The snow-covered peaks of Whispering Pass were far quieter than usual today. But this silence was not one of peace; rather, it felt like the eerie stillness that comes before a great storm.
Cutting through the dense veil of fog, three massive black figures were rapidly climbing up the mountain slope. These were 'Shadow Hounds'—hunters formed from darkness and magical energy, their eyes glowing like burning embers of red. Their movement left no marks on the snow, yet wherever the black drool from their mouths fell, the solid ice burned instantly and turned black.
Right behind them, a heavy and steady step landed. Commander Zeros emerged from the fog with his massive build. The dark slate-colored heavy armor covering his body produced a low metallic clank with every step. As a Level 26 warrior, his mere presence made the icy air feel heavier. The hilt of the massive sword strapped to his back extended above his shoulders. There was no emotion in Zeros's eyes—only a cold, professional focus.
Suddenly, the hound at the front stopped and lowered its neck to sniff the ground. It let out a terrifying growl, causing the magical energy within its chest to glow intensely.
Zeros slowed his pace and reached the spot where the fog had slightly cleared. The scene there resembled a slaughterhouse. The bodies of Umra Conclave spies—those sent earlier by Malakor—were half-buried in the snow. Zeros removed his heavy glove and touched the cold neck of one of the spies.
"Death… approximately forty-eight hours ago," Zeros's voice echoed from within his heavy helmet. His breath turned into white vapor in the cold air.
He began examining the bodies one by one. His eyes read the wounds on their bodies carefully. There were no signs of magical burns, nor any arrow wounds. Instead, the bones had been shattered as if crushed under a massive mountain. One spy's chest was completely caved in, as if struck by a heavy axe or mace.
"This is not the work of an ordinary human," Zeros muttered. "The brute strength of an orc… or perhaps a creature that knows how to control its power."
Malakor had told him that contact had been lost, but Zeros had not expected his spies to be killed so 'cleanly.' They were masters of hiding in shadows, yet here it seemed as if the hunters themselves had become prey. He noticed that the spies' hands had been cut down before they could even reach their weapons. The attack had been sudden, brutal, and extremely precise.
While Zeros was still inspecting the bodies, one of the hounds caught the scent of blood. It sniffed the traces and began running toward the direction where Kyle and his companions had been staying. This blood belonged to none other than Arin—the mark left on his shoulder during the fight.
Zeros turned his gaze toward the hound moving upward toward a cave. He still did not know whom he was about to face—whether it would be an orc like Grommash or a mysterious figure like Kyle. For him, it was simply a mission. He signaled his Shadow Hounds, who were now aggressively trying to catch the scent lingering in the air.
"Go," Zeros ordered in a cold tone. "Find them. If they are alive, I want their fear. And if they wish to fight… I want their heads."
The hounds let out a long howl that echoed through the mountains. Zeros placed his hand on the hilt of his massive sword and began moving forward with heavy steps toward the unknown enemy whose power had reduced Umra's spies to nothing.
---
The cave entrance was narrow, but as soon as Commander Zeros stepped inside with his massive body, the cold air within grew even heavier. The snowy noise from outside vanished completely, making the silence inside even more terrifying. Zeros waved a finger in the air, and a small dark-purple Mana Orb began glowing above his palm, illuminating the damp moss-covered cave walls.
Zeros's sharp eyes stopped at a pile of ash on the ground. He bent down and rubbed it between his fingers. It was dry, yet still carried a faint scent. "Two days… maybe three. They spent quite some time here," he muttered in his deep voice. For him, this was not just ash—it was the first sign of the enemy's carelessness.
Nearby, fragments of bones were scattered between rocks. Zeros picked up one—it seemed to belong to a wild deer. It had been brutally broken to extract the marrow. "An orc… and perhaps two or three others," he estimated by observing the bite marks. He still did not know their names—Grommash or Lyra—but he was already reading their habits.
His gaze shifted to broken clay utensils lying in a corner. Traces of the soup Lyra had prepared for Kyle were still visible. Zeros crushed them under his heavy boots, and a cracking sound echoed through the cave. He sensed a faint presence of 'holy light'—the kind often associated with high-level healers. A slight frown appeared on his forehead; the presence of a healer could complicate things.
