Transmigrated with my corruption system

Stepping out of the Misty Lands, Ulric gently lowered Lyra onto the ground before giving her another careful inspection.

The incoherent mumbling slipping from her lips gradually subsided as her eyelids fluttered rapidly before finally opening.

He watched as the bone-white sheen clouding her eyes slowly receded, revealing the familiar striking purple irises beneath.

To anyone else, it would have appeared as though she had simply regained consciousness.

But Ulric saw something more.

A faint ball of white mist drifted from Lyra’s body before silently floating back into the Misty Lands, disappearing into the endless fog as though returning to where it belonged.

"Hmm..." Ulric mused, a thoughtful expression settling across his face.

Did this mean the effects of the Misty Lands were reversible?

Or was it simply because she hadn’t remained within them for very long?

The possibility intrigued him.

Yet after pondering it for only a brief moment, he quietly pushed the thought aside.

Whatever the truth was, he was certain he would uncover it eventually.

For now, there were far more pressing matters demanding his attention.

Just as he was about to turn and rush back into the Misty Lands, Lyra suddenly stirred.

Her breathing steadied.

Her vision gradually regained focus before finally settling on the dark-robed youth standing before her.

"Ulric?" Lyra breathed, uncontainable excitement immediately flashing across her face.

"Y-you... came back for me."

Turning toward her, Ulric’s lips curled into a faint smile.

Looking at her more carefully, he couldn’t help but notice that the razor-sharp aura she had been unconsciously exuding only moments earlier had completely disappeared.

She had already brought it under control?

Even now, it seemed he had underestimated just how quickly she had adapted to the sword.

Sighing softly, the smile on his face deepened as he took in the excitement radiating from hers.

"What?" he asked with a chuckle. "You thought I was going to leave without you?"

At those words, a faint blush spread across Lyra’s face.

Within the Misty Lands, it had felt as though countless hours had passed.

And with every second she had remained trapped there, isolated within the endless mist, it had slowly begun to feel as though he had truly abandoned her.

Now, seeing him standing safely before her, those fears quietly melted away.

She couldn’t help but feel a little silly for overthinking everything.

Her mouth opened to speak again before she suddenly froze.

Looking closer, she noticed multiple blade marks carved across Ulric’s robe. Although his body appeared completely unharmed and the robe was already repairing itself at a visible pace, a tinge of worry still washed over her.

Her head slowly lowered.

"D-did... I..."

Had she done that?

She vaguely remembered that the deeper she ventured into the Misty Lands, the more it had felt as though she was losing herself.

Her thoughts had gradually become hazy.

Until eventually...Everything had gone black.

Had she attacked Ulric when he came to rescue her?

The thought alone caused her head to sink even lower, guilt welling up inside her heart.

Sensing her concern, Ulric simply waved it off.

Although he had been forced to seize her blades after blocking her initial strike, the razor-sharp aura radiating from her body had indeed been formidable.

Even so, Ulric paid it little mind.

It had never truly been capable of harming him.

"You should rest," Ulric muttered, his gaze sweeping over her battered condition before lingering briefly on the wounds covering her body.

Before he had even finished speaking, he could already see her opening her mouth to protest.

But Ulric never gave her the chance.

With a light flick to her forehead, her eyes rolled back as she immediately slipped into unconsciousness once more.

In this state, her body would recover far more quickly while naturally internalizing all the gains she had acquired from her ordeal within the Misty Lands.

Smiling in satisfaction, Ulric gave a small nod toward the Procan Python waiting nearby before issuing it a mental command.

As his figure vanished back into the mist without another word, the Procan Python silently slithered forward, coiling around Lyra’s unconscious body and forming an impenetrable wall of defense as it stood guard over her.

***

"The flame has no form, yet all forms are born from flame. Refine the essence, abandon the impurities. Temper the will, shape the spirit. Let intent become form. Let form become life. The White Flame obeys not the hand, but understanding."

Within the Misty Lands, Tara’s figure came into view.

Her body was enveloped in a sea of scorching white flames.

Everything within a hundred-meter radius had been reduced to ash as the white fire burned with terrifying intensity, warping the surrounding air beneath its overwhelming heat.

But Tara paid no attention to any of it.

The deeper she delved into the knowledge granted by her awakened physique, the more she realized just how terrifying its power truly was.

As it stood, she felt as though her body had become connected to an endless stream of fire energy.

