Transmigrated with my corruption system-Chapter 25: The Shape of Power [II]

Elsewhere inside the dungeon tunnels, a small group of four came into sight.

Currently crouched beside the walls, trying to conceal their presence as much as possible as they waited in preparation.

A few hundred meters ahead, another youth came into view. Sporting short dark hair and clad in a grey robe, he clenched his hands as a curse slipped from his lips.

"Why the fuck did I have to be the bait?!" he growled, brows furrowing in consternation.

If he hadn’t awakened a useless F-rank talent, maybe he would have fought back. But to survive, this was a must.

He had to contribute something to the group if he didn’t want to be kicked out. His thoughts were cut short as wolf growls echoed up ahead, freezing him mid-step, his already shaky frame trembled in fear.

Peering forward, the outline of a beast came into sight, dimly illuminated by the dungeon torches.

Gulping audibly, he took a step forward, eyes darting nervously as he locked onto crystalline yellow eyes glimmering dangerously.

A few seconds later, the beast fully emerged, a Level 1 grey wolf, its frame towering a little over one and a half meters.

Its maw opened slightly as saliva mixed with the scent of blood leaked out.

Prowling softly, it eyed the youth with a predatory glint before suddenly lunging, aiming to tear him open in one swipe.

Seeing the movement, the youth screamed internally.

Now!

He suddenly bolted back the way he had come. Beads of sweat dripped down his face. It wasn’t the smartest plan, but it was something.

Given their weak status, the group couldn’t risk openly exploring the dungeon and slaying any beasts they came across. That posed too many risks.

Instead, they chose to have one member move forward and attract a beast, luring it back into their planned ambush.

It sounded great on paper. In action, not so much. With every breath he took, he felt his lungs burning. His body slumped with fatigue.

But he pressed on, biting his tongue until he drew blood. Adrenaline surged through him as one thought repeated at the back of his mind.

Anything was better than being torn apart slowly. Even with all the effort he exerted, he could feel the wolf inching closer every second.

Almost as if it were a step away from snapping his neck. When he crossed into the agreed range, a shrill scream tore from his lips as he saw none of his teammates rise to attack as planned.

"Any time, guys?!" he yelled. Seeing no one emerge, uncertainty flooded his mind.

They wouldn’t leave him out to die... would they?

But the more he thought about it, the more feasible it seemed, his brows furrowing deeper.

If the wolf were distracted, say, eating him, then that would open the perfect opportunity to strike.

"Backstabbing bastards!" he growled.

But he couldn’t blame them. If he were in their position, he would’ve done the same.

The only thing they failed to consider was how far he was willing to go to stay alive.

If they wanted him dead, he wasn’t going down alone.

Remembering their hideout spot, he changed direction and headed straight there, utilizing his F-rank talent, Physical Enhancement, to wrench out every last bit of energy into agility to maintain distance from the wolf behind him.

When he arrived, he yelped, "Hey guys, the wolf found us!"

His words were met with harsh glares as the team was forced out, springing into action.

At the lead stood a lanky youth with large arms.

Beside him, two other figures crouched low in pouncing positions. At the far back, a girl nervously flicked her fingers as sparks flew out, exploding into fireballs.

"Carl, you sneaky bastard!" the leading youth snickered.

Eyeing the one who had led the wolf straight to them. But he didn’t have much time to be angry as he shifted his full attention to the threat ahead.

The rest did the same. Dropping heavily to the ground, Carl didn’t seem to mind the glares as he gulped down greedy mouthfuls of air.

It was either him or them. And this way, he stood a much higher chance of success.

He watched as the team bombarded the grey wolf with a series of attacks from their talents, barely managing to gain the upper hand.

Injuries piled across their bodies in real time. But as the battle dragged on, the wolf soon found itself on the losing side.

The brawny youth at the front coated his fists with rock, bringing them down repeatedly onto the wolf’s head.

The two youths beside him circled nimbly, reinforcing the damage and targeting exposed spots.

The girl at the back played a crucial role. One of her fireballs shot into the wolf’s eyes, effectively blinding it and allowing them to clinch the win.

With one final smash, the brawny youth crushed the wolf’s skull.

Its lifeless body dropped to the ground.

The rest of the team collapsed as well, exhausted, but smiles painted their faces.

They had managed to kill one beast.

Low rank or not, it was blood on their hands and proof they could survive.

In another tunnel, a few wolves charged at a group of three, mostly Level 1s, with a Level 2 beast at the back.

But before they could get close, Cedric’s frame came into view. Stretching both hands forward, he unleashed his A-rank talent: Hellfire.

Blue flames laced with purple embers shot from his arms in burning torrents.

Scorching part of the charging pack into ashes in mere seconds.

Anything caught in the trail of fire burned into cinders. Reeling from the screeches and the smell of burning flesh, the two figures behind Cedric drew sharp breaths.

Although his power wasn’t as overwhelming as Ulric’s, it was undeniable for an A-rank talent.

Asher, one of the two behind him, watched as Cedric stepped forward to finish off the stragglers that had escaped the initial assault.

When he finally dropped to his knees, she rushed forward. A green light covered her palms as she placed them over his shoulders.

Slowly, the pale color on his cheeks returned to a faint rosy hue. Barely regaining his energy, Cedric nodded, grunting slightly.

He had wanted to venture out alone after his last encounter with the team.

But he wasn’t as confident as Ulric when it came to his power and had to take a few precautions. Asher served as a healer. The figure at the far side acted as backup damage.

Together, they made a solid team. He didn’t have time to dwell on his thoughts as a notification he had been waiting for blinked before his vision.

It was time to choose his class. And when he did, he wouldn’t be far off from Ulric anymore. The gap was narrowing. Or so he thought.

Across the dungeon, desperation took many forms as the awakened charged against beasts, all striving to awaken their classes and level up.