Without hesitation, William stepped through the portal.

  As soon as he did, his [Danger Sense] screamed at him. In the corner of his eye, he was able to make out a metallic gleam of something, and that something was coming at him quite fast.

  His hand blurred upwards with inhuman speed, catching the arrow flying at William directly from the air. That wasn't all, however, as two more arrows were coming.

  William unsheathed his jian swiftly, creating a sharp whizzing sound as he parried the two arrows coming at him. His enhanced eyesight coupled with the tracking skill allowed him to see the shooter.

  It was a human, bearing a panicked expression on his face. In the surrounding trees, at least two more were hiding.

  William shot forward, his speed boosted by his [Speedrunner] title and his newest skill.

  "Fuck, this guy is too fast! Run!" The bandit yelled as he jumped from branch to branch, joining up with his two comrades in escape from William.

  William clicked his tongue in annoyance. He'd spent two weeks being hunted by werewolves, and now these worms thought they could prey on him? His hand moved to the dirk at his waist.

  With a flick of his wrist, the dagger flew through the air, embedding itself in the spine of the trailing bandit. The man dropped without a sound, dead before he hit the ground.

  The remaining two bandits heard the thud and glanced back in horror. Their companion lay motionless, William's dagger protruding from his back. Before they could process what had happened, William appeared directly in front of them, his speed surprising even himself.

  "Going somewhere?"

  The bandits crashed to a halt, terror apparent on their faces. The leader raised trembling hands.

  "Please, we didn't know! We thought you were just a fresh arrival!" he stammered.

  William's jian flashed in the crimson light, opening the man's throat in a single stroke. Blood sprayed across the forest floor as the bandit collapsed, hands clutching uselessly at his ruined neck.

  The last bandit fell to his knees, soiling himself in fear. "Mercy! I'll tell you anything you want to know!"

  William lowered his blade slightly, keeping it close enough to the man's throat to ensure cooperation. "What's this about fresh arrivals? Where am I? Who are you?"

  "This is the second floor of the labyrinth. Arzen territory," the bandit blurted, words tumbling out frantically. His eyes darted between William's face and the bodies of his comrades. "We... we target people who just arrived from the first floor. They usually have valuable items but don't know their way around yet."

  "Arzen?" William pressed, wiping his blade clean on the dead leader's clothing.

  "The Hub City," the bandit explained. "It's where everyone goes between expeditions to the other areas."

  William's eyes narrowed. "You said 'everyone.' There are others here? Other... players?"

  "Thousands in Arzen alone," the bandit confirmed, nodding vigorously. "People from all over, with different skills, different strengths. We all end up here after clearing our first floors."

  "Different strengths?" William moved slightly closer, causing the bandit to flinch.

  "The difficulties," the man explained, trying to shrink away from the blade. "You know, the selection at the beginning. Easy, Medium, Hard, Nightmare. Most people choose Medium - they're common folk, nothing special. Hard players command respect. And Nightmares… Nightmares are rare and dangerous. They move differently, fight differently. Like you."

  William considered this new information carefully. He'd selected that strange fifth option, not any of the four the bandit mentioned. What did that mean?

  "You think I'm a Nightmare?" William asked, curious about the assumption.

  The bandit's eyes widened. "You're not? But the way you move, your speed, your strength... We've tried ambushing a Hard player once. He killed one of us before we ran. You… You're on another level entirely. If you're not a Nightmare, then what are you?"

  "It doesn't matter," William deflected. "Which difficulty did you choose?"

  "Medium," the man replied, swallowing hard. "It was the safest option. Most choose it."

  "And what did you face on the first floor?"

  "An abandoned village overrun with goblins," the bandit explained, seemingly relieved to be talking about something other than his imminent fate. "We had to clear the ruins of a castle where they'd made their nest. Took us nearly two weeks to figure out how to do it." His voice trembled. "We started as a group of six. Only three of us made it here."

  William's eyes narrowed. "You started with others?"

  "Yes... everyone does," the bandit said, brow furrowing in confusion. "The labyrinth assigns teams based on difficulty. Even Nightmares get at least one companion, though they often lose them quickly."

