Jason soared above the ruined city, his wings humming with mana as he scanned the landscape below. The night stretched vast and silent beneath him, broken only by the occasional flicker of distant movement. His mini map pulsed, locking onto a single red dot moving swiftly through the ruins.

  A level 42 shadow beast. Jason’s eyes narrowed. The system update had introduced stronger monsters, and this was one of them. He had been searching for a challenge, and this creature was the perfect prey. It darted through the remnants of an old highway, its movements unnaturally fluid, weaving between crumbling buildings with eerie precision. Its shape flickered, blurring in and out of sight, leaving faint trails of darkness in its wake.

  Jason pressed forward, angling his flight to keep pace. His Exoskeleton was active, wings spreading wide, carrying him effortlessly through the sky. He wasn’t flying at full speed, there was no need to reveal himself yet. He wanted to see how this thing moved.

  It was fast. Faster than anything he had hunted before. Jason dropped lower, just above the rooftops, watching how it reacted. The beast suddenly twisted mid stride, as if sensing something, its elongated limbs blurring as it leapt between buildings. A hunter.

  Jason smirked. Good. That meant it would run until it had no choice but to fight. He clenched his fist, feeling the weight of mana shifting around him. "Let’s slow you down."

  With a flicker of intent, he activated Gravity Manipulation, pressing a 2x gravity field onto the area around the beast. Immediately, the shadow beast faltered, its movements becoming sluggish, its leaps losing height. Jason could see the way its limbs adjusted, how it tried to compensate for the increased pressure. It was struggling, but adapting fast.

  Too fast. Jason adjusted his own weight, reducing gravity on himself to make his flight even more precise. Then, with a smirk, he activated Overdrive, shifting endurance into agility. His speed doubled. He shot forward like a missile, closing the distance in a heartbeat. The beast sensed it whipping around, its elongated limbs bending at unnatural angles as it bolted toward the tree line ahead. Jason’s smirk widened.

  It was running out of options. The beast darted into the trees, twisting between branches, moving like a shadow itself. But Jason didn’t let up. He hovered above the forest canopy, tracking every flicker of movement with pinpoint accuracy.

  Then, it changed tactics. The beast climbed. Its elongated claws dug into the trunk of a massive, blackened oak, scaling it in seconds. Jason slowed, watching curiously. Was it trying to flee? No. It was positioning itself. Then, without warning, it leapt.

  A blur of darkness exploded from the treetops, aiming straight for him. Its form elongated mid-air, its claws stretching, its fanged maw wide, a black void of shifting shadows. Jason’s instincts screamed, but he didn’t flinch. He twisted, dropping his gravity to near-zero to shift direction mid-air.

  The beast’s claws sliced past him, missing by inches. Jason retaliated instantly. His Wolf King's Fang cleaved through the night, aiming for the beast’s torso. The moment his blade should have hit, the creature’s body dissolved, reforming behind him. Jason barely had time to twist before it lashed out again, its claws raking toward his throat.

  Fast. Not fast enough. Jason increased his gravity, slamming himself downward, dodging the strike while amplifying the weight of the air around them. The beast staggered mid-air, struggling as its body was suddenly twice as heavy. Jason didn’t hesitate.

  He activated Overdrive again, pouring everything into strength. His wings folded, and he dropped like a meteor, reversing gravity at the last second to launch himself straight back toward the beast. His sword swung in a brutal, arcing cleave. This time, the blade connected.

  A guttural, unnatural screech tore through the night as the shadow beast was ripped apart, black mist spilling from its wounds instead of blood. Jason didn’t let up. He drove his knee into its torso, sending it crashing through the treetops, smashing against the forest floor below.

  He landed softly, stepping toward the twitching remains. The beast convulsed, its form shifting, flickering between solid and intangible. Even now, it tried to melt into the shadows. Jason exhaled, raising his blade. "Not this time."

  One final swing. The sword sliced through its core, severing whatever unnatural force held it together. The body stilled. Then, it disintegrated into black mist. Jason let out a slow breath, standing over the remains as the system notification appeared.

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  System Notification: You have slain a First-Class Beast – Level 42 Shadow Revenant.

  +18 Health, +26 Agility, +17 Endurance, +22 Strength + 15 Mana

  Level Up! x1. All stats + 1.

  Name: Jason Cole

  Level: 40

  - Health: 239

  - Agility: 250 (240 + 10)

  - Endurance: 237

  - Strength: 270

  - Mana: 223 (208 + 15)

  Unassigned Points: 30

  Jason exhaled, feeling the raw power surge through him. But there was something else. A piece of black parchment floated where the beast had fallen, radiating an ominous energy. Jason reached out and picked it up. The system’s text flickered into view.

  Shadow Cloak (First Class Skill):

  Effect: Grants the ability to blend into darkness, muffling sound and reducing visibility. Movement speed increases by 20% when in shadows. Jason stared at the skill, a slow smirk forming. This was exactly what he needed.

