The next morning, I woke up still thinking about that strange feeling from the previous night. It hadn't been just my imagination. I could clearly feel the demonic mana gradually increasing in the north.
It was like a distant presence slowly pressing down on the entire continent.
I went downstairs to the mansion's main hall and found almost everyone already awake. Scarlett was sitting on the sofa absentmindedly playing with small sparks of electricity at her fingertips while Vespera carefully cleaned her bow.
Lyannis was organizing several maps across the table.
Liriel appeared carrying coffee alongside one of the maids.
"You barely slept again."
"A little."
Rai'kanna let out a quiet snort.
"You say that every day."
I sat down by the table while looking over the maps spread across it.
"What's all this?"
Lyannis looked up.
"New missions."
Elara walked over as well.
"The guild sent a report early this morning."
I picked up one of the papers.
There were reports of aggressive creatures appearing near small villages south of Vailor.
But one mission in particular caught my attention.
Spiritual disturbance.
Village of Rensgard.
Possible contamination by demonic mana.
I frowned slightly.
"Earth spirits?"
Liriel nodded.
"They've apparently gone berserk."
Lyannis crossed her arms.
"And they've started destroying crops and houses."
Scarlett rested her chin on her hand.
"So it's a simple mission."
"Maybe not."
Elara pointed at the report.
"Demonic mana is affecting spiritual creatures now."
That was genuinely concerning.
Spirits were normally beings balanced by the world's natural mana itself.
If even they were being corrupted...
Then demonic influence was spreading far too quickly.
I slowly folded the report.
"We're taking this one."
Rai'kanna immediately stood up.
"Then let's get ready."
We left the mansion shortly after breakfast. The atmosphere in Vailor seemed relatively normal, but there was still a certain tension in the air. More soldiers than before patrolled the streets. The Adventurers' Guild was crowded even at that early hour.
When we entered, several adventurers quickly looked in our direction.
The Guild Master already seemed to be expecting us.
"I figured you'd take this mission."
I handed him the report.
"What exactly happened in that village?"
He let out a heavy sigh.
"It started three days ago."
The man unfolded a map across the counter.
"The earth spirits always helped the people in that region. Soil fertility, harvests, mana balance."
He pointed to the marked area.
"But then they started attacking everything."
Lyannis studied it carefully.
"Any deaths?"
"Very few."
The Guild Master crossed his arms.
"But quite a few injured."
Liriel became serious.
"So they haven't completely lost their consciousness yet."
"Probably not."
That was good.
If the spirits still retained part of their original essence...
Then perhaps it would still be possible to purify them.
We officially accepted the mission and departed shortly afterward.
The journey to the village took several hours. Along the way, the atmosphere became increasingly strange.
The vegetation looked dried out in some places.
The wind carried heavy mana.
Even the forest animals seemed restless.
Elara noticed it first.
"Demonic mana has reached this place."
I carefully looked around.
Small fragments of dark energy appeared scattered across the ground before quickly fading away.
Scarlett clicked her tongue.
"This is spreading fast."
Rai'kanna firmly gripped the sword on her back.
"Then let's deal with it quickly."
We continued forward until we finally caught sight of the village.
Rensgard was small.
Simple wooden houses surrounded by farmland.
But part of the village had been destroyed.
Huge marks covered the ground as though something enormous had violently crossed the area.
Some houses had been partially smashed.
The villagers watched everything from a distance in fear.
As we approached, an older man hurried toward us.
"Are you adventurers?"
I nodded.
"We came from the guild."
The man looked exhausted.
"They came back during the night."
"The spirits?"
"Yes."
He nervously looked toward the ruined fields.
"They were never like this before."
Liriel stepped forward calmly.
"When did this start?"
"After that smoke appeared in the forest."
I frowned.
"Smoke?"
The man pointed toward a distant mountainous area.
"It came from over there."
Lyannis immediately became serious.
"Most likely a concentration of demonic mana."
Scarlett looked at me.
"Then the source should be in that direction."
I slowly nodded.
"First, let's solve the village's problem."
The villagers led us to the center of the devastated area.
The mana there truly felt heavy.
I could clearly sense the corruption spreading through the ground.
Liriel closed her eyes for a few seconds.
"It can still be purified."
Elara carefully observed the wind.
"They're close."
The moment she finished speaking...
The ground began to shake.
Several cracks spread across the earth around us.
Then enormous creatures made of stone slowly emerged from beneath the ground.
Earth spirits.
But completely altered.
Their bodies were covered with dark cracks from which demonic mana constantly leaked.
Their eyes glowed with an intense crimson light.
The villagers stepped back in terror.
