My heart pounded in my chest as I reached the alleyway. I turned to see Black Star halfway to the barricade, his body illuminated by the flickering flames in the background. He moved with an ease and grace that were both mesmerizing and terrifying. His long knives glinted ominously against the shadow cast by the setting sun.

Black Star suddenly came to a halt and spun around, throwing the improvised bomb straight into the crowd of monsters. A few seconds later, a thunderous explosion shook the ground. Flames erupted, and shrapnel burst forth, engulfing the nearby creatures. The smaller monsters caught in the blast that didn't immediately fall began to scramble around in confusion. Their bodies crackled with residual flames and shrieked horribly as they were riddled with nails.

As he predicted, the shadowy antelope creature was unfazed by the explosion. Its eerie blue eyes flickered in the dancing firelight, and it let out a horrifying screech that rattled my bones. It reared back on its hind legs, and Black Star disappeared from my view as two deep gouges suddenly etched into the ground where he just stood.

I blanched in fear as I realized the creature could use some sort of invisible ranged attack. I quickly ran down the alleyway to position myself for the incoming horde. I was suddenly struck by the realization that I could see the monsters through the walls. My [Aura Sight] had kicked in, and I could see a blob of faint blue energy signatures through the brick walls. I couldn't see very far, but it was enough to make out the general layout of the horde.

Black Star charged through the flaming debris and smoke, sprinting directly toward me. He was luring a sizeable number of monsters to my location, drawing their attention away from the overwhelmed defenders.

I steeled my resolve, clenching my fists, the amber energy simmering within me. From my vantage point, I saw a few defenders get some reprieve from the onslaught, using the distraction to regroup. Their auras reminded me of a rainbow, each one unique and vibrant. But there wasn't time to admire them. I had a job to do.

My heart pounded in anticipation as Black Star weaved between the flailing monsters. His knives were flashes of silver as he cut a path toward me, each stroke swift and decisive.

Despite the terror creeping along my spine, I pressed myself against a side door. I kept my eyes glued to the alleyway's entrance, waiting for the right moment to strike. Black Star was nearly there, the monstrous horde hot on his heels.

He veered suddenly, sprinting to the side and disappearing around the corner, causing confusion among the pursuing monsters. With the alleyway now filled with the creatures, it was my turn to act.

Taking a deep breath, I stepped into the main alleyway and pulled on the amber energy welling inside me. With a flick of my wrist, I conjured a [Luminary Shield], lining up the entrance and protecting Black Star. It was a semi-transparent barrier, taking the form of a colossal, amber-colored pane of glass that spread from one side of the alleyway to the other.

The closest zombies and wolves crashed into it, thrown off balance as they scrabbled against the barrier. They clawed and bit at the shield, their grotesque faces distorted with frustration. But the barrier held firm and I could see our plan coming to fruition.

Amber light pulsed in my palms as I raised my hands. The energy laced its way up my arms, and my whole body felt like it was buzzing. I released it all in one go, the [Luminary Beam] streaking through the air, a sharp spear of light that pierced the crowd of monsters.

The zombies and wolf creatures closest to me disintegrated instantly; their bodies turned to ash under the power of my beam. A hole was blasted through the crowd, and bodies were thrown to the side by the sheer force of the attack.

Then, I fired off another and another. My energy reserves were draining fast; each use of my powers took a significant chunk from the amber energy that fueled them. But it was doing the job — our ambush had thinned out the horde considerably.

The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

As I sent another Luminary Beam piercing into the zombie horde, my vision blurred for a moment. My knees buckled, and my legs felt as if they were made of jelly. I could feel sweat trickling down my forehead, my breath coming out in short gasps. I quickly checked my [Status] after destroying over three-dozen zombies. Just like that, my MP was down to 134 already.

[Level up! You have gained additional skill points]

With my remaining energy waning, I heard the terrifying antelope creature's furious bellow echo from the square. Its eerie blue eyes glowed in the dim firelight, scanning the vicinity for its prey. The narrow alleyways were our only advantage; the monster was too large to follow us through. But its invisible ranged attacks were a threat we could not ignore.

