The group was being driven into a trap—formations breaking left and right, the light shrinking by the second. The dwellers weren't just attacking; they were herding them, forcing them toward the wall like prey toward a cliff.
"They're trying to box us in!" the girl yelled, parrying a shadowy strike aimed at her throat. Her voice trembled. "We need to get out of here! Reinforcements aren't coming!"
"The entrance or the ruins?" the mace user barked back, shielding her from another attack with a wild swing.
The dagger user didn't hesitate. "If we head to the entrance, we'll learn why they didn't come. And I'd rather not be swarmed by ten more of these things. The ruined district's our best shot."
The group agreed without question. The alternative was worse than the unknown.
"Push them back!" the girl shouted.
Her blade shimmered with qi and carved a crescent of blue light into the darkness, forcing the dwellers to scatter. In that instant, they made a break for it—feet pounding the ground as they darted for the wall's broken edge.
Lin Shu didn't wait.
As soon as the path was clear, he disengaged, deactivated his armor, and vanished into a blur of motion—Lightning Steps surging beneath his feet. He raced through the breach in the wall, heart cold, mind focused. Only the dagger user managed to keep up, his smaller frame darting ahead with sharp agility.
The ruined part of the city greeted them with shattered homes and crumbling walls, the moonlight unable to pierce the heavy shadows.
And then came the attack.
Two dwellers leapt from the dark, clawed limbs outstretched.
Lin Shu reacted instantly—two bone blades bursting from his gauntlets as he slashed in defense, but they were fast, too fast. One slammed into him, launching him into the cracked remains of a half-standing tower.
CRASH!
Stone and dust exploded around him. Pain shot through his back as the impact crushed part of his armor. He spat blood and staggered, one knee hitting the ground. His right side was exposed—his armor shattered there, ribs likely bruised beneath.
"Tch…"
If I use Ivory Monolith now, I'll be able to take a few more hits—but I won't be able to move well. It's too limiting. I won't dodge. I won't escape.
But if he didn't use it?
The dwellers would keep catching up. They were faster in the dark. Smarter. Coordinated. It wasn't a matter of if they reached him again—it was when.
So… do I run and risk getting torn apart… or do I armor up and become a moving shield with no blade?
Either choice could get him killed.
But Lin Shu narrowed his eyes, hand gripping the ruined stone for support.
He wasn't planning to die. Not here. Not ever.
Think, damn it. Think.
He had one more trick. He just needed the right moment.
Before Lin Shu could even think, the shadows came alive.
More dwellers poured in, crawling over rubble and broken stone like predators scenting blood. The others had escaped during the chaos—but now he was alone. Surrounded.
"Damnit," he hissed, backing away, eyes darting.
They were closing in. Six of them. Every path—doors, shattered windows, collapsed halls—was blocked. Their hollowed eyes watched him, waiting for a slip, a weakness.
"Where the hell am I supposed to go now?"
Then his eyes caught something—a spiraling, half-broken stairwell leading upward.
No time to hesitate.
Lightning burst around his feet as he shot toward the stairs, the ground cracking beneath his momentum. The dwellers lunged after him, their movements erratic and inhuman, snarling as they chased.
Up. Floor after floor. He sprinted through the crumbling tower, boots skidding on loose stone. But he knew he couldn't keep going up. Sooner or later, he'd hit a dead end.
That's when he saw it—another building, half-collapsed, leaning dangerously toward the tower. It was far.
But not impossible.
Lin Shu pushed off the ground and leapt.
Two dwellers followed, claws gleaming.
Mid-air, Lin Shu twisted, lightning crackling violently down his arm.
"Thunderbolt Arc!"
An Arrow of lightning exploded from his palm. It struck one of the beasts square in the head, reducing it to ash mid-flight. The other dodged the arc, but couldn't recover—it spun wildly and slammed into Lin Shu mid-air.
They crashed into the leaning building. Lin Shu hit the floor hard, rolled, came up in a stumble, then kept running—blood trailing behind him.
But the beast was still alive.
It lunged.
Claws pierced through his left shoulder. He staggered, barely avoiding a fatal blow. Pain lanced through his chest—but he didn't scream.
The beast tried to pull back—but couldn't.
Spiked bone tendrils erupted from within Lin Shu's body, spearing the creature's arm and pinning it in place.
It roared and raised its other claw—only to meet a thickened, reinforced bone gauntlet, summoned just in time. The blow landed but didn't break through.
"Too slow," Lin Shu growled.
He raised his hand again—lightning surged.
"Thunderbolt Arc."
