The entire camp was frozen in shock. No one moved. No one breathed. Then, the night was ripped apart by the screams of dying soldiers.
Commander Felix was the first to act. "We can't sit idle while our men are dying!" he barked, already grabbing his sword.
The knights snapped out of their stupor and followed the commander, weapons drawn.
Inside the command tent, Ryu stared at the untouched feast laid out on the table. Such a waste, he thought, just as another agonized scream pierced the air. He gulped. Yeah, no way I can eat with that going on.
He pushed back his chair and scanned the tent, searching for anything—anything—he could use as a weapon. He cursed under his breath. Should've kept at least one blade.
Nothing.
Ryu flung open the tent flaps.
And froze.
The camp was chaos. Knights stumbled through the firelit haze, torches and swords flailing. The screams were endless, a terrible symphony of pain and panic. The shriek of Kolasis split the air—but this time, it wasn't alone.
There were more.
Dozens of them.
Ryu crept toward the sound, heart pounding. What he saw made his blood run cold.
They looked like Kolasis, but smaller—around six feet tall. They lacked axes, but they didn't need them. Their claws were more than enough. One leapt onto a soldier and tore into him like paper. Blood sprayed, screams echoed.
Ryu staggered back, bile rising in his throat. Then he felt it—that prickling sensation on the back of his neck.
One of the creatures had locked eyes with him.
"Great. Just my luck."
The beast charged.
Ryu bolted. "Shit! Shit! Shit!"
The monster was fast. Too fast. It was closing the gap.
Then Ryu spotted it: a severed arm, still gripping a bloodied sword.
Without thinking, he dove forward, gravel scraping his skin, and ripped the blade from the dead man's hand. He spun around, dropping to one knee, sword raised—
The monster pounced, claws outstretched. Ryu barely had time to raise his sword. Steel met flesh with a jarring clash, the impact rattling down his arms and nearly knocking the blade from his hands.
His muscles screamed in protest, but he gritted his teeth and forced the beast back with a desperate shove. As he scrambled to his feet, he locked eyes with the creature. Its jagged teeth gleamed in the torchlight, thick saliva dripping from its snarling jaw.
No time to rest.
The creature lunged again, but Ryu didn't flinch. He planted his feet, grounding himself, and met the charge head-on. Its claws screeched against the blade, sparks flying as metal resisted bone.
The creature jumped back, then came again—faster this time.
Instead of blocking, Ryu deflected the blow, guiding it away with a twist of his blade. The move left the beast's torso exposed, and Ryu didn't hesitate. With all the strength he could muster, he drove his sword deep into its chest.
The monster let out a guttural cry and staggered. Ryu exhaled in relief. It's over.
But it wasn't.
With a sudden snap, the creature bit into his sword arm. Pain exploded through him. He screamed, his fingers going numb as he tried to pull free—only for the pain to intensify.
Roaring through the agony, Ryu slammed his free fist into the monster's face, then clawed at its eyes. One. Two. Three brutal strikes.
The creature shrieked and finally released him.
Ryu staggered back, blood pouring from the bite. He turned to run, but his legs gave out. He collapsed, gasping. Every inch of his body throbbed.
Behind him, the beast was still alive. Limping, snarling, its movements sluggish, but relentless. The sword still jutted from its torso, oozing thick, vermeil blood as it closed in.
Ryu crawled, desperately trying to escape—but it was no use.
This is it...
Then his fingers brushed against something—a familiar grip.
A blade.
Just as the monster leapt with its maw wide open, Ryu twisted around and rammed the blade upward, straight into its mouth.
With a sickening squelch, the sword pierced through its skull, and a torrent of hot, vermilion blood sprayed over Ryu's face.
The beast collapsed on top of him, dead weight pinning him to the ground.
Ryu lay there, panting, his body trembling, blood in his mouth, on his face, his arm screaming in pain.
Then, he heard it—a soft ding, like a bell echoing in the back of his mind.
A translucent screen blinked into view:
[You Have Killed Kolasis's Hatchling]
[Rank: Ordinary]
The creature's corpse collapsed atop Ryu, drenching him in thick, black blood. It was warm. It reeked. And it was heavy.
Ryu groaned, panting hard. Every breath felt like fire.
But before he could catch his breath, the ground beneath him trembled—low, steady, ominous. It wasn't over. This was just the beginning.
With a grunt, Ryu shoved the hatchling's body off with all the strength he could summon and turned his head.
In the distance, Kolasis towered above the chaos, engaged in brutal combat with Commander Felix. But it wasn't a fair fight. Felix was struggling.
Still, Ryu couldn't worry about that yet. If he didn't treat his wounds soon, he wouldn't make it another minute.
He glanced down at his body. A massive bite mark throbbed on his sword arm, bones jutted where they shouldn't, and bruises colored his skin from head to toe.
Then he saw it—the soldier he'd taken the dagger from. Lifeless. Still. Ryu whispered, "Thank you," even though the man would never hear him.
He rummaged through the fallen soldier's belongings, hoping. Please... please...
He found a leather pouch and opened it with shaking fingers.
Inside—it was there. That same mysterious liquid he'd seen before. Glowing faintly, almost humming with energy.
Without hesitation, Ryu drank it all.
Relief washed over him as the pain dulled and the flesh wounds sealed. But something was different this time—his bones still ached, some still broken. Not enough.
Still, it would have to do.
He rose unsteadily, retrieved his sword and dagger from the corpse of the hatchling, and began to move—slowly, grimly—toward the heart of the battle.
As he walked, the world around him was painted in fire and blood. The bodies of soldiers and hatchlings littered the field like fallen leaves in a storm. Small skirmishes flared around him, but he didn't stop. He didn't look.
His focus was singular.
Kolasis.
And finally, after what felt like an eternity, he reached the battleground.