Awakening in The World of Gods

[Mana corruption]

The realization hit him hard. He had seen it before—an insidious force that twisted the minds of beasts and creatures, turning them into mindless, savage monsters. Ordinary animals couldn't withstand such corruption; it overwhelmed them, driving them to senseless violence.

His jaw tightened. "This is no ordinary hunt," he muttered, rising to his feet. "We're dealing with mana corruption." He looked back at the children, his eyes grim. "Stay alert. These woods are more dangerous than we thought."

Poll's heart raced. Mana corruption... He remembered reading about it in his books—Mostly purifiers fight it.

[Mana corruption is when mana, the energy that fuels magic, becomes tainted or unstable. Prolonged exposure to corrupted mana affects both the environment and living beings, turning creatures into monsters or causing physical and mental deterioration in people. This corruption spreads like a disease, warping everything it touches, and is often difficult to purify without powerful magic or special purification artifacts.]

[In easy words this is advance virus or curses kind of something, that spreads by touch]

Elowen's expression hardened, her usual calm replaced by fierce determination. Mana corruption, This is my calling,

After getting my own artifact One day, I'll cleanse this corruption. Though she wasn't ready yet, the fire inside her burned brighter.

"I'll face this someday," Elowen said quietly, her eyes steady. "But for now, we need to be careful."

Eryndor's eyes scanned the treeline, his mind racing. He instinctively reached for his guild badge, but then paused, remembering how far they were from any signal. They were too deep in the forest to communicate with the guild.

I can't reach them from here, he thought, frustration tightening his chest. If I could inform the guild, they'd send reinforcements, but we're on our own.

I have to end this today, Eryndor resolved, his jaw clenched. If the mana corruption spreads any further, this entire forest could be doomed. The creatures will become uncontrollable, and the land itself may suffer. His eyes hardened .

He turned to the group, his voice steady but urgent. "We can't wait for help. If this corruption spreads, it could destroy the entire forest—and everything in it. We have to deal with this now."

Eryndor turned to the children, his expression serious. "Kaida, Lira, Elowen—take Poll and go inform the guild. Use this communication badge." He handed it to Kaida.

Poll's heart raced. "But Father, this is too dangerous! I can't just leave you here alone!"

Eryndor knelt down. "Don't worry, Poll. I've faced worse.

Suddenly, a low growl rumbled from the shadows. Within seconds, a pack of corrupted nightwolves emerged from the dense trees, their glowing, bloodshot eyes fixed on them. The air grew thick with malice.

 Poll's eyes widened in shock. "How are they working together? I thought they were mindless creatures…!''

Eryndor's face darkened. "You're dame right. This isn't normal."

'Ohhh….!! This is such a pain now I have to fight with my full strength…"

He stretched his neck and took a deep, relaxing breath "Watch me closely poll"

"Kaida, Lira, Elowen!" Eryndor barked. "Get on guard!"

Before he could say more, the nightwolves lunged.

In an instant,

Kaida sidestepped a lunging wolf, her blade flashing in a clean arc that tore through its flank. The beast howled, staggering back, but she didn't pause—her movements were sharp and deliberate, every strike calculated as she deflected another set of snapping jaws.

Nearby, Eryndor was a force of nature. With a powerful swing of his greatsword, he cleaved through a wolf in a single motion, the blade whistling through the air before the creature even hit the ground. Another wolf lunged at him from the side, its claws extended, but Eryndor turned sharply, his sword meeting its target with a precise thrust that pierced straight through its chest. Blood sprayed as he pulled the weapon free, his eyes cold and focused.

The pack closed in, but the two moved like seasoned partners, their coordination seamless. Kaida's swift, agile strikes created openings, and Eryndor capitalized on them with overwhelming force. He spun, the edge of his blade catching the light before it came down with crushing power, splitting another wolf clean in half.

"Keep your guard up!" Eryndor barked, his voice sharp as he parried a leaping wolf, kicking it aside before delivering a brutal finishing blow. His strikes weren't just strong—they were terrifyingly efficient, each one designed to end a fight in an instant.

Kaida spared him a glance, her breath steady but her focus unwavering. "I've got this." she shot back, her blade already finding its next target.

Surrounded by snarling beasts, they stood their ground, their movements an intricate dance of survival and skill. The forest echoed with the clash of steel and the howls of the defeated.

Elowen quickly raised her trembling hands, her mana surging as a glowing shield erupted around Poll. The barrier shimmered with a strange, almost ethereal light, its surface pulsing faintly as if alive. "Don't you worry, Poll," she said softly, her voice quivering but resolute. "I'll protect you!"

The Nightwolves lunged ferociously, their claws and fangs colliding with the shield in a thunderous crash. Sparks of mana flared on impact, the energy rippling outward but holding firm. No matter how hard they struck, the barrier refused to falter, a testament to Elowen's sheer determination.

"I know I don't have an artifact," she whispered under her breath, her gaze unwavering. "But I do know how to stop Mana corruption.

Poll, nestled safely within the glowing cocoon, tilted his head, his sharp mind analysing every detail. Wow, he thought, watching as the force of the wolves' attacks dissipated across the surface in mesmerizing waves. From the impact effects alone, I can tell this shield has a unique attribute—it's not just a barrier. With some creativity, this could be used for so much more than just defence.

