CHAPTER 34: BATTLE BUDDIES AT THE ANOMALY QUEST PART 2.

The Runner darted forward, so fast that even Johnquis’s eyes almost missed it. It splashed through the shallow end, kicking chlorinated water into the air. It hit the pool wall, claws screeching as it bounded sideways like a spider, then lunged at Dancer from her blind spot.

For an instant, they met. Two monsters mirroring each other on a rooftop summer day that shouldn’t exist.

Dancer whirled. Metal rang out as her heel-blade flashed up, grazing the Runner’s thigh. Dark violet blood spattered across a deck chair, staining the bright fabric.

The Runner skidded to the tiles, landing on all fours. It hissed, back arching, muscles twitching. Then it lunged again, claws aimed for Dancer’s throat.

She didn’t back away. She stepped in.

Their claws clashed, sparks hissed as Dancer’s foot-blade locked the Runner’s swipe mid-strike. She twisted her body like a ribbon dancer, the other leg snapping up in an arc.

SHLICK!

The blade behind her foot sliced through the Runner’s side, cutting so deep the ribs flashed in the fake sunlight.

The Runner shrieked, staggering back into the pool’s shallow edge. A wave sloshed up and over the deck, washing blood into the swirling chlorine.

Johnquis leaned his back to a half-shaded pillar, every nerve focused on the fight.

The Runner didn’t stop. It leapt from the water, claws out, feet scraping the pool’s mosaic wall. It landed on a sun umbrella, tearing the canvas to ribbons as it vaulted off the pole. This time it slammed into Dancer full force. Claws dug into her shoulder.

Johnquis flinched but Dancer just smiled.

A low, inhuman growl rumbled in her chest. Her clawed hand shot up, grabbed the Runner’s wrist, and snapped it sideways. She twisted again, her foot hooking behind its ankle like a grappler’s sweep then that sickle-blade behind her heel flicked up under its chin.

SHUNK!

The Runner shrieked, head whipping back as the blade pierced its jawline and nearly took the top of its skull off.

It kicked out wildly, claws scoring bloody lines across Dancer’s side. The wounds barely bled before they sealed with a pulse of flow under her skin.

She let go, the Runner dropped into the pool with a splash, limbs thrashing. Blood unfurled in the crystal water.

Dancer stepped onto the water’s edge, one foot pressing onto the submerged Runner’s chest. The water rippled around her toes. Her reflection shimmering, crowned by her foot-blade glinting above.

For a heartbeat, the Runner went still, its glassy eyes staring up at her. Johnquis saw it, that flicker of recognition. One predator staring at its final form.

She didn’t grant it any last mercy. Her foot-blade slammed down, a single, graceful stomp.

CRACK!

The skull split clean in two. The Runner’s final hiss died, bubbles streaming up as its corpse went limp in the water.

[Feed Count: +1,000]

[Feed Count: 20,000/20,000]

Dancer pulled her foot free, letting the dead Runner drift beneath the clear turquoise surface. Chlorine washed the gore from her blade. She turned to Johnquis, breath even, hair plastered to her cheek by fake summer wind.

She tilted her head, that half-smile, half-savage glint in her slit pupils. Johnquis braced himself on the pillar, chain coiled tight around his wrist. He could feel his ribs knitting back together, the Flow soaking through his veins.

"Beautiful... you really are the Lord of the Dance now, huh?"

Behind Dancer, the fake sun glowed warm and bright. Paradise on the rooftop, a lie drenched in Eater blood. But for now, under that impossible sky, Dancer stood tall.

A monster who chose him. A monster who killed for him. A monster who danced, so he could live to fight again.

A ping cut through his haze.

[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION]

Threshold Reached

He staggered, blinking as a soft light washed over him. Warmth flooded his battered body — cuts knitting shut, bones slotting back together on their own.

"Wha— what’s happening...?"

[CONGRATULATIONS!]

- You have accumulated a total of 20,000 Feed Count.

[RANK UP: UNRANKED → BRONZE]

[Feed Count: 20,000/70,000]

[Reach 70,000 Feed Count to rank up to STEEL]

Johnquis’s eyes went wide at the blue glow flickering across his vision.

"I... I ranked up? I didn’t even notice — I was too busy watching you, Dancer... Shit! I actually did it. I’m Bronze now?"

His chain twitched at his side, metal links pulsing like fresh blood in veins. The coil lengthened, links thinning, the weight shifting as if the weapon had shed a layer of its hunger.

"Whoa... my chain’s changing too..."

Another ping:

[NEW PERKS UNLOCKED]

- [LEADERBOARD]: Your profile has been added.

- [SQUAD RECRUITMENT]:

Squad creation permission granted.

A laugh tearing free.

