Chapter 688: Going Bad

The sky grew darker and darker until it seemed as though night had fallen without warning. The sudden change took place within just a few minutes, and a strong wind began blowing in their direction, sweeping through the abandoned settlement and stirring the dry grass beneath their feet.

Mina was now certain this was no ordinary phenomenon. Something was happening.

She looked around apprehensively before turning her attention to Clyde, who remained occupied with the ritual.

He stood in the center of the arrangement, concentrating on the strange symbols and ancient mumbling he was doing.

He seemed completely unaware of the changes around him, which struck Mina as unusual. Clyde was normally very cautious and vigilant, always paying attention to his surroundings no matter what he was doing.

Perhaps he was simply too focused on the ritual. Whatever he was attempting must have been so important that it demanded his complete attention.

Mina pursed her lips, then sighed quietly. "Well, I guess that’s why he asked me to be here."

She returned to her guard position and examined the surroundings more carefully, watching the tree line, ruined structures, the increasingly dark sky above.

Everything still appeared safe albeit strange. The settlement remained quiet, and she couldn’t sense anything unusual in the air. But an inexplicable unease lingered in her chest, telling her that this fragile peace wouldn’t last much longer.

Meanwhile, Clyde continued reciting the incantation as best he could.

The unfamiliar words twisted his tongue, and he stumbled over the pronunciation several times. Each time he made a mistake, Seff instructed him to start again from the beginning.

Clyde let out an irritated snort but obeyed. He wasn’t about to abandon the ritual over a few difficult words.

He repeated the incantation again and again, determined to get it right.

Finally, he managed to recite the first part without making a mistake. With full sounds that sounded so close to the original he heard from Seff.

A wave of satisfaction washed over him. It was only a small achievement, but after so many failed attempts, he welcomed the progress.

His mind remained entirely absorbed in the ritual, leaving little room for anything else.

The darkening sky, the rising wind, and the strange changes sweeping across the Ruin never registered in his awareness.

Clyde didn’t realize that the ritual itself was responsible for his growing fixation. The moment he touched the first sliver of power through the incantation, something began drawing his consciousness deeper into the process. It demanded his attention with an intensity he had never experienced before, making it difficult to think about anything beyond the words he needed to recite.

Even Seff, whose remaining existence resided within his soul, felt the ritual’s influence.

Her awareness was caught in the same strange pull, though she could still guide Clyde through the steps she remembered.

Neither of them fully understood what they had awakened.

Clyde continued repeating the incantation, correcting his pronunciation each time he came closer to the proper rhythm.

With every successful phrase, the anomalies surrounding the Ruin grew more pronounced.

The wind strengthened, the sky darkened further, the distant thunder began to rumble.

But only Mina seemed capable of noticing the full extent of the changes.

She watched the clouds gathering overhead as flashes of lightning flickered behind their thick, gray layers.

The wind howled through the ruined streets, getting faster, sweeping dust and dead leaves into the air.

What had begun as a gentle breeze now battered the surroundings with growing ferocity.

Then she saw something moving along the horizon.

Mina narrowed her eyes, trying to distinguish the shape from the darkness behind it.

It turned out that a massive silhouette emerged in the distance, its outline barely visible against the blackened sky. Whatever it was, it was approaching them.

Mina gritted her teeth and tightened her grip on her twin daggers.

Despite the growing danger, she chose not to move too far from Clyde. He needed someone to protect him while he remained trapped in his concentration. She had no intention of leaving him vulnerable.

She glanced at him once more. He was still reciting the strange mumbling, his expression focused and his movements unchanged. Only then did Mina fully understand the situation.

Clyde wasn’t merely distracted. Whatever he was doing had completely consumed his attention, leaving him unable to respond to the danger around them.

A thunderous roar suddenly erupted from the horizon, coming from the monster.

Mina’s head snapped toward the sound just as the approaching creature charged at them on all fours, its enormous body tearing through the darkness.

She drew a deep breath and steadied herself, waiting for the monster to come within striking distance.

A few seconds later, it finally emerged from the shadows.

The creature resembled a gigantic wolf, but its front limbs were unnaturally long and muscular, giving it a distorted silhouette.

Thick fur covered its body and its elongated claws dug into the ground as it charged. Its jaws opened wide, revealing rows of sharp teeth.

Mina moved first. She rushed toward the beast, her twin daggers flashing as she closed the distance.

The monster rose onto its hind legs and swung its massive claws at her, towering over her like a grotesque humanoid.

Mina slipped beneath the first swipe, twisted around its side, and struck at its exposed flank.

Steel scraped against flesh.

The beast roared and swung again, forcing Mina to retreat a few steps before she darted back into range.

She moved swiftly around its reach, striking whenever an opening appeared and avoiding its claws by the narrowest margins.

Although the creature stood far taller than her when upright, its size didn’t intimidate her. She had faced enough monsters to know that a larger body didn’t guarantee victory.

For the moment, she could handle it.

Then another silhouette emerged from the darkness.

Mina caught sight of it from the corner of her eye while dodging another swipe. Her expression darkened, and she clicked her tongue in annoyance.

"Seriously? There’s more of you?" She screamed in annoyance.

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