Isaac didn't waste a moment and transformed back into his raven form, flying high up. The horde below snapped out of their fear, their loud howls filling the area once more. He ignored them and focused on the next step of the battle.

Freedom mode.

Immortal Mana spilled into his body with this single order, pushing Viron into depths it wouldn't be able to return from for the time being. Right away, the light stinging he remembered from the hybrid mode turned into lava that began to flow through his veins.

It hurt, more than he had expected. That said, Isaac took a few deep breaths, allowing the Symphony to slightly dull the pain. It helped, but not much. He had to be fast about his next move.

Very well. No holding back. Crimson Flock…

At his command, his Origin and the spark holding his Legacy ignited like twin stars. Their power swept over the Immortal Mana and pushed it out of his body, filling the sky around him with dozens of crimson swirling clouds.

Then, one by one, ravens of pure blood emerged from the storm, their cawing drowning out the screeches from below. Isaac tried to keep count, but between the pain ravaging his body and the chaotic nature of their summoning, he quickly gave up.

In the end, the fresh, tiny connection in his mind told him all he needed to know. Twenty-eight ravens, waiting for his commands, their song joining that of the Symphony.

Wait, he ordered as he flew to the ground, landing a safe distance away from the horde. Thankfully, with the flock above, no one paid attention to him for now.

Taking advantage of the moment, he transformed back and reached into his pocket. Two potions—energy and Viron regeneration. He gulped them down, threw the vials away, and took his first step toward the mutants.

One of the Spiderlings spotted him, its yellow eyes narrowing.

But Isaac just smiled. His body was no longer burdened by the Immortal Mana, and with the two potions coursing through his system, he was already feeling much better. Best of all, the connection to the flock remained, waiting for his order.

Well, no more.

"Attack," he whispered.

The cawing above intensified, and a moment later, death descended upon the earth.

Isaac followed, flinging himself right at the horde that looked more confused than anything.

Yet, despite everything, the moment the ravens began their assault, it quickly became obvious that they didn't have too much firepower. Their beaks tore into flesh, while their talons sliced through every muscle, but in the end, that was far from enough to kill the mutants.

Not that any of it mattered. The distraction his flock offered was more than enough.

Isaac carved into the nearest Spiderling, severing half its legs with a single slash. The beast hissed in pain, but a quick stab to the skull silenced it forever.

A Mutated Wretched tried to take revenge for its fallen kin, only for its massive fist to miss as Isaac pivoted, sidestepping out of the way. In the same motion, he released another Blood Draw. The beast dropped to its knees, missing an arm and its head.

Still, the battle was far from over.

Fueled by Bloodbank, six massive blades materialized at his side and shot at the nearest mutants. None were enough to score a kill, but that wasn't the point. Isaac just weaved out of the way of a charging mutant and pounced on every Wretched he had just injured, slipping a Blood Dagger into their skull before they could recover.

This entire sequence, unfortunately, landed him right in the heart of the battlefield. Worse, with his flock dwindling by the second—now reduced to half its original number—plenty of mutants were no longer distracted and instead waited to smash him into a pulp.

At the very least, another Interface notification let him know he was well on his way to victory.

The protections around the Corrupted Heart are at the final third of their strength. The end is near.

Wouldn't say near, but I will take it…

Before any Wretched could come at him, Isaac charged toward a small group of the muscled variants. They were still fending off his remaining ravens, giving him the perfect opening. He cut off the head of the first beast and followed up with four daggers to the skull of another.

The final mutant, however, swatted the last blood raven out of the air and swung at Isaac in the same motion. With no time to dodge, the Root, powered by Blood Draw, met the punch head-on and sliced through flesh and bone, rendering the beast's arm useless.

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Isaac moved to finish the job, but just then, a Spiderling flew at him from the side. He ducked, but not fast enough. A sharp pain tore across his back as the creature's claws tore through his flesh.

Change of plans.

Gritting his teeth, he ignored the pain, transformed, and shot past more charging beasts. Soon, he was back in the skies, way beyond the Wretched's reach. Without wasting another second, he activated Hybrid mode.

The pain on his back flared up, the Immortal Mana doing nothing to help the open wound that transferred even to his raven form. Still, now was not the time to worry about injuries. His regeneration would fix it soon, hopefully.

Instead, Isaac drew on the blood dripping on his feathers and called on another chunk of Viron that soon combined with Mana. Six clouds of miasma manifested around him, twisting into familiar javelins.

