The Follower's body had been pierced all over. In the chest, belly, thigh, and arm, invisible spikes had torn holes. He arched, hands slamming open and flat against the soil as if he were a door hammered by wind. Blood drooled out around the spikes that weren't there.

The High Priestess' hand moved down from his head to his cheek. She stroked it once, thumb grazing the corner of his open mouth. Her own breath had gone thin and fast.

"We've found it," she murmured with a husky voice. "Azaroth's Heart…"

The Follower's eyes rolled white. He went limp slowly, and died.

At the same time, spams went through the unconscious Follower lying down behind the High Priestess. His body had been linked to that of the Golem and, as the latter died, so did the former.

"Another," she said. The circle drew in and widened at once.

A third Follower man pressed his forehead to the ground and offered his head. The High Priestess' palm settled.

Her sight ripped back to the forest.

The beast's thorn-lashes swept arcs through trunks, shearing bark and meat indiscriminately.

Hobgoblins lunged in with spears and swords; Goblins tried to swarm the Golem's legs and were kicked away like beetles.

The High Priestess' breath shuddered.

The Follower under her hand bucked. A wet pop broke the quiet, and he jerked forward onto his elbows, a groan clamped in his throat. A hole had appeared through his stomach.

The heat that rushed back grazed the Priestess' skin. She shivered. Her mouth parted and she licked her bottom lip.

"There can be only one Heart," she whispered, the words half to the circle and half to herself. "And yet the scent is… Doubled."

She forced breath into her lungs as if they'd forgotten how to draw air in. She tried to focus, to momentarily ignore that scent. Sweat crawled under the blindfold and down the slope of her cheek.

The High Priestess' goal had been to order the two remaining Golems to start moving towards the Goblin Village.

Now, with the scent of Corruption coming from a second source, there was no telling what the right thing to do was.

She hesitated, before calling down on another Follower.

Only one Golem remained alive.

…

"What the hell is this?" Amon muttered as he pulled his arm out of the Golem's back.

[Species: Conjured Golem[D Rank]

-Stats:

Strength: 23

Agility: 18

Perception: 10

Endurance: 18

Vigor: 10

]

"Such low Vigor. The rest of the Stats aren't bad. I guess it's…" Amon chuckled, turning towards the injured Hobgoblins and Goblins as the Golem fell to the ground. "No wonder you're struggling."

The Hobgoblins and Goblins, too, were on the ground.

They gulped, fearing what was to come.

And they were right to do so.

From out of his pockets, Amon pulled a couple of pebbles he had gathered along the way.

Without missing the mark once, every Goblin's head was hit, leading to them falling unconscious right away.

"I found a female Hobgoblin." He said. "She yours?"

The injured Hobgoblins exchanged looks before timidly nodding.

It was a rather comical sight for Amon. Just some time earlier, he had sat around the same table as these Hobgoblins, and they spent all that time insulting Goblins to his face, when he was one.

Now that he was something different, they barely had the courage to look at him, and didn't have the courage to speak a word.

"Let's have a little talk," Amon whispered as he crouched in front of the nearest Hobgoblin. "Huh?"

The latter immediately lowered his gaze to the ground, gulping as drops of sweat went down his face.

"First of all, you got any idea what that was?"

The Hobgoblin's teeth were clicking. It was almost like all that remained in him was animalistic instinct. Like his fear had made him unable to understand or even hear Amon's words.

"You're turning out quite useless." Amon muttered before clicking his tongue.

The Hobgoblin started raising his gaze and was, instantly, with a swing of Amon's hand, decapitated.

Blood poured out of his slashed neck as the rest of his body fell to the ground.

"Anyone feeling more chatty?" Amon asked, his eyes shining in the darkness.

To speak was to call attention to oneself, but to remain silent was certain death.

"D-D-D-Deee… Must be Deee…" A stuttering Hobgoblin struggled to get the words out. "Deemonic Magic."

"Is that so?" Amon asked as he started walking closer. "Know anything about Demonic Magic?" His hand decapitated another Hobgoblin who had remained silent.

They instantly realized that every silent Hobgoblin would be decapitated.

"It's… Demonic Maaagic!"

"Must be… Must be Demonic Magic."

Amon chuckled internally but didn't let it show. 'So that's all they know. I suppose it is gross and creepy enough to be called Demonic Magic without proof.'

He scratched his neck.

"Now, tell me about that female Hobgoblin."

"A-A-Anything! Anything you want!"

"Ass… Asssss… Aaaaakssss… Ask and we will… We will answer!"

"Her name is S-S… Ssssyl! Daughter of Sssssylvain!" They stuttered, and Amon smiled.

"Looks like you've decided to be good boys. Yes, answer my every question. Answer them well, and you might live to see dawn."

This was an absolute lie, and Amon felt bad about it upon seeing the light suddenly igniting in their eyes.

'Who are you kidding?' Amon chuckled internally. 'They put Akane in a cage and almost fed her to the Goblins. Why would I ever feel bad for them?'

***

Meanwhile, the High Priestess was bewildered, beyond confused.

"What the hell…" She whispered, sharing the last Golem's vision. "What the hell is happening to the forest? What the hell are these things capable of dealing with my Golems? This one has nothing to do with Azaroth's Heart, and yet…"

Her eyes suddenly started shining. This wasn't a problem, but an opportunity.

"Bring it to me!" The High Priestess ordered. "Bring me the Fox! If I can pull from her and drain her strength, then surely…"

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