I Got My System Late, But I'll Become Beastgod-Chapter 201: Signs of Corruption

The forest stretched endlessly under a pale moon, its silver light spilling across thick branches and roots that twisted like sleeping serpents.

Aamir walked at the center of the group, Seemus and the werewolves keeping a silent perimeter around him.

Their footsteps barely made a sound, but the night carried something else—an undertone, a faint tremor that prickled at the edge of Aamir’s senses.

Something was watching.

He paused, crimson system screen blinking faintly in the corner of his vision. A notification rippled across it.

[Warning: Unknown Corruption Signature Detected.]

[Luman]: Host, I don’t think you have very much time for resting. Be prepared.

Aamir frowned. "Again, huh?" he muttered under his breath.

Seemus, walking beside him, tilted his head. "Did you say something, Lord Aamir?"

Aamir shook his head. "Nothing. Just... the air here feels heavy."

The werewolves exchanged glances. One of them, a scarred warrior with graying fur, whispered in a tone that wasn’t meant for Aamir’s ears but carried all the same:

"The Beast’s hunger lingers. Even in its sleep, it devours."

The words spread like a chill through the pack. None spoke louder than a whisper, but the stories swirled—of forests where entire tribes vanished overnight, of rivers turned black by corruption, of moons eclipsed by the Beast’s shadow.

And in the middle of them, the man from the ship—the survivor who had clashed with Aamir before. He trailed at the back, face pale under the moonlight, eyes sunk deeper than they had been hours ago. His movements were sluggish, yet there was something unnervingly sharp beneath them, like a blade hidden in cloth. His gaze lingered too long on the wolves, on Aamir, on everything alive.

Aamir noticed.

He’s changing.

But he said nothing. For now, he needed proof, not suspicion.

The night deepened. They pressed through thick undergrowth, leaves whispering above, the earth damp beneath their claws and boots. That’s when Aamir stopped dead. His instincts roared—too sharp to ignore.

"Wait." His voice was low, calm, but the entire group froze.

Branches trembled. Shadows shifted. And then—

A guttural howl tore through the silence.

From the left, a monstrous figure broke through the treeline—a werebeast, taller than any normal wolf, its fur matted with black sludge, eyes glowing a feral violet. Its claws dragged along the dirt, leaving burning trails of corruption in their wake.

[System Analysis: Titan-tier Corrupted Werebeast.]

[Warning: Prolonged exposure may spread corruption.]

The beast lunged straight at Aamir.

Aamir didn’t move at first. His system blinked again:

[Secondary Signature Detected.]

Three more shadows emerged—a hulking brute with armored bone plating across its back, a spider-limbed wolf that skittered unnaturally on elongated legs, and behind them, one whose aura pressed heavier than the rest.

Aamir’s eyes narrowed. That one...

[System Analysis: Legend-tier Corrupted Werebeast.]

The Legend-tier’s body was twisted beyond natural form. Its chest split open to reveal a second maw lined with serrated teeth, glowing veins of corruption pulsing across its body like molten cracks in stone. Its howl shook branches loose from trees.

The wolves around Aamir tensed, some growling, some trembling.

"A Legend-tier already?" Seemus muttered, baring his fangs. "These should not be here... unless—"

"Unless something is driving them," Aamir finished for him. His crimson eyes burned brighter.

And then, above them all, the forest seemed to bend. The pressure was suffocating, and even Seemus stiffened.

A shape loomed far behind the others, half-shrouded in fog. Massive. Its eyes were like dying suns, radiating pure malice.

[System Analysis: World Breaker-tier Corrupted Beast.]

"World... Breaker?" one wolf gasped, nearly stumbling back.

Seemus snarled. "Impossible. Not here. Not so soon."

But it was here. Its presence alone was crushing, shaking the ground with each step.

Aamir sighed. "Figures."

The first Titan-tier leapt at him, claws slashing down. In a flash, Aamir raised his hand.

Crescent Blade Slash — a silver arc ripped through the night, severing the beast cleanly in half. The corruption hissed as it burned away, disintegrating into dust.

Before the others could even react, the spider-limbed wolf darted in from the side. Aamir’s fist ignited in blue fire.

Blue Phoenix Flame Punch.

The beast never touched him. It exploded into flames mid-lunge, reduced to ashes in seconds.

Seemus and the wolves stared. Their hearts pounded—not from fear of the beasts, but from the ease with which Aamir erased them.

The bone-armored brute roared, charging forward. Aamir’s aura shifted. The ground beneath his feet pulsed, and a domain unfolded.

Beastlord’s Domain.

The brute stopped in its tracks, trembling, its corrupted will suppressed under the weight of Aamir’s command. With a flick of his fingers, vines and spectral chains surged from the earth, ripping it apart.

