The Glutton screeched. It rushed in a straight line, bone-claws reaching for the throat.
Kael stood in the mud. The creature leaped, silhouetted against the Black Rain.
Kael torqued his hips. The Monolith displaced the air.
Crack.
The iron slab caught the beast in the chest.
Ribs pulverized. The sternum collapsed backward, fusing with the spine. The kinetic transfer lifted the monster and slammed it sideways into the rotting shack.
Thud.
A smear of black blood. A singular twitch.
Kael exhaled. A jet of superheated steam hissed from his lips. He lowered the weapon. The iron tip hit the ground. Squelch.
"Brittle," Kael murmured.
[ AETHER POINTS: +0.1 ]
Kael stared at the text.
He looked at the crushed chest cavity. The rain washed away the black blood, exposing gray, fibrous meat.
He drew his combat knife. The steel rasped against the sheath.
The smell was sulfur and spoiled pork. Kael's stomach tightened. Saliva flooded his mouth—the gag reflex.
He carved a strip of flesh from the forearm. He placed the cold, oily strip on his tongue and swallowed.
It hit his stomach like a stone. Nausea rolled up his throat.
Then, the Furnace ignited.
Heat bloomed in his abdomen. Sweat broke across his forehead.
The cramp vanished. The nausea receded. A sharp clarity snapped into focus.
[ SYSTEM ALERT: TOXIN DETECTED (LOW) ]
[ ... NEUTRALIZING ... ]
[ DIGESTION COMPLETE. EFFICIENCY: 100% ]
Kael wiped his mouth.
"Mechanism verified," he whispered.
[ The High District ]
The air smelled of wet stone and manicured gardens.
Kael lay flat against the slate tiles of a roof overlooking Leo's Mansion.
The East Gate guards stood rigid. The side patrol huddled under the eaves. They skipped the western loop.
The tower spotlight swept the grounds.
Sweep. Pause. Sweep.
Fifteen second gap.
The servant's entrance was shut. Near the perimeter wall, an old Oak tree stretched its branches. The trunk obscured the main tower's line of sight.
Kael looked at the wall. Twenty feet. Smooth stone. Iron spikes.
He watched the patrol cycle one more time.
Route confirmed.
[ Segment B: The Under-Market ]
The sewers beneath the Tanner's District hissed. Steam pipes leaked into the tunnels, creating a urine-scented fog.
Kael moved through the press. He had left the iron slab in a dead-drop.
He found a recessed alcove. A one-eyed man sat amidst piles of junk.
Kael tossed a small bag of coins onto the crate. Thud.
"Climbing claw. Iron. And Weaver thread."
The old man fingered the coin bag. He spat on the floor. "Weaver thread? You planning to hang a giant?"
"Do you have it?"
The old man reached under a dirty tarp. "Acid-resistant. Holds an ox."
Kael checked the gear. He added a flint striker and dense ration blocks to the pile.
He took the items. He turned and walked back into the steam.
The High District smelled of lavender wax and roasted duck.
Kael stood atop the granite wall. Twenty feet down, lantern-light bled across manicured stone and trimmed hedges.
The mercenaries along the inner path huddled under the eaves. Their armor hung loose.
Kael wrapped the Weaver thread around his gloved hand. He dropped.
The impact traveled through his legs. He exhaled, sinking into the mulch.
He moved between the rain drops. The guards remained under the overhang.
Kael slipped through the side entrance. He shut the door.
Inside, the air was warm. Scented.
He stripped off his muddy boots. He moved across the freezing marble barefoot, keeping to the edge of the runner.
West Wing. Second Floor.
Kael worked the lock. The pins set. Click.
The room beyond was lined with glass cases. Silverware. Relics.
Kael walked to the raised podium.
The Skin of the Abomination draped over a blackened stand. The grey, dried hide crawled with shifting geometric tattoos. The air around it hummed.
[ HIGH-GRADE ANOMALY DETECTED ]
[ ITEM: SKIN OF THE ABOMINATION ]
Kael grabbed the edge. Heat bled through his gloves. The surface was stiff as cured leather. The mass resisted the roll, sagging and twisting in his grip.
He fought it into a cylinder. He snapped the cord tight and strapped it across his back.
He turned to the display cases.
A suit of ceremonial plate stood behind glass. A jeweled amulet hung on a blackened chain.
Kael broke the seals. His fingers brushed the amulet.
[ ANOMALY DETECTED ]
[ ITEM: AMULET ]
[ AETHER POINTS: +6 UNITS ]
A green shimmer flared at the edges of his vision. The amulet dulled in his grip.
He pocketed it.
He pressed his hand into the ceremonial helm.
[ ANOMALY DETECTED ]
[ ITEM: CEREMONIAL HELM ]
[ AETHER POINTS: +1 UNIT ]
Kael withdrew his hand.
He turned toward the window.
Creak.
The hallway floorboards groaned.
Kael stopped.
The double doors swung open.
Leo entered. He wore a silk nightgown soaked in sweat. Hair plastered to his skull. His chest heaved in shallow pulls.
"I need it…" Leo whispered. "Just a touch… just to quiet the voices…"
He reached for the SKIN OF THE ABOMINATION.
His hand met empty air.
Leo froze. His gaze moved to the glass of the display case.
Kael's reflection stared back.
Leo turned.
Kael threw the flask.
Ceramic shattered against Leo's back. Fire oil splashed across his shoulder, his chest, and the floor.
Kael struck the flint.
Sparks hit the oil.
Green and orange flames erupted.
Leo screamed. He flailed, staggering into the display cases. Burning pitch flew from his robes, splattering the curtains.
Fire climbed the walls.
Kael sprinted.
He drove his elbow into the window latch. He went through the glass.
He landed in the garden mud. The rolled hide thudded against his spine. Behind him, orange light bled into the black rain.