The shadow soldier followed silently behind me, its eyes glowing faintly like embers.
That Guy walked ahead, dagger twirling in his hand, like he was out on a casual stroll instead of a monster-infested ruin.
"This city," he said, voice low, "used to be the capital of the gods' empire. Now it's crawling with Corrupted. Soldiers, priests, even beasts. If you wanna survive, you'll need to get used to fighting them."
I swallowed. My hands still shook from the last battle.
"But… why me? Why was I brought here?"
He shrugged. "Ask the gods. I just know one thing—you've got something special. That shadow trick of yours? People would kill for it."
As if on cue, a shriek tore through the air. From the rooftops, black shapes leapt down—wolf-like creatures, their bodies stitched with glowing cracks.
[ New Quest: Survive the Pack ]
[ Enemies: Corrupted Wolves (x5) ]
[ Reward: Shadow Upgrade (Random) ]
My gut twisted. "Five of them?! No way—"
"Stop whining and order your soldier!" He snapped.
The shadow soldier moved instantly at my command, clashing with the first wolf. Its claws tore into shadow, but the soldier didn't falter.
Nalos darted forward, slashing another wolf across the throat. Blood sprayed. "See? Not so hard!"
I gripped the iron rod, heart pounding. Another wolf lunged at me.
This time, I didn't hesitate. I swung, connecting with its skull. The beast yelped, crashing to the ground. My arms ached, but adrenaline kept me moving.
[ Enemy Defeated: +10 EXP ]
A notification blinked in front of me. My first real EXP.
I grinned through the fear. "Maybe… maybe I can do this."
He smirked, wiping his dagger clean. "Not bad, Shade-boy. You're starting to look less like dead weight."
The last wolf fell under my soldier's blade, dissolving into black smoke.
[ Quest Complete ]
[ Reward: Shadow Upgrade – Dual Wielding ]
My soldier's arms twisted, forming two black blades instead of one.
The guy who'd saved me earlier froze again, his eyes narrowing as he watched. His dagger remained unsheathed this time, not from battle—
but from caution.
"…So it wasn't a fluke," he muttered. "You really can control shadows."
I frowned. "Is that… bad?"
His gaze lingered on me for a long moment, then he sighed. "Bad? No. Dangerous? Absolutely. People would pay entire kingdoms for that kind of power. Which means… you better not trust anyone."
I shifted uncomfortably. "Including you?"
That grin returned, sly and sharp. "…Maybe."
For a moment, silence hung between us. Then he finally said, "Call me Nalos."
The name felt deliberate, like he was choosing to share it after testing me.
Nalos pointed toward the collapsed streets ahead. "Come on, Shade-boy. If you want answers about what you are… we'll find them deeper in the city."
I glanced at my shadow soldier, now wielding twin blades like a living weapon, and clenched my fists.
Maybe I didn't know why I was here. But I had power now. A power even someone like Nalos feared.
And that meant one thing: I had to survive long enough to understand it.