Chapter 5: Something Wrong
Kael didn't move immediately.
The second creature lay still in front of him, its body twisted unnaturally where it had fallen. Dark fluid slowly spread beneath it, mixing with the dirt.
His breathing was uneven.
Not from fear.
From exhaustion.
"…two," he said quietly.
His voice sounded different now.
Not uncertain.
Not hesitant.
Just… steady.
But his body told a different story.
His arms felt heavy. His legs barely held. Every movement reminded him that he wasn't strong—he was just surviving.
Still—
It was more than before.
Kael looked at his hand.
Then at the shadows around him.
They responded faster now.
Smoother.
Like they were starting to understand him.
Or maybe—
He was understanding them.
"Shadow Bind," he said under his breath.
The shadows moved instantly, wrapping around the corpse beside him.
Stronger than before.
More stable.
Kael watched closely.
"…better."
Not by much.
But enough to notice.
He released it.
The shadows slipped back into place.
Everything felt quiet again.
Too quiet.
Kael frowned slightly.
"…no."
Something wasn't right.
The Abyss hadn't been silent before.
There had always been something—movement, sound, presence.
Now—
Nothing.
That wasn't safer.
It was worse.
Kael slowly turned his head, scanning the darkness.
His vision was still limited.
But the feeling—
That was enough.
"…I should move," he said.
Staying in one place didn't make sense.
Not here.
He took a step forward.
Then another.
Slow.
Careful.
The ground was uneven, scattered with broken stone and something else he didn't look at too closely.
The deeper he moved—
The colder the air became.
And heavier.
Each breath felt thicker.
Harder.
Kael kept going.
Step by step.
The darkness didn't change.
But the feeling did.
It was subtle at first.
Then clearer.
Pressure.
Not physical.
But there.
Watching.
"…yeah," Kael muttered. "There it is."
The silence had a reason.
Something was nearby.
Something the others avoided.
Kael stopped walking.
His body tensed instinctively.
The shadows around his feet shifted.
Uneasy.
Just like before.
But stronger.
Kael's eyes narrowed.
"…not like the others."
The first creature had been slow.
The second one had been fast.
This—
Felt different.
A low sound echoed.
Deep.
Not sharp.
Not quick.
Heavy.
Like something large dragging itself across stone.
Kael didn't move.
Didn't speak.
He just listened.
The sound came again.
Closer.
The ground beneath him felt slightly uneven—
No.
It wasn't the ground.
It was the vibration.
Something big.
Kael raised his hand slowly.
"Bind," he whispered.
The shadows gathered.
Ready.
Waiting.
The sound stopped.
Silence returned.
Kael didn't relax.
His grip tightened slightly.
"…where are you?"
A breath.
Cold.
Right behind him.
Kael's eyes widened.
He turned—
Too slow.
Something massive slammed into him.
The impact threw him across the ground. His body rolled hard, crashing into stone before stopping.
Pain shot through his side.
Sharp.
Deep.
Kael coughed, struggling to breathe.
"…too fast," he muttered.
He forced his head up.
And saw it.
The creature stood a short distance away.
Larger than the others.
Much larger.
Its body was thick, its limbs heavy, dragging slightly as it moved. Its eyes glowed brighter than anything he had seen so far.
And unlike the others—
It wasn't rushing.
It was watching.
Kael's chest tightened.
"…not good."
The creature took a slow step forward.
Then another.
Each movement felt deliberate.
Controlled.
Kael tried to stand.
Pain shot through his leg.
He almost fell again.
"…damn it."
Too slow.
His body couldn't keep up.
The creature moved again.
Faster this time.
Not a full charge—
But enough.
Kael reacted immediately.
"Bind!"
The shadows shot forward.
Stronger than before.
They wrapped around the creature's front limbs—
And held.
For a moment.
Then—
They broke.
Like nothing.
Kael's eyes widened.
"…that's not enough."
The creature didn't stop.
It lunged.
Kael barely rolled to the side in time. The ground cracked where he had been a second ago.
The impact alone sent a shock through his body.
If that had hit—
He wouldn't have gotten up.
Kael forced himself up again.
Unsteady.
Breathing hard.
"Bind!"
The shadows surged again.
This time aiming for its legs.
They wrapped.
Tightened—
And slowed it.
But only slightly.
The creature growled.
Low.
Annoyed.
It tore through the shadows again.
Easier this time.
Kael stepped back.
His mind was already working.
"…can't hold it."
Too strong.
Too heavy.
Shadow Bind wasn't enough.
Not at this level.
The creature charged again.
Faster now.
More direct.
Kael didn't try to stop it.
He moved.
Barely dodging.
The creature's body brushed past him, and the force alone sent him stumbling.
Too close.
Way too close.
Kael steadied himself.
His breathing grew heavier.
His vision slightly blurred.
"…not like the others."
This wasn't a fight he could win the same way.
Not with what he had.
The creature turned again.
Its movements weren't wild.
They were controlled.
That made it worse.
It was learning.
Kael clenched his hand.
The shadows flickered.
"…then I need more."
The creature lunged.
Kael reacted.
"Bind!"
The shadows surged again.
But this time—
He didn't aim to stop it.
He aimed to slow it.
Just for a moment.
The shadows wrapped around one limb.
Pulled.
Shifted its movement—
Just slightly.
The creature's attack missed its mark by inches.
Kael moved in.
Not to strike—
But to get closer.
Too close.
The creature reacted instantly.
Its head snapped toward him.
Its jaws opened—
Kael felt it.
This was it.
Too close.
Too slow.
Too weak—
---
[Warning]
[Host condition critical]
The voice returned.
Louder this time.
Clearer.
[Survival probability decreasing]
Kael's heart pounded.
"…I know," he muttered.
The creature moved.
There was no time.
No space.
No way out—
---
[Condition Met]
Everything slowed.
Just for a moment.
Kael's eyes widened.
"…again?"
The shadows around him surged violently.
Not like before.
Not controlled.
Not calm.
Wild.
Hungry.
[Shadow Points threshold reached]
The creature paused.
Just slightly.
As if sensing something wrong.
[Skill Evolution Available]
Kael's breath caught.
"…what?"
The shadows rose.
Higher.
Darker.
Denser.
The air itself felt heavier.
The creature stepped back.
For the first time—
It hesitated.
---
And Kael realized—
This wasn't the same power anymore.
---
End of Chapter 5
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