Chapter 256: Shadows of Hunger
Liora stood trembling on the rooftop with excitement.
The ruined city below her swarmed with undead. Thousands of them. Their decaying bodies dragged across the broken streets like ants. But to her, they weren’t just zombies.
They were experience points.
Her fingers curled tightly around the cracked edge of the rooftop railings as the familiar excitement of her shadows. She could feel their eagerness to come out. Her eyes gleamed with a sharp, eager light, and a wild grin tugged at her lips.
She was going to level up.
Beside her, Xu Kai stood in silence. Calm and Focused. His sword caught the faint gray light in the smog-choked air. He scanned the endless sea of the undead, then turned to her.
"Should we go down and kill them up close?" he asked, his tone casual.
Liora didn’t hesitate. She shook her head quickly. "No need."
Xu Kai raised an eyebrow, curious. "No?"
She turned to him, her voice steady and clear. "You don’t need to fight. Not unless I fall. Until then... just stay with me."
There was a pause. Something flickered in Xu Kai’s gaze—maybe concern, maybe quiet understanding—but he nodded anyway. "Okay."
Liora offered him a soft smile, then moved toward a rusted steel slab lying nearby. It had likely fallen from an old rooftop unit, but now, it served perfectly as a makeshift bench. She dragged it toward the ledge and sat down, sighing in quiet satisfaction.