The blue screen still pulsed before his eyes. Even with his body in tatters, Ethan felt he couldn't stop now.
The interface shifted. A new panel appeared:
[ SHADOW ADAPTATION SYSTEM — ACTIVE ]
Level:5
Species:Human
Class:None
Strength:10
Constitution:10
Agility:10
Intellect:10
Perception: 10
Physical Condition:Weak [recovery suspended]
HP:25/100
MP:100
Fatigue:77/100✨ Available Points: 20
Ethan swallowed hard. His hands were shaking. He knew how this worked—he'd read about it before.
"Alright… let's see if this helps."
He fixed his eyes on the panel and, mentally, as if he were playing an RPG, selected the attributes to allocate.
+7 to Strength+7 to Agility+4 to Perception+2 to Constitution
As soon as he confirmed the distribution, a new wave of heat coursed through his body, as if every cell were being forced to evolve… to adapt.His muscles tightened, even injured. The pain was still there, but something in his body felt… steadier. Faster. Sharper.His vision cleared. The ringing in his ears faded. The shotgun in his hands, even unloaded, felt lighter.And his reflexes—he could feel it—were far beyond what they had been minutes ago.
The interface flashed one last time before disappearing:
[ SHADOW ADAPTATION SYSTEM — ACTIVE ]
Level: 5
Species:Human
Class:None
Strength:17
Constitution:12
Agility:17
Intellect:10
Perception:14
Physical Condition:Weak [recovery suspended]
HP: 45/120
MP:100
Fatigue:77/100
✨ Available Points: 0
The system hid itself from view.
Smoke still blanketed part of the bridge, but with sharpened reflexes and clearer sight, Ethan could see beyond it.
Up ahead, Raven raised her arms in a sweeping gesture—her eyes glowing violet. Several flying insects were swallowed by orbs of shadowy energy, crushed midair as if the darkness had grown teeth.One nearly hit her.That's when Beast Boy swooped down from above in the form of a pterosaur, slicing the sky like an arrow and smashing the creature with his beak before gliding away again.
Ethan turned his head. Three smaller creatures—the size of large dogs—were crawling toward the convoy.The shotgun was empty, but it was still useful.
He flipped the weapon in his hands and sprinted.
CRACK!He smashed the first creature's side as if swinging a club.The second leapt—he twisted, slamming it into the asphalt.The third tried to bite him.Ethan stomped down hard, the impact cracking the exoskeleton and splattering mucus along his armor.
More came along the bridge's edge.
Ethan panted, spinning the shotgun with tired arms. His movements were faster—more instinctive. He no longer thought… he just acted.He stepped on another insect.Shoved one to the ground and drove the gun barrel through it like a spear.Finished the last with a sharp blow to the abdomen.
At last, he dropped to his knees, breathing hard. Sweat ran inside the helmet.
Then he noticed it.The number of insects… was dropping.
He lifted his gaze.Above, dozens of winged creatures converged around a figure in flight. Killer Moth thrashed, overwhelmed—the combined attacks of Raven and Starfire drove him back through the air, wrapped in lightning, orbs of energy, and continuous explosions.
But what caught Ethan's attention...was the sound of the bridge groaning.
CLANG.CRECK—CHRRRCK…
One of the metal beams from the upper structure was beginning to come loose.And right beneath it… a group of civilians was trying to escape, sneaking between overturned cars. An old man, two children, a pregnant woman.
Ethan ran."No, no, no…!"he shouted as he dashed forward, wedging his shoulders under the beam the instant it dropped.
Tuuuum!
The weight was colossal.The iron hissed in the heat of battle, and Ethan screamed—a primal cry from someone pushing past his limits.His muscles burned.His legs trembled, making the asphalt beneath him crack and give.The world spun around him.But he didn't let go.
Sweat dripped into his eyes. Veins bulged in his neck, his body on the verge of collapse.The metal structure sagged slowly.
Then he heard it.
SKREEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!
A bestial shriek.Claws scraping asphalt.
