The clean air of the twilight was instantly replaced by the stench of iron and bloodlust. The Shadow Clan ambush was not a disorganized attack, but a calculated execution attempt.
Outside the dungeon entrance, a Shadow Clan strike team had formed a lethal half-circle around the exhausted trio. Kai counted 10 warriors, their Core Stage energy radiating between 5th and 6th Core Stage, a formidable challenge for any Gold Rank team.
Their Leader stepped forward: Commander Shen, a tall, gaunt man whose eyes were slits of black malice. He was clearly a Shadow Clan enforcer, and Kai immediately recognized the gravity of the threat—Shen was a powerful 7th Core Stage warrior, his strength only one level below a General's.
Shen didn't waste time on threats. His voice was a dry rasp that carried a
