The first drop fell.
A thick red haze rolled across the clouds, turning the entire horizon a deep crimson. The wind grew heavier. The smell of metal settled in the air.
Isaac’s clone stood beside Overlord Aurora, Princess Althea, and Charlotta. All of them stared toward the giant flower forest he had grown earlier.
The destruction caused by the Sinkhole Worms was still visible in the form of ragged petals, crushed roots, torn stalks.
Except something else was happening now.
The flowers were not decaying.
Althea narrowed her eyes. "That’s not normal. Those plants should be corrupted the moment the red rain touches the air around them."
Overlord Aurora looked confused. "But they aren’t. They’re... stable."
Charlotta placed her hand on her sword. "Why?"
Althea’s voice became softer. "Isaac, the blessing of your plow... does it reach plants too?"
Isaac’s clone shrugged slightly. "I don’t know."
But inside, he did have an idea.
The Terraheart Plow purified land at a fundamental level. It also prevented the growth of unwanted plants, weeds, or invasive species on the land and the plants grown on it.
’Red Rain isn’t unwanted plants, or weeds, so... it’s an invasive species.’
A chill rain down Isaac’s spine as he realized what this meant.
’The Red Rain isn’t a phenomenon. It’s a monster.’
Still, his plants were unaffected.
Even the air distortion created by the approaching red rain wasn’t affecting them.
Althea exhaled slowly. "This is shocking... I’ve never seen plants remain uncorrupted when the red rain starts. Not unless they are blessed, and it’s too costly to do that."
The Isaac’s clone didn’t respond.
He kept his face blank, watching the sky darken.
Wind shifted. The color deepened from red to a thicker shade, almost like diluted blood.
Then something subtle happened.
The air wavered.
A ripple crossed the empty space above the corrupted ground. The temperature dropped slightly. The haze thickened. It wasn’t a physical fog, but a distortion like heat waves, but far colder.
’Cold? Why does that cold feel similar to Emily’s cold...’
Isaac’s suspicions were confirmed in the next second.
The distortions took shape.
One by one, silhouettes formed in the mist. They were large, long, and curved. Their outlines flickered between transparency and solid darkness.
Overlord Aurora clenched her fingers, trying to act calm.
The first ghostly worm emerged fully. Its body was semi-physical, covered in dark, cracked plates. Pale energy leaked from its wounds like liquid shadows.
Another appeared beside it.
Then a third.
In total, eight shapes.
The same number Isaac had killed earlier.
Overlord Aurora tensed. "Are those... ghouls?"
"No. Those are corrupted spirits formed from lingering spirits of Sinkhole Worms," Althea answered.
Isaac’s clone asked, "Spirits of Sinkhole Worms?"
"That’s exactly what they are. Ghosts of the Sinkhole Worms we defeated." Catherine, who stood far away with Isaac’s real body, answered the question.
Isaac’s real body stood beside her, both of them hidden by stealth skills. He kept his eyes on the emerging monsters.
"Ghosts?" Isaac asked. "Isn’t that dangerous? They can burrow under cities."
"No," Catherine said. "These ones are nothing like the real Sinkhole Worms."
She walked forward a few steps to get a better look.
Her protective suit glowed faintly as it adjusted to the radiation from the red rain.
"Unlike the living ones that hide underground, these spiritual versions are aggressive by nature. They won’t burrow or run. They attack anything they see."
Isaac watched the spectral bodies as they shifted fully into the physical plane.
"So they can sense us?"
"Yes." Catherine nodded. "All life forms that get corrupted by red rain become far stronger than their live counterpart. These ones can probably sense life-force, mana, and movement. They’re coming for us even now."
As if on cue, the corrupted worm spirits shifted their heads in Isaac and Catherine’s direction. Their eyeless faces twitched. Their bodies trembled like animals catching the scent of their killer.
The first one released a distorted roar.
A deep, vibrating sound rolled across the land.
Catherine raised her hand slightly. "Wait. Let them come out of the rain’s radius first. We shouldn’t let even a drop touch the suit even if the suit protects us from it."
Isaac checked his own suit’s integrity, watching the indicator on his arm. Still safe.
Catherine continued. "Remember, these corrupted spirits are more dangerous than the bodies you killed earlier. Their stats jump drastically after death. Each one is at least on par with a human Overlord."
Isaac took a slow breath.
"Alright. I’ll handle them."
"But not yet," Catherine reminded him. "First, clone work."
She pointed toward the distant group.
