World Filter

Bodies slammed down on Mark's shield like hail on a tin roof. He was moving as quickly as he could to a nearby warehouse. Individually, the creature's physical strength was nothing to write home about. Probably about a fourth of the power of a humanoid Corrupted.

The problem was their numbers and mental attacks. It seemed that as their numbers increased so did the effect of their Fear ability. It exerted some kind of invisible force on his construct. Right now it was like standing under a waterfall that was only increasing in strength.

His resources were already nearly spent because of that damned fight, but he had to keep moving. If he dropped the shield now, these things would tear him apart.

He didn't spare a thought for his human attackers, they no doubt high-tailed it at some point.

He got to the door and threw his shoulder against it. Low maintenance caused its lock to buckle and the door banged open, he rushed inside with Boe right behind him.

slamming the door shut. It wouldn't buy him much time, but he’d take every second he could get. Mark looked around for an escape route.

He could already hear the sound of bodies dive-bombing the flimsy corrugated steel of the building.

As it turned out he had been wrong at first, this wasn't some storage warehouse. It looked like some kind of converted water purification plant, pipes littered the room and stale water filled the air.

It had been abandoned long ago, but Mark could see stacks of empty bottles, with cheap knock-off labels on them.

There was the sound of breaking glass as a few of them forced their way in through the windows.

Eyes darting around, Mark drew his pistol and searched the place. Not caring about the noise he began unloading his clip on anything that got in his way.

Mark's heart started to fall as the sounds of groaning metal became louder and he couldn't find an exit.

Then Boe started barking catching Mark's attention. Down on the floor, a circular hatch led into the ground. It looked like some large waste-water pipe, but this place had not been in operation for a while because it was almost completely dry, a maintenance ladder descended into darkness.

Without much choice, he holstered his weapons and grabbed Boe in one arm. Climbing into the tunnel he lowered himself down. Reaching up he grabbed onto the hatch door and swung it closed. The hinges squealed as the metal frame set flush. Slamming shut with a loud echoing bang.

The sounds of the screaming creatures dulled to nothing. The only thing he could hear was his heavy breathing. The smell was that of iron and mold. Descending further Mark's feet touched down in a steam of rainwater, he was in a large circular pipe that led off towards the south. If he had to guess this pipe would outlet somewhere near the ocean.

It was leading away from his goal but at this stage, he didn't have the energy to care. He just hoped there was another outlet before then.

“Boe, keep guard,” he said.

He just needed a short while to recoup some resources, he didn't want to face whatever was down here with what little he had.

He dropped into his [meditate] skill, setting a timer to wake him in half an hour. When he came out of it he felt much better, although his Prana wasn't anywhere near full. He felt more stable with full Mana. Looking down the dark pipe Mark got up to continue moving.

Boe took the lead walking in front.

Walking down the pipe Mark came to the conclusion that this pipe was part of a whole network leading under the whole area and if he had to guess, judging by the smell it was connected to the sewers somewhere.

Finding the path splitting off to the right Mark took it because it began to curve back in a northward direction.

As he traveled he kept his eyes open for another maintenance exit.

He had been walking for quite a while when he started to notice something strange about the walls.

Upon closer inspection, he realized there was some kind of mold-like growth on the walls. The mold ran in long lines of gray-colored trails, spiraling like many tiny paths leading deeper in.

Something caught his eye about the mold and he flicked off his light to take a closer look. Right away he could see the mold gave off pulses of bioluminescent light. Very faint waves of dark purple light traveled down the trails, like veins, leading deeper into the network of tunnels.

Looking at it for a while he moved his hand over a small section of the mold. Mark closed his eyes and tried to feel the area out for energy of any kind.

Unlike the rain above he could barely feel anything, even the Mana was sparse.

He started to develop a theory, and testing it had risks, but the opportunity to learn something was great.

Mulling it over for a second he decided to let the hunch play out.

He bit the bullet and activated [Draw corruption]. Right away he felt the Corruption inside him begin to bubble up, acting like a polarising force, calling to nearby Corruption.

After a couple of seconds, Mark felt something touching his hand. Snapping his eyes open he saw the mold had grown to build a small bridge to his hovering hand, connecting them. The flow of light had changed directions to him along the particular trail he had picked. Right away he felt the Corruption begin to trickle in. So slowly in fact that at the rate it was going it’d take hours for him to gain even a single percent.

He was about to break the connection when he felt something respond. Giving in to his curiosity he closed his eyes once more. Feeling himself being pulled along a pathway into a network of churning energies.

Hundreds of identical pathways ran parallel, all culminating into little nodes of shadow, the future generations.

