The City of Ash

Kyle led Rin through the thinning mist, his sword still drawn, his every sense on high alert. The weight of what had just happened lingered in his mind. The specters, the whispers, the hooded figure that had spoken to him as if he were just another piece in some ancient game.

The Land is watching.

He didn't know what it meant yet, but the way it had tried to break him, to drag him into whatever cycle had consumed the Marked before him, told him one thing—he was different. The system had resisted. He had resisted. That meant something.

Rin followed close, silent, their small frame barely making a sound against the damp earth. They had seen things today that no child should ever see. Kyle could tell by the way they moved—calculated, cautious. This wasn't the first time they had been forced to survive alone. He respected that.

They walked for hours, the dense trees of the Wailing Thicket finally giving way to more open terrain. The mist faded, the whispers retreating, but the land ahead wasn't any more welcoming.

The hills were barren, covered in gray dust and jagged rocks, the sky overhead darkened by drifting ash. The further they walked, the worse it became. The air was thick, tinged with the acrid scent of something long burned. The trees that did remain were twisted, their trunks charred and lifeless.

Then Kyle saw it.

In the distance, partially buried beneath the ashen landscape, were the skeletal remains of a city.

Massive stone walls, broken and crumbling, stretched across the horizon. Towers, once standing tall, had collapsed into heaps of rubble. What had once been streets were now choked with dust and debris, the buildings gutted by fire and time.

A notification appeared before him.

---

New Location Discovered: The City of Ash

Once a great stronghold, now only ruin remains. Its past lingers, buried beneath the weight of its own destruction.

---

Kyle exhaled. This place was old. Ancient. He could feel it in the way the air seemed heavier here, like the ground itself carried the memories of what had happened.

Rin pulled their cloak tighter around themselves. "This place feels… wrong."

Kyle didn't argue. "Yeah."

But despite the eerie silence, there was potential here. The ruins meant shelter, places to hide, maybe even something useful left behind. If there had been people here once, there had been supplies—maybe weapons, maybe answers.

Kyle scanned the outer walls. The main gates had long since collapsed, but portions of the structure still stood strong. He could see openings—gaps where time had broken through the defenses.

His stomach growled. He still had some rations from the ruined village, but they wouldn't last long. They needed to find something soon.

They moved toward the city, Kyle keeping Rin close as they entered the first layer of ruins. The buildings were little more than husks, their walls scorched, their windows hollow and empty. He stepped carefully, scanning for anything that might be lurking in the shadows.

A sudden shift in the wind kicked up a wave of ash, momentarily obscuring his vision. Kyle raised a hand to shield his eyes, and when the dust settled, he saw something etched into the broken stone ahead.

A symbol.

Not random. Not natural. Deliberate.

A large, faded sigil, carved deep into the wall, its design unfamiliar but clearly not human.

Rin took a sharp step back. "That's… not good."

Kyle stepped closer, brushing his fingers over the grooves. The symbol looked old, but whatever it represented still carried power. The markings felt too precise to be just remnants of an old civilization. Someone—or something—had left this here for a reason.

A new notification flickered.

---

Unknown Inscription Detected.

Faint traces of magic remain. Caution is advised.

---

Kyle didn't like that.

He pulled his hand back, scanning the surrounding ruins again. The silence felt too absolute, as if the city itself were waiting.

Then, something moved.

A shadow, flickering through the ruins too fast to be human.

Kyle spun, sword raised, stepping in front of Rin. His pulse pounded as his eyes darted across the crumbling buildings. The air felt heavier.

Another movement. A blur between the broken archways.

Kyle's instincts screamed. They weren't alone.

Rin's breath was shaky. "Kyle…"

"Stay close," he muttered, shifting his stance.

Then the shadows attacked.

Figures emerged from the ruins—not human, not fully solid, but not specters either. Their forms were twisted, humanoid but wrong, their limbs elongated, their faces shrouded in black mist.

A notification appeared.

---

Enemy Identified: Ashborn Revenant

Level: 10

Threat Level: High

---

Kyle moved before the system could warn him further.

The first Revenant lunged, its clawed fingers reaching for him. Kyle dodged, twisting to the side before driving his sword forward. The blade met resistance, cutting into the creature's form—but it didn't fall.

Instead, it let out a distorted screech and countered instantly, its shadowed arm sweeping toward Kyle's side.

He barely blocked in time. The impact sent a shockwave through his body, knocking him back a step. These things were fast—faster than the specters, stronger than the goblins.

Rin scrambled behind the remains of a stone pillar, watching with wide eyes.

Kyle adjusted his grip on his sword. He needed to end this quickly.

Another Revenant rushed him. This time, he didn't wait.

He activated Spectral Rend and slashed upward, the glow of the attack illuminating the ruins for a brief second. The Revenant let out a choked hiss as the blade cut through its chest, the force of the strike sending cracks of light through its mist-like body.

It shuddered, its form flickering, then collapsed into blackened ash.

Kyle didn't get a chance to breathe.

The other two attacked at once.

He barely dodged the first, but the second raked its claws across his arm, tearing through his leather armor. Pain flared through him, hot and sharp, but he pushed through it.

A new message flashed.

---

Blood Reclamation Activated.

Absorbing Energy… Minor Wound Recovery Initiated.

---

Kyle felt the pain dull slightly, his body already adapting.

He shifted, dodging another attack before bringing his sword down hard on the second Revenant's neck. The enhanced strength from Blood Reclamation let him cut clean through.

The creature collapsed into dust.

The last Revenant hesitated.

Kyle smirked. "Come on, then."

The creature let out a final screech before lunging, but Kyle was ready this time.

He sidestepped, twisted, and drove his blade straight through its chest. The Revenant spasmed, black mist pouring from its form before it, too, crumbled to nothing.

Silence returned.

Kyle exhaled, lowering his sword. His heart pounded, but his body was still standing.

Rin peeked from behind the stone pillar, staring at the remains. "You… killed them all."

Kyle wiped sweat from his brow. "Had to."

Rin looked toward the ruins, their expression unreadable. "They won't be the last."

Kyle didn't argue. They had just walked into something bigger.

Whatever had destroyed this city was still here.