Neil walked towards the inner city, he could hear the feint growling of the monsters. all around and for a while he could not shake of the feeling of being followed.
The closer he got to his destination the number of his stalkers doubled, there was a reason why he had chosen the inner part of the city. Among the red lines, the one that gave him a very unsettling feeling was here, and he had a suspicion that Killing it would make it easier to kill the rest of them.
The growls got louder the closer he got to the inner part of the city, Behind him, the dark smoke that had hung thick over the skyline—like a shroud refusing to lift—began to curl and thin, retreating into the alleys and cracks of the outer wards. The air, once heavy with soot and ash, lightened as if the city itself exhaled for the first time in years.
The sunlight, harsh and golden, poured over the cobbled streets, revealing what had long been hidden. Brick buildings stood in solemn rows, their facades worn but dignified. The walls, sun-baked and faded to the color of rusted clay, carried the marks of age—crumbling plaster, ivy clinging to corners, windows clouded with ash. Iron balconies leaned slightly forward, their railings ornate but slightly bent, like old men who still insisted on standing straight.
The streets were wide but quiet, lined with lampposts of black wrought iron—each one tall and thin, some of their glass bulbs were cracked while other were in fair condition.
The smell of hot metal, dry earth, and distant smoke mixed in the air, carried by a soft wind. Farther in, the sound of his boots echoed against the walls, drowning the low growls of The Conspiracy hidden away from his sight.
Then-
He shuddered.
The still air began to tremble.
At first, it was only a hum—a low vibration in the stones beneath his boots, a whisper through the cracks of the street. But then, from somewhere unseen, a darkness began to unfurl. It wasn't smoke, not anymore. It was something foul and alive, seeping through the alleys and rising from the gutters like breath from the dead earth.
He staggered as the ground seemed to pulse beneath him. The light that had bathed the city moments ago dimmed, not because the sun had vanished, but because the air itself thickened with that vile aura—an invisible pressure pressing down on every brick, every bolt, every windowpane.
Then came the sound—like glass screaming. Windows shattered in quick succession, a thousand tiny detonations echoing through the streets. Shards rained down, glittering in the tainted light. The iron posts groaned, signboards snapped their chains, and doors slammed open as though the city had inhaled and was exhaling all at once.
He fell to one knee, his breath torn from his lungs. It wasn't the force that crushed him—it was the weight of it. The aura clawed at his skin, sank into his bones, cold and burning at once. His vision blurred, the cobblestones rippling beneath him as the air rippled with unseen hands.
Around him, the city seemed to bend. The buildings leaned ever so slightly inward, as if watching. And in the heart of that chaos, he pressed his hand to the ground, teeth clenched, the veins in his neck drawn tight.
[It found me.] he thought.
[System notice: An unnamed entity is gazing at you.]
[Suppressing hostile aura around host.]
The vile aura's pressure lessened, it was still present but it was no longer crushing like before. His stalkers grew quiet, even the suit's built in AI failed to capture any heat signatures which probably meant that every single human being in this part of Isak was dead or had ran away but judging from the pressure he felt he doubted his thoughts.
[Framework, can you scan the area for the enemy?] he asked doubtful of the Framework's cooperation, which is why he was shocked when he had the slightly mechanical voice whispering in his ears.
[Command recognized.]
[Scanning the area for threats.]
A ripple came out from his body and spread out towards the area, and then it came back to him all at once like a tidal wave hitting him from all sides with loads of sensory information he could not even comprehend all at once except for one.
The location of the enemy-
[Scan complete, the enemy is behind you, 15 feet above ground.]
Cold sweat dripped down his spine, he turned around quickly and jumped back a few yards. Looking up, he shuddered.
Above ground was a worm-like being shrouded in a translucent cocoon that glistened with a slick, black sheen, as if woven from shadows themselves. Within the cocoon's folds, tattered wings twitched — vestigial, yet vast — resembling those of a moth.
The wings were etched with pale veins that pulsed faintly like dying stars. The cocoon was not fully still; it breathed, it contracted.
That was the enemy he was searching for, just from the vile aura it was unleashing he knew that a single mistake would put him into his grave. The low level conspiracy were nowhere to be seen, he suspected that it was because of the monster above him.
[It's initiating an attack.]
[System notice: Move out of the way.]
From the Cocooned One's writhing mass, a long, flexible tendril of darkness lashed outward, seeming almost semi-solid — like liquid night given form. The surface shimmering with faint, oily iridescence, reflecting no light but giving the illusion of depth, as if glimpsing into a void.
The strike was lightning fast missing him by a hair's length as he had jumped back using the recoil strength in his high grade boots , if it was not because the Framework had warned him of an attack he would have surely died on the spot.
With a shaky hand he took out his dual Lazer guns, his eyes were focused on The Cocooned one, the area where the tendrils had strike was now a pulsing, blackened scar, as if the ground itself was bleeding.
