Ryn struck, his sword aiming straight at the man's abdomen.
However, before the sword could reach, something intercepted it…
A mass of black tendrils burst out from beneath the man's clothes, writhing like a nest of living shadows. They coiled around the steel with a wet, unnatural sound, halting the strike mid-thrust.
A grin appeared on his face, like he had anticipated this outcome.
"Surprised?" the man rasped, his voice layered with something… not entirely human.
The tendrils tightened.
Ryn immediately pulled his sword out and kicked off the cobblestone, backstepping out of reach.
The tendrils snapped toward him, lashing the air where he'd stood a heartbeat earlier.
"What the hell did they put inside you…" Ryn muttered under his breath, eyes tracking the squirming mass.
They looked organic, almost alive as if…this man was a human chimera.
