A bright light.

Alaric sees a bright red light shining over him, as he is filled with warm liquid.

He feels like he is in a cocoon, in a womb filled with bloody liquid. Attached to his body are cords that connect to the fleshy walls around him. These thick strings pulsate with life, enriching him with vitality and strength.

His body convulses as his eyes turn white, while his mouth opens wide.

His tongue dances with passion as he rambles in madness, screaming unintelligible words within the cocoon of darkness.

"Apotheosis! Apotheosis! Apotheosis!"

Joy!

Great joy fills him up.

He screams with unrivaled passion, drowning in maddening delight.

Despite the monstrous flesh surrounding him and the repulsive veins that throb as though they are alive, he keeps on laughing maniacally. His emaciated body only grows thinner as he grins with delirious glee.

His reverie grows as endless as his insanity.

"It's happening! Apotheosis is happening! Once I emerge, I will become one of the gods!"

Memories—fragmented and dark—flash within Alaric's mind.

The countless times he tried and failed in his enlightenment ritual, at long last culminating in this blissful experience.

Finally!

He will finally see the light of glory at the end of this path.

"Back then, I had a limited understanding! I was too scared to consume it, but thanks to Damon, all the gaps in my knowledge have been filled! I understand now! I should have brewed a Potion and ingested it! Only by digesting the power can I be made whole! Reborn… to travel to the realm beyond!"

His mad ramblings do not cease, but his voice remains trapped within the walls.

No one can hear him.

The Flesh-Blood Tree of Rot has already covered him in its robust walls, and it is more concerned with feeding than transferring Alaric's words to the world beyond.

As such, while the insane man within screams with anticipation, the Magivore rampages.

Its fleshy vines creep out and attack everything in its vicinity, destroying all the buildings around it. Despite the evacuation attempts that were made, many of the Academy Professors lost their lives to this entity.

Those who hid in their homes were sniffed out by the Tree and were consumed.

Some died as a result of their homes collapsing on them, but the Tree of Rot still defiled their corpses, wringing out every last drop of blood from them.

Now, there is not even a single human alive within a hundred meters.

Balric Wolfshade and his fellow soldiers, alongside those who have evacuated, now maintain their distance—too exhausted and too frightened even to dare step foot near its domain. The look of terror on their faces says it all.

Despair!

It creeps up on everyone, along with the Rot Worms that endlessly flow from the Tree.

All everyone can do is watch and pray.

It is already past midnight, yet the skies are still tinged with a blood-red color.

What more awaits?

**********

"N-no…"

Looking outside his window, Seth Clayford lets out a terrified whisper as his body turns still as stone. Despite this, he trembles violently, his bulging eyes reflecting the bright crimson light that dyes everything in the color of blood.

"T-this… isn't happening…" He whimpers, sweat covering his effeminate face.

Horror!

Sheer horror covers his visage.

He takes a few steps back as more words proceed from his lips, and he cries without restraint.

"No. No. No. No. No. NO. NO. NO. NO! NO! NO! THIS ISN'T HAPPENING!"

He screams and rushes to his bed, covering himself in a thick blanket. He tries to shield his eyes from the crimson rays, and he also covers his ears so he doesn't hear the screams that now fill the air.

"This is just a dream… It's just like the other nightmares… it isn't real…"

Seth knows.

This isn't the first time he has seen something like this.

He… has had dreams.

Back in the church he grew up in, seeing strange things was even common for him.

These visions were vivid, like this one, but he would eventually wake up.

Wake up! He just had to wake up!

"It isn't real! It can't hurt me! It's just a bad dream…" As he whispers those words, he suddenly hears a sound inside his room.

The sound starts subtle, but it grows louder over time.

Like… a slimy movement.

The slithering sound oozes with liquid droplets and a low growl. A putrid smell wafts in the air, and the stench of flesh overpowers his senses.

Seth grows paralyzed.

'It… it's not real…!'

Even as the sound slowly multiplies, from a single source to multiple of them, he remains hidden underneath his blanket. Shivers creep through his spine, and all the hairs on his skin rise up in response to the unnatural presence in his room.

