In the shadows of the S Ranked Main character
Chapter 44: A path forward(3)

Chapter 44: A path forward(3)

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Kai and Kathlyn walked.

Their steps echoed faintly in the narrow underground tunnels. The stone walls around them pulsed with thin lines of light, casting just enough glow to see where they were going. The air was cool, almost stale, but not suffocating

Neither of them spoke much.

Kathlyn walked slightly ahead, map in hand, eyes flicking down to the old markings every few minutes to make sure they were still on the right path. She looked tired the kind of tired that sunk into your bones but her shoulders stayed squared, her steps stable

Kai followed, keeping pace behind her his senses were sharp, on edge. Every small shift in the tunnel walls, every faint flicker in the light made him tense just a little.

They passed through chamber after chamber.

Some were tight, just wide enough for two people side by side Others opened into broad, hollowed-out spaces, with roots twisting through the ceilings like frozen tentacles. The deeper they went, the more worn the ground beneath their feet became. Cracked stone Splintered wood. Debris scattered like something much larger had once moved through here

It wasn’t fast progress.

Their pace had slowed after the last fight. Neither wanted to admit it, but they were tired Pushed past what a normal run should have taken out of them But they kept moving.

They had to

Kai’s mind drifted once or twice, thoughts slipping toward the dragon or worse, the eggs and what Kathlyn might actually face if they found them. But he didn’t voice any of it. For now, they just had to reach the next point

Then, at the end of one long, sloping tunnel, something shifted.

Not gradually Not gently

Suddenly

One moment, they were in a stone passage, rough and natural.

The next, they stepped out and the ground under their feet changed.

Kai stopped short, his boots scraping against scorched earth.

Kathlyn froze beside him.

The space around them had transformed.

They weren’t in a tunnel anymore. They weren’t even underground.

They stood in the middle of what looked like an old village or what was left of one. Charred beams jutted up from the ground at odd angles Cracked stone walls, blackened with soot, stretched in half-formed shapes, some standing, some collapsed entirely. The ground was covered in ash, brittle under their feet, with patches of scorched grass and broken cobblestones scattered unevenly.

There were no sounds No wind No creaking wood or distant echoes

Just stillness

Kai exhaled slowly, his eyes sweeping the ruined structures. His heart was pounding a little faster now. He didn’t like how quickly the environment had shifted it was too clean, too precise, like something had deliberately pulled them into this scene.

Kathlyn’s fists clenched slightly at her sides, her gaze flicking left, then right. Her voice came out low, measured.

"This wasn’t on the map."

Kai didn’t answer right away.

He took a slow step forward, his foot crunching against the ash-covered ground. The burned remains of a sign lay half-buried nearby, its lettering too warped to read.

He swallowed hard.

"Yeah," he murmured, "I figured."

They stood at the edge of what must have once been a central square a wide, open area, ringed by ruined houses and half-toppled buildings. Something heavy hung in the air here. Not just the remnants of fire, but something older. Deeper.

Kai’s grip tightened on his blade.

Kathlyn adjusted her stance, eyes narrowing slightly.

Without needing to say anything, they both knew:

This wasn’t just scenery.

Whatever came next... they had just stepped into it.

Kai and Kathlyn moved cautiously through the ruined village.

Their footsteps made soft crunching sounds on the ash-covered ground. Every few meters, Kai would glance behind them, his eyes flicking to the ruined doorways and shattered windows, checking for any movement. Kathlyn stayed ahead, her fists faintly glowing, the after-hum of her earlier magic still pulsing through her arms like a low heartbeat.

The burned-out buildings loomed around them blackened frames, collapsed roofs, piles of cracked stone. Smoke stains still streaked the air, even though no fire remainedIt was quiet Too quiet it was unsettling

Kai muttered under his breath, "It’s like a graveyard."

Kathlyn didn’t reply, but her jaw tightened slightly. She kept her focus straight ahead, steps steady, eyes sharp.

They crossed what looked like the remains of a central well, its stone rim collapsed inward, charred rope dangling loosely into the black mouth below. A windless hush pressed around them.

And then —

A sound

Soft

Both of them froze.

Kathlyn’s fists ignited brighter, the air near her hands shimmering.

There

Near one of the ruined houses.

A figure

Slow, jerking movements. A blackened, hunched shape, its skin burned away in places to reveal twisted muscle and bone, its fingers scraping claw-like across the stone as it dragged itself upright.

Kai’s breath caught faintly.

"Is that...?"

Kathlyn stepped forward slightly, her voice low.

"It’s moving."

The figure staggered fully upright, its head jerking unnaturally to the side. Its face was half-melted one eye socket hollow, the other still faintly glowing with a dull red light. Its chest heaved once, then twice, and then it turned.

Toward them.

Kai sucked in a slow breath, summoning his blade with a faint whisper.

"Well. Guess we found someone home."

