From the darkness, the yellow goblin shaman emerged, his gnarled staff tapping the stone floor with every step. His hunched frame seemed to sway with the rhythm of the shadows, his jagged teeth glinting as a cruel snicker escaped his lips.

“You Genosians think you can kill us and get away with it?” he snarled, his voice low and venomous. His glowing yellow eyes scanned the room, landing on the corpses of the hunters. Disgust twisted his features as he sneered at their headless bodies, his nose wrinkling like their mere existence offended him.

The shaman’s gaze shifted, locking onto Nyx’s limp figure slumped against the wall, her silver hair streaked with blood. His lip curled into a vicious smile.

“And you,” he hissed, pointing his staff at her. “Thought you could take control of my shadow goblins? Foolish, little girl.” He took a step closer, his voice rising with contempt. “Look at you now. A lesson learned too late.”

The goblin shaman turned sharply, raising his staff high as he addressed the remaining goblins. “Tonight, we feast!” he bellowed.

The goblins erupted into cheers, their guttural cries filling the chamber. They stomped and howled, the sound reverberating off the stone walls. One goblin paused mid-cheer, sniffing the air and glancing toward Nyx’s body. His glowing eyes narrowed suspiciously, but when the shaman barked another command, he dismissed it and rejoined the raucous celebration.

None of them noticed the faint shimmer emanating from Nyx’s body.

Uriel’s voice broke through the silence in her mind, calm but firm.

“Eternal Rebirth in progress.”

Nyx’s body twitched, her wounds knitting together as her blood evaporated from the floor. A sharp, burning sensation spread through her abdomen as the dagger embedded in her side slid free with a faint metallic clink. A cooling wave followed, numbing the pain and calming her frayed nerves.

Her breathing steadied, the rise and fall of her chest slow but sure.

“Nyx?” Uriel’s voice softened. “Can you hear me?”

A faint groan escaped her lips. “Hmmhh… Uriel?”

“Yes,” Uriel replied, its tone steady. “I will take over now. Rest.”

Nyx’s lips moved weakly, forming a faint “Okay…” before her eyelids fluttered shut. She surrendered to unconsciousness, her body still but glowing faintly as the magic worked through her.

It was the first time Nyx had ever been truly injured.

Uriel’s presence strengthened, taking control of her body, its calm focus replacing her pain and fear. The light surrounding her dimmed slightly, but her breathing grew steady once more.

The goblins continued their chaotic celebration, oblivious to the storm brewing within the little silver-haired girl they thought they had defeated.

A sharp, commanding voice cut through the goblins’ raucous celebration.

“Len.

Ryu.

Rise.”

The goblins froze mid-cheer, their glowing eyes narrowing as two shadowy figures materialized beside Nyx, rising from the darkness at her command.

Nyx, her silver hair streaked with blood, sat with one knee bent, her hand resting lightly on the shoulder of one of the shadow goblins. The creature helped her to her feet with eerie grace, its claws brushing her skin like ice.

“You…” The goblin shaman’s jagged teeth ground together as he stepped forward, his staff trembling in his grip. “How can this be? I killed you!”

Nyx rose fully, her amethyst eyes glinting coldly. Shadows rippled along her daggers as she tilted her head, her lips curling into a faint smirk. “Did you?” she replied, her voice low and unnervingly smooth.

The shaman snarled, slamming his staff against the stone floor. “Surround her!” he barked. “Make sure she doesn’t come back this time!”

The goblins obeyed instantly, their grotesque forms closing in, snarling and gripping their crude weapons.

Nyx’s gaze swept the room, calculating every movement, every angle. Her hands tightened around her daggers, shadows weaving along the blades. Then, faint golden light began to glow around her, illuminating the edges of her form.

Before the other goblins could react, arcs of light and thunder tore through their ranks. The air burned with radiant heat as Solar Storm Rend activated. Electrified slashes rippled from Nyx’s blades, sending shockwaves that left trails of residual energy crackling across the stone floor.

The chamber erupted into chaos. Goblins collapsed one after another, their weapons clattering to the ground as glowing stones scattered like fallen stars.

Nyx’s eyes shimmered with light as her form blurred, teleporting in an instant. She reappeared behind the first goblin, her dagger slicing cleanly through its shoulder. The creature dropped with a strangled cry, and a glowing magic stone tumbled from its chest.

The remaining goblins hissed, but before they could react, arcs of blinding light and crackling thunder tore through their ranks. Nyx’s Thunderclaw Slash surged outward, her daggers charged with solar energy as they emitted sharp, electrified slashes. The goblins nearest to her crumpled to the ground, their bodies convulsing as their magic stones fell with faint clinks.

Nyx glanced at the scattered stones, a flicker of satisfaction crossing her face. She moved like a shadow, teleporting again to avoid a goblin’s wild swing. Her daggers struck true, severing tendons and dropping her foe with precision.

