Chapter 13: Attack of the Shadow StalkerInside the dark cave, where the team had settled after a long day of fighting and hunting, only the faint crackling of the fire and their weary breaths filled the silence. The air was thick with the scent of dried blood, and their clothes were torn and covered in dust, yet they felt a sense of relief as they reviewed their gains.

  Lucas sat on a ft rock, his eyes fixed on his status screen:

  [Talent Shards: 89]

  The number was greater than he had expected. He had experimented with his talent throughout the day and noticed that the number of shards he obtained depended on the monster's rank and its talent rank. Despite his exhaustion, curiosity made him wonder what he could do with these shards.

  "You look deep in thought," Lisa said, stretching her arms with fatigue as she y next to the fire. "Don't tell me you're thinking about more fighting tomorrow?"

  Lucas smiled and shook his head. "Not exactly... I was just thinking about how to use these shards in the best way."

  Elena, who was sitting a short distance away, silently sharpened her sword. "You'll figure it out when the time comes. The important thing now is rest—this forest is never safe, even at night."

  Her words were entirely true, but they didn't realize just how true… until moments ter.

  Suddenly, the crackling of the fire was interrupted by a sharp tearing sound, followed by a rush of air!

  Before anyone could process what was happening, a sharp scream echoed as Lisa was violently dragged backward, her body pulled across the ground as if a living shadow had snatched her!

  "Lisa!" Lucas shouted, trying to get up, but the sight before him froze him in pce.

  There, at the entrance of the cave, stood a terrifying creature.

  Its body was tall and sleek, covered in dark fur that seemed to merge with the shadows. Its glowing red eyes burned with an eerie intensity, and its sharp fangs dripped with a toxic fluid. The Shadow Stalker… had finally found them.

  But it wasn’t a coincidence. It had been watching them all along.

  Elena moved first, as if she didn't even need to think. In the blink of an eye, she lunged toward Lisa, slicing through the long cw dragging her away.

  "Prepare yourselves! It’s a surprise attack!" she shouted, her voice firm and filled with fury.

  But the beast gave them no time to react. With unnatural speed, it darted through the cave, aiming to tear them apart with its razor-sharp cws!

  Elena blocked its attack with her sword, but the sheer force of the blow sent her skidding back several steps. "It’s faster than I expected!" she gritted her teeth, struggling to maintain her bance.

  Lisa, still struggling to get up, gasped as she watched the creature move like a streak of darkness. "How are we supposed to hit something that fast?!"

  Lucas, though unable to fight directly, realized something crucial. "It's not attacking randomly… it's targeting our weakest points!"

  The beast was smarter than they had anticipated. It wasn’t just a savage creature—it was a skilled predator, carefully choosing its targets to break their formation.

  "If it's smart… then we can use that against it."

  Elena caught her breath, then nodded. "If it expects us to defend, then we’ll attack with everything we have!"

  And so, the real battle began.