Chapter 59: The Core’s New Form

“Twenty-three!” Diana called out, slicing through another plant-zombie with a single fluid motion. Green ichor splashed across her legs, adding to the disgusting collection already coating her from the waist down.

“Are you seriously still counting?” Grace didn’t turn around, keeping her hands firmly pressed against the pulsing corruption core. Golden light spread from her palms, fighting against the deep purple-blue glow.

“Helps me focus.” Diana kicked a severed vine-arm away. “Also helps me forget that I’m knee-deep in plant guts. This stuff better wash out!”

「Corruption Core Purification: 35/100」

Grace took a deep breath, pushing more energy into the core. Her arms ached, and sweat dripped down her forehead despite the bone-deep chill emanating from the corruption. Ten minutes of constant purification had left her exhausted, but she was making progress.

“How’s it going over there?” Diana asked between strikes, her golden sword cutting through three plant-zombies in a single sweep. “Twenty-four, twenty-five, twenty-six!”

“Better. Up to thirty-five percent now.”

“Good. Because I’m not sure how many more of these things are waiting to join the party.”

The tunnel entrance was still spewing plant-zombies. They crawled along the walls and ceiling, dropping down to attack Diana from all angles. She spun and slashed, never staying still for more than a second. Grace stared as she gazed over her shoulder.

Diana was incredible to watch. Even covered in disgusting green slime, she moved with precision and power. Each strike found its mark, each step positioned her perfectly for the next attack. She made it look easy.

「Corruption Core Purification: 39/100」

“Almost at forty,” Grace called out.

Diana grunted in acknowledgment, too busy fighting to respond properly. A larger plant-zombie lunged at her, its grotesque body twice the size of the others. She sidestepped at the last moment and brought her sword down in an overhead arc that split it in two.

“Twenty-seven! And this one definitely counts as two!”

“That’s still not how counting works!”

“Fine! Twenty-eight then!”

Grace rolled her eyes and focused on the corruption core. The tangled vines beneath her hands had changed from sickly green to a more natural brown across nearly half of the structure. Progress was happening, but too slowly.

[Come on, just a little more…]

「Corruption Core Purification: 45/100」

The core’s pulse quickened, as if responding to the purification. The chamber grew warmer as Grace’s energy pushed back against the corruption. She could feel the resistance weakening, giving way to her cleansing light.

“I think something’s happening!” Grace called out. “Just a little more and—”

「Corruption Core Purification: 49/100」

The core suddenly pulsed violently, sending a shockwave through the chamber that knocked Grace backward. She stumbled, breaking contact with the core.

“Grace!” Diana turned toward her, momentarily distracted.

“I’m okay!” Grace pushed herself up, staring at the core in confusion. “What was that?”

The corruption core’s pulse accelerated, its glow intensifying from purple-blue to a deep, angry crimson. The remaining vines writhed and twisted, pulling away from the rock walls and ceiling.

“Uh, Diana?” Grace backed up, summoning her rapier. “Something’s happening.”

Diana kicked away a plant-zombie and moved to stand beside Grace, her eyes fixed on the core.

“Yeah, I can see that.”

The vines continued to shift and merge, coalescing into a vaguely humanoid shape. Limbs formed, then a torso, and finally a head—all made of twisted, corrupted vegetation. Two points of crimson light appeared where eyes should be.

[Oh shit.]

“That’s… not good,” Grace said.

“No kidding.” Diana raised her sword. “What did you do?”

“Nothing! I was purifying it and then—”

The vine creature roared, a sound like tearing wood and rushing wind. It took a lumbering step toward them, its massive feet crushing smaller plant-zombies beneath them.

“Argue later,” Diana said. “Fight now.”

The creature charged, moving with shocking speed for something so large. Diana met it head-on, her sword flashing as she sliced through its right arm. The limb fell away, but vines immediately sprouted from the stump, weaving together to form a new arm.

“Great. It can regenerate.” Diana dodged as the creature swung at her. “Any ideas?”

Grace circled to the side, her rapier glowing with divine light.

“We need to hit the core inside it!” She pointed to a pulsing red light visible through gaps in the creature’s chest. “That’s where the corruption is strongest!”

“Easier said than done!”

Diana rolled under another massive swing and slashed at the creature’s legs. Vines parted under her blade but quickly reconnected. The creature barely slowed.