  Jason’s smirk lingered as he absorbed the Shadow Cloak skill into his system. The dark mist wrapped around him for a brief moment before vanishing, leaving behind a faint, lingering cold. He flexed his fingers, feeling the subtle shift in his presence.

  This ability was perfect. With Gravity Manipulation for battlefield control, Thunderfall for heavy strikes, and Exoskeleton for defense, he had all the tools he needed for direct combat. But Shadow Cloak? This was something different. It allowed him to hunt in silence, disappear when necessary, and strike before his enemies even knew he was there. His mini-map pulsed. Not a red dot, but something else.

  A cluster of green dots flickered erratically back at the faction base, movement patterns jagged, frantic. His brow furrowed. Something was wrong. He activated his wings, pushing off the forest floor and into the night sky, his body still adapting to the weightless movement as he soared toward the university. The closer he got, the clearer the chaos became.

  Fires burned near the barricades, black smoke rising into the sky. The sound of shouting echoed through the campus, mixed with the agonized groans of the wounded. Jason’s gaze snapped to the main courtyard. A massive crater had torn through part of the central walkway, shattering concrete and scattering debris.

  Bodies injured, but not dead lay across the courtyard, some being dragged to safety by others. Jason’s eyes immediately locked onto the corpse of a massive beast in the center of the destruction. A First Class Beast, its body still smoldering from battle. It resembled a massive mutated reptilian, its scales a deep crimson, jagged spikes running down its back. Massive claw marks were etched into the surrounding ground where it had torn through barricades.

  Infernal Ravager (Level 34)

  The thing had been powerful. Even in death, its presence was overwhelming. Jason landed just beyond the carnage, his boots pressing into the dust-covered pavement as he took in the scene. He hadn’t been gone for more than an hour, but in that time, the base had nearly been destroyed. His mini map had been clear before he left, where had this thing come from?

  His gaze shifted to Dante, standing near the beast’s corpse, his face twisted in frustration. His flames flickered weakly at his fingertips, his body covered in scratches and soot. Nearby, Luke and Emma stood panting, their weapons still drawn, their expressions a mix of exhaustion and adrenaline.

  The moment Dante saw Jason, his eyes narrowed dangerously. Jason barely had time to take a step forward before Dante stormed toward him, his hands clenched into fists. “Where the hell were you?” His voice was sharp, barely restrained. The heat in the air spiked slightly, though it wasn’t out of control, yet.

  Jason met his glare with a calm, unreadable expression. “Out.” Dante scoffed, his anger flaring. “Out? We were getting torn apart by a goddamn First Class Beast, and you were just out?” Luke and Emma exchanged glances, unsure whether to intervene. The surrounding survivors, already rattled from the fight, were watching, tension thick in the air.

  Jason tilted his head slightly. “I didn’t realize security meant babysitting the base. You didn’t seem to have a problem handling it.” His eyes flickered toward the Infernal Ravager’s corpse. “It’s dead, isn’t it?” Dante took another step forward, shoulders tense. “Not because of you,” he snapped. “People got hurt, Jason. We lost barricades, food supplies, and almost lost people. You were supposed to be on security duty.”

  Jason raised an eyebrow. “You expect me to sit here waiting for something to happen? If I had been here, the outcome would have been the same. Except I would have had to hold back.” His tone was neutral, but the underlying message was clear. Dante clenched his fists harder, his frustration barely contained. “You think you’re untouchable, don’t you?”

  Jason’s smirk was barely visible. “No. I just know my value.” Kaitlin suddenly stepped between them, her expression irritated. “Enough. This isn’t solving anything.” She turned toward Dante. “Jason wasn’t here, but we can’t change that now. We should focus on preventing this from happening again.”

  Dante exhaled sharply, running a hand through his hair. “Fine. But if you disappear again while on duty, don’t bother coming back.” He turned sharply, walking off without waiting for a response. Jason didn’t react. He had already expected this. Dante was desperate to assert control, to make sure no one questioned his leadership. Jason wasn’t planning on challenging that. Not yet.

  Luke walked over, shaking his head. “You really know how to piss people off.” Jason shrugged. “Not my fault he’s insecure.” Emma sighed. “He’s right about one thing though. That beast came out of nowhere. We weren’t ready for something that strong. And if we get hit again…”

  Jason turned his gaze toward the ruined barricades, the injured survivors, the sheer lack of preparation. He had already known this faction was weak. This attack had just proven it. We need better defenses,” he muttered. “This place won’t survive another hit like that.”

  Kaitlin folded her arms. “You have ideas?” Jason smirked. “I always have ideas.” But first, he needed to find stronger prey. If that Infernal Ravager had nearly destroyed the base, then something stronger was coming, and when it did, he would be ready.