The bell rang through the futuristic halls of Delsin High, its metallic chime echoing like a release of pressure. Chairs screeched, lockers hissed open, and students poured out like a flood of color and chatter. Jordan slumped over his desk, staring at the holographic notes still floating above his tablet.
Ethan nudged him with an elbow. "You look like someone got hit by a digital truck."
Jordan groaned. "I was hit by a digital wolf."
Ethan snorted. "You stayed up all night again, didn't you?"
"Yeah," Jordan said, rubbing his eyes. "Got my first quest from the Hunters Guild. Nearly got torn in half, but I managed to bring down a few wolves."
Ethan's smirk softened into something close to pride. "And you said you didn't have what it takes. You're turning into a real gamer, Lethal."
Jordan grinned faintly at the nickname. "Don't jinx it."
The bell tone shifted — signaling dismissal. Jordan stood, stretching, his bones cracking in quiet protest. "Alright, I'm heading out. Gotta pick up Elira."
Ethan slung his bag over his shoulder. "Tell the little gremlin I said hi."
"Will do," Jordan said, waving as he stepped out of class.
The sun was sinking behind the skyline of glass and neon, painting the city in hues of gold and violet. Hover-cars zipped by, leaving trails of light. Billboards advertised everything from energy drinks to virtual reality headsets, and one massive hologram of Hakuri, the Overseer, hovered above the central plaza — his digital eyes watching everyone below.
"Only the strong endure."
The slogan pulsed with light as Jordan passed it. He tightened his grip on his bag. Yeah, he thought. I'll make sure of that.
At Elira's school, a group of kids played holographic tag on the playground, their laughter echoing through the air. Elira waved as soon as she spotted him.
"Brother Jordan! Over here!"
She sprinted toward him, ponytail bouncing, her small backpack flashing with LED stars. "You're late again!"
Jordan chuckled. "I was busy saving the world. You know, typical big-brother stuff."
She rolled her eyes dramatically. "You mean video games."
He grinned. "Same difference."
They walked home together, passing food vendors and towering neon trees that lit the walkways. Elira talked non-stop about school gossip, her voice like a melody against the hum of drones and city sounds.
When they reached home, their mother greeted them with a tired smile. "Dinner will be ready in an hour," she said. "Jordan, don't stay up too late again."
"Yeah, yeah," he said, already heading to his room.
The moment the VR helmet clicked into place, the world dissolved. Reality bled away into light — and then reshaped itself into the rugged, dust-filled air of Morleen Village.
< WELCOME BACK, JORDAN LETHAL >
Jordan opened his eyes to see the sun dipping behind the metallic rooftops. He stretched his arms, feeling the faint pulse of digital energy that always accompanied re-entry.
"System," he said, voice steady. "Show me available quests."
The familiar blue interface appeared.
< AVAILABLE QUEST: SHADOWS OF KANJU >
< OBJECTIVE: INVESTIGATE DISTURBANCE IN KANJU FOREST >
< REWARD: 2,000 XP / 1,500 GOLD / RANDOM ITEM DROP >
Jordan's brows furrowed. "Disturbance? That doesn't sound like another fang hunt."
He accepted the quest.
< QUEST ACCEPTED >
The world shimmered. A faint trail of light stretched north, leading into the dark woods.
Night had fallen over Kanju Forest. Moonlight dripped through the trees, silver and cold. The wind whispered like something alive — carrying distant howls that raised the hairs on Jordan's neck.
He moved cautiously, knives drawn, each step deliberate. The forest felt wrong tonight. The air was heavier. The ground… colder.
The system flickered suddenly.
< WARNING: ENERGY FLUCTUATION DETECTED >
A low growl answered it — deeper, guttural, vibrating through the trees.
Then came the voice, echoing like a whisper wrapped in thunder.
"So… another prey walks into my den."
Jordan froze.
From the shadows ahead, a massive shape emerged — a wolf twice the size of any he'd fought before. Its fur wasn't just dark — it absorbed light, as if the night itself clung to it. Crimson eyes glowed from a face marked by scars, and black mist leaked from its mouth with every breath.
< MINI-BOSS ENCOUNTER: SHADOW WOLF ALPHA>
Jordan took an involuntary step back. "Oh, great. A boss fight. Level four versus… whatever the hell this is."
The wolf's voice rumbled again, inside his head this time.
"You carry the scent of my children… You killed them."
Jordan swallowed hard, forcing his fear down. "They attacked me first."
"Then die like they did" .The ground exploded beneath its paws as it lunged. Jordan barely rolled aside — dirt and shadow blasting past him like shrapnel. He slashed out, his knives scraping against its hide, sparks flying — but the wolf barely flinched.
It turned, eyes burning, and roared. The shockwave slammed Jordan into a tree. His health plummeted.
< HP: 38% >
He coughed blood, vision flickering. "Not… good."
The wolf charged again. Jordan dodged — barely — and stabbed upward, catching its leg. It howled and whipped its tail, knocking him off balance. He hit the ground hard, knives flying from his hands.
< HP: 22% >
Jordan lay there gasping. The world pulsed in and out of focus. Get up, he told himself. Come on, Jordan. Don't quit now.
But the wolf was already above him, claws raised.
Then—
Time seemed to slow.
He could feel the air shifting. The rhythm of the beast's breath. The faint tremor before its strike. The shadows themselves seemed to pulse with his heartbeat.
A whisper echoed through his mind — not the system's voice, but something deeper, older.
< NEW ABILITY UNLOCKED: SHADOW INSTINCT >
The world snapped back into motion — but Jordan was already moving. His hand shot up, catching the wolf's claw before it struck his chest. His other hand reached for a fallen knife, twisting his body in one smooth motion.
He slashed.
The blade cut clean through the wolf's paw. Black mist burst into the air.
The beast howled in fury, leaping back. Jordan's eyes glowed faintly — the reflection of the moon, mirrored in his pupils. He could see every movement now. Every twitch, every breath.
"Shadow Instinct," he muttered. "So this is what power feels like."
The wolf charged again, but this time Jordan was faster. He ducked under its claws, rolled behind it, and stabbed twice into its ribs. It roared, spinning to bite, but Jordan had already vanished into the darkness.
He appeared behind it — silent as a ghost — and drove both knives into its neck.
< CRITICAL HIT! >
< SHADOW WOLF ALPHA HP: 25% >
The monster staggered, shadows flickering wildly around it. It howled one last time, charging recklessly.
Jordan leaped, twisting mid-air. Time slowed again — heart pounding, knives gleaming — and he landed a clean strike through its skull.
The wolf froze.
Its body trembled.
Then it dissolved into black dust.
< MINI-BOSS DEFEATED >
< +2,000 XP GAINED >
< LEVEL UP: 4 —> 5 >
< RANDOM ITEM DROPPED: SHADOW CORE>
< ABILITY UPGRADE AVAILABLE >
Jordan fell to his knees, gasping for air. The forest was silent again.
He looked down at his trembling hands. Shadows curled faintly around his fingers, obeying his thoughts.
He smiled — exhausted but alive. "Looks like I'm finally getting the hang of this."
Above him, the moon broke through the clouds, spilling light over the trees. Jordan stood, pocketed the Shadow Core, and whispered to the empty woods.
"Your move, Nexus."