Flung helplessly, only the wails into the bottom were heard, then the splat that echoed throughout the mountain valley.

"If anyone else tries anything like that, again."

He pointed to the bottom.

"That's where it will get you."

The once shining captain now looked disheveled.

His once golden locks appeared a dim brown. His hearty smile was now a sneer. And his armor, once gleaming and reverberating power, is now rustic and mute.

Fuckin hell whispered Robert.

How in the hell have things gotten this bad so quickly?

Then, the pessimistic Ronald piped up.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

It's the canyon. It's cursed and feeds off the auras of man, leaving them depraved…

How in the hell…

I cut in- he's right.

How did you figure this out, Ronald?

The stone, it's been protecting us, shielding us from the corruptive aura.

Training my eyes and breathing in, I entered a new plane of vision. With these eyes, I could see the corrupting coils that slithered up from the chasm below and rested mainly on the captain, ensnarling him in a vile mangle of corrupted coils.

I yelled, but I was not quick enough.

An eruption of power boomed around and engulfed our once noble captain, sending half of the party over and down to their deaths.

After the dust had settled...

A monstrous beast with the qualities of our former captain lay before us. The power that he once reveled in, that would hover around him like a glow, returned. But it was the antithesis of holy, it was dark and deranged.

It was that of a Mad God.

Fuckin hell, Ronald and Robert said in unison.

Fuckin hell, indeed.