Transmigrated with my corruption system

Soon as Aelira’s words echoed across the arena, a deafening silence fell. Multiple figures in the crowd stared blankly, struggling to process what had just happened.

It had all unfolded too fast. One moment, Aelira’s victory was assured.

The next, she was bound by a sea of blood-red vines. The aura oozing from them sent shudders down their spines, effectively marking her defeat.

The silence lingered for a few more seconds before murmurs spread across the crowd.

***

"T-this... I don’t understand... but how..."

"Hahahaha! I never doubted you for a second! What’d I tell you? Now give me all your money."

"Wait, aren’t you the guy who wanted to back out just a few seconds ago?"

"Hmph... you must have seen wrong. My deduction skills are heavenly! I knew from the beginning Lady Amber was destined to win!"

"Hmm, quit bragging. It was just sheer luck. Otherwise, you’d have already begun eating the dirt around the Greyson residence!"

"What nonsense about luck! Clearly you don’t know the immensity of the heavens and earth. Some people are destined to never have opponents. Like Lady Amber and Lord Ulric. At least I was smart enough to see that!"

"Huh? What is that supposed to mean?"

"He’s calling us stupid! I say we kick his ass."

"I agree. I can’t wait to wipe that smug smirk off his face."

"Wait... wait guys, this is all a misunderstanding... I’m sure we can all find a way to amend this issue without resorting to violence..."

***

As the murmurs intensified, growing more outrageous with every passing second, a boisterous laughter tore from the crowd, continuously growing louder. It garnered the attention of those around before they suddenly froze.

That laughter... it was all too familiar. Kaeden, who was next to the black-robed figure, couldn’t agree more as chills raced down his spine.

If there were any uncertainties before, they were all dispelled instantly. And as if to confirm his thoughts, his gaze tilted slowly.

Watching the black-robed youth wave a hand over his face. Instantly after, his blurry figure took form. His presence became apparent... and in that moment, everything suddenly clicked into place.

His eyes widened as his heart thumped rapidly in exhilaration. His mouth opened and closed repeatedly with no words coming out until he finally stuttered.

"L-Lord... Ulric."

Gasps rippled through the crowd as they turned to stare at the black-robed figure. Recognition instantly flared as glints of curiosity laced with reverence flashed across their eyes.

The last time they had seen him was when the battle was beginning and he had faced off against Thunderblade.

Afterward, all traces of him had vanished. The clan leaders had said he had entered seclusion and would come out soon enough.

Still, that didn’t stop the wild rumors from spreading. Some even claimed Ulric had left Tempest City altogether.

But now, seeing him, joy couldn’t help but flash across their faces as they stared blankly.

Even more so for the figures poised on the arena. The echo of Amber’s laughter still hung in the air.

While Aelira’s dropped face flickered with multiple emotions. But as their gazes lifted to the dark-robed figure, everything else seemed to lose meaning. They gawked for a while, their eyes fluttering rapidly in disbelief.

A month... days and days on end had passed without his presence. Now that they looked at him, it almost felt like a dream.

Staring at their dazed faces, Ulric smiled faintly. Before his head shifted slightly, glancing at Kaeden one last time. The adrenaline pumping into the youth shot into overwhelming levels.

The fact that he had been so close to the lord felt unimaginable. Even more so was the force of his presence. If it wasn’t for his blurring presence, he wouldn’t have sensed anything off about the black-robed figure.

Still, his lips couldn’t help but twitch slightly in hindsight. The lord did seem a little strange. But weren’t all anomalies?

As he sank deep into his thoughts, Ulric averted his gaze. The smile on his face widening as the laughter eased.

It seemed in his absence, Aelira and the rest had all grown stronger. Considerably so. And from the aura exuding from each one of them, some far more than others.

As a few seconds passed, Amber was the first to break out of her trance. The smug grin on her face fading as she rushed toward his figure.

Appearing before him almost instantly, her brown eyes scanned his figure repeatedly. Before she finally breathed slowly.

"It’s really you... you finally emerged from your seclusion. Did you grasp the concept you were meditating on?" She rambled, firing question after question, not giving him a chance to answer any of them.

Before she could utter another word, his hand reached out, grabbing her waist and dragging her closer to him.

His crimson eyes pierced into her large brown eyes. He could feel her chest thumping rapidly, her cheeks flushing slightly. Almost like every time he held her as she melted in his grasp.

Even more so, he could feel the power brimming within her tiny frame. The last time he had seen her, she was barely a level 5 F-rank being.

But now she had easily surpassed level 40 E-rank. Almost close to hitting the peak of E-rank. Combined with the power she had displayed in battle, he couldn’t help but be surprised as he leaned closer to breathe into her ear.

