Corrupted

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Contract completed. 

Reward of 21300CR allotted to user. 

Please retrieve the corpse and return the equipment.

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I stood over the dead body of a direwolf as blood pooled onto the ground seeping into the surrounding grass. 

Canceling the notification, I took out a green capsule from my bag before pressing it against the dead direwolf. 

*SWOOP*

With the sound of air being sucked in the corpse disappeared, leaving only a red patch of grass behind.

Returning to a tent on the outskirts of the forest, I returned a camera and the capsule to a man dressed in expensive branded clothes.

"Incredible work! Minimal damage to the corpse as well, I can't believe that I got a solo hunter to kill an F- rank monster for so cheap!"

I nodded as my first private contract came to a close. 

I was a bit surprised that I was offered a contract after only three successful missions. 

However, for the amount of time it took, the money was incredible, and the contractor didn't have to spend a fortune on hiring a group. 

The best part was that I could take as many of these contracts as I wanted without a cooldown period. 

However, I didn't plan on taking contracts or training today. 

Today would be my first time making a significant change in the story after helping Adam. 

I was planning on fighting my first ever corrupted today. 

I would be lying if I said I wasn't nervous but that didn't matter. 

I returned home, I still had time to prepare myself for the upcoming events. 

'2 hours' 

2 hours from now the corrupted would launch an all-out assault on the city of Copperfront. 

Ironguard would become an unlivable wasteland and while the assault would fail, there would be a significant loss of lives. 

Using the anonymous tipline for the awakened association, the best I could do was leave messages that wouldn't be taken seriously. 

Especially because most heroes would be required at the frontlines. 

And I would barely be of any use at all. 

'Status.'

=====Basic Status======

Name: Ajax

Age: 16

Species: Vessel (Incomplete)

Completion Percent: 7%

Attributes: Dark, Wind.

Rank: F

Strength: F-

Agility: F+

Constitution: F-

Perception: F+

Mana capacity: F

=====================

I was stronger now, but any significant attack would have corrupted that were at least a rank higher than me. 

I was happy with the progress, but I wasn't brave enough to go on a suicide attack. 

Packing my weapons, I took a brief rest before heading out to the city. 

The attack on the academy will be stopped by Lucian and the rest. 

The attack on the frontlines will be stopped by Adam and the other heroes. 

Which left most of the city unguarded. 

Usually this wouldn't be a problem, corrupted were easy to spot with their features becoming increasingly demonic such as scaly red skin, eyes that were simply pools of black with red slits and most importantly a demonic aura that could be felt from miles away. 

However, to counter this, the corrupted along with the forbidden beings would contract several awakened already in the city at the site of the attack. 

Thankfully this also meant that the newly corrupted would be weak and someone that I could take on. 

'At least I hope I can.'

After all I had a few disadvantages.

"I apologize sir but awakened must give their weapons to the conductor before boarding the train." 

The site of the attack was a civilian train, weapons would obviously not be allowed inside, and the fight would take place in a cramped arena.

I thought about concealing the dagger, but it was too risky, I brought along the weapons so I could retrieve them later on during the chaos. 

Besides, I had increased my proficiency level with the unarmed combat technique with hours of practice for this event. 

"Thank you! Have a pleasant journey!"

The clerk said as I headed inside the packed train trying to find an empty seat.

I surveyed the crowd as I tried to find a vacant seat. 

In the original storyline, the corrupted abduct a child after killing most passengers on the train. 

That child would then be put through unspeakable things and made a tool of the corrupted, all because she had latent mana at an early age.

One of the only villains I could or wanted to save was on this train.

However, I had no idea what she would look like without the influence of corruption. 

I found an empty seat at the end of the first compartment. 

I tried to calm my nerves as I sat down, closing my eyes and pulling a mask over my face. 

While it didn't help conceal my identity it helped me feel calm. 

There would be two corrupted in this train. 

Judging by the lack of guards on the train, the association didn't take my warning seriously. 

That was expected but it added to my anxiety of trying to face 2 corrupted alone without weapons. 

"Excuse me, can I sit here?" 

A person wearing an academy uniform momentarily pulled me out of my nervous spiral.

She was wearing a first-year uniform, a blue blazer emblazoned with gold and had shoulder length green hair, with square spectacles adorning her grey eyes. 

"Yes, sorry." 

I apologized for my absent-minded behavior as the student took the seat next to me, along with her a young beastkin girl. 

She had black hair and black eyes with cat like ears appearing from her dark hair. 

I shifted to the left to give the pair more room, as a PA announcement rang out.

"Please step away from the gates, we wil be depar- depart- ing- ortly- stay aw- in ca- case cas- of case-" 

*VWOOOM*

The robotic voice glitched as an ominous low pulsing noise echoed throughout the station. 

The train went dark as all electronics such as lights, phones and speakers began malfunctioning. 

'It's started.'

The corrupted have begun their assault, the hell gates have been opened. 

'This is the beginning of the second apocalypse.'

"What the hell?"

Confused murmurs broke out across the train as passengers fiddled with their malfunctioning devices.

*BUZZZ*

The emergency lights of the train came alive, illuminating it in an ominous red shade. 

"Hey man you alright?" 

A concerned voice came from down the row as the passengers looked at a hooded figure who was kneeling on the ground trembling. 

"HAHAHAHAHAHA" maniacal laughter erupted as the hooded figure began to convulse on the train floor, his figure growing larger. 

"What the fuck?" The passengers began to distance themselves from the figure as many people rushed to the opposite end of the train.

"HA- THIS IS WAY BETTER THAN I EXPECTED! THIS IS IT, TRUE POWER!" 

