Ryan faced the Distortion Hound. The dog-thing [ he refused to call it a 'hound' because that made it sound almost normal, which it definitely wasn't ] was all rippling shadows and bad attitude.
Its growl sounded like someone gargling gravel and radio static at the same time. The air around it shimmered and warped, making it hard to focus on.
The God Warden's little info-pop-up had called it a Level 2 Anomaly, with a "Dangerous" Threat Level. Ryan privately thought "Really Freaking Weird and Wants to Eat Your Face" was a more accurate description.
"Okay, Ryan," he muttered to himself, gripping his reinforced knife. His other hand hovered near his new Phase Gauntlet.
"You wanted to test your true capabilities. This is it. A phasing, shadow-dog that probably eats rainbows for breakfast and poops nightmares."
His Hyper-Awareness was screaming at him, not with panic, but with a high-pitched, "LOOK OUT, IT'S WEIRD!" kind of alarm.
His recently consumed Resonance Bloom was still working its magic, making his senses super sharp, which in this case meant he got a really good, up-close look at how bizarre and threatening the Distortion Hound was.
The Hound didn't wait for an invitation. It lunged.
But it didn't lunge like a normal animal. Oh no, that would be too easy.
One moment it was there, a vaguely dog-shaped blot of darkness, and the next it was half-gone. It literally phased out of reality for a split second, then reappeared right in front of Ryan, its shadowy claws extended, aiming for his throat.
"Whoa there, Fido!" Ryan yelped, instinctively triggering his Phase Gauntlet's "Short Blink" skill.
Zip!
With a faint pop and a tingle like static electricity, Ryan teleported one meter to his left. It wasn't a graceful move, he kind of stumbled sideways but it was enough. The Distortion Hound's claws slashed through the empty air where he'd been standing.
The Hound let out an annoyed snarl that sounded like a dial-up modem having a tantrum. It whipped its head around, its shadowy form flickering. This thing was fast and unpredictable.
"Okay, blinking is good," Ryan panted, trying to get his bearings. "But that thing can blink too, sort of. This is going to be like playing tag with a ghost that really, really hates you."
The Hound attacked again, this time its body dissolving into a swirling cloud of shadow that rushed towards him. Ryan didn't even try to hit it.
How do you punch smoke? Instead, he focused on evasion, using his enhanced Agility and the lingering effects of the Resonance Bloom to try and anticipate where the solid parts of the Hound would reappear.
His Hyper-Awareness was working overtime, giving him those tiny premonitions, those gut feelings of "danger-left!" or "uh-oh-above-you!"
A shadowy tendril lashed out from the cloud, and Ryan ducked just in time. He felt a cold breeze as it passed over his head. He could smell ozone and something else something that reminded him of old, forgotten places.
"This is not a dog," Ryan decided firmly. "This is a furry, four-legged dimensional oopsie."
He needed to find a pattern, a weakness. The God Warden's announcement had mentioned a 2% chance of it dropping a "Genesis Shard." That sounded important. And probably valuable. But first, he had to survive.
The Hound solidified again, this time a few feet away, its form wavering like a heat haze. It seemed to be studying him, its shadowy head tilted.
Ryan knew he couldn't just keep dodging forever. His Short Blink had limited charges, and while they recharged, it wasn't instant. He needed to land a hit. But when? It was solid one moment, practically incorporeal the next.
He remembered his "Lore Scanner" the gift from the Precursor Tablet. It had helped him with the Grove Stalker. Maybe it could give him a clue here?
He focused the scanner on the Distortion Hound, trying to hold his mental 'camera' steady as the creature flickered and shifted.
Scanning Target: Distortion Hound [Level 2 Anomaly]
NOTES: Unstable entity, phases erratically between dimensions. Attacks carry chaotic energy, bypassing some conventional defenses. Vulnerable during moments of full materialization [approx. 0.75 seconds]. Its phasing ability is linked to a central 'Dimensional Anchor Node' located roughly in its chest cavity. Good luck hitting that.
