Chapter 88 - Gravehound

The Gravehound did not attack.

That was worse.

Etzel watched the corridor.

Saeva’s low light made five shadows from six people.

Wrong.

He counted again.

Etzel.

DK.

Saeva barely cast one.

Tessa.

Rusk.

Two scouts.

Seven bodies.

Six shadows.

One missing.

“Don’t move.”

Nobody did.

Etzel looked at their feet.

His shadow.

DK’s.

Tessa’s.

Rusk’s.

Scout one.

Scout two—

No.

The second scout’s shadow was gone.

Etzel raised his eyes.

“Varo.”

The scout whispered:

“Yes?”

“Do not turn around.”

Something stood directly behind him.

Not visible.

Only the absence around it.

A shape where Saeva’s light refused to land.

Two eyes opened.

Pale.

Varo stopped breathing.

Etzel did not shout.

“DK.”

Orsik moved.

Greatblade passed one centimeter over Varo’s shoulder.

Impact.

The invisible thing became visible because the blade forced it to.

A massive black skull.

Bone plates.

Too many teeth.

Chain embedded through its neck.

The Gravehound slammed into the opposite wall.

Concrete exploded.

“Move!”

Varo dropped.

Rusk dragged him.

Tessa went with them.

Etzel stayed.

Bad survival instinct.

Necessary.

The Gravehound rose.

Four meters long.

Maybe five.

Its body looked built from several predators and one nightmare.

Black hide.

Exposed ribs made of pale metal.

A broken Menagerie restraint ring around the neck.

Three chains trailing.

One ended in nothing.

One dragged a section of wall.

One disappeared into its own shadow.

A-Rank.

DK was A-Rank.

That did not mean equal.

Rank was a category.

Experience mattered.

Build mattered.

Condition mattered.

The Gravehound had been made to kill summons.

Etzel knew that before anyone told him.

Its eyes ignored Etzel.

Ignored Rusk.

Ignored Tessa.

Locked on DK.

Then Saeva.

“Of course.”

The Gravehound lunged at Saeva.

DK intercepted.

Greatblade met jaw.

The impact made Etzel’s teeth hurt.

Orsik slid backward.

The Gravehound twisted in midair.

A chain whipped.

DK blocked.

Second chain came from his own shadow.

It wrapped around his ankle.

Etzel saw it.

“Shadow chain!”

Too late.

The Gravehound pulled.

DK fell.

The creature went for his throat.

Saeva screamed.

Pressure hit its side.

A-Rank mass moved less than a meter.

Enough.

DK rolled.

Teeth closed on armor instead of neck.

Metal screamed.

Etzel stabbed the Gravehound’s flank.

Spear entered two centimeters.

Stopped.

Bone beneath hide.

The creature kicked him.

Etzel flew.

Wall.

Again.

He was getting tired of walls.

Tessa shouted his name.

“I’m fine.”

He was not.

But he could stand.

The Gravehound did not care about him.

Interesting.

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It attacked DK again.

Summon priority.

Designed behavior.

Etzel watched.

One chain physical.

One chain shadow.

Third—

The third dragged behind.

No.

It moved only when Saeva used pressure.

Every time she activated, the third chain lifted toward her.

Ability response.

Three restraint modes.

Body.

Shadow.

Ability.

Menagerie had built a hunter for soul-linked entities.

DK cut the physical chain.

It regrew from the collar.

Not material.

Binding projection.

Etzel’s jaw tightened.

“Don’t waste attacks on chains.”

Orsik blocked another bite.

“Suggestion?”

“Working.”

The Gravehound’s shadow chain wrapped around DK’s sword arm.

Saeva pushed.

Ability chain shot toward her.

Etzel ran between.

The chain passed through him.

No effect.

That helped.

Target-locked.

He grabbed Saeva and moved.

The chain curved.

Still followed.

Not line-of-sight.

Bond signature.

Maybe.

Etzel put Saeva behind a concrete pillar.

Chain passed around it.

Definitely.

“Can you stop using pressure?”

Saeva looked offended.

“For ten seconds.”

She stopped.

The ability chain fell.

There.

Active ability signature.

Not soul signature.

Useful.

“Only attacks when you cast.”

Saeva nodded.

“Then I cast smart.”

That helped.

The Gravehound slammed DK into the floor.

Orsik drove both boots into its chest.

Pushed.

Greatblade rose.

The Gravehound vanished.

Not speed.

Shadow.

It emerged behind DK.

Etzel saw the transition.

Its own shadow merged with Orsik’s.

Then body followed.

Shadow travel.

Dominant continuity again?

Related to the quarry predators.

Same technology.

Same ecosystem.

Etzel threw a flare.

White light filled the corridor.

The Gravehound emerged halfway.

Its rear body remained black.

Front became physical.

It snarled.

Stuck?

