The ground trembled as if the world itself recoiled.
From the mist, a figure emerged, towering above the battlefield. Its body was an amalgamation of bones—human and beast fused together in grotesque harmony. Four arms extended from its ribcage, each ending in bladed claws longer than a man was tall. A skull crowned with jagged horns leered from its shoulders, its eye sockets burning with a viridian fire that seemed to sear through the fog.
[Elite Enemy Detected.][Bone Reaper — Level 5.][Kill or be killed.]
The System's voice hammered inside Kai's head, as cold and sharp as steel.
The survivors froze. Dozens of people stood scattered across the ash-laden plain, weapons half-raised, breaths caught in their throats. Even those who had fought bravely against the lesser beasts now trembled.
A man with dual blades cursed under his breath. "What the hell is that thing…?"
"Run." Someone whispered it. Then louder. "Run!"
The fragile order shattered. Some bolted into the mist, ignoring the fact that it was full of prowling monsters. Others tightened into clusters, summoning whatever powers the Trial had awakened within them. The fire-wielder woman—the one whose wolf of flame snarled at her side—stepped forward instead of back, her eyes narrowing.
Kai felt paralyzed.
The Bone Reaper was unlike anything he'd ever seen. It wasn't just its size or power. It was the way the shadows bent around it, as if even darkness bowed to its presence.
Beside him, the Wraith rattled. Its ember eyes burned brighter, its skeletal frame trembling—not in fear, but anticipation. A laugh, dry and grating, scraped from its hollow chest.
"You're… enjoying this?" Kai muttered, his throat dry.
The Wraith tilted its head toward him, as if mocking the question, before pointing a clawed finger toward the Reaper.
Kai swallowed hard. His knees wanted to buckle, his instincts screamed to run—but something deep inside kept him rooted. The same something that had flared when he first bound the shadows.
If I run now… I'll never stop running.
The Bone Reaper moved.
One step, and the ground split. Another, and a shockwave rippled through the battlefield, knocking weaker survivors to their knees. Then it roared, a thunderous bellow that made Kai's bones vibrate.
The first wave of survivors attacked.
A man with a glowing shield charged forward, slamming it into the Reaper's leg. Sparks flew—but the beast didn't flinch. Dual blades slashed at its joints, flames exploded against its ribs, lightning crackled from someone's hands. For a moment, the battlefield was chaos and light.
The Bone Reaper swung.
Its clawed arm scythed through the air, faster than its size should allow. The shieldbearer raised his barrier—too slow. Bone met steel, and the man was hurled across the plain like a ragdoll, crashing into the ruins with a sickening crunch.
Screams erupted. Blood spattered the ash.
Kai's heart thundered. This thing is on another level…!
The Wraith lunged without hesitation, claws slashing across the ground. Black smoke followed its strikes, aiming for the Reaper's ankle. The blow barely scratched. The Reaper kicked, and the Wraith was sent tumbling through the air, its bones cracking against stone.
"No!" Kai dashed forward instinctively, catching his summon as it tried to rise. Half of its ribcage was shattered, shadows leaking from the cracks. The ember eyes flickered—but still, it laughed.
"You idiot…" Kai muttered, his hands trembling.
The Reaper's gaze turned. Viridian fire locked onto him.
Kai froze. He felt the weight of a predator's focus, the certainty that he was prey.
The Reaper charged.
Kai barely reacted in time. His shadow surged outward, rising like tar. "Bind!"
The darkness snapped around the Reaper's leg, tugging it mid-stride. For the first time, the monster stumbled. Its massive frame crashed into the ash, sending up a storm of dust.
Kai staggered back, gasping. He hadn't expected it to work.
But the shadow strained. The Reaper's strength was overwhelming; the bind began to tear apart, threads of darkness fraying like cobwebs in a storm.
Not enough…!
"Kai!"
The fire-wielder's voice cut through the chaos. She hurled a blazing spear that exploded against the Reaper's skull, drawing its attention. Her wolf leapt, biting into one of its arms, flames searing through bone.
The monster howled.
"Move your ass!" she shouted at him.
Kai scrambled back, dragging his Wraith with him. His heart pounded so hard it hurt. He was alive—but only barely.
Around them, the battlefield was collapsing. Survivors screamed, fought, and died. The healer tried to channel glowing light into wounded comrades, only to be crushed beneath falling debris. The dual blade user was skewered through the chest mid-leap. The shieldbearer lay broken, unmoving.
Blood soaked the ash.
And still, the Reaper stood.
Kai gritted his teeth, rage burning in his chest. He hated it. He hated the fear in his veins, the weakness in his limbs, the way everyone around him fell while he stood useless.
His Wraith trembled in his arms, ember eyes dimming. Yet even on the edge of collapse, it reached for the Reaper, claws twitching as if begging for more.
Kai's throat tightened. You're dying, and still you want to fight…
Something broke inside him.
"No more running," he whispered.
The shadows at his feet writhed.
[System Alert: Critical condition detected.][User has chosen defiance.][Hidden Skill Unlocked: Shadow Fusion.]
The words burned across his vision.
Kai gasped as darkness surged into him, cold and electric. The Wraith dissolved into smoke, its ember eyes sinking into his own. Pain lanced through his veins like fire, and then—power.
Claws of shadow extended from his hands, black and jagged. His vision sharpened; every crack in the Reaper's bones glowed like a target. His heartbeat slowed, steady, predatory.
The whispers came. Low, hungry, promising strength in exchange for blood.
Kai exhaled, steam curling from his lips. He raised his clawed hand.
"Let's finish this."
The Reaper turned, viridian fire blazing.
Kai charged.