The next morning, or at least what they assumed was morning, the Strongest Guild prepared to set out from the Shadow Inn. With no sun to guide them, only softly glowing lanterns hanging throughout the sheltered town provided any semblance of daytime. Rayne stretched, his eyes sharp and alert. “The goblins despise cold climates,” he reassured the group. “From here onward, we shouldn’t encounter much. They’re mostly concentrated near the Light Continent’s border.” Aiko tugged at her gloves nervously, stepping closer. “How long until we reach the Cosmic Continent?” Rayne measured the path ahead mentally. “At yesterday’s pace, about seven hours.” Tetsuo’s mouth curled into an eager grin. “We’ll make it in four.” Rayne smirked, a playful challenge lighting his eyes. “Then try to keep up.” With renewed determination, the guild stepped out from the warmth of the Shadow Inn’s barrier, leaving behind its gentle sanctuary for the oppressive darkness of the Shadow Realm. But they’d barely taken a few steps when a quiet, chilling voice echoed behind them: “Hello, friends.” Instantly, everyone froze, fear gripping them like ice. Impossible! Rayne’s heart hammered violently. I didn’t sense any presence. No sound, no energy signature… This is beyond dangerous. Sweat formed along his brow as he whispered urgently to the guild, “Don’t move. Don’t even breathe wrong.” Without turning, Rayne spoke clearly, carefully masking his fear, “We’re merely passing through. Would you allow us safe passage?” A low chuckle resonated through the still air, dripping with menace. “Turn around and face me, elf.” Rayne inhaled deeply, steadied his breath, and turned slowly. His eyes met those of the corrupted figure standing calmly before them. The man’s black and silver hair flowed loosely over his shoulders, his red, corrupted eyes shining with hunger for combat. His face, though handsome, was twisted in cruel amusement. “I am sorry,” the corrupted man mocked gently, stepping closer. “But this is where your journey ends. All of you.” Rayne felt dread coil tightly in his chest, realizing with a sickening certainty that the being standing before them was unquestionably a SSS-rank corrupted. Every fiber of his being screamed danger. “Is there nothing we can offer to avoid this fight?” Rayne questioned cautiously, fighting to maintain composure. The corrupted man’s lips curved into a wicked grin, eyes gleaming darkly. “All I desire is a worthwhile battle to satiate my hunger. Adventurers pass so rarely now, and those that do…” He sighed dramatically. “Have proven terribly dull.” He took another slow, deliberate step forward, leaning toward Rayne with terrifying intimacy. “But you, you possess strength. I sense it. You’re intriguing, elf.” Rayne’s jaw tightened defiantly. “Then face only me. Allow the others to leave unharmed.” The corrupted laughed coldly, shaking his head dismissively. “If we fight, your little friends will shatter from the mere aftershocks of our clash.” Behind Rayne, Yoshinori’s mind raced frantically. Think, Yoshinori. Think! He knew Rayne was strong, but not this strong. The desperation in Rayne’s stance told him enough. Yoshinori whispered urgently to his guildmates, barely audible, “The second they clash, we sprint back to the Shadow Inn. Corrupted can’t cross that barrier. We have to trust Rayne to hold on.” Eyes widened, breaths quickened, but no one objected. They knew he was right. Rayne unsheathed his greatsword, fingers trembling ever so slightly against the familiar hilt. Sweat slicked his palms, fear racing through him, pulsing against every heartbeat. Facing this man, this monster, meant confronting power even greater than his master’s. Could he surpass his limits? He had to try. Just as the corrupted’s malicious grin widened, savoring the tension, an overwhelming, immense presence erupted nearby, so strong even the corrupted stopped mid-motion, eyes snapping upward. A booming voice thundered from above: “Thorn!” A figure plummeted from above, crashing down in an explosion of dust and debris, fists colliding violently with the corrupted’s raised defense. The impact alone shook the earth, staggering everyone present. The corrupted being named Thorn laughed with delighted recognition. “Roman! Long time no see!” Roman straightened, eyes fierce, radiating an equally terrifying aura. “I’ve wanted to rip your guts out for some time now, Thorn.” Before anyone could fully process this new arrival, Thorn stomped one foot onto the ground with devastating force. Instantly, violent tremors shattered the landscape, fissures splitting open around them. The guild was flung backward, scrambling desperately to regain balance. Rayne shouted urgently, seizing the sudden opportunity. “Run! Now! Back to the Inn!” Without hesitation, the guild sprinted, feet pounding desperately against the trembling ground. Rayne joined them immediately, taking advantage of Roman’s timely arrival to flee with the guild, their only hope resting now in the newcomer’s strength. They ran desperately toward the protective barrier, each heartbeat hammering with terror, hoping to escape the lethal storm erupting behind them. The Shadow Realm shook violently as Roman and Thorn clashed, each blow striking with catastrophic force. Trees splintered, earth shattered, and the oppressive atmosphere thickened with chaotic spiritual energy. Their raw power ripped through the darkness, illuminating the twisted landscape with violent flashes of corrupted energy. Even as they sprinted, the guild felt the oppressive aftershocks slamming into them, forcing them to fight just to remain standing. As they neared the barrier, Yoshinori glanced briefly back, eyes wide in horror and awe. “Two corrupted of this caliber… fighting here… this could change everything.” Rayne’s voice strained as he urged them forward. “We can’t afford to linger! Keep moving!” The chaotic sounds of battle reverberated through the darkness, the roaring of titans locked in deadly combat. Thorn’s maddened laughter clashed with Roman’s fierce, relentless cries, an eerie symphony echoing through the realm. As the guild pressed onward, desperately racing toward safety, the shadowed landscape trembled, threatening to collapse entirely under the weight of two legendary corrupted beings: Roman and Thorn. Both were monstrous in their strength, feared and whispered about throughout the world. To meet even one was certain death, but to witness the clash of two SSS-ranked corrupted beings was to witness an event of catastrophic proportions. It was a battle capable of reshaping the very fabric of the Shadow Realm, a confrontation whose outcome would echo far beyond this moment. And as the guild fled, survival their only thought, they knew that they had narrowly escaped a fate worse than death, but had stumbled into something far, far worse.