Chapter 104: The corrupted beast
He still believed that getting farther away was his only chance.
He didn’t know that he was leading them all toward the polluted zone prepared by one of his own followers.
And behind him, Rylan and the others continued the chase.
Zane continued running through the forest, his mind occupied with nothing but escaping Rylan and the guards behind him.
He refused to return to his brother’s hands. Whatever awaited him in the forest was preferable to being forced to live under Rylan’s control.
He pushed past another cluster of trees, barely paying attention to the uneven ground beneath his feet. However, as he rushed forward, his foot struck something hard.
Zane stumbled.
Before he could regain his balance, his body slammed against the ground, and the impact sent him rolling down a small cliff. He struck the earth several times before finally coming to a stop at the bottom.
Pain shot through his body.
"Argh!"
Zane struggled to move, but the sharp pain coming from his injured side forced him to remain still for a moment. His clothes were covered in dirt, and blood slowly seeped through the fabric around his wound.
When he tried to push himself up, his hand brushed against something beneath him.
A polluted gemstone.
Zane stared at it briefly, barely registering what it was before another wave of pain swept through his body.
His wound had reopened.
The injury was already severe, and the fall had only made it worse. He had also gone too long without suppressing his rut. The pain, exhaustion, and growing instability within his body made it increasingly difficult to keep himself under control.
Zane gritted his teeth and forced himself to stand.
He had to leave.
He couldn’t allow Rylan to catch him now.
But the moment he tried to take another step, an unbearable sensation spread through his body. His breathing became ragged, and his hands trembled as he struggled to suppress the growing rut.
He had been holding it back for too long.
Now, with his wound reopened and his body pushed beyond its limits, the suppression began to crumble.
"No..."
Zane staggered, clutching his injured side.
He tried desperately to regain control, but the pain only intensified. Something inside him was changing, and he could no longer stop it.
His body convulsed.
A terrible sound escaped his throat as his transformation began, his beast instincts overwhelming whatever remained of his reason.
The change was unlike anything he had experienced before.
His body twisted into a monstrous form, corruption spreading through him until there was nothing recognizable about the beast he had become.
The pain, the fear, and even his desire to escape disappeared beneath the overwhelming corruption.
Zane was no longer in control.
His senses faded, his consciousness swallowed by the darkness consuming him.
A monstrous growl erupted from his throat.
The sound travelled through the forest.
Behind him, Rylan and the others immediately heard it.
The guards slowed, exchanging wary glances as the terrifying growl echoed between the trees.
Before anyone could speak, the System’s voice rang inside Anaria’s mind.
[Warning! The target has completely transformed into a corrupted beast]
Anaria froze.
[Keep everyone away from it. Its corruption level is extremely dangerous.]
Her heart dropped.
A complete corrupted beast?
She barely had time to process the horrifying revelation before something emerged from the trees.
It came straight at them.
Anaria’s eyes widened.
"Rylan!"
Rylan reacted instantly, transforming into his wolf form and scooping her onto his back. The sudden movement startled her, and she clung tightly to him as he darted away from the approaching creature.
The beast’s terrifying appearance flashed before her eyes.
It was hideous.
Anaria could barely bring herself to look at it.
Rylan carried her toward a small opening near a cave entrance. He stopped long enough for her to climb down before turning back toward the approaching beast.
Anaria immediately grabbed him.
"Wait! Don’t go!"
Rylan looked at her.
"Stay here. I’ll be back."
"But—"
"It will be alright," he assured her.
Before she could stop him again, Rylan pulled away and rushed back toward the others.
Anaria stood frozen at the cave entrance, watching him disappear into the trees.
She knew what that beast was.
It was Zane.
And she was terrified.
Anaria backed into the cave, her eyes fixed on the forest outside.
She had encountered a corrupted beast before, but Zane’s transformation was something else entirely. The brief glimpse she had caught of him was enough to leave her shaken.
The creature had been hideous.
She couldn’t even bear to imagine what had happened to him.
Anaria slowly closed her eyes, trying to steady her breathing.
Outside, the sounds of battle erupted.
The beast roared, its growls reverberating through the forest. The sounds of bodies colliding and paws tearing through the earth followed, accompanied by the furious snarls of the wolves fighting against it.
Anaria pressed her hands against her ears.
She wanted to go out.
She wanted to see what was happening to Rylan and the others.
But the System had warned her about the danger, and she knew she would only put herself at risk if she rushed into the fight.
Still, staying behind while her mate fought a creature like that was unbearable.
"Rylan..."
Her voice came out as little more than a whisper.
The fighting continued.
Every growl made her heart tighten. She couldn’t tell which sounds belonged to the corrupted beast and which belonged to the wolves.
She imagined Rylan being injured.
She imagined the guards falling one after another.
And the longer the battle continued, the more frightened she became.
Then, gradually, the sounds began to fade.
The growling stopped.
The forest fell silent.
Anaria slowly lowered her hands.
For several moments, she remained where she was, listening carefully.
Nothing.
Her heart began to pound harder.
Why had everything suddenly gone quiet?
She opened her eyes.
Tears had already gathered in them.
The worst possibilities flooded her mind. What if Rylan had been hurt? What if the guards had been killed? What if the corrupted beast had overpowered them all?
She couldn’t remain inside any longer.
Anaria carefully stood and made her way toward the cave entrance.
Her mind had gone completely blank, leaving her unable to think clearly. She stepped outside, looking around anxiously.
The first thing she noticed was the blood.
There was blood on the ground, scattered across the earth near the trees.
Her heart lurched.
"No..."
She hurried forward, her eyes searching the surroundings.
Had something happened to Rylan?
Had he—
"Anaria!"
She stopped.
That voice.
Anaria immediately turned around.
Rylan was approaching from the trees.
His body was covered in blood.
For a moment, she could only stare at him, unable to move. Then she rushed toward him, tears streaming down her face.
"Rylan!"
She threw her arms around him, holding him tightly as though afraid he might disappear if she let go.
"What were you thinking?" she cried, pulling back to examine him. "Why did you leave me there? You shouldn’t do that again!"
Her hands moved anxiously over his body, searching for injuries. The sight of blood everywhere made it difficult to tell whether he was hurt or whether it belonged to the beast.
"Are you injured? Where does it hurt?"
Rylan looked at her, seemingly surprised by how distressed she was.
"I’m alright."
Anaria shook her head, still examining him.
"Don’t say that. Look at you!"
She finally lifted her tearful eyes to his face.
"What happened?"
Rylan glanced toward the forest behind him.
"We killed the beast."
Anaria froze.
For a moment, she could only stare at him.
Then a gasp escaped her lips.
"You... killed it?"
Rylan nodded.
Anaria’s eyes widened as the realization settled over her.