For The Greater Good-World 1: A Corrupted Cove || World//Zero ||

36. Winning Them Over

The people in town were drowned by silence, all of them staring up and around at the new green barrier put upon them. The world outside of it seemed to warp a little as if they were inside a huge bubble. No one moved, let alone try to touch the barrier.

It wasn't long for the rest of the adventurers, lingering in their dorms or in the tavern, to come outside to see what had been going on. Alec saw Cal and Melody walk out of the tavern, their eyes drawn to the sky in surprise and concern. They looked around and parted ways, searching for their apprentices. Cal found Alec shortly after, and his voice was low but had an edge of uncertainty.

"What happened?"

"The elites put a border on us," Sean answered for the boy.

"But why?" He darted his head toward the sky again. "And what the heck is that thing?"

"It's like the sky is breaking," Sean said. "Like the world is falling apart."

Cal suddenly became fearful. Taking hold of Alec's arm, he led him to the direction of the Teleporter. But it was no use. He quickly figured that it was down, unable to be used. They were trapped here, forced to watch the world disintegrate.

"This is impossible!" Cal shouted, frustrated. "How is this happening!?"

"It's the corruption, paladin," Elliot's mentor said, making his way toward them through the crowd. "It's gotten too powerful. It'll only be a matter of time until the entire world decays with it."

"But how—where did it come from?"

"No one knows," the berserker replied. "The elites are already on their way to try to find a way to stop it."

"Haven't they been doing that this entire time?! What the hell are they thinking?!"

"Cal, stop!" Sean yelled into his ear. "Your shouting is making it worse!"

"Calm down," Elliot's mentor gruffed, but Cal continued to spur out concerns and complaints. Alec decided to step away from them and go find Symphony. Surely she might know what's going on.

He found her with Melody somewhere in the crowd. He made his way over to her and tapped her shoulder. Symphony turned around and looked at him, though didn't say anything. Alec stood beside her and looked up at the sky, and at the dark clouds looming over the Gravetower Dungeon.

"They're not going to come back," she muttered to him.

Alec didn't dare challenge that claim. He doubted the same, as dreading as it was. Instead he asked, "What do you think is happening?"

Symphony shook her head. "I don't know," she said. "But I have a hunch that whatever caused the corruption is inside Gravetower.

"What? Why?"

"Well, just look at it. The entire island is practically full of it. It has the same black and purple decay as what's been appearing here. I can only think that it's the nest for something evil."

Alec looking at it, peering through the darkness. He could barely see the slime-coated river trailing along the base of the island, and the dark towers of the castle.

"And if it is the source of it," Symphony went on. "I really don't think that a couple of elites can fix it on their own."

Alec's voice shook. "So you're saying that they'll...that they'll die?"

"Might," Symphony said. "They might."

Alec turned over his shoulder to glance at his mentor. He was still arguing with Sean and the berserker, while nearby adventurers watched. Everyone else was either just as furious as Cal was toward the elites, or anxious and scared. Apprentices stayed close to their mentors. Friends hugged or held hands for some sort of comfort. Some were even crying.