The rain started early that morning. The Duke had already been gone for three days. He had taken many of the city's main guards with him to deal with a border issue in the north. Because of that, Greyhaven was less protected than usual.
Adrien noticed something was off.
House Valmere had been unusually active since the Duke left. Their men were moving through the western district more than usual. Guards loyal to them were whispering and avoiding eye contact. It was not normal behavior.
Adrien did not confront them yet. He chose to observe.
Inside the Valmere estate, Lord Cedric Valmere, his nephew Roland, and Lady Mirelle were meeting in a private chamber.
Cedric believed the Duke was weak. He thought the Duke relied too much on outsiders, especially Adrien. He also believed that the city would support a stronger ruler if instability occurred.
Their plan was simple: create fear, make the Duke look incapable of protecting the city, then step in as saviors and claim authority while he was away.
They were not acting alone.
They had secretly contacted a pack of werewolves that lived deep in the western forest. The agreement was this:
The wolves would attack the outer districts and cause chaos.
House Valmere would use their private forces to "restore order."
In return, the wolves would be allowed to control parts of the territory permanently and hunt freely.
That was the deal.
Four representatives of the wolf pack were present in the Valmere cellar. They appeared human, but their eyes were yellow and their movements unnatural. The leader of the group agreed to begin the attack that night.
However, there was something the Valmeres did not understand.
The wolves were not planning to share power.
They intended to weaken the city first. Then eliminate the Valmere family. Then control Greyhaven themselves.
To the wolves, the nobles were temporary tools.
That night, the attack began.
It started in the western district — the same area controlled heavily by House Valmere.
Civilians were attacked in the streets. Guards were overwhelmed. Large wolf-like creatures moved across rooftops and through alleys. They were coordinated and disciplined.
This was not random violence.
Adrien arrived at the first scene within minutes. The victim had died quickly. The wounds were deep and torn. This confirmed it was werewolves, not normal wolves.
The system reacted immediately.
[New Hostiles Detected]
Moments later, one of the werewolves jumped from a rooftop and attacked Adrien directly.
The creature was larger than any normal wolf. It stood partially upright and had extended limbs. It moved quickly and healed minor wounds almost instantly.
Adrien engaged it without hesitation.
He blocked its claws, cut across its ribs, and confirmed regeneration ability.
[+28 EXP]
When the wound began closing, Adrien used:
[Skill Used: Shadow Chains Lv.2]
[Shadow Energy: 1070/1120]
Black chains restrained the werewolf long enough for Adrien to strike through its spine.
[+96 EXP]
Three more appeared.
One of them spoke clearly:
"Your city invited us."
This confirmed Adrien's suspicion.
The attack was connected to House Valmere.
The wolves were not mindless beasts. They were organized and thinking strategically.
Adrien used:
[Skill Used: Phantom Echo Lv.1]
[Shadow Energy: 1018/1120]
The illusion distracted one wolf. Adrien killed it quickly.
[+34 EXP]
The others attacked together. They tried to surround him. Adrien responded with:
[Skill Used: Dark Flare Lv.3]
[Shadow Energy: 868/1120]
The black flames forced two to retreat. The third ignored the pain and managed to bite Adrien's arm.
[HP: -48]
Adrien countered immediately and killed it.
[+112 EXP]
The remaining wolves withdrew to higher ground.
Then a louder howl echoed from deeper within the western district.
The system responded:
[Boss-Class Presence Detected]
The direction of the howl was clear.
It came from the Valmere estate.
That meant one of two things:
The wolves had moved their main force there.
The wolves had turned on the Valmeres.
Adrien chose to move immediately.
His reasoning was simple.
Predators do not share power.
If House Valmere believed they could control a werewolf pack, they had made a fatal mistake.
And if the wolves had decided to remove their temporary allies, the city was about to lose one of its noble houses in a single night.
Adrien ran toward the Valmere estate, preparing for a larger fight.
The real battle had not started yet.
The western district was no longer under control.
City guards had formed defensive lines near the market square, but they were being pushed back. Werewolves were not attacking randomly anymore. They were targeting supply points, guard towers, and intersections. That showed planning.
