The sky hung dark, almost metallic, weighed down by heaps of smoke that choked out the sunlight."Hold the line! Don't let them breach the perimeter!"Kael shouted orders through the roar of exploding shells. Crouched low behind a chunk of shattered concrete, his gear soaked - mud mixing with sweat and the blood of those he’d fought beside for years. Not just soldiers - he saw them as family. Named leader of the Ghost Squad, handpicked from the toughest fighters around. Supposed to be unstoppable.Yet now, they’re dropping fast.Chief! We’ve got no bullets left!” a kid soldier named Jax shouted from the ditch nearby. His shaky fingers clutched the useless gun. “Where’s that rescue rider? Shoulda showed up way before now - been over twenty minutes.”Kael bit down hard, then jabbed at his comm piece. Crackling filled his head - sharp, sudden, relentless."Command this Ghost One," Kael barked into the mike. "We're pinned down in Sector 4. Casualties are at eighty percent. Immediate evac

The moon floated above, a ghostly orb watching silently over the wide city - heart of the Azure Dragon realm.Kaelen moved down the dusty path leaving the Shadow Forest behind. Though his robe used to mean status, it hung in tatters - muddy and marked with old boar gore. Wind swept through his tangled hair under the dim sky. Anyone seeing him might’ve thought he was just some runaway scraping by after ruin.Yet how he walked said otherwise.He wasn’t dragging his feet like someone who’d lost. Instead, he glided - steady and sharp, like a wild cat hunting. Each footfall was careful, quiet, purposeful."According to Kaelen’s memories," he thought, analyzing the map in his head, "the Vance Estate is just past the Merchant District."While moving ahead, folks on roads gave him dirty looks - horses turned aside, avoiding the so-called beggar. He paid no attention. Thoughts stayed locked onto the screen flickering at the edge of his sight.[Current Quest: Return to the Clan.] [Objective: Re

The Shadow Forest got its name from more than just the trees. Instead, it came from how dark clung low, gobbling up whatever moonlight slipped through.Most growers stayed away after dark. Since the creatures came out then - mean, active at night, moving together in groups. Yet Kaelen didn’t see risk. To him, it felt more like a free meal pass for leveling up.Kaelen slipped between the low branches without a sound. After ditching his ripped noble clothes, he knotted the sleeves at his hips so his arms could move easy. Sweat shone on his torso, showing off tight, wiry strength."System, scan for targets," Kaelen commanded.[Checking...] Target spotted - 50 meters up north. It’s a Wind Wolf, rank two"Only Level 2?" Kaelen frowned. "That won't be enough."He had to close a three-part gap in just 72 hours. Taking out weak enemies wouldn’t work this time. So he went after top-tier beasts instead.He headed north regardless. Out of nowhere, a Wind Wolf stepped into the open - coat dull, t

The broken pieces of the blade dropped onto the rocky ground, ringing softly - almost like mournful chimes at a burial.Darius gaped at his bare palm, mind blank after the sudden turn. The blade - made of Blue-Steel - could cut stone without effort. Still, Kaelen broke it clean, like brittle wood in winter.You...” Darius staggered backward, confidence gone - just raw terror now. “What in the world are you?Kaelen stayed silent. Instead, he shifted forward.He skipped the complex moves. Instead, he drove upward using raw power. The rock under him cracked from the force.Boom!Before Darius had time to react, Kaelen slipped past his defense."Since you like to use your fists on those weaker than you," Kaelen said, his voice cold and flat, "let’s see how you take a punch."Kaelen drove his fist into Darius's gut.A loud snap echoed when Darius’s costly metal chest piece folded up like paper. That power kept going - ripping past bone, squashing insides."Gahhh!"Darius gasped, his eyes w