The city stretched on like a graveyard. Shattered statues, broken towers, streets littered with bones that never decayed.
Nalos whistled low, as if none of it bothered him. Meanwhile, my soldier's twin blades clinked as it marched behind us.
Every so often, I'd catch Nalos glancing at it. Not curious—measuring.
"You gonna keep staring?" I snapped finally.
He smirked. "Can't help it. First time I've seen someone summon a corpse and actually keep it under control. Normally, shadow magic eats its master alive."
I stopped walking. "…What?"
"Relax." He waved it off. "You're still breathing. Means you're either special… or you'll drop dead soon. Either way, I get entertainment."
"Great. That's really comforting."
Before he could reply, a low growl echoed from the alley. My soldier shifted, blades raised.
From the dark, shapes crawled out—wolf-like creatures with no fur, only cracked stone skin and burning eyes.
[ Enemy Detected: Ash Wolves ]
[ Survival Probability: 27% ]
"Only twenty-seven?!" I shouted.
Nalos grinned, dagger ready. "Better than three, isn't it?"
The wolves lunged.
[END OF CHAPTER]-5