As Soryn lay on the ground, his chest burned where the monster's claws had struck him. The pain spread through his body like fire, making it difficult even to breathe.
Heavy footsteps echoed closer more and more as he barely kept his eyes open.
The bear-shaped monster slowly approached him. Its massive body, formed from jagged stone and twisted flesh, towered above him.
Its glowing eyes locked onto Soryn as if it had already claimed its prey.
Soryn stared at the creature, his thoughts slowing as exhaustion overwhelmed him.
So… this is how I die… he thought.
The monster raised one of its massive claws high into the air, preparing to tear him apart in a single strike.
But just as the claw began to descend-
Thud!
An arrow shot through the air and struck the monster's arm.
The impact was unexpectedly powerful. The force drove the arrow deep into the creature's stone-like flesh and pushed its arm aside, making the monster stagger backward with a furious roar.
"Soryn!" Serenya shouted as she rushed toward him.
Her footsteps echoed across the broken street as she reached him quickly. Without hesitation, she stretched her hand toward him.
"Are you alright?" she asked urgently.
Soryn grabbed her hand. With her help, he forced himself back onto his feet, though his body trembled from the damage he had taken.
The monster did not waste any time. With a deep roar filled with rage, the stone bear lunged forward again, swinging its enormous claws toward them.
But this time Serenya stepped forward.
She raised her sword and barely blocked the attack.
Clang!
The moment the monster's claws struck against her blade, a powerful shockwave burst outward. Dust and loose debris were blown away by the impact, the air itself trembled from the force of the collision.
Serenya's arms shook slightly as she struggled to hold the monster back.
Behind her, Soryn stood as his mind started to race more and more.
I need to do something…
But his body refused to move. His muscles trembled violently, his strength already pushed beyond its limit.
As he kept thinking a way Serenya shouted loudly without turning back.
"Now, Isaya!"
Behind them, Isaya had already prepared his bow.
The young boy quickly placed two arrows onto the bowstring, his small hands moving with surprising focus despite the fear on his face.
He pulled the string back.
For a brief moment, everything felt silent.
Then he released the arrows.
Both arrows pierced directly into the monster's eyes.
The bear let out a deafening roar of pain as its massive body staggered backward, its claws thrashing wildly through the air.
But before the creature could recover.
Serenya's body dashed forward in a sudden burst of speed. Her sword flashed through the air in a clean, deadly arc.
Slash.
The blade cut through the monster's thick neck.
For a moment, the massive creature remained standing.
Then its head fell followed by its enormous body which collapsed onto the ground with a thunderous crash, shaking the ruined street beneath them.
Serenya's body finally gave in to exhaustion as the monster's massive corpse crashed onto the ground. She slowly dropped to her knees, her sword slipping slightly in her hand as she tried to steady her breathing.
Soryn and Isaya immediately rushed toward her.
"Are you okay?" they both asked at the same time, their voices filled with concern.
Serenya lifted her head and looked at them. Despite the sweat on her face and the fatigue in her eyes, a small smile appeared on her lips.
"I'm alright," she said softly. "We… we really survived."
For a brief moment, the tension between their eyes eased.
Soryn and Isaya both smiled in relief.
Soryn extended his hand toward her. Serenya grabbed it, and he helped her stand up carefully.
But the moment she regained her balance, Soryn's expression hardened again.
"Without wasting any time, we need to move," he said firmly. "I don't think this place is safe any longer."
Around them, the battle was far from over.
All across the ruined streets, people continued fighting the monsters that had fallen from the sky. Some screamed in pain; others shouted in desperation as claws clashed with weapons. The city was no longer a place where they can think feel themselves safe.
The three of them began moving through the street, carefully stepping around debris and fallen bodies.
As they moved forward, Isaya suddenly stopped and pointed ahead.
"Mister… look," he said.
As Soryn looked forward his eyes widened.
A group of monsters had gathered ahead, blocking the entire road. Their twisted forms moved restlessly, some crawling across the pavement while others stood tall like distorted statues of flesh and bone.
"...Tsk," Soryn clicked his tongue quietly.
We can't go through there, he thought, frowning.
There are too many monsters.
His eyes narrowed as he quickly analyzed the situation.
Serenya and I are both injured… and Isaya can't fight them all.
Then he suddenly shook his head slightly.
What am I even thinking? he thought bitterly. Why am I even considering a ten-year-old boy fighting monsters like this…
Soryn brought his hand to his chin, lightly touching it with his fingers as he continued thinking.
But another thought slowly formed in his mind.
Wait…
How was Isaya able to fire those arrows like that? he wondered.
And the power behind them… it was strong.
And Serenya too… her sword strike… she even blocked that monster's attack head-on.
Before he could continue thinking, Serenya's voice pulled him back.
"Soryn… what should we do?" she asked.
Soryn didn't answer immediately.
His eyes moved around the surroundings carefully as he tried to find a way out.
Then his eyes blinked as if he had found something.
"There," he said, pointing toward a narrow alley between two tall buildings.
"We should move through that alley."
Without wasting another second, the three of them quickly changed direction and headed toward the small passage.
The alley was narrow and dim, shadows stretching along the walls as broken pipes and scattered trash lined the ground.
When they reached the middle of the alley, Soryn suddenly stopped.
He turned around and looked at both Serenya and Isaya.
"How were both of you able to fight so well against those monsters?" he asked.
Then his gaze moved toward Isaya.
"And Isaya… how were you able to produce those arrows?"
Serenya and Isaya looked at each other for a moment before turning back toward him.
Serenya spoke first.
"I… don't really know myself," she admitted. "But after the first quest was completed, I felt something change."
She clenched her fist slightly.
"My strength increased… my body feels stronger. It's like my abilities were boosted."
As she finished speaking, Isaya quickly added in his soft, innocent voice,
"I was able to make those arrows because of my wind abilities."
Soryn raised an eyebrow slightly.
"I unlocked a skill," Isaya continued. "It lets me craft things using my wind power… that's how I made the arrows."
Serenya then looked directly at Soryn, her eyes narrowing slightly.
"Wait… didn't you also get a skill?" she asked.
"Or at least some kind of skill boost?"
Soryn's fingers hovered in the air as his mind raced, and instinctively he opened his status window.
As the window opened in front of him his eyes widened in shock.
[Status Window]
Player Name: Soryn Veylor
Age: 20
Gender: Male
Power: F Rank
Ability: Author
Ability Info: Error
Strength: Error
HP: Error
Intelligence: Error
Agility: Error
Luck: Error
What… what is this? he thought, as a chill ran down his spine. He blinked several times.
Is this… some kind of system display? he thought, his mind spinning. All of this… errors? Nothing makes sense.
Before he could process it further, a low rumble reverberated through the alley. Soryn whipped his head around. The building around the alley started to fall down.
"Run!" Soryn shouted, grabbing Serenya's hand and pulling Isaya along with him.
The three of them sprinted down the alley, dodging the falling debris.