Rai'kanna immediately drew her sword.
"They're bigger than I expected."
One of the spirits roared violently before charging forward, shattering part of the ground.
"Protect the village!"
I shouted as I drew my sword.
Scarlett immediately unleashed lightning.
The electrical discharge struck one of the spirits directly, causing part of its stone body to explode.
But it kept advancing.
Vespera fired several enchanted arrows, striking the dark cracks.
Elara used wind to prevent the debris from hitting the villagers.
Rai'kanna charged straight at the largest spirit.
The impact of her sword opened an enormous fissure across the creature's body.
Meanwhile, Liriel began preparing purification magic.
Lyannis quickly coordinated everything.
"Takumi! We need to keep them away until the purification begins!"
I nodded immediately.
I activated mana in my legs and charged forward.
My sword sliced through the arm of a gigantic spirit in a single strike.
Stone fragments flew in every direction.
But whenever we destroyed part of their bodies...
The demonic mana tried to rebuild them.
"So that's it."
I clenched my teeth.
"The corruption is the problem."
Scarlett unleashed another barrage of lightning.
"Then purify them already!"
Liriel continued gathering mana.
The golden light surrounding her grew brighter and brighter.
But the spirits also became increasingly aggressive.
One of them raised enormous pillars of stone directly toward the village.
Elara quickly created currents of wind, diverting the attacks.
Rai'kanna destroyed another spirit with a brutal strike.
Even so...
More of them continued emerging.
As if the earth itself had been contaminated.
Lyannis carefully looked around.
"Takumi!"
I looked at her.
"The cracks in the ground!"
I realized it immediately.
Demonic mana was pouring directly out of the fissures scattered throughout the village.
I ran toward one of them.
The dark energy pulsed slowly as if it were alive.
Then I drove my sword directly into the ground.
Golden mana immediately erupted around me.
The crack slowly began to close.
All the spirits roared violently at the same time.
"That's it!"
I shouted.
"Seal all the cracks!"
The group immediately sprang into action.
Scarlett destroyed one with lightning.
Elara and Vespera worked together on another.
Rai'kanna crushed the largest cracks through sheer brute strength.
Meanwhile, Liriel finally completed her spell.
An enormous golden light appeared above the village.
The villagers stared at the sky in shock.
Then the purification began.
Holy energy slowly descended, covering the entire area.
The spirits roared desperately as the demonic mana was consumed.
The dark cracks across their bodies gradually disappeared.
The corruption evaporated like smoke.
The heavy pressure in the air rapidly faded.
I continued holding my sword in the ground while keeping mana flowing.
Liriel's light spread throughout the entire village.
The damaged crops slowly regained their color.
The earth stopped trembling.
And then...
The spirits began to change.
The red glow vanished from their eyes.
Their aggression disappeared.
The stone creatures slowly knelt beneath the golden light.
Silence fell over the village.
The purification ended a few seconds later.
Liriel dropped to one knee, breathing heavily.
I immediately ran to her.
"Are you alright?"
She smiled faintly.
"I just used a lot of mana."
The spirits now looked completely different.
The heavy energy had vanished.
One of them slowly approached Liriel and bowed its head silently before disappearing back into the ground.
The others did the same.
The villagers slowly began coming out of their homes.
The older man who had spoken to us earlier looked deeply moved.
"You saved our village..."
Rai'kanna sheathed her sword.
"It was her."
She pointed at Liriel.
The villagers immediately began thanking her.
Liriel looked embarrassed as always.
"I only did what needed to be done."
While everyone was talking...
I kept staring at the cracks in the ground.
Even though they had been sealed...
Small traces of demonic mana still remained.
Lyannis slowly walked over.
"Thinking the same thing I am?"
I nodded.
"This didn't happen naturally."
She crossed her arms.
"Someone spread that mana here."
I looked toward the distant forest.
Toward the mountains.
Exactly where the villager had said he saw the smoke.
Scarlett noticed where I was looking.
"Think there are demons nearby?"
"Maybe."
Elara closed her eyes, sensing the wind.
"The mana is coming from that direction."
Rai'kanna gripped her sword once more.
"Then let's investigate."
I thought for a few seconds.
Then I slowly shook my head.
"Not today."
Everyone looked at me.
"Our mission was to save the village."
I looked once more toward the distant forest.
"And besides..."
That heavy presence still lingered there.
Far away.
Watching.
"There's something in that forest."
Scarlett smiled faintly.
"Then we'll probably be coming back."
I nodded.
Because I knew.
This wasn't over.
It was only another sign.
Demonic influence was beginning to spread throughout the entire continent.
And with every passing day...
The war drew closer.