The Conquerors Path Chapter 1000 - 998-Corrupted.

"Nia, are you okay!?"

Leonardo yelled while gripping Nia tightly, her form appearing utterly unconscious, as the other five fellows began to stir slowly, letting out groans from their spots on the ground. I witnessed the entire scene, my straightforward yet turbulent strategy erupting in my thoughts while my steps echoed through the cavern, promptly redirecting everyone's attention straight to me.

Before long, I stepped into full sight at the spot, clad head to toe in dark garments, resembling the perfect shadowy killer dispatched to drag victims into endless night.

"My... my... I didn’t expect such a reaction when I broke the tablet. Guess I got lucky."

My murmured remark slipped out, instantly souring the looks on the faces of those clustered nearby.

"Who are you?"

Leonardo demanded, his stare intense and weighted. At that instant, exhaustion gripped him hard, breaths coming in heavy pants amid some backlash effects, leaving him visibly strained. I noted the sight with a grin, casually circling and toying with the blades in my grasp before answering.

"Oh... just a passing by person, coming to take a look when I got the job to take some people out. Never expected to get lucky to find a historic world hidden somewhere like this~"

The mocking tone in my voice only deepened the ugliness on their features. A soft, radiant glow bloomed around Leonardo's frame as Durandal materialized in his grip, his face darkening further while the aura surrounding him warped, intensified, and pressed down with greater force.

Pondering that, I merely flicked my wrist, and in the next instant, Leonardo was hurled aside, slamming hard against the cavern wall, his body writhing in pain as it slumped there, the blade vanishing after the brutal impact, which I admired while spinning my dagger once more.

"Not bad, that’s quite some power."

I remarked while advancing, my murderous aura flooding the space overwhelmingly, yet even as I focused on that, a soft murmur escaped me, striking directly at Leonardo.

"Looks like Sir Austin’s payment was quite good. I am having fun."

My statement froze Leonardo in place, his face twisting with profound rage and astonishment as he bellowed.

"Austin sent you!?"

He roared, overflowing with fury and a sense of betrayal, prompting my sly grin. The remaining group huddled closer, shaking in fear, and I responded coolly.

"Yup, and none of you are going to escape from here to tell anyone a thing."

With those words, I swung my dagger in a casual arc, moving at speeds invisible to the eye, and in that swift motion alone, the heads of the five companions tumbled free. Leonardo's allies, in a sense. The gruesome display turned Leonardo's gaze bloodshot, brimming with intense loathing and wrath.

"I WILL KILL YOU!!"

He bellowed in fury, his stare blazing with overwhelming hatred, no doubt about it. Just as I prepared to strike him down, a pure silver radiance unfurled, the shattered tablet fragments stirring as if alive. In a flash, it enveloped Leonardo, shielding him completely, his cries echoing out.

"NO!... not just me, take her too!"

Leonardo yelled desperately, catching me off guard, so I reacted swiftly.

"You are not going anywhere!"

I shouted while lunging, but my strike rebounded harmlessly, and before another blow could land, Leonardo vanished into the unknown. Of course, I knew the destination, but I maintained the pretense of ignorance. Gradually, his figure dissolved from view, and I observed every bit of his departure. In moments, only silence remained in the cave, alongside lifeless corpses and a man disguised as a woman feigning unconsciousness.

Thus, I grinned and approached a rock shaped like a chair, settling down onto it. "Nia"'s form lay motionless on the floor as I, still smiling, allowed my illusion to dissolve, revealing my true appearance while I addressed her.

"Come on, 007, you are better than this."

Hearing my genuine tone, 007's body quivered, his face shifting from utter distress to a steadier composure as he abruptly bolted upright, his demeanor utterly relaxed before he moved to clamp down on a toxin-laced tooth meant for instant death.

"Ah!... nah... nah... You ain’t going down that fast."

I quipped with a grin, seizing control over his whole frame, rendering it rigid. There he remained, frozen in place on the ground, incapable of motion, his gaze overflowing with utter hopelessness as he stared at me. Witnessing my dominance up close, he grasped the truth. I wielded total authority over his existence and destiny.

"It’s a mystery indeed. You were on the path to a great future, came to work for me, working for me, a great life was ahead of you, yet you suddenly threw it all away by betraying me. I wonder why."

I commented, fully aware of the cause myself. Still, I sought to hear it from his lips, so I granted him the chance to explain.

"Do anything stupid and let’s say, death will be better, all right?"

I warned with a smile, and in his quaking terror, 007 dipped his head in agreement. From the second I entered, the transformation in him was evident. His inner drives had shifted dramatically, no minor occurrence.

"Leonardo... he saved me... he doesn’t deserve what you are going to give him."

007 uttered in a tense voice, clearly fully swayed by Leonardo, a development I had foreseen but not anticipated so quickly. My thoughts whirled as I realized the historic world's deeper purpose.

Such a historic realm demanded selecting a route guided by one's core beliefs, and I comprehended its intent perfectly. Numerous figures surrounded Leonardo, reining him in—not solely from my influence—and each had succumbed to his charisma and exceptional traits, so unlike this grim, spiteful realm. Indeed, as I noted, fortune proves invaluable in these scenarios.

I flashed a smirk at 007, who stayed low on the floor, eyeing me intently.

"So how much did you tell him?"

My question made 007 tense up, a fresh urge to seal his lips surging through him. I laughed lightly at the abrupt devotion surging within, pausing briefly to contemplate. Considering my following moves, ending him would be simple, yet such a squandering. At present, he had secured genuine camaraderie and allegiance from Leonardo, and offing him to deliver his head would shatter the hero profoundly. Far wiser to repurpose him.

With that, I rose from my perch, turbulent forces churning visibly around me at full throttle, and for the first time, I unveiled the corrupting essence manifesting before him. Dense crimson power coiled and warped, laced with subtle violet flickers. The instant 007 beheld it, reason fled him, and I spotted the paralyzing dread toward the destined savior, meant to combat corruption, now steeped in it to an illogical degree.

Moments later, I loomed above 007, my gaze glowing with corrupt red as I pressed my palms to his features, his stare locked on me in profound desperation while I sneered.

"Don’t worry, 007, you will only become more useful for me."

With that declaration, the scarlet glow erupted from me, roiling and spiraling before it invaded 007's form via every opening—nostrils, eyes, ears, and lips. His frame shuddered violently as the force seeped inward, burrowing not only into his flesh but his very spirit, reshaping him at the core.

Then I retreated a pace to observe the process. Though I avoid it personally, as mentioned, I'll deploy it against foes when needed. This technique offers standard alteration without boosting my strength significantly, but its utility shines when applied.

I watched the faint, soothing silver glow resist briefly, yet it crumbled in under a second, after which even the bond of devotion twisted into something foul, yielding only to the blood-red void.

At last, the ordeal concluded as 007 collapsed to the floor, his eyes flickering with a brief crimson sheen before normalizing. He appeared unchanged outwardly. Well, still garbed as a female, but you understand.

So I grinned at the transformation as 007 dropped to his knees immediately.

"Master."

His tone rang with total reverence, for now, I embodied his deity, the origin of his downfall. And through the tainted urges churning inside 007, I sensed their wild hunger.

I smirked before inquiring.

"So, what and all did you tell our dear pure-hearted hero?"

Without pause, 007 began to recount everything.