"Dammit! I was hoping to save a bit more energy for this," I muttered, glancing at the shadowy figure looming at the alleyway's entrance.

Around me, the residual auras of the defeated zombies flickered and vanished, slowly being replaced by the horrifyingly intense energy of the antelope creature. Its presence alone sent a cold shiver down my spine.

Black Star emerged from the alcove as my shield faded, panting heavily, his knives dulled and covered in dark ichor. He glanced at the massive creature and then at me, the silent understanding passing between us. It was time for us to make our escape.

My companion motioned for me to follow him, and we sprinted down the alleyway. The antelope creature let out another deafening screech, its blue eyes boring into our backs. We ran as fast as we could, our feet pounding against the cobblestones as the creature took off into the air.

The world blurred around me as I raced through the narrow alleyways, the creature's furious roars echoing behind us. In frustration, it thrashed and slammed its hooves against the rooftops, its massive body unable to follow us into the tight alleys.

Despite the adrenaline and fear, a small smile tugged at the corners of my mouth. Our plan was working. We were getting away.

Suddenly, the ground beneath us shook violently, and a deep gouge appeared in the wall next to me. A chilling reminder that we weren't safe yet. The antelope creature's invisible attack had just missed us.

Both Black Star and I flinched as the invisible attack cut through the air where we had stood moments ago, the sheer force sending us sprawling to the ground. Pain flared up in my arm as I fell awkwardly, my aura flickering from damage. The gravel dug into my skin, but I forced myself to ignore the discomfort, rolling to my feet.

A quick glance at my own status made my heart drop. My HP was down to 78 points — I had been struck by a glancing blow from its attack.

"In here!" Black Star yelled, grabbing my arm and pulling me along as we dashed into a nearby four-story building with its back door hanging off its hinges.

We didn't have time to catch our breath as we rushed through the empty corridors, the sounds of the antelope creature's enraged cries following us. I could feel my heart beating erratically in my chest, the adrenaline still coursing through my veins.

We burst through a door and found ourselves in a large room with only a few windows offering a dim view of the outside. It was a storage room filled with boxes and crates stacked haphazardly. Black Star shut the door behind us and leaned against it, panting heavily.

"That was close," he said, wiping the sweat from his forehead.

I leaned against the nearest wall, trying to catch my breath. My arm throbbed with pain, and I could feel my whole body trembling from exhaustion.

A roar from the rooftop made us both jump, and we instinctively looked up at the ceiling.

"It's waiting for us," Black Star said through gritted teeth, his knives at the ready.

We exchanged a look of resignation, knowing that our options were limited. "Hang on, I leveled up again when I blasted those monsters back there," I said, my voice hoarse from exertion. "I have some skill points I can use."

Black Star raised an eyebrow. "Really? Now's the time to use them, if ever." He paused, then added, "So, what's on the menu?"

I quickly pulled up my level-up interface to see what I had available. As I scanned the menu, a smile brightened my face as I spotted a skill that could probably get us out of this situation.

If it did what I thought it did, at least.

Making up my mind, I closed my eyes and selected the skill with a thought.

Suddenly, the ground around us began to shake violently, and a deep rumbling noise filled the air. My eyes flew open in surprise, and I almost choked as the dust and debris settled.

"Fuck!" Black Star yelled over the noise. I could only stare numbly at the empty space where a ceiling had been. In its place was a gaping vertical hole leading out into the cloudy dusk sky.

The antelope creature peered over the hole menacingly, striking fear into my heart. Winds ripped around us as the creature pulled away the building above us layer by layer with each swing of its wings.

I shook, paralyzed by the horrific visage above me. I numbly realized it wasn't so much creating invisible gashes in the ground as it was slicing them with razor-sharp wind blades.

"Black Star!" I shouted, turning to him frantically. "Don't... don't make a single sound."

Then, I pulled all my remaining luminary energy together, and activated my new skill.