WARNING: Chaotic energy exposure can cause temporary sensory disruption and mild existential confusion. You might start questioning the nature of spoons.
"Dimensional Anchor Node in its chest," Ryan read.
"Vulnerable for three-quarters of a second. Great. That's like trying to thread a needle during an earthquake while riding a unicycle."
And the warning about questioning spoons was just weird. He made a mental note to avoid deep thoughts about cutlery later.
The Hound lunged again. This time, Ryan was ready. Or, as ready as one could be to fight a teleporting shadow beast. He watched its form, looking for that tell-tale flicker, that brief moment when it was fully there.
It phased, reappeared to his right, jaws snapping. Ryan didn't blink sideways this time. He took a tiny step back, letting its momentum carry it slightly past him. For that briefest of instants, as it overshot, it was fully solid, its shadowy fur almost looking real.
Now!
Ryan thrust his reinforced knife forward, aiming for where he guessed its chest and its "Dimensional Anchor Node" would be.
His knife connected.
It wasn't a deep hit, more of a solid, jarring impact. The Distortion Hound let out a sound that was half-yelp, half-static shriek.
Its shadowy form flickered violently, like a badly tuned TV. Dark energy, the "chaotic energy" the scanner mentioned, sparked from the wound.
Ryan felt a jolt run up his arm, and for a second, the colors of the jungle seemed to swirl, and he had a sudden, intense urge to ask a tree what its favorite number was. He shook his head hard, clearing the bizarre sensation. Existential confusion about trees was not on his to-do list.
The Hound staggered back, its phasing ability clearly disrupted. It tried to dissolve into shadow, but it only managed to go halfway, looking like a very blurry, very angry dog-ghost.
Ryan pressed his advantage. He used another Short Blink charge to appear right beside it and stabbed again, this time aiming with more precision.
The knife sank deeper.
The Distortion Hound howled, a sound that seemed to echo from a thousand different places at once. Its form completely destabilized.
The shadows that made it up exploded outwards in a silent, chaotic wave, then imploded, collapsing in on themselves until there was nothing left but a faint smell of burnt ozone and a small, shimmering object on the ground.
Ryan stood there, panting, his knife still extended. The fight had been short, but incredibly intense. He felt like he'd just run a marathon while simultaneously trying to solve a Rubik's Cube that kept biting him.
His god Interface lit up, displaying.
Anomaly Defeated: Distortion Hound [Level 2]
+150 god Points [Np] Acquired!
Assimilation Level Up! Level 1 -> Level 2!
All Base Stats Increased By +5!
+3 Flex Essence Points Awarded! [Allocate To Stats of Your Choice]
System Note: You did it! You poked the dimensional oopsie until it popped! And look, level up! Go you! Don't forget to spend those Flex Points, they're like free brain or brawn juice!
A warm surge of energy flooded through Ryan. His minor wounds from previous scuffles knitted closed. He felt stronger, faster, better. Leveling up felt good. Really good. His Vitality, Agility, Strength, Intellect, and Spirit all jumped by five points each. It was a significant boost.
He looked at the spot where the Distortion Hound had well, un-existed.
Two things lay there.
The first was a shard of something that looked like jagged, smoky quartz. It pulsed with a faint, unstable light, and the air around it shimmered just like the Hound had. This had to be the "Unstable Genesis Shard" the God Warden had mentioned in its initial Anomaly announcement.
The second item was a small, ornate chest, about the size of a shoebox. It was dark metal, intricately carved with swirling, chaotic patterns. It hummed with a faint energy. The Interface labeled it: "Minor Chaos Cache".
"A treasure chest!" Ryan grinned, forgetting his exhaustion for a moment. "I beat the boss, I leveled up, and I get loot!
This is almost like a real adventure game! Except for the part where I could have actually died and started questioning kitchen utensils." He eyed a nearby spoon-shaped leaf with suspicion, then shook his head. No. Focus. Loot first, philosophical debates about cutlery later.