  This confirmed what William had suspected. His experience had been unique.

  "This hub city - how far is it?"

  "About an hour's walk that way," the bandit pointed shakily through the trees. "Just follow the path. You can't miss it - biggest settlement on the floor. The main gates are always open for arrivals." His voice grew hopeful. "I've told you everything I know. I can even guide you there if you want. Please-"

  William's blade descended one final time. The bandit's plea died in his throat, replaced by a wet gurgle as he joined his companions on the forest floor.

  "Ambushing 'fresh arrivals,' were you?" William murmured, retrieving his dagger from the first bandit's corpse. "Consider this a lesson in target selection."

  He wiped both blades clean and resheathed them. Two weeks in the labyrinth had changed him. The William who'd stumbled drunkenly out of a pub on his birthday would have been horrified at the casual brutality he'd just displayed. But that William hadn't fought for his survival every waking moment, hadn't eaten raw werewolf flesh to gain power, hadn't learned that in this place, mercy was rare.

  William quickly searched the bodies, collecting a small pouch of coins, a crude map, and a few other trinkets that might prove useful. No point in letting resources go to waste.

  Before he left, he turned around with a conflicted expression. After a minute of thought, William extended his hand forward and willed for [Devour] to activate. Very quickly, the only evidence of the bandits' existence was a bit of blood soaking into the ground.

  [Gained 0.09 Control]

  [Gained 0.11 Vitality]

  As he began walking toward the city, a system notification appeared before him:

  [Welcome to the Second Floor]

  [Current Objective: Complete an SS-Rank Quest]

  [Visit the Adventurer's Guild in Arzen for details]

  It was a little late, but it at least gave him a clear objective.

  After about forty minutes of swift walking, William reached the edge of the forest. The landscape opened up into rolling plains, and there before him stood Arzen.

  Unlike the abandoned village of the first floor, Arzen bustled with life and commerce. Smoke rose from countless chimneys, and even from this distance, William could hear the distant hum of thousands of people going about their daily business.

  The architecture was predominantly stone and timber, with taller structures in what appeared to be the central districts and humbler dwellings toward the outskirts.

  Several landmarks stood out against the cityscape. A massive temple with white marble columns and a golden dome dominated the eastern quarter. In the center, a tall clock tower rose above the surrounding buildings, its face visible from all parts of the city. The city lacked proper defensive walls - perhaps unnecessary on a floor meant as a hub rather than a challenge - but watchtowers dotted the perimeter, manned by guards keeping an eye on approaching travelers.

  Multiple roads led into the city from various directions, all converging toward the central district. Travelers and merchants were set up along the roads - caravans with loaded wagons, adventurers, farmers bringing produce to market.

  William approached the main road leading into the city, joining the flow of travelers. Guards in leather armor with the city's insignia stood at a checkpoint, casually observing those entering the city.

  As he reached the checkpoint, one stepped forward.

  "New arrival?" the guard asked..

  "Yes," William replied. "Looking for the Adventurer's Guild."

  The guard nodded. "Follow this road to the central plaza. The guild hall sits on the north side - stone building with two statues out front. Can't miss it." He waved William through without further questions.

  William continued further into the city. The streets were cobbled, worn smooth by countless feet over years of use. Buildings rose on either side, two to four stories tall, their lower levels often occupied by shops and businesses while upper floors served as residences.

  The streets grew wider and better maintained as William approached the city center. William noticed establishments selling potions, magical scrolls, enchanted equipment, and specialized tools for various professions.

  As he made his way through the crowds, William found himself searching the faces of passing humans, hoping to spot Devon, Noah, or any other familiar face from Earth. If other people had been pulled into the labyrinth as he had, some might have reached this floor already. Along the way, his instincts alerted him to many strong individuals. And still, he couldn’t feel Aether from within any of them. The elusive stat seemed to have been exclusive to him, or at most a group of the strongest on the floor.

  Turning right, William stood face-to-face with two statues of some sort of beasts. He entered the adventurer’s guild, searching for the front desk.

  Various groups of people were gathered in the building, some sat down, enjoying a beer, while some were busy studying a quest board. William walked up to the clerk, who seemed busy signing some documents and didn’t even notice him.