Adrien reached the first barricade near Ironbell Street.
Six guards were holding the line behind overturned carts and wooden shields. Two were already wounded. One young guard was shaking while trying to reload a crossbow.
A werewolf leapt over the barricade.
Adrien moved before anyone else reacted.
He stepped into its path and cut across its chest mid-air. The blade hit deep. The creature crashed to the ground, tried to rise, and Adrien drove his sword through its throat.
[+82 EXP]
The guards stared at him for a second.
"Move the injured back," Adrien said. "They're targeting weak points. Reinforce the side streets."
He did not wait for a reply.
Two more wolves rushed from an alley.
Adrien used Shadow Step.
[Skill Used: Shadow Step Lv.3]
[Shadow Energy: 1034/1120]
He appeared behind one and severed its arm. The second tried to flank him, but he kicked it back into a wooden wall, cracking the stone behind it.
He followed up with Dark Flare.
[Skill Used: Dark Flare Lv.3]
[Shadow Energy: 882/1120]
The flames wrapped around the creature. It screamed and tried to roll. Adrien ended it quickly.
[+95 EXP]
The guards regained some confidence and pushed forward.
A horn sounded from the east gate.
Adventurers were arriving.
A team of dwarves from the Ironcrest Guild charged down the main road with heavy shields and axes. Behind them, two elves stood on rooftops firing arrows with precise aim. A tall beastkin with horns carried a massive hammer and was smashing wolves away from civilians.
This was no longer a simple monster attack. It had become a battle for control of the district.
Adrien moved again.
He heard screams from a collapsed house.
Inside, a mother and two children were cornered by a werewolf that was half-shifted, still speaking broken words while hunting them.
Adrien entered through a broken wall.
The wolf turned toward him and smiled with blood on its teeth.
"You're too late," it said.
Adrien did not answer.
The wolf lunged. Adrien blocked and twisted his blade, cutting through muscle. The creature grabbed him and tried to bite his neck. Adrien headbutted it hard enough to break its nose, then stabbed upward through its jaw.
[+88 EXP]
He turned to the family.
"Leave through the back. Follow the guards."
They ran.
He stepped outside just as three more wolves dropped from the rooftops.
One was larger. Its aura was stronger.
Not boss level, but close.
The larger one spoke clearly. "You're the outsider."
Adrien did not slow down.
He attacked first.
He used Phantom Echo.
[Skill Used: Phantom Echo Lv.2]
[Shadow Energy: 820/1120]
Two illusions split from him and attacked from opposite sides. The wolves hesitated just long enough.
Adrien targeted the strongest first.
He enhanced his body with shadow energy and closed the distance faster than the wolf expected. His sword cut across its abdomen, deep enough to expose muscle.
The creature retaliated with a claw that scraped across Adrien's shoulder.
[HP: -36]
Adrien stepped inside its guard and struck three times in quick succession: ribs, throat, eye.
It dropped.
[+134 EXP]
The remaining two tried to escape. Adrien used Shadow Chains.
[Skill Used: Shadow Chains Lv.3]
[Shadow Energy: 642/1120]
The chains wrapped around one wolf's legs and dragged it down. He finished it with a clean strike.
[+74 EXP]
The last one ran into the street and collided with a dwarf shield wall. The dwarves crushed it with coordinated strikes.
The ground was covered in bodies.
Adrien could feel his breathing getting heavier, but he was still in control.
He checked the system briefly.
[Level Progress: 64% → 72%]
He continued moving toward the Valmere estate.
On King's Row, the situation was worse.
A full pack of werewolves had surrounded a group of mixed adventurers protecting civilians in a warehouse.
The adventurer group consisted of:
Two human swordsmen.
One dark elf mage.
A lizardkin spear user.
A young priest trying to maintain a barrier spell.
The barrier was cracking.
Adrien entered from the side window.
"Drop the barrier in three seconds," he told the priest.
The priest hesitated but nodded.
Adrien gathered shadow energy around his body.
The barrier fell.
Six wolves charged inside.
