Their journey through the forest continued, each step bringing them closer to their next objective: the elusive Glittering Ore. Their progress was slow but steady, each of them scanning their surroundings with heightened senses. Ethan's arm still throbbed, a lingering reminder of their encounter with the Thorned Deer, but he pushed through the discomfort.

"Keep an eye out for any signs of the Glimmer Ore," Seraphine instructed, her voice a hushed whisper. "The encyclopedia mentioned that it's often found near rock formations and water sources."

Ethan nodded in agreement, his gaze scanning the terrain ahead. "Let's split up briefly to cover more ground. We can regroup once we find any promising leads."

With a silent agreement, they fanned out, their steps cautious as they moved through the forest. Time seemed to stretch, their focus honed on the task at hand.

As Ethan rounded a cluster of trees, he stumbled upon a scene that brought him to an abrupt halt. A group of students, their uniforms tattered and stained, lay scattered on the forest floor. The air was thick with an aura of distress, and their groans of pain sent a chill down his spine.

"Guys!" Ethan yelled out to inform his teammates.

"Ethan, what is it?" Sven's voice carried a note of concern as he approached.

Seraphine joined them, her eyes widening at the sight before them. "What happened to them?"

The trio lunged forward, an urgent adrenaline surge eclipsing their own objectives. The students stood before them, a heartrending sight of agony and weariness etched across their faces. Horrifyingly, a few among them lay dismembered.

Ethan quickly knelt near a hurt but still breathing student. With a calming tone amidst the chaos, he asked anxiously, "Can you hear me? What in the world happened here?"

The student's breaths came in ragged gasps, their eyes wide with terror. With trembling lips, they managed to croak out a few words through their pain. "M-Monster... R-Run!"

"Monsters attacked? But what kind of monsters could cause such devastation?"

Ethan's expression darkened as he scanned the surroundings. "We need to be on guard. Whatever attacked them might still be nearby."

Ethan's concern deepened, his voice steady as he addressed the injured student. "We'll get you to safety, but we need to know more about the creatures that attacked. Did you manage to repel them or...?"

The student glanced at the aftermath of the clash, a blend of fear and urgency in their eyes. "We tried to fight, but it wouldn't stop. We couldn't keep it away, not even with the guard assigned to protect us."

"What? The guard too? Where's the guardian now? I don't see them with you."

"He... He got eaten by that monster."

The words hung in the air, a chilling truth that sent shivers down their spines. The forest fell into an eerie hush, the weight of the student's revelation casting a dark shadow over their surroundings. The true danger they were in became painfully clear.

Ethan's jaw clenched, his gaze turning steely as he absorbed the grim reality. "We've got to get out of here right now. Help me bring the student back with us."

"What? Are you willing to throw away our evaluation if we retreat?" Sven argued.

"Are you seriously ready to risk your life for an evaluation? This creature took down students and the assigned guard. We're no match. If it finds us, we're done for!" Ethan shot back.

"Guys..." Seraphine jumped in during their argument. "I think it might be too late for that..."

"What?" Both of them turned to Seraphine, following her pointing finger. Their eyes widened in surprise as they faced a familiar creature right before them. The Cleared Skinned Skipper!

"It's just a Cleared Skinned Skipper, nothing to worry about."

Ethan began to ease, believing it was merely a low-level F ranked creature. But his relief shattered when the injured student beside him shattered that belief. "N-No, it's the Monster! He's the one who took my friends life!"

"Ethan! Look! It is a Cleared Skinned Skipper... but there's something off about it."

"Huh?"

As Ethan scrutinized the creature before him, he noticed distinct variations from the description in Professor Stones' encyclopedia.

The creature's overall form was alike, yet it bore unique distinctions. Its clear skin was marred by countless crimson-like mushrooms etched across its body, and its round eyes glowed with a deep crimson hue instead of the usual natural black.

Sven's grip on his staff tightened, his voice edged with caution. "This isn't just a Cleared Skinned Skipper. Those mushrooms on its body... they're not natural."

