The desert night was oppressive, the air thick with tension as the group huddled around the dying embers of their campfire. The distant rustle of wind through the sparse trees was the only sound breaking the silence. Evan’s system had warned of an “anomalous entity,” but the exact nature of the threat remained elusive.

“Anything?” Claire whispered to Kara, who had been scanning the darkness through her rifle’s scope.

“Nothing yet,” Kara replied, her voice taut with nerves. “But something’s out there. I can feel it.”

Evan tightened his grip on his crowbar, its worn surface a familiar comfort in the growing unease.

“Eyes sharp, everyone,” he said quietly. “Whatever it is, we’re not running blind into this.”

A low growl emanated from the darkness, chilling in its proximity. Lila, perched on a nearby rock with her knife ready, turned her head sharply toward the sound.

“It’s circling us,” she said, her voice a near whisper. Before anyone could respond, a blur of movement erupted from the shadows. A massive, wolf-like creature leapt into the firelight, its black fur matted with blood and its glowing red eyes locked onto Jake. Its size dwarfed that of any normal animal, and its jagged teeth gleamed as it lunged.

Jake screamed, scrambling backward as the beast’s claws raked the ground where he’d been standing moments before. “Open fire!” Claire shouted, raising her crossbow. Kara’s rifle barked, the muzzle flash illuminating the dark. Bullets tore into the creature, but it barely flinched, its focus unyielding as it charged at the group.

Evan activated Catalyst Burst, the system enhancing his speed as he darted forward to intercept the beast. With a swift swing, his crowbar struck the creature’s flank, the force amplified by his abilities. The beast roared in pain, staggering back momentarily. “Keep hitting it!” Claire ordered, reloading her crossbow with practiced precision.

The group unleashed a coordinated assault, their attacks relentless. Lila darted in and out of the fray, her knife finding weak points in the creature’s thick hide. Kara’s rifle continued to fire, her aim unerring, while Jake, recovering from his initial shock, swung his makeshift weapon with desperate strength. But the creature was resilient, its wounds closing almost as quickly as they were inflicted.

“Evan, it’s regenerating!” Lila shouted. The system buzzed in Evan’s mind, providing critical information.

“Entity Classification: Apex Predator Mutant. Regeneration Ability Detected. Weakness: Cerebral Stem.”

“Go for its head!” Evan yelled, dodging another swipe from the beast’s claws.

Claire aimed her crossbow, her bolt finding its mark in the creature’s eye. The beast howled in agony, its movements becoming erratic. Evan saw his opportunity. Activating Catalyst Burst once more, he vaulted onto the creature’s back, his enhanced strength driving his crowbar deep into the base of its skull. The beast let out a final, guttural snarl before collapsing to the ground, lifeless. The silence that followed was deafening, broken only by the group’s ragged breathing.

“What the hell was that thing?” Jake asked, his voice trembling. “An Apex Predator,” Evan said, pulling his crowbar free from the creature’s skull. “Stronger, faster, and smarter than the usual infected. The system says it’s a mutant.”

Claire knelt by the beast, inspecting its wounds. “Mutants are getting worse. This one was tougher than anything we’ve faced before.”

Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

“We can’t stay here,” Kara said, her eyes scanning the horizon. “That thing didn’t come alone. If there are more out there...”

Evan nodded. “Pack up. We move now.”

The group marched through the night, their pace brisk despite their exhaustion. The encounter with the Apex Predator had left them shaken, but it also solidified their resolve. Whatever lay ahead, they had to be prepared. As dawn broke, the desert gave way to a more rugged terrain. Jagged cliffs and narrow valleys replaced the endless sand, offering both cover and new dangers.

“Any sign of the Black Tower?” Jake asked, shielding his eyes from the rising sun.

“Not yet,” Claire replied, consulting her map. “But if the man in the canyon was right, we should be getting close.” Evan felt the system stir again.

“Host Alert: Energy Signature Detected. High Intensity. Direction: Northeast.”

“It’s northeast,” Evan said, pointing toward a distant ridge.

“How do you know?” Lila asked, her expression curious.

“Call it a hunch,” Evan replied, avoiding the question.

Reaching the ridge took hours. By the time they arrived, the sun was high in the sky, its heat oppressive. From the top, they could see the landscape stretching out before them—a vast, barren wasteland punctuated by a single, towering structure in the distance.

The Black Tower.

It loomed against the horizon like a monolith, its dark surface reflecting the sunlight in eerie patterns. “Is that it?” Jake asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

“That’s it,” Claire confirmed, her expression grim. “The Black Tower.”

“We’re getting close,” Evan said, his gaze fixed on the distant structure.

“Too close,” Kara muttered. “Something tells me they know we’re coming.”

The path to the Black Tower took them through a strange and unsettling landscape. The ground was littered with shards of crystalline structures, their sharp edges glinting in the sunlight.

“This place feels wrong,” Lila said, her voice hushed. Evan nodded, his unease growing with every step. The system buzzed faintly, but no alerts came. As they moved deeper into the forest of glass, the air grew colder, and the light seemed to dim. Shadows danced across the crystalline surfaces, creating the illusion of movement.

“Stay close,” Claire said, her tone wary. Suddenly, a faint humming sound filled the air. It was soft at first but grew louder, reverberating through the glass structures. “What is that?” Jake asked, his eyes darting around. Before anyone could answer, the ground beneath them began to tremble.

The crystalline structures began to shift and reshape, rising from the ground like living entities. Tall, slender figures emerged, their bodies composed entirely of the sharp, glass-like material. Their movements were fluid and unsettling, their hollow eyes glowing with an unnatural light. “Get ready!” Evan shouted, raising his crowbar. The Glass Stalkers moved with incredible speed, their limbs extending into razor-sharp blades as they attacked. Kara fired her rifle, the bullets shattering one of the creatures into fragments. But as quickly as it fell, the shards began to reassemble, the creature reforming before their eyes.

“They’re regenerating!” Claire yelled. Evan’s system buzzed.

“Host Alert: Weakness Identified. Core Energy Nexus Located in Upper Chest.”

“Hit their chests!” Evan called out, swinging his crowbar at the nearest Stalker. The blow shattered its core, causing the entire creature to collapse into inert shards.

The group focused their attacks, targeting the cores with precision. Lila’s knife found its mark repeatedly, her agility allowing her to outmaneuver the creatures. Claire’s crossbow bolts struck true, while Kara’s rifle provided suppressive fire. One by one, the Glass Stalkers fell, their fragments littering the ground.

By the time the last Stalker was destroyed, the group was battered and exhausted. “Everyone okay?” Evan asked, his gaze sweeping over his companions. “Mostly,” Jake said, nursing a shallow cut on his arm. “But this place is hell.”

“We’re close,” Claire said, her voice resolute. “The Black Tower is just ahead.”

Evan glanced toward the looming structure. The air around it seemed to shimmer, as if reality itself was bending under its influence. “We don’t stop now,” he said, determination burning in his eyes. “Whatever’s waiting for us, we face it together.” With the Black Tower in sight, the group pressed on, their resolve stronger than ever.