The howls grew louder. They weren't echoes anymore—they were closing in.
Dozens of red eyes glowed in the distance, moving through the fractured wasteland like a swarm of predators.
The girl tightened her grip on my arm. "There's too many…"
I forced my breathing steady, gripping the crystal blade as it pulsed with energy. The runes on my skin burned faintly, resonating with hers.
> [Quest: Survive the First Wave.]
Enemies: Crystal Beasts (Lesser).
Survival Timer: 10:00
A timer appeared in glowing numbers before my eyes, ticking down from ten minutes.
"Ten minutes," I muttered. "We just have to survive."
She gave a humorless laugh. "Yeah, sure. Against an army."
The ground trembled as the first wolf-shaped beast leapt from the shadows. I slashed upward, crystal meeting crystal with a ringing crack. Sparks of light scattered, the impact sending me stumbling back.
The girl raised her glowing bow, loosing another arrow of fractured energy. It struck the beast in the eye, detonating with a burst of light. The creature dissolved into shards, leaving behind a glowing fragment that floated into my palm.
> [+20 EXP. +1 Lesser Shard Fragment.]
The system messages blinked, but there was no time to celebrate. More shapes charged at us—wolves, lizards, even a massive boar with crystal tusks.
"Stay behind me!" I yelled.
"Not a chance," she snapped back, loosing two arrows in quick succession. Both struck true, detonating in bursts of light. Her hands trembled, but her aim was deadly.
As the beasts closed in, the AI's voice spoke again:
> [Link Efficiency Rising. Energy Output Increased by 12%.]
I felt it—a surge of power, like her strength was feeding mine and vice versa. My blade grew sharper, my strikes faster. Each swing left trails of light, cutting through beasts that should have crushed me.
But no matter how many we cut down, more replaced them. The timer ticked down—7:21… 6:45…
My lungs burned. Sweat stung my eyes. Every swing felt heavier than the last.
The girl's arrows slowed, her hands shaking from exhaustion. "I… I can't keep this up!"
"Just a little longer!" I shouted, cleaving through another wolf.
Then the ground split.
From beneath us, a colossal claw burst through the stone, scattering fragments of crystal in every direction.
The smaller beasts froze, retreating as a massive shadow rose from the cracked earth.
It wasn't a wolf, or a lizard, or even a boar.
It was a giant serpent, its body wrapped in black shards that glowed faintly with molten cracks. Its eyes locked on us, burning with a hunger that promised annihilation.
The girl staggered back. "That's not a lesser beast…"
The AI confirmed our worst fear.
> [Warning: Mid-Boss Detected. Title: Crystal Devourer. Rank: C. Survival Probability: 3%.]
Three percent.
I swallowed hard, blade trembling in my hand.
The girl's voice cracked. "Three percent? You mean we're—"
The serpent roared, the sound tearing through the shattered realm like thunder.
And as its massive body coiled, ready to strike, the timer continued ticking down.
5:59… 5:58… 5:57…
To be continued…