The figure broke out into incoherent ramblings as his true form was revealed. 

Eyes devoid of white, in place of the sclera there was nothing but a tar like substance drooping down from his eyes as a single red slit served as a pupil. 

Horns ripping apart the hood as the burst from his skull, tearing his skin and spraying dark blood onto the floor. 

His skin turning into red like scales and his fingernails elongating into black claws. 

The form of a corrupted. 

Screams echoed on both sides of the compartment as another figure underwent the same transformation.

Fear was etched into the faces of the passengers as they tried to get out of the compartments.

However, the doors had slammed shut, trapping everyone inside as people pushed each other aside to try and get to the ends of the train. 

Many tried to break the durable windows but failed, it would take me significant effort to break them and even then it wouldn't guarantee escape.

"Oh, great forbidden one! What is your command!" The now corrupted spoke out, reverence clear in his voice.

His voice now seemingly distorted was akin to nails on a chalkboard. 

"A child?" He said in confusion. 

As he said this corrupted began approaching us as the people trembled in fear.

'Not yet.'

Oddly my nerves calmed down as the time of combat grew near. 

*THUP* THUP*

With slow intimidating footsteps they grew closer.

The pair sitting next to me was also terrified, the young beastkin girl hugging the academy student tightly whereas the student tried to calm her down and quietly summoned a grimoire hiding it behind her back. 

The corrupted now had their disfigured bodies right next to me.

"Understood, we will bring her back, but what of the rest my lord?" 

The corrupted said with a hopeful tone. 

I couldn't hear what the other side said but as the corrupted broke into wide sharp toothed grin I could figure out the answer. 

'Now.'

I planted my foot onto the ground and imbued the other with wind and dark mana, before getting up and releasing a kick to the side of one of the corrupted. 

*CRACK*

I felt my leg make contact as it dug into the scaly side of the corrupted. 

He flew back hitting his comrade as they both fell to the ground.

"FUCK! WE GOT A HERO HUH? I'LL TEACH YOU WH-"

Instead of letting the man monologue I appeared over him as he tried to get up before grabbing both his horns tightly before pulling down with force as my knee flew up at tremendous speed to contact his face.

"ARGH!"

Blood stained my jeans as I broke the nose of the corrupted as he fell the ground in pain, his comrade tried to swing at me, his fist coated in a thick dark fire.

*FWOOOM*

I felt the heat above me as I ducked underneath, gathering wind mana at my elbow and dark mana at my knuckle I release an uppercut as a counter.

*TRRK*

My knuckle contacted with his chin as a cracking sound emerged, the man grew staggered.

Pain shot through my arm as the uppercut left me damaged to, but I wasn't going to let them rest.

Charging at him, I used a train seat to jump up in the air and kicked him square in the jaw once again causing more blood and dislodged teeth to come out of his mouth. 

However, this time instead of being staggered he took hold of my leg as he got hit, bringing it close to his mouth. 

'No!'

I unleashed a second kick with my free leg to his chest as his razor-sharp teeth tore off my skin before he backed off from the force of the kick. 

*DRIP*

My blood fell from his teeth as pain shot up from my leg but I didn't have time to react as the second one shot at me like a bullet, with a gust of wind behind him. 

I stepped forward into his trajectory and released a thrust kick right as he reached me, sending him crashing into the side of the train as the sturdy glass cracked.

*BANG*

However, as I was doing that, I felt an impact on my left side.

"AA!" I involuntarily released a sharp cry as pain overtook my sense, my vision blurring for a moment before returning.

*TSSS*

I slid on the train floor to stop myself from crashing into the crowd of passengers further opening the wound in my leg. 

'It hurts!'

I felt slight tears well up in my eye as an agonizing burning pain unlike what I had experienced before emanated from my sides, it was unbearable, and the burning only seemed to grow stronger by each second. 

It felt like lava was being poured onto my chest as I felt a metallic taste in my mouth.

I coughed out blood as I tried to look at the two of them, they were also in bad shape but currently they had a wide smile on their faces. 

'How didn't I sense him?' 

I was relying on sense other than sight to focus on the one I wasn't attacking but that attack felt like it came out of nowhere.

"Argh..." I groaned as I got back up into fighting stance as the two corrupted also got up slowly. 

I tried to regain rationality through the fog of pain as I grit my teeth, rushing at them before they could get back up.

The one who attacked me seemed tired, so I went for the one who looked like he was able to recover.

Just as he was about to get up, I thrust kicked him into the window again, making the crack larger, as he groaned in pain.

I grabbed one of his horns before slamming it into the side of the train with as much force as I could. 

*BANG*

I did it again.

*BANG*

And again.

*BANG* *BANG* *BANG*

Blood stained the cracking window, and I stopped as I realized that there was no resistance from him anymore and he slumped to the ground as I let go of his horn.

"AAAAAA!"

His comrade foolishly screamed before releasing his already obvious attack, I sidestepped as a ball of flame scorched the train wall.

'He's tired.'

Now, face to face with the corrupted I realized he still hadn't recovered as his flames were weak and his movements slow.

He tried to release a blazing kick to my jaw, but I ducked underneath, sweeping his remaining leg as he fell to the ground with a thud.

As he lay on the ground, I stood directly over him before raising my leg in a sharp angle, my foot reaching above my head as it gathered as much mana as I could muster.

The only signature technique I knew from the manual.

'Guillotine kick.'

I brought my leg down with a tremendous force as my ankle crashed into the face of the corrupted, the impact directly on his forehead. 

*BANG*

A sound like an explosion was heard as I stood over him, my foot still over his now cracked skull as blood poured out from his eyes nose and mouth. 

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Trait 'Cold Blooded' is evolving!

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