Looks like I am already too late.

By the time got back to the guild, the place was now a huge pile of debris. I am surprised that none of my fellow players are unharmed during its collapse. Well, now that I think about it, I'm pretty sure almost all of us are very high-leveled so it won't even matter anymore.I notice however that some had already left the area, save for a group forming at where was once the gate to our guild. I knew I shouldn't stop by to eat the random fruits and berries I've found when I was flying to the guild, but this girl has her needs and all this chaos was making her hungry, so hungry that she was [i]this[/i] close on eating a worm emerging from the ground. 

Anyways, I've been thinking about what should I do in the meantime. Should I join those other players that are already forming a group or just go solo like the rest of them did? I am currently flying overhead the ex-guild with my kimono camouflaging me with the night sky so they can't see me, pondering on what should I do when I noticed something else that's different about me: I can see and sense dark energy. I can choose not to see these auras but the sensing is the part I can't control. The aura is pretty strong especially around demons, the undead, or those whose souls are tainted by the dark force. I can sense some dark energy wafting around the formed group on the ground but I've been getting another strong vibe that's coming from a forest not too far from here. Don't know why but I can tell what kind of creature the dark energy is coming off from even I can't see it and I am pretty sure this one's coming from an undead.  

But there's something else, a force so malevolent that it's chilling me to the bones. I can't really pinpoint where it's coming from but I'm absolutely sure of its presence. I can't even tell if its coming from a demon or an undead. What's with this pure dark energy that's more powerful than the dark energy from all the other demon-like players combined? The thing that's bugging me the most is that I can also tell that it's in a dormant state at the moment. It's like wind: you can't see it but you can feel that it's definitely there. One thing that I'm sure of is that one day this dormant wind will soon become a powerful typhoon that will leave destruction and chaos in its wake. When that day comes, I'll be ready for it. Matters like these are just a part of a priestess's everyday schedule, followed by napping.

Shrugging it off, I decide to go to where the lone source of this dark energy is coming from and sure enough, it's from an undead. It looks like it's... talking to a bunny girl? Considering it's a zombie that seems to speaking words rather than "uuugh", I guess it's another player affected by the Shutdown. I was about to approach and talk to them until I noticed the crater next to them. At first I didn't pay any attention to it as I thought it was just part of the natural secenery when I sensed remnants of dark energy coming from it that's identical to the energy coming out of the undead. Did he... made it?

Aw heck no.

I know I it's my job as a priestess to drive out the forces of evil but this is different: this character that was once my avatar became my real body and although I can fly without any hassle, it still feels weird for me to actually move with wings for arms and hands along with talons for feet. I also know that I can fight my enemies from a distance, on the other hand I also want to be completely sure of what my capabilities are now that I'm truly a harpy in the flesh.

I thought of a safer way to get near them without being caught. I fly around the area to land on a spot not far from where the zombie and the bunny girl is, quietly walk like a baby-whose-walking-for-the-first-time towards said duo, and watch them behind a big tree. I want to observe them first before going out to meet in them in person. What can I say, I'm not much of a people person.