  “Hello, I would like to receive a quest.” His words broke her out of her stupor. “Ah.. Hello. Do you have any form of identification on you?”

  “What do you mean by that?”

  “If you don’t know, then it’s obvious. You are a fresh arrival, aren’t you? You will need to register with us before you are eligible for quests. Please state your name and difficulty.”

  ‘I probably shouldn’t tell her about my true difficulty, since it’s unknown yet.’ William thought as he spoke, "William Torren, nightmare. I would like an SS-rank quest please."

  His request took the clerk aback. "SS-rank? I know you are a nightmare, sir, but that's still too much for you. Not even the top nightmares have cleared one yet."

  William leaned forward slightly. "I've already cleared the first floor solo."

  The clerk's eyes widened. "Solo? That's..." She paused, taking stock of him again with newfound interest. "Even so, SS-rank quests require the branch master’s approval. We can't just hand them out to anyone who walks through the door, no matter how capable they might be."

  "Then get me them," William said, his tone a little annoyed.

  The clerk's lips thinned. "First floor clearance doesn't entitle you to special treatment, sir. Everyone follows protocol, even Nightmares." She pulled out a ledger bound in thick leather. "I can register you properly, and then we can discuss appropriate quest assignments."

  William considered pushing the issue but recognized the futility. Antagonizing the guild on his first day wouldn't serve his interests. "Fine."

  She nodded, continuing to write. "What combat skills would you say are your specialties?" She asked as she scanned William, noticing his jian at his waist and the armor’s claymore on his back.

  "Swordsmanship and close combat." He kept his answers deliberately vague.

  “Mhm. Please, if you would give us your thumbprint to finish the process.” The clerk slid a small glass with ink towards William, gesturing to the spot on the paper.

  William did as asked, and the clerk finished her notations and closed the ledger. "Well, Mr. Torren, you're now officially registered with the Arzen Adventurer's Guild." She produced a small metal badge with the guild's insignia. "This identifies you as a guild member. Now, as for quests..."

  She pulled out a different book, this one with color-coded sections. "Despite your... impressive claims, I can't authorize anything above A-rank for a new arrival without prior demonstration of capability."

  "What A-rank quests are available?" William asked, accepting the inevitable delay.

  The clerk flipped to a red-marked section. "There's a Chimera that's taken up territory in the valley west of the city. It’s been attacking merchant caravans and disrupting trade routes. Three attempts by hard difficulty parties have already failed. The reward is 5 gold coins." She turned the book towards William, showing him a spot marked on the map.

  William considered this. "Tell me about this Chimera."

  "It’s a mesh of multiple different creatures. It has the strength of a high orc, but has scales like that of a cave lizard, making it very durable. It also seems to have increased regenerative abilities.

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  "I'll take it," William decided. The quest would serve multiple purposes - gaining guild standing, acquiring funds, and testing this floor's challenge level against his abilities.

  As William took the form, the clerk added, "One more thing. Most A-rank quests are tackled by teams of at least three Hard-difficulty adventurers. Even for a Nightmare, solo attempts are... uncommon."

  "I work better alone," William replied.

  "So I gathered." She gave him an appraising look. "Complete this successfully, and I'll personally recommend you for consideration for higher-ranked quests. And one more thing,” the clerk’s expression turned serious. “It is advised not to be outside the city after nightfall."

  “Noted. That will be all, thank you for your help.” William was about to walk away, but swiftly turned on his heel to face the clerk once more. “Actually, would you recommend a good inn to sleep in? I want to be well rested before I set off.”

  After a little more conversation, William thanked the clerk once again and began leaving. As he crossed the guild hall, William felt eyes following him. Someone had apparently overheard him talking to the clerk and word had spread quickly about the solo Nightmare arrival. Some gazes were skeptical, some instead showing interest and intrigue.

  'Let them wonder,' William thought. The less anyone knew about his true capabilities, the better his chances of survival.

  He would play their game for now - take their test, slay their Chimera, earn their approval.

  The inn was exactly what he needed - clean, quiet, good food. After securing his room, William decided that a few hours of rest would serve him better than rushing out immediately. The Chimera had clearly been in the area for some time - a few more hours wouldn't make a difference.

