It was only a few moments ago that it sensed it. Corruption sensed a strong lifeforce coming from his left. It didn't think twice before rushing that way, it wasn't one to give up on a snack. It ran after the lifeforce as it seemed trying to distance itself from it. It took a few minutes before he found it. It was a human like its host. But this one was alive. It had much more energy inside it. Living ones were so much better~

It glanced at the human. According to the memories he devoured, this was a human male. It didn't matter that much to him though. He only wondered whether males tasted better than females. It kept chasing. He would assimilate with it alive. After a few moments, the human male turned around and faced him after taking out two daggers. It made him laugh.

It saw how the man's face was contorted from fear, anguish and determination. It delighted itself in seeing this expression. The agony of one who knew he was going to lose either ways. It laughed harder. This was so much better!

He didn't wait long before his instincts issued from its gluttony took over. He pounced on the male human with his all, as if trying to hug him. The human male seemed to use spiritual energy all over himself as he began to slash fervently. It was slashed in many places, its body becoming three. But it didn't care. All three of its parts encroached upon the human male and they began to devour it alive, assimilating him to them.

He tried his hardest to slash and stab at it but it was useless. He was slightly being eaten alive. It enjoyed his screams as he left the mouth for last to enjoy the sounds for even a little longer. Then, there was nothing but silence.

It looked at its body that now looked like this new host it assimilated with. Since he ate it alive, he felt much closer to it and there was a lot more of energy available now. It laughed. Then, it began to run towards the top of the mountain once more. It was still targeting the 'contestants' from the memories of the 'champions' it devoured.

It wondered how they would taste. It had high expectations.

...

Meanwhile, the death mist began to spread through the forest. Little by little, as it moved, all lives were lost. The flowers fanned, the trees decomposed... Everything turned into a land of death with nothing but infertile soil. Even the mist itself was being killed, the elements composing it in fact. Wherever the mist passed, nothing was left.

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Until, after reaching a certain place close to a pedestal, a hand emerged from the ground. It had rotting flesh and one could even see the bones at different locations. The hand tapped the soil around it before a second hand emerged, similar to the first one. Then, both hands pushed the soil and something got out of the ground little by little. A helmet emerged first. It was rusty and unclean yet it still retained a perfect shape with its ornamental designs of hawks still in pristine condition. From beyond the helmet, one could see dead blank eyes without pupils. There was also slightly rotten flesh behind it. It was likely that if the helmet was taken out, something very ugly would greet the world.

After the helmet came an armor and armbands that covered the rest of the arms. Then, it was leg guards and boots. It was something dead that was back up. It looked around only to see the soil and the mist ever-killing the living. It glanced down at itself. It still wore its armor and had his four trusty swords at his waist. He gazed at his hands, frightened from their appearances. It didn't expect to see them in such a state back then...

He was a champion selected by his lady to participate in the greatest of trial. However, it was clear that he didn't have an ounce of a chance to win. So, his lady formulated a plan. She injected a death beast core into him close to his heart before he was sent here. The death element would slowly kill him, it killed all life after all but, one day, he would be revived to take on the trial for her. That day, he would have a power beyond everything he could have dreamt of and would be able to compete for the victory, for his lady.

Since he was to die in the trial back then to revive later for a second chance, he killed himself on the spot at the very start. The pain brought by the slow erosion of his life was hard to bear and, since the end would be the same, he saved himself from the pain. His last thoughts were focused towards bringing success to his lady.

Now, he was back on his feet, once more looking at the mountain from its foot. This time, however, he planned to climb to its top. It would grant death to all in its path.

After he took his first step in this mist, he began to feel the element of death all around him. He felt like it was a part of him. He could use it however he wished. He began to focus and willed to agglomerate. Soon, it formed a steed. He smiled within his helmet, or had the feeling of doing it. He wasn't sure if his face could smile now. It didn't matter. He lived and died for his Lady. Now, he lived once again for her.

He moved up on the horse and took out a sword from its sheath before branding it up in the air and swearing with a rough voice: "For the Lady!"

At that moment, one of the Saints had a hand over her mouth as she gasped: "Oh my! There was still one left"