"You’ve grown stronger."

"Really?" Amber gasped, her face blushing furiously at the words of praise. A huge contrast to the glint of terrifying calculation she had shown earlier.

But none of that mattered to her. In his absence, she had pushed her body to the limits repeatedly. Exceeding them and breaking those too... all with one thought in the back of her mind.

All her life she had been weak. Often relying on others to save her and help her. And in the process, multiple people had been hurt because of her. But she didn’t want that anymore. She didn’t want to feel like a burden anymore.

She wanted to be strong enough to protect everyone around her. To stand by Ulric’s side... forever.

And now, hearing his words... all the effort she had exerted to walk this path seemed worth it.

As all these thoughts raced through her head, her grip over his back tightened. Her gaze piercing into his as she broke out into an excited chatter.

"Did you see the battle...?" She began before breaking out into shameless bragging, causing Ulric’s lips to twitch slightly.

"Haha... yes." He chuckled, dropping his hand to pat her head gently.

Before he could continue, the air around him suddenly grew cold as a new presence emerged.

Rushing in to embrace him tightly, before muttering excitedly.

"I grew stronger too!"

Causing Ulric to nod as his gaze shifted to Lyra. His other hand rising to stroke her head gently.

With a single whiff, he could tell the ice energy oozing from her had thickened considerably. Causing her once silvery-white hair to turn completely white, influenced by her talent.

When her gaze lifted, he could see her once blue eyes fading to a frosty purple. Her level exceeded level 40 as well.

Just a little behind Amber.

A few minutes passed this way until they reluctantly stepped back.

Allowing him to move forward. Approaching Aelira’s figure, whose head was dropped to the ground in shame.

Extending his hand, he lifted her chin gently to stare at her obsidian eyes as a faint smile spread across his face.

"You did well too," he muttered, nodding slightly. The last time he had sparred with her, she was barely mid D-rank. But now he could sense she was close to stepping into peak D-rank. Given how difficult advancing became the stronger one grew, she wasn’t that far off from the rest.

The only reason she might have lost was because of the talents he had granted Lyra and Amber, and her own heritage.

Looking back, he doubted even his talent was as strong back when it was at S-rank compared to Amber’s and Lyra’s. Which made him smile slightly.

Even though the price in the System Shop was astronomical, their quality was at least ten times stronger than the average ones.

Processing his words for a moment, Aelira nodded slightly. Before clutching him tightly as she whispered into his ear.

"Don’t ever leave me again." She paused, letting go slightly. Before a mischievous glint flashed across her eyes. "The next time you stay this long in seclusion... I’ll smash you out." She breathed, pressing her cleavage tightly against his.

Causing his eyes to flutter slightly as he took a step back. Scanning her once more. Despite her fierce demeanor, she was oddly gentle.

Just as he was about to say another word, the sound of shuffling steps echoed behind him, followed by Rysten’s excited voice. The elders beside him barely suppressing theirs at his return.

"Lord, we await your orders!"

Turning slowly, he stared at Amber, Lyra, and Tara. Before his gaze fell on the elders, a thoughtful expression forming on his face. Before he clasped his hands behind his back.

The figures in the crowd listened intently, curious to know what the lord had plotted for their future.

But Ulric didn’t speak. He slowly walked forward, exiting the arena as his gaze fell into the distance.

If it was before, the elders would have been dumbfounded. But they knew better than to question him as they followed behind. Almost the entire crowd as well, from a distance.

Walking through the residence, his head nodded occasionally, appraising all the changes made in his absence. And they were no less amazing.

His figure only halted in the distance, overlooking the grand battlefield where the coalition of clans had clashed with his forces.

A grave look covered his face. Even after a month, the smell of blood was far too intense.

Noticing his gaze, Rysten stepped forward. A downcast expression on his face as he explained.

"This is where we laid all our slain clansmen and the ashes of all who went against us." He paused, his heart growing heavy. Before he sighed quietly.

"We did this so that it would be a deterrent to any other force in the future who would think it wise to go against the Greysons. That it may also serve as a memory to future generations..."

"Their sacrifice was not in vain," Ulric breathed, cutting Rysten off. His gaze lifting to stare at the endless horizon. Almost as if it was calling to him.

"Even in death, their strength shall protect all their loved ones. Forever."

"Huh?" Rysten mumbled. His eyes blinking rapidly. Unsure of where this was leading to. The crowd behind him, with the exception of a few figures, shared the same confusion.

But he paid them no mind. A quiet sigh slipped from his lips as he stared at the battlefield.

"Your souls may have slipped into the cycle of life and death. But your bodies remain. Lend me your strength once more."

With this, he breathed, "Arise."