The dust and sand completely swallowed the silhouette of the iron grave.

  The [ Basilisk Stone Armor ] encased Kane’s body, the plates emitting a monotonous, rhythmic scraping sound that felt exceptionally loud against the deathly silence of the wilderness.

  He felt no confusion.

  The map on the data tablet had already been carved into his mind.

  Direction: Northwest.

  Destination: The Silt Flats.

  He trekked for a day and a night.

  The dry, loose yellow sand beneath his feet vanished.

  In its place was damp, viscous, dark-brown muck. Every step came with a heavy, sucking sensation.

  The pure scent of dust in the air was washed away, replaced by the sour tang of rotting vegetation mixed with the metallic odor of oxidized rust. It was more complex, and far more foul.

  The horizon was no longer barren.

  Countless waist-high, rust-colored mutated reeds swayed in the wind.

  The leaves rubbed together, creating a continuous rustling sound that gave the illusion of countless venomous snakes prowling in the dark.

  Further out, the massive ruins of Old Era agricultural machinery lay half-buried in the black mire. Their twisted forms pointed toward the sky like the skeletal remains of behemoths washed up on a muddy shore.

  The Silt Flats. He had arrived.

  This was the damp barrier that separated Blackrock Town from the deeper, irradiated barrens.

  Kane did not rush in blindly. He located the wreck of a combine harvester, climbed it soundlessly, and ducked into the rusted-out cockpit.

  He raised his monocular to observe this unfamiliar land.

  In his field of vision, several ragged scavengers were straining to shove their arms into the waist-deep black mud, fumbling for something.

  One of them suddenly let out a suppressed cheer and hauled a metal block covered in dark-gray corrosion out of the sludge.

  Sunken Iron.

  The term automatically leapt into Kane’s mind.

  It was a resource unique to the Silt Flats—a high-density metal formed by special mineral reactions after being buried in anaerobic bogs for a century.

  Its texture was far denser than the "brittle iron" or "rust-steel" commonly found in the wasteland. It was the preferred hard currency for every blacksmith shop in Blackrock Town.

  A machete reinforced with Sunken Iron could fetch triple the price.

  Right then, several burly men resting nearby stood up.

  Anvil totems were tattooed on their arms. They were a mid-sized gang in this region.

  Without a single word, they lazily surrounded the scrawny scavenger who had unearthed the Sunken Iron.

  The leader kicked the man in the stomach, doubling him over. He picked up the Sunken Iron like it was common trash, tossed it in his hand, and showed a satisfied expression.

  Purely as a display of dominance, he reached into his waist pouch, pulled out a few small fragments of iron scrap, and threw them at the scavenger’s face.

  "A reward for you."

  With that, the group laughed and swaggered away.

  The fallen scavenger clenched his fists so hard his nails dug into the mud in his palms. His body trembled slightly.

  Stolen novel; please report.

  But from beginning to end, he kept his head buried low, not daring to make a single sound of resistance.

  Kane lowered his monocular, his expression a flat line.

  This was the wasteland.

  He wasn't here to play the hero.

  He slid silently down the mechanical wreckage, bypassing the areas where the scavengers congregated, and continued deeper into the Silt Flats.

  Swish!

  Several dark blurs lunged from the waist-high iron-wire wormwood on both sides, the stench of predators hitting his face!

  [ Shadow Stalkers ].

  Their claws carved cold streaks through the air, aimed directly at Kane’s neck and chest.

  In the past, Kane would have had to rely on the meager assistance of [ Kinetic Boost ] just to barely dodge the first round of the pounce.

  But now...

  Skreeeeee—!

  A series of sharp, ear-piercing screeches erupted across his chest and arms.

  The claws of the [ Shadow Stalkers ], sharp enough to tear through sheet metal, struck the dark green [ Basilisk Stone Armor ] and left nothing but faint white scratches that vanished instantly.

  They hadn't even budged the surface of the scales.

  Zero damage.

  The [ Shadow Stalkers ] froze, unable to comprehend why this creature's shell was harder than solid rock.

  That split second of hesitation was all he needed.

  Kane didn't break his stride. His right hand, gripping his dagger, traced a cold arc past his side.

