Chapter 238: Beginning of Corruption

 

*Zeth stares down at all the soldiers and vehicles on the streets below. Every soldier of the Crow Beak Divine Killers wears the signature black uniform with crow face mask/helmet*

Zeth: (Thinking) I can’t go all out on these guys because of the civilians. But how do I escape this?

Soldier: (Masked Voice) Divine being, accept your death. Your tyranny over humanity shall end.

Zeth: What tyranny!? I haven’t done anything wrong!

Soldier: (Masked Voice) Rifle squad, line up!

*A bunch of soldiers aiming 3-round burst rifles line up*

Soldier: (Masked Voice) Fire!

*Zeth starts running and jumps to the roof of the next building but gets hit by a burst in the abdomen, once again leaving more green goop. Zeth looks like he is in a lot of pain*

*As Zeth continues jumping, the iris of his right eye changes to the glowing green color of the goop*

*The tanks start firing and destroying parts of the roofs that Zeth goes on*

Zeth: (Thinking) I’m feeling… off.

*Zeth becomes dizzy right before a jump and trips and falls into the gap between buildings but crashes into a window. He sees scared civilians but gets up and runs more*

Zeth: Sorry about that!

*Zeth goes through a door. As Zeth goes through the building, his vision becomes shaky and he stops to hold his head*

Zeth: What is happening to me!?

*He shakes it off*

Zeth: If I recall correctly, there is an underground car garage that I can get to from this building.

*Zeth starts going downstairs. As Zeth heads down the stairs that lead underground, he hears voices above*

Soldier 1: (Masked Voice) He should be in this building!

Soldier 2: (Masked Voice) Shotgun Squad, you’re in front! Blow him away!

Zeth: (Thinking) Damn it! I have to hurry!

*Zeth reaches the bottom and sees a bunch of cars. He sees a young woman about to get in her car that is a jeep. The woman appears to be in her 20s. She has light brown hair in a bun and she looks dressed for work. She is about 6 feet tall*

Zeth: Excuse me, miss! Can you get me out of here!?

Lady: What do you mean?

Zeth: These soldiers are after me! They are trying to kill me!

Lady: That’s terrible!

*The soldiers reach the garage*

Soldiers: (Masked Voices) There he is!

Lady: Get in!

*Zeth gets in the passenger seat and the woman starts driving the jeep. A soldier uses his radio*

Soldier: (Masked Voice) Outside forces, get ready! The target is in a red jeep being driven by a young woman! Be ready to fire! Don’t worry about killing the woman! By helping a divine being escape, she is a traitor to humanity!

 

***

 

*In the jeep, they are going up a ramp that leads to the outside*

Zeth: Can you take me northwest of this city to the ruins of New Gringe Town?

Lady: Sure thing.

Zeth: (Thinking) She is strangely very accepting of all this. She’s not even going to question why I want to go there or why these soldiers are trying to kill me?

*They reach the outside near the edge of the city. The lady runs over a few soldiers with her jeep as she drives out of the city. Motorcycles and cars with machine gun turrets attached chase them. Tanks also take aim*

*The tanks fire at them but thanks to quick maneuvering by the lady, they dodge*

Zeth: That’s good dodging! Have you ever done this before!?

*The young lady looks at him, smiling*

Lady: Nope. Just instincts, I guess.

*A car with a soldier using a machine gun turret is now right behind them and it starts firing at the rear windshield of the jeep and easily destroys it*

Zeth: What will it take for these guys to give up!?

*Zeth forms a Star Shard in his left hand and throws it back. Although the shard cuts off the head of the turret user, Zeth still takes a shot in his left shoulder from the turret and he coughs up a bunch of goop*

Lady: Oh dear! What is that stuff?

*Zeth is in extreme pain and is screaming*

Zeth: Aaaaahhh!!! Grrrr!!! So much pain!!!

Lady: You are going to need medical attention!

Zeth: (Screaming in pain) It’s okay!! Just keep going!!

*Zeth’s left shoulder and the upper part of his left arm begin to glow the same green color as the goop. Zeth stops screaming eventually and forms a glowing green Star Shine Blast. He looks back and he has a savage look on his face. He releases the SSB at the cars and motorcycles chasing them*

*The SSB hits the car directly behind them and it causes a massive explosion that envelops all of the vehicles chasing them. It leaves a crater and everyone is dead*

Lady: That was a very powerful magic attack!

Zeth: Yeah, they left me no choice!

***

 

Narrator: Later.

*Eventually, they reach the ruins of New Gringe town in the mountain area*

Lady: Well, here we are.

*Zeth has calmed down but he still glowing green in the same spots*

Zeth: Thanks, Miss…

Lady: The name’s Salina. And your name is?

Zeth: Zeth.

Salina: Well, Zeth. I will be sure to stick around this area. After all, you will probably need another ride to leave.

Zeth: Okay, thanks.

*Zeth gets out of the car and walks toward the ruins of the town, Salina just smiles at him*

Zeth: (Thinking) It’s still so weird that she just accepted everything I told her. I guess she really could be just that nice. Oh well, time to continue on.

 

***

 

Narrator: Soon after that.

*Zeth enters a cave*

Zeth: Well, I saw nothing in the town. Maybe the others went in here.

*Zeth continues through the cave and he comes across a split path*

Zeth: I guess I will go left.

*He doesn’t really notice the green liquid dripping off spots on the ceiling because it’s not glowing like the goop from the gunshots. A bit of the green liquid lands on his head and just that amount causes him to cough up glowing green goop. He stumbles*

Zeth: Shit… What is wrong with me…?

*He puts his left hand on the wall to try to balance himself but it’s covered in the green substance and his touch makes it glow. The touch also makes the rest of his left arm and hand glow green, as well as giving a burning sensation on his left hand*

Zeth: It burns!! Ahhh!!!

*Zeth stumbles again. The white part of his left eye is now glowing green and he bends over and pukes up a lot of the green goop*

Zeth: What is happening to me!? Am I becoming a mutant!?

*Zeth falls on his back laughing like a maniac*

Zeth: Ahahahahahahahahahaha! Mutant!!!

 

***

 

Narrator: Meanwhile in Reign City

*Goma is meeting with a soldier in Reign City. Goma then has a confident smile*

Goma: Good. Corruption has begun.

Narrator: Just what is happening to Zeth and how can it be stopped? What are the other heroes up to? What is the green substance?

Chapter 238 END

To be Continued in Chapter 239: Substance of the Cave