The bolt tore through the beast's skull. Its body dropped, still pinned by bone. Lin Shu shoved it off, his shoulder leaking blood, his breath ragged.
No time to stop.
He ran. Fast as he could.
"Shit… I was supposed to use those bastards as bait… and now I'm the one being hunted."
His vision blurred for a second, but he pushed forward, lightning flickering beneath every stride.
"Damn it… damn it all."
Lin Shu moved through the building, shoulder aching, steps uneven, but his eyes remained sharp. He reached the stairwell—only to find a dweller waiting, watching him.
No time to hesitate.
With a growl, Lin Shu lunged, his bone gauntlets crackling faintly, the only weapons he had left. He couldn't afford to flee—he wouldn't give the beast his back.
The creature attacked first, but the tight stairwell betrayed it. It was made for silent ambushes, not frontal battles, and here in the narrow space, Lin Shu's smaller frame had the advantage.
He ducked beneath a swipe, slamming a fist into the beast's side. The claws missed him by inches, scraping stone. He punched, clawed, dodged—relentless. The dweller staggered backward, unable to find footing.
A hard uppercut struck its jaw, followed by a vicious rake across its chest. Its legs began to falter under the brutal rhythm of Lin Shu's assault.
Then—he struck the throat.
His claws tore through flesh, ripping at the soft, vulnerable tissue. The beast shrieked, twisted—tried to retreat.
Too late.
Lin Shu grabbed its shoulders and bit down into the torn neck, tearing the rest open with a growl. Blood sprayed. The dweller collapsed in a dying heap. Lin Shu spat the blood out and didn't wait.
He leapt through the nearest window, rolled as he hit the ground below, and kept running.
"I'm getting close… I'm getting close…" he muttered to himself, breath ragged.
He glanced behind—no shadows. Then to his sides—new streets, more ruins. He turned a corner.
Then he saw her.
One of the group members from earlier—cornered. A shadow dweller loomed over her, ready to strike. She was barely standing, only one arm clutching her sword.
I need to get past them, he thought. Can't avoid it. So I'll take the chance… kill two birds with one stone.
He ran.
The beast sensed him, turned—but that was its mistake.
The girl saw the opening and slashed at its leg. The dweller hissed.
Lin Shu arrived a heartbeat later and slammed its head into the ground, then stomped—once, twice—until its skull shattered.
Blood soaked the stone.
"Thank you… thank you so much for helping!" the girl sobbed, shaking, her voice cracking with fear and relief.
Lin Shu smiled.
"Well… I don't like others taking my prey."
"What…?" she whispered, confused.
CRACK.
His foot smashed into her stomach. She gasped, breath knocked out of her. Then another stomp—this time on her leg. Bone snapped. She screamed.
"AHHHHHHHHH!"
Tears streamed down her face as Lin Shu picked her up like nothing, dragged her into the open street, and threw her down like trash.
He took her sword. Took her pouch.
Then ran.
Behind him, a shadow dweller slipped out of the ruins.
She never even saw it.
Her head hit the ground before she could scream again.
Her final tear was the last thing she ever gave the world.
Lin Shu kept running, legs burning, lungs raw. His Qi was gone—every step now came from sheer physical will.
Then—light.
The intact part of town, still untouched by shadow or ruin, appeared at the end of the street like salvation.
Finally.
He didn't slow down. Dirt, blood, and cracked bone clung to him, but he pushed forward until he reached the guards at the perimeter. They turned, shocked.
"Another one survived! Quick, bring in the doctor—!"
"No need," Lin Shu rasped, waving them off. "Just tell me where I can stay. I need a place to heal."
They tried to insist, but his voice cut sharper than their concern. In the end, they gave up and led him to a quiet, empty house on the edge of the safe zone.
"After you recover, report to the town's headquarters," one guard said. "We need your testimony. Two others already returned, but we still need your account to confirm what really happened."
Lin Shu nodded silently and shut the door behind them.
Inside, he checked the windows, doors, corners—every place a blade or claw could slip through. Only once he was sure it was secure did he enter a small room with a clear escape route. He took healing pills and two Qi rejuvenation pills from his pouch, then sat down to meditate.
His body trembled as the medicine began its slow work.
I almost died today… His mind replayed the blood, the attacks, the escape, the silence of death.
This mission… it's far more dangerous than I expected. Was it just my group's bad luck…? Or is this happening to everyone?
A bitter thought crept in.
Should I desert the institute? Run away?
His eyes stayed shut, his body still—but inside, Lin Shu wasn't calm. Not anymore.
He would find out the truth soon. And whatever it was… he'd decide his next move then.