Kai woke to the sound of rain tapping against the window of the small inn. The room was dim, the faint glow of his AR glasses casting a pale light across the walls. He sat up, his chest still tender from the Beast’s claws, and checked his status.

"Sovereign Status: Initiate. Corruption Meter: 8%. Void Points: 100."

The Void Shard he’d purchased from the Void Market had helped, but the Corruption Meter was still there, a constant reminder of the price he paid for his power. He rubbed his temples, trying to shake off the lingering unease from his visit to the market. The shadowy figure, the pulsating vortex, the strange items—it all felt like a dream, but the Void Shard in his pocket was proof it had been real.

He needed answers, and he wasn’t going to find them sitting in this room. He grabbed his backpack and headed downstairs, where the innkeeper was wiping down the counter. The man glanced up as Kai approached.

“Leaving so soon?” he asked, his tone neutral.

Kai nodded. “Got work to do.”

The innkeeper studied him for a moment, then leaned in closer, lowering his voice. “You hear about what happened last night? A group of scavengers went missing near the old factory. They say a Beast got them, but…” He trailed off, his expression grim.

Kai’s stomach tightened. The old factory was on the outskirts of town, a place he’d been planning to scavenge. If a Beast was lurking there, it was bad news. But it was also an opportunity. The system had given him a quest to defeat Beasts, and he needed the Void Points.

“Thanks for the warning,” Kai said, slinging his backpack over his shoulder.

The innkeeper nodded. “Be careful out there. These Eclipses… they’re getting worse.”

Kai stepped outside, the rain soaking through his jacket almost immediately. He pulled up the map on his AR glasses, marking the location of the old factory. It was a few miles away, but he could make it before nightfall if he moved quickly.

As he walked, he couldn’t shake the feeling that he was being watched. The shadows seemed to follow him, twisting and shifting in ways that made his skin crawl. He glanced over his shoulder several times, but there was no one there. Just his imagination—or maybe the Void’s influence.

When he reached the factory, the sun was beginning to set, casting long shadows across the crumbling building. The place was massive, its rusted walls covered in graffiti and ivy. Kai hesitated at the entrance, his hand resting on the hilt of his knife. He didn’t know what kind of Beast he was dealing with, but he couldn’t afford to be careless.

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He stepped inside, the sound of his boots echoing through the empty halls. The factory was eerily quiet, the only sound the drip of water from a leaky pipe. His AR glasses scanned the area, but there were no life signs—just the faint traces of Eclipse energy.

As he moved deeper into the factory, he noticed something strange. The shadows here were darker, more concentrated, as if they were alive. He reached out, and the shadows responded, swirling around his hand like smoke. It was unsettling, but also… familiar. The Void was everywhere here, and it called to him.

He turned a corner and froze. In the middle of the room was a massive hole in the floor, the edges jagged and blackened. Around it were the remains of the scavengers—torn backpacks, broken tools, and pools of dried blood. But there were no bodies.

Kai’s heart pounded as he approached the hole. The air around it was thick with Eclipse energy, and the shadows seemed to pulse with a life of their own. He peered over the edge and saw nothing but darkness. But then, a sound—a low, guttural growl that sent a chill down his spine.

His AR glasses flashed a warning: "Eclipse Beast Detected. Lunar Class. Threat Level: High."

Before he could react, something moved in the shadows below. A pair of glowing eyes appeared, followed by a massive, serpentine body covered in shimmering scales. The Beast lunged, its jaws snapping shut inches from Kai’s face.

He stumbled back, his heart racing. The Beast was unlike anything he’d ever seen—its body seemed to shift and blur, as if it were made of shadows. It coiled around the hole, its eyes fixed on him with a predatory gleam.

The system activated, displaying a new quest:

"Eclipse Quest: Defeat the Lunar Eclipse Beast. Reward: Void Points x300, Void Ability Unlock."

Kai didn’t have time to think. The Beast lunged again, and he barely dodged, rolling to the side as its massive body crashed into the wall. He summoned the void blade, the shadows coalescing into a weapon in his hand. But the Beast was fast—too fast. It struck again, its tail slamming into him and sending him flying across the room.

He hit the ground hard, the breath knocked out of him. The Beast loomed over him, its jaws opening wide. Kai raised the void blade, but he knew it wouldn’t be enough. He needed something more.

As the Beast struck, Kai reached deep within himself, calling on the Void. The shadows responded, surging around him in a whirlwind of darkness. He felt the power building, wild and uncontrollable, and for a moment, he thought it might consume him.

Then, something clicked. The shadows solidified, forming a barrier between him and the Beast. The creature recoiled, its body writhing as if in pain. Kai didn’t hesitate. He lunged forward, driving the void blade into the Beast’s side.

The creature let out a deafening roar, its body dissolving into shadowy mist. Kai stood there, breathing heavily, as the system updated:

"Quest Complete. Void Points x300 Acquired. New Ability Unlocked: Shadow Bind."

But before he could celebrate, the ground beneath him began to shake. The hole in the floor widened, and a deep, rumbling growl echoed from the darkness below. Kai’s AR glasses flashed a new warning:

"Warning: High-Level Eclipse Beast Detected. Threat Level: Critical."

Kai’s blood ran cold. The Beast he’d just defeated wasn’t the real threat. Something far worse was coming.