The pack snarled as Kael stood over the fading remains of the first beast. The shadow dagger in his hand pulsed with faint embers, dripping motes of purple light into the dust-strewn air.
Four more creatures circled him, their molten-glass hides shimmering, their long limbs dragging claws across the stone with a sound that set Kael's teeth on edge. Doglike in shape but with twisted, sinewy muscle bulging under their skin, their glowing eyes never left him.
Jorin stood a short distance away, arms folded, lightning humming faintly around his shoulders. He made no move to intervene.
[Focus, Kael,] Nathan whispered. [Don't waste energy. Flow. Control.]
The first beast lunged, jaws snapping like stone grinding against stone. Kael slid sideways with a Shadow Step, reappearing a breath later at its flank. His dagger flashed, cutting across its haunch. This time he pressed harder, dragging the blade deep until purple fire hissed along the wound. The beast shrieked and crumbled to ash, leaving behind another faintly glowing core.
The other three pounced together.
Kael dropped low, rolling under the first swipe. Dust sprayed as claws tore through rock where his head had been. He sprang up, jabbing his dagger into the chest of the nearest beast. It howled, thrashing violently, but Kael clung to its side until it burst into dust beneath him.
Another beast slammed into him from behind, knocking him sprawling across the stone floor. His breath tore from his chest as pain shot up his ribs. He twisted just in time to see the third beast lunging for his face.
Without thinking, Kael thrust his blade upward. The shadow dagger cut straight through its throat. The creature fell limp, fading to dust before its body hit the ground.
Only one remained.
It circled him warily now, its eyes burning with a predatory glow. The beast lowered itself onto its muscular forelimbs, claws scraping sparks from the stone.
Kael steadied his breathing, dagger poised. The shadows at his feet stirred like smoke. When the beast leapt, he stepped forward into its charge rather than away. His dagger slashed once, twice—crossing in an X across its chest. Purple fire flared. The beast collapsed into dust, its death cry echoing off the rocks.
Kael dropped to one knee, panting hard, sweat streaking down his face. Around him, four fresh cores pulsed with light on the stone floor.
Jorin finally walked over, crouching beside one of the fading husks. He ran a hand across the dust where the beast had fallen. "Strong muscles. Pack hunters. We used to call these things Ash Hounds during the war." He nudged one of the cores toward Kael with his boot. "Speed in their blood, speed in their cores."
[Confirmed,] Nathan chimed in, his voice cool and precise. [Effect: Speed Enhancement. Applied to footwear, the user's stride and reaction time will increase significantly.]
Kael blinked, surprised. "Speed…?"
[Useful,] Nathan added. [For survival. For evasion. Remember it.]
Kael gathered the cores into his bag, their faint light bleeding through the fabric. His hands trembled, not from fear but from the lingering rush of adrenaline.
"Not bad," Jorin said quietly, studying him with those sharp eyes. "You didn't break. That matters more than how many swings you took."
Kael sheathed the dagger. He didn't reply. The truth was, he hadn't thought—he had just moved. Too fast, too instinctive. Like the shadows themselves had pulled him forward.
Jorin rose, scanning the ridge ahead. "Come on. This was just a warm-up."
Kael frowned. "Warm-up? Those things nearly—"
But Jorin was already walking, his long stride carrying him toward a jagged opening in the cliffs. The entrance yawned like a wound in the stone, dust spiraling into the air with every gust of wind.
"You said you wanted strength," Jorin called back. His voice echoed in the cave mouth. "Strength doesn't come from holding back. Deeper inside, there's something stronger. Something that will push you harder than a pack of Ash Hounds ever could."
Kael adjusted the strap of his bag, feeling the weight of the new cores inside. His ribs ached, and every muscle in his body screamed for rest, but he followed.
The air grew cooler as they stepped into the cavern. Shadows pressed close against the walls, shifting like things alive. Kael's dagger flickered faintly in his grip, as if sensing what lay ahead.
Nathan's voice slid through the silence.
[Stay ready, Kael. The real test begins now.]