Another dive brought him into the path of more Wretched, who charged at him the moment they saw him. With a quick command, his massive blades shot forward, punching clean through the beasts in their way. With the road ahead empty, he continued straight at another group already heading in his direction.

Blood Draw spilled over his raven body, covering it in a dark flame-like aura.

Isaac tucked his wings and, like a bullet, tore through the first mutant in his path. Then another, and another. Once the power of his skill ran out, he pulled up and canceled Hybrid mode.

Right away, the beating of his wings became erratic and uncoordinated. Symphony of Blood wavered, throwing him even more off balance. Still, he fought back against the wave of exhaustion and almost empty reserves of Viron in his body.

After all, his job was almost done.

The moment the last Wretched in his path fell, a loud shattering noise filled the clearing. An Interface notification followed, still floating before him and giving him the strength to keep going.

Protections around the Corrupted Heart have been disabled. Kill it to neutralize this Quarantine Site.

The remaining Wretched also reacted to the collapse of the yellow barrier. A couple of them rushed toward the heart, probably hoping to defend it. Others, though, ran away as fast as their legs could carry them. The fear Isaac had already seen in their eyes must have returned.

Good. Otherwise, I would have a problem. At best, I have enough Viron for another Blood Draw…

Isaac flew toward the heart, circling above it for the time being. He had an idea, probably not the smartest one. Killing the massive organ shouldn't be a problem, or so he hoped, but the three remaining mutants close by could make his day a lot worse.

Have to do it now. It's only a matter of time before the energy potion and Symphony fail completely.

Nodding his tiny head, he stopped flapping his wings and glided toward the heart in a slow spiral. Once the massive organ was within reach, he transformed and dropped right onto it, Root of Blood already drawn.

Then, without any skills powering him, he plunged the blade into the flesh beneath his feet.

The heart let out one final, sickening beat, then stopped.

A second later, it burst apart, sending Isaac flying through the park. He crashed into a tree in the way and slid to the ground, gasping for breath. Something inside him definitely just broke—several somethings, if he had to be honest.

Yeah… That was fucking terrible idea.

He ignored the loud, sorrowful wails that echoed all around him, even from far away, and reached into the small bag slung over his chest. As expected, the health potion inside was undamaged. He drank it in one go.

None of the pain faded, but he could feel something happening inside his body. Maybe a bone snapping back to its right place?

No, don't think about it. Got to move.

Using the Root as a crutch, Isaac climbed to his feet, wincing with every little motion. He considered transforming into his Legacy, but for some reason, he doubted he was in any condition to fly. At the very least, the remaining Wretched were nowhere to be seen. Looked like the heart's destruction had scared them off.

The fog is still here, though. And where's the notification?

As if summoned by his thoughts, red text materialized before his eyes. At the same time, a surge of power shot across his body, signaling another level-up.

Well done, Host. You have managed to single-handedly neutralize a Double-layered Quarantine Site. Purging in progress. Your rewards shall arrive soon. Level progression has been distributed.

Blood Draw, Viron: Regeneration, Pain Resistance, and Blood Dagger have advanced a tier. Symphony of Blood has reached its maximum tier.

You have leveled up! You are now level 12. Distribution of Ascension Power in progress. Regeneration has ascended to the next grade (Refined).

Already, huh? Good, stitch me up then, please, Isaac thought, glancing at the final part of the notification. Other than that, it was just standard skill progression. Still, he pulled up Symphony of Blood's description to check if evolution was possible.

[Symphony of Blood | Grade: Superior | Max Tier] A strong pseudo-passive Origin ability. Awakens the blood during times of struggle and battle to assist its Host. Slightly enhances the user's perception and battle prowess. Heightens pain tolerance. Ready to evolve to a higher grade.

The corner of his lips tugged upward.

It is. Nice…

Just then, ahead of him where the heart used to float, a familiar flash of light erupted. The chest it left behind was even bigger than the one in the medical center. Not surprising, given the scale of the fight.

Keeping an eye out for any lingering threats, Isaac limped toward his reward. On the way there, he also noticed the crimson fog slowly fading from the area. Soon, the entire city would know what happened here.

Gather the loot. Heal up. Regroup with the others. That's the plan.

With a nod to himself, Issac knelt before the chest despite his body's protests and unlatched the claps. What awaited him inside explained well why the chest had to be so large.

A full smile, bordering on a grin, claimed his face.

You know what, Interface? You might lie, throw us to our deaths, and give us near-impossible tasks… But man, at least you don't hold back on rewards.

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