Chapter 1600: Seen Enough

Erend followed Erebus through the final barrier and entered the innermost section of the restricted area. The first thing he noticed was the network of Magic barriers surrounding the place.

He saw stakes standing at regular intervals across the ground, connected by thin wires or strings that stretched between them. Various colors of light flowed along the connections, pulsing gently as the Magic within them was active.

The barriers formed an enclosure around the entire area, separating its inhabitants from the rest of the settlement.

Erend paused to examine the arrangement, sensing the Magic that flowed through the glowing connections. Although the structure looked simple at first glance he could tell that it served a specific purpose.

"These barriers keep them from becoming too aggressive and killing one another or themselves," Erebus explained when he saw Erend stopped. "They also prevent them from leaving this area and attacking the people outside. Without them, we would have no reliable way to contain the transformed people."

Erend nodded in understanding. The barriers were not designed to cure the people inside or reverse their transformations. They were just there to keep the situation from becoming even worse by limiting the danger posed by those who had already lost control of themselves.

Erebus glanced at him before continuing. "I allowed you to enter this place because I believe you can protect yourself. If something happens, I don’t want you to blame me for bringing you here."

Erend gave him a reassuring nod. "You don’t need to worry about me. I can take care of myself."

With that settled, the two Dragonborn moved farther inside.

The sight that greeted Erend deeper into the barrier was far worse than anything he had encountered in the previous sections. The people here had undergone grotesque transformations that turned their bodies into clear monstrous shapes.

Some of those people still retained traces of their former human appearance, but their limbs had become distorted, their skin split open, and strange growths protruded from their bodies.

Blood seeped constantly from wounds that never seemed to heal, staining their pale skin and the ground beneath their feet.

Others had changed so drastically that Erend could no longer recognize them as human. Their bodies had become masses of deformed flesh only, with misshapen limbs and features that only have very little resemblance to anything human.

The creatures moved restlessly within the enclosure, some of them crawling along the ground while others staggered around on misshapen legs. Their movements were erratic, their bodies seemed to struggle against the transformations that had consumed them.

The air carried a foul stench of blood and decay, while faint groans and guttural cries echoed throughout the area. That was beside the foul cursed Magic energy.

Erend stood still for a moment, taking in the horrific scene. He had expected to find people who had lost their humanity, but seeing their condition with his own eyes was far more disturbing than imagining it from Erebus’s descriptions.

These were not ordinary monsters that had emerged from the wilderness. They were people who once lived normal lives, and whatever curse afflicted this world had reduced them to these grotesque forms.

Then one of the creatures noticed him.

Its head snapped toward Erend, and a guttural roar erupted from its throat.

The others quickly followed its gaze. Within seconds the entire area erupted into a frenzy as the transformed creatures rushed toward the two Dragonborn, their distorted limbs pounding against the ground as they tried to reach the newcomers.

Erend immediately prepared himself to defend against the incoming attacks, but Erebus spoke before he could make a move.

"Don’t kill them," Erebus said.

Erend glanced at him briefly and nodded. "I won’t."

The first creature lunged at Erend with its twisted arms outstretched. He sidestepped the attack and struck its torso with a controlled attack, using just enough physical strength to send it crashing to the ground without causing excessive damage.

Another creature rushed toward him from the side, swinging a misshapen limb at his head.

Erend caught the attack, twisted its arm aside, and pushed it away before it could reach him.

More creatures surrounded him. Some attacked with their claws, some attacked by throwing themselves at him without any concern for their own safety.

Erend moved among them with measured steps, dodging their strikes and using precise physical attacks to knock them off balance or force them to the ground.

Whenever one of them tried to grab him, he redirected its momentum and threw it aside.

When several charged together, he struck the ground with his foot to disrupt their approach before swiftly incapacitating them one by one.

He deliberately avoided using Magic. Even a relatively restrained attack could inflict severe damage on bodies already weakened and distorted by the curse, and a stronger technique might kill them outright.

His Dragonborn power was more than enough to overwhelm the creatures, but overwhelming them was not his objective. He needed to stop their attacks without making their suffering any worse.

Erebus watched as Erend continued to defend himself. The creatures were aggressive enough to overwhelm an ordinary person within moments, yet Erend handled them without resorting to lethal force.

His movements were controlled despite the number of attackers and he never struck harder than necessary to incapacitate them.

After several minutes, the immediate threat subsided. The creatures lay scattered across the ground, some of them groaning as they struggled to move while others remained still, too exhausted or disoriented to attack again.

Erend stood among them without a serious injury, his expression growing increasingly somber as he looked at the people he had just fought.

He had seen enough.

Erend turned toward Erebus, who remained nearby and watched him in silence.

"I’ve seen everything I need to see," Erend said. "I understand the situation now."

His gaze drifted back toward the transformed inhabitants. The curse had done more than darken the sky or destroy the land’s ability to sustain its people. It had taken their bodies and their lives.

"I will contact my friends now," Erend said.

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