The goblin shaman’s eyes widened as the room filled with dazzling bursts of light. “Impossible!” he snarled, gripping his staff tighter. “You’re just a girl!”

Nyx met his glare, her amethyst eyes glowing brighter. “Regret?” she said, her voice cold. “That’s for people who make mistakes.”

Dark tendrils began to ripple from the shaman’s staff, snapping at the air like living shadows.

“Surround her, now!” he barked, his earlier confidence giving way to desperation.

Two goblins lunged at her from opposite sides. Nyx pivoted, her daggers spinning in her hands. The first blade caught the goblin on her right, slicing through its chest and dropping it in a heap. The second she dispatched with a charged slash that sent a shockwave rippling through its body, the energy sparking as its magic stone tumbled free.

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The shadow goblins fought alongside her, their claws rending flesh and tearing through their counterparts with feral precision. The chamber filled with the sounds of chaos—thunderous slashes, crackling energy, and the guttural cries of dying goblins.

The shaman slammed his staff against the ground, dark energy swirling around him. “You dare use light against me?” he spat, his voice trembling with rage.

Nyx didn’t wait. Her form blurred again, teleporting directly in front of him. Her daggers crossed against his staff with a metallic screech, sparks flying as her solar-charged blades clashed with his dark magic.

The weight of his energy pressed against her, the shadows lashing out like ravenous beasts. But the golden glow of her Solar Aegis burned brighter, deflecting the tendrils and eating away at the shaman’s defenses.

“You think you’ve won?” he hissed, his yellow eyes blazing. “You have no idea what power you’re dealing with.”

Nyx shoved him back with a burst of energy from her shield, sending him stumbling. Her daggers still glowed with residual energy as she stepped forward, her movements deliberate and unrelenting.

“You should’ve finished the job the first time,” she said, her voice low and unwavering.

The shaman snarled, his dark energy coiling tighter around him as he prepared to strike again.

The chamber was deathly silent, save for the faint crackle of residual energy lingering in the air. The bodies of the goblins lay scattered across the stone floor, their magic stones glowing faintly like fallen stars.

The goblin shaman stood alone, his staff trembling in his hands. His yellow eyes darted between the lifeless forms of his brethren and the silver-haired girl before him. She stood tall, her twin daggers shimmering with shadow and solar energy, her amethyst eyes glowing with an unrelenting brilliance.

“How…” he muttered, his voice a low growl. “How can one child destroy everything?”

Nyx said nothing. Her silence was colder than any words, her gaze piercing through him like a blade.

The shaman snarled, his rage building until it burst forth. “You will not win!” he roared, slamming his staff into the ground.

Dark energy surged from him, coiling like serpents around his body. The ground beneath him cracked and split as he chanted in a guttural, ancient tongue. His skin began to peel away, revealing sinew and bone beneath. His transformation was grotesque—a skeleton-like goblin, its hollow eye sockets glowing with a sickly green light. His claws extended, and his teeth sharpened into jagged points.

“You may have killed them,” he hissed, his voice now a guttural rasp, “but I will have vengeance, even if I must sacrifice my soul!”

With a shriek, the shaman lunged at Nyx, his claws slashing through the air.

Nyx evaded effortlessly, her body twisting and teleporting in a blur of motion. She reappeared behind him, her dagger slashing across his back. The shaman howled, but he spun quickly, his claws striking at her in return.

Their battle was a flurry of motion—blades clashing against claws, light colliding with dark energy. The shaman’s attacks were wild and desperate, but powerful, each strike carrying the weight of his fury.

Nyx moved with precision, her strikes calculated. Each time his claws found her flesh, her wounds closed instantly, golden light searing away the damage. The shaman’s frustration grew with every exchange.

“What are you?” he rasped, his voice trembling with both fear and rage. “What kind of abomination cannot die?”

Nyx’s voice was calm, but it cut through him like a blade. “Your end.”

The shaman lunged again, his claws raking across her Solar Aegis, but the radiant shield held firm. Nyx countered with a powerful Thunderclaw Slash, the electrified energy slamming into his chest and sending him staggering back.

The chamber filled with light and shadow as the two combatants clashed. Each blow sent shockwaves through the air, scattering loose stones and causing the walls to tremble.

The shaman’s movements grew slower, his skeletal form cracking under the strain of his dark magic. Nyx saw her opening.

She crossed her daggers, their edges glowing with searing energy as she activated Solar Storm Rend. A surge of light and thunder rippled through the room, the power amplifying as it channeled into her blades.

The shaman’s hollow eyes widened in realization. “No…” he whispered, his voice shaking.