But the real discovery was yet to come. At the very center of the cave lay a large flat stone. Zeros slowly approached it. As he got closer, he began to sense a strange smell—neither of beast nor human, but a mixture of decay and ancient power.
As soon as he cast his magical light upon the stone, his eyes widened. The dusty surface carried the full imprint of a human body—Kyle's. It looked as if someone had lain there motionless for weeks. Every detail of the spine and ribs was clearly visible. But the most horrifying sight was where Kyle's waist had rested.
The surface there had turned dark black and purple. The 'corruption' seeping from Kyle's poisoned wound had eaten into the stone itself. Zeros put his glove back on and touched it. The stone was still cold, yet a tingling sensation ran through his fingers.
"This is no ordinary wound," Zeros thought through gritted teeth. "This is the 'vessel' Malakor seeks. The body is rotting, yet the power within is strong enough to melt stone."
He noticed torn pieces of bandages nearby, soaked in blood and magical ointment. Zeros realized that while the enemy might have a powerful orc, the 'vessel' he sought was in a fragile state. He looked at his Shadow Hounds, who were now sniffing wildly around the stone.
"You've found the prey," Zeros said with a cruel smile. "They cannot have gone far. This boy is dying, and his scent can be traced even through the fog."
He drew his massive sword and carved a deep mark into the cave wall—a signal for Malakor that the prey had been found.
---
The silence within the cave was now filled with Zeros's heavy breathing and the growls of the Shadow Hounds. He removed his hand from the stone where Kyle's corruption still glowed faintly purple. He pressed his magical Communication Crystal in his palm and closed his eyes. For a moment, a dark wave surged within the blue crystal—sending a silent message to Malakor.
"The prey has been found, my lord," Zeros's voice echoed. "They stayed here for three days. There is an orc among them… and someone who knows the art of healing. But the 'vessel' is extremely weak. His blood melts stone, yet his body is breaking."
After sending the message, Zeros sheathed his sword and turned toward the cave entrance. The snowfall outside had stopped, but the moisture in the air had frozen everything solid like glass. Zeros let out a sharp whistle, and all three Shadow Hounds instantly gathered at his feet. Their red eyes now burned even brighter, having caught the scent of the 'purple poison' seeping from Kyle's wounds.
"Find him!" Zeros signaled firmly.
The hounds raised their heads toward the sky and let out a horrifying cry—a mix between a crying child and a wolf's howl. They dashed out of the cave and began running along the snow-covered trails where Grommash, Lyra, and Kyle had passed just hours ago.
Zeros followed behind them, but his movement had changed. He was no longer just a tracker—he was a hunter who understood his prey's weakness. He observed the deep footprints left in the snow by Grommash's heavy boots. "They won't get far carrying such weight," he thought.
Along the way, he found a small torn piece of Lyra's white robe caught in frozen thorns. Zeros picked it up and crushed it between his fingers. He could feel the 'holy energy' within it, filling him with hatred. For the warriors of the Umra Conclave, light had always been an enemy.
As they moved forward, the fog grew denser again, but it meant nothing to the Shadow Hounds. They moved straight toward the direction where Kyle's condition was worsening. Zeros increased his pace. His Level 26 body functioned like a machine—he felt neither cold nor fatigue.
Suddenly, the hounds stopped near a high cliff and stared down into the deep valley below. Zeros reached them and looked down—there were fresh drops of blood on the snow. It was not red—it had turned almost black.
"The more you run, the more traces you leave behind," Zeros said with cruel satisfaction. He gripped the hilt of his sword again. He knew that within the next few miles, he would stand before the unknown orc and the dying boy. Malakor had sent him for 'clean work,' and Zeros had a history of never leaving his prey alive—unless his master demanded otherwise.
He signaled the hounds once more to run into the darkness. The distance of death was closing in.
---
Cliffhanger
The sound of approaching death can now be clearly heard in the valleys of Whispering Pass. Commander Zeros, a Level 26 warrior, and his Shadow Hounds have reached the valley where Kyle's corrupted blood burns the snow black.
On one side stands Kyle, on the brink of death.
On the other—a hunter who has never known defeat.
Will Grommash's strength and Arin's arrows be enough to stop this ruthless warrior? Or will this clash within the fog become the team's final journey?
The distance between hunter and prey is now only a few steps.