Honkai Star Rail : Shadows of Nihility

The cold winds of the Xianzhou wilderness bit at Wei Longshen's skin as he emerged from the prison's ruins. He stood still for a moment, his breath steady despite the harsh environment. The Shackling Prison was behind him now—a hulking silhouette of chaos and failure—but freedom came at a cost. The glow of the distant alarms was a stark reminder that his escape was far from unnoticed.

Wei surveyed his surroundings. Dense, towering trees with celestial luminescence dotted the landscape, their glowing leaves casting faint light across the ground. The terrain ahead was treacherous, a mix of jagged cliffs and winding paths. Perfect for disappearing—if one knew how.

He clenched his fists, testing his regained strength. The faint hum of Nihility coursed through him, still far from its full potential but enough to handle what lay ahead. His chains were gone, but he wasn't truly free—not yet. Somewhere, out there, his weapons waited. Those blades weren't just tools; they were extensions of him, forged with his essence and bound to his past. Without them, he felt incomplete.

The first challenge was distance. Wei knew the Xianzhou enforcers wouldn't hesitate to mobilize their forces. Even now, he could hear the distant roar of airships patrolling the skies, their searchlights combing the dense forest canopy. He needed to keep moving, but not blindly. The wilderness was vast, and each step had to be calculated.

As Wei navigated the forest, his assassin instincts kicked in. His steps were silent, his movements deliberate. Years of experience honed his ability to adapt to any terrain, and the wilderness posed no exception. He avoided open areas, using the glowing foliage to mask his presence. Occasionally, he paused, crouching low to listen for footsteps or the faint hum of engines. His sharp eyes scanned the treetops, where drones occasionally buzzed like mechanical wasps.

The night deepened, and the air grew colder. Wei's mind wandered briefly to his weapons. Their absence was more than a tactical disadvantage—it was a wound to his pride. He could still feel the weight of their hilts in his palms, the way they hummed faintly when infused with Nihility. Those weapons weren't ordinary—they were mystical, forged long ago by a forgotten craftsman tied to the Moonlit Veil. Each blade carried inscriptions of celestial and void energy, making them as much a part of Wei's identity as the scar on his face.

He recalled the night they were taken from him—the moment when the betrayal struck its deepest chord. The guards had stripped him of his gear, sneering as they secured the blades in reinforced cases. Wei's fingers twitched at the memory. He would find them. No matter what.

As he pressed forward, Wei heard voices in the distance. He crouched low, his sharp eyes piercing through the foliage. A small group of enforcers had set up a temporary checkpoint along a narrow pass. Their floodlights illuminated the path ahead, casting long shadows that danced like restless spirits.

Wei narrowed his eyes. The checkpoint was a problem. While he could avoid it, doing so would cost him valuable time. He studied the guards—five in total, armed and alert. Their uniforms bore the insignia of the Xianzhou enforcers, but their posture betrayed fatigue. They had been out here too long, chasing shadows.

Wei considered his options. He could eliminate them quietly, slipping through unnoticed. But that would leave bodies, and bodies led to questions. He needed to make an example—something to sow fear and chaos among his pursuers.

The first guard didn't even see him coming. Wei's shadow-like form slid through the foliage, his movements as silent as the wind. In one swift motion, he gripped the guard's collar and dragged him into the darkness. A faint gasp escaped the man's lips before Wei struck a pressure point, rendering him unconscious.

The remaining guards turned at the sound, their weapons raised. "What was that?" one of them muttered, his voice tinged with unease.

Wei stepped into the dim light, his scarred face catching their attention immediately. The guards froze. For a moment, the air was heavy with tension.

"Don't move!" one of them shouted, his rifle trained on Wei.

Wei smiled faintly—a cold, sharp smile that sent a chill down their spines. "I would rethink that."

Before they could react, shadows erupted around Wei, twisting and coiling like serpents. The guards fired, but the bullets found only air. Wei was already among them, his strikes precise and brutal. He disarmed one guard with a swift kick, sending his weapon skittering across the ground. Another fell to a sharp blow to the neck, collapsing in a heap.

The last two guards hesitated, their courage faltering as Wei advanced. He raised his hand, and tendrils of shadow lashed out, wrapping around their weapons and wrenching them away. The guards stumbled backward, their faces pale with fear.

"Run," Wei said softly, his voice cold as the void.

The guards didn't need to be told twice. They turned and fled, their panicked footsteps echoing in the night. Wei watched them go, his expression unreadable. The unconscious guard at his feet stirred slightly, and Wei crouched beside him.

"You'll deliver a message," Wei said, his tone low but firm. "Tell your superiors that the Shadow Fang walks free. Tell them I'm coming."

The guard nodded weakly, his fear outweighing any sense of duty. Wei rose and disappeared into the shadows, leaving the man to stumble away, clutching at his chest.

The checkpoint's floodlights still hummed faintly, illuminating the path ahead. Wei moved swiftly now, his form a shadow among shadows. The forest stretched before him, vast and unyielding, but Wei's resolve burned brighter than ever.

He paused briefly, his sharp eyes scanning the horizon. In the distance, he saw the faint glow of a settlement—a small outpost nestled among the trees. It was likely a trading post or a rest station for travelers, but it was also a potential source of information.

Wei adjusted his cloak, pulling it tighter around his shoulders. He would approach cautiously, as always. The people there might know something about his weapons—or the conspiracy that had torn his life apart. Either way, it was a lead, and Wei Longshen never ignored an opportunity.

As he descended toward the settlement, the void whispered faintly in his mind. Shadows coiled around him like a second skin, their presence a constant reminder of the path he now walked. The journey ahead would be long, and the enemies many. But Wei had no intention of stopping.

For the first time in years, the Shadow Fang was on the hunt.