The primordial beast of ash

Chapter 8

"Do not look back, Solis. There is nothing left for us in those walls."

The city guard sirens wailed like dying beasts behind them, their mechanical screeches muffled by the heavy downpour. Ethan sprinted through the outer perimeter of the collapsing black market district, his newly restored meridians pulsing with an unfamiliar, electric vitality. The catastrophic destruction of Malek’s vault had drawn every enforcer in the third district toward the pillar of light, leaving the southwestern drainage grates completely unguarded.

Ethan scrambled through the massive, rusted iron bars of the storm drain, tumbling out into the muddy, jagged trenches that bordered the city. Without a second glance at the monolithic stone walls of Sky-Reach, he dove into the dark, tangled treeline of the Ashen Wilderness.

By the time the sun began to peek through the suffocating canopy, the rain had stopped, replaced by a thick, sulfurous fog. The Ashen Wilderness was a graveyard of petrified trees and jagged obsidian shards, a high-hazard zone strictly off-limits to unranked academy students.

"We need to find a place to test what you can actually do," Ethan murmured, leaning against a charred tree trunk to catch his breath.

Solis slithered out from under his torn jacket, his dark scales practically absorbing the dim morning light. The sleek, obsidian dragon trotted onto a flat patch of volcanic stone, tilting his head as his star-like eyes locked onto his master.

"Let us see what the system says about you now," Ethan said, blinking to bring up his interface.

The crisp, golden text materialized seamlessly:

> **Companion:** Primeval Chaos Dragon (Solis)

> **Seal Status:** 1 of 9 Layers Broken

> **Current Attribute:** Unlocked – Chaos Force (Passive: Disruption of Natural Law)

> **Active Ability:** Phase-Shift Mimicry (Locked until synchronization threshold is met)

"Chaos Force," Ethan whispered, a cold smile touching his lips. "No wonder Julian's hound couldn't keep its fire lit."

A low, guttural growl vibrated through the brush, cutting Ethan's thoughts short. The fog around them suddenly shifted, and the sharp, metallic scent of fresh blood caught the wind.

*Snap. Snap.*

From the dense thicket, a pair of glowing crimson eyes emerged, followed by another, and then another. A coordinated pack of Iron-Fang Wolves stepped into the clearing, their massive frames covered in rigid, metallic plates of organic armor. Their teeth clanked together like shearing iron shears. These weren't low-tier slum pests; this was a veteran-grade hunting pack meant for silver-ranked mercenary teams.

"Six of them," Ethan observed, his physical reflexes tightening as he slipped his hunting dagger from his boot. He didn't feel the paralyzing fear that used to grip him at the academy. His restored body felt light, coiled, and ready to strike. "Solis, circle left. Do not let them flank us."

The alpha wolf—a monstrous beast nearly the size of a carriage—let out a sharp, barking command. Three wolves lunged instantly.

"Now!" Ethan shouted.

Instead of breathing fire or lightning, Solis simply slammed his front paws onto the earth. A visible ripple of distorted, translucent air expanded from his body. The first wolf leaped into the air, but the moment it crossed into Solis’s perimeter, the kinetic momentum of its jump completely vanished. The beast dropped straight down like a stone, crashing heavily into its own packmate with a confused, choked yelp.

Ethan roared, stepping inside the guard of the third wolf. His enhanced strength drove the hunting dagger directly into the vulnerable gap beneath its iron jaw. The blade sank deep, and the beast dissolved into gray mana particles before it could even snap its teeth.

"One down!" Ethan yelled, twisting his body to evade a snapping jaw from behind.

The alpha wolf realized the threat immediately. It didn't rush forward; instead, it planted its massive paws into the volcanic soil and drew a deep, rattling breath. Its metallic mane flared violently, vibrating at a frequency that made the surrounding obsidian shards shatter.

"Solis, disrupt it!" Ethan warned, but he was a second too late.

The alpha unleashed a specialized, high-frequency sound wave attack. The concussive blast didn't just rattle the ears; it tore through the air in a visible, distorted cone. The acoustic impact slammed into Ethan's chest like a battering ram, throwing him backward through the air. He crashed heavily into a thicket of thorns, his ears ringing with a deafening, agonizing high-pitch whine that completely severed his sensory perception.

His vision blurred, spinning in chaotic circles. Through the haze, he could see the remaining wolves capitalizing on the distraction, aggressively driving a wedge between him and Solis. The pack surrounded the young dragon, snapping their iron jaws to keep him pinned, while the alpha wolf turned its massive, scarred head back toward Ethan.

Ethan tried to push himself up, but his equilibrium was shattered by the sound wave. His arms buckled beneath him. The alpha wolf closed the distance in a slow, predatory trot, its crimson eyes gleamed with malice as it raised a massive, iron-plated paw to crush his skull.

"Get... up..." Ethan hissed through his teeth, his fingers clawing desperately into the wet dirt.

Just as the alpha’s paw began its downward descent, a sudden, violent shadow eclipsed the morning sky. The thick canopy of petrified trees above them didn't just break; it exploded inward in a shower of splintered wood and green leaves.

A massive, bleeding figure crashed through the roof of the forest, slamming directly into the volcanic earth between Ethan and the wolves with a deafening, bone-shattering thud.