The Silence Before the Storm Ethan stood at the edge of the abandoned outpost, his grip tight around his dagger. The place was eerily quiet. Too quiet. No signs of workers, no torches burning, no wagons loaded with goods. Just empty buildings, the occasional creak of wood in the breeze, and the lingering scent of something rotten. Then— A System notification flashed across his vision.

  [DANGER DETECTED]

  [THREAT LEVEL: UNKNOWN] His heartbeat quickened. Something was here. And it was watching him. Examining the Outpost Ethan moved carefully, keeping his footsteps light. The outpost consisted of:

  A main storage house – The largest building, where shipments were likely prepared.

  A small barracks – Where the workers slept.

  A blacksmith’s workshop – Likely used for repairing tools and weapons.

  A stable – Empty, the doors slightly ajar. No signs of struggle. No blood. No bodies. But the longer Ethan stayed, the more unnatural the silence felt. Like the place itself was holding its breath. And then— A faint sound. A low, wet scratching noise coming from inside the storage house. Something was inside. Waiting.

  A Shadow Moves Ethan crouched low, keeping to the edges of the building. His Shadow Cloak passive made it easier to move unseen in the dim light. Step by step, he approached the storage house door. The scratching sound grew louder. More frantic. Like something was tearing through wood or cloth. Then— A soft click. A floorboard creaked behind him. Ethan froze. Then whipped around— Just in time to see a dark, twisted shape lunging at him. First Strike He barely had time to react. Shadow Step—Activated. In an instant, he flashed backward, the creature’s claws slashing through empty air. It landed where he had just stood— A grotesque, twisted humanoid figure, its skin blackened like charred flesh. Its eyes burned red, hollow and empty, like embers in a dying fire. And its mouth was too wide. Too inhuman.

  This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

  [IDENTIFYING ENTITY…]

  ??? – UNKNOWN CLASSIFICATION

  THREAT LEVEL: MID-F-RANK – POSSIBLY HIGHER

  Ethan gritted his teeth. What the hell is this thing? It wasn’t like the monsters in the dungeon. It wasn’t like the beasts that roamed outside the city. It felt… different. Familiar, somehow. And then it moved. Faster than something that size should be able to.

  A Desperate Battle The creature lunged again, its clawed hands reaching for Ethan’s throat. He ducked, twisting to the side— Then countered with Silent Blade. [Silent Blade – Activated] Daggers infused with shadow energy +15% bonus damage His dagger sliced across the creature’s ribs. Dark, tar-like blood splattered onto the dirt. The creature let out a horrible, gurgling snarl. But it didn’t slow down. Instead, its body shifted, bones cracking as it moved at an unnatural angle. Then it attacked again— This time faster. It’s learning. A Losing Fight Ethan dodged left, barely avoiding a clawed swipe. He was faster. But the creature was relentless. It didn’t feel pain. It didn’t hesitate. And Ethan? He was already tiring. I need to end this fast. Dark Grasp—Activated. Shadows erupted from the ground, coiling around the creature’s limbs, restraining it. It thrashed violently, snarling— Forcing Ethan to act. Void Lance—Activated. A bolt of dark energy exploded from his palm, hitting the creature square in the chest. The force sent it crashing backward, its body twitching. For a brief moment— Ethan thought it was over. Then the creature stood up. Its wounds were already closing. Ethan’s blood ran cold. It’s regenerating.

  More Are Coming The air grew thick. Heavy. And then— A second pair of glowing red eyes appeared from the shadows. Then a third. And a fourth. Ethan’s breath hitched. The first one had been bad enough. But now? There were more. Too many. He needed to get out of here. Now. He activated Shadow Step, retreating toward the edge of the outpost. The creatures didn’t chase him immediately. They just stood there, staring. Watching. Almost as if they were letting him leave. And that terrified him more than anything. A Fading Whisper As Ethan reached the edge of the outpost, a new System message appeared.

  [UNKNOWN PRESENCE DETECTED]

  [RECORDING ENTITY SIGNATURE…]

  [INCOMPLETE DATA—ERROR]

  And beneath it— A faint whisper. Not from the System. Not from his own thoughts. Just a single, chilling voice in the back of his mind. “You are not ready yet… But soon.” Ethan’s breath caught. And when he turned back toward the outpost— The creatures were gone. Only the silence remained.