The scream echoed again.
Closer.
Sharper.
"…Help me!"
One of the Hunters stepped forward instinctively.
"…We can't just ignore—"
"Stop."
Adrian's voice cut through the tension.
Calm.
Cold.
Certain.
"…That's not a survivor."
Silence fell.
"…What do you mean?" another asked.
Adrian's eyes stayed fixed on the darkness ahead.
"…It's calling us."
The air shifted.
Then—
Footsteps.
Slow.
Dragging.
A figure emerged from the shadows.
A man.
Torn armor.
Blood-covered.
Shaking.
"…P-please…"
He reached out.
"…help me…"
The team froze.
"…He's alive," one whispered.
"…No," Adrian said quietly.
The man lifted his head.
And smiled.
Too wide.
Too wrong.
"…Found you."
The world snapped.
The man's body twisted violently.
Bones cracking.
Skin splitting.
Something crawled out—
From inside him.
A mass of flesh.
Black.
Pulsing.
Covered in eyes.
The human shell collapsed.
Empty.
Discarded.
The team staggered back.
"…What the hell is that?!"
[Corruption Core – Parasite Host]
Level: ???
"…Level unknown?" someone muttered.
Adrian's expression hardened.
"…So that's the source."
The creature pulsed.
Then—
The ground shook.
All around them—
Corrupted beasts began to rise.
Dozens.
Then more.
"…It's summoning them!"
The parasite screeched.
A high-pitched, distorted sound.
And the monsters charged.
"DEFENSIVE FORMATION!"
The Hunters reacted instantly.
But panic had already set in.
They were surrounded.
Outnumbered.
Overwhelmed.
Adrian stepped forward.
"…No."
His voice was quiet.
But carried weight.
"…We're not the ones surrounded."
The ash around him stirred.
Then surged.
"…We are."
His eyes darkened.
"…the ones doing the surrounding."
He raised his hand.
"…Rise."
The battlefield trembled.
Every corpse—
Every trace of ash—
Moved.
Gathered.
Formed.
One soldier.
Then five.
Then ten.
Then dozens.
An army.
The Hunters froze.
"…This is insane…"
"…He's controlling all of them…"
Adrian stood at the center.
Unmoving.
Unshaken.
"…Kill them."
The Ash Soldiers moved.
In perfect sync.
They clashed with the corrupted beasts—
Overwhelming them instantly.
Steel met flesh.
Ash consumed corruption.
The tide turned.
Violently.
The parasite shrieked.
Its body convulsed—
Then expanded.
Growing larger.
More grotesque.
"…So you adapt," Adrian muttered.
The creature lashed out.
Tendrils shot through the air—
Piercing multiple Ash Soldiers.
They dissolved instantly.
Adrian narrowed his eyes.
"…Stronger than the rest."
The parasite focused on him.
Its many eyes locking onto his.
"…You…"
A voice echoed.
Inside his head.
"…You are… like me."
Adrian's expression darkened.
"…Don't compare us."
The creature screeched.
And lunged.
Fast.
Too fast.
Adrian activated everything.
[Predator Instinct]
Time slowed.
Barely enough.
He dodged—
But one tendril pierced his side.
"…Tch—!"
[HP Decreasing]
The creature pulled back—
Preparing another strike.
Adrian steadied himself.
"…Alright."
Ash gathered around him.
Denser than before.
Darker.
"…Let's end this."
He stepped forward.
Not retreating.
Advancing.
The parasite attacked—
Multiple tendrils—
From all directions—
Adrian moved through them.
Dodging.
Slipping.
Cutting.
Each movement precise.
Each step calculated.
He closed the distance.
"…Got you."
He leapt—
And drove the Bloodfang Dagger straight into its core.
SCREEEEEECH—
The creature convulsed violently.
But didn't die.
"…Not enough?"
The tendrils wrapped around him.
Tight.
Crushing.
"…You… belong… to ash…"
Adrian's eyes widened slightly.
"…What?"
The ash around them—
Moved.
But not toward him.
Toward the creature.
"…It's absorbing it too?"
The ground trembled.
Power surged wildly.
Unstable.
"…No…"
This wasn't good.
The creature was evolving.
Right in front of them.
Adrian clenched his teeth.
"…Then I'll take it first."
His eyes burned.
"…All of it."
He reached out—
And activated his authority.
[Ash Authority Activated]
The battlefield froze.
For a moment—
Everything stopped.
Then—
The ash split.
Half pulled toward the creature.
Half toward Adrian.
A tug of war.
"…So you want control?"
Adrian's voice dropped.
Cold.
Dominant.
"…Then fight me for it."
The pressure exploded.
The ground cracked.
The air screamed.
Then—
The ash surged.
Violently.
Toward him.
The creature shrieked—
Its body collapsing—
Breaking—
Disintegrating—
"…No…!"
Adrian's eyes glowed faintly.
"…Mine."
The ash flooded into him.
Power.
Raw.
Unfiltered.
The parasite screamed—
Then—
Silence.
It collapsed.
Gone.
The battlefield stilled.
All monsters—
Dead.
The dungeon—
Quiet.
Adrian stood alone.
Breathing slowly.
Ash drifting around him.
Then—
[Boss Defeated: Corruption Core]
[Level Up!]
[Level Up!]
[Level: 7 → 9]
[Skill Enhanced: Ash Authority (Lv. 2)]
Adrian exhaled.
"…That was different."
Behind him—
The Hunters stared.
Speechless.
"…He… killed it…"
"…Alone…"
Adrian didn't look back.
Because he felt it.
Something new.
Inside him.
Something darker.
Stronger.
"…This power…"
His eyes narrowed.
"…keeps growing."
And somewhere deep inside—
Something answered.