Neil's pulse hammered in his ears, his hands trembling slightly as he adjusted his grip on the dual laser guns. The Cocooned One hung above him like a malignant moon, its translucent body writhing and twitching as if eager to split open and pour itself onto the streets below. Tendrils lashed again, whipping through the air with a wet, tearing sound that made the hairs on his arms stand on end.
He rolled sideways, the recoil of his boots slamming him against the edge of a shattered lamppost. Sparks leapt from broken wires as the tendril slammed into the cobblestones behind him, sending shards of stone flying. The smell of burnt metal and ozone filled his nose, cutting through the heavy scent of decay.
The Cocooned One's wings twitched in the air, veins pulsing faintly like the heartbeat of a dead god. Neil could feel the aura again, pressing at the edges of his consciousness, probing for weaknesses. Every muscle in his body screamed to react faster, to strike before it struck.
He fired. Two beams of concentrated light lanced through the air, sizzling as they passed through the pulsing black scar on the ground. The Cocooned One recoiled, the cocoon quivering as though irritated by the intrusion. From within, a faint, high-pitched shriek emerged, shrill and discordant, echoing against the iron and brick. The sound clawed at Neil's eardrums, making him grit his teeth to stay focused.
A sudden lunge from above — a tendril snaking downward like a whip made of liquid shadow. Neil flipped backward, his boots skidding across the cobblestones, sending cracks spider-webbing outward beneath him. Sparks from the broken lampposts lit the ground in short bursts, casting grotesque shadows that danced like predators along the walls.
He could see the Cocooned One now, clearer than ever. Its body shifted unnaturally, the outer membrane splitting slightly to reveal a writhing interior, layers of sinew and darkly iridescent flesh glinting in the fractured sunlight. Eyes, or what could have been mistaken for eyes, opened briefly—small, star-like orbs glowing with cold intelligence.
Another tendril lashed, this one striking the side of a nearby building. Bricks exploded outward like a miniature volcanic eruption, dust and rubble spraying across the street. The Framework whispered in his ear.
[Warning: Unstable structural collapse detected. Evade immediately.]
Neil jumped, twisting in midair to avoid the falling debris. His laser guns felt heavy in his hands, but he steadied himself. He had to focus. There was only one target—the Cocooned One. Kill it, and the lesser entities would fall silent. Fail, and he'd be torn apart in the blink of an eye.
He fired again, more deliberately this time. The twin beams hit the cocoon directly, slicing through layers of dark membrane with sizzling impact. Black ichor leaked out, dripping down in globs that sizzled as they touched the cobblestones. The Cocooned One shrieked, a sound like metal tearing over glass, and swung violently, knocking Neil off balance.
The tendrils came faster now, striking in waves. Neil ducked, rolled, and shot again, every movement choreographed to perfection. The Framework offered him predictive trajectories, but even with that advantage, the creature moved in ways no human—or machine—should be able to anticipate.
Then it did something unexpected: it split. The cocoon quivered violently, and from it burst a spray of smaller tendrils, each snapping outward like snakes made of shadow. Neil had only a moment to react, and his hands blurred as he fired in rapid succession. Each laser cut through one, two, three, until some of the smaller appendages disintegrated into black mist. But others reached him, scraping along his suit and sending sparks flying as they grazed the surface.
Pain shot up his arm. He growled through gritted teeth, diving behind a fallen column for cover. The Framework's voice was calm, almost detached, but its words carried a weight of urgency.
[Structural analysis: debris is unstable. Immediate offensive required. Weak point detected on upper cocoon membrane.]
Neil wiped sweat from his brow, swallowing down the nausea rising from the aura pressing against him. Upper cocoon membrane. That was it. That was the kill shot. He peered out from behind the column, calculating the angle, the distance, the timing.
The Cocooned One hovered, its massive form trembling as it prepared to strike again. Neil could feel the pressure intensify, the aura gnawing at his resolve. He gritted his teeth, took a deep breath, and fired both lasers at once, aiming precisely at the top of the cocoon.
The beams met the membrane simultaneously. There was a hiss, a wet tearing sound, and a blinding flash of light. The Cocooned One shrieked, twisting violently as the upper membrane split open. From within, something dark and writhing burst forth, clawing at the air, before collapsing back into the cocoon's remains.
For a moment, silence. The tendrils stopped moving. The aura lifted, leaving Neil panting, knees bent, weapons still raised. The Cocooned One hung motionless, the pulsating black mass now fractured, leaking dark ichor like a deflating balloon.
[It's over.] he thought to himself.
[Congratulations, you have slain an unnamed upper abberant class Conspirer.]
The Framework whispered into his ears, he took a deep breath and closed his eyes for a moment then-
"You just exceeded my expectations." Marcellus appeared in front of Neil.
"You are alright kid, but we are not out of trouble yet. Without a leader the rest of The conspiracy will go into a frenzy, we need to quickly take of them. The rest of the surving citizens are already dealing with them."
Neil not having the strength to ask Marcellus what he was on about, he dismissed the mask and wiped of the sweat.
" Lets get going then. "