But he remains in place.

The unholy, tainted sounds multiply yet again, and they advance closer to him.

Seth squeaks in fear, curling up into a ball.

He can feel his blanket slowly getting heavy, as 'things' creepily make their way towards him.

He feels something nibbling on his feet, and wetness seeping through the blanket, and permeating his skin. The smell becomes even more overpowering, and the growls reach his ears.

At this point, even though he can't see them, Seth has an image in his head.

A horrific picture that won't go away.

'Isn't this… a dream? Why am I not waking up? Wake up! Wake up!'

Seth slowly opens his eyes, hoping everything will disappear the moment they witness the light.

But—

The moment his gem-like eyes open up, he witnesses several rows of teeth right in front of him, about to devour his entire face.

Despite the strong urge to scream, the sound gets stuck as a lump in his throat.

Voiceless… helpless… he can only watch as death comes.

SQUELCH!

Right at this moment, smelly green blood spurts out of the monster's mouth, forcing him to shut his eyes once more as he whimpers aloud. He covers himself in his blanket and cries, wishing he could just disappear.

He covers his ears, only hearing loud grunts and growls.

The slippery sounds turn more violent, and thuds echo throughout his room.

One minute.

Two minutes.

Three…

Suddenly, his blanket is pulled away, exposing his body to the world he seeks protection from.

"Arghhhh!!!"

Seth flails about, his hands dancing in the air as he helplessly tries to protect himself from what comes next. His screams resemble a child's, and tears streak down his frightened face.

Right at this point, something reaches out to cover his wide-open mouth.

A hand!

A real… human hand.

"Relax, Seth… It's me!" A familiar voice cuts through the chaos and reassures him.

"H-huh…?"

Slowly prying his eyes open, Seth finally regains his sight.

He looks around his room and sees a dozen oversized maggots—the Rot Worms—dead.

Their green blood has stained his room, making the place unrecognizable. Fear fills him up once more, and he hurriedly jumps to the only human in front of him, embracing him with all his feeble might.

"It's alright…" The soothing voice tells him. "I got you. I got you."

His savior holds him tight, not letting go for even a moment.

Tears flow from Seth's eyes as he cries aloud, his trembling body finally relaxing, relieved beyond description. Only after an uncertain period of time passes does he finally let go after much hesitation and contemplation.

He looks at the young man before him; his raven black hair, his clear olive skin, and the kind gray eyes that stare back at him.

"Javier…" His moist lips part as he smiles in gratitude. "Thank you."

"Anytime."

With a confident grin and affectionate gaze locked onto his face, Javier nods and rubs his head with a gentle stroke. Then, his calm voice reverberates, instantly creating a serene atmosphere amidst the chaotic room.

"Now come with me if you want to live."

**************

[Moments Earlier]

What a nightmare!

I have been slaying these oversized flesh maggots for so long, and I can't even count how many I have killed. My team and I were dispatched to the Silver Wing, and on our way here, we've encountered an innumerable number of these creatures.

They are everywhere!

The good news is that these Rot Worms, as they've been identified as, will all be burned to death once they're exposed to the sun.

In essence, we don't have to kill all of them.

We simply have to last until dawn, which means evacuation should be our main priority.

Thus, we only target the Rot Worms in our path while we make our way to the Silver Wing. We are all running on foot, but thanks to the Potions everyone took before leaving the Inventory Room, we are much faster than normal.

Plus, I still have the Grade 2 Recovery Potion with me in case things go awry. Adding that to the two Armaments at my disposal, I should have no problems on this mission.

I currently wield the D Grade Ashen Purple Blade as well as a D Grade armor, the Black Mirror Scale Apparel. This is slightly different from the rest of the students, since most of them are wielding E Grade Armaments.

My case is special because of my high combat potential, my position as a Silver Wing Scholarship Student, as well as my reputation within the school.

In fact, I am actually the leader of my current squad—a total of fifty people.

Despite things going relatively smoothly, I still feel great unease. The main reason for that is my uncle, since I haven't been able to confirm his condition. I did speak to Jonathan and Korrin to help confirm his safety, but with the huge commotion everywhere, I can't be sure that they will actually have the luxury to heed my selfish request.

