Inside the abandoned factory, the snarls of the augmented hounds mixed with the dull crash of metal, forming a suffocating wall of noise.
Golden energy flowed around Ayla's body as she pushed her werewolf strength to its limit. Every punch cracked bone and drew vicious howls from the hounds—but creatures twisted by dark magic didn't know pain. Even with shattered limbs, they dragged themselves forward, biting wildly. Saliva mixed with blackened blood splattered across the floor, hissing as it ate into the concrete.
Ryan stayed behind a steel pillar, his heart pounding hard enough to hurt. Through True Sight, he could clearly see thick black energy wrapped around each hound. That power was fueling their frenzy—and their regeneration.
Ayla's coat was torn in several places. Deep claw marks covered her shoulders and arms, some so deep bone showed through. Golden energy sealed the wounds quickly, but her breathing had grown ragged, her movements slower. Fighting five of these things at once was draining her fast.
"She won't last much longer," Ryan thought, sweat beading on his forehead.
The trap switch he'd activated earlier had only stopped new hounds from appearing—it hadn't weakened the ones already here. His hand instinctively closed around the charm on his chest, its warmth calming him just enough.
Then a memory surfaced.
While studying the Shadow Pawn System, he'd seen an item listed once—Magic Disruptor. Description: Interferes with low-level dark magic energy, slowing modified creatures.
"Magic Disruptor requires 50 Shadow Points."
Ryan's chest tightened. He only had 100 points total from early missions. Fifty was a heavy cost—but hesitation wasn't an option.
"Exchange it. Now."
A cool current washed through him. A palm-sized black device appeared in his hand, shaped like an old radio, three simple runes etched across its surface.
Activation: press the top button. Effective radius: ten meters. Duration: five minutes.
Ryan tightened his grip and locked his eyes on the center of the fight.
At that moment, Ayla was surrounded by three hounds. One clamped its jaws into her left side. She grunted, twisted, and crushed its spine with a brutal punch—but the opening nearly cost her. Another hound lunged straight for her throat.
"Now!" Ryan shouted.
He burst from cover.
Ayla caught sight of him and went pale. "Don't—!"
Too late.
One hound peeled away and charged Ryan instead, the stench hitting him like a wave. His stomach churned.
Ryan reacted on instinct. As the hound leapt, he rolled sideways, narrowly escaping its jaws—and slammed his thumb down on the disruptor.
Hummmm.
The device vibrated softly. Pale blue light flared across the runes. An invisible wave rippled outward.
The effect was immediate.
The hound landed—and froze mid-motion, its movements suddenly sluggish, as if wading through thick water. The green glow in its eyes dimmed.
At the center of the battlefield, the other three hounds staggered to a halt. Their growls dropped into confused whimpers as the black energy around them was torn away.
"It worked!" Ryan's heart leapt.
Ayla felt it too. Her eyes sharpened.
Golden energy exploded from her body as she moved. One hound was kicked aside. Two more fell as her fists caved in their skulls with sharp, final cracks.
The last hound tried to rise—but its legs gave out. Ayla walked up to it calmly and crushed its head under her boot.
Silence returned.
Only heavy breathing remained.
Ayla checked the bodies, then glanced at the device in Ryan's hand. "Shadow Pawn System item?"
"Yeah," Ryan said, wiping sweat from his brow. "Cost me fifty points."
She nodded once. "Worth it."
Her wounds had mostly healed, leaving shallow scars behind. "Now we find the lab."
Ryan activated True Sight again. This time, the dark energy inside the factory wasn't scattered—it was flowing in one direction. Toward the deepest section, near an abandoned warehouse.
They moved quietly.
The warehouse door creaked open with a light push. Inside, sunlight filtered through holes in the roof, illuminating piles of old fabric and wooden crates.
Ryan froze.
On one wall—dense black runes. Familiar. The same pattern he'd seen before, only far more complex.
"There," he said. "Hidden entrance."
"These are concealment seals," Ayla said after inspecting them. "Low-level, but layered."
A system prompt flashed in Ryan's mind.
Analyze energy flow. Identify weak point. Physical or magical strike will break the seal.
He traced the energy lines with True Sight and found it—a triangular rune at the center.
"That one," he said. "Hit that."
Ayla stepped back and punched.
The wall shook. The runes went dark. With a low grind, the wall slid open, revealing a narrow passage reeking of chemicals and dark magic.
Ryan stepped forward—
"Wait." Ayla stopped him and shone her flashlight inside.
The passage was narrow, damp, and pulsing faintly red deep within.
"Energy is unstable," Ryan warned. "Something's moving in there."
"We go anyway," Ayla said. "Linton is likely inside. Stay behind me."
They entered.
The wall sealed shut behind them.
Five minutes later, the passage opened into a chamber sealed by a massive metal door carved with glowing red runes.
"This is it," Ayla whispered.
A heavy impact slammed from the other side.
A man screamed.
Ryan's blood ran cold. Through True Sight, he saw a towering shape thrashing beyond the door, wrapped in violent dark energy.
"The seals are reacting," Ayla said sharply.
Too late.
Black energy beams fired outward.
Ayla shoved Ryan aside. The beam grazed her shoulder and blasted a crater into the tunnel wall.
Ryan hit the ground hard.
The metal door began to open.
And through the gap—
A pair of glowing red eyes locked onto him.