Lira gripped her staff tightly, stepping forward with a fiery gleam in her eyes. Her boots crunched against the ground as she slammed the staff into the earth, the force sending a tremor through the air. "Hm. HAHAHA! Oh, you poor mutts," she hissed, her voice dripping with unhinged excitement. "You've seriously picked the wrong fight tonight!"

Her staff flared to life, glowing with a searing energy that pulsed like a heartbeat. With a wicked grin, she spun it once and pointed its blazing tip toward the advancing Nightwolves. "Let's turn up the heat!"

With a snap of her fingers, a wave of roaring flames erupted forward, crashing into the pack like a fiery tsunami. The wolves yelped as the mana-infused fire consumed them, their shadows dancing wildly in the inferno. The air filled with the acrid scent of scorched fur and burning corruption as the beasts staggered back, snarling in pain.

"Not enough for you?" Lira taunted, spinning her staff dramatically as embers floated around her like fireflies. Her wild laughter echoed through the battlefield. "Then let's kick it up a notch!" She thrust her staff skyward, summoning a swirling pillar of flames that coiled around her like a living serpent before she hurled it at the wolves. The explosion lit up the forest, painting the scene in hues of gold and red.

As the charred remains of the wolves twitched, their corrupted mana began to seep into the earth. Lira's eyes narrowed, her fiery aura intensifying. "Oh no, no, no. You're not spreading your filth on my watch!" She raised her staff once more, its tip glowing white-hot. "I'll burn away every last trace of you!"

With a feral shout, she unleashed a blazing inferno that swept across the battlefield, reducing the corrupted remnants to nothing but ash. The very air shimmered with heat as the land beneath her crackled and hissed.

Standing amidst the charred ground, she flipped her hair dramatically and smirked. "I'll burn everything if I have to. Nothing's too much for me!"

From behind his barrier, Poll gawked at the sheer chaos. His mind raced as he watched the dazzling destruction unfold. Yoo... he thought, eyes wide with awe. Now that's what you call a badass wizard.

Just as the group began to move, a massive figure emerged from the shadows behind Poll. The nightwolf pack leader, larger and more menacing than the others, appeared almost out of thin air. Its glowing red eyes locked onto Poll as it lunged forward.

Eryndor's heart skipped a beat. His eyes widened in shock. "Shadow movement?! They shouldn't be intelligent enough for that!" he muttered, the realization hitting him.

 "Someone must be controlling it!"

Before anyone could react, the pack leader snarled and swiftly grabbed Poll in its massive claws, lifting him off the ground as if he were a mere doll. The wolf growled low, its jagged teeth gleaming in the dim light, threatening Eryndor with a silent message. Poll dangled helplessly in its grip, the terror in his eyes clear.

Eryndor gripped his sword tightly, his knuckles white. "Poll!" he shouted, his voice laced with desperation. The sight of his son in the creature's grasp filled him with dread, but also rage. He knew he couldn't make a rash move—one wrong step, and the wolf might harm Poll.

Kaida, Lira, and Elowen stood frozen for a moment, the shock of the sudden attack hitting them. But Lira's grip on her staff tightened her mind racing. If they're being controlled, we need to stop the source… but how?

Elowen's protective barrier shimmered around her and Kaida, but Poll was beyond its reach. "What do we do?" Elowen asked, her voice shaking but steady.

Time seemed to slow down for Poll as he dangled helplessly in the grip of the nightwolf pack leader. The world around him faded into a blur, the sounds of growls, shouts, and the wind all becoming distant echoes. His heart pounded in his chest as panic flooded his mind.

Soo this is end…!!

What did I do wrong?

Why am I here? Fear gripped him, suffocating his thoughts.

I don't want to die.

…!

Flashes of his past life suddenly burst into his mind. Glitching, fragmented memories of past life—happy, sad, family, job, science, theory papers of nuclear reactor and formulas, elemental theories, mana, magic—flickered through his thoughts, overwhelming him. It was as though the knowledge from a lifetime he couldn't fully recall was trying to resurface, blurry but powerful.

In that moment, something clicked.

His breathing slowed, his fear shifting into something else—a deep, instinctual understanding. Words he had never spoken before echoed in his mind, Do it

Rising to his lips almost on their own.

"Nuclear explosion... atomic dismantle," he whispered, raising his trembling hand toward the wolf.

In an instant, raw mana surged from his body. It poured from his hand like a tidal wave, crackling with an overwhelming force. The nightwolf leader was hurled into the sky as if struck by an invisible hammer. The force continued to build, and then—boom!

A massive explosion erupted in the air, lighting up the darkened sky with fiery brilliance. The nightwolf disintegrated into nothing, obliterated by the sheer power of Poll's spell.

The battlefield fell silent, stunned by the magnitude of what had just happened. Poll stood frozen, his arm still raised, his eyes wide and unseeing. Then, without a word or reaction, he collapsed to the ground, fainting as the energy drained from him completely.

….!!

.....!!

Where am I…?