DK attacked.

Greatblade cut into the exposed shoulder.

Deep.

Black blood sprayed.

The Gravehound tore itself free.

Lost flesh.

Regenerated slowly.

That helped.

Flare disrupted travel.

Not enough for Witness.

Need understand.

“Rusk, alternating lights!”

Two portable lamps.

Opposite sides.

Shadows split.

The Gravehound circled.

Its body flickered.

Could not choose transition route.

Etzel smiled.

Then it closed its eyes.

Its chains attacked instead.

Smart.

Physical chain struck Rusk.

Shield blocked.

Shadow chain went for DK.

Ability chain remained still because Saeva waited.

Etzel watched the collar.

Every chain emerged from a different metal segment.

Three segments.

A fourth empty socket.

Why empty?

Arden.

Maybe the Gravehound had been built for four restraint categories.

Body.

Shadow.

Ability.

Bond.

Fourth missing.

No.

Do not guess.

The Gravehound charged without shadow travel.

DK met it.

A-Rank versus A-Rank.

This time Orsik did not give ground.

He angled the Greatblade.

Jaw slid along steel.

He stepped inside.

Shoulder under throat.

Turn.

The Gravehound hit the floor.

Etzel had never seen DK wrestle a monster.

He approved.

“Now!”

Saeva fired.

One pressure burst.

The ability chain launched.

Expected.

Etzel had positioned himself beside the collar.

The chain extended.

The segment opened.

Inside.

A pale knot.

Anchor.

He stabbed.

The Gravehound screamed.

Saeva’s chain vanished.

Witness appeared.

Etzel grinned.

“Make it use the chains!”

DK understood.

He stepped back deliberately.

The Gravehound attacked.

Shadow chain deployed.

Rusk’s lights crossed.

Etzel waited.

Open segment.

He stabbed.

Missed.

The chain hit DK.

Orsik’s arm locked.

Etzel swore.

The Gravehound lunged.

DK could not raise the Greatblade.

Etzel moved between them.

Stupid.

Necessary.

Teeth came.

He dropped.

Jaw passed over his head.

He drove the spear upward into the open shadow anchor.

Crack.

Chain vanished.

DK’s arm freed.

Greatblade came sideways.

The Gravehound flew through a door.

Etzel stood.

His knees shook.

“Two down.”

“Physical,” DK said.

The Gravehound rose in the room beyond.

Its physical chain deployed toward Orsik’s torso.

Why physical chain target DK too?

Body restraint.

Could target anyone.

Etzel ran left.

Rusk fired right.

The Gravehound ignored both.

Still DK.

Summon priority hardcoded.

That helped.

Predictable.

DK lowered the Greatblade.

“Come.”

The Gravehound charged.

Physical chain launched first.

DK did not block.

Etzel’s eyes widened.

“Orsik—”

The chain wrapped his chest.

Collar segment opened.

DK grabbed the chain with both hands.

Pulled.

The Gravehound stumbled forward.

Etzel understood.

He ran.

The open anchor came to him.

Spear.

Crack.

Third chain died.

The Gravehound froze.

All three collar segments dark.

The fourth empty socket lit.

Bad.

Very bad.

Etzel stepped back.

A silver line appeared from the empty socket.

Not toward DK.

Toward Etzel.

His soul-link with DK burned.

The missing function.

Bond.

The Gravehound had not used it because the other restraint systems were intact.

Now the final protocol activated.

Etzel felt something bite into the connection between him and Orsik.

Not extraction.

Separation.

DK dropped to one knee.

Saeva screamed.

The Soul Anchor activated.

Black-silver resistance tightened around the bond.

The Gravehound pulled.

Etzel’s vision blurred.

Good choice.

Very good choice.

But resistance was not immunity.

Etzel felt the bond stretching.

Orsik looked at him.

Not afraid.

Angry.

“Do not protect me by breaking it yourself.”

Etzel almost laughed.

“Wasn’t planning to.”

The Gravehound pulled harder.

Etzel saw the fourth socket.

Closed.

No exposed anchor.

Because the bond channel was continuous.

How to open it?

Need make it increase output.

Dangerous.

Right.

“DK.”

“Yes.”

“Move away from me.”

Orsik understood immediately.

He stood.

Walked backward.

The bond stretched physically and spiritually.

The Gravehound increased pull.

Fourth socket opened slightly.

Not enough.

“More.”

DK moved.

Etzel’s chest burned.

Soul Anchor strained.

Saeva hovered beside him.

“Bad.”

“Yes.”

“Stop?”

“Not yet.”

The socket opened wider.

Pale anchor inside.

“Now.”

Saeva did not use pressure.

Smart.

She flew.

Small body.

Physical movement.

Straight at the collar.

The Gravehound snapped at her.

She changed direction.

Etzel ran from the other side.

The socket began closing.