"I recognize those! My mother told me about them once. Evil creatures can sometimes transform into entities known as Corruptions. When an Evil Creature gets corrupted, it turns far more aggressive and perilous, gaining new abilities it wouldn't have otherwise. Nobody really knows why or how this corruption happens, but what's for sure is that their threat level skyrockets. This... it's not just some F-ranked monster anymore!" Seraphine shared, relaying the wisdom passed down by her mother, the current water magi.

The mutated creature's gaze locked onto them, its crimson eyes narrowing as if assessing their threat level. It emitted an eerie, guttural growl, its stance shifting to a more aggressive posture.

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The trio's hearts raced as they faced the mutated Cleared Skinned Skipper, its crimson eyes fixated on them with an unsettling intensity. The atmosphere grew tense, the very air crackling with the inevitable confrontation.

Sven's expression tightened, his voice resolute. "Seraphine, be prepared to use your water magic to restrain it. Ethan, stay close to the injured student. We need to protect them and take down this creature together."

Seraphine nodded, her focus honed as she readied her magic. "Got it. Just be careful, you two."

The Corrupted Cleared Skinned Skipper lunged forward, its movement swift and aggressive. Ethan's heart raced as he positioned himself protectively in front of the injured student, his magic at the ready.

"Seraphine, now!" Sven commanded.

Seraphine conjured a mighty torrent of water, directing it to entwine and ensnare the creature, aiming to impede its progress. The water coalesced into a swirling vortex, wrapping around the creature in a bid to momentarily hamper its movement. However, the Corrupted Cleared Skinned Skipper possessed an innate trait that posed a formidable challenge to dealing any substantial damage. This trait was none other than the Aquatique Elegance, endowing the Cleared Skinned Skipper with fluid, graceful movement. Its damp and adhesive body layer enabled it to effortlessly glide across the water's surface and traverse the ground with ease. The majority of attacks launched against it merely skidded off its slick exterior, and its moisture-laden shield effectively deflected most fire-based assaults, diminishing the impact of flames.

Ethan's brow furrowed as he witnessed their attacks slide off the creature's form with little effect.

Ethan gritted his teeth, his mind racing for an alternative strategy. The creature's agility and adaptability were proving to be significant hurdles. "We need to outmaneuver it somehow. Sven, can you manipulate the terrain with your earth magic? Create obstacles that will limit its mobility."

Sven's eyes sparkled with realization. "Yes, I can create uneven ground and obstruct its movement."

Sven harnessed his magic to control the earth below. The forest floor changed, with roots and rocks rising and tangling, creating a rough and bumpy surface that slowed down the creature. However, the Corrupted Cleared Skinned Skipper's movement remained unaffected. It skillfully used its slippery nature to glide over the uneven ground. Its Aquatic Elegance trait combined with its Translucent Adaptation ability, thanks to its opalescent skin, enabled it to seamlessly shift between different surroundings, allowing it to move effortlessly in any environment.

Despite their efforts, the creature continued to advance, its eerie crimson eyes fixed on Sven. The atmosphere grew tense as Sven realized that he had become the primary focus of its aggression. The Corrupted Cleared Skinned Skipper lunged at him with a sudden burst of speed, its movements fluid and unpredictable.

"Sven, watch out!" Seraphine shouted.

Sven acted quickly, employing his earth magic to erect a rocky shield before him. The creature crashed into the barrier, yet to Sven's surprise, there was no collision. Instead, the creature repulsively and effortlessly slithered his way through the rocky defense. Sven staggered back as the Cleared Skinned Skipper was within hair breath away from him.

With a sudden, predatory movement, the corrupted being lunged at Sven, its grotesque mouth opening wide as it aimed to seize him in one swift motion.

