SWNOVELXO Chapter 8: Shadows of the Coming Storm
The air felt heavier than before. A creeping stillness spread through the ruined streets, stretching far beyond the city's boundaries. Even the rain seemed hesitant, falling in slow, uneven sheets.
Lucien stood on the rooftop of their building, his golden eyes scanning the distant horizon.
A dense fog was rolling in from the west, blanketing the land like a living thing. But this was no ordinary mist.
It moved wrong.
Thick, churning, almost pulsing as it consumed the shattered remains of buildings in its path. And the scent.
Blood. Rot. Death.
A subtle shift in the mana around him made his senses sharpen. The atmosphere had become saturated—not just with decaying flesh, but with an overwhelming presence.
Selene and Valeria joined him on the rooftop.
Selene frowned. "You feel it too, don't you?"
Lucien nodded. "They're coming."
Valeria's grip on her cane tightened. Despite her injury, her warrior's instincts remained sharp. "How many?"
Lucien's gaze lingered on the swirling fog. His senses extended outward, touching the countless life signatures hidden within.
His jaw tensed.
"…Too many."
The last time he had felt something this massive was in Valeria's stories.
She had spoken of the Black Tide, the apocalyptic swarm that nearly consumed an entire city. She had been among the warriors defending the last stronghold before it fell. A living nightmare of rotting bodies, beasts twisted by madness, and creatures that should not exist.
And now—it was happening again.
Selene exhaled softly, stepping closer to him. "Lucien… is this—"
"Yes." His voice was calm, but the weight behind it was undeniable.
This wasn't an ordinary gathering of the infected. This was a horde. A calamity marching toward them.
Suddenly—a sound pierced the silence.
A distant, guttural cry.
Then another.
Then a hundred.
The fog convulsed. Shapes began to emerge— twisted, shambling figures, their movements erratic, their bodies grotesquely deformed.
Zombies.
But not just them.
Something else moved within the mist.
Lucien's eyes narrowed. Beasts.
Their glowing eyes flickered like dying embers. Their forms were barely visible, but the sheer pressure of their presence was undeniable.
Selene's fingers curled around Lucien's sleeve. "We can leave. If we move now, we might—"
Lucien shook his head. "No."
Valeria glanced at him. "You have a plan?"
His gaze darkened. "We hold this ground."
Valeria let out a dry chuckle. "Of course we do."
Lucien's expression remained unreadable, but within him, something stirred.
This wasn't just a battle for survival.
Something—someone—was behind this.
And if this was a test…
Then he would answer it in blood.
---
(Power System: The Realms of Mana)
As the storm loomed, Lucien could feel mana shifting through the air—the very essence of existence, the source of all power.
In this world, every living being possessed mana, but its true potential could only be unlocked through cultivation.
The realms of power were divided as follows:
1. Mortal Rank – The starting point. Humans, beasts, and even zombies possessed traces of mana but couldn't wield it properly.
2. Awakening Realm – The first true step. A person could actively sense and manipulate mana within their body.
3. Essence Refinement – A cultivator strengthens their body and soul with mana, expanding their power.
4. Core Formation – The first major evolution. A mana core forms within, granting abilities beyond normal comprehension.
5. Ascendant Realm – The realm of monsters, elites, and those who stand above nations. Only the strongest reach this level.
6. ?? – Beyond that, the unknown.
Lucien had barely begun reclaiming his lost strength, but even now, he stood above most humans.
Yet…
Somewhere within that rolling mist, something else had awakened.
And it was watching him.