The charred corpse lurched forward not running, not sprinting, but with a terrible, uneven determination, dragging its ruined leg, its arms twitching like it barely knew how to use them.

Kathlyn’s hands clenched tighter.

"Stay sharp."

Kai nodded once, his grin sharp and thin despite the tension in his chest.

"Always."

The thing let out a low, rattling sound halfway between a growl and a breath and picked up speed, moving toward them with horrible, dragging force.

Kathlyn braced herself. Kai shifted his weight, eyes narrowing, blade ready.

One burned corpse.

The burned corpse’s body jerked once

Then tensed.

Kai’s eyes sharpened instantly as he saw the thing’s spine crack into place, the hunch in its back straightening. With a sickening snap, its shoulders rolled upright, its charred torso stretching taller, broader, until it loomed nearly twice Kai’s height.

And then it bent down, skeletal fingers wrapping around the hilt of a half-melted greatsword lodged in the ground.

Kai hissed under his breath.

"Of course it has a weapon."

Kathlyn you need to rest

He snapped his fingers once his shadow clone flared into place beside him, eyes flickering with the same sharp focus. Both Kai and his clone darted left and right, splitting the creature’s attention immediately.

The burned corpse let out a rattling exhale, raising the massive sword with surprising speed.

CRASH!

The blade smashed down where Kai had been a second earlier, shattering the cobblestones, sending shards flying

The clone surged forward first, blade flashing dark, slashing across the creature’s thigh but the blow barely bit in, blackened flesh holding with unnatural resistance.

Kai ducked under another swing, his curved blade slicing at the exposed ribs, black mana crackling across the steel. The impact sent a faint shudder through the corpse, but it didn’t slow

"Shit—!" Kai muttered, twisting away just as the greatsword slammed horizontally, sweeping the air with brutal force. His clone flickered, avoiding the edge by inches.

The corpse roared a dry, hollow sound and with a violent pulse of black-red energy, its body bulked again, gaining speed.

Kai’s heart pounded harder.

"Seriously?!"

The creature’s next swing came faster. The clone tried to intercept, but the greatsword cleaved straight through it, dissolving the shadow in an instant. Kai barely managed to roll aside, the blade bitting into his shoulder, sending a sharp jolt of pain shooting down his arm.

"Kai!"

Kathlyn’s voice snapped across the space.

He glanced up and saw her sprinting forward, her fists already blazing, her entire body flooding with red-gold light.

BANG!

Burning Heart ignited across her form.

The ground cracked beneath her feet as she launched straight into the monster, her fist slamming square into its chest with enough force to send a shockwave rippling outward. The corpse reeled, stumbling two heavy steps back, the sword jerking sideways as it struggled to reorient.

Kathlyn didn’t stop.

She darted forward again, weaving past the greatsword’s downward arc, driving a brutal uppercut straight into the creature’s chin. Sparks erupted as the impact shook its head backward, fractured bone crunching under her enhanced strength.

Kai recovered, gritting his teeth.

"Fine," he muttered, surging forward "I’ll let you play with

He re-summoned his clone the shadow flickering back to his side and both darted in from opposite flanks.

The corpse, now fully locked on Kathlyn, swung again but she blurred to the side, her foot planting hard as she launched a spinning backfist into the monster’s ribs. Kai and his clone seized the opening, blades slicing in tandem across the hamstring, twin arcs of dark energy biting deeper this time, cutting into the unstable mana holding the beast together.

The burned creature shrieked, whirling violently but it was slower now, its swings losing precision under the coordinated assault.

Kai’s blade slammed into its shoulder. Kathlyn’s fists pounded relentlessly into its core, each punch fueled by the last flickers of Burning Heart. The clone darted like a shadow, harrying the edges, forcing the thing to keep turning, exposing fresh targets over and over.

Lightless Slash had little effect due to his regeneration but given enough time the effects started to show

The greatsword crashed down one final time, carving a deep trench into the ground but it was too late.

Kai’s blade plunged deep into the joint at the corpse’s hip, slicing upward in a sharp, clean cut. Kathlyn’s final punch cracked straight through its warped sternum, a burst of fire-tinged mana detonating at point-blank range.

The creature buckled

Staggered

Then collapsed, its massive body slamming into the earth with a thundering crash.

Silence followed

Kai stood panting, shoulders heaving, his hands gripping his knees as sweat dripped from his brow. His clone flickered faintly, fading from existence

Kathlyn crouched nearby, one hand braced on the ground, her breath coming in short, sharp bursts, her fists still faintly glowing.

They exchanged a glance tired, raw, a little wild.

Neither spoke for a long moment.

Then Kai let out a breathless laugh, shaking his head.

"I hate this place"

Kathlyn, still catching her breath, managed a faint, exhausted smile.

"Yeah," she rasped softly. "Me too."

Together, they rose, turning their eyes to the path ahead knowing that whatever was waiting deeper inside this cursed Prism, they weren’t done yet

Not even close

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