The roar split the forest like a thunderclap. Leaves shook, branches splintered, and the air itself seemed to curdle.
Rihan stumbled to his feet, his chest tight with dread. "W-what the hell was that?"
Elira already had an arrow nocked, her eyes sharp as steel. "An Abyssal Beast. If it's here… then the corruption has already spread deeper than I feared."
Lyra raised her staff, a faint light shimmering around her hands. "Its presence is suffocating… Prepare yourselves."
Before Rihan could even breathe, the System flashed before his eyes:
[Team Combat Interface: Online]
[Allies Detected: Elira (Lv. 14), Lyra (Lv. 12)]
[Party Formation Bonus: +10% Synchronization]
[Primary Objective: Survive.]
Rihan swallowed hard. "Not creepy at all…"
---
The ground split open just meters away, and from the dark fissure crawled a creature out of nightmare.
Its body was a grotesque fusion of wolf and shadow, muscles rippling beneath jet-black fur that bled smoke. Four crimson eyes burned like dying embers, and its jagged maw dripped black ichor that sizzled against the soil.
Elira whispered, "By the Ancients…"
The Abyssal Beast locked its eyes on them and roared again, the sound making the very air vibrate.
---
"Scatter!" Elira shouted.
The Beast lunged, claws tearing into the earth where they had stood seconds earlier. Rihan rolled, heart hammering.
The System overlay lit up:
[Ally Skill Activated: Sylvan Volley]
Elira leapt into the air, unleashing three glowing arrows in quick succession. They struck the Beast's flank, exploding with silver sparks. The monster shrieked, staggered—but didn't fall.
[Damage Dealt: -73 HP]
[Target HP Remaining: 91%]
Rihan gaped. "Only that much?!"
"Don't just stand there!" Elira snapped. "Do something!"
---
Lyra's voice rang clear as a bell: "Sanctum Aegis!"
A dome of radiant light flared around Rihan just as the Beast swung its claws. The impact rattled the barrier, cracks spider-webbing through the glowing shield, but it held.
[Ally Skill Activated: Sanctum Aegis]
[Shield Durability: 42%]
Rihan's panic rose. He had no sword, no bow, nothing but trembling hands.
"System," he gasped, "give me anything!"
The interface flickered:
[Emergency Protocol Unlocked: Spectral Blade]
[Temporary Skill – Duration: 180 seconds]
Suddenly, his right hand burned with light. From his palm, a blade of shimmering energy erupted, translucent yet solid.
Rihan stared at it in awe. "Woah… now we're talking!"
---
The Beast lunged again, its jaws snapping. Rihan dodged, instincts he didn't know he had guiding him. He slashed with the glowing blade.
[Spectral Blade – Direct Hit!]
[Critical Damage: -142 HP]
The monster howled as dark blood sprayed, sizzling when it touched the ground.
Elira whistled. "Not bad… for a beginner!"
---
The fight grew chaotic.
Elira rained arrows from every angle, her movements graceful yet deadly.
Lyra maintained barriers and occasionally blasted searing light bolts.
Rihan, though clumsy, began syncing with them, his blade flashing like lightning.
The System updated:
[Team Synchronization: 34% → 51%]
[Passive Bonus: +5% Attack Speed]
Rihan grinned. "We're actually working together!"
But the Beast wasn't done. Its four eyes glowed red, and with a roar it slammed its claws into the ground. A wave of corrupted energy pulsed outward, throwing all three of them back.
[Warning: Corruption Wave Detected. HP -35]
Rihan coughed blood, barely standing. His vision blurred. "Damn it…"
The monster advanced, ready to end it.
---
"Rihan!" Lyra's voice pierced the haze. She extended her staff, pouring golden light into him. Warmth surged through his body, his wounds sealing, strength flooding back.
[Ally Skill Activated: Lumen's Grace]
[+78 HP Restored]
Rihan's grip on the Spectral Blade tightened. His fear was still there, but something stronger burned beneath it now—resolve.
"We're not losing here!" he shouted.
He charged, the blade humming with energy. Elira's arrows pinned the Beast's limbs, Lyra's light seared its shadows, and Rihan drove his blade straight into its core.
[Finishing Strike!]
[Target HP Reduced to 0%]
The Abyssal Beast screamed one last time before bursting into black mist, vanishing into the night.
---
Silence fell. Only the crackle of the campfire remained.
Rihan collapsed to his knees, gasping. "Holy… hell… we did it."
The System chimed softly:
[Quest Complete: First Team Victory]
[Reward: Team Combat Interface – Permanently Unlocked]
[Additional Reward: Title Gained – The Awakening Blade]
Elira lowered her bow, her expression unreadable. "You fought well."
Lyra smiled, kneeling beside him. "The prophecy begins to unfold. Together… we can survive this darkness."
Rihan glanced at both of them, sweat dripping down his face. For the first time since arriving in Arcanis, he felt a flicker of hope.
But deep inside, a darker thought lingered.
The Beast wasn't just an enemy. It was a warning.
And this was only the beginning.