"Bring it on."
[System Notice]
A Skin Walker had infested the neighborhood, exterminate them all.
Objective: 0/20 Skin Walkers Eliminated
Reward:
+500 Experience
1x Beginner Wooden Box
Failure: Death!!!
Kai barely glanced at the notification.
Then the first Skin Walker attack.
SCREEEECH!!
Its claws tore through the air.
Kai sidestepped.
STAB.
The dagger buried itself into its throat.
Black blood sprayed.
The creature backed.
Another immediately replaced it.
Then another.
And another.
The monsters attacked without fear.
Without hesitation.
Like insects throwing themselves into the fire.
Kai fought.
Ducked.
Slashed.
Retreated.
Countered.
Again.
And again.
And again.
Yet something felt wrong.
Kai's body was slower.
Kai's reactions was duller.
Kai's muscles screamed with every movement.
The battle against the Blooming Human Carcass had ended less than a day ago.
Though some wounds had healed and corruption had vanished.
But exhaustion remained.
The kind that settled deep within the bones.
The kind that refused to leave.
A Skin Walker lunged from the rooftop.
Kai noticed too late.
CRASH.
Claws tore across his back.
Pain exploded.
Blood sprayed.
Kai stumbled forward.
Another Skin Walker immediately pounced.
Its teeth sank into Kai shoulder.
Kai gritted his teeth.
"GET OFF!"
STAB.
The dagger pierced its skull.
The monster died instantly.
Yet another replaced it.
The horde of Skin Walker buried Kai beneath.
Claws.
Teeth.
Screams.
Darkness.
Kai hit the ground.
A dozen Skin Walkers piled atop him.
Their jagged teeth snapped inches from his face.
Their claws tore at his clothes, bleed.
Blood dripped from it.
Skin walkers shrieks filled Kai's ears.
For a moment—
Death felt very real.
Then Kai remembered.
White Flame.
A skill window appeared.
White Flame Lv.1
1% Hp per minute.
A sacred flame hostile toward Nightmares.
Effects:
+10% Damage against Nightmares
Recover 2% of damage dealt as Health
Kai activated it.
WHOOSH.
The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.
White fire erupted across the dagger.
The Skin Walkers froze.
Then screamed.
SCREEEEEEEEEECH!!
The white flames touched their flesh.
Instantly.
The monsters began burning.
Not from heat.
But from purification.
The sacred fire devoured them.
Their flesh blackened.
Their bodies cracked.
Their screams echoed throughout the neighborhood.
Kai pushed himself upright.
White fire danced across the blade.
Beautiful.
Terrifying.
Then Kai's eyes widened.
The chain.
The chain wrapped around his arm.
The flames spread.
Link by link.
Metal by metal.
White fire raced across the entire length.
CLINK.
CLINK.
CLINK.
The chain ignited.
Kai smiled.
"I'm ready for round 2."
A Skin Walker leaped.
Kai threw the chain.
WHIP!
The burning links wrapped around its neck.
The creature shrieked.
Kai pulled.
The Skin Walker flew toward him.
STAB.
The dagger entered its mouth.
White fire exploded from within.
The creature turned to ash.
2/20.
Another charged.
Kai swung the chain sideways.
WHIP.
The burning links severed both legs.
The monster collapsed.
Before it could recover—
STAB.
Dead.
3/20.
Three more attacked together.
Kai spun.
The burning chain formed a circle around him.
One entered.
The white flames consumed it.
Another followed.
Then another.
Three more corpses fell.
6/20.
The neighborhood became a battlefield.
White fire illuminated the gray streets.
Skin Walkers emerged from houses.
From garages.
From rooftops.
From shattered windows.
And each one died.
Like moths rushing toward flame.
Kai moved relentlessly.
The chain dragged enemies into range.
The dagger finished them.
Again and again.
The White Flame healed Kia.
Small wounds closed.
Bleeding slowed.
Pain lessened.
Not enough to restore him completely.
But enough.
Enough to keep him moving.
Enough to survive.
10/20.
12/20.
15/20.
The screams never stopped.
SCREEECH!!
WHIP.
STAB.
SCREEECH!!
WHIP.
STAB.
Bodies burned.
Ash scattered.
White flames consumed everything.
Soon.
Only five remained.
The remaining Skin Walker hesitated for the first time.
Fear appeared.
Their eyeless faces stared at the burning chain.
The burning dagger.
The burning human.
Kai stared back.
Covered in blood.
Covered in flame.
Smiling.
"Come on."
The remaining Skin Walkers charged.
Together.
Kai met them head-on.
The chain shot forward.
WHIP.
One neck snapped.
The dagger flashed.
STAB.
A second died.
The third lunged.
Kai ducked.
The creature flew over him.
The chain wrapped around its leg.
YANK.
CRASH!
The monster slammed into the pavement.
The dagger descended.
Dead.
18/20.
The final two attacked simultaneously.
Kai sprinted forward.
The chain wrapped around one.
Kai pulled.
The creature collided with the second.
Their bodies tangled.
Their limbs locked.
Their shrieks merged.
Kai leaped.
The dagger descended.
STAB.
White flames erupted.
BOOOOM.
Both Skin Walkers burned.
Their bodies turned to ash.
20/20.
Silence returned.
Kai stood alone.
Breathing heavily.
White flames slowly faded.
Ash drifted through the air.
Then—
[Quest Complete]
20/20 Skin Walkers Eliminated
Reward Distributed
Kai exhaled.
"Finally."
"Maybe now I could rest."
Then—
THUD!
The ground trembled.
Kai froze.
Another step followed.
THUD!
Nearby car alarms erupted.
Windows cracked.
The streetlights flickered.
Kai slowly turned.
At the far end of the street.
An alley stood between two buildings.
Dark.
Silent.
Then something moved.
A massive silhouette emerged.
Not wide.
Not bulky.
Tall.
Far too tall.
Six meters.
Its body resembled a black shadow given form.
With long blood stained arms dragged against the pavement.
Its limbs bent unnaturally.
Its skin black like shadow.
Then Kai saw its face.
A smile.
Wide.
Far too wide.
Stretching across the entire face.
Its eyes leaked blackliquid.
Like endless tears.
Like darkness itself was bleeding.
A System notification exploded before Kai.
[Warning]
Nightmare Detected
Name: Corrupt Walker
Rank: C
Kai's expression pale.
Another notification immediately appeared.
[System Notice]
A Skin Walker who drink the black rain, corrupted and twisted by reality.
Objective: Eliminate the Corrupt Walker 0/1
Reward:
+800 Experience
1x Advance Skill???
Failure: Encroachment; Dark Paradigm
[Warning]
Survival Rate: 13%
Kai stared at the number.
13%.
And looked toward the far street.
The giant Nightmare stared back.
Smiling.
The black tears thickened.
Then slowly transformed into black smoke.
The darkness spread.
Street by street.
House by house.
The neighborhood grew darker.
Darker.
Darker.
Until even the gray sky disappeared.
Kai tightened his grip on the dagger.
White Flame reignited.
Brighter than before.
The Corrupt Walker's smile widened.
And Kai finally understood.
The Skin Walkers had never been the real threat.
"This motherfucker!"
Kai sighed.
"Just let me rest already."
THUD!
The Corrupt Walker walked another step.
Closer.
THUD!
Closer.
THUD!
Kai exhaled slowly.
"...I really should've taken a nap."
"A long, long nap."
The Corrupt Walker smiled.
The darkness continued spreading.
And the neighborhood went black.
To Be Continued...