Arya could barely see past his sword. The darkness swallowed everything beyond a few feet, leaving only muffled footsteps and eerie, unrecognizable sounds. His pulse quickened. He strained his ears—something was moving.
From behind him, the sound of approaching footsteps sent a chill down his spine. Fear gripped him as he spun around, his sword glowing faintly in the dim light. His heart pounded in his chest. The sound grew closer.
99 and 28 were further back, watching cautiously. Arya realized what was lurking nearby—Shadow Hounds.
One of them stepped forward, just enough for Arya to catch a glimpse of its leg. Then, as it moved closer, he saw its mouth... and froze.
A severed head dangled from the Shadow Hound's jaws, blood dripping onto the ground.
Arya gripped his sword tighter, his hands trembling. Shadow Hound emerged from the darkness, closing in on him. His breathing grew ragged.
But then, he saw the head clearly. And his blood ran cold.
It wasn't a mage's head. And it wasn't what he thought. The decapitated head belonged to their own team's B-rank tank.
Arya's body locked up. His voice failed him. He stepped back slowly, realizing with horror—he had been wrong.
Then Arya slowly stepped back, his body tense with fear. He turned, trying to run, but before he could move, another Shadow Hound appeared behind him. He was trapped from both sides.
He opened his mouth to call out to 28 or 99, but they were too far, locked in their own battle against more Shadow Hounds. 28 stayed close to 99, getting support as they fought together. He assumed Arya was still with the B-rank tank, working as a team. But what he didn't know was that the tank was already dead, and Arya was completely alone.
As the Shadow Hounds pushed 28 and 99 farther away in the opposite direction, they couldn't see Arya anymore.
"We're getting separated from them!" 28 shouted.
"Don't worry," 99 replied. "The tank is with Arya. They can handle it."
But on the other side, Arya was alone.
The Shadow Hound behind him lunged, jaws wide, aiming to bite his head off. The other one—still carrying the tank's severed head in its mouth—dropped it to the ground and jumped as well.
Arya dodged at the last second, bending low, and both Shadow Hounds crashed into each other midair. Their combined force sent a shockwave through the air.
Before they both suddenly vanished into darkness, a powerful shockwave rippled through the air, kicking up dust and debris. Arya's heart pounded as he stumbled back, gripping his sword tightly. His breathing was ragged, his mind racing.
The impact of the Shadow Hounds colliding had been so strong that even the ground beneath him trembled. But where did they go? Were they truly gone, or was this just another trick?
Arya didn't dare lower his guard. The eerie silence that followed sent chills down his spine. He knew—this fight was far from over.
Arya looked around, his breathing heavy. He knew he wasn't alone—there were still Shadow Hounds lurking in the darkness. His grip tightened on his sword as he cautiously moved in the direction where 99 and 28 had gone. The faint glow from his blade barely lit the path, but it was enough to guide him forward.
Meanwhile, 99 and 28 were still locked in battle with the relentless Shadow Hounds. Their mana was nearly depleted, and exhaustion was setting in. They had no idea where they were anymore.
Suddenly, 99 spotted a door ahead. "There!" he shouted. They rushed toward it, but the Shadow Hounds weren't letting up, pursuing them relentlessly.
"We can't keep fighting like this," 28 panted. "We won't last much longer."
99 knew the truth—if he weren't here with me, a D-ranker, he would have already died. But even he was reaching his limit. As he hesitated, a Shadow Hound lunged at 28 from behind. Its claws tore into his back, and he collapsed, blood pooling beneath him.
The Shadow Hound lunged again, this time aiming for 28's neck, its jaws snapping. But before it could strike, 99 acted. "Damn it!" he growled, slicing through the creature with a swift blow before grabbing 28. "Get up!"
But 28 could barely stand. His breathing was ragged, and his legs trembled. 99 threw his arm over his shoulder and started dragging him forward, but the trail of blood only made it easier for the Shadow Hounds to track them.
They finally reached the door, but as 99 pushed it open, it creaked slowly, and his heart sank—more Shadow Hounds appeared from behind, closing in on them. They had reached their destination too late.
They were trapped.
In that moment, 99 made a decision.
Before 28 could react, 99 spun around and shoved him backward—with both hands.
"Wha—?!" 28's eyes widened as he stumbled back toward the pack of waiting Shadow Hounds.
99 stepped out through the door and slammed it shut from the outside before 28 could react.
Outside, 99 stood frozen, listening to the horrifying screams as 28 was torn apart. The sound of bones snapping, flesh being ripped, and 28's agonized cries filled the corridor.
At first, 99's hands trembled. He had wanted to save 28, but he knew—if he had tried, he would have died too.
Taking a shaky breath, he forced himself to move forward. He couldn't stop.
Not far ahead, Arya was searching for them.
Arya moved forward into the darkness, hoping to find 28, but he didn't know that 28 was already dead. He had no idea where he was heading, and the area was swarming with Shadow Hounds. Despite his fear, he kept moving forward.
Meanwhile, in another group, two tanks from B and C rank, along with two S-rankers, fought against a massive Shadow Spider. Their power was formidable—they could cut through anything with their blades. But despite their strength, they had already lost one member, a C-rank tank. The tank had been killed by the Shadow Spider when he tried to slide in to support the group. The spider's massive, stick-like hand struck with full force, breaking his shield and piercing his chest. Blood poured from his mouth as the poison released by the Shadow Spider took its toll.