  Puchu!

  Blood sprayed.

  The throat of the lead [ Shadow Stalker ] was sliced open with surgical precision. Its scream died in its gullet as it slammed into the muddy water, twitching a few times before going still.

  The remaining stalkers, terrified by the bloody display, let out panicked yelps and vanished back into the dense iron-wire wormwood with their tails between their legs.

  Kane crouched habitually, stripping the relatively valuable pelt, nerve bundles, and claws in a matter of seconds before stuffing them into his pouch.

  He waited a few moments. No [ Essence Orb ] dropped.

  As expected.

  He stood up and pushed further into the depths.

  As he advanced, the mire beneath his feet became increasingly viscous, requiring more effort with every step.

  The odor of decay grew thicker, and the toxins laced within the air caused the exposed skin on his neck to prickle with pain.

  All signs of human life had vanished.

  The scavengers and local gangs all tacitly recognized this area as a forbidden zone.

  The world suddenly fell silent, save for the sound of his footsteps and the shasha rustling of the rust-colored reed beds.

  This was exactly the environment he wanted.

  He pulled out the data tablet once more to confirm his position.

  According to the crude skull marker on the map, the primary habitat of the [ Phase-Rats ] was just ahead.

  "Watch for shadows..."

  Kane muttered the warning to himself, his muscles tensing.

  He made sure every footfall was stable. His gaze no longer flickered only to the sides; he shifted most of his attention to the ground.

  Shadows...

  Across this bog, twisted shadows cast by mechanical wrecks and mutated reeds were everywhere.

  If danger was hidden within them, it would be nearly impossible to distinguish.

  He moved extremely slowly, the cold touch of the [ Basilisk Stone Armor ] helping him maintain absolute composure.

  Suddenly, Kane froze.

  Three steps ahead of him on the muddy ground, a coin-sized black dot appeared. It didn't belong to him, nor did it belong to any of the surrounding wreckage.

  The dot was jarring.

  It looked as if someone had dropped a single bead of pure black ink from a great height.

  Before the thought could even fully form, Kane’s pupils contracted as the dot mutated!

  The black spot expanded violently in his field of vision.

  It didn't just grow; it dilated.

  In an instant, it went from a mere speck to the size of a washbasin, then a grindstone!

  Its speed completely defied visual logic.

  Danger! From above!

  Kane’s brain didn't have time to issue a formal command. His body, fueled by the instinct of [ Kinetic Boost ], executed an ultimate reaction!

  He didn't retreat, and he certainly didn't look up.

  Instead, he engaged his core and threw himself forward in a violent roll, lunging out in a desperate yet rapid sprawl.

  Boom—!!!

  A massive explosion of force erupted at the very spot he had been standing a split second ago.

  A savage shockwave, mixed with foul-smelling mud, slammed into his back. The [ Basilisk Stone Armor ] emitted a series of muffled thuds as debris pelted the plates.

  The sheer residual force of the impact would have been enough to shatter the bones of anyone without protection.

  Kane rolled twice through the mud to dissipate the momentum before dropping to one knee. His hand was already tight around his notched dagger, his eyes icy as they locked onto the center of the impact.

  A crater half a meter deep had been blasted into the ground.

  In the center of the pit, a giant rat—the size of a hunting leopard—was slowly retracting its disproportionately thick right hind leg.

  It was covered in oily black fur, and its knotted hind muscles pulsed with explosive power.

  That earth-shattering strike had been delivered by a vertical descent from high altitude, powered by that single kick!

  A [ Phase-Rat ]!

  A realization flashed like lightning through Kane’s mind.

  "Watch for shadows."

  It wasn't a warning to watch the monster's shadow.

  It was a warning to watch... for the shadow of death falling from the sky!

  The beast used its first jump to silently launch itself into the air, then used a second mid-air kick to explode downward, transforming into a lethal meteorite.

  A person on the ground would only see a rapidly expanding shadow.

  By the time you realized the danger, the attack had already landed.

  This was the true meaning of the "Shadow."

  Having missed its first strike, the [ Phase-Rat ] locked its crimson eyes onto Kane. A threatening growl rumbled in its throat as it crouched low, coiling its body for a second assault.

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