Nyx lunged forward, her daggers striking with a blinding flash of light. The impact tore through the shaman’s chest, his dark energy dispersing in a deafening roar. His skeletal form crumbled, his staff shattering into splinters.

The goblin shaman fell to his knees, his body collapsing piece by piece. His glowing eyes dimmed, but his gaze remained fixed on Nyx, filled with venom and regret.

“I… failed,” he rasped, his voice barely audible. “A failure to my kind… to my brethren…”

His body began to dissolve into ash, but his hatred lingered, etched into his final words. He locked his dimming eyes on hers, venom thick in his gaze.

“One day…” he whispered, the words dragging out like a curse, “someone will avenge us… abomination.”

Nyx held his gaze until the light in his eyes faded completely. The chamber fell silent once more, save for the faint hum of her glowing daggers.

Nyx stepped back, her chest heaving as she surveyed the battlefield. The chamber was silent now, save for the faint crackle of residual energy dancing along the walls. Corpses of the goblins littered the ground, their magic stones glowing faintly like scattered embers.

She exhaled slowly, her lips curving into a faint, weary smile. It was beautiful—the carnage, the chaos, the precision of her strikes. Every slash, every calculated blow had been perfect.

“Drac would have been proud,” Uriel mused, its voice calm yet tinged with something that might have been admiration.

Nyx’s amethyst eyes flickered with light as she raised her hand. The glow around her daggers intensified, their shadowy tendrils twisting outward like living entities. She let herself feel it for a moment—the power coursing through her veins. It was intoxicating, but heavy. A small voice at the back of her mind whispered that this was only the beginning.

Her voice rang through the chamber, firm and commanding. “Rise.”

The still air shifted, thick with unnatural energy. One by one, the fallen goblins stirred. Their forms dissolved into wisps of shadow and silver, reshaping themselves into eerie reflections of their former selves.

The Forest Goblins were the first to rise. Their once moss-covered bodies now bore faint, shifting outlines of branches and vines etched in glowing silver. Their shadowy forms moved with fluid grace, blending seamlessly into the darkness, their silver accents glinting like spectral leaves.

Next came the Cave Goblins, their wide, pale eyes now ablaze with piercing silver light. Their mist-like bodies swirled in the shadows, their movements silent yet unnervingly swift.

Finally, the hulking Mountain Goblins emerged. Their stone-like frames had transformed into obsidian shadows veined with molten silver cracks, each step pulsing with a low, resonant hum.

Together, the goblins stood as part of the darkness itself, their silver accents shimmering like spectral fire. They moved in unison, their forms weaving into a single, silent mass of shadow.

Among them, the goblin shaman rose once more, its transformation more grotesque and powerful than the rest. Its skeletal frame was cloaked in shifting shadows of silver and black, its jagged bones etched with glowing runes that pulsed with dark energy.

Hollow eye sockets burned with silvery light, and shadowy tendrils rippled faintly around its skull like a distorted crown. In its hand, it gripped a staff forged from pure shadow, its jagged crystal tip crackling with dark power. Each step it took left trails of silver mist, marking it as something caught between shadow and reality, a haunting entity more dangerous than before.

The glowing runes on its bones seemed to pulse with a rhythm of their own, and as the shaman knelt in submission, faint traces of its energy etched themselves into the cavern walls. Shadows danced unnaturally, the faint hum of power lingering in the air.

Nyx tilted her head, her amethyst eyes narrowing as she studied her new creation. “Impressive,” she murmured, her voice faint but laced with approval.

The goblins waited in silent formation, their glowing eyes fixed on Nyx. She glanced toward the cavern’s darkened entrance, her ears straining. Somewhere in the distance, faint footsteps echoed, steady but growing louder.

The sound drew her focus, sending a twinge of unease through her chest. It wasn’t just footsteps—voices carried with them, low and urgent, distorted slightly by the cavern’s acoustics.

“Hide,” she commanded softly.

Without hesitation, the shadow goblins melted into the darkness, their forms disappearing into her shadow like ink spilling into water. The chamber grew still once more, though the air remained heavy with their presence.

Uriel’s voice broke the silence, its tone measured and calm. “The threat is gone. I am returning full control to you now.”

Nyx nodded faintly, but the weight of her exhaustion was too much. Her legs gave way, and she crumpled to the ground.

As her vision blurred and the edges of the world faded, the dark veil began to return. The shadows swirled around her eyes, weaving together in an intricate, protective pattern until her amethyst glow dimmed and was hidden once more. It was as though the veil had a will of its own, returning instinctively to shield her in her moment of vulnerability.

The sound of footsteps grew louder, accompanied by urgent shouts that reverberated through the chamber. The glow of torchlight flickered against the walls, inching closer.

The faint glow of the goblin shaman’s runes pulsed one last time, sending an eerie ripple of light through the room before they faded into the stone.