Chapter 234 — Corruption Unleashed

The war between the living and the dead had begun.

Across the rocky valley, hundreds of Terra Bears collided with Evan's undead army, turning the ground before the Ironhide Bear's cave into a battlefield of shattered bones, torn flesh, and erupting earth.

The Terra Bears held the physical advantage. Their thick hides resisted ordinary bone weapons, while their Earth Elemental abilities reinforced their claws and shattered the undead formations.

Even Evan's undead Terra Bears struggled against their living counterparts. The front line was already collapsing beneath the bears' superior strength.

And the casualties were mounting.

Yet Evan barely spared the battlefield a glance.

His attention remained fixed on the enormous creature sitting before the cave.

The Ironhide Bear had not moved since the battle began.

Its massive body rested on the rocky ground, its forelimbs planted comfortably before it. The metallic-grey fur covering its shoulders shifted gently in the wind, while its heavy head remained raised, observing the conflict with an almost indifferent expression.

It remained seated before its cave, watching the battle with unsettling indifference and showing no urgency, no agitation, and no intention of joining the fight.

That composure troubled Evan more than an immediate charge would have. A creature with such strength had no reason to remain passive unless it was confident in the outcome.

'You have more than enough strength to interfere. So why are you sitting there?'

His gaze moved across the battlefield.

Another Skeleton was crushed beneath a descending paw. Two undead Terra Bears attempted to surround a living opponent, only for it to slam its shoulder into one and rake its claws across the other's neck. The undead managed to retaliate, but their attacks failed to inflict meaningful damage before the living bear forced them apart.

Evan's expression hardened.

His summons had numerical superiority, yet that advantage was rapidly losing its meaning.

The Terra Bears were physically stronger than most of his undead. Their Earth Elemental energy reinforced their natural weapons, and their thick bodies could withstand damage that would destroy ordinary Skeletons.

Even worse, the enemy was beginning to coordinate its attacks.

The living bears weren't simply charging forward and relying on brute strength. Several had started using their elemental abilities to create openings for their companions, while others concentrated their attacks on isolated groups of undead.

If the battle continued at this pace, his army would be torn apart before it could inflict a single meaningful loss.

Evan lifted his hand slightly.

He was about to use [Necro Heal] to restore several damaged Skeletons at the front when something changed near the cave.

A heavy tremor travelled through the ground.

Evan's eyes immediately returned to the Ironhide Bear.

The enormous beast was rising.

Its forelimbs pressed into the earth as it lifted its body from the ground. Stones shifted beneath its weight, and the metallic-grey fur along its shoulders bristled as Earth Elemental energy began gathering around it.

The pressure in the surrounding air changed.

Not dramatically.

Not enough to make the entire battlefield stop.

But enough for Evan to realise that the Ironhide Bear had finally decided to participate.

The beast looked toward the battlefield.

Then the energy surrounding its body surged.

Earth Elemental energy gathered above its head, rapidly compressing into three enormous boulders. Each projectile was roughly the size of an ordinary Terra Bear, its surface packed with dense layers of stone until it resembled a miniature mountain torn from the earth.

Evan's pupils contracted.

'That much energy, compressed that quickly?'

The three boulders hovered for a brief moment.

Then they launched.

BOOOOOOOOOOM!

The first two tore through the air toward the centre of the battlefield, where the largest concentration of Skeletons was struggling to hold its position.

The third took a different trajectory.

It came straight toward Evan.

The projectile crossed the distance with terrifying speed, its enormous mass displacing the air and sending loose stones tumbling across the ground beneath its path.

Evan didn't retreat.

His hand moved, and Crimson Edge appeared in his grasp.

Crimson flames erupted along the blade as he channelled mana into its edge. He shifted his stance, turning his body slightly as the approaching boulder filled his field of vision.

Then he swung.

SHRAAAAAAAAAK!

Crimson Edge cleaved through the enormous projectile.

The boulder split along a glowing red line. Its two halves swept past Evan and crashed into the ground behind him, sending dust and shattered stone across the valley.

Evan lowered Crimson Edge. A single slash had been enough.

Across the battlefield, the Ironhide Bear turned its head toward him.