  He laid down on the comfortable bed, a luxury after two weeks of makeshift shelters on the first floor. Despite his intention to merely rest briefly, the soft mattress and quiet room quickly pulled him into a deep sleep.

  When William woke, the rays of late afternoon sun were streaming through his window. He checked his equipment one last time and headed out. The streets of Arzen had a different energy now - merchants closing up their shops, taverns coming alive with evening patrons, and noticeably fewer people venturing toward the city exits.

  "Heading out at this hour?" the innkeeper called as William passed through the common room. "Guild business?"

  William nodded.

  The man frowned slightly. "Best be quick about it then. Not much daylight left."

  The clerk's warning echoed in William's mind: "It is advised not to be outside the city after nightfall." What exactly happened after dark? William's curiosity was piqued.

  Moving west along the main road out of Arzen, William noticed the diminishing traffic - a few hurried merchants and travelers, all heading toward the city rather than away from it. The terrain was mostly forested, with well-maintained brick roads cutting through the wilderness. For William, the ten-kilometer journey to the valley was barely a warm-up. With his enhanced physique and [Speedrunner] title, he covered the distance in just over twenty minutes, arriving fresh and ready for the hunt.

  The setting sun cast long shadows through the trees, bathing the landscape in amber light. According to the map, the Chimera had been ambushing caravans along the main road where it passed through a narrow ravine. William decided to scout the area thoroughly before engaging.

  Using [Basic Tracking], he began searching for signs of the creature. It didn't take long to find evidence of its presence - huge footprints in the soft earth, signs of a battle, and the remains of a wagon just off the main road.

  He followed the tracks with the help of his skill, arriving at a nearby outcropping - the perfect area to watch the main road from. The sun was now touching the horizon, painting the western sky in fiery hues of orange and red.

  As William surveyed the area, he considered his weaponry. The jian had served him well on the first floor, its speed and precision perfect for exploiting the weaknesses of werewolves. But this Chimera was different - heavily armored with scales and supposedly possessing regenerative abilities.

  His hand moved to the claymore strapped across his back. He hadn't used it since claiming it from Hein, as he had no need for it, but now it would come to be quite useful.

  William drew the massive blade, feeling its perfect balance despite its size. His [Basic Swordsmanship] and [Advanced Footwork] skills adjusted instinctively to accommodate the different fighting style required.

  A roar echoed through the valley, so powerful that birds erupted from the trees in flight. William tensed, senses heightening as he pinpointed the source - behind the outcropping, moving his way.

  Rather than wait to be discovered, William circled around, climbing to higher ground to gain visibility. What he saw made him pause momentarily.

  An incredibly gruesome beast stood below him. The Chimera was an abomination that looked as though it had been stitched together, literally. Standing on two huge legs, its frame reached nearly four meters in height. Its torso was asymmetrical and misshapen, covered in thick patches of scales that didn't quite meet at the seams, revealing pulsing flesh beneath.

  The creature's left arm appeared relatively normal, ending in a five-fingered hand with dirty yellow claws. But its right arm was grotesquely enlarged, nearly dragging on the ground, with massive bone-white claws that looked capable of shredding steel. The junction where this monstrous limb connected to the shoulder was marked by crude suture-like scars, as though the limb had been forcibly grafted onto the body.

  From its back sprouted a pair of wings - too small to provide flight, they twitched and fluttered independently, serving no apparent purpose.

  Its head was a troll-like face with a protruding jaw full of mismatched teeth, some clearly not original to the creature. One eye was small and sunken, while the other was unnaturally large and bulging, swiveling in its socket as it locked onto William's position.

  The creature roared once again, this time coming out as more of a screech. It launched off the ground, coming directly at William.

  'This is an A-rank quest?' Grimaced William as he watched the large creature move with speed far past what it should have been capable of.

  William's claymore rose just above his right shoulder, pointing towards the incoming creature and waiting for the precise moment to strike, like a cat stalking its prey. The chimera wound back its massive arm, barreling it forward like a huge wrecking ball towards William.

