Deep in the night, while the others lay scattered around the shelter with their eyes closed and bodies barely recovering, Myles stayed awake.
The dim glow of the street lights painted weak shadows across the walls. Slow breathing filled the room. Outside, the ruined city remained unnaturally silent.
Myles sat with his back against the wall and arms resting on his knees. Fatigue weighed on his body but his mind refused to slow down. The coming battle pressed too heavily on his thoughts.
He sighed quietly.
"Sleep won't come anyway."
He focused inward and summoned the familiar presence that had guided him since the Etherfall apocalypse began.
The system responded immediately.
===
[Name: Myles Blight]
[Title: (None)]
[Level: 26]
[EXP: 5,456 / 13,000]
[HP: 340]
[MP: 980]
[Stat Points Available: 0]
[Stats]
Strength: 85
Endurance: 34
Agility: 68
Wisdom: 98
Perception: 13
[Bond skills.]
Shadow Bind. (A Rank)
Description: You can bind a target by anchoring their shadow to a surface and preventing them from moving. The strength of the bind depends on the size and complexity of the target's shadow, and it lasts for up to 10 seconds at this Level.
Range: 15 Meters from you.
Consumption: 30 Mana.
[Skills:]
[Skill: Fireball]
- Rank: D
- Mana Cost: 10
- Description: Conjures a ball of fire in the caster's hand, which can be thrown to cause explosive damage to the target.
- Cooldown: 5 seconds
[Skill: Minor Regeneration]
- Rank: F
- Description: Grants the ability to regenerate minor wounds over time. Does not require mana to activate, but the process is slow.
- Effect: Heals 1% HP every minute when get hurt.
[Skill: Bloodthirsty Slash (Passive)]
- Rank: C
- Effect: Increases damage dealt in combat based on the number of wounds inflicted during a single fight. For every wound caused, the user's damage output increases by 2%, stacking up to a maximum of 20%.
- Cooldown: None (Passive)
===
Myles stared at the glowing lines of text.
Level twenty six.
Compared to the man he had been before Etherfall, this version of himself was unrecognizable. Stronger and more dangerous.
But it still didn't feel like enough.
That giant wasn't a normal monster. Myles knew it instinctively. Something about it felt strange, like he had hidden power.
He clenched his fist slowly.
"Whatever. Tomorrow decides everything."
The status window faded away, leaving only darkness and the quiet breathing of his companions.
Myles stayed awake until the night began to thin, waiting for dawn.
Dawn crept in slowly. A thin band of pale light slipped through the cracks in the barricaded windows, washing the shelter in muted gray.
The cold of night retreated inch by inch, replaced by the stale warmth of bodies and old concrete.
One by one, eyes opened. But no one spoke much.
They ate breakfast in silence. Dry rations passed from hand to hand. Water bottles tilted back. The sound of chewing felt too loud in the quiet room.
No jokes or small talk were said. Everyone knew what waited for them once they stepped outside.
When they finished, Myles stood. All eyes turned toward him.
"Let's not complicate this," he said. His voice stayed steady. "The plan is simple."
He drew a rough shape on the dusty floor with his boot. One point at the center. Several arcs around it.
"I'll act as the bait. I'll draw the giant out of the house and pull his attention to me."
Nadine's head snapped up immediately. "No."
Myles continued anyway.
"Once he's out, Nadine and Victor take command. Split the others and surround him. We hit from every side and don't give him time to think."
"That's not going to happen, Myles," Nadine said with a worried gaze directed toward him. "You're not going alone."
Victor crossed his arms, jaw tight. "That thing isn't stupid. If it locks onto you-"
George shook his head. "Yeah. You're gambling your life. We can become bait together and then attack him together as well!"
Ryan stepped forward as well. "Let me take point with you. At least—"
Myles raised a hand.
"I know," he said. He let out a slow breath and looked at each of them in turn. "I appreciate your concern for me. Really."
He met Nadine's eyes last.
"But I'm the best choice for this."
The room stayed tense.
"I have the highest level among us," Myles continued. "The most MP, and the strongest chance for survival. If anyone can survive holding its attention, it's me."
Nadine clenched her jaw.
Victor looked away, frustration etched deep in his face.
"That doesn't mean we like it," George muttered.
"I know," Myles said. His voice softened just slightly. "And that's why I need you all to do your part perfectly. If I mess up, you finish it. No hesitation. We must kill that thing as quick as we can."
Silence settled again. This time, it wasn't fear that filled the room. It was resolve and determination to not fuck things up.
Outside, the sun finally cleared the ruins, casting shadows across the broken city.
"Come on. We are moving now."
Myles took the lead outside.
They moved out together. The ruined streets greeted them with the same uneasy silence as before. Dawn's light painted the broken buildings in pale gold, but it did nothing to chase away the tension crawling under their skin as they approached the western street again.
They slowed near the target.
One by one, the others peeled off.
Nadine led her group into a collapsed house, its shattered windows providing sightlines toward the street.
Victor guided another team into the remains of an apartment block.
Myles kept walking closer to the house. The stench hit him first. Somehow the rotting smell was thicker than yesterday. It clung to his lungs and refused to leave.
He stopped in the middle of the street.
The broken house loomed ahead, silent and unmoving. Its doorway yawned wide, darkness packed so tightly it looked solid.
Myles rolled his shoulders and tightened his grip on the Umbravore Fangblade. He keeps his new weapon in his inventory for now.
"This is it."
He took another step forward. Then another.
All eyes of his friends stayed on him from the shadows as he approached the house alone, ready to wake the monster inside.