A low growl emerged from its throat.

Grrr...

The low growl carried a subtle acknowledgement. The Ironhide Bear had begun to take notice of him.

The Ironhide Bear had acknowledged him.

Not as a threat that demanded immediate action or as an enemy worthy of its full attention.

But as something that had at least demonstrated the strength to withstand a preliminary test.

A faint smirk appeared on Evan's face.

'So that's what the first attack was for.'

The boulder hadn't been intended to kill him.

If the Ironhide Bear had genuinely wanted to eliminate him with that strike, it would have used a different attack or followed up immediately after the projectile was destroyed.

Instead, it had launched a single boulder directly at him while sending the other two into the densest section of his army.

One attack to measure the necromancer.

Two attacks to punish the formation.

Efficient.

Simple.

And more than enough to reveal the difference between the ruler of the Southern Region and the ordinary Terra Bears beneath its command.

Evan tightened his grip around Crimson Edge.

'You wanted to see what I could do. Fine. Now I'll show you what happens when you underestimate my army.'

Before he could issue another command, the Ironhide Bear lowered its head toward the battlefield.

Its chest expanded.

Then it roared.

ROOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAARRRRRR!

The sound thundered across the valley.

The three boulders had been nothing more than an opening gesture. The roar that followed carried an entirely different purpose.

The Ironhide Bear's roar triggered an immediate response. More than a hundred Terra Bears gathered Earth Elemental energy around their forelimbs, raising boulders and forming dense stone weapons.

The barrage struck Evan's army.

Skeletons shattered beneath the impacts, while the undead Terra Bears staggered under concentrated attacks. Coordinated volleys tore through the front line, forcing the surviving summons backwards.

Evan surveyed the battlefield. Not a single living Terra Bear had fallen, yet his own casualties continued to mount.

'At this rate, I'll lose the entire front line.'

He couldn't afford to lose the army he had spent hours building. Every summon represented another hunt, and losing too many here would cripple his plans against the remaining rulers of the Southern Region.

Retreating would cost him more than time. It would force him to rebuild his forces before continuing the Path of Tyrant.

The Ironhide Bear's territory had become his greatest obstacle, and the battle had barely begun.

Evan released a slow breath.

"Hah..."

His gaze remained fixed on the battlefield.

"I thought I wouldn't need to use it until the middle of the battle. But I suppose the difficulty really does live up to an EX trial."

There was no frustration in his voice.

Only a cold acceptance that the enemy had forced him to reveal another card earlier than planned.

He raised his hand.

[Necro Heal]

Necrotic energy swept across the battlefield as Evan activated [Necro Heal]. Cracked skulls reformed, broken limbs pulled together, and damaged undead Terra Bears dragged themselves back into the fight.

The front line steadied, but the advantage was temporary. Healing could repair his summons, not erase the difference in their natural strength.

'I need to change the nature of this battle.'

A strange aura gathered around Evan's palm. Unlike his familiar necrotic energy, this power twisted around his fingers like a living stain, consuming the light around it.

He had unlocked the skill upon reaching Level 50 in his original world, but opportunities to exploit its full potential had been limited. It was far more effective against numerous enemies than a handful of powerful opponents.

Now, facing an entire army, he finally had the battlefield he needed.

'Let's see how you handle this.'

He activated the skill.

[Corrupting Touch]

A wave of corruption swept across the battlefield, engulfing Evan's undead army. Their necrotic auras intensified, turning the air around them heavy and oppressive.

The Terra Bears at the front immediately recoiled. Several abandoned their attacks, their instincts warning them that the creatures before them had become far more dangerous.

Evan examined his palm. A shifting layer of dark energy clung to his skin like a living membrane, its presence unsettling even to him.

A faint smile crossed his face.

'There you are.'

A Special Skill befitting Evan's SS-rank Necromancer class, Corrupting Touch empowered both its user and his undead summons, coating their bodies and weapons in a destructive aura.

Its effects were straightforward but dangerous: attacks inflicted double damage to living beings and applied the Corruption debuff, which consumed their vitality over time.

A shallow scratch could become a spreading wound. A bite could weaken its victim long after the initial impact.