And then—only the Legend-tier and the distant World Breaker remained.

The Legend roared, second maw splitting open to spit out a wave of corrosive energy.

Aamir lifted his hand, crimson light gathering into a focused point. His newest skill—the one he had just named—flared to life.

Crimson Solstice Beam.

A pillar of destructive energy tore forward, piercing through the Legend-tier beast. Its body convulsed, screamed, and then disintegrated into ash, leaving nothing but scorched earth behind.

Silence fell.

The World Breaker was still there, watching. Its massive form shifted in the mist, but after a long moment, it retreated—its heavy aura withdrawing back into the night, as though testing Aamir was enough for now.

The wolves stood in stunned silence, eyes wide.

One finally whispered, "If... if that is his weakness, then what are we?"

Seemus said nothing. He only stared at Aamir, crimson glow still fading from his hands.

Aamir exhaled, rolling his shoulders. "World Breaker, huh? Guess I should be ready for worse." His voice was calm, almost casual—but deep down, he knew it was only the beginning.

And behind them, in the shadows, the man from the ship watched with a twisted smile, corruption flickering faintly in his eyes.

"Why the hell don’t you write this, you stupid boy!"

Aamir muttered under his breath, shaking his head. Man, I thought the idea wouldn’t work... He glanced at his system screen, seeing the feedback blink back at him.

[You used a new skill: Crimson Solstice Beam]

+15 EXP

Aamir smirked faintly. "Well, that’s something..."

Before he could react further, something entirely unexpected happened. The remains of the beasts he had just defeated—the Titan-tier and Legend-tier carcasses—started to stir. Dust and ash swirled as fragments of corrupted energy gathered, moving with eerie precision. They weren’t chaotic anymore; they were organized.

All of the pieces converged, flowing like a river of shadow and malice toward a single point. Aamir’s eyes widened.

It was him.

The same man from the ship. The one Aamir had argued with back there. His face twisted into a manic smile, eyes burning with hatred and twisted glee.

"Didn’t I tell you?" the man’s voice echoed, sharp and insane. "I’ll show you... when we reach my planet! Now... it’s time! I’ll show you what I meant!"

Before Aamir could even move, all the remnants of the beasts lunged at him. Streams of corrupted flesh and energy wrapped around the man, crawling into his body, entering his mouth, merging with him in a grotesque, unnatural way.

The air grew thick with power and malice, the forest trembling as if it feared what had just begun.

Aamir’s fists clenched, eyes narrowing, as the man’s form began to warp and pulse with the gathered strength of every beast he had consumed.

A sudden buzz echoed through Aamir’s Crimson System, the holographic screen flashing red.

"Host... anomaly detected. Target under external influence."

Aamir’s eyes narrowed. "What? But... didn’t I remove all the influence from the werewolves back on the Vampire Planet? How is this possible?"

"No idea, Host," Luman’s AI voice replied, calm but serious.

Aamir clenched his fists, his aura flaring. "Beastlord’s Domain!" He tried to mark the man, extending his energy to seize control, but a message immediately blinked across his Crimson System screen:

Marking Failed.

Aamir froze. Failed? How...

"Host, it’s not just influence anymore. He is almost fully under its control. He cannot be saved," Luman explained.

Aamir’s jaw tightened. He looked at Seemus, his expression grave. "Seemus... do not interfere. I’m... sorry, but he cannot be saved. I have no choice but to kill him."

Seemus’ eyes flickered with a mixture of reluctance and understanding. He tightened his fists, stepping back slightly. "Although... not happy about it, Lord Aamir... do what must be done. Do what is important."

A chilling silence fell over the forest as the corrupted man’s body pulsed with gathered beastly energy, shadows crawling over him like living chains. Aamir’s aura blazed brighter, preparing for the inevitable confrontation.

Aamir lowered his aura slightly, letting the forest settle around him. Seemus stepped closer, his fangs still visible but his tone calm.

"Lord Aamir... do you really think he can be fully controlled by that power?" Seemus asked, his eyes scanning the shadows where the corrupted man stood.

Aamir’s crimson gaze didn’t leave the figure. "It doesn’t matter anymore. He’s no longer the person he once was. Whatever remains of him is gone. All I can do now is stop the threat before it spreads."

One of the werewolves, younger and trembling slightly, whispered, "But... can anyone survive something like that?"

Aamir’s voice was firm, almost gentle. "Survival isn’t about luck. It’s about strength, choices, and knowing when to act. Remember that, all of you."

Seemus nodded solemnly. "Then we’ll follow your lead, Lord Aamir. Whatever comes next, we stand with you."

A faint rustle echoed from deeper in the forest, a reminder that the corruption was still lurking, watching, waiting.