The crimson rune on my wrist pulsed faintly as Wei and I breached Lost Citadel''s obsidian gates. Before us stretched the Stormwrath Steppes - an electric sea of swaying ghostgrass where lightning mice crackled between monoliths.


    "Home sweet hell," Wei muttered, eyeing a pack of Thunder Rats (Lv120) discharging plasma bolts. Beyond them, armored behemoths resembling miniaturized ankylosaurs grazed lazily. My Star Gazer ring flared:


    [Threat Assessment: Adamant Behemoths (Lv200)]


    Physical/Magic Immunity 95%


    Critical Weakness: Underbelly


    "Perfect tank material," Wei grinned, already channeling frost shards. "Let''s bag one!"


    The Hunt


    Lucky''s obsidian wings carved smoke trails through the charged air. We descended upon a trio of aberrant Steelback Behemoths (Lv230), their spiked carapaces gleaming with unnatural alloys. My blade sparked against their hides like flint on stone.


    "47 damage?!" I cursed, nursing numbed wrists. "These walking bunkers are -"


    This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.


    Lucky''s roar drowned my complaint. The drake executed a combat dive worthy of fighter jets, talons clamping a behemoth''s spinal ridge. We watched in awe as he breached cloud layer before initiating a supersonic drop.


    "Impact in 5!" I tackled Wei behind a monolith. The resulting shockwave sent rock shrapnel singing through our cover.


    Three smoking craters marked the killzone. From the carnage rose spectral wisps - prime candidates for Wei''s first Soulbound Vanguard.


    System Mechanics


    [Soul Capture (Master Tier) Activated]


    Acquired: Steelback Behemoth Core x3


    Wei pressed a bleeding cheek to the glowing crystal. "Forge the pact!" The core dissolved into his shadow, materializing as a hulking spectral guardian.


    [Wei''s Soulbound Vanguard]


    HP: 15,000 | DEF: 900 | Movement: 3m/s


    Ability: Immovable Object


    "Meet Brickwall," Wei announced as his new guardian tanked a thunder rat barrage without flinching. "Now I just need matching curtains."


    Nightfall Reckoning


    By lunar rise, my Infamy had dwindled to 112. The Star Gazer ring''s HUD overlay tracked every kill:


    [Current Level: 118]


    Lucky: 118 | Phantom: 118


    Wei: 93 | Brickwall: 230


    As Wei demonstrated his guardian''s belly-slide attack (3 damage, but hilarious), my ring pinged an alert:


    [Player Tracker: Goreblade Located - Mountain Bastion (Safe Zone)]


    "Tempted?" Wei asked, noting my smirk.


    "Let him cower," I stretched beneath the aurora-lit sky. "Tomorrow, we hunt real game."