The parasites swarmed, but Kalem's burning blade kept them at bay, scorching the tendrils that lunged toward him. Astra, keeping her movements fluid and precise, directed the unit with sharp commands, maintaining a defensive formation.
Serka stayed close, moving like a phantom through the chaos, her twin daggers flickering as they cut down the encroaching limbs. Onyx, staying at Kalem's side, snapped at any parasite that got too close, his horns glinting in the firelight.
Kalem gritted his teeth, slicing through another creature. "There's too many of them! Even if we cut them down, they just keep coming!"
Astra adjusted her grip on her halberd, its blade blazing with a shimmering light. "These things are regenerating too fast. We need to get out of this area. There's no end to them here!"
Serka flicked black ichor from her blade, her eyes darting around. "If we keep fighting like this, we'll be overwhelmed."
Astra nodded sharply. "Fall back! We need to regroup at higher ground—somewhere the ground isn't pulsating."
Kalem looked back at the path they'd taken earlier, but his heart sank when he saw the black tendrils creeping in from behind as well. "We're surrounded. No clear retreat."
Onyx growled, and Kalem glanced to where his companion was staring. A large mound of blackened earth seemed to pulse irregularly, as if breathing. Kalem's eyes narrowed. "That's it... the center of this mess."
Astra caught his gaze. "You think that's the source?"
"It's connected to the ground. If we can sever it, maybe we can stop the spread," Kalem replied, wiping sweat from his brow.
Astra assessed the mound, then looked at Kalem. "We'll cover you. Burn it."
Kalem hesitated. "What about the others?"
Serka gave him a shove. "We'll manage. Just do your thing."
Kalem grunted in acknowledgment and sprinted forward, Onyx at his heels. The parasites noticed his movement and lunged, but Astra's squad intercepted, forming a tight perimeter around Kalem as he advanced.
The mound convulsed, sensing the threat. Dark tendrils shot out, but Kalem swung his blade, flames scorching the tendrils mid-air. He could feel the heat intensifying as his sword fed off his mana.
A deeper, rumbling noise emanated from the mound, and it split open, revealing a glistening core wrapped in layers of tendrils. It pulsed with a sickening light, and Kalem had to force himself to look directly at it.
"Now or never," he muttered, raising the flaming sword high.
But before he could strike, the core shot out a black spear-like tendril aimed directly at his chest. Kalem barely dodged, the tip grazing his shoulder. The pain flared, but he held his ground.
"Astra! The core's exposed!" Kalem shouted.
Astra didn't hesitate, throwing a small, spherical device toward Kalem. "Catch!"
Kalem snatched it from the air, recognizing the enchanted grenade. With a swift motion, he embedded it into the core, twisting the activation rune.
"Everyone, clear out!" Kalem roared, backing away as fast as he could.
The core shuddered, the tendrils thrashing wildly. Astra shouted for the squad to retreat, and they pulled back, forming a defensive line a few dozen meters away.
The ground quaked, and a searing burst of light erupted from the mound, followed by a wave of heat that knocked Kalem off his feet. He landed hard, gasping for breath. Onyx leapt in front of him, shielding him from debris.
When the light faded, the core was gone, reduced to ash. The surrounding parasites writhed in agony before collapsing, their forms dissolving into oily pools that quickly dried up.
Astra walked over, pulling Kalem to his feet. "Good work. You took a risk, but it paid off."
Kalem dusted himself off. "Wasn't sure it would work. I didn't know you had those grenades."
Astra gave a half-smile. "Standard issue for Abyssal Recon. Always good to have a trump card."
Serka wiped ichor from her face, looking relieved. "So, what now? That was just one core. There could be more."
Kalem looked around, noticing that the ground had stopped pulsating. "If that was the center of the infection, it might take time for any other clusters to activate. We should move out before more parasites emerge."
Astra nodded, rallying the soldiers. "Form up! We're heading back to the outpost to report. Stay vigilant—this area isn't safe yet."
Kalem glanced back at the charred remnants of the core. "Whatever that thing was, it adapted too fast. Someone or something must be spreading it intentionally."
Serka looked uneasy. "You think someone's controlling these parasites?"
"Maybe not directly," Kalem mused. "But someone could be using them to disrupt the Abyssal Legion's operations. It's too coordinated to be natural."
Astra overheard and folded her arms. "We'll investigate that possibility once we're back. For now, we need to regroup and report. I'll send a message to headquarters about the core."
Kalem nodded, though his mind was still racing. If these parasites were spreading underground, the entire region could be compromised. He couldn't shake the feeling that this was just the beginning.
As they moved out, Astra gave Kalem a sidelong glance. "You know, you're pretty reckless for a smith. Most of the artisans I've seen wouldn't dream of rushing into a nest of parasites."
Kalem shrugged, a faint smirk on his lips. "Can't make good weapons without testing them. Besides, fighting's part of the job now."
Serka chuckled. "More like you're just too stubborn to back down."
Kalem didn't deny it, gripping his spear tighter as they continued toward safer ground. Despite the victory, he knew that something darker was looming on the horizon.