Achilles leaped toward the bulky demon, while Medea attacked the corkscrew-shaped one.


    Virgil said something, but Achilles cut him off with a sharp thought. “I know this is stupid! I need you to make me as powerful as you can if we’re going to survive this! How far can we go before the risk gets too great?”


    He slashed at the demon, who contemptuously tried to block with his arm.


    Virgil cut deep and the demon screamed.


    Achilles leaped back, surprised. Virgil always did either 1 or 2 damage, except on a Critical Hit, but he’d just dealt 4 damage, leaving the demon at 28 HP!


    The demon shook his arm, and the blood splattering from it seemed to sparkle with beads of purple light. “Bastard! It burns like divine power, but you smell nothing like it! What the Hell did you do to me!?”


    <Cosmic energy!> said Virgil, sounding smug.


    <I’ll explain later. Just know that you deal double damage to demons. Problem is your health. One hit, you go down. I can raise you back up once because of our contract, but that’s a terrible margin. Your Armor Class is far too low to matter against these guys unless you’re actively dodging.>


    “I know!” growled Achilles. He pivoted into a defensive stance as the muscular demon tore through the underbrush toward him. He focused every bit of energy on dodging and blocking the demon’s furious claw swipes.


    <I held back on this because I didn’t want to confuse you before, but look.>


    A new bit of system information flickered into Achilles’s consciousness.


    <<Corruption Synchronization: 9%>>


    “What does that mean?” Achilles snapped.


    The demon laughed and leaped high for an overhead slam which only barely missed. It shook the ground, but Achilles kept his feet.


    “What, are you praying to the gods?” the demon taunted. “They’ve been gone a long time! Your prayers are meaningless!”


    Virgil ignored the demon. <Every time you spend eyes, your corruption increases slightly. It increases more for each point of corruption you already have, and this increase is unpredictable. It decreases slowly while you sleep or meditate, but could be extremely dangerous to build it up more than it is now, especially considering how little time you have for sleep on this journey!"This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    The demon stumbled past Achilles, who took the opportunity to slash him in the back for a paltry 2 damage. “That doesn’t matter if I die here and now!”


    Achilles wanted to turn and see how well Medea was fighting, but he didn’t dare look away from the muscular demon. He heard what sounded like shattering rock and scraping steel. He hoped the continued sounds were a good sign.


    <All right,> said Virgil. <Boosting your AC high enough to matter. Brace yourself!>


    A wave of energy passed through Achilles’s body. He gasped in shock. It was like jumping into a pond in the winter. His blood tingled, and his heart pounded harder.


    <Resist the corruption!> said Virgil.


    Achilles gritted his teeth and watched his system information change.


    <<Armor Class: 18>>


    <<Corruption Synchronization: 26%>>


    <<25% synchronization achieved. New progression options unlocked.>>


    <Ignore that!> screamed Virgil. He sounded a little drunk. <Kill that bastard! Kill it now! Make it suffer!>


    Achilles met the demon head-on. The enemy’s movements seemed easier to predict now, and his shield felt even lighter.


    The demon slammed a clawed fist downward that seemed to have enough power to break a bull’s spine, but Achilles thrust up his father’s shield and blocked it with ease.


    “How?” the demon growled. “I have devoured the souls of countless humans, turned them to my will! You’re barely more than a child, and you smell nothing like one blessed by the gods! Who are you? What are you?”


    Achilles thrust Virgil through the demon’s chest, dealing a Critical Hit for 8 damage.


    The demon gasped and pulled back off the blade, clutching the wound.


    It was nowhere near fatal. The monster still had 18 HP.


    A huge amount.


    Yet, as far as the demon knew, it had lost nearly half its life force, and had yet to land a single blow on Achilles.


    Real fear shone in its eyes.


    Achilles laughed, breathing hard. He lifted Virgil, and the strange, purple-sparkling blood dripped off his edge. “I... told you. I’m going to kill you. Then I’m... going to kill the Three Demon Lords.” He grinned. “You’re starting... to make this interesting. Maybe I should start using my full power!”


    It was a bluff, of course. Achilles was already pushing himself dangerously far, and it was still true that even two weak hits from this monster could kill him.


    But it worked.


    The demon leaped past Achilles, back in the direction of the giant tree full of monkeys!


    Achilles took a swipe with Virgil, but missed. He swore and then sprinted after the demon.


    Then he saw Medea fighting the corkscrew demon and nearly tripped in astonishment.