Mysterious Thief Phantom (FanFiction)

--Chapter 9 Corruption

Previously on chapter eight, Phantom spoke to Mercedes on and found out there would be a rally hosted by the a Dragon Master called Freed that has the last remaining Onyx Dragon in Maple World.

Phantom imagination becomes bewilderment that he never knew such Dragon still exist in the world, and he knew that because of Mapler's greed for fast Mesos. They would slain the dragon down, make the blood into veils that increase strength and sold to merchants, bones into medicine, armour and ornaments, all this because Onyx Dragon parts are associated with luxury and prestige.

He knew that human greed has taken its form and he would seek for more Mesos. Money that is used in Maple.

"I'm sure Maplers can think of ways to gain Mesos in a more ethical form." said Phantom.

Never mind that he has to make way to find Freed and he then proceed towards the deeper path of Heneys forest to look for Freed.

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As Phantom was "phantom walking" his way to the forest, he noticed that the forest was quieter than usual and he stopped in his track to listen...

To quiet till to the point of eerie. No sound of rustling leaves, no sound of any crawling of crows, just nothing.

Phantom use his sharp vision and when he saw what's around the forest, he saw lifeline all around!

Phantom let out an exasperated shock when he actually reallies the forest is flowing with life and then a vine roped down and entangle him away from his cane and and dangle him by his right foot in mid air. It just struck him this forest is corrupted with evil force of Crimson Tree. It annoyed him because as a Thief how could he be so careless to endanger himself. Perhaps he has too much on his mind with a recent lost of someone he loved.

Crimson Tree are ordinary looking tree in broad day light but recently with the Black Mage influence some part of Heneys is perpetually in darkness and this tree have its life on its own to stretch out their vines and branches to trap passer by and absorb any living thing to become food nutrients for Crimson Tree. Occasionally if you uproot ro chop down any Crimson Tree there can be traces of skeletons remains.

Sound of howls can be head and Phantom, just thought: Oh no Hectors, not that I am helpless like this. And packs of Hectors came out from the forest floors from the pitch darkness and circle around his hands.

The Hectors are growling from anticipation from being able to taste fresh meat and probably thought it would be nice to have fresh meat once and for all especially since nowadays they have been eating rotten carcasses being thrown a side by Werewolfs. And they lunge at Phantom's hand. and crunched hard.

Normally Hectors have a bite force of 1000 pounds (or approx. 500kg) of crushing weight. Good thing that Phantom's glove is encrusted with titanium alloy from the mines of Ardentland. So Phantom hand was spared, but the fangs still manage to reach through the gloves. Phantom screamed in agony, and his voice rung through the forest, and whacked the Hector away with his other hand that was not bitten. The

Phantom hands hurts a lot, and it starts to drip with blood and it swells fast from the Hector bite, apparently the bite from the bite is laced with infectious bacteria from eating carcases everyday. Phantom knew this can''t go on, "I have to act fast, or else I would be a goner." And he starts to experience a vision start to blur and his blood level dropping and he is perspiring in cold sweat even though that night was a warm one.

Good thing though even though Phantom's cane was distance away,  he used a near translucent string created from the secretion of dragline silk from Trixters from Ludibrium in his adventures when he was trying to find for source of reliable cogs for his magnificent ship called the Lumiere (but  that's another story) elastic string invisible enough to the naked eye but blessed with durable strength 3 times stronger than steel.