An insect larger than any before—over five meters—burst from between the vehicles, its long legs snapping with each step.
Ethan couldn't move.Not with the beam's weight on his shoulders."Daaamn it! not now!" he roared.
The creature jumped. And then—
BOOOOOOM!
A sonic energy blast cut through the bridge's side.The impact split the monster's carapace, blowing it apart midair."BOOYAH!" a digitized voice shouted from afar.
Ethan panted, eyes wide.The beam… began to shift.He turned his head.
Beast Boy—now in the form of a tyrannosaurus—was shoving the beam back up with his shoulders, his massive snout rumbling with effort.Right behind him, Starfire fired concentrated blasts, welding the metal edges back into the structure.
Ethan staggered backward, his arms hanging.The tension finally eased.
"This way, move!" someone shouted.
Ethan turned.Robin was right there, staring at him, his cape snapping in the wind as he guided civilians through a safe opening. His expression was firm; without a word, it was as if he were assessing Ethan from afar, seeing through the dark visor of his helmet.
Beast Boy shifted back to human, out of breath."Nice work, man! What's your—?"
SKREEEEEEEEEEE!Killer Moth's scream ripped through the air like a demonic siren.
Robin looked up."Raven still needs backup."
Starfire took off."Beast Boy, with her. Now!""On it!""Cyborg, stay with the civilians."
Robin raised his staff and glanced back toward the fight."I'll handle whoever's left."
Ethan stood there, silent. Blood still pounded in his ears. Smoke wrapped everything like a moving nightmare.
High above, the battle raged on.Beast Boy sliced through the sky as a giant hawk, dodging a flurry of winged insects. At the last second, he transformed midair—his green body twisting and expanding into a tiger.The feline form tore two enemies apart with its claws in mid-flight—and before dropping, he shifted again, now into a bat.A blur against a sky of burning debris.
Raven hovered just below, her eyes blazing with pure power.Her arms rose as if calling on forces beyond the physical world—and a spiral of darkness formed, swallowing the nearby insects in a crushing sphere.Blood, legs, and carapaces evaporated with a muted snap as Killer Moth was left exposed without his swarm to shield him.
That's when Starfire streaked across the sky like a missile.Her fists shone—
ZAAAAM!
A powerful blast hit Killer Moth squarely, slamming him and sending him spiraling toward the ground.
Down on the bridge, Cyborg used his cannons to cut a path through twisted cars, guiding civilians with his metallic voice:"Go, go! Don't stop now! Straight to the emergency exit!"
His cybernetic leg crushed insects trying to climb the vehicles' sides as he shielded a group of children with his own body.Robin moved like a whirlwind among the remaining creatures, his electrified batons flashing through the smoke.
And in that moment…Ethan saw his chance.The Titans were too busy. It was now or never.
He slipped through the charred cars, exhausted and limping, rounding chunks of concrete and shattered glass. He moved like a shadow, gasping, each heartbeat a drum in his skull as the sounds of battle faded behind him.In the distance, he spotted an alley between two buildings near the bridge's exit—the perfect escape route.
He entered.Away from everyone's eyes. Away from the war. Too far gone to pretend he could still stand.
The sounds of battle fell away, muffled by distance and smoke.Ethan leaned against a wall of scorched brick, the iron rod sliding from his fingers. He tried to inhale, but the air burned like fire in his lungs. His knees buckled. He fell.
The interface flickered at the edge of his vision:
[ Shadow Regeneration — Initiated ]⚠ Fatigue Level: Critical⚠ Multiple fractures detected⛓ System activating Emergency Recovery Mode
The last thing he saw was his own reflection—blurred and cracked—in the dented metal of a trash bin.Darkness reached him seconds later. And he didn't fight it.
(Continue..)
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HEY THERE!
If you enjoyed this chapter, don't forget to leave a comment and add this book to your library!Your feedback means a lot — it helps me know you're enjoying the story and keeps me motivated to bring you more.
thanks a lot!
By: OrderNerd