Spoils of War

Kade lay sprawled across the rooftop, the cool metal beneath him soothing the residual heat from his earlier excursion. The world hummed in its eerie new rhythm—the distant crackling of dying fires, the occasional inhuman wail echoing through empty streets. His eyelids grew heavy, body sinking into the stillness. Just a short rest. Just a—

Boom.

A deep, concussive impact split through the air, rattling the structure beneath him. His breath caught. The sound was heavy, alive—not the groan of a collapsing building but something moving. Something fighting. He pushed himself up, heart thrumming as another impact followed, accompanied by a wet snarl that reverberated through the empty cityscape.

Kade rolled to his feet and sprinted across the rooftop, leaping between structures with practiced ease. He clung to the shadows as he neared the source of the chaos, peering over the ledge into a ruined courtyard below.

Two monsters clashed in a brutal, primal struggle.

Both were Tier 2 Rendclaws- more grotesquely mutated than the Wretches. Their bodies were warped by resonance energy, crystalline shards of Riftsteel jutting from their spines and limbs like jagged armor. Their snarls were raw, filled with animalistic fury as they ripped into each other, claws and fangs tearing through flesh. Blood sprayed in arcs across the cracked pavement, glistening under the dim, fractured moonlight.

And they weren't alone.

Dozens of Wretches swarmed around them like ravenous animals starved for weeks, some mindlessly attacking each other, others tearing into the chunks of flesh flung from the warring beasts. Kade watched in horrified fascination as one Wretch lunged at another, its mouth distending grotesquely before it clamped down, ripping out a chunk of raw, pulsing muscle. It devoured it. No hesitation. No thought. And in the next breath, its body twitched violently, its veins glowing faintly as it absorbed the resonance from its meal.

This is how they evolve.

Kade's stomach twisted as realization set in. This wasn't just some mindless battle—it was a feeding ground. The weak were devoured, their strength stolen, and those that survived grew stronger. If left unchecked, these creatures would continue to evolve at an alarming rate, growing beyond his ability to fight them.

And this was too close to their underground refuge.

If they wandered near the subway entrance, if they became Tier 3, the survivors wouldn't stand a chance.

He couldn't let that happen.

A slow grin crept onto his face as he gripped his Morningstar. Fine. If they wanted to feast, he'd give them something to choke on. This was the perfect excuse to ignore the caution his mind placed over the sheer animosity coursing through his body. He could feel it, just a bit more and he could reach a new level...

Kade dropped from the rooftop Into the Frenzy, landing with a resounding thud. The moment his boots hit the pavement, the battle paused—dozens of grotesque heads snapped toward him, their twisted, mindless eyes locking onto his form. For a moment, the world was silent—a breath held before a storm.

Then, they charged.

Kade surged forward, his Morningstar carving through flesh and bone. The first Wretch to reach him had its ribcage shattered in a single swing, its body folding inward before it crumpled to the ground. Another lunged—Kade ducked, the rush of air grazing his cheek, before he brought the spiked ball of his weapon up in a brutal uppercut, splitting the creature's jaw in half.

He barely paused before twisting into another swing, sending a Wretch careening into a rusted car with enough force to cave in the metal.

He moved like a storm, every motion instinctual, fueled by the hum of resonance thrumming through his muscles. His breath fell into the rhythm of battle, each inhale sharpening his focus, each exhale directing his power.

But the real fight had yet to begin.

The two Rendclaws, now covered in fresh wounds, finally took notice.

Their battle forgotten, their bloodied eyes fixed on him, the true predator. A deep, bone-rattling snarl tore through the air as they turned on him in unison.

Kade barely had time to dodge as one lunged, its clawed hand gouging a trench in the pavement where he had stood. He rolled to the side, narrowly avoiding the second beast's massive, crushing stomp. The ground shook violently under the impact, cracks spiderwebbing outward from the sheer force.

He needed to thin them out fast.

Pivoting on his heel, he targeted the weaker of the two—its crystalline armor had been shattered in several places, its right arm hanging at an unnatural angle from its previous fight. He charged, channeling his resonance energy into his legs, his speed blurring as he closed the distance.

The beast swiped at him—Kade ducked under the sweeping claws and slammed his Morningstar into its exposed ribcage. A sickening crunch echoed as Riftsteel spikes caved into its flesh, sending the monster staggering back with a wounded roar.

But the second beast was already on him.

Kade barely twisted in time to avoid a devastating punch, the sheer wind pressure blasting debris past his face. The force of it still sent him skidding backward, his boots scraping against cracked pavement. His arms ached from the impact of his last swing, but there was no time to hesitate.

He had to finish this.

Bait. Lure. Strike.

He feigned exhaustion, letting his breathing come out ragged, his stance faltering slightly. The wounded beast took the bait, its instincts overriding caution. It lunged forward in a reckless charge—just as Kade had hoped.

In an instant, he twisted, using the momentum of his dodge to swing the Morningstar in a full, bone-crushing arc.

The weapon connected directly with the side of its skull.

A thunderous crack. A wet explosion of bone and pulped flesh.

The monster collapsed mid-stride, its massive body crashing into the ground with enough force to send up a cloud of dust.

One down.

The final monster hesitated, staring at its fallen counterpart.

Kade grinned, lifting his weapon, blood dripping from its jagged spikes.

"Your turn."

The creature charged in blind fury.

Kade sidestepped, then leapt onto its arm, using the momentum to vault onto its back. The beast thrashed violently, but Kade held firm, his grip anchored against the jagged Riftsteel protrusions.

And then, he drove his Morningstar down—straight into the base of its skull.

The impact was seismic. The Riftsteel cracked its skull beneath its force, the weapon burying deep into the monster's head.

The beast stiffened, a shuddering exhale escaping its twisted maw.

And then, it fell.

The Aftermath

The battlefield fell silent.

Blood pooled in the cracks of the pavement, the air thick with the stench of death and energy-rich carnage. The few remaining Wretches that had survived the slaughter scattered, their primitive instincts recognizing the shift in dominance.

Kade stood in the center of it all, his chest rising and falling in heavy breaths. His body ached, his arms sore, but beneath it all, he felt stronger. The resonance within him hummed with satisfaction, fed by the sheer brutality of his victory.

Wiping the sweat from his brow, he surveyed the bodies, eyes narrowing as he spotted the faint glow pulsing from the fallen Tier 2 monsters.

More cores. More Riftsteel. More power.

This had been a gamble—but one that had paid off.

With a quiet exhale, he stepped forward, ready to reap the spoils of war.