"Lock it and don’t open it until I say so!"
Nyx slammed the heavy restroom door shut, locking it from the outside just as the Flesh-Hound snapped the brass hook in half with a spray of sparks.
Now alone in the fog-choked hallway, Nyx retreated three paces, her breath coming in heavy rasps.
The hound whipped its head toward her, the broken brass hook dropping from its bleeding gums.
Emboldened by its raw strength, the beast charged again, its bone-armored shoulders plowing straight through the narrow hallway walls and showering the corridor with plaster dust and splintered wood.
With only one usable arm—her plaster cast preventing her from maintaining a proper two-handed grip—Nyx couldn’t afford to take a direct blow.
She backpedaled toward the kitchen doorway, deliberately baiting the creature.
The hound lunged.
Its massive body became airborne.
Nyx ducked low, letting her leg sweep across the slick tile as she slid beneath the beast’s belly.
As the hound sailed over her, she brought the cleaver upward in a furious strike, driving the heavy blade straight into the creature’s unarmored hind tendon.
CLEAVE!
The hound let out an agonizing shriek as its back leg gave out completely, sending it crashing headfirst into the heavy stainless-steel prep counter just inside the kitchen doorway.
The collision rattled the entire kitchen.
An overhead rack of heavy copper pots and iron skillets shook violently, while a massive industrial soup cauldron—still boiling from earlier preparation—tilted under the impact.
Then it tipped.
SPLASH!
Gallons of scalding broth and oil poured over the beast’s raw, unarmored skin, instantly filling the air with the thick, sickening stench of burning hair and scorched flesh.
The hound writhed in sheer agony, its flesh blistering and smoking as it clawed wildly at the stainless-steel floor, completely disoriented by the burning liquid and blinding heat.
This was the opening she needed.
Nyx didn’t hesitate.
She stepped onto the counter above the creature, her ice-cold eyes locking onto the pulsing seam of soft flesh just behind its armored skull plate.
Raising the butcher’s cleaver high with her good right hand, she channeled every ounce of her body weight and momentum into a single, lethal overhead strike.
THWACK!
The heavy blade sliced through the scalded tissue, severing the monster’s spine at the base of its neck.
The Flesh-Hound gave one final, violent shudder.
Its three-hinged jaw slumped open against the wet floor as the faint crimson glow within its body faded into nothingness.
The System’s voice sounded immediately inside Nyx’s mind.
[Target terminated: Level 0 Flesh-Hound.]
[First Mission completed.]
[Objective 1: Civilian casualties prevented.]
[Objective 2: Level 0 Beast Realm entity eliminated.]
[Realm Essence harvesting initiated.]
Nyx dropped from the counter, landing heavily on her feet. Her chest heaved as she rested her hands on her knees.
A misty, golden-violet light appeared from the fog all around, especially from the point of the spatial fracture.
The System interface materialized in the air before her.
[Realm Essence Harvesting complete.]
[Total Essence harvested: 100%.]
[System allocation: 50%.]
[Host allocation: 50%.]
[System allocation has been absorbed for core maintenance.]
[Host allocation is being integrated into the body.]
The golden-violet light trickled into Nyx’s sternum like liquid fire and the sudden, violent rush of essence energy made her vision swim, a lingering vertigo reminding her that rapid cellular regeneration was a brutal, exhausting process.
A few seconds later, warmth spread rapidly through her veins, sealing the deep bruises across her ribs and closing the cuts scattered across her skin, though the phantom ache of knitting muscle left her temporarily breathless.
Then the remaining essence surged toward her broken left arm.
Inside the plaster cast, her shattered bones shifted into alignment.
Cracks sealed.
Bone fused.
A wave of intense heat erased the damage.
Nyx raised her right fist and slammed it against the cast covering her left arm.
CRACK!
The plaster shattered, falling away in dusty chunks onto the kitchen floor.
Her arm emerged completely unblemished, even if her nerves tingled with the residual shock of the forced healing.
The fracture was gone.
[Realm Essence integration complete.]
[Physical injuries have been fully restored.]
[Host physical condition has stabilized.]
[Additional reward acquired: Uncondensed Beast Core — Level 0.]
[The Beast Core contains concentrated Beast Realm Essence.]
[The core has been retained for future Spatial Seed assimilation.]
[First Mission Reward Unlocked.]
[Storage capacity upgrade acquired.]
[Each Storage Slot has been expanded from 100 m3 to 200 m3.]
[Consumable Storage: 3 Slots × 200 m3.]
[Material Storage: 3 Slots × 200 m3.]
[Energy Storage: 3 Slots × 200 m3.]
With a flick of her wrist, Nyx used the System’s spatial function to transfer the Flesh-Hound’s carcass into her Living Space.
The carcass disappeared from the kitchen floor, leaving only blood and scattered debris behind.
Outside, the thick gray fog began to dissolve.
The spatial boundary surrounding L’étoile shattered, and normal space rushed back into place.
Through the front windows, the sunny street of Alder City reappeared, filled with the sounds of traffic and distant sirens responding to panicked reports.
Nyx walked back down the hallway and stopped outside the restroom, unlocking the door.
Sabrina flung herself back against the tiled wall, chest heaving and hands trembling violently as she stared wide-eyed at Nyx—unharmed, her cast discarded, standing completely composed amidst the wreckage of the hallway.
"It’s over," Nyx said calmly, adjusting her wrap top. "Stay inside until the authorities arrive."
Without waiting for a response, Nyx turned and hurried through the restaurant’s front doors and climbed into the waiting car, closing the door behind her.
Lucian turned toward her immediately, his gaze sweeping over her appearance. The moment he noticed her torn shirt, the bloodstains scattered across the fabric, and the numerous cuts on her exposed skin, his expression changed. His eyes dropped to her left arm, only to widen when he realized that the plaster cast was gone.
"Nyx, what happened to you?" he exclaimed, his voice thick with worry. He reached for her arm instinctively, then hesitated, afraid that touching it might cause her more pain. "Your clothes are covered in blood, and your cast is gone. Were you hurt? Does your arm hurt?"
The driver twisted around in his seat, his eyes widening as he took in Nyx’s disheveled appearance. "Miss, did something happen to you in there? Why do you look—"
"It’s all right," Nyx interrupted before he could finish. Her voice was calm and firm, leaving little room for further questions. "Something did happen; though it has been taken care of."