Lu Feng’s heart pounded like a drum, his palms slick with sweat.
The faint footsteps echoed through the night—light as a cat’s tread, yet heavy with danger. His eyes darted across the shadowy thickets and trembling treetops, every rustle now suspicious.
169Please respect copyright.PENANAMJF50SIxCA
“Stay still. Something’s off,” Lu Feng whispered urgently to Ai Liya, who trembled in his arms. She closed her eyes, channeling what little divine energy remained, ready to fight.
169Please respect copyright.PENANA7ZrkEZr25K
The warriors around them tensed, weapons drawn. The air thickened with anticipation.
169Please respect copyright.PENANAl5mYmd9QRa
Tak, his sword gripped like an extension of his arm, scanned the darkness with hawk-like intensity. Raphael, already mapping escape routes in his mind, muttered strategies under his breath.
169Please respect copyright.PENANAVrAXUoVw3P
*Rustle… rustle…*
The noise drew closer, as though unseen eyes lurked in the void.
169Please respect copyright.PENANATqu3XDCaNa
Lu Feng held his breath, straining to parse every sound. His pulse merged with the wind into a dissonant symphony.
169Please respect copyright.PENANAWGcdE20oI2
Then—figures emerged.
169Please respect copyright.PENANARDrGKOaft3
A towering man led the group, his tattered battle robes failing to hide muscles forged in war. His gaze, unyielding as stone, locked onto Lu Feng. Behind him stood a slender youth, a staff glinting in his hand, magic simmering at its tip.
169Please respect copyright.PENANAUMQivAKvgl
“Who are you?” Lu Feng demanded, voice low but firm.
169Please respect copyright.PENANAGu91dyc9TC
“Tak. A wanderer,” the man replied, steady as bedrock. He nodded to the youth. “Raphael. A strategist.”
169Please respect copyright.PENANA1i3qilYHuJ
Lu Feng’s wariness lingered—too many had betrayed him under sweet words. Yet these two bore no hostility, only exhaustion… and hunger.
169Please respect copyright.PENANADa8ri1QqpS
“A… guide sent us,” Raphael said carefully. “We seek to join you. To fight the darkness.”
169Please respect copyright.PENANArKHi7uxFIy
Lu Feng’s resolve flickered. The @moss simulator had aided him thus far, but the enemies grew stronger. Allies like these—seasoned, sharp—might tip the scales.
169Please respect copyright.PENANA0gyBHiXMcQ
“How’d you find me?”
169Please respect copyright.PENANAVpIHq5GxiY
Tak’s jaw tightened. “The Blood Fiend Sect destroyed my home. I ran… met Raphael, who’d lost just as much.”
169Please respect copyright.PENANAsDAeym9G6s
Raphael nodded. “The guide… they knew *you* could end this.”
169Please respect copyright.PENANAj4O893hHil
Lu Feng’s chest burned—rage, grief, resolve colliding. He exhaled slowly, then extended a hand.
169Please respect copyright.PENANA9Y9UucYPZQ
“Welcome to Dusk Fortress.”
169Please respect copyright.PENANAHPPsFOStCG
Their grips sealed the pact.
169Please respect copyright.PENANAxMO5MYIKtk
“A spar,” Lu Feng提议, eyes glinting. “To see what you’re made of.”
169Please respect copyright.PENANAcVHAN91zsS
Tak grinned, fire igniting in his stare. “Try to keep up.”
169Please respect copyright.PENANAgc9iOHWE60
Raphael twirled his staff. “You’ll need more than brute strength.”
169Please respect copyright.PENANAZ7reVXvAhz
—
169Please respect copyright.PENANA6TdQVjkrZz
The clash erupted. Tak’s sword thundered, each strike earthquaking the field. Raphael wove spells like a composer, redirecting blows with calculated precision. Lu Feng commanded with tactical brilliance, while Ai Liya’s moonlight magic danced between shadows.
169Please respect copyright.PENANAciy6szZra0
By dusk, their movements harmonized—trust forged in sweat and steel.
169Please respect copyright.PENANAdTzpWfcppz
Around the campfire, laughter briefly drowned the night. But as embers dimmed, the Shadowmoon Cat at Lu Feng’s feet suddenly bristled, fur standing on end. A guttural growl ripped from its throat, green eyes blazing toward the woods.
169Please respect copyright.PENANAlLSaHSz5PD
Silence fell.
169Please respect copyright.PENANAo3Zmyci978
Lu Feng rose slowly, fingers curling around his sword. “Seems dinner’s delivered itself,” he murmured, a feral grin spreading.
169Please respect copyright.PENANA7NmWLjYpHD
The darkness beyond the firelight *shifted*.
ns216.73.216.55da2