The subway tunnels stretched endlessly into darkness, the air thick with dust and the lingering scent of decay. Ethan and Lisa moved cautiously, their footsteps muffled against the cold concrete floor. The only sound was the distant dripping of water, echoing through the underground maze.

  Lisa sighed. “This was your idea, but I’m starting to regret it.”

  Ethan gnced at her. “You said you knew where to find some items.”

  “I did. Doesn't mean I wanted to crawl through a monster-infested subway to get them,” she muttered, gripping her bow.

  Ethan smirked but said nothing. He could feel it too—the shift in the air, the weight of something unnatural lurking in the shadows. This pce was no longer just an abandoned subway; it had become something else, something alive.

  The announcement about the Second Integration still echoed in his mind. Stronger monsters. New threats. Minor gods watching.

  They had to move fast.

  They moved through the station’s ruins, their eyes scanning for any sign of movement.

  Then—

  A low, guttural growl echoed from up ahead.

  Ethan immediately halted, his fingers tightening around his sword’s hilt. Lisa raised her bow, an arrow of pure energy forming at her fingertips.

  The creature emerged from the darkness.

  It was simir to the Ravager he had fought before—same elongated limbs, same razor-sharp cws—but something was different. Its muscles were denser, its eyes glowing a sinister crimson. The jagged spines along its back pulsed with an eerie green light.

  Poison.

  Lisa inhaled sharply. “That thing looks worse than the st one.”

  Ethan didn’t answer. His instincts screamed danger, but there was no turning back. He stepped forward, shifting his stance, his new Sword of the First Warrior gleaming under the dim light.

  The Ravager moved first, lunging at Ethan with terrifying speed.

  Ethan activated Phantom Step, his body blurring as he narrowly dodged the monster’s swipe. The air rippled around him as he reappeared at the creature’s side, swinging his sword in a clean arc.

  Cng!

  The bde met resistance—its hide was tougher than before. But Ethan gritted his teeth and pushed harder, his weapon cutting through flesh.

  The Ravager screeched and retaliated, twisting unnaturally as its cws shed out.

  Ethan barely managed to block, but the force of the impact sent him skidding backward. His arms throbbed from the sheer power behind the blow.

  “Lisa!” he shouted.

  “I know!”

  Lisa released her arrow. It whistled through the air and struck the Ravager’s side, exploding on impact. The force staggered the creature, giving Ethan an opening.

  He dashed forward, his sword fshing—

  Strike to the leg.

  The monster howled as Ethan severed a tendon, forcing it to stumble.

  Another arrow pierced its exposed side.

  Ethan didn’t hesitate. Using Phantom Step once more, he appeared above the creature, raising his sword high before driving it straight into the Ravager’s skull.

  A sickening crunch echoed through the tunnel.

  The monster convulsed before finally colpsing.

  [Enemy defeated: F+ Rank Ravager (Venom-Touched).]

  [XP gained.]

  Ethan exhaled, wiping the sweat from his brow. His breath was heavy, his heart pounding.

  Lisa walked up beside him, looking down at the corpse. “Well… that was fun.”

  Ethan shot her a look.

  She grinned. “Come on, lighten up. We killed the thing, didn’t we?”

  He shook his head but allowed a small smirk. “Let’s just keep moving.”

  They walked deeper into the tunnels, carefully avoiding colpsed areas and rubble.

  Then, as they turned a corner, Lisa suddenly stopped.

  “Wait.”

  Ethan followed her gaze.

  At the far end of the passage, near an old subway maintenance locker, there was a faint glow—a shimmering, golden light, barely noticeable in the darkness.

  Ethan narrowed his eyes. “That’s… different.”

  Lisa nodded. “It’s reacting to the System.”

  Slowly, they approached. The locker was covered in rust, its door slightly ajar. Ethan reached forward and pried it open.

  Inside, resting on an old shelf, was a small metal compass.

  But it wasn’t ordinary.

  The compass’s needle spun erratically, glowing with the same golden light that had caught their attention. Strange, rune-like markings covered its surface, pulsing faintly.

  [You have discovered a System Artifact: Pathfinder’s Compass.]

  [Function: Detects hidden Essence fluctuations. May lead to lost artifacts or dangerous zones.]

  Lisa whistled. “That… sounds important.”

  Ethan picked it up, feeling the cool metal against his fingers. The moment he held it, he sensed a faint pull—like something was calling him in a specific direction.

  He clenched his jaw. “This might be useful.”

  Lisa crossed her arms. “Or it might get us killed.”

  Ethan smirked. “Probably both.”

  As they were about to leave, a voice echoed through the tunnel.

  “Well, well. Look what we have here.”

  Both Ethan and Lisa spun around, their weapons raised.

  A small group of armed survivors stood at the tunnel’s entrance. There were five of them, all looking well-equipped—armor, weapons, and even a few items that clearly came from the System Shop.

  Their leader stepped forward.

  She was tall and lean, with short silver hair and piercing blue eyes. She wore a bck tactical suit reinforced with armor ptes, and a dagger rested at her hip. Unlike the others, her aura was calm, controlled—dangerous.

  Lisa whispered under her breath. “They look way too professional.”

  The woman’s eyes flicked to the compass in Ethan’s hand. “That’s a rare find. Valuable.”

  Ethan didn’t lower his weapon. “Yeah. And?”

  The woman smiled faintly. “I’ll make this simple. Join us, and we can work together. Or…” She tilted her head. “We’ll take it from you.”

  Lisa scoffed. “Oh, great. Bandits with a recruitment pitch.”

  Ethan remained silent, his grip tightening on his sword.

  He hated being told what to do.

  The silver-haired woman’s smile widened, as if she could see his hesitation. “You won’t survive long on your own,” she said. “We have numbers, supplies, and information about the System’s changes. You’d be better off with us.”

  Ethan’s jaw clenched.

  He gnced at Lisa. She met his gaze, silently asking: Are we doing this?

  Ethan exhaled slowly, then turned back to the woman.

  His answer was clear.

  “Not interested.”

  The woman’s smile faded.

  “Shame,” she said, and snapped her fingers.

  Her group raised their weapons.

  Lisa cursed. “You just had to piss them off, huh?”

  Ethan smirked, raising his sword.

  “Wouldn’t be fun otherwise.”