Top-Level Extra: Lord of Adaptation

A shore at the Howlers' rank is typically weak compared to those higher in the hierarchy.

The rankings are as follows:

•Gloamings – Lesser creatures, considered disposable fodder.

•Ruinborn – Shores that have begun to exhibit intelligence.

•Howlers – Pack leaders known for their inhuman cunning. They move in packs, regardless of size or strength when alone.

•Harbingers – Messengers of destruction, leading entire Night Shift exterminations.

•Wraithlords – Ghostly entities that phase between dimensions, nearly impossible to kill.

•Eclipsed Lords – The ultimate horrors; few who encounter them survive.

It is highly likely—ninety-nine percent chance—that other legendary ranks exist but have yet to be revealed.

...

"Move it! Move it!"

The enshire shouted, commanding everyone to advance.

The Descents struggled to comprehend its words, propelled forward only by instinct.

'They don't want us to engage?'

Dane followed without hesitation as the Descents pressed on.

The enshire who had summoned its blade vanished from sight, reappearing like a shadow before the creature.

The creature was called a Canon.

It boasted two large, vibrant red horns and a lion's body, towering about nine feet above the enshire, who stood around seven feet.

The fur was dark.

The end of the creature's tail ignited like a flame, illuminating the surroundings.

Five other Canons had already encircled the enshire.

With another deafening roar, the ignited tail lunged towards the enshire's unwavering form, only to fall suddenly.

Shortly after, the two horns followed suit.

In a blinding flash of white light, the enshire was decapitated, its body crashing to the ground with a resounding thud.

Bam!

Blood gushed forth violently, crimson splattering everywhere.

Dane was undeniably astonished by the enshire's speed, but soon they were dragged far away, unable to witness the battle clearly.

Their chains clanked as they moved forward.

Suddenly, five Canons surrounded them in a menacing circle, towering above and gnawing hungrily.

The faces of the Descents went pale, and they were gripped by fear.

Dane glanced over his shoulder, attempting to catch a glimpse of the battling enshire, but it was futile.

"Tsk."

'What's the next move, then?'

The enshire, seemingly intent on using its whip against the Descents, was about to attack one of the Canons when, unexpectedly, a tail struck and tore it in half.

Instead of blood, shadows seeped out, and the enshire vanished.

Panic erupted among the Descents as they struggled to break free from the chains, which had fallen to the ground.

'Eh...? The bastard was weaker than the fast one? Not even on par? Useless...'

They began to flee in different directions, but all fell, as the chains were connected in a single line.

Attempting to escape separately proved impossible.

Only Dane remained steady, hands still bound, as he watched one of the Canons devour a Descent.

'...Should I engage?'

'Shit. Why am I asking such a foolish question? If I don't engage, everyone here will die, including me.'

Dane's uncertainty stemmed from whether he could handle these monsters.

Did he possess the necessary fighting skills?

His cognitive reasoning kicked in. He could adapt!

Dane swiftly broke the chain binding his hands and then freed his legs.

He leapt back just in time as one of the Canons lunged at him.

The smallest of the Descents was astonished by how quickly Dane had escaped.

'Was he able to do that all along...? Bastard! The thing should have done so earlier; if not, we wouldn't be facing these demons! I will kill this thing!' The short Descent declared inwardly, referring to Dane as a "thing," staring widely at him with a squinted face and furrowed brows.

Dane was now preoccupied with the relentless creature intent on devouring him.

He sidestepped, narrowly avoiding the tail strike as it impacted the ground, carving a long, deep gash across the earth.

His gaze briefly flicked to the gash before focusing on the menace before him.

Roaring, the creature attacked again, this time with greater speed.

Surprisingly, Dane dodged with equal agility.

He moved from side to side, leaping gracefully.

'What??? Is he really a Descent like us?' two other Descents, along with the short one, thought in shock as they observed Dane's swift movements.

In a flash, Dane leapt upward, evading a six-pronged strike that came from multiple directions, each capable of inflicting serious damage.

While airborne, he realised it was time to summon the Creed blade.

Summoning the Heavenly Beast was not an option; he wished to avoid revealing it too soon.

They might not recognise him after the Night Shift, but they would certainly identify the beast if it appeared.

He had no intention of allowing that to happen; a fiction, as it were, should remain so.

Unless an urgent need arose, with the only escape being the Beast.

As he summoned the blade with mere thought, a wild gust swept across the surface as Dane landed.

Blue and dark light coalesced around his hands, forming a blade that revealed its true shape.

The hilt was long and slender, crafted from thick iron and wrapped in black fabric.

The blade resembled that of a great sword, yet it felt remarkably light in his hands, almost unnaturally sharp.

Dane's legs skidded backward across the ground as he focused on a critical point of the creature, which was charging towards him once more.

'Let's deal with those legs first.'

He bent slightly before dashing forward in a blinding flash.

His speed surpassed anything imaginable, moving at the speed of sound.

The Descents could not follow his movement; they had no time, as other Canons were already closing in on their vulnerable forms.

They could only cooperate and attempt to flee.

"Hey, bastard! Come here and get these chains off us!" the short Descent shouted at Dane, his tone commanding.

'I should kill that fool. But his blood would only tarnish this divine weapon, which should be aimed at greater foes, not some petty wretch.'

Dane ignored the imbecile, finding himself able to move and fight effortlessly.

With swift precision, he slashed through all four of the creature's legs simultaneously.

Before its body could collapse due to the severed limbs, Dane deftly took the head, soaring above it and landing behind the falling, decapitated form.

His landing caused a small crack in the ground, as if the impact had been substantial.

This was merely the beginning for a Top-Level Seeker.

A grin spread across his face as he revelled in the kill, which had taken him no more than five seconds.

Instantly, a familiar voice echoed in his mind, accompanied by a screen appearing before him.

...

[Seeker, you have vanquished a Howlers' ranked Shore: Canon.]

[Count: 1/4]

...

'Oh. So, I must eliminate the remaining three to receive a reward?' Dane thought, applying his understanding of how panels like this functioned in fictions.

Without wasting a moment, he turned to confront the other Canons, which had already devoured two more Descents.

Now, only four remained, alongside the short one.

As he prepared to step into the fray, he was taken aback to see all the Canons suddenly fall.

Their heads flew off in different directions, their bodies collapsing lifelessly.

"What...?"