Oh, please forgive me if it hurts. I communicated with Narco as I lifted my right foot as high as possible and mustered all my remaining strength. Then, I brought it down aiming at the bear below me. I watched the creature spit a mouthful of blood, collapsing on top of my partner. I felt relieved that this fight ended quickly; it should have been severely damaged. However, my peaceful moment was ruined by the sudden shock that brought my attention back to it. I heard agitated noises as I felt the body below me expand at an unnatural rate, burying my partner beneath it.

My instincts screamed, commanding me to distance myself from this thing. I couldn't understand why until I felt the pointy spikes making contact with my skin, causing my feet to bleed despite being highly reinforced by the hard scales. I jumped off quickly before the spikes could extend further, and then I landed nearby. I stood frozen, my eyes transfixed on the surreal horror before me. Its back molded into a form reminiscent of a camel's hump. Each movement seemed to birth sharp, jagged