The night had fully settled, swallowing the land in complete darkness. The only sources of light were the faint glow of the moon hanging in the sky and the eerie blue embers flickering from the undead serpent's body.
Keon sat still, watching as the embers pulsed and slowly spread across the serpent's damaged form. The creature was recovering—adapting.
The cold air was heavy with silence, broken only by the distant sounds of nocturnal creatures. Stella stood nearby, her silver-white hair catching the moonlight, giving her an almost ghostly appearance.
Despite everything that had happened, despite the chaos and the unknown dangers that still lurked in the shadows, this moment felt oddly still—like the world itself was holding its breath.
Stella crossed her arms, glancing at Keon before letting out a small sigh. "Alright, listen up, kid. Since you're clearly not from around here, I'll take you back to the nearest research center. From there, we can call for proper backup and get out of this place."
Keon, still watching the undead serpent's slow recovery, blinked and turned to her. "Research center?"
"Yeah," Stella nodded. "It's a mobile outpost set up by the scientists we were sent to rescue. If there's any place with working communication equipment, it's there."
Keon hummed in thought. He didn't particularly mind going, especially if it meant getting closer to a city, but a research center also meant more people—people who might ask too many questions.
Stella noticed his hesitation and raised an eyebrow. "What, you got a problem with that?"
Keon shrugged. "Not really. Just wondering if the place is still standing after everything that happened."
Stella frowned. "It better be." She glanced at the dark wilderness ahead. "Either way, it's our best shot at getting out of here."
Stella adjusted the straps of her gear, her sharp eyes scanning their surroundings before turning back to Keon. "Alright, since it's just the two of us, we need to form a proper defensive formation if we want to make it to the research center in one piece."
Keon raised an eyebrow. "Formation? Just two people?"
"Don't act clueless," Stella said, rolling her eyes. "I need to know how your Esperia works in terms of defense. You said you can shape it into a barrier, right? How strong is it, how big can you make it, and how long can it last?"
Keon leaned back slightly, pretending to think. "Hmm… well, it's flexible. I can form it in any direction, expand it, and even control how things interact with it. If something hostile gets too close, I can throw it away like I did with that wolf."
Stella crossed her arms, nodding slowly. "So, it's not a fixed shield but more like a dynamic defense. That could work." She exhaled. "Since we don't know what else is lurking out there, we'll have to rely on speed and defense. I'll take point and deal with threats ahead, while you cover our sides and rear with your barrier. Got it?"
Keon smirked. "So, I just have to keep us from getting jumped from behind? Sounds easy enough."
Stella gave him a sharp look. "Take it seriously. We don't know what else is out there, and we can't afford to waste energy in unnecessary fights."
Keon sighed, stretching his arms. "Yeah, yeah. Just tell me when we're moving."
Stella checked the sky. The night had fully set in, the only sources of light being the faint blue glow of the undead serpent and the pale moon above. "We move now. Stay close and stay sharp."
Keon stretched his arms, letting out a small yawn. "Now? I mean, yeah, I'm excited to see an actual city, but a little rest wouldn't hurt, you know?"
Stella shot him a look. "We've had enough rest." She gestured toward the dark horizon. "Night is dangerous, but not as bad as the day. Most of the beasts that were active earlier are likely retreating, and the true night stalkers haven't fully emerged yet. This is our best window to move."
Keon sighed, rubbing his neck. "So, basically, we're running before one kind of monster disappears and another kind takes over?"
"Exactly," Stella confirmed, tightening her gloves. "If we wait too long, we'll have to deal with night walkers—beasts that thrive in darkness. Trust me, we don't want to be here when that happens."
Keon looked up at the sky, then at the undead serpent, which was still faintly glowing as it slowly recovered. He exhaled through his nose and stood up, dusting himself off. "Alright, alright. Lead the way, boss."
Stella nodded. "Stay close and stay alert. Let's go."
Keon glanced at the undead serpent, still flickering with eerie blue embers as its bones slowly mended. He tilted his head, wondering if it had adapted enough to survive in this world.
"Well, guess I'll figure it out later," he muttered, lifting his hand.
With a thought, his Rift Storage activated, distorting space around the undead serpent. In an instant, the massive creature was pulled in, vanishing without a trace.
[Undead Esperia Serpent has been stored.]
Keon blinked at the notification. "Undead Esperia? Huh. So it really is adapting to this world."
He smirked, satisfied. "Good. Let's see what you become."
Stella, already moving ahead, turned back. "You coming or what?"
"Yeah, yeah," Keon said, catching up. "Had to pack up my pet."
She raised an eyebrow but didn't comment, focused on their path ahead.
In an unknown place, deep within the wilderness, the previous wolf beast snarled, its massive form crouched low as it struggled against an overwhelming presence.
Towering over it was a monstrous figure—another wolf, but far more grotesque. Its fur was a deep, bloody red, its size dwarfing the previous beast. But what stood out the most were the extra limbs—a pair of massive, clawed hands protruding from its back, resembling twisted wings.
The red giant wolf exuded an aura of raw dominance, its glowing yellow eyes fixated on the struggling beast before it. The smaller wolf panted, blood dripping from deep wounds across its body. Despite its strength, despite its high-tier power, it had been utterly outmatched.
A deep, guttural growl rumbled from the red wolf's throat. Then, with blinding speed, one of its massive arms swung forward, striking the beast across the face and sending it crashing into the dirt. The ground trembled from the impact.
The injured wolf whimpered but forced itself to stand, defiant even in the face of certain defeat.
The red giant watched, unimpressed. Then, without warning, it lunged forward, its two back-arms spreading like wings before slamming down, pinning the beast completely.
A deep, distorted voice echoed in the silence.
"Weak. You lost to a human."
The pinned wolf let out a snarl, struggling against the overwhelming force.
The red giant pressed down harder, its claws digging deep.
"Pathetic. You don't deserve to be Apex."
With a final, crushing movement, the sound of bones snapping filled the air. The struggling ceased. The red giant wolf lifted its head to the sky, letting out a bone-chilling howl that shook the forest.
The night was far from over.