Transmigrated with my corruption system

Chapter 205: Chapter 200: The Mist’s True Horror

Boom!

At another edge of the Misty Lands, a deafening shockwave erupted, spreading for hundreds of meters.

Wherever it passed, even the mist parted slightly beneath the massive force behind the attack.

At the center of it all stood a golden-haired young woman, a massive hammer resting on her shoulders as she stared at her hands in wonder.

"Amazing," Aelira muttered as her face lit up with excitement.

If it had been before, the force she had just unleashed would have been more than enough to deplete her energy reserves multiple times over.

But now she felt better than ever. Unlike Lyra and Tara at the beginning, she seemed to be doing exceptionally well, as not a single injury or trace of fatigue could be seen on her body.

If anything, she felt stronger than ever.

With every Ghost Wraith she killed, a trickle of energy flowed back into her, replenishing her reserves and boosting her combat prowess ever so slightly.

She had a feeling that if it came to it, she could remain locked in battle for days on end without feeling any different.

The moment she engaged in combat, something within her seemed to come alive.

Almost giving her the illusion that her body had been crafted solely for battle.

Even before, she had always felt this. But that sensation had been amplified many times over the moment she awakened her physique and SSS-rank talent.

She had read their descriptions back then. But she’d found them a little hard to believe.

They had simply seemed too good to be true. But now, the power coursing through her veins was undeniable.

Did she truly possess the power of the primordial Valkyries? With this, could she finally gain enough strength to stand before Ulric as a true rival?

And maybe... Even surpass him? The more she thought about it, the more waves of exhilaration flooded her body.

She could already imagine herself teasing him the same way he always teased her.

The thought alone drew a chuckle from her lips as a mischievous glint flashed across her eyes.

The tables would be turned! Just as she was sinking deeper into her thoughts, her eyes suddenly lit up with a golden sheen as her innate pride flared.

A trait she had gained after awakening her SSS-rank talent and physique. Through it, she could sense a low-tier being charging straight at her.

"Impudent!" she snickered.

Raising her hammer as though it weighed nothing, she brought it crashing down upon what appeared to be empty space. But the instant it struck—A piercing screech echoed out as the fading figure of a Ghost Wraith appeared before dissipating completely.

Inhaling sharply, she immediately felt another trickle of energy flow through her body, elevating her strength even further as fresh waves of adrenaline washed over her.

She wanted more. She wanted to venture deeper into the Misty Lands, where stronger opponents awaited.

Opponents that could at least last longer.

The more she fought these low-ranked Ghost Wraiths, the more disgust welled up inside her. They were simply unworthy of her.

Strange... Aelira mused for a moment.

Before awakening her physique and talent, she had never minded fighting weaker opponents.

But now...That seemed to have changed.

Was it a side effect? Pausing briefly, her brows furrowed before she dismissed the thought. It didn’t matter.

For every power gained, there was always a price to pay. If this was hers... Then so be it.

But just before she rushed deeper into the Misty Lands, her gaze slowly shifted, sweeping across the endless sea of mist for what felt like the umpteenth time.

And just like before... All she could see was mist. Within this place, there was neither day nor night. Only mist. Which made it difficult to tell how much time had passed.

But to her, it felt like several days. Perhaps even a week. Strange... Aelira muttered beneath her breath as she scratched her nose, recalling Ulric’s earlier words.

He had said their training would only last a few hours. The only explanation was that the mist distorted one’s perception of time.

But if that were true... Wouldn’t he have warned them about something that important?

Grinding her teeth, she calmed herself.

Then her figure shot forward, vanishing into the endless sea of mist.

Elsewhere, at the edge of the Misty Lands, Ulric observed everything with a surprised glint in his eyes.

Unlike the others... Aelira seemed different.

She didn’t need to devise a way to detect the Ghost Wraiths.

It seemed she could naturally sense them before they even attacked.

More than that, her base strength had undergone an enormous leap.

Her reflexes as well. If he didn’t know any better, he might have assumed this training ground had been created specifically for her.