  With graceful movement, William jumped into the strike coming towards him, slashing at the arm length-wise and creating a large gash before launching himself off the creature's chest. The claymore sliced cleanly, and without much effort, but William suspected that wouldn't be the case once he targets the scaled areas.

  The chimera roared in pain, flailing its arms around wildly as it sprinted towards William once again. Picking up a boulder with its huge arm, it tossed it effortlessly at William, forcing him to hurriedly jump away from its path. The creature jumped up and smashed the ground with both its limbs, missing William by only a small margin.

  Just as the chimera landed and was in a vulnerable position, William shot off towards it and slashed, slicing both eyes cleanly with his claymore, blinding the creature. He mounted the chimera and pulled out his dagger, viciously stabbing it in the chimera's misshapen skull and spine multiple times. The chimera, still hanging on to life, began slamming its back into the cliffside as a final display of defiance, not noticing that William had already dismounted it.

  William's claymore blurred as it pierced through the chimera's tough scales, lodging itself deep into it. The creature roared one last time before collapsing, signifying its defeat.

  William kicked its body. "Good night, you fat bastard," he cursed as he pulled his claymore out. He cut out one of its claws to show as proof before using [Devour] on the thing.

  [Gained 0.36 Power]

  The sun had now completely disappeared below the horizon, leaving only a faint orange glow in the sky. Darkness was settling over the forest rapidly.

  William considered heading back to Arzen immediately but paused. The clerk's warning about not leaving the city after nightfall had piqued his curiosity. What exactly happened here after dark that prompted such advice?

  Instead of returning immediately, William found a defensible position on high ground with good visibility of the surrounding area. He settled in to observe, his senses heightened and alert. Whatever happened after dark, he wanted to see it firsthand. Information was power in this world, and William wasn't the type to rely on secondhand warnings when he could experience things for himself.

  As the last light faded from the sky, William noticed a subtle change in the atmosphere. The normal sounds of the forest - insects, nocturnal birds, small creatures rustling in the grass gradually fell silent. An unnatural stillness descended, broken only by the whisper of a cool breeze rustling the surrounding leaves.

  He waited, watching the darkened landscape with keen attention, claymore at the ready. Whatever came, he would be prepared.

  A moon rose on the horizon, far larger than the one on earth. To its left rose another, smaller one, and one more to its right.

  The three moons illuminated the landscape with pale, bluish light, casting incredibly dark shadows. William was still on high alert, but nothing seemed out of the ordinary just yet.

  Then the shadows moved.

  Shadows writhed as if alive before materializing into two black creatures. Wolves, but unlike any William had ever seen. Their bodies seemed composed of darkness itself, their outlines blurring and shifting as if not fully anchored to reality. They stood larger than normal wolves, shoulders easily reaching William's waist, with eyes that glowed an eerie violet in the moonlight.

  William activated [Keen Introspection] immediately.

  [Shadow Walker. A nocturnal predator that manifests after dark on the second floor. Capable of manipulating shadows using Aether. Physical attacks pass through its semi-corporeal form unless timed precisely. Currently manifesting the form of a dire wolf]

  'Aether,' William thought, his interest piqued. The mysterious stat he'd been accumulating was apparently not as rare as he'd thought. These creatures possessed it too.

  The wolves did not care for his hiding spot, spotting him immediately and inching forward with grace, making no sound despite their size. They split apart, circling to flank William from both sides.

  William raised his claymore, keeping both beasts in his field of vision. "So you're what everyone's afraid of."

  The first wolf stopped, its head lowering as it gathered itself to pounce. William braced for the attack, but instead of leaping, the creature's eyes flashed brighter, and the shadow beneath William's feet suddenly surged upward like a geyser of black liquid.

  [Danger Sense] screamed a warning, allowing William to leap sideways just as shadow-tendrils erupted from the ground, grasping at empty air where he had stood a moment before.

  The second wolf attacked conventionally, lunging with fangs bared. William swung his claymore in a horizontal arc, expecting to cleave through the beast. Instead, the blade passed through as if cutting smoke, meeting no resistance.

