The Heart of Darkness (Part 2)

Ethan barely had time to process the change in the air before the first creature came charging at them from the shadows of a tree. It moved so fast it was a blur, a mass of twisted limbs and pulsing flesh. The smell hit him first—a pungent stench of rot and decay, like something that had been left to fester far too long. The creature let out a wet, gurgling screech as it lunged for Galen, its claws swiping at the older man with terrifying speed.

Galen reacted in a flash, his sword already drawn. Steel met flesh with a sickening thud as he sidestepped the creature's attack and brought his blade down, cleaving through one of its gangly arms. The beast didn't slow. It twisted in mid-air, its remaining limb extending unnaturally to grab Galen's arm. Ethan watched, horrified, as the thing's flesh seemed to pulse and stretch like putty, trying to envelop Galen's wrist.

But Galen was ready. With a swift, brutal motion, he sliced again, severing the mutated limb entirely. The creature howled, its body convulsing as dark, oily blood sprayed across the ground. Ethan could barely register what he was seeing; the beast was still alive, its stump already beginning to regrow, new flesh bubbling up from the wound.

"Ethan, focus!" Galen barked, snapping him out of his paralysis.

Right. Focus.

Ethan drew his own sword, his hands trembling slightly as he gripped the hilt. He wasn't Galen, but he'd been trained well enough to hold his own. And he had more than just steel on his side.

His eyes darted to the corrupted ground around them. It writhed as though alive, patches of dark, mutated vegetation shifting with sinister intent. From the twisted roots, more creatures began to emerge. They were smaller than the first, but no less horrifying. Their bodies were misshapen. Almost skeletal, with fleshy growths that glistened in the dull light. Their hollow, glowing eyes locked onto Ethan, hungry and mindless.

Two of them broke from the pack, rushing toward him with unsettling speed. Ethan barely had time to mutter a curse under his breath before they were upon him. He swung his sword in a wide arc, catching one of the creatures across its chest. The impact jarred his arm, but the blade bit deep, sending the creature stumbling back with a screech.

The second one leaped at him, jaws wide and dripping with black fluid. Ethan threw himself to the side just in time, its claws grazing his shoulder as it passed. He hit the ground hard, pain shooting up his arm. Before he could recover, the creature was on him again, its hideous face inches from his own, teeth gnashing.

With a surge of desperation, Ethan fumbled for one of the charms he had bought from the Free Market. His fingers found the cold, smooth surface just as the creature's teeth clamped down on his forearm. Pain shot through him, but he held firm, slamming the charm into the creature's chest. The charm exploded in a flash of blue light the moment it made contact, sending the beast flying back with a high-pitched wail.

Ethan staggered to his feet, cradling his injured arm. The creature was twitching on the ground, its body bubbling where the charm had hit. It convulsed one final time before going still, its form dissolving into a puddle of dark sludge.

Galen wasn't faring much better. He'd taken down the first beast, but now three more had joined the fray, surrounding him. The mercenary moved with deadly precision, his sword flashing in the dim light as he parried and countered each attack. But even Galen had his limits, and Ethan could see the strain in his movements.

The creatures were relentless. Every time one fell, two more seemed to take its place, their bodies regenerating faster than Ethan could process. 

"We can't keep this up!" Ethan shouted, dodging another attack as one of the smaller creatures lunged for him again. He swung his sword, catching it in the side. Still, the creature barely flinched, its body already knitting itself back together.

Galen grunted in response, slicing through the leg of one of his attackers. "I know! We need to take out whatever's spawning them!"

Ethan scanned the battlefield, his mind racing. The corrupted landscape stretched as far as the eye could see. In the distance, he could just make out a towering structure—an ancient, twisted tree, its bark blackened and oozing. Its branches writhed like serpents, and at its base, the ground pulsed in time with the creatures' movements.

"That tree!" Ethan shouted, pointing toward the distant monstrosity. "It's controlling them! If we take it down, maybe we'll stop them!"

Galen didn't hesitate. "Go! I'll hold them off!"

Ethan nodded, adrenaline surging through him as he broke into a sprint. His body screamed in protest. At the same time, his limbs felt heavier than ever, but he pushed forward, his eyes locked on the tree. The ground beneath him squelched with each step, the corrupted soil clinging to his boots like tar.

The closer he got to the tree, the worse the air became. It was thick and foul, like breathing in ash and sulfur. The ground trembled beneath his feet, and the twisted roots of the tree seemed to reach out toward him.

Ethan didn't slow down. He reached into his pack, pulling out one of the arcane tools he had purchased—a small, crystalline orb filled with a swirling light. Its description said it was powerful enough to disrupt even the strongest magical forces. 

He wasn't sure he'd need it, but now, he knew it was their only chance.

He skidded to a stop at the tree's base, dodging the roots as they came for him. Without hesitation, he hurled the orb at the base of the tree and dove for cover.

The explosion that followed was deafening. A brilliant flash of light engulfed the area. The ground trembled violently, and the tree let out an otherworldly screech as its bark cracked and splintered, dark energy leaking from the wounds.

Ethan scrambled to his feet, watching as the tree withered before his eyes. The creatures that had been attacking Galen let out agonized wails, their bodies collapsing into heaps and melting as the tree's life force drained away.

Galen staggered over, his sword still in hand, bloodied but alive. "Nice work."

Ethan offered a weak grin. "Told you. Wit and charm."

Galen snorted. "Minus the charm."