Besides my uncle, my biggest concern lies with the students within the Silver Wing

Specifically Seth!

They haven't been briefed on the matter, which means the attack from the Rot Worms will come as a surprise to them. I did tell the Supervising Officer to keep everyone alert, but I can't expect such a vague warning from a student like me to actually go very far.

"I'll be going ahead first! Do your best to keep up!" Unable to contain my impatience any longer, I yell out those words and rush forward, leaving everyone else in the dust.

Thanks to this, I finally reach the Silver Wing not too long after.

Just as I feared, the Rot Worms have already made their way to the dormitory and are trying to invade the student rooms.

'First, I need to make sure Seth is safe!'

With that thought in mind, I rush towards Seth's room and easily slip in since it is wide open.

There… I see a horrible sight!

'So many…!' My eyes stretch uncontrollably. 'Why are there so many of them here?!'

Like maggots crawling around rotten food, the Rot Worms seem to be attracted to Seth, as they slowly crawl towards him with their disgusting bodies.

Even though the sight is deeply concerning, and many questions flash in my mind, I ignore them.

Seth is frightened—hiding under his blanket.

I have to help him!

This thought fuels me, propelling my body forward as I expertly brandish my blade and slice through the atrocities trying to harm my friend.

It takes barely three minutes, and I finish cutting all of them down.

There were several dozen trying to enter the room through the open door and windows, so I had to subdue them as well, sending their fat, disgusting bodies outside. Only after I confirm all their deaths do I yank away the blanket from Seth, hoping none of the worms have managed to crawl under there.

Thankfully, Seth is safe and untouched.

I smile in relief, but before I can even call for him, he begins to scream, attacking thin air with his arms and legs. His pathetic display of struggle is a little comedic, but due to the severity of the situation, I make an effort not to laugh.

Instead, I proceed to calm him down and offer him comfort.

Seth must have been more frightened than I imagined, as he immediately jumped on me the moment he saw me. His tight embrace feels a little uncomfortable, but I allow it, feeling his tiny frame on my more muscular body.

After an excruciatingly long period, he finally lets go and thanks me.

I smile at him and rub his hair gently.

Such a cute kid.

Someone as innocent as this shouldn't have been exposed to something this sickening.

I hear loud noises coming from downstairs and confirm that the rest of the squad has finally made it to the premises. A sigh of relief leaves my lips as I proceed to carry Seth on my back and take him with me.

If I did this on a normal occasion, his face would turn red in embarrassment.

But the situation doesn't call for such a feeling.

We make our way downstairs, and all the Rot Worms strangely gather around me, trying to attack. Even those trying to enter other rooms change their trajectory and target me.

But… I believe their true target is Seth.

Why?

I have no clue, but none of it matters at the moment.

Thankfully, the Magivores are weak, so it isn't a problem to kill them. Unfortunately, due to their plentiful numbers, there will be some unfortunate injuries.

Still, coordinating with my team, we hurriedly completed our task and evacuated all the students from the building. Some of the students get seriously injured, as the Rot Worms bite their hands, legs, or torso, but thankfully… not a single one dies.

No casualty at all… what a miracle.

For those injured, we give them the additional Potions we managed to bring with us, and while cutting down the Rot Worms in our path, we take them to the nearest safe zone.

With our tasks complete, our team is expected to remain with the students and protect them in the case of unexpected mishaps. However, that is unlikely to happen since the safe zone is heavily fortified.

If any enemy manages to invade it, none of the students within—armed with Armaments or not—will be able to resist them.

As such, the main purpose of my squad staying behind is so they can rest.

Within the safe zone, everyone is protected.

However, I can't afford to remain there, not while I still have Uncle Damon on my mind.

So, after leading the evacuation and ensuring Seth is in safe hands, I leave immediately and rush to the perimeter. On my way there, I can see the bright red pillar of light getting stronger.

I have no idea what it means, but it cannot possibly be good.

As I run towards the light, my breath now raspy and heavy, I whisper silent prayers.

"Uncle… please be safe!"

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