  The wolf's teeth, however, proved solid enough as they sank into William's forearm. Pain lanced up his arm, but [Combat Perseverance] dulled the sensation and strengthened him.

  William twisted, driving his elbow into the wolf's head with enormous force. The blow connected, surprisingly solid, and the creature yelped as it was knocked sideways.

  'So they can become solid to attack, but intangible to defend,' William reasoned, immediately adjusting his strategy.

  The first wolf was manipulating shadows again, this time pulling darkness from beneath the trees and forming it into jagged spears that hovered in the air. With a silent command, it launched them toward William.

  William dodged and parried the shadow spears, rolling behind a large rock. His mind raced, analyzing what he'd just witnessed. The wolves weren't just controlling shadows - they were using Aether to transform shadows into semi-physical weapons.

  He focused on his own tiny reserve of Aether, feeling it stir in response to his attention. Could he possibly manipulate shadows too?

  The wolves moved as one now, their glowing eyes fixed on his position. Together, they began to draw in the surrounding shadows, pulling darkness from every corner of the clearing into a swirling vortex of black energy.

  William watched closely, studying their technique even as he prepared to defend himself. This Aether manipulation was nothing like what he'd seen before - not even Hein had demonstrated such abilities.

  The shadow wolves launched their combined attack - a massive wave of darkness that rolled toward William's position. He knew his meager cover wouldn't protect him.

  William dove to the side, narrowly avoiding the brunt of the shadow wave. Even so, tendrils of darkness caught his leg, sending a numbing cold up his calf. He slashed at them with the claymore, but the blade passed through harmlessly.

  But that wasn't going to stop him. William sprinted toward the wolves, not letting them charge up another attack. The claymore gleamed as it reflected the moonlight, creating a white line in the dark night.

  The slash passed through the wolves as if they were mere mist, but William didn't intend on letting up. One of the wolves lunged as the second prepared its shadow spears once again. William arched backward to dodge the lunge and swiftly sliced through a tree, which fell on the casting wolf, interrupting it. Another lunge came soon after, and William wound up his fist.

  Shattered teeth scattered on the ground as William's fist collided with the insides of the wolf's mouth. William didn't come out unscathed either, shattering the bones in his fingers and shredding the skin on his hand, but the wolf was in a much worse state.

  The creature howled, its semi-corporeal form wavering as it reeled back. Black blood dripped from its maw, evaporating into wisps of smoke before hitting the ground. It retreated a few steps, its glowing eyes dimming slightly.

  The second wolf, having freed itself from beneath the fallen tree, prowled forward more cautiously now. Its violet eyes flashed, and William's shadow suddenly elongated, stretching toward the wolf as if pulled by an invisible force.

  William felt an immediate drain on his energy, as if the wolf was somehow siphoning his strength through the shadow connection. His legs weakened, and he dropped to one knee, struggling to maintain his grip on the claymore.

  'They're feeding on me,' he realized with growing alarm. This was no mere physical battle - the wolves were draining him through some Aether-based connection.

  William raised the claymore and slammed it down onto his own shadow, breaking the connection. The drain ceased immediately, but the damage was done. William's breathing was labored, his muscles trembling from the unexpected exertion.

  The wolves circled closer, sensing weakness. William struggled to his feet, switching the claymore to his left hand. His right hand was a mess of broken bones and torn flesh, useless for now despite [Combat Perseverance] working to mitigate the worst of the damage.

  The first wolf, mouth still leaking shadowy essence, suddenly launched itself at William's throat. He swung the claymore awkwardly with his left hand, the timing off just enough to miss the moment of solidity. The blade passed through the wolf's chest harmlessly, and its jaws clamped onto William's shoulder.

  Pain exploded through his body as teeth pierced flesh and muscle. Only his enhanced physique kept the wolf from tearing his arm clean off. William winced in pain, dropping the claymore and grabbing the wolf's head with his wounded right hand. The agony of using his broken fingers was excruciating, but adrenaline pushed him through it.

  With a tremendous effort, William wrenched the wolf's jaws apart, far beyond what any natural animal's mouth should be able to open. The creature released his shoulder, its form wavering between solid and shadow as it tried to escape William's grip.