Grace darted forward, thrusting her rapier into the creature’s back. It howled and spun around with surprising agility, catching her with a backhanded swing that sent her flying across the chamber.

Pain exploded through her body as she slammed into the wall. Stars danced across her vision, and she tasted blood.

[Ow. That hurt a lot.]

「Stardust Veil Activated」

[A bit late for that, thanks.]

“Grace!” Diana shouted, drawing the creature’s attention back to her. “Get up!”

Grace staggered to her feet, shaking her head to clear it. Her rapier had fallen somewhere nearby. She spotted it gleaming on the ground and lunged for it.

Diana was holding her own against the creature, but just barely. She dodged and weaved between its attacks, landing strikes that would have killed any normal opponent. But this thing wasn’t normal. It kept regenerating, growing stronger with each attack.

“We can’t beat it like this!” Diana called out, narrowly avoiding being crushed. “We need to destroy that core!”

Grace circled around, watching for an opening. The creature’s attention was fixed on Diana, who was putting on an impressive show of acrobatics to stay ahead of its attacks.

[Think, Grace, think. How do we get to that core?]

An idea struck her.

“Diana! I need a boost!”

Diana glanced at her, understanding immediately. She nodded and positioned herself.

Grace sprinted toward her. At the last moment, Diana cupped her hands low, and Grace stepped into them. With a grunt of effort, Diana launched Grace into the air, straight toward the creature’s chest.

Time seemed to slow. Grace aimed her rapier at the pulsing red light visible through the vines. Divine energy surged through her weapon, making it glow like a miniature sun.

“Take THIS!”

Her rapier plunged into the creature’s chest, piercing straight through to the corruption core within. The creature froze, a horrible shriek tearing from whatever passed for its mouth.

Grace held on tight as the creature thrashed, her rapier buried to the hilt in its chest. Golden light spread from the blade, engulfing the corruption core.

「Aura Cleanse Activated」

The light intensified, burning away the corrupted vines from the inside out. The creature’s movements became more frantic, then more sluggish, as the purification took hold.

With a final, rattling groan, the creature collapsed, dissolving into a pile of purified vegetation. Grace tumbled to the ground, rolling to break her fall.

Diana was at her side in an instant, helping her up.

“That,” Diana said, “was either the stupidest or bravest thing I’ve ever seen.”

Grace grinned, then winced as pain shot through her ribs.

“Maybe both?”

Diana laughed, shaking her head.

“Definitely both.”

They turned to look at what remained of the corruption core. The massive structure had shrunk to a fraction of its original size, and the sickly glow had faded completely. What was left was just a tangle of normal, healthy roots.

「Corruption Core Purification: 100/100」

「Quest Complete!」

「Reward: Aura Cleanse has reached Level 2!」

Grace tried not to react to the notifications floating in her vision. They were nice to see, but explaining them to Diana would be…complicated.

“Well,” Diana said, wiping green ichor from her face, “that takes care of that.”

“Yeah.” Grace looked around the chamber. The remaining plant-zombies had collapsed when the creature fell, returning to just plants. “Think Ivy will be okay now?”

“Hard to say. But without this thing pumping out corruption, she should have a better chance.” Diana nudged a fallen vine with her foot. “We should head back and check.”

Grace nodded, then looked down at herself. She was covered in dirt, blood, and a fair amount of plant goo.

“I need a bath.”

“You and me both.” Diana gestured to her ichor-coated lower half. “I think this stuff is hardening.”

As they made their way back through the tunnel, Diana casually placed a hand on Grace’s shoulder.

“By the way, good job back there. Not many rookies would have kept it together facing something like that.”

Grace felt her cheeks warm at the unexpected praise.

“Thanks. You weren’t so bad yourself. For an ancient angel.”

“Ancient?” Diana’s eyebrow twitched. “I’m only a few centuries old!”

“Like I said. Ancient.”

Diana’s expression darkened, and for a moment, Grace thought she’d made things awkward again. Then Diana’s lips quirked up in a small smile.

“Keep that up and I’ll make you scrub this plant gunk off my wings.”

After that, Grace continued purifying the core and they didn’t get any other surprises.

They emerged from the cave into the late afternoon sunlight, both exhausted but oddly satisfied. Another mission completed. Another demon—or demon-adjacent thing—defeated.

And somehow, they’d both survived.

That counted as a win in Grace’s book.

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