A contamination source that managed to evade even Barbara’s initial notice clearly possessed a high Status. A creature like Raymant, corrupted by such a high-level source, was bound to be a handful.

  Eros had already made his move, but he had failed to save Klibb. Given the circumstances...

  His thoughts raced. His first instinct was to pull everyone back and shield them. This creature looked dangerous, and he was currently barred from using his signature Night Clan sorceries. Fighting with one hand tied behind his back was a chore; it would be better to play it safe and wait for the academy’s authorities to arrive.

  He began to subtly retreat, but after a few steps, he paused. Wait, I’m currently the "Scion of the Elven Bloodline." According to legend, Elves loathed these foul, necrotic abominations. If he just skulked in the back and watched, it would be a total breach of his "Elven" persona.

  As Eros wavered, the creature that used to be Raymant let out a guttural screech. In the next heartbeat, the severed tentacle that had impaled Klibb’s chest dissolved into a pool of foul sewage. It flowed out of the corpse’s chest cavity and slithered back into the monster's body. The tentacle reformed instantly, as if the previous strike had never happened.

  The monster shrieked again, its three crimson eyes sweeping past the crowd to fixate directly on Undine, who was standing not far behind Eros.

  Eros’s pupils contracted. He had initially assumed the beast was staring at him because of the sword he’d thrown, but Barbara’s voice rang in his mind: "It’s staring at your sister."

  Why her? Of all the people here, why target Undine? Was it her Spirit-Favored Body? But hadn't he used the Authority of Secrecy to shroud that trait?

  "What’s going on? Did the Secrecy shroud fail?" Eros whispered internally.

  Barbara’s expression was odd. "No, the shroud is still active."

  "Then why is it targeting her?"

  "This... perhaps it’s the creature’s spiritual intuition," Barbara answered, sounding uncertain.

  Intuition... Eros’s mouth twitched. His sister truly was a magnet for trouble.

  He took a deep breath as the six-legged horror began charging toward them. He had no choice but to engage now. Fortunately, from an outsider's perspective, the monster seemed to be charging at him. No one would likely link its aggression to Undine. After all, everyone had seen him throw the first sword; it was only natural for the beast to seek revenge.

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  Decision made, Eros faced the oncoming horror. "Forest Ward!" he barked.

  As a vibrant green light gathered in his hand, he drove a fist straight into the monster’s chest. Instead of the impact of bone on flesh, he felt a sickening, slimy resistance. It was like punching into a vat of thick mud. His fist sank deep into the creature's torso, yet the monster seemed unbothered. It lashed out with a tentacle, whipping it toward Eros’s head.

  Eros raised his left arm to parry. Vines erupted from his sleeve, weaving together into a dense floral shield. These were seeds he carried at all times; many Elven spells required a medium, and he always kept a stash for emergencies.

  BANG! The heavy impact sent Eros reeling back several steps. He shook his hand to dull the sting, his eyes narrowing. Based on that single strike, he could confirm the creature’s strength: it was a Sequence 7. To turn a Sequence 9 student into a Sequence 7 horror spoke volumes about the potency of the corruption.

  Behind him, Undine saw her brother struggling and prepared to charge in to help.

  Eros glanced back, snapping a command: "Give me your blade! Stay back!"

  Undine froze, bit her lip, and threw her massive machete toward him. She didn't understand why he wanted her to stay away, but her trust in him was absolute.

  Eros caught the machete. He tested its weight, noting how the monster seemed to grow more frenzied as Undine moved. His eyes grew dark and unfathomable. The real fight was beginning.

  He swiped his left palm across the edge of the blade, letting the sharp steel bite into his flesh. Pure, vibrant blood welled out, snaking down the length of the metal. The machete was an ordinary weapon—it lacked the enchantments needed to deal lasting damage to such a creature.

  If I can't find an enchantment, I'll make one with my blood. Pure corruption could erode life, but the reverse was also true: pure life could burn away corruption. And his blood was the very essence of pure life. To this abomination, it was both a delicacy and a lethal poison.

  The monster lunged toward Undine again, but Eros skillfully manipulated his positioning so that to any onlooker, it appeared the beast was still hunting him. He swung the blood-coated blade in a wide arc, carving a massive gash across the monster’s chest. The blood on the blade seeped into the wound, causing the creature to let out a shriek of agonizing pain.

  Enraged, all eight of its tentacles lashed out at Eros simultaneously.

  Just as Eros was about to sidestep the onslaught, a man in knight’s attire leaped from the sidelines, swinging a longsword while shouting:

  "Lord Eros! I’ll help you hold it back!"

  Eros’s eyes narrowed to slits. He recognized him: Baron Larry Watt, the son of Viscount West, and a fellow classmate.

  But confusion quickly flared. When did I ever offend this guy?

  The reason was simple: Larry Watt’s strike looked like it was aimed at the monster, but it was actually positioned to block Eros’s only path of escape. If Eros tried to dodge the tentacles, he would run straight into the Baron’s blade. Eros was certain it was intentional.

  Why else would he jump in with an ordinary weapon to "help" a Sequence 7 fighter? And why chose such a malicious angle? He was trying to get Eros killed.

  If Eros were a standard Sequence 7, he would be dead—either whipped to death by the monster or cut down by the "ally" and left for the beast to finish off.

  Fortunately, Eros was anything but standard. Still, he couldn't wrap his head around Larry’s motive. Did the Baron think his performance was flawless? Did he think the Church wouldn't see through a "botched assist" that happened to kill a Duke’s heir?

  What could he possibly gain from Eros’s death? His entire family would face the Church’s wrath and the Rose Duke’s vengeance.

  So, what the hell is he playing at?