Too slow.

He threw the spear.

It struck the anchor.

Not center.

Edge.

Crack.

The bond channel flickered.

DK moved.

Greatblade descended.

The collar split.

The Gravehound screamed.

All four functions died.

The soul pressure vanished.

Etzel fell to one knee.

Orsik did not.

He attacked.

Without the collar, the Gravehound was still A-Rank.

Still enormous.

Still lethal.

But now it was an animal.

A very dangerous one.

That was DK’s language.

The fight became brutal.

Short.

Greatblade against claws.

Bone against steel.

The Gravehound bit through Orsik’s shoulder plate.

DK drove the blade into its chest.

It clawed his side.

He twisted.

Bone ribs broke.

Etzel recovered enough to move.

He did not chase a killing blow.

He watched.

The Gravehound protected the throat.

Protected heart region.

Ignored lower abdomen.

Why?

Armor distribution.

Old wound?

He saw a seam.

Menagerie surgery scar.

Not natural.

The prototype had been opened there repeatedly.

Maybe internal weakness.

He did not need Witness.

“DK! Lower left abdomen! Surgical seam!”

Orsik changed angle.

The Gravehound tried to turn.

Saeva used one pressure burst.

No chain answered now.

The creature’s flank opened.

DK drove the Greatblade through the seam.

Deep.

The Gravehound convulsed.

Etzel ran.

Spear recovered from the broken collar.

He drove it into the same wound.

Something hard broke inside.

The Gravehound collapsed.

Silence.

System text appeared.

Then—

Etzel stared.

There it was.

No ceremony.

No free gift.

A-Rank threat.

Team victory.

Earned.

His body changed subtly.

Breathing steadied.

Pain remained.

That helped.

Level did not erase consequences.

Another message.

Etzel smiled.

Even better.

No pretending he soloed an A-Rank.

DK sat against the wall.

Armor torn.

Blood visible.

Tessa ran to him first.

Right.

Etzel could wait.

Rusk checked the Gravehound.

“Dead.”

“Good.”

Then a voice came from the room beyond.

Weak.

Human.

“You killed it?”

Etzel turned.

A man stood behind a barred inner door.

Thin.

Bearded.

One arm covered in old silver scars.

Behind him stood three spectral figures.

Not fully physical.

Waiting.

The man looked at DK.

Then Saeva.

Then Etzel.

His eyes filled.

“Liora?”

Etzel lowered the spear.

“Alive.”

The man closed his eyes.

For the first time, the three spectral guardians behind him relaxed.

Arden had been found.

The threat in front of them had not shifted just because they had named part of it. His body kept a separate record of the hunt. Bruised ribs, tight forearm, the hot line of an older wound protesting every hard turn. The System could call that irrelevant if it wanted. Etzel could not. He adjusted his grip and shortened his stride. Power that only worked while fresh was not power he trusted. Orsik saw the adjustment. 'Better.' Etzel watched offended. 'That sounded almost supportive.' 'Do not become distracted.' 'There it is.' Whatever 'Gravehound' meant by the end of the day, Etzel wanted the next choice to be theirs.

The valuable thing about hunting something dangerous was that lies became expensive. Etzel could tell himself he had understood a pattern, but the next claw would grade the truth. He could tell himself a plan was clever, but the terrain would decide whether clever mattered. That kept him honest. It also kept him alive often enough to continue being annoying, which he considered a secondary but meaningful benefit. Whatever 'Gravehound' meant by the end of the day, Etzel wanted the next choice to be theirs.

Etzel used the pause to reset the formation instead of pretending the previous exchange had gone perfectly. He pointed out the mistake first—his own. That shifted the mood faster than an order would have. Orsik corrected the angle. Saeva demonstrated her opinion with an exaggerated wobble in the air. Someone laughed, briefly, and the tension loosened without disappearing. Then they moved again. The risk had not become smaller. They had simply become less willing to give it the same mistake twice. Whatever 'Gravehound' meant by the end of the day, Etzel wanted the next choice to be theirs.

His body kept a separate record of the hunt. Bruised ribs, tight forearm, the hot line of an older wound protesting every hard turn. The System could call that irrelevant if it wanted. Etzel could not. He adjusted his grip and shortened his stride. Power that only worked while fresh was not power he trusted. Orsik saw the adjustment. 'Better.' Etzel watched offended. 'That sounded almost supportive.' 'Do not become distracted.' 'There it is.' Whatever 'Gravehound' meant by the end of the day, Etzel wanted the next choice to be theirs.

Then Etzel noticed the floor around his cell.

Hundreds of Gravehound claw marks.

All stopped one step from the bars.

Not because of the metal.

Because Arden’s three guardians had been holding that line.

For six months.

Etzel looked at the exhausted man.

Level 17 suddenly felt small.

That helped.

There was always someone who had survived something worse.