When they were about to return inside the cave, they heard heavy steps and a hiss.
They turned.
Three more Komoda had arrived, eyes locked onto Aiah.
"What the hell," Aiah muttered, eyes wide.
"Stay back," she said to Isaac, stepping forward with flickers of fire in her palms.
One Komoda lunged. The other two followed.
Aiah dodged the first, then hurled a fireball at the second, but missed. The third Komoda whipped its tail at her.
Crack!
Aiah was slammed into a tree.
"No…" Isaac muttered, weak from poison. He clenched his fists. "She can't handle them."
Another strike landed. Aiah hit the ground hard.
Isaac's thoughts raced.
'Swarm Devour? No… that might drain me more in this state.'
Then...
'Abyssal Overdrive? At least that boosts me for a while.'
"Abyssal Overdrive." He whispered.
[Abyssal Overdrive Activate? Y/N]
"Yes."
Black smoke-like energy seeped from his body, tendrils of shadow curling around him like living entities. Black energy flooded through his veins. Muscles pulsed. His breath came heavy, wild. His heartbeat echoed like war drums.
Aiah raised her hand, flames weak and flickering. "Fire…!" she tried to shout, but her knees buckled. Blood spilled from her mouth.
No more fire.
No more strength.
She collapsed.
The monster opened its jaws.
Suddenly, Isaac appeared between Aiah and the monster.
His body trembled, not from fear, but from the sudden rush of power.
SHHK!
He swung his axe in one clean motion, cutting across the creature's chest. The Komoda hissed loudly, backing off with blood spilling from the wound.
The second Komoda rushed from the side.
Isaac ducked and rolled under its claws, then drove the axe into its hind leg. The monster shrieked and collapsed to the ground, unable to stand.
The third one circled behind.
Isaac turned fast.
It leapt toward him, mouth aiming for his head.
He raised his arm, blocking with the axe's handle. The weight pushed him down to one knee, but the Overdrive kept him strong.
He grabbed the Komoda's throat with his free hand and slammed its head into the dirt.
Then, he pulled and lifted his axe.
Crack!
The blade struck down, ending the fight with one clean hit.
The first Komoda tried to crawl away, dragging its injured leg.
Isaac didn't hesitate.
He ran forward and kicked it onto its side. It let out a final hiss.
Thud!
The axe dropped again, and silence followed.
All three Komodas lay still.
Isaac stood over them, breathing hard.
The system flickered.
[System Updating..... System Updated]
[System detecting… Passive Corruption found]
[Corruption 17%]
'Corruption?'
[The use of Abyssal Overdrive increases corruption.]
[Warning: Higher corruption may result in permanent physical and mental changes.]
A new screen appeared.
[Corruption Level: 17%]
[Stage: The Hollow Beckons]
[Status: Active Influence Detected]
[Effect: Interference in some final blow. Slight physical changes]
[Unlocked Skill: Reaper's Spiral. Tool Savant. Dark Regeneration. Swarm Authority. Reaper's Boomerang. Abyssal Smash]
[Next Threshold: 25% – Stage: Inner Struggle]
[Preview: Voice manifestation expected. Mental resistance protocols advised.]
[Warning: Continued use of Abyssal Overdrive will hasten progression.]
Isaac's hands trembled slightly.
He saw his reflection in the small pool of water by his feet.
Dark eyelids. Pale skin.
"…What are you?" he whispered.
Inside him, the Being laughed.
Not loud.
Not cruel.
Just there.
Waiting.
—-----
Aiah rushed over to him, nearly slipping on the wet ground.
"You're okay?" she asked, grabbing his arm.
He looked at her.
"I'm not sure," he muttered. "But you are. That's what matters."
Then she froze.
"Your eyes… they're different."
Isaac didn't answer.
He looked at the dead Komodas.
He looked at his hands, stronger, yes. But now with blackened nails.
—-----
Inside the cave, while both of them rested, Aiah lay sideways, facing away from Isaac, who was sitting with his back against the cave wall.
Isaac was still weak, but he was slowly recovering. Just a few more hours, he thought.
His mind lingered on one word "corruption."
Every time he used Abyssal Overdrive, the Corruption percentage rose. And with it, the being inside him gained more control.
He knew the risk. But he also knew that if stronger enemies came, he might have no choice but to use it again. To survive. To protect others.
The passive effects were already messing with his mind. Sometimes, his thoughts didn't feel like his own. And he knew something interfered during those brutal kills, especially at the final blow.
His eyes grew heavy. Before he realized it, suddenly, everything went black.
He was no longer in the cave.
He sat on a broken throne deep in the abyss. All around him, demons were chained and imprisoned, their bodies twisted by suffering.
One demon dragged itself forward, a chain ball clanging behind its feet. It reached out, begging to be freed.
But when it got close, its eyes narrowed.
"Who are you?" the demon asked. "You're not him. You're… different."
Goosebumps crawled across Isaac's skin.
The throne. The demons. The weight of fear, it all felt too real.
—-----
Then, his eyes opened.
Aiah's face was right in front of him. She was shaking his shoulder. "Are you okay, Isaac? It's almost noon. Food's ready."
He looked down at his hands. Still human. Still himself. But his nails remain black. And that throne... those voices... they felt too real to forget.
'What the hell am I turning into…' he muttered under his breath.
The smell of roasted rabbit greeted him. He sat up. His strength had returned.
"Come on, let's eat." Aiah pulled some meat off the fire. "I took your bread last night, so… meat in exchange."
Isaac chuckled and grabbed a bite. "Fair trade."
He looked at her. "How are your wounds?"
Aiah noticed his eyes scanning her and immediately blushed. She shifted slightly, covering her front.
"What's that look for?" she asked.
"I'm just checking you out," Isaac said casually, then looked back at his meat. "You're hiding it, but I already saw it."
"What?!" Aiah's eyes went wide.
"I said I'm glad you're okay." He chewed his food calmly.
Aiah relaxed a little and kept eating. "Are we heading back after this?" she asked.
Isaac didn't answer right away. He called out, 'Tiny.'
A small buzz sounded, and the tiny locust flew out from his nape, landing on his shoulder.
Aiah almost jumped. "Wait…. your bug was there the whole time?!"
"It's a locust," Isaac replied.
"Whatever," Aiah muttered.
'How's the camp?'
Tiny twitched its antennae, then buzzed softly, communicating to Hopper.
'Camp's okay Master, People are training.' Tiny said.
Then Isaac answered Aiah, "no."
Aiah looked up at him, a bite of meat frozen in her hand.
"We're going deeper. To the Third Core."
Aiah paused, then nodded slowly.
Isaac stared at the cave entrance, his thoughts heavy.
'I need to be stronger,' he told himself. 'So I won't need your Abyssal Overdrive again.