"Use your clone to activate Perception Lock Distrust on Althea and the others. Think of it as training. You cannot let them see this fight, and what you’re about to do. My skill will hide me and my actions, but yours needs to hide yours."
Isaac’s clone nodded.
Without drawing attention, he activated the skill silently.
A wave of subtle distortion covered Althea, Aurora, and Charlotta.
Their perception of Isaac’s real body and his actions faded.
From their point of view, nothing new was happening.
The clone acted relaxed, as if watching the rain.
"Let’s stay here, I will handle the monsters," Isaac’s clone said.
They followed his lead, unaware they were trapped in an altered perception loop.
Back at the battlefield, the real Isaac watched the ghost-worms fully emerge from the distortion field.
The red rain began.
A thin line of crimson liquid fell from the sky, hitting the ground in a soft hiss. The droplets drifted down slowly, almost like they were floating. Each drop left a faint mark on the soil. Only the land plowed by Isaac was left untouched.
The corrupted worms roared again and charged at Isaac and Catherine.
"Now," she said. "Fight them. But be careful. Their bodies are semi-physical. You need to break the shell first. After that—"
Catherine paused.
"Yes?" Isaac asked.
"After that, you will need Solar Fire to destroy their spiritual core."
Isaac stiffened. "Solar Fire?"
"Yes. Normal elemental attacks won’t affect the spirit. They will only break the shell."
A calm silence passed between them.
Then, Isaac nodded.
Alice had been going into Cradle quite a lot.
The sun there had been increasing her Solar Fire Affinity by leaps and bound, though Isaac had yet to share it.
’System, share Alice’s Solar Fire Affinity!’
Solar Fire Affinity has reached Level 4 → Level 7
With this, Isaac could use Solar Fire Elemental Sword Aura.
The ghost-worms rushed closer.
All eight of them.
The ground shook violently with every step.
Isaac stepped forward. Flames flickered faintly around him as he prepared to summon his elemental spirits.
Catherine raised her sword but didn’t attack yet. She wanted to observe him first.
"Begin," she said.
Isaac snapped his fingers.
The air split open.
A surge of fire spirits burst into existence, hundreds of them, swirling like fiery wisps. A moment later, wind spirits emerged too, fluttering like shifting silver threads.
Isaac compressed his mana.
Fire and wind spirits combined, their bodies merging into new forms—small elemental cores wrapped in spiraling flames.
The Pyrestorm Spirits.
He commanded them with a single gesture.
"Rain."
The sky above the battlefield exploded in activity.
Dozens of fireballs formed out of thin air.
They shot downward, crashing onto the ghost-worms.
At the same time, Isaac used telekinesis to grip the torn roots and vines from the destroyed flowers. They shot into the ground, digging deep, then burst upward under the worms like giant spears.
The first worm roared as a vine pierced its underside.
Black fluid splashed onto the ground.
Another worm twisted violently as fireballs scorched its surface.
The third worm lunged straight at Isaac, its body swinging sideways like a massive whip. Isaac lifted his sword. Dark lightning-coated aura formed along the blade. It was Dark Lightning Elemental Sword Aura.
He stepped forward and slashed.
The lightning aura tore across the worm’s body, ripping through the semi-physical shell. Cracks spread across the creature’s form, exposing ghostly energy inside.
But the worm didn’t fall.
It released a low, vibrating screech.
The remaining worms responded instantly.
They rushed toward him from multiple angles, showing surprising speed.
Isaac slammed his palm down.
"Phantom Ward."
A transparent shield formed in front of him.
One worm crashed into it, splintering the barrier but not breaking it.
A second worm swung from the side.
"Bastion Gate."
A thicker shield materialized, catching the impact.
The third worm opened its mouth, releasing a corrupted sonic blast.
Isaac raised his hand.
"Mirror Rift."
A mirror-like barrier appeared.
The sonic blast struck the barrier and bent sideways.
It reflected back toward the worm.
The beast was hit by its own attack, sending it rolling across the ground.
Catherine watched all this carefully.
She didn’t interfere.
Her voice came through the link again.
"Good. You broke several shells. Now all you need to do is destroy their spiritual cores."
Isaac breathed out, steady and focused.
The Solar Fire flared.
He lifted his sword as white-gold flames gathered along the blade.
The worms felt it.
They recoiled, even without eyes.
Their bodies trembled.
Isaac stepped forward again, preparing to ignite the Solar Fire fully.
Catherine straightened her posture beside him.