*Burp*

The creature's crimson eyes glowed with a sinister satisfaction, its grotesque body wriggling as it adjusted to accommodate the new addition to its stomach

The world seemed to slow down as Seraphine's and Ethan's eyes widened in horror, Seraphine's voice tearing through the tension-filled air. "S-SVEN!" Her scream reverberated, a desperate plea laden with fear and urgency as she witness her comrade being swallowed in one fell swoop.

"Seraphine, hold it together! Sven might still be alive inside that bastard. We just have to get him out there before its to late."

"How? Our attacks aren't even making a dent. It keeps dodging everything!" Seraphine's voice quivered with frustration.

"I told you, keep yourself together! Weren't you aiming to surpass your mother? How are you going to achieve that if you can't handle this level of challenge!"

Ethan took a deep breath, his gaze locked onto the writhing form of the creature that had ensnared their teammate. "Seraphine, every creature, no matter how formidable, has a weakness."

Ethan understood that the creature's slick body was its key advantage, making it a tricky opponent. He considered two ways to neutralize this slippery trait. One was to mess with the moisture in the air around it. By increasing the humidity – adding more moisture to the air – the creature would absorb even more water, maybe more than it could handle. This could slow it down and potentially make it easier to attack.

However, Ethan wasn't sure how much moisture the creature could actually absorb before it reached its limit. It was a risky move, like walking on a thin branch. His second option was to…

"Seraphine! Manifest cool air to chill down the area!"

Seraphine felt a bit puzzled by Ethan's request, but she trusted his judgment and immediately began using her abilities to bring down the temperature. Mimicking her actions, Ethan summoned his own wind magic, further intensifying the cooling effect. Their combined efforts quickly turned the area chilly.

Unbeknownst to Seraphine, Ethan had a tactical plan in mind. With the air now cold and moisture in the atmosphere condensing, a layer of droplets began to form on the creature's body. This process gradually stripped away its slippery surface, reducing its ability to dodge attacks effectively.

As the creature's agility dwindled, the odds began to shift in the trio's favor. Their coordinated efforts and strategic thinking showcased their resourcefulness in finding a way to counter the creature's unique trait. The monster, now struggling to maintain its evasive maneuvers, became more susceptible to their counterattacks.

Ethan's voice cut through the tense air as he seized the opportunity they had created. "Now! Attack it, it won't be able to dodge this time!"

Seraphine summoned a torrent of water that surged towards the creature, the liquid striking with greater accuracy now that its slippery defenses had been compromised. The creature let out a screech of pain and frustration as the water hit home, its movements becoming sluggish.

Ethan channeled his energy, conjuring a concentrated burst of flames. He directed the blinding heat toward the creature, further disorienting it and preventing it from mounting an effective defense.

The combined assault sent the Corrupted Cleared Skinned Skipper into a frenzy. Its once-fluid motions became jerky and uncoordinated as it fought to maintain balance on the now less-slippery ground. With unwavering determination, the duo rallied for a final, synchronized strike. The force of their joint attack created a shockwave, raising a cloud of dust that engulfed their surroundings. Their vision obscured, they could only hope their efforts had been enough.

Amidst the haze, a tense silence hung in the air. Time seemed to stretch as the dust settled, revealing the creature's fate. Slowly but surely, the scene became clear. The Corrupted Cleared Skinned Skipper lay motionless, its body charred and lifeless.

"We did it, Ethan!"

But as the triumphant words left their lips, a sudden unease settled over them. Ethan's elation was replaced by a sense of foreboding. He stepped closer to the charred remains, his brow furrowing in confusion. "...Wait, something doesn't seem right..."

Seraphine followed his gaze, her heart sinking as she realized what he was about to say. "T-This! This isn't its body."

In front of them, where they thought the creature had fallen, lay only a discarded and burnt husk—the creature's shed skin. A shiver ran down their spines as the realization hit them.

"This must be its new trait it gained from being corrupted! Be careful! It should still be nea—Agh!" Seraphine's warning was abruptly cut short by a sharp, searing pain that jolted through her right arm. Before she could react, an unexpected and brutal force struck her, sending her hurtling through the air.

"Seraphine!"

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