Published at 3rd of January 2026 11:37 am

Chapter 1382: Corrupted Giant

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The creature stood before Adam, colossal beyond reason.

Its body was not whole, but... assembled. It was an amalgamation of countless smaller creatures fused together into the rough shape of a humanoid.

Limbs were layered with limbs, torsos pressed against one another, distorted faces half-buried in flesh, some wailing, while others were frozen in twisted expressions.

Black ichor seeped from the seams where bodies merged, dripping onto the ground below.

Its surface constantly shifted. Large tendrils crawled beneath its skin as if alive. Extra arms formed and dissolved. Eyes opened across its chest, shoulders, and neck, all staring at Adam’s tiny figure, none of them blinking.

The head was vaguely human, yet abnormally distorted. It was too tall. Too narrow. Its features constantly stretched as though reality itself had failed to shape it correctly.

The air around the giant felt... wrong. Mana warped and thinned in its presence, refusing to flow naturally. Every instinct in Adam’s body screamed danger. It wasn’t the kind born from strength alone, but something deeper.

An existential dread settled over him. It was heavy and suffocating. It was as if the creature’s very existence denied the natural order of the world.

Standing before it felt like standing before a mistake the universe had never meant to create.

It was a being that should not exist.

And yet... it did.

As Adam felt dread growing inside his heart, he found his mind unmistakably clear.

It’s the same feeling of dread I felt from the other corrupted creatures I had slain... years ago, he thought to himself.

I can confirm it now that his feeling of horror is more like an innate ability than a magical spell.

All of these creatures embody this profound element of horror.

The countless eyes scattered throughout the giant’s ghastly body stared at Adam unblinkingly. It was as if... they were trying to achieve something by that action, but somehow, failing.

"What’s the matter?" Adam asked, amused. "Unable to corrupt me?"

The eyes were the windows to the soul.

A long time ago, Aldo Wagner, the founder of the Twilight Brotherhood, had come to this forsaken place and gotten corrupted because he had seen something that he shouldn’t have.

The first corrupted creature that Adam had fought in the Dark Valley had clawed its eyes out. Yet, that did not change the fact that it had been corrupted because it had already laid eyes on something that it shouldn’t have.

But Adam lacked eyes.

And so, he could not be corrupted.

Furthermore, the sinister voices permeating the Dark Valley also had the effect of corrupting those who listened.

But Adam had the Eternal Soul Lotus.

And so he could not be corrupted.

"Are you that abomination’s lackey?" Adam asked.

But the corrupted giant did not respond. Its countless eyes simply glared at Adam, trying to corrupt him. But, of course, it was futile.

A tense, odd silence settled between the two as the giant tried to corrupt Adam, while he tried to understand the creature.

The abomination still remains in the heart of the valley, he thought.

Is it unable to move from there? If so, then why? What’s stopping it?

I’m certain it has already noticed my arrival in his domain. This giant has been sent out by it to deal with me.

Judging by how corrupted creatures didn’t know my exact location all this while, they must have scattered throughout this valley in search of me.

Or else, all of them would have gathered around the cave and interfered with my advancement.

In hindsight, it makes sense. The Dark Valley is too vast, and I had also carved the runic formation in the cave. The abomination’s senses cannot encompass all of it. So it sent its minions to look for me and then deal with me.

A Mana Core-level corrupted creature as a minion...

The thought left a strange taste in Adam’s mouth.

Suddenly, the atmosphere shifted.

The giant, realizing that it could not corrupt Adam, decided to deal with him through violence.

Roar!!

It let out a guttural, ear-piercing roar that echoed all around. Even Adam couldn’t help but wince at the chaotic sound. For a brief moment, the waters in his spirit sea turned turbulent. But they were quickly stabilized by the lotus.

The next moment, the giant raised its hands and viciously brought them down on Adam.

BAM!

At the last moment, a brilliant sheet of mana made out of interconnected octagonal tiles manifested above Adam.

Rank 4 Spell: Shield!

The corrupted giant’s fists slammed on the defensive layer of mana. In an instant, several cracks formed on the Shield, and it wouldn’t be long before it completely shattered.

Under the protection of the Shield, Adam was slightly taken aback by the raw strength of the giant.

And before he knew it...

Crash!

The Shield shattered, and the giant’s fists slammed into the charred ground, instantly forming a crater. A cloud of dust rose from the impact, and shockwaves spread in all directions.

However, in the end, the giant had ended up smashing into nothing.

Adam had long since disappeared.

He levitated behind the hulking giant, having already prepared all the magical components for the next spell. He then outstretched his hand and pointed it straight at the corrupted giant’s back.

Rank 4 Spell: Lightning Spear!

A massive spear of lightning tore through the air and struck the giant squarely on the back. A thunderous boom followed, shaking this section of the valley as blinding light flooded the surroundings for several moments.

Shadows were erased, and the twisted terrain of the Dark Valley was revealed in stark clarity.

When the light finally receded, the giant’s body had collapsed onto the ground. A gaping hole had been blasted straight through its torso, edges scorched black and still crackling with residual lightning.

Although the colossal remained motionless on the ground, Adam still hadn’t let down his guard. It was impossible to see his expression under the deep shadows of his hood. But judging by the mana still circulating inside of him, it didn’t seem like good news.

"Come on," he murmured. "I know you won’t go down so easily."

And he was right...

Dark flesh at the edges of the wound began to move!

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