"Alright, Isaac. Time to finish it," she said. "Don’t take too much time. Or the monsters coming for red rain will reach here, and join with these worms to attack us."
Isaac nodded.
The white-gold flames grew brighter, heating the air.
The ghost-worms sensed the danger.
Their movements became frantic.
Their bodies flickered between solid and transparent, as if trying to escape the physical plane before Isaac struck.
"You need to destroy the spiritual cores before they regather their mass. They won’t stay weakened for long," Catherine advised.
Isaac nodded once.
A worm lunged at him, jaws wide. The corrupted plates around its mouth glowed red from the influence of the rain.
They were regenerating at a fearsome speed.
Isaac didn’t back away.
He thrust his sword forward and released a wave of Solar Fire Elemental Sword Aura.
The white-gold flames struck the creature head-on.
For a moment, the worm’s semi-physical shell resisted.
Then it cracked like glass.
A shrill, distorted scream tore out of the worm as its spiritual body—
a swirling mass of shadowed blue energy—
was exposed.
"Now," Catherine said.
Isaac focused his mana and released a precise beam of Solar Fire through the sword.
It shot through the core like a spear of sunlight.
The worm collapsed, its entire form breaking apart into drifting fragments of dark mist.
Then nothing remained.
The red rain hissed as it touched the lingering ash.
Catherine nodded. "Good. Seven more."
Isaac tightened his grip on his sword. The blade glowed softly with the same golden flame. His heartbeat was calm, and steady, not rushed.
That steadiness came from training with Catherine long before he regained his memories.
This kind of battle rhythm felt familiar now.
The next worm came in from behind.
Catherine flicked her gaze at it.
"Don’t turn. Use the clone’s view."
Isaac closed his eyes for a second.
Across the battlefield, Isaac’s clone watched everything from afar while standing with Althea’s group. Through the clone’s senses, Isaac saw the worm approaching him from behind.
He sidestepped quickly.
The creature slammed into empty ground.
Isaac spun and swung his Solar Fire-coated blade.
The white-gold flames cut through its shell with little resistance, carving a blazing line along its side.
The inner spiritual mass thrashed violently, pushing against the broken shell.
Isaac didn’t wait.
He grabbed the broken opening with telekinesis, forced it wider, and thrust his sword inside.
Solar Fire erupted point-blank.
The worm convulsed once, then broke apart like the first.
Another spiritual core destroyed.
Catherine moved beside him and tapped her wrist display.
"Your suit’s integrity is still high. Good. Keep going."
Isaac checked his display as well.
Still above 90%.
He moved toward the third worm.
This one used a different attack.
Its body inflated slightly, then a jet of dark, corrupted liquid shot toward Isaac. The liquid hissed loudly as it touched the ground, melting the dirt.
Isaac stepped back.
Catherine commented calmly, "Acidic corruption. Don’t let a drop touch the suit. Even S-rank gear won’t survive much of that."
Isaac summoned roots from the earth using telekinesis and his plant affinity.
The vines shot upward and wrapped around the worm’s body, pulling tight.
The creature screeched and tried to break free.
At the same time, Isaac snapped his fingers.
Dozens of Pyrestorm Spirits appeared at his sides.
They spiraled upward, merged, and released a barrage of fireballs.
The fireballs hammered the worm repeatedly, softening its shell but not breaking it fully.
Isaac leaped forward and summoned Dark Lightning Sword Aura around his blade.
The crackling lightning fused with Solar Fire for a brief moment, creating a hybrid flash of gold and violet.
He slashed downward.
The worm’s shell cracked apart.
The spiritual core inside flickered, exposed.
Isaac raised his sword again and stabbed forward.
Solar Fire surged along the blade, passing through the core.
The worm let out a final shriek and dissolved.
Three down.
Catherine scanned the remaining ones.
"Don’t relax. When their numbers drop, they get more aggressive."
As if hearing her, the last five worms reared up together.
Their bodies flickered rapidly, like unstable holograms.
A deep pulse vibrated through the air, followed by a blast of corrupted pressure.
Isaac braced himself.
Catherine explained quickly, "This is their spiritual pressure attack. It disrupts mana flow. If it locks onto you, your elemental skills might fail."
Isaac clenched his jaw. "So I need to move fast."
"Exactly."
The worms rushed at him as one group.
Isaac created a Phantom Ward in front of him, but the spiritual pressure cracked it immediately.
He threw a Bastion Gate behind it, creating a double layer.
