Shadows in the Ruins

Time: July 29th, 2:45 PM

Location: Outskirts of Zone 7 – Fallen City Perimeter

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The ruined city stretched endlessly, broken buildings clawing toward the overcast sky like jagged bones. The air was thick—too quiet. No wind. No birds. No signs of life. Only the stench of decay and something far fouler: corruption.

Kael stepped silently across shattered asphalt. His dark robes flowed around him, merging with the crumbling shadows. His mask gleamed faintly in the dim light—featureless, anonymous, terrifying.

This was his hunt.

And something was hunting him too.

He crouched near the cracked husk of a car, fingers brushing the earth. The moment he touched the soil, a faint green shimmer pulsed beneath his palm. Nature whispered back.

The green aura flared gently around his body, syncing with his breath. Leaves, roots, and thorns in the immediate area vibrated—ready to answer his call.

His eyes narrowed beneath the mask.

Movement.

Fast. Six o'clock.

Kael shifted without hesitation. In a single motion, he unsheathed both daggers.

– Obsidian Dagger in his left: jet-black, humming with silent death.

– Dagger of Humility in his right: warm to the touch, faint embers trailing its edge.

A creature lunged from the alley, snarling—its limbs were elongated, skin cracked and steaming with black rot. It had once been human. Not anymore.

Kael didn't give it the dignity of a pause.

He stepped into the strike, ducked low, and twisted.

Blades flashed.

One clean slash across the ribs. The Obsidian Dagger carved through the corrupted flesh like butter. Before the beast could scream, Kael slammed the Dagger of Humility into its throat—fire ignited inside it. The creature burst into flames and fell, twitching violently.

But more came.

Five… six… a dozen, crawling and sprinting like starved hyenas.

Kael exhaled once—and merged the two blades.

Flames wrapped around darkness. Metal twisted. A sword formed in his hands—short, deadly, hot to the touch.

– The Sword of Dominance.

As the corrupted charged, Kael activated Routine Serge.

His body exploded into motion.

Time bent around him.

He became a blur, sprinting at inhuman speed. Each swing of his sword was a flash of fire and shadow. Heads rolled. Limbs flew. Guttural roars turned into wet gurgles.

A beast leapt from behind.

Kael pivoted on instinct.

With his free hand, he summoned Needle Storm—thin, razor-sharp leaves launched like arrows from every angle, slicing through the creature's body midair.

Another lunged, mouth wide, jaws unhinged.

Kael didn't dodge this time.

He raised his palm. Black tendrils erupted from beneath him—Shadow Binding. They wrapped the beast mid-leap, twisted its limbs, and slammed it into the wall with bone-crushing force.

He turned.

Three more approached, cautious now.

Kael stood still, letting the corrupted circle him.

His aura whispered to the nearby growth, and vines wrapped tightly around his arms and legs—forming natural armor from the earth itself.

When one beast finally lunged, Kael met it head-on.

He ducked beneath its swipe and drove the Sword of Dominance through its abdomen—then dragged the blade upward through its chest.

He didn't stop moving.

The second attacker reached him just as the sword left the first body.

Kael spun, severing the second creature's leg at the knee. As it howled, he smashed the hilt of his sword into its skull and kicked it aside.

The final one hesitated.

Bad move.

Kael extended a finger.

A thin shadow needle burst from the ground—straight through its eye.

Silence returned.

Kael's chest heaved once, then steadied.

His Heal activated. The cuts across his ribs and cheek sealed slowly, the stinging pain replaced by cold clarity.

Then… a distant sound.

Not a growl. Not a roar.

A shriek—metallic and guttural. Ancient. Wrong.

Kael turned his gaze toward the far horizon, where thick black fog rolled over the city ruins like a tide.

Something monstrous was coming.

And Kael, mask in place, aura ready, weapons firm in hand, stood alone to face it.

He said nothing.

He just took one step forward.

Then another.

Because if no one else would stand between the corruption and what little remained of humanity—he would.

Even if it killed him.

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