The next day, Grey still hadn't woken up. Richard hadn't come home the night before either, and even Alissa was absent. That was because she was currently inside a corruption field.
As soon as Grey left yesterday, she received a call from her friends. It was a mission to eliminate corruption fields posted by the Evolver's Association, and she had accepted it without a second thought.
Inside a corruption field, four figures battled desperately against a towering monster.
The corruption field quaked with every step of the beast. Its massive body loomed like a nightmare. It was twisted and grotesque, with a hollow cavity gaping in its chest. Two jagged horns curved upward, dripping with red miasma, while its head resembled a collapsing black hole that devoured the very light around them.
"As expected of a Seventh-level monster, there's no way I can take it on alone!" Evan, Alissa's most trusted friend, roared. His sword blazed with Sword Energy as he dashed forward at inhuman speed. His blade carved through the haze, leaving trails of distorted air in its wake.
Clang!
His strike smashed against the monster's hardened arm, sparks bursting as the beast bellowed. The sheer force hurled Evan backward, but he twisted mid-air, landing like a predator ready to pounce again.
"Evan, on your left!" Alissa shouted, her hands weaving in a blur. A frost-laden circle unfolded before her, and countless spears of ice erupted outwards. They slammed into the monster's flank one after another, cracks of frozen energy spreading across its flesh and slowing its movements.
Further back stood Rock, Alissa's other friend. He was a young man of average looks with black hair and brown eyes. He drew his bow of light taut, the string of pure energy humming as it strained. His eyes narrowed.
"Pierce!"
The arrow streaked forward like a comet, drilling straight into the hollow of the monster's stomach. The beast shrieked as a storm of red miasma exploded outward in retaliation.
"Careful, its aura's flaring again!" Ellen, Alissa's childhood friend, cried out with urgency in her voice.
"1-Star Spell, Wood Release!"
Her palms glowed with soft radiance, waves of green energy washing over Evan and Alissa. Shallow wounds sealed instantly, and their drained stamina surged back like a tide.
Ellen stood proudly at the side, tending to her friends' wounds. She had an above-average appearance with short black hair, warm brown eyes, and a cute face. She wasn't quite on Alissa's level, but she was still undeniably pretty.
ROAARR!
The monster lunged, its massive claw tearing through the ground where they had stood moments before. Evan's figure blurred, reappearing on its shoulder as his sword blazed with Sword Energy, the edge cutting down toward its jagged horn above the hollow head.
"Fall!" he roared. His strike crashed down with enough force to split a house in two. The horn cracked with a deafening snap, releasing a ripple of distorted miasma.
"Now!" Alissa's eyes gleamed as she seized the opening. Raising both hands, frost surged violently around her, and a gigantic ice lance condensed in the air. Its glacial tip shone sharply even in the suffocating dark.
With a fierce shout, she hurled it forward.
The frozen spear shot through the air like a thunderbolt of ice, drilling straight into the hollow between the monster's twisted horns. For a heartbeat, the entire corruption field went deathly silent.
Then, a moment later.
CRACK!
The ice erupted outward, spreading jagged frost through the monster's head. Its black-hole head flickered violently, the red corruption energy shrieking as if alive before it shattered into motes of dying light.
The beast let out one last distorted roar, shaking the very ground, before its colossal frame toppled forward. The impact thundered through the battlefield, sending waves of dust and debris into the air. When it settled, the creature's head lay buried in the earth, frozen solid and lifeless.
Evan lowered his blade, staring at the corpse. "…It's dead."
Rock let out a low whistle. "Tch. One strike. Alissa, remind me never to piss you off."
"You guys should be grateful! You wouldn't have made it without my healing technique!" Ellen's proud voice came from behind as she stepped forward and hugged Alissa.
"You were so great, Alissa," Ellen said as she rubbed her face against Alissa's plump chest.
Then, all of them looked at each other and smiled.
"Everyone, with this, we cleared three corruption fields in a single day!" Evan proudly announced.
"Yeah!" Ellen cheered while Rock adjusted his glasses. Alissa stood there with a small, beautiful smile that could captivate anyone.
Both Evan and Rock, and even Ellen, fell into a trance seeing that smile.
"Alright, let's take out the Corruption field's core and leave." Evan coughed slightly, pulling everyone back to reality as he spoke.
The others nodded. Evan walked up to the center of the Corruption field, where the necro star floated.
Evan flared up his Sword Energy and swiftly sliced the ball of light down.
Immediately, the dark sky above their heads returned to normal, and the red miasma around the area vanished as if it had never existed. They could now see the outside world and the soldiers who were stationed near the Corruption field in case things went wrong.
"Today was a long day. Let's head back early and rest before doing anything else," Evan said to his team. He glanced at his three companions, gave a nod, and they each went their separate ways.
Alissa checked the time. It was only 10 a.m. She had thought the battle would drag on into the night, but it ended far sooner than she expected.
With that, she headed home. By now, her father Richard should have returned from his late-night shift.
Click.
The door to the housing unit opened. The faint sound of a TV echoed from the main hall. That could only mean one thing. It had to be Grey.
Alissa slipped off her shoes and walked inside. Her stomach growled. She hadn't eaten properly since yesterday morning since she had been busy clearing corruption fields. She recalled there was still some ice cream in the fridge, so she made her way toward the kitchen.
But since the kitchen was open and directly connected to the hall, she had to pass through it first.
The moment she stepped into the hall, she froze.
Her eyes widened in disbelief.
On the sofa sat a young man, sitting cross-legged. A tired and sleepy look was plastered across his face as he lazily chewed on a slice of pizza, his eyes glued to the TV.
Alissa's breath hitched. "Who are you?"
Who is this? What happened to Grey?
She instinctively stepped back, dumbfounded. Then, remembering she was an evolver, her expression hardened, and she stepped forward cautiously.
The man shifted slightly. He was tall and imposing, with long hair framing his face. His irises glowed a deep purple, while his pupils had turned pitch black, giving his gaze an intense, almost otherworldly aura.
This guy… he looked almost exactly like Grey.
Three giant question marks practically popped above Alissa's head.