Passing through, he felt their twisted excitement, it egged him on, he could feel something further up, but his connection was too weak slowing him down.

Mark frowned, looking around at the highways of shadow, he flexed his will.

Commanding them to rearrange for him. Splicing hundreds of pathways together into one interwoven cable, expanding his connection. He felt it strengthening, and just as he was reaching out toward the dark presence ahead, reason took over, what the hell was he doing? Mark pulled himself back from the hungry call, which quickly became one of desperation and chase. Opening his eyes, Mark ripped his hand away from the mold.

Or at least tried, the small delicate bridge he had seen before closing his eyes had become a thick crumbling tether. Warped life sprouted around his hand, with small luminescent mushrooms and dozens of tiny vines fastening him to the ground.

It arrived. Screaming and crying like a child, it hammering into Mark's mind. He hunched over in pain even as the entity tried to envelop him in a smothering embrace. Gritting his teeth, he pulled with all his strength, unable to hold him any longer the fungal growth snapped. Freeing his hand and breaking whatever connection they had created.

Mark just remained there for a moment trying to digest what he’d just felt. Flexing his fist the mold crumbled away to reveal heavily bloated black veins traveling up his arm.

Hearing a whine Mark looked over to Boe and smiled.

“All good buddy, nothing to worry about”

Mark found talking to Boe helped.

Either way, Mark had learned his lesson.

He’d let his curiosity get away from him and then the Corruption had edged him on. This was the temptation the caretaker had warned him about. Mark was just relieved his will had been strong enough to turn back when he did.

He thought back to the twisted hungry entity calling out. It had felt like it was still in its infancy, but the will to devour was so great that Mark just knew it would become a major problem later, it had to be one of those guardians.

The danger had been real but Mark was still glad he followed his instincts because he learned something else important.

It seemed that the mold was taking in Prana, Mana, and probably Aura and converting it to Corruption. Or at least that seemed to be the mold’s function. He had no idea how, but it seemed to draw energy from the air and channeling it somewhere. Changing it like a plant would with the carbon dioxide in the air.

Mark got up and vertigo almost rocked him back to the ground. His whole body ached. Doing a quick scan told him everything he needed to know. Nothing was wrong with him physically.

It was his Corruption value.

It was sitting at around 37%, looking down he saw every pathway of mold had shifted to the point where he’d made contact. That trickle of energy must have become a torrent.

Everything felt sore and tired, just like a fever.

Well, he’d have to deal with it later. He had no resources to waste on this, everything he had was going into keeping himself alive. He'd definitely have to experiment with the seed before he ever tried this again.

He had to keep moving.

Time began to slip away as Mark wandered the tunnels.

Without an exit in sight, Mark just kept moving.

The mold only grew denser until Mark spotted a small misshapen protrusion in the wall of the tunnel.

The first change in what felt like at least a couple of hours.

Approaching he could tell it was about the size of a volleyball, Mark could make out more of the same growths. When he finally got to one he knelt down it inspect it. It looked like some kind of black fleshy pustule. Right away he knew what these were, he’d felt them in the connection. Little seeds of darkness, the next generation.

These things would turn into Corrupted, what kind, he couldn't tell but, he felt sure they'd be stronger than the current Corrupted.

This was where all the Corruption was being diverted to.

One of the public announcements came back to him about subways and dark places becoming spawning grounds.

He knew it was bad but this was just downright disastrous. If every dark isolated corned was like this then pretty soon these things would be bursting from the seems. Miles and miles of interconnected subways and sewer systems right below everyone’s feet.

Who knew how long these things gestation period was?

Mark heard a type of high-pitched clicking ahead of him. Boe began to growl.

Seven bolts of force appeared above Mark.

Moving the light ahead he saw a single creature.

A hairless, cat-sized rat stood over one of the pustules as if defending it.

It hissed at Mark in warning, sacs of mold grew from the flesh on its back. And as if to appear more threatening spines puffed out of its flanks like a frilled-neck lizard.

The thing almost looked frightened.

Unwilling to give it a chance he sent a single bolt forward. The thing detonated, taking the pustule it was protecting out with it.

Mark waited, expecting more but when none came he kept moving. Destroying each sac as he passed. Until fewer and fewer of them appeared.

It had been ridiculously weak, but Mark got the feeling it wasn't a fighter. That must have been some form of worker and this was probably the beginnings of a nest.

Mark didn't dwell on it too long because the stale air began to give way to a fresh breeze. Following it Mark came to a maintenance ladder which he took. It led to another pipe only this one was on ground level and Mark could make out an opening with a cloudy night sky just beyond.