"Not even a single injury," Ulric noted as he shook his head slightly.

She was practically steamrolling through the challenge while reaping massive gains.

The more she fought. The stronger she became. It was almost as though she was remembering something she had once been.

Sinking deeper into thought, Ulric continued observing every detail while a multitude of dark blades hovered silently around him, ready to be deployed at a moment’s notice.

He had expected to intervene several times.

But it seemed the girls were managing just fine on their own.

And just like that...Time slipped past unnoticed until a few hours had finally come to an end.

Snapping out of his thoughts, Ulric grinned.

"It’s time."

During the hours he had spent observing the girls, he had also learned a great deal about the Misty Lands.

It seemed even he had underestimated its true danger. The Ghost Wraiths lurking within weren’t the greatest threat.

The mist itself was. Besides severely limiting one’s senses, the longer someone remained inside, the more the mist attempted to assimilate them.

Slowly eroding their minds until they could no longer recognize themselves. He had a feeling the Ghost Wraiths had once been humans and beasts trapped here for so long that their very essence had been corrupted by the mist, transforming them into what they were now.

"Hmm..." Ulric mused. It seemed the Misty Lands held far more secrets than he had anticipated.

But now wasn’t the time to uncover them.

Exhaling softly, Ulric stepped into the endless mist before disappearing within.

He felt the space around him distort slightly before stabilizing, leaving him surrounded by nothing but mist.

From the outside, he had still been able to observe everything.

But now...He could see it clearly.

"I see... so there are elements of space involved," Ulric muttered, a thoughtful expression settling over his face.

He had always wondered why those who entered found it nearly impossible to leave.

Now he understood.

The Misty Lands functioned much like a dungeon. A particularly high-level one that even he doubted he could clear.

And just like most high-level dungeons...

It possessed two exits. The first would only open once the Misty Lands had been completely cleared.

The second? The entrance itself. The only problem was that the moment someone stepped inside, it vanished, flickering in and out of existence throughout the Misty Lands.

Unless one possessed mastery over the space element or extraordinarily high perception, they would remain trapped forever.

Cruel... But wherever opportunity existed, danger was never far behind. If it had been before, even he might have been trapped here for a while had he entered.

He had read records about masters of space.

But he wasn’t one himself. While he was powerful and his senses exceptionally sharp, they still weren’t enough to encompass the entirety of the Misty Lands and locate the exit.

Fortunately...He wasn’t without options.

With Phantom Vision, he could monitor the ever-shifting exit point.

Smiling at the thought, Ulric vanished as he locked onto a familiar figure. Lyra.

Navigating through the mist, he appeared behind her.

She stood a few meters away, her back facing him. He was just about to step forward and grab her—When he suddenly paused.

His eyes widened in surprise. He could sense it. Something about her had changed.

It didn’t take him long to realize what it was.

Besides the sharpness of her blades... Her very body exuded a sword-like aura.

"This... she reached the proficient stage?" Ulric stared in disbelief.

His eyes narrowed as he stepped closer to inspect her. She really had. Ulric chuckled.

His mouth opened to congratulate her.

But before he could. She suddenly turned, sensing his presence. Without hesitation, she swung both blades toward him.

Waves of white sword light shot through the air, radiating terrifying sharpness. She can already project sword intent through her attacks?

Ulric’s surprise deepened. At this rate, her mastery of the sword wasn’t far from entering the third stage. Master level.

As it stood, he had no doubt that attack could grievously wound a peak D-rank being.

If not cleave them clean in half.

But just before it reached him. Ulric casually waved a hand. The air around him instantly plummeted in temperature.

The incoming sword light froze in place. Before shattering into countless fragments.

The next instant, Ulric appeared before Lyra and restrained her.

Inspecting her closely, his expression darkened. Her once-purple eyes now shimmered with a bone-white glow.

The mist had already begun corrupting her mind. Without another word, Ulric grabbed her firmly.

Then his figure vanished, reappearing before the exit as he stepped out of the Misty Lands.