Light shone through the trees as the false canopy atrophied and died. Strands of flesh were torn apart by their own weight, losing whatever unnatural strength that kept them whole. Withered limbs fell to the forest floor, raining blood the whole way down.

The five former humans didn't seem to care. They rushed us, faster than any man could, unnatural legs allowing for inhuman grace. Our frontliners rose to meet them, outnumbering them three to one. For a moment, I thought the odds to be in our favor.

They weren't.

Steel clashed as an over-eager guardsman swung his blade. The creature he was aiming for caught it with a single arm, and bisected him with the other.

It took him a precious few seconds to die.

I was impressed that they had lasted as long as they did, but the surviving guards finally broke. I suppose the false relief was more of a poison, giving them the chance to appreciate the fact that they were alive. Right before the poor bastards were thrown back into the fire.

Screams of fear arose from the few survivors, and several guardsmen turned and ran. One torchbearer tripped over the corpse of a former comrade, sending the flame sailing towards a dead tree surrounded by grey flesh. Both lit up immediately, flames spreading wildly.

The crackling of flames blended with the screams as more fell to the creatures.

"Hold your ground, cowards!" screamed Amelie, voice hoarse. She fought against a single monster. Her wide swings were wild, but honed with training and experience, creating a whirlwind of steel that not even that monstrosity could approach safely.

Her screaming did nothing, as the guardsmen continued to run. I couldn't blame them, as it seems the canopy itself was dying, giving them a good chance to escape. Unfortunately, the lack of wet flesh wrapping around the trees made them considerably more flammable, which gave us a time limit.

"We must retreat!" yelled Luo Liang, blade glinting in the sunlight as he danced around his opponents. His apprentice danced with him while they fought two creatures to a standstill. They wailed from twisted jaws, and I wasn't sure if it was frustration or pain in their voices. Probably both.

The fourth was being manhandled by Ahge and Alejandro, with rage and cold professionalism respectively. The Wolfman was blocking blades with his forearms, sparks flying with every hit. I could only assume that to be a skill of some kind. Ahge was swinging her sword around much like Amelie, though accompanied by the occasional burst of flame from her mouth.

The final one was currently being riddled by bullets from my Walker. I aimed low, and my shots flew true. Its left knee shattered. It kept coming anyway. It fell to its knees and began to crawl rapidly, clawed arms digging into the ground as its limp leg dragged behind it.

It couldn't move all that fast anymore, so I took a precious second to charge an infused shot. The creature cleared half the distance in that time, so close that I could see the fresh blood dripping from its elongated mouth. I wondered why it was bleeding, when I suddenly remembered a certain creature from the first wave.

I ducked out of the way, firing a shot at the same time. A black spike, the same one that impaled Tess, flew past where my head was only a moment ago.

It had launched it straight from its throat.

It took my hat right off my head, sending it flying into the forest, while my bullet found its way down its now empty maw, bursting out the back of its skull with a sizeable chunk of flesh.

It lied still, and I pivoted, looking for another target.

Hound was holding his head in pain, crawling towards the nearest tree to hide behind, sword nowhere to be seen. He screamed at Ahge. "Stop breathing fucking fire! You'll bring the forest down on our heads!"

She either didn't hear him or ignored him, as she wrapped her tail around a bladed limb, using the opening to pour flames directly into the creature's face. It screeched as flesh melted from malformed bone.

I did her a favor and finished it off while it was still restrained, putting a bullet through its head. I found Luo Liang and Nuli, considerably more bloodied. I put a few shots into their opponents, using the same trick that I used with mine.

"Thank you, fellow Daoist!" he yelled, using the opportunity to finish off the creature, while his apprentice got the other.

Amelie didn't need help, as she found a chance to lop off one of the arms of her opponent. She immediately drove her sword into its chest, positioning it between her and the other bladed arm. She spun, momentum tearing the blade out of its chest, nearly cutting it in two. It fell to its knees, and she swung one last time, cleanly beheading it.

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She dug her sword into the ground and leaned on it, panting heavily.

Everybody was exhausted. Corpses littered the clearing, and the sun began to shine on the fresh river of blood. From the canopy, the humanoid corpses, the guards, the adventurers, and the twisted animals...they all contributed to the still-growing pool.

I was expecting the combat over message, but it didn't come.

Amelie spoke first. "Those things...were probably the peak of bronze."

The implications that mindless corpses could have a core did not escape me.

Hound spit out some blood. "There are more in there. I can feel a mind...like a tapestry. It's got to be the nest."

I spoke up. "That's nice and all, but I reckon we should burn this thing down and get the fuck out of here."

