickly green eyes locked onto us with a hunger that made my skin crawl.

"Aether, analyze it."

[Analyzing: Hostile entity identified as Corrupted Alpha Manbeast. Extreme danger. Absorbs ambient mana to enhance strength. Vulnerable to physical damage and purification magic.]

I gritted my teeth. This creature was on an entirely different level than what we had faced before. Its mere presence seemed to distort the air around it, twisting the natural mana flow in the area. The fact that it could absorb ambient mana meant that using raw elemental magic would only fuel it, much like the earlier battle with the grotesque creature.

"Aether, what is my chances of winning."

[Analyzing: Your chances is... 99.99%]

"Really? Then I'll play with this creature."

"Master, what's the plan?" Zephyr asked, her voice steady but tense. She was ready for battle, but even she could feel the immense pressure from the Corrupted Manbeast.

"Bring this wolf back to the cave." I grin a little, thinking of using some of my new skills on the creature. "I want to test something."

Zephyr glanced at me, her brows furrowed, but nodded. Without hesitation, she knelt down, carefully lifting the now stable silver-furred wolf into her arms. Despite the creature's massive size, her strength as a Stormfeather Roc made it easy for her to carry.

"Be careful, Master," She said, her voice filled with concern as the winds around her began to swirl protectively. "I'll return once the wolf is safe."

"Don't worry," I replied, giving her a wink. "This thing doesn't stand a chance."

With a final nod, Zephyr shot off into the sky, the winds carrying her swiftly back toward the cave.

Now, it was just me and the Corrupted Alpha Manbeast. The creature snarled, its sickly green eyes locked onto me with pure hunger and malice. Its distorted limbs cracked as it slowly approached, each step warping the ground beneath it, tainting the very earth with its presence.

I grinned, my white hair flickering with embers as I focused on the creature. "Let's see what you're made of," I muttered, allowing my mana to surge within me. I could feel the power building, my body vibrating with energy, but I kept it contained—for now.

The Corrupted Manbeast let out a guttural roar and lunged, its claws glowing with a twisted green energy. It was fast—much faster than I expected. But I was faster. I flickered out of the way, leaving behind a trail of embers as the creature's claws slammed into the ground where I had been just moments before.

"Missed me," I taunted, floating a few feet away. The beast let out another enraged roar, its form twisting and distorting as it absorbed more of the ambient mana in the area. Its size increased slightly, muscles bulging grotesquely as it prepared for another strike.

"Absorbing mana, huh? Let's see how you handle this."

Without waiting for it to charge again, I extended my hand and summoned a small, concentrated orb of pure flame. It flickered wildly in my palm, the heat radiating from it intense. But rather than hurl it at the creature, I willed it to explode in a burst of heat and light, right in front of the creature's face.

The sudden flare of light disoriented the Manbeast, its steps faltering as it recoiled from the heat. In that moment of hesitation, I darted forward, my body moving faster than the eye could follow. I reappeared directly in front of it, my hand already crackling with red lightning.

"Let's try this on for size," I said, slamming my hand into its chest.

"Red Lightning!"

The moment my hand connected, the red lightning surged into the creature's body, bypassing its corrupted flesh and attacking the very core of its being. The beast let out an agonized howl as the lightning coursed through it, searing its essence from within.

I leaped back, watching as the creature staggered, its body spasming uncontrollably. The corrupted mana that once pulsed through its veins began to flicker, destabilizing under the assault of the red lightning. But it wasn't enough to kill it. Not yet.

"Still standing, huh?" I muttered, watching as the Manbeast struggled to regain its composure. The green glow in its eyes dimmed slightly, but its hunger and malice remained. It roared once more, its form growing even more grotesque as it absorbed more mana, desperate to recover from the damage.

"Guess it's time to finish this," I said, clenching my fist. "Let's end this with a bang."

Gathering my mana, I summoned a vortex of red lightning around me, the air crackling with power. The ground beneath me trembled as the energy built, the sheer intensity of it warping the space around me.

The Manbeast lunged one final time, its claws outstretched, desperate to land a hit. But it was too late.

I released the built-up energy, sending a massive wave of red lightning crashing into the creature. The impact was instant. The Manbeast's body was engulfed in a torrent of lightning, its form disintegrating as the sheer power of the attack ripped it apart.

When the light finally faded, there was the creature, lying on the smoldering crater. Its body releasing dark magic and gaining back its own color.

"Aether, can I use Devour on this thing? Cause I want you to analyze the dark magic."

[Answer: Yes, Devour is possible.]

I stood over the remains of the defeated Corrupted Alpha Manbeast, its body still releasing wisps of dark energy. The magic that had twisted and enhanced the creature lay before me, ripe for the taking. I could feel its potential, the raw, primal force that had turned this beast into a monstrous version of itself.

"Alright, let's do this," I said, raising my hand over the creature.

A dark vortex began to form in my palm, swirling with an ominous energy as it connected with the remains of the Manbeast. The process of Devour was one I'd used before, but with this level of corrupted mana, I knew I needed to be extra careful. The vortex pulsed, drawing in the dark energy slowly, piece by piece.

As the corrupted magic began to enter me, I felt it course through my body... A chilling, foreign force. Aether quickly intervened, isolating the dark magic from my own mana reserves, ensuring it couldn't mix and cause harm.

[Notice: Beginning analysis...]

The process continued for a few minutes until the last of the Manbeast's energy was consumed. The body was now just an empty shell, devoid of the twisted power that had once animated it.

[Analysis complete: The Corrupted Alpha Manbeast's dark magic contains traces of necromantic energy, most likely drawn from an ancient, external source. The corruption warps the mana it touches, enhancing physical strength and aggression while weakening mental faculties.]

I frowned, pondering the implications of Aether's analysis. "So, this corruption isn't just random—it's tied to something... or someone. And if it's necromantic energy, that means there's a source out there spreading it."

The thought of an even greater threat, something capable of creating creatures like this, was unsettling. But it also meant there was an opportunity, an opportunity to learn, adapt, and potentially harness this dark power.

"Alright, Aether, store the information for now. We'll deal with it when the time comes."

[Data stored.]