The creature lunged.
Its elongated limbs slammed against the pavement, launching its body forward with terrifying speed. People screamed behind Arin, scattering in every direction as the monster crossed half the street in a single motion.
For a fraction of a second, his body froze.
Too fast.
I can't outrun that—
The screen flashed.
[SHADOW SYSTEM] Shadow Sense Activated
Something shifted inside his mind.
The world did not slow down, yet his perception changed in a way he couldn't explain. Tiny details suddenly became clear—the tilt of the creature's shoulders, the direction of its weight, the faint stretching of its shadow across the asphalt before its movement fully completed.
Left.
The thought appeared instinctively.
Arin stepped sideways just as the monster's claw tore through the air where his head had been. The rush of wind brushed against his hair, close enough for him to feel the force of the missed strike.
Shock surged through him.
"I… dodged?"
The creature paused, its smooth, faceless head tilting slightly as if confused that its attack had failed. Its body twitched once, then adjusted its stance, preparing to strike again.
Arin's heart pounded violently, but beneath the fear something else was forming—a thin thread of focus.
"I can't beat this thing," he thought. "But maybe I can survive."
His screen flickered again.
[SHADOW SYSTEM] First Survival Encounter Detected
[SHADOW SYSTEM] Survival Condition Active
The creature swung its arm downward with crushing force.
Arin moved again, stepping back before the blow landed. The claw slammed into the pavement, cracking the concrete where he had stood only moments earlier. Small fragments of stone scattered across the road.
A sharp breath escaped his lips.
"That would've killed me…"
People were still running behind him, some screaming his name without realizing it, others shouting directions that made no sense in the chaos. A car nearby sped away too quickly, nearly hitting several pedestrians before swerving around the corner.
The city no longer looked like the place it had been ten minutes earlier.
It looked like the beginning of something collapsing.
The shadow beneath Arin's feet shifted slightly.
He stared down for a split second.
It wasn't moving randomly. It was stretching forward—thin strands of darkness sliding across the pavement like quiet smoke reacting to his breathing.
Another pulse echoed through his chest.
[SHADOW SYSTEM] Adaptive Response Initiated
The creature roared, a dry mechanical sound that felt more like metal grinding than any living voice. It crouched lower this time, preparing for a faster, more direct attack.
Arin forced himself to stay still.
If I panic, I die.
His breathing slowed as he focused on the monster's movements. The faint ripple of darkness beneath it appeared again, marking the direction of its next step before the body actually moved.
Right.
He shifted instantly.
The monster's strike missed by inches, its claws slamming into the asphalt with explosive force. Dust burst into the air as the creature twisted its body, clearly growing more aggressive after missing multiple attacks.
A sudden realization struck him.
"It's not that I'm faster… I'm reacting earlier."
The understanding steadied him slightly. His fear didn't disappear, but it no longer controlled every movement.
His screen flickered once more.
[SHADOW SYSTEM] Movement Prediction Accuracy Increased
The creature charged again.
This time Arin didn't wait for the attack to fully begin. The moment he felt the faint shift in the shadows beneath the monster's feet, he stepped aside, narrowly avoiding another strike. The creature stumbled half a step, its momentum carrying it slightly past him before it twisted around again.
Someone shouted from the distance, "Get away from it!"
"I can't," Arin thought. "It already chose me."
The monster leaned forward again, its elongated arms spreading outward as if preparing to grab rather than strike. The movement sent a surge of adrenaline through his body.
"If it grabs me, it's over."
The shadows around his feet reacted again, stretching farther this time, thin strands sliding across the pavement toward the creature before quickly retreating.
He blinked.
"Did… I just do that?"
Another pulse echoed through his chest—stronger now, almost synchronized with his heartbeat.
[SHADOW SYSTEM] Condition Met
[SHADOW SYSTEM] New Function Unlocking…
The creature roared and lunged again, clearly intent on ending the chase in a single motion. Its claws cut through the air, aiming directly for his torso.
Arin stepped forward instead of back.
The decision surprised even him.
At the last second, he shifted sideways, the attack missing once more. The creature's momentum carried it slightly past him, its body turning sharply as it prepared to attack again.
For the first time, Arin noticed something else.
The monster wasn't unstoppable.
It was fast. Dangerous. Terrifying.
But it wasn't perfect.
"It needs a moment to recover after each swing."
That single realization gave him something he hadn't felt since the sky turned dark.
A chance.
His fists tightened instinctively, though he knew he couldn't overpower the creature. Still, the fear that had frozen him moments earlier was slowly being replaced by something sharper.
Focus.
The screen pulsed again.
[SHADOW SYSTEM] Combat Adaptation Progress: Initiated
The creature crouched low, preparing for another charge.
Arin steadied his breathing.
"I don't know what this system is," he thought, "but if it chose me… I'm surviving."
The monster launched forward again.
And this time, the shadow behind Arin moved a fraction of a second before he did.