Her already massive reserves had increased more than tenfold.

And with every new application she uncovered... She couldn’t help but be amazed.

When Ulric had first granted her the S-rank Fire Talent, she had believed it had unlocked a hidden part of herself she never knew existed.

But after growing accustomed to it, she had gradually come to regard it as little more than a talent that complemented her assassin fighting style.

To her, fire had simply represented raw destructive power.

A crude imitation of its true potential.

But now... It felt as though her eyes had finally been opened.

She suddenly remembered something Ulric had once said.

"Fire... can become anything I want."

The moment the thought surfaced, the overwhelming sea of flames gradually calmed.

Then they began merging together, taking on countless different forms.

At first, they were vague and difficult to distinguish.

But as the seconds passed...Their shapes became unmistakable.

The flames transformed into lifelike projections of whatever she imagined.

Tiny birds sculpted entirely from white flame chirped endlessly as they circled through the air, each radiating astonishing power.

Countless other beasts emerged before constantly shifting into new forms as Tara continued experimenting.

It was simply too wondrous.

Eventually, she settled on a flock of small birds forged entirely from white flame that circled around her in graceful arcs.

Curious about their true strength, Tara casually waved a hand.

Instantly, the flock scattered in every direction, spreading across nearly a thousand meters.

Wherever they flew, Ghost Wraiths released piercing shrieks before being instantly reduced to ash.

Clenching her fist, Tara willed the flock to converge.

The countless birds collided before seamlessly merging into a single enormous flaming beast that soared across the skies with overwhelming majesty.

The sheer power left even her momentarily speechless.

Thousands of possibilities rested at her fingertips.

Just as she was about to continue experimenting, her brows suddenly knitted together.

She sensed movement several hundred meters away.

Something was rapidly approaching.

Under normal circumstances, the mist restricted her senses to barely ten or twenty meters.

But every trace of mist surrounding her had long since been dispersed and incinerated.

It was almost as though the Misty Lands themselves feared her flames.

A hint of surprise flashed across her eyes.

With a single thought, she commanded the massive flaming bird to intercept the approaching presence.

She had believed she had already exterminated every Ghost Wraith within the surrounding area.

Apparently...A few had escaped.

As Ulric rushed through the Misty Lands, his brows rose slightly. The dense mist ahead had completely vanished.

Strange. Even with all his abilities, he doubted he could replicate such a feat so effortlessly.

As he drew nearer, the surprise on his face deepened.

Tara stood engulfed within a sea of white flames, her eyes tightly shut as though she were immersed in a profound epiphany.

But he had little time to admire the sight.

Looking upward, he saw an enormous flaming bird diving straight toward him.

Its entire body had been forged from the same white flames surrounding Tara.

"What is this..." Ulric breathed, genuine surprise flashing across his face.

"A massive bird she created?"

Judging from its aura alone... It possessed combat power comparable to a low C-rank being.

"Hahaha! Impressive!"

Perhaps Tara had gained the most from the Misty Lands after all.

Ignoring the attack entirely, he calmly watched as the enormous bird unleashed a sea of white flames while countless blazing feathers rained toward him.

He had no doubt the attack could grievously wound an ordinary low C-rank being.

But with his overwhelming fire resistance and forged physique...He doubted those flames could truly harm him.

Yet just before the inferno engulfed him. The flames abruptly froze in midair.

As though they possessed a will of their own.

"Huh?"

Ulric rubbed his chin thoughtfully. Such exquisite control over fire.. That was far more impressive than merely wielding overwhelming destructive power.

And Tara had just demonstrated exactly that. Had the mist truly failed to corrupt her mind?

Ulric watched in quiet surprise as Tara slowly opened her eyes.

Without another thought, he vanished.

Appearing before her the instant the surrounding white flames began to recede, he inspected her several times before she could even register his presence.

Not a trace of corruption.

Ulric chuckled inwardly, unable to hide the exhilaration rising within him.

As Tara’s gaze settled upon him, her face immediately lit up.

More than her own breakthrough, seeing the excitement in his eyes filled her with an indescribable sense of satisfaction.

She wanted to tell him everything.

Every discovery, every realization and change she had experienced. But somehow. She had a feeling he already knew.

Offering a few words of praise, Ulric lifted her into his arms before rushing deeper into the Misty Lands.

He could already sense Amber nearby.