Due to the Physique Boost, everyone was immediately energized.
The sudden change overwhelmed the Saint Realm and for the first time, he jumped back to get breathing space.
As if we'd let him catch his breath. We're pressed on time so we wouldn't let this chance pass.
I had less World Energy left. The Energy Shield couldn't be maintained anymore but I could still fire a couple of Air Bullets and use the Flash Step a few times more.
Erin being the strongest among us went in for the first strike.
She unleashed two of her Augmented Skills. The Shadow Daggers from earlier and Shadow Blink which is almost like my Flash Step just that hers directly brought her above her target's shadow or if there's none when they're in complete darkness, behind him.
Faced with the pincer attack, he was about to deflect both of it by deploying his Shield-like Augmented Skill but Avelin's Augmented Skill was unleashed making it a three-prong attack.
Because his focus was completely on Erin. Avelin's Pulse Wave managed to affect him for a split second.
Seeing the two heading the attack I didn't miss that chance to join in.
Using Flash Step again, I went next to him and stabbed at his unguarded side.
The first attack to land was the Shadow Dagger. It's an Augmented Skill composed of condensed Brute Energy shaped into 3 daggers. It's almost invisible in the dark but during the day, its figure could be seen.
Since it's the only one coming from his front, only one of the daggers landed on his arm. His bulky muscles stopped it before it stabbed deeper.
Next was Erin who appeared from his shadow. With her enhanced strength and Physique Boost which temporarily enhanced her further, her weapon which was some kind of a short sword stabbed deep into his back.
His pained howl immediately filled the area, even his bulky muscles failed to stop it.
Then Avelin's greataxe landed on his right shoulder. Due to the added force from her jump, it embedded deep into it.
And lastly, my sword accurately stabbed at his left side, the explosion of energy blasted off what little defense he had left.
Through the four consecutive attacks, his blood was finally shed to the ground.
The Mortal Realm tribesmen came in next, his barrier-like Augmented Skill was already put up but it failed to stop all of them.
I saw the one-armed guy who was watching the battle shivered from where he was, and slowly he's already backing away. Afraid to meet his end.
"W-what did you do?"
On his knees, the Saint Realm asked. He couldn't believe the sudden change that happened to all of us.
He's breathing heavily, with his blood still gushing out of his wounds. Our attacks seemed severe. Even when he took in more of those balls of energy from his bag, his wounds failed to close up.
There's only a few seconds left before the enhancement wears off.
Without answering him, we once again launched another set of attacks.
Even with his Augmented Skills and his desperate struggle to defend, he failed to rise up from his immediate defeat.
We didn't let up our attacks. We're also racing for the time after all. If we fail to defeat him before the enhancement runs out, it will spell our own deaths.
Soon enough, the Saint Realm's body fell to the ground. The balls of energy he brought were already consumed by him.
Because of that, there's no way for him to recover again.
I waited for a few seconds to see if he could still move before I went next to him.
His arms were already paralyzed from all his wounds. It's not like we didn't suffer from him. He's strong. Even if his Physique Cultivation was only at the 1st Stage of Saint Realm, the difference between us because of the corruption of a higher energy was huge.
Just like how that Priest who was clearly a Great-class wielded the strength of a Master-class.
Well, even with that corruption, they're still no match for the heroes who received cheats.
The only problem for them will be the incarnations of those from the Invading World who can't descend on various Otherworlds yet.
"You wouldn't get it. It's the wonder of the Energy you abandoned."
I answered his earlier question. He's already on his last breath anyway.
On my hand was a stabilized ball of Brute Energy. This is the inherent energy he chose to abandon for a higher energy he mentioned.
When he saw it, his eyes widened.
"T-that is!"
He was startled to see a pure stabilized Brute Energy.
It was clear to him that normally, such a thing was impossible. Even the balls of energy they're using to replenish their used Brute Energy were full of impurities.
"You willingly get corrupted by them. There's no way you will know the true nature of your world's energy."
"N-no. This world… It will be assimilated... They're strong. The strength they showed me, it's only the tip of what they can really do."
He already had difficulty talking. It's only a matter of time before he breathes his last.
Luckily, he didn't have the item that can summon an incarnation or he didn't have the chance to use it. Either way, we somehow survived a normally impossible enemy for any of us.
"Even if they're strong. This is your own world. To abandon it just because of that reason, you don't deserve the energy which nurtured you since birth."
"No. No. I didn't choose wrong. That Lightning Chieftain who was rumoured to be from another world will soon fall. Even he won't be able to stop them. That's why I… Argh! No!"
Even before he could finish his words or breathe his last breath, the corruption in his body suddenly grew.
I took a step back from this sudden turn of events. My sword raised, ready to respond to any changes.
The enhancement already wore off even before we started conversing. So this act of mine may even look futile.
But nothing happened, instead I watched the corruption that was embedded on his body expand on its own and consume him completely.
By consume, it meant his body disintegrated bit by bit starting from the origin of the corruption.
By the time his howls of pain ended, his whole body disappeared from where it lay with only his pool of blood that gushed out earlier left behind.
We all stood dumbfounded at that situation.
No one could explain what happened.
I suddenly had a realization and turned around. The bodies of the Augmented Realm they killed were also nowhere to be seen. Like that Saint Realm, their bodies probably got disintegrated by that corruption.
I see. The corruption will consume them when they die.
The one-armed guy at the distance saw all of that and he trembled from the same realization.
If he dies or his body grows as weak as that Saint Realm, the corruption will also disintegrate his body.
Scared from that thought, he forced himself to stand up and run away.
But Erin, even without the enhancement from the orb, didn't let him off.
She chased after him and ended him before he could even run far enough. He tried to defend himself but it's all for nought against Erin. With only one arm, he failed to defend most of her attacks.
I could understand what's on her mind. If we let him go, even if he got scared today, he will relay what happened to someone and it will bring us more trouble.
We might've been lucky today that there's only a few of them but it won't always be like this.
But that corruption... I have to relay this information to the Principal when we return to Earth.
Also the information he revealed earlier. About this world getting assimilated and replaced by a higher energy.
With this information, the real nature of the Invading World is slowly taking shape.
"The Saint Realm mentioned something about the Lightning Chieftain before he disintegrated."
Erin mentioned when she came back.
"Right. The foreign invaders probably have a plan in place for him. He's the Hero of this world. They will surely target him."
Because of Yuko's fight with the incarnation, the heroes were finally recognized by the enemy.
Targeting Raiden here is probably a new command from their homeworld. If they let the Heroes grow further, they will be proven to be an obstacle against them.
And right now, Raiden is in the middle of a war he started.
They might use that chance to take him down.
Ah. Maybe this was what the Principal saw from his Clairvoyance.
If I'm not here, no one will bother to come to Avelin's small tribe, then Erin will not try to infiltrate their camp. And lastly, these corrupted barbarians won't go out of their way to track us.
Without my presence, no one will know that Raiden was already targeted by the Invading World. He's busy trying to unite the barbarians while neglecting the growing power of the Invading Forces.
We have to go back now and relay this information to that Old Man.
I might not make a difference to that war but as Raiden's support, bringing this information will surely help him.
As long as he will not ignore this information then all is well.
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