The smoke was suffocating, thick enough to sting the throat with every breath. Ash rained softly from the sky, clinging to Andy's cloak as he stepped into what had once been a quiet frontier village. Houses still smoldered, their roofs collapsed into heaps of blackened timber. The air carried a stench of charred grain, burning flesh, and iron.
Nia's hand tightened on her staff as she moved among the wounded. Children cried softly in the shadows, their eyes wide and glazed with shock. An old woman clutched at Nia's robe, her voice hoarse. "They came like shadows… fangs… black fangs…" Then her strength gave out, and Nia eased her down gently, weaving a glow of healing light.
Andy's fists clenched. He could feel it again—the ember inside his chest stirring restlessly, like a flame desperate to burst free. He pressed his palm to his sternum, forcing it down. Not yet. Not here.
Then he heard it. The shuffle of boots over broken stone.
From the ruins of a barn, a dozen figures emerged. Their eyes gleamed dark, veins blackened, jagged fangs burned into their flesh. Corruption radiated from them in waves, twisting their features into masks of rage.
The system's chime echoed in Andy's mind.
[Quest Updated: Investigate the Source of the Black Fang]
[Sub-Objective: Eliminate Corrupted Minions]
[Danger Level: Moderate]
Andy stepped forward, raising Ember-Edge. "Stay with the survivors," he said, voice low but firm.
Nia nodded, her staff flaring with protective light. "I'll cover them. Don't hold back."
The corrupted minions roared and charged.
[Bond Activation Check…]
[Current Bond: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | 10%]
[Dragon Warrior Form – Tier I Enhanced Available]
Andy inhaled, his aura rising like fire through his veins. "Activate."
A burst of light erupted from his core. Scaled patterns traced over his skin, faintly glowing. Flames licked his arms, water shimmered around his blades—Dragon Warrior Form: Tier I Enhanced.
He met the first strike head-on, Ember-Edge sparking as it clashed against a corrupted axe. Andy twisted, sweeping Tide-Singer upward in a fluid arc that shattered the foe's guard and cleaved him down in one motion. Steam hissed where blood met water.
Another lunged. Andy ducked, pivoted, and slammed his knee into its gut before slicing across its chest. He moved like the storm—sharp, relentless.
"Twin Surge!" he roared.
Fire and water surged together, spiraling from his blades in a devastating torrent. The explosion tore through three enemies at once, the blast scattering ash into the air.
[Skill Used: Elemental Flow – Twin Surge]
[Efficiency: 82%]
[Corrupted Minions Defeated: 4/??]
Through the smoke, more rushed in. Andy gritted his teeth, his aura blazing brighter. He met them strike for strike—parry, slash, spin. Each blow rang out like steel singing in fury. His breathing grew heavier, but his footing never faltered.
Behind him, Nia raised glowing wards, shielding terrified survivors from stray blades. Her voice carried over the chaos: "Andy! On your left!"
He pivoted instantly, Ember-Edge slicing clean through the throat of a corrupted soldier that had tried to flank him.
The battle dragged on, brutal and relentless. By the time the last minion snarled and lunged, Andy was slick with sweat and ash. He caught the strike, shoved it aside, and buried Tide-Singer into its chest. The corrupted soldier fell limp, darkness dissolving from its body.
Silence returned, broken only by the crackle of fire and the cries of the wounded. Andy staggered slightly, lowering his blades. The flames around him flickered, then died down.
The system chimed again.
[Quest Progress: Sub-Objective Complete]
[Corrupted Minions Eliminated]
[Reward: Corrupted Fragment (Minor)]
[Bond Progress: +10%]
[Current Bond: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | 10%]
Andy exhaled sharply. His chest burned—the ember inside him still restless, hungering. He pressed his palm against it, forcing it down again.
Nia approached, her face pale but steady. She touched his arm, grounding him. "You did it," she said softly.
Andy nodded, though his eyes lingered on the devastation around them. "If this is just the beginning… then we have a long road ahead."
The system's final note echoed, crisp and cold.
[Quest Line Activated: Black Fang Rising]
Andy closed his eyes, tightening his grip on his blades. One village had already fallen. He swore the next would not.