"Leaderboard... So now every Eater Blade can see my name. Good or bad, huh? And I can recruit my own squad now..."

His eyes dropped to Dancer, still staring back at him, golden eyes glimmering so strangely human. He cracked a tired smirked.

"Does my battle buddy count?"

[SYSTEM NOTICE]

- Since you ranked up, you have unlocked your Bronze skill.

Johnquis blinked, "Ha... finally. Let’s see what you’ve got for me now..."

[NEW SKILL UNLOCKED]

[SKILL: HELL’S SNARE - Blood Cost: 10%]

- Summon a dozens of thin, spectral chain threads erupt outward in a circle. All enemies within range are temporarily snared by the ankles or wrists, locking them in place for 3–4 seconds.

Johnquis read the description aloud, eyes wide with a mix of disbelief and excitement.

"An AOE skill? Hell’s Snare... I can lock ’em down — every last one! I can’t wait to try this..."

Dancer stepped closer, her claws tapping lightly against his forearm — a soft, almost gentle nudge. Her eyes glowed warm, like she understood exactly what this meant for them both.

Johnquis gave a breathless laugh. He raised the chain, letting it coil around her wrist for a second.

"You feel that, huh? We’re not just scraping by anymore. We’ve got real teeth now... and I’ve got you."

A fresh ping flared in his vision.

[Chain Slave is now leveled up!]

[Skill: Chain Slave LVL 2 - Blood Cost: 0%]

- You can now enslave one more Eater.

He stared at the new lines of text, then at Dancer.

"One more... huh? Another mutt to run with us. Looks like our little family’s gonna get bigger."

He bumped his forehead against hers, feeling her soft click echo in his chest.

"Let’s chain the whole damn world if we have to. Together."

Johnquis looked up at the Eaters clawing over the top floor ledge. His eyes burned with new hunger, a smile splitting his tired face.

"Now it’s my turn to see what I can do... come on! Let the feast begin!"

He launched himself forward, chain coiled tight in his fist. The hum of fresh power buzzed through every nerve.

"Nice... my body feels lighter. Like I could almost move like you, Dancer."

She looked back at him over her shoulder, eyes gleaming. Then, gone. She burst forward, a blur of white and steel as she vanished up the escalator.

"Hey!"

Johnquis barked, half-laughing as her foot-blades ripped through the climbing swarm.

"You don’t have to rub it in that I’m still slower than you, damn it!"

Blood sprayed the tiles below the escalator as Dancer sliced through the Eaters, each kill feeding him more power.

[Feed Count: +900]

[Feed Count: 20,900 / 70,000]

Johnquis raised his chain, sparks dancing at his fingertips.

"Oh, come on! Leave some for me!"

Johnquis smiled and tapped the grappling hook strapped to his hipIn front of him,

Up ahead, Dancer was already a ghost tearing through the Eaters that clambered up the escalators. Her foot-blades glinting like crescent moons as heads rolled down the steps.

[Feed Count: +600]

[Feed Count: 21,500 / 70,000]

Johnquis huffed out a sharp laugh.

"Not gonna let you take all the fun."

He leaned over the broken glass railing, the floor below yawning wide like a mouth. Bright signs for burger joints, smoothie stalls, and candy shops flickered in the stale air, untouched by sunlight but crawling now with the black shapes of hungry Eaters.

He drew in a ragged breath.

"Time to see what Bronze really feels like."

He kicked off the railing.

"DOWN WE GO—!"

The hook at his hip whirred, metal cable screamed as it snapped tight around an overhead beam. He dropped like a hawk, boots smashing through a half-collapsed food stall.Fake plastic chairs and trays flew in every direction.

The Eaters below snarled and lurched at once. Their milky eyes glowed in the neon haze.

Johnquis rolled to his feet, feeling the Eater Flow swirl through his gut. His chain rattled like a snake, wrapping tight around his forearm.

"Alright, you rotting bastards... time to test this out."

He slammed the chain into the ground.

[Skill: Hell’s Snare - Blood Cost: 10%]

Activating...

"HELL’S SNARE!"

A dark pulse ripped out from beneath his boots. A black circle spread wide across the cracked tiles. In an instant, thin spectral chains burst from the floor, dozens of jagged threads whipping out like living barbed wire. They lashed around ankles, wrists, claws, anything they could catch and locked tight, freezing the Eaters mid-lunge.

A half-dozen monsters hung in place, arms and legs spread. They thrashed and howled, but the chains just coiled tighter, barbs digging in like hooked teeth.

"ARRRRGHHHHRR!"

Johnquis barked out a laugh, eyes gleaming as numbers flickered behind his pupils.

"Fucker SHIT— this is so damn cool!"

He cracked the chain like a whip, iron links sparking.

"And I can feel it... my chains wanna tear you bastards apart!"