The skill's true strength lay in its ability to empower an entire legion. Against a single opponent, its value depended on the user's ability to maintain pressure. Against an army, every successful strike created another opportunity to spread corruption.

Within Tier 0, its potential had no predetermined ceiling. Its effectiveness depended on the battlefield, the number of enemies exposed to its influence, and how long Evan could sustain the effect.

The corruption spread through the undead Terra Bears, coating their claws in dark energy. The Skeletons' spears, blades, and crude bone weapons received the same enhancement.

Even a physically weak Skeleton could now threaten a living Terra Bear. It no longer needed to inflict a serious wound. Every successful strike could introduce corruption into its enemy's body.

Evan summoned Crimson Edge. The dark aura immediately crawled across the crimson blade, wrapping its edge in an unnatural layer of energy.

He raised the weapon and turned toward the battlefield.

The Ironhide Bear had finally turned its attention toward Evan's army. Its earlier indifference had given way to cautious observation as the undead became engulfed in corruption.

Evan raised Crimson Edge.

"Now, let the fury of corruption fall upon my enemies."

He pointed the blade toward the enemy formation.

"Charge."

The undead army surged forward.

The undead Terra Bears lowered their massive bodies and charged, their claws gouging furrows through the rocky ground. Behind them, the Skeletons rushed forward in dense ranks, weapons raised and corruption trailing from their edges like dark smoke.

The effect was immediate.

The living Terra Bears hesitated.

Their instincts had already warned them that something was wrong, but their hesitation lasted only a moment. The Ironhide Bear's presence remained behind them, and the invading undead were still advancing.

They had little choice but to fight.

The first Terra Bear roared and swung its forelimb at an approaching undead bear.

BOOOOOOM!

The impact drove the undead creature sideways, cracking the ground beneath its body. Its shoulder fractured under the force, and its massive frame nearly collapsed.

But it did not retreat.

The corrupted aura surrounding its claws intensified as it dragged itself forward and struck back.

SHRAK!

Its claws raked across the living bear's forelimb.

The physical wound was shallow.

Under ordinary circumstances, the living Terra Bear would have ignored it.

But the moment the corrupted claws tore through its hide, the dark energy entered the wound.

The bear faltered as corruption spread from the wound. Its fur withered, the exposed skin darkened, and the muscles beneath it began to weaken.

The bear roared in pain and swung again.

The undead Terra Bear took the blow directly.

Its ribs cracked.

Its body slammed against the ground.

Yet even as it fell, it snapped its jaws around the enemy's forelimb, driving its teeth through the thick fur and holding on with relentless determination.

Corruption spread from the bite.

The living bear tried to shake it free, but the undead refused to release its grip.

Then a Skeleton arrived.

Its bone spear plunged into the exposed flesh beneath the bear's shoulder.

THUD!

The attack barely penetrated.

But the corrupted weapon left a dark stain around the wound, and the living Terra Bear's movements grew increasingly erratic.

A second Skeleton struck its hind leg.

A third slashed at its side.

Each attack inflicted only limited physical damage, yet every successful hit added another source of corruption.

The bear's strength began to fail.

Its breathing grew heavier.

Its movements slowed.

And before it could tear itself free from the surrounding undead, its legs buckled beneath its own weight.

THUD!

The first Terra Bear fell, and the balance of the battle began to shift.

The undead struck with renewed ferocity, no longer concerned with preserving their own bodies. They lunged at exposed limbs, clung to their enemies, and attacked from every opening they could find.

The living Terra Bears responded with devastating force.

One crushed an undead bear's skull beneath its paw.

Another swept through a group of Skeletons, scattering bones across the ground.

Several unleashed earth attacks that shattered entire clusters of summons, reducing them to broken fragments in a matter of seconds.

But the price of every exchange had changed.

A living bear might destroy one, two, or even several undead in a single attack.

Yet if the surviving summons managed to land their own strikes, the corruption began eating into its vitality.

Claws tore through fur.

Bone weapons punctured flesh.

Teeth sank into limbs.