Adrien slammed his sword into the ground.
[Skill Used: Shadow Pulse Lv.2]
[Shadow Energy: 520/1120]
A wave of compressed shadow energy exploded outward, knocking the wolves back into walls and crates.
Before they recovered, the dark elf mage cast lightning across the room. Two wolves convulsed.
Adrien moved through them methodically.
He avoided unnecessary motion. Each strike was efficient.
One wolf tried to grab the priest. Adrien intercepted, blocking with his forearm and cutting through its wrist.
Another lunged from behind. Adrien spun and drove his blade through its heart.
[+71 EXP]
[+76 EXP]
The lizardkin warrior pinned a wolf to the ground with his spear, but it was healing too quickly. Adrien stepped in and severed its spine.
[+90 EXP]
The final wolf retreated toward the exit. One of the human swordsmen tried to chase but stumbled from exhaustion.
Adrien threw his sword.
It pierced the wolf's back and pinned it to the wooden door.
[+84 EXP]
Silence followed.
The civilians inside were shaking but alive.
The priest approached Adrien. "Thank you."
Adrien pulled his sword free. "Reinforce the southern route. They're pushing toward the estate."
The dark elf narrowed her eyes. "The nobles are involved."
"Yes," Adrien replied. "And they're losing control."
He left before more questions came.
As he moved closer to the Valmere estate, the fighting became heavier.
The estate gates were broken.
Several Valmere private guards were dead in the courtyard. Some were killed by wolves. Others had wounds from different blades.
That meant betrayal had already begun.
Inside the outer yard, over a dozen wolves were fighting Valmere soldiers and city guards at the same time.
The wolves were no longer distinguishing between targets.
Adrien entered the courtyard at full speed.
He activated Shadow Step repeatedly to close distance between groups.
[Skill Used: Shadow Step Lv.3]
[Shadow Energy: 432/1120]
He appeared behind one wolf and beheaded it instantly.
[+93 EXP]
Another charged at a wounded guard. Adrien intercepted, catching the claw mid-swing and snapping the wolf's arm before cutting it down.
[+79 EXP]
Two wolves attacked him together. Adrien dropped low, slid under one, cut its legs, then rolled and stabbed the second through the chest.
[+85 EXP]
[+88 EXP]
A larger wolf roared from the balcony above.
This one radiated clear C-rank pressure.
It jumped down, cracking stone upon landing.
The surrounding fighters instinctively stepped back.
Adrien faced it directly.
The wolf spoke calmly. "You have strength. Join us."
"No."
The wolf moved first.
Its speed was high. It struck three times in under a second. Adrien blocked two and took the third across his side.
[HP: -61]
Adrien responded with enhanced strikes, channeling shadow energy into his blade.
They exchanged blows rapidly. The courtyard cracked beneath their movement.
The wolf tried to overpower him with brute force. Adrien changed approach.
He activated Phantom Echo again.
[Skill Used: Phantom Echo Lv.2]
[Shadow Energy: 278/1120]
Three Adrien figures surrounded the wolf.
The wolf attacked one illusion and realized too late.
Adrien appeared above it mid-air and drove his sword down through its shoulder, pinning it to the ground.
The wolf tried to regenerate, but Adrien used Dark Flare directly into the wound.
[Skill Used: Dark Flare Lv.3]
[Shadow Energy: 112/1120]
Black flames burned from inside the creature's body.
It struggled for ten seconds before going still.
[+210 EXP]
The courtyard fell quiet.
The remaining wolves retreated into the main building.
Adrien's shadow energy was almost depleted.
[Shadow Energy: 64/1120]
He took one slow breath.
The city guard captain approached him, covered in blood.
"They turned on the Valmeres," the captain said. "The wolves are trying to kill everyone inside."
"That was always the plan," Adrien replied.
He walked toward the main doors of the estate.
Inside was the boss-class presence.
The real leader.
The guards behind him were exhausted. Adventurers were regrouping. Civilians had been evacuated from the outer district.
Adrien had saved dozens on the way.
But this was not over.
He pushed the doors open and stepped into the estate hall, ready for the next fight.