From Moving Crates to Killing Gods-Chapter 71: Exile By Choice

"We should go." I said, breaking the silence. "The sooner we start, the sooner we’re back inside the barrier."

I began distributing the supplies among the group, taking most of the heavy items for myself. My enhanced strength allowed me to carry most of our equipment with ease, though the others protested when I attempted to take too much.

"At least let us pretend we’re contributing." Phinyx joked, taking back a pack I’d tried to add to my load.

Once everyone had something to carry, we stood, each of us taking what we needed for the mission. Coco had already given us each a canteen. Kira’s seeds and tools hung from a belt at her waist. Finn carried multiple maps and some silver. Phinyx had insisted on bringing tools for meditation, claiming they would "improve the vibes" of our expedition. I didn’t argue, if it gave him comfort, it was worth the weight... even though I knew there would be no meditation happening in the wasteland

"Everyone ready?" I asked, looking at each of them in turn.

They nodded, expressions ranging from Finn’s determination to Coco’s heavy anxiety.

"Remember." I said as we headed toward the room’s exit, "Always carry your canteen. Don’t walk away from the group, don’t panic, and if a Corruptor finds us, let me handle it."

For a moment I didn’t even believe what I was saying, when did I become this reliable Corruptor killer persona? But somehow they ate it.

We walked through Argent in silence, drawing curious glances from the kids we passed. No one ventured outside the barrier voluntarily, and the sight of five young Ones fully equipped for an expedition was extremely unusual, enough to attract attention. The path we followed was the shortest route, to the barrier that separated safety from danger.

At the border, Damian waited, his white hair shining in the morning light. He held a rolled map in one hand, which he passed to Finn.

"This contains more detailed markings of the terrain." he explained. "Use it to know where the outposts should be and to traverse the terrain."

Finn nodded, tucking the map into his jacket.

"Remember your objective." Damian continued, his gaze sweeping over all of us but lingering longest on me. "Establish the outposts and mark them clearly. Do not explore further than necessary. Do not engage Corruptors unless absolutely required."

His eyes held mine for a moment longer than necessary, and I wondered again how much he suspected about my previous trip outside the barrier.

"We’ll be careful." I promised.

"See that you are." he replied. Then, he gestured. "Now, leave."

We saw the massive barrier, beyond its green hue the wasteland revealed itself. The familiar green shimmer of Argent’s protective dome shone, as if inviting us to stay.

But we wouldn’t.

Coco uncapped one of his canteens, the dark liquid inside swong from side to side. "Everybody ready?"

We nodded and started uncapping our canteens. "Remember to close them before any sudden movements." I said. "We need to be careful, or they’ll spill."

"Yes, it feels terrible when your skin absorbs it." Finn finished, his voice trembling at the memory. "Having a void of despair instead of normal emotions is not nice."

For a moment, I remembered how empty Finn’s expression had been that time. We thought he was already gone, reduced to an empty shell, unresponsive, nothing more than a breathing body...

Then, with one final look back at Argent, we stepped through the barrier and into the wasteland.

The air outside felt different, dry, carrying scents that didn’t exist within the barrier. The ground beneath our feet was packed with dirt, rocks and some horrible plants that calling them vegetation felt like an insult.

Above us, the sky stretched vast and filled with grey clouds.

"Let’s get going." Finn said, consulting both his internal sense of silver and the map Damian had provided. "The first outpost is a good stretch away from here."

We fell into formation without discussion, Finn leading the way, me close behind, with Kira, Coco, and Phinyx forming a tight group. The canteens of black water swayed gently as we walked, a constant reminder of the protection they provided.

The first long stretch passed without problems. The terrain gradually grew rougher, stone protruding from the earth in uneven shapes and shallow dips that forced us to watch our every step. Far behind us, Argent’s spire still pierced the sky, a thin silver needle on the horizon, our beacon home.

Then Kira spotted them.

"To the right." she whispered, her hand tightening around my arm. "Far out, but close enough."

I followed her gaze and saw them, three Corruptors moving with that distinctive, jerky gait that seemed to skip pieces of reality. They traveled alongside our path, neither drawing nearer nor falling away.

"They don’t see us." Coco whispered, tension threading through his voice. "The black water’s working."

"Let’s keep moving." I said quietly. "Steady pace. Don’t stare."

We continued forward, each step purposeful, each breath as quiet as it could be. The Corruptors kept their distance, pausing now and then as if listening, their eyeless heads sweeping in wide arcs that somehow always missed us.

"Have you really killed one of these things?" Finn asked in a low voice as we made our way down a shallow slope. "And you feel confident on doing it again?"

"Yes." I replied.

"How?" Coco pressed, curiosity briefly outweighing fear. "They’re supposed to be nearly impossible to kill."

After hearing that I wanted to reply something like. ’Are you for real Coco? You already saw my hands dripping Corruptor blood twice, and once I was barefoot!’ But I composed myself.

"Switch works on them. I can swap their heads with objects I’m touching."

"Just like that?" Finn sounded disbelieving. "No strain? No backlash?"

"None." I said. "Not anymore. The boon I received from the system after killing the massive Corruptor changed how Switch affects me. Now it’s... effortless."

They fell silent, absorbing the knowledge. I hoped that knowing that could ease their nerves a little.

"That’s... good." Phinyx finally said. "Very good vibes, actually. After all, I came on this expedition because there’s a high chance of making it back alive."