The Long Walk Back Ethan emerged from the sewer tunnels, his boots splattered with filthy water and blood. His heartbeat was steady, but his mind was racing. That thing he fought—it wasn’t just a sewer beast. It was one of them. The same kind of creature that had been at the outpost. And that meant this wasn’t an isolated event. These creatures were moving. Spreading. And no one was stopping them. The Smith’s Reward The streets of Portland were still buzzing with life as Ethan made his way back to Hollow Fang Forge. The familiar scent of molten metal greeted him as he stepped inside. Boros, the scarred blacksmith, looked up from his workbench. “Well?” Ethan pulled a severed, blackened claw from his pouch and dropped it on the counter. Boros raised an eyebrow. “…That’s not a sewer rat.” Ethan exhaled. “No. It’s not.” Boros studied the claw, frowning. “Damn thing looks… wrong.” Ethan didn’t respond. Because Boros was right. The longer you stared at the twisted, charred flesh, the more it seemed to shift—like something was still alive beneath it. Finally, the blacksmith shook his head. “Doesn’t matter. You did the job.” He reached under the counter, pulled out the Twin Shadowfangs, and set them down with a heavy thunk. [Twin Shadowfangs – Uncommon] Forged from shadow-infused steel. Grants +5% bonus damage in darkness. Slightly reduces enemy perception of the user in low-light environments. Boros crossed his arms. “You still owe me 225 Gold. But I’ll let you pay that off later.” Ethan nodded. “I’ll get it to you soon.” Boros grunted. “Take care of those blades. You’re gonna need ‘em.”

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  A Silent Realization As Ethan left the forge, he felt the weight of the daggers on his belt. They were better than his old weapon. Sharper. Faster. But they didn’t make him invincible. Not against whatever was coming. He glanced at the claw in his hand. Then, without a word— He tossed it into a nearby gutter. Some things weren’t meant to be kept.