In the city of the dead. A cold, clean feeling, utterly unlike the suffocating heat of the Pit, washed over Ethan. He heard a whisper, clear and beautiful, yet laced with absolute dread.
"The price has been paid, little scrap. A dark bargain has been struck in your name. You are now merely a tool of spite, and the shadow you serve seeks to disrupt my divine order. Know this: Every step you take is a defiance, and the light will not tolerate it."
The feeling vanished, leaving behind only the metallic tang of blood and the pulsing dread of the Atom Corruption.
Ethan's eyes flickered for a moment, as a shifting form of the atoms gathered. They weren't just enemies—they were echoes. Each bore distinct marks etched like scars, twisted symbols of how they had died: bullet wounds, burned skin, shattered limbs.
Behind them, the town pulsed—a small fantasy village warped by memory. Cobblestone streets cracked underfoot. Lanterns swung from crooked poles, glowing with the last breath of fallen atoms. Buildings leaned as if listening, their windows fogged with sorrow. In the center, a fountain dripped black water, surrounded by statues frozen in agony, each one a monument to a final moment.
The sky above flickered violet, static stars blinking in and out like broken thoughts.
Ethan swallowed hard. The town felt alive, but not living.
"What are those marks on you?" he asked, his voice steady despite the pressure closing in.
The atoms pulsed, growing denser. Their energy crackled like static in a storm. One stepped forward—the headless man cradling his own skull, calm but laced with cruel amusement.
"The real question is: what is that mark on you? No one's ever carried something like that. You don't belong. You're a freak—an outcast. And we intend to correct that mistake."
Ethan's heart thudded. A cold realization settled in his gut. They weren't just observing him anymore. They were preparing to strike.
"What… why?" he stammered, panic rising.
A shiver surged through him as one atom lunged, its form twisting violently. He froze, mind clouded with despair. His body refused to move.
"No… this can't be it. I have to fight back!"
He squeezed his eyes shut, bracing for impact.
"Atom Corruption activated," a soulless voice echoed in his mind.
But the attack never landed.
...A strange sensation pulsed through him—foreign yet familiar. His vision sharpened. His body felt different. Stronger. Colder. A notification blinked in the corner of his vision. The mechanical voice returned, cold and indifferent: "Atom essence detected. EXP Gained."
"How…?" Ethan muttered, disoriented. "I thought you had to kill someone to gain EXP."
The atoms stirred. One trembled, its shape fluctuating with rage.
"You killed my brother, you monster!"
Energy crackled. A long-range attack charged, the air thickening with tension.
CRACKLE—
An electric beam shot toward Ethan. He dodged, but too late. Pain surged through his side.
"Fuck, that hurt!" he gasped, stumbling.
"What do I do? What abilities do I have?"
A window appeared before him, glowing faintly:
Stats Unlocked:
Consumption of Atoms Atom Corruption Intoxication Fog Martial Arts (New)
"There's no way he's alive," hissed the attacker. "No one survives my lightning."
Then the mechanical voice returned:
Self-Defense Mode Activated.
Ethan's body moved on instinct. Black steam poured from his skin, curling like smoke from a dying star.
"Intoxication Fog," he said, his voice deeper, unfamiliar.
The fog engulfed the battlefield. The atoms coughed, stumbled, blinded and disoriented. Ethan struck with Atom Corruption—his movements fluid. One leap off a wall, one strike—an atom vanished. Another jump, another gone. And another.
Until only one remained.
"So, you think you're hot stuff?" snarled the leader, charging a massive arrow of fire. "I'll show you my true power!"
Ethan's eyes narrowed.
"You think I'll die this easily? I have to get my revenge!"
The arrow hit—but dissipated against his corrupted form. The flames curled around him, then vanished. As if you heat something but remains cold.
"How is this possible?" the leader panicked. "No one survives that…"
He turned to flee.
Ethan didn't let him.
With an arrow of his own—not fire, but pure corruption—he struck. Dark energy spiraled from his hand, piercing the atom's core.
Silence followed.
Ethan snapped back to reality. No atoms. No scorch marks. No proof.
Only silence—and the mark on his body, pulsing like a living memory.
His breath came shallow. His hands trembled. He didn't know what had fully happened, but he knew this:
He had been killed. And something inside him had changed.
"Better left unsolved," he whispered.
A new notification blinked:
New Ability Unlocked: Corruption Arrow
The voice gnawed at the back of his mind—not loud, not clear. Just waiting, like Jake's unseen smile.