Liam was perched on a tree, peering at the corrupted scanning the forest. Sitting in the same position for the past hour didn't faze him, and the entire time, he was as still as a statue.

As his position faced Alisha's camp, the number of corrupted patrolling the area was higher. Three of them hid in the trees while another two stood at the edge of the forest, ready to help at a moment's notice. The ones hiding were all humanoid, while the other two consisted of a humanoid mounted on a beast.

Fighting so many corrupted was dangerous by any standards, so he had to thin their numbers before the others became aware of an attack.

Staring at the humanoid hiding diagonally below him, he patiently waited for Jade's signal. They circled towards the back, attacking the corrupted stationed there and giving him a diversion.

Before long, the sound of someone banging on their shield echoed in the forest.

It distracted everyone for a brief second, giving Liam the chance he needed. Pushing off the branch, he rushed towards the humanoid. His attack and movement were as silent as they were deadly.

Before it could even feel anything, its head fell to the forest floor. The others in the vicinity were unaware of the hunter who was upon them.

Changing his grip, Liam threw his sword at the second target, and in a single movement, picked up the bow of the corrupted he beheaded.

The sword found its mark, nearly bisected the humanoid, and lodged itself into the tree. Alerted by the sound, the third enemy turned around, only to meet its demise. An arrow pierced its eye, and before it could scream, a second and third arrow embedded themselves in the throat and heart, finishing the job.

Retrieving his sword, Liam shot towards the camp. The body of the third corrupted fell to the floor, alerting the enemies.

The sudden noise startled the enemy standing at the forest's edge. "What is that sound?"

"What's happening Ba…." the words died in its throat.

No longer concerned about stealth, Liam rushed towards the corrupted like a bullet out of a gun.

"ENEMIES AT THE FRONT!"

Not caring about the warning, Liam continued the attack. He could see his reflection in the widening eyes of the enemy staring at its death. Only the mount's swift movement saved its life, but not for long. The corrupted pulled its weapon halfway before Liam's sword passed through both the targets.

Without examining his handiwork, he caught the body of the dead mount and tossed it behind him. Icicles the size of daggers pierced through it, and the force of the attack launched the corpse towards Liam. He slid under the body, reaching the final corrupted.

With twisted features and a spear in its hand, it was ready for him. Rushing forwards, it thrust the weapon with its full power.

Discarding any fancy moves, Liam deflected the attack and pulled the spear, putting the corrupted off balance. The next second, a bleeding enemy fell near his feet, soaking his brown boots with black blood.

"You took your time, didn't you?" Even in the middle of a fight, Jade found the time to lecture him.

His friends were battling against three corrupted. The missing two beasts should be lying on the forest floor, killed by his friends before they began their distraction.

Though they managed to hold on, Dunn and Jade did not have an easy time.

A long cut on Dunn's hand bled profusely, and the way he clutched his shoulder made it clear it was broken. Jade wasn't hurt, but the hand clutching the shield was trembling, and there was a large dent in its center.

His eyes shifted to the remaining enemies. The humanoid was a hunched creature, and its arms protruded from the back, making for a weird sight. The hands were as long as a spear and had three joints.

Its mount was a stout beast with tusks similar to a boar. The difference lay in the elongated mouth replaced by a wide mouth stretching up to its ears.

Both the humanoid and the beast only had a single pair of runes.

The final enemy was a corrupted orc with three sets of runes. It was 7'5 ft (228.6 cm) with enormous bulging muscles. A 6 feet (182.9 cm) long spiked club lay in its hands. Thick purple channels ran along the length of its body and merged in its right eye.

"Did you leave anyone alive?" Jade asked.

Liam did not take his eyes off the enemies. "Did you expect me to?"

The results didn't surprise her. It was an impossible task for anyone else, but Liam was Liam. That was the only comparison she could make. During the years he survived in the Rift, Liam honed his skills to a level rarely seen.

Evolved focused their efforts on spells and knowledge, disregarding other forms of training. Liam was the exact opposite. Since he didn't have access to mana, he refined the skills he could.

The first time she saw him fight, Jade thought he was dancing. His moves flowed smoothly and effortlessly, making for a mesmerizing sight. For his enemies, the same dance was the sickle of the grim reaper beckoning them to their deaths. Supported by his monstrous strength, no one at the same level ever survived his sword.

The scariest fact about him was his mental strength and determination. Becoming his enemy was the same as asking for death.

"The situation has turned around, hasn't it Ulgok? Wasting time playing with your opponents is an amateurish mistake," Jade mocked.

Ulgok paid no attention to the human's words. The tiny enemy standing in front of it seized its entire attention. Inside the Rift, it faced many dangerous characters, but none of them gave it the same feeling Liam did. Barely a minute passed since the battle began, and he killed 6 opponents?

A single drop of blood slid down the human's sword and fell to the ground. The perfectly clean weapon gleamed in the sun, giving testament to its sharpness.

A shiver ran up Ulgok's spine as he gazed at the human's face. Once fear took hold, it could feel something dark and sinister crawling out of a hidden part of its body and feeding the feeling.

Its eyes widened in terror as it understood what was happening. Corrupted, even the ones protected by overlords couldn't escape the Rift's influence. It was omnipotent and all-powerful.

The Rift never let go of something it claimed, and every corrupted was its property.

Ulgok knew letting its fear grow was the same as dying. His enemies would not waste such a perfect opportunity. Channeling his fear into rage, he allowed the Rift to feed his fury. Even if it lost control, the enemies would have a hard time killing it.

Its thoughts became blurry as the rage took over. Snarling, it turned around to find the opponents missing. Looking back, it saw the other human also disappearing into the forest.

Maddened with rage, it dropped the club and charged at the prey. Two sets of runes shone on its body, making it lighter and allowing it to reach the human before he could completely disappear.

The enormous mass rushing at him made Liam wonder if he bit off more than he could chew. A swing of its arm snapped the tree behind him like a twig.

He dodged the attack, leaving a deep cut on Ulgok's abdomen.

Paying no attention to its wounds, it continued the offense.

Using the forest and terrain to his advantage, Liam maintained the same strategy, dodging the attacks and counter-attacking when he could. The runes it activated were pretty basic, providing it with increased strength and speed.

Just when Liam thought he was about to win, the third set of runes activated. The bone in its forefinger shot out like a bullet, passing through his right shoulder. The impact lifted him off the ground and crashed him into a tree.

Without even looking, Liam tossed his sword to his left hand and rolled aside not a moment too soon.

Ulgok's charge pulverized the tree. Not expecting Liam to dodge, the attack left it wide open.

In front of Liam, such mistakes were fatal. An enormous body thudded to the ground, signaling the end of the battle.