Chapter 2 – The Mysterious Helper
The smoke didn't clear.
Kael coughed into his elbow, wetting his eyes as dark smoke rolled down the street. His lungs burned. He was still able to see glowing eyes on those darkness-creatures wriggling out of the ground. Some moved like snakes, some lurched on too many legs, and one looked like… a spider but with a whole human skull.
Why do monsters have to look like failed works of art?" he growled, spitting ash from his mouth. "Can't just get one adorable bunny with fangs, right? Nooo, must be nightmare material supreme."
The air trembled again. Another crack split the ground, near enough that he could feel it through his boots. Far in the distance, a villager shrieked, cut off much too quickly. Kael's stomach twisted.
His palm remained pale green. Remembering those sparks—the wild, anarchic pulse that rent one beast in two—sent cold shivers through his skin. He curled his fingers, and small strands of light flashed. It wasn't steady. It was like lightning trapped in his flesh, always wanting to break free.
"Right," Kael said aloud, talking to himself because quiet was worse. "So now I have glow-stick hands. Great. Cool. Absolutely no idea on how to use them without me killing myself. Even better."
The glowing text returned.
[Eclipse System: Combat potential detected. Eclipse Bloodline awakened.]
Kael snarled. "Oh great, the magic pop-up book is back again. Feel like telling me what the heck is going on? Or are you just gonna keep spouting cryptic fortune-cookie messages at me?"
[System Response: Host has exclusive bloodline linked to celestial phenomena. Current synch level: 2%.
"Cosmic phenomena…? That's as generic as it gets. You could be referring to anything from moon wizardry to aliens devouring my brain."
[Clarification: Eclipse.]
Kael blinked. "Eclipse…? You mean like when the sun and moon cross paths?"
[Affirmative.]
"Oh great, so I'm… what? Powered by cringe astronomical phenomena? Do I glow an extra bit every two decades or so? Extremely convenient."
The system did not answer. Normal.].
The ground shook again, and Kael bumped into a broken wall. There was a creature heading in his direction—low, fast, its shape twisting irregularly, red eyes burning holes through the darkness.
Kael's chest constricted. His mouth went dry.
"Fine, time to attempt. whatever this is."
The night attcked. Kael lifted his hand. Sparks flew wildly, but the discharge went astray, striking the cobblestones instead. The stone detonated with a bang.
"Good shot, Kael. Scared the road pretty badly."
The beast leapt. Kael rolled onto the ground, side-whipping onto dirt. His abrasion on the shoulder burned where it scraped against the ground. He spun around, scared. Another green flash erupted out, this one hitting the creature's leg. It shrieked, curling on itself before dispersing into smoke.
Kael lay on the ground, gasping, his arms trembling. His body was screaming for him to move, but where? The whole village was filled with these things.
Then he heard the voice.
"Left! Go left, moron!"
Kael ceased moving. That was not the system. That was. human.
He rolled on reflex. A beam of darkness cut the earth where his chest had just occupied. His heart shot into his throat.
A person at the opposite side of the street was half-obscured in fog. Cloaked, slender, an otherworldly light etching the curve of their shape. A soft blue light beat in their hand, where a knife was clutched. In one fluid stroke, they dispatched a creature that had been creeping up on Kael.
Kael sprang to his feet, shouting, "Uh—thanks, mysterious stranger! Really grateful not to be kebab meat!"
The figure did not move. They leapt forward, slicing through another monster with a clean cut. The shadows screamed, hissing off.
Kael raised his arms, sparks dancing again. "Guess it's teamwork time. You slash, I… uh… miss and scream. Perfect balance."
The next few minutes were a blur of confusion. Kael swung wildly, sometimes striking monsters, sometimes striking nothing. His mysterious assistant danced around him like a water spirit, each blow solid and sure. They weren't flashy—no enormous glowing spells or roaring battle cries—but effective, as if they'd done it a hundred times before.
Once, Kael yelled, "Hey, enigmatic ninja person, you're good at this! Care to, I don't know, tell us who you are while saving my sorry behind?"
Nothing yet.
Figures.
The battle was done the moment it began. The creatures dissolved into dark smoke, the road filled with burn marks and cracks. Kael was gasping, doubled over, perspiration streaming off his face. His arms felt like lead. His whole body shook with too much adrenaline.
The hooded man stood with sword down, breathing peacefully. He turned to Kael, still with his face hidden behind the hood.
Kael stood upright, uneasy. ".Sooo. Thanks for saving me. Enormous fan of your cryptic demeanor. Do I. owe you a coffee or something?"
The figure finally spoke, low and slightly distorted voice. "You do not belong here."
Kael flung open his eyes. "Yeah, trust me, I didn't sign up for this night's horror show either."
The stranger tilted their head to the side, studying him. ".The system chose you. I can see it.".
Kael halted. "Wait—you know about this glowing text thing?!"
No one got a chance to respond before the earth shook once more. Deeper this time, louder. The cracks grew wider, and from the biggest one, something huge started to emerge.
Kael's throat dried up. His sense of humor let him down for a moment. The beast was at least three times as big as he was, covered in jagged bone armor and a maw full of twisting teeth.
"Okay," Kael whispered. "Step one: don't scream. Step two: run. Step three: perhaps scream while running."
The system flashed up again.
[Warning: Dungeon Gate forming. Primary threat level—Catastrophic.]
"Catastrophic?!" Kael roared. "What did they do to 97% danger?! This is shaping up to be 200% danger!"
The stranger's grip on their sword hand went tighter. "Stay behind me."
Kael nervously laughed. "Oh, great. Because being behind the one single competent fighter in the room has always gone so well for us in horror stories."
The monster roared, shaking the entire street. Surviving villagers screamed, fleeing into the night.
Kael gulped, pulse magic fizzling about his hands. His legs shook, but he stood anyway. Maybe he was not a warrior, maybe he was terrified, but something inside of him—the Eclipse Bloodline, or maybe simple dumb obstinacy—would not yield.
"Okay, big fella," Kael growled. "Let's test the power of glow-stick punches to slay a nightmare."
The stranger looked back at him once. Their hood swayed, and Kael could have sworn he saw a brief smile.
And with that, they charged.