  "Not so fast," William snarled, maintaining his hold despite the protest of his shattered hand. He slammed the wolf into the ground repeatedly, each impact forcing it to become more solid as it instinctively tried to brace itself.

  The second wolf attacked from behind, its teeth sinking into William's leg. He kicked out violently, catching the creature under its jaw. The impact was solid enough to snap its head back, but it maintained its grip, shaking its head to tear deeper into William's calf.

  William was in serious trouble now, bleeding from multiple wounds and unable to break free from both wolves simultaneously. His mind raced, searching for a solution. These creatures clearly had the advantage in darkness, where shadows were abundant.

  Then it hit him - the moons. The three celestial bodies cast multiple overlapping shadows, providing the wolves with their power source. But what if...

  William lunged for his claymore, dragging both wolves with him. The movement sent shockwaves of pain through his wounded body, but he gritted his teeth and pushed through it. His fingers closed around the hilt just as the wolf on his shoulder ripped free another chunk of flesh.

  With a roar that was half pain and half defiance, William stood upright, lifting both wolves with sheer brute strength. He positioned himself so that a large boulder was blocking the line of sight between the wolves and the three moons.

  The effect was immediate. The wolves' forms began to waver more dramatically, their solidity flickering as their source of strength diminished. The gamble had paid off, and William took advantage of their momentary weakness, swinging the claymore in a wide arc with his left hand.

  This time, his timing was perfect. The blade caught both wolves at the exact moment they became solid enough to attack. The claymore tore through shadow-flesh with a sound like ripping silk, sending both creatures tumbling to the ground.

  William didn't waste his advantage. He brought the claymore down again and again, each strike precisely timed to catch the wolves in their moments of vulnerability. Black blood sprayed in wide arcs, evaporating into mist almost instantly.

  With a final, desperate lunge, one wolf attempted to reach the deeper shadows beyond the boulder. William intercepted it midair, his claymore cleaving through its neck. The head separated from the body, both parts dissolving into wisps of darkness that scattered on the night breeze.

  The remaining wolf, seeing its packmate destroyed, turned to flee. William pushed through his exhaustion and pain, summoning the last of his strength for a throwing attack. The claymore spun through the air, its blade catching the moonlight before burying itself in the fleeing wolf's back.

  The creature collapsed, its form dissipating into tendrils of shadow that faded into nothingness. Silence fell over the clearing once more, broken only by William's ragged breathing.

  He stumbled to retrieve his claymore, nearly falling as his wounded leg threatened to buckle. His body was heavily injured - mangled right hand, deeply bitten shoulder, torn calf, and numerous smaller cuts and bruises from the shadow attacks.

  William used [Devour] on the fading remnants of the shadow wolves.

  [Gained 0.11 Aether]

  The Aether gain was substantial - more than he'd received from any previous creature. Clearly, these shadow wolves were closely attuned to Aether in a way other monsters weren't. He felt the tiny reserve of Aether within him grow, though it remained far too small to manipulate shadows as the wolves had done.

  The act of devouring helped accelerate his healing somewhat, but he was still severely wounded. The trek back to Arzen would be dangerous in this condition.

  Then, the system window showed up.

  [You are the first to defeat a Shadow Walker. Unique title granted: Risk Taker]

  [Effect: Your skills rise in proficiency slightly faster during dangerous situations]

  The familiar distortion rippled across the text:

  [Authority !~`#5%$&/= forcibly activated]

  [Title upgraded: Risk Taker → Fearless]

  [Effect: Skills rise in proficiency significantly faster during dangerous situations. Reduced mental impact from life-threatening scenarios]

  Before William could fully process this new title, additional notifications appeared:

  [Stat increase: +0.25 to all basic attributes]

  The stats immediately came into effect, slowing his bleeding and renewing his vigor a tiny bit.

  Still, he was stranded and hurt. Even [Devour] was not fixing such wounds quickly enough.

  William scanned the surroundings carefully. The shadows writhed as more and more shadow walkers began appearing throughout the forest below.

  He was surrounded.

  Green suddenly filled William’s vision. “Ah, you seem to be in a little bit of a pickle,” the guide grinned. “May I offer some advice?”