The first worm crashed into the shields.
Both shields cracked but held for a moment.
That moment was enough.
Isaac slammed the ground with telekinesis.
Two thick roots burst upward, smashing into the worm’s lower body and flipping it onto its back.
The others came in behind it.
Isaac flicked his wrist.
"Mirror Rift."
A shining mirror-barrier appeared right in front of the second worm.
It didn’t stop the worm.
Instead, it redirected its momentum diagonally.
The worm slammed into the third worm’s side, entangling the two in a brief pile.
Isaac seized the chance.
He jumped toward the first worm still on its back.
Solar Fire raced down his arm.
He stabbed straight through its chest.
The shell burst open.
The spiritual core glowed bright blue.
Isaac released a pulse of Solar Fire that swallowed the core whole.
Four down.
He turned in time to see the two worms he redirected recovering.
Their bodies vibrated with an angry resonance.
Catherine called out, "Watch their legs. They’re going to try binding you."
The worms crouched low.
Their four legs extended and plunged into the ground like spears.
Isaac sensed the mana.
They were trying to disrupt the earth under him, hoping to destabilize his footing.
He didn’t let them finish.
He threw several chunks of rock into the air with telekinesis.
He superheated them with Solar Fire until they reached a molten state.
Then he launched them at the worms.
The molten stones struck their shells and forced them to jerk back.
One worm recoiled too slowly.
Isaac summoned a thick root, wrapped it around the creature’s body, and pulled it toward him with Telekinesis while the root didn’t let it escape.
The worm roared and thrashed.
Isaac didn’t hesitate.
He lifted the sword, and swung.
He thrust it directly into the worm’s shell.
The sword tore through it.
The spiritual core inside wavered.
Isaac slammed more Solar Fire Elemental Sword Aura into the sword.
The core broke apart.
Five down.
Only three remained.
But these three were the most aggressive.
Catherine finally stepped in.
She swung her segmented sword again, wrapping it around one worm’s body.
The Poison Elemental Sword Aura seeped into the creature, weakening it.
She pointed forward.
"Break the shell. I’ll handle the spiritual core in this one."
Isaac nodded and dashed toward the same worm.
He summoned a burst of Dark Lightning Sword Aura and struck its side repeatedly.
The shell cracked after three hits.
Catherine pulled sharply with her whip-sword.
The segmented blade tore the worm nearly in half.
Its spiritual core drifted upward.
She thrust her palm toward it and released a concentrated burst of poison aura.
The core melted quickly.
Meanwhile, the last two worms returned to Isaac.
He created Pyrestorm Spirits again.
A dozen fireballs shot downward, blasting the slowest worm.
Isaac jumped onto its body and stabbed downward.
Solar Fire split open the shell, revealing the core.
He stabbed again.
The worm dissolved.
Only one remained.
This one rushed straight at him with surprising speed.
It slammed its body into him, sending Isaac sliding several meters backward.
His suit’s alert flashed yellow.
Catherine called out, "Suit integrity dropping. Finish it fast."
Isaac steadied his breathing.
He summoned every remaining fire and wind spirit in his range.
They orbited around him quickly, forming a ring of swirling flame.
He pressed his palms together.
The ring collapsed inward, looking like they were fusing into a single large Pyrestorm Core.
Isaac pointed at the last worm.
"Go."
The Pyrestorm Core shot forward like a blazing meteor.
It collided with the worm and exploded into a massive burst of white-gold fire.
Solar Fire and Pyrestorm Flames mixed together, bathing the worm’s shell.
The creature shrieked and thrashed violently.
Isaac didn’t wait.
He rushed forward and plunged his Solar Fire-coated sword straight into the exposed spiritual core.
The worm’s entire body froze.
A second later, it shattered into dust.
Silence followed.
The red rain continued falling softly, but no monsters approached them now.
The ground was littered with fragments of dissipating spiritual matter.
Isaac let out a slow breath and checked his suit.
Still functional.
Catherine walked up beside him.
"Good work. You handled them faster than I expected."
Isaac’s shoulders relaxed. "Thanks."
Catherine tapped her wrist once more. "The perception distrust lock is still active on the others. They saw nothing. Good job in handling both tasks at once."
Isaac smiled at the double praise.
She turned toward the horizon.
"We’re not done here. For now, let’s leave our clones here. They will need to keep dealing with monsters that come for red rain."
Isaac nodded and followed her, the glow of Solar Fire slowly fading from his blade.