As they entered the arena, chaos erupted around them. The once-proud stadium, now a battlefield, was filled with the twisted essence of corruption. Warriors they had been wondering about were scattered across the grounds—but not as they remembered them.

“They got corrupted,” Elliot pointed out grimly, his sharp eyes locking onto the unmistakable purple aura seeping from several fighters. The energy wasn’t just emanating from them; it seemed to invade their very bodies, coiling through their movements like dark tendrils.

“We’ve gotta help,” Rhys said without hesitation, shifting into his fighting stance just as a corrupted fighter lunged at him. The attack was wild and uncoordinated, driven purely by the malicious essence controlling the man.

Rhys moved with precision, blocking the clumsy punch with his forearm and countering with a swift strike to the stomach. The blow connected with a dull thud, and the corrupted fighter crumpled to the ground, unconscious.

“How many fighters still have their minds intact?” Rhys asked, scanning the battlefield for any signs of uncorrupted warriors. The sight before him was bleak—corrupted fighters vastly outnumbered the few who were resisting.

This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author's work.

“There they are!” Towan shouted, his voice cutting through the din. He pointed toward a group of three fighters holding their ground against a relentless onslaught of corrupted enemies.

Without waiting for a response, Towan rushed toward them, his body moving on instinct. The trio stood in the center of the chaos, clearly struggling to hold their line. Among them was a burly, battle-scarred veteran, his massive fists swinging with precision as he bellowed orders to the others. Beside him, a young warrior barely out of his teens wielded his weapon with shaky determination, his arms trembling with every strike. The third was a girl around Kade’s age, her movements sharp and calculated as she dodged and countered with impressive skill, though her breaths were labored.

“They’re barely holding on,” Kade muttered, quickly assessing the situation as he followed Towan.

Elliot and Rhys stayed close behind, their expressions grim as they braced for the fight ahead. The air was thick with tension, the oppressive energy of corruption pressing down on them like a suffocating weight.

“We’ll back them up,” Towan said, his voice resolute as he prepared to join the fray. “We can’t let them fall.”