"My Lord!" Levi shouted as he stood at Mark's side. "Is there anything I can-"
'No, Levi. There isn't anything. I'm just tired. Awfully tired.'
Sigh-
'Tired of being unsure. Tired of not being told anything about the outside... About the world.'
Mark turned his back to Elisa.
He started walking away.
With no clear plan or reason to.
Mark just walked away.
But it didn't take more than ten steps before,
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" wishes for more.]
[Your Title "Devourer" wants you to devour more traces of Corruption Magic.]
'I don't think I'll find much more of that.'
[Your Title "Devourer" reminds you that there is one filled with traces of Corruption.]
'Yeah... No. I don't think so.'
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" is getting to work!]
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" is consuming your Evolution Points!]
[Your Title "Devourer" tears apart the "Devoured".]
'Go right ahead. Have no plans for them right now anyways-'
[Your Title "Devourer" separates the Corruption from the Corrupted/Infected.]
'You... What?'
Mark's left arm started twitching suddenly.
Feeling the same as if hundreds of ants had appeared on that arm, he immediately started moving it around, grasping, and massaging it with his right arm.
'What did you do?'
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" hates unfinished work.]
The next second, it somehow made sense.
Mark stared at his left arm.
It was his.
And he, instinctively, understood what had happened.
Mark wasn't sure of it.
But he could feel it.
His arm was longing for something.
Mark turned back around.
He took short, slow steps.
Elisa immediately jumped back, but she didn't pull out her weapons.
And Krista stood in his way.
'I'm... Good now.'
The Moonlit Feline blinked, and Mark had no idea whether his words had gotten through to her or not.
He walked by Krista, and approached Elisa.
The latter stepped back.
"No... No..."
Afraid, anxious, restless, and distressed.
Her panicky eyes glanced at every single being that stood on that grassy plain. And none seemed to care. After all, none had offered any assistance or help.
"Get... Get away from me!" She barely managed to utter.
[I won't hurt you.]
"You think... You think I'll believe after... After...!"
He walked up to her until mere centimeters separated them. And Elisa fell silent.
Her hands shook, as her eyes were glued to the ground.
[Undo the vest.]
"Wha-"
Her throat became drier than ever before. Her legs shook.
Elisa's lips parted, but no words were uttered.
She stared at the message, and clenched her teeth.
'If it wasn't for my head... If it wasn't for... If it wasn't for...' Elisa shut her eyes, cursed internally, and did as demanded.
She pulled the vest back, letting it fall off her shoulders.
Her arms remained in the sleeves, and the vest was stretched between her elbows and behind her back.
As if to preserve whatever dignity she had left, Elisa looked away. Far to her left. With her chin raised high.
A hand touched her soft skin.
Elisa flinched.
She wanted to fight. She wanted to scream.
She wanted to cry.
'Mm. Yeah. I can't sense anything with my right hand...'
It wasn't clear whether Mark was completely oblivious to her distress or was simply ignoring her.
'I have no idea why or how but... I can feel it. My left hand wants to...'
That hand approached Elisa's side, and she did her best to hold back tears.
An open palm landed on her bare side, making her flinch once more.
The palm covered a large dark spot.
'Devour the Corruption.'
The next second, as if in contact with a vacuum, the dark spot was absorbed by Mark's palm.
Elisa immediately opened her eyes wide.
She brought her hands to her head and grasped.
"It... I... It..." Elisa was obviously at a loss for words. "It doesn't hurt as much. What did you... How did you...?"
Thud-
Her body hit the ground.
Mark took three steps back.
He turned his palm towards him, and found, in the middle of the numerous white scales, a dark spot.
The next second, Mark fell to his knees.
Blugh-
Blood dark as night was thrown up, dirtying the vibrant grass.
"MY LORD!"
Mark's Underlings hurried to him.
AGHHHH-
Unbearable pain immediately took hold of him.
His skull was about to split. His eyes, about to explode.
At least, that's what it felt like.
Mark screamed and screamed.
The world turned hazy and murky.
The next second, a dark rain seemed to fall, tainting the world with a dark shade.
In truth, it was Mark's scleras, the white of his eyes, that were slowly turning dark.
His head hit the ground, and his eyes could barely remain open.
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" is getting to work!]
'What is... Happening...?'
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" reassures you that there is nothing to worry about it!]
Mark was barely conscious.
'Nothing...? Are you... Kidding me? What is-'
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" assures you that it is nothing more than a problem of Concentration.]
'Con... Centration...? What the fuck... Do you mean...?'
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" admits that it might have underestimated the Corruption Magic's Potency.]
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" argues that it, nevertheless, is not its fault.]
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" reminds you that the Corruption within the previous Corrupted Dark Elves wasn't as potent.]
'What...? I don't... I don't care... Just... Do something...'
[Your Title "Devourer" suggests devouring the Corruption and turning it to shreds.]
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" chases off your "Devourer" Title.]
'Am I... Hallucinating... Or something...?'
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" reassures you that you can trust it with this.]
[Your Title "Devourer" sneers at your vulnerability.]
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" tries to persuade your "Devourer" Title to prove useful.]
[Your Title "Devourer" refuses categorically.]
'Help... Him... You... Grumpy fuck.'
[Your Title "Devourer" takes great offense.]
[Your Title "Devourer" doesn't want anything with your "Evolving Monster" Title.]
'For... Fuck sake... What is this...? Fine... Just... Don't help him... Alright? Help... Me...'
By this time, the white parts of Mark's eyes had turned pitch black.
His Underlings tried helping, but he couldn't hear them.
He couldn't see them.
'It better not... Turn out... Like that time...'
Mark lost consciousness.