I gestured towards the rapidly growing flames, as if it wasn't obvious what I was referring to. The only thing stopping the spread was the layer of blood that now covered most of the forest. The canopy was almost entirely gone now, and the only remains were small strands of dead flesh stuck in the dry branches.

Amelie grunted with exertion as she pulled her sword out of the ground. "We thought of that already," she said, voice tinged in exhaustion. "We can't afford to lose this entire forest. How the hell else do you think we're going to feed an entire fucking city with half of our farmland in another fucking dimension?"

Seriously? I raised my hands, exasperated. "Well, hell, it's on fire now!"

"We can stop it before it gets too far, but only if our workers aren't being fucking dismembered!" she retorted.

Hound climbed to his feet, interrupting us. "I don't believe this is even the main nest. It's more of an 'outpost' if you will. If we can't handle this, then...well, we're doomed."

Luo Liang looked uncharacteristically serious, as he slowly nodded to Hound's statement. "Indeed. I do believe we have underestimated the threat posed by the Corruption. I will return, and implore the sect master to send aid."

In short, he wanted to bail. What a coincidence, so did I. I'm half tempted to cut my losses and go find a corner of the forest to hide in, but I knew that wasn't an option. If this unholy bullshit spread unchecked, then there wouldn't be any nature left to cower in. Was I doing this for the greater good? No. I was doing this because I had to.

Amelie shook her head, breaking me out of my stupor. She turned back, taking stock of the group. There were no guardsmen left, the survivors having run away. She was the only one left. I could see her face harden as she shoved those emotions aside. Maybe forever.

There were only a handful of adventurers still standing, and they were patching up their wounds, discussing quietly amongst themselves. Probably debating the same thing we were, though intent on coming to a decision themselves. After all, they had all volunteered to be here.

I wondered if this kind of horror is commonplace for these men and women. Unlike me, I'm willing to bet most of them have something to live for.

Alejandro was lying on the ground, trying to clean his wounds, though struggling through the fur. Ahge was pacing, gritting her teeth as her tail hit the ground rhythmically. Sophie was crying, trying to heal Tess. It was a waste of time, as I could see her shredded organs dangle out of her mouth, trailing blood and viscera down her leather shirt and onto the spike her corpse was pinned to.

It was a familiar feeling. Her face joined with the rest. I felt dead, even more so than usual, like there was some outside force, forcing my corpse to dance like a puppet on strings. I was so tired of the dying, but it would never stop so long as I breathed.

Hound kicked a corpse out of the way as he picked up his blood-coated sword. "We're out of time. Let's go."

Amelie shook her head. "No. If we let this go, it will just regrow. All of these deaths would have been for nothing."

I knew exactly where this was going, and I didn't like it. "Don't be a fool!" I yelled.

But she had already made her decision, she grasped her sword in hand as she ran towards the nest, red light still shining from within. She dove straight through the gap and disappeared behind the folds of flesh. Ahge was right behind her, sword trailing in the dirt as she leaped through the opening.

"Idiot!" yelled Alejandro. He took one last glance at Sophie and Tess, sighing wearily. He ran after Ahge, joining them in the nest.

And just like that, we were three down. Should I go after them? Should I leave them to their deaths? It wasn't my responsibility to keep them alive after all, they chose to dive into certain doom.

Hound held his head in his hands. "I can't believe I wanted to get out of the office."

A tree fell as the fire caused it to collapse. Shards of flaming wood flew in every direction. Most of them sputtered out in the pool of blood, but some didn't, landing amongst dead leaves and trees. More fire spread, beginning to encircle our surroundings. We were running out of time.

"Nuli! Cease!" yelled Luo Liang, and I saw a blur fly past me. If I hadn't been racked with indecision, I might have had the presence of mind to grab her arm, but I didn't.

The young girl dove in after the rest.

I turned to Luo Liang, shocked. "...What the hell?" was all I managed.

He sighed. "I don't know either. What foolishness."

He then simply turned around and ran away. He had no hesitation in his steps, nor did he spare a glance back.

My voice cracked as I yelled at his back. "Wasn't she your apprentice?"

"Not anymore," he delcared.

What in the name of god was happening here? Why did she decide to leap in there? What did she have to gain?

Luo Liang made the correct choice, objectively. But I felt it to be wrong. Amelie, Alejandro, and Ahge made their decisions. They were adults, and understood the risks. But the girl? She was too young to be making these kinds of choices.

Hound grabbed my shoulder. "Okay, we both know where this is going, but I need you alive, so don't. Please?"

I shook it off, and he just sighed.

"Try not to die," said Hound.

I didn't waste time justifying my decisions to myself. I dove through the entrance, leaving the flames behind me, stepping onto a floor made of flesh.

Which promptly collapsed from under me.