One bear smashed an undead Skeleton into the ground, only for another to leap onto its back and bite into the thick fur around its neck. The creature reared up, trying to throw the attacker off, but two more Skeletons rushed toward its legs.

Their weapons struck in rapid succession.

The bear crushed one beneath its paw.

The other drove a spear into the joint behind its forelimb.

Corruption spread.

The bear staggered.

Its strength was still greater than that of the Skeletons surrounding it, but its body no longer responded with the same speed. The wounds were accumulating, and the unnatural energy invading its flesh was devouring the vitality it needed to continue fighting.

It roared and attempted to retreat.

The undead pursued.

They clung to its body, dragged themselves across the ground, and continued attacking even when their own limbs were broken. Some were crushed beneath the bear's feet, while others were torn apart by desperate counterattacks.

But the remaining summons kept advancing.

The fallen created openings for those behind them.

And every opening brought another corrupted weapon within reach.

The battlefield had become a war of attrition. The Terra Bears still possessed greater strength, tougher bodies, and devastating elemental abilities, but every successful undead strike carried the threat of lingering corruption.

The living could destroy several summons in a single exchange. They could not afford to let every surviving attacker wound them in return.

Evan watched another Terra Bear collapse before activating [Raise Undead].

Necrotic energy seized the corpse, forcing its limbs back into motion. Moments later, the newly raised bear rejoined the battle, its claws coated in the same corrupting aura as the rest of his army.

Every suitable corpse became a potential reinforcement. The longer the battle continued, the more difficult it would be for the Terra Bears to eliminate Evan's army faster than he could rebuild it.

Evan's expression remained calm, but his attention never left the fighting.

He monitored the distribution of his corruption, the condition of his front line, and the number of enemies that had begun showing signs of weakening. He didn't need to intervene in every clash. His army was already carrying out the strategy he had intended for this moment.

Corrupting Touch had transformed the battlefield into an environment where his summons could exploit their greatest advantage.

They did not need to preserve their lives.

They did not fear injury.

And unlike the living Terra Bears, they could be restored or replaced through his necromantic abilities.

The longer the battle continued, the more difficult it would become for the living to maintain their advantage.

Ten of the larger Terra Bears had fallen. Evan raised his hand and activated [Raise Undead] once more.

One after another, their battered bodies rose from the ground, dark green flames igniting within their eye sockets. Ten additional undead Terra Bears joined the fight, turning the enemy's losses into reinforcements for his own army.

The Ironhide Bear's claws dug into the ground as its fallen subjects rose to fight against their former kin. For the first time, its composure began to crack.

A low rumble emerged from its chest.

'Now you're paying attention,' Evan thought.

The ruler had finally realised that this was no ordinary undead army.

It was a legion built around an ability that turned every successful exchange into a potential disaster for the enemy. The stronger the opposition, the more corpses it could provide. The more corpses Evan claimed, the more soldiers he could return to the battlefield.

And Corrupting Touch made every new soldier a carrier of the same dreadful corruption.

Corrupting Touch possessed one final advantage: every kill extended its active duration by three seconds. With the Terra Bears continuing to fall, the constant stream of casualties could keep the corruption active far longer than a normal activation would allow.

Evan surveyed the battlefield. His army was still suffering losses, and the Terra Bears' elemental attacks remained dangerous enough to destroy multiple summons at once.

This was not a one-sided victory, but the balance had shifted. Corruption was steadily weakening the living, while Raise Undead allowed Evan to replenish his forces using the bodies left behind.

He tightened his grip around Crimson Edge. The black aura crawled along the blade, twisting around the crimson flames.

'Come on, then. Show me whether you're worthy of ruling this territory.'

Across the valley, the Ironhide Bear rose to its full height. The ground cracked beneath its forelimbs as Earth Elemental energy gathered around its massive body.

The living Terra Bears roared, struggling to hold back the undead tide. Evan's army answered with relentless violence.

The ruler of the Southern Region was finally preparing to fight.

The real battle was about to begin.

__

Author's Note: 

Hello, readers! I hope you are enjoying the chapters so far. Your feedback is invaluable, so please let me know if you find the pacing slower than you'd like. I have more exciting chapters on the way, so stay tuned!

Thank you for your support!