Chapter — 20 The Birth of the Forest of Corruption
Silence.
A silence so deep it felt unnatural.
Inside the bunker, beneath layers of stone and steel, the faint glow of crimson light illuminated the chamber.
Draven floated within the blood spring, his body wrapped in layers of torn cloth and blood-stained bandages.
The spring slowly moved around him like a living organism.
Thin streams of dark red liquid coiled around his arms and torso, dissolving into microscopic particles before sinking into his wounds.
His chest barely rose.
His breathing was shallow.
Every part of his body looked broken.
Ribs shattered.
Internal organs damaged.
Muscles torn.
Bones fractured.
Only one thing remained frighteningly alive.
The evil god stigma carved into his back.
The mark pulsed slowly.
Each pulse sent a ripple of dark energy through the blood spring.
Draven did not move.
He remained unconscious.
Yet the mark continued to burn.
Then—
A translucent window appeared in the air.
[SYSTEM NOTICE]
Host condition: Critical
Cause of damage: Excessive use of Demon Apostle Form
Internal damage detected.
Ribcage: Collapsed
Organs: Severe failure
Blood loss: Extreme
Body status: Injured
Healing progress: 37%
All system functions and rewards are temporarily paused.
Host regeneration is being supported by Evil God Stigma.
Initiating emergency domain protocol.
[A dark magic barrier will now form around the host's domain.]
[Bonus Event Initiated]
Outside the bunker…
The forest was quiet.
Too quiet.
The battlefield where thousands had died still carried the scent of iron and ash.
Broken armor.
Shattered weapons.
Dead beasts.
Knight corpses scattered everywhere.
And in the middle of this silent wasteland—
Three figures worked.
A1.
B2.
C3.
The trio moved methodically, dragging bodies across the ruined terrain.
A1 carried two beast corpses on his shoulders.
B2 dug graves into the cracked earth using a jagged blade.
C3 placed the bodies inside carefully.
Despite their mechanical nature, their movements had a strange respect.
They buried the fallen beasts one by one.
Not far away, the corpse of Samuel still lay in the mud.
His shattered armor clung to his body.
Rainwater slowly washed blood from his face.
But none of them touched him.
Not yet.
Because something was coming.
The sky suddenly darkened.
A faint rumble echoed across the forest.
The trio stopped working.
All three lifted their heads at the same time.
Above them—
A massive purple magic circle began forming in the sky.
Runes appeared across the clouds.
Thousands of symbols rotated slowly.
The circle expanded.
10 miles.
20 miles.
50 miles.
100 miles.
Until the entire forest was covered beneath the glowing formation.
Then—
Something began crawling along the border of the forest.
Massive dark tentacles formed from pure magic.
They spread outward like roots.
Hundreds of them.
Thousands.
They pierced the ground around the forest's border and began sealing it completely.
No creature.
No human.
No monster.
Would be able to enter or leave.
And at the center of the sky…
A giant red eye opened.
It slowly rotated.
Watching.
Observing.
Judging.
The entire forest trembled.
The cracked earth began healing.
Broken trees straightened.
Burned soil turned dark purple.
New vines sprouted from the ground.
The forest was changing.
No.
It was evolving.
A deep voice echoed across the system interface.
[Domain Evolution Initiated]
[Forest of Corruption Created]
A strange phenomenon began occurring.
Small green energy spheres appeared throughout the battlefield.
They floated through the air like spirits.
Hundreds of them.
Thousands.
One drifted toward A1.
The puppet instinctively raised his hand.
The sphere entered his chest.
Instantly—
His body began changing.
Metal plates expanded across his arms.
New joints formed.
His eyes glowed with a brighter green light.
A psychic wave burst from his body.
System text appeared above him.
[Evolution Complete]
Psychic Metal Puppet — A1
New Traits Acquired:
• Psychic Network
• Advanced Combat Prediction
• Reinforced Alloy Body
• Corrupted Energy Core
A1 stood silently.
Then slowly clenched his fist.
The metal of his body vibrated with power.
Nearby—
B2 and C3 experienced the same transformation.
Energy spheres entered them.
Their frames expanded.
New mechanical limbs formed.
Their eyes glowed brighter than before.
The trio had evolved.
They were no longer simple puppets.
They had become something far more dangerous.
Psychic Metal Puppets.
But the energy spheres were not finished.
They floated across the graves the trio had created.
They sank into the buried beast corpses.
For a moment—
Nothing happened.
Then the ground began shaking.
Cracks spread across the soil.
Claws burst from the dirt.
A massive mutated wolf clawed its way out of the grave.
Its fur had turned dark purple.
Its eyes glowed green.
Its body radiated corrupted energy.
More beasts emerged.
Dozens.
Hundreds.
The dead creatures were rising again.
System text appeared across the sky.
[Bonus Event]
Domain Evolution: Resurrection and Evolution of Domain Beings
All fallen beasts within domain territory are now classified as:
Beasts of Corruption
Traits:
• Absolute Territorial Instinct
• Enhanced Durability
• Corrupted Energy Manipulation
• Loyalty to Domain Master
The forest filled with growls.
Hundreds of resurrected beasts roamed the battlefield.
They no longer behaved like wild animals.
They moved like soldiers.
Guardians of the domain.
But something even darker was happening nearby.
The corpses of the knights began twitching.
Green energy spheres descended into their bodies.
Bones cracked.
Armor rattled.
Then—
The dead knights slowly stood up.
Their eyes glowed pale green.
Rusty swords lifted from the mud.
System text appeared again.
[Undead Knight Units Created]
Novice Knight Corpses → Undead Knights
Veteran Knight Souls → Golem Core Conversion
The veteran knights did not resurrect.
Instead, glowing cores formed where their hearts once were.
The cores floated into the air.
Hundreds of them.
Powerful condensed energy.
And lying at the center of the battlefield…
Samuel's corpse began glowing.
The energy sphere above him was different.
Darker.
Heavier.
It descended slowly.
Entering his chest.
For several seconds—
Nothing happened.
Then Samuel's body suddenly jerked.
His eyes snapped open.
Two burning green flames appeared inside his sockets.
Black smoke leaked from the gaps in his armor.
The ground beneath him froze.
System message:
[Special Undead Created]
Name: Samuel
Class: Death Knight
Rank: Elite Domain Guardian
Samuel slowly rose to his feet.
His shattered armor reformed with dark metal.
A corrupted blade appeared in his hand.
He stood silently.
Awaiting orders.
But the greatest awakening had not yet occurred.
At the bunker entrance…
The giant gargoyle statue trembled.
For centuries it had remained frozen.
A guardian carved from stone.
But now—
The statue's eyes suddenly ignited with crimson light.
Cracks spread across its body.
Stone fragments fell away.
Its wings slowly unfolded.
Dust exploded outward as the creature moved.
The gargoyle had awakened.
It stood nearly 20 meters tall.
Massive wings stretched behind its back.
Stone claws dug into the earth.
Then it raised its hand.
Every drop of blood still present on the battlefield began rising into the air.
Rivers of blood floated upward.
Knight blood.
Beast blood.
Monster blood.
All of it gathered above the gargoyle's palm.
The blood condensed.
Forming thousands of small red spheres.
Meanwhile—
The golem cores created from veteran knight souls floated toward the gargoyle as well.
The creature lowered its hand.
Placing it against the ground.
A massive magic circle spread outward from its wrist.
Runes burned into the soil.
The earth trembled violently.
The blood cores sank into the ground.
The soul cores followed.
Then—
The ground erupted.
Stone creatures rose from the earth.
Massive gargoyles.
Winged monsters carved from corrupted stone.
Each one carried a glowing soul core inside its chest.
Three thousand of them.
At the same time—
Another army emerged.
Figures made of hardened blood.
Red armored warriors holding long spears.
Their bodies looked like living crimson metal.
Three thousand of them as well.
The two armies formed rows across the battlefield.
Perfect formation.
Then they all dropped to one knee.
Six thousand voices spoke together.
"Awaiting orders."
Above them—
The system revealed the identity of the awakened guardian.
[Domain Entity Identified]
Title: The Gargoyle Sentinel
Creator Title: The Gargoyle General
Abilities:
• Blood Core Creation
• Gargoyle Army Forging
• Battlefield Reconstruction
• Domain Defense Authority
The Gargoyle Sentinel slowly lifted its head.
Its burning eyes turned toward the bunker.
Toward the unconscious master inside.
Then the giant guardian lowered its head respectfully.
An entire corrupted army now waited.
Beasts of corruption roamed the forest.
Undead knights patrolled the battlefield.
Stone gargoyles stood like statues ready to awaken at any moment.
Blood lancers held their crimson spears.
At the center of the domain—
A bunker quietly protected its sleeping master.
Inside the blood spring…
Draven remained unconscious.
Completely unaware.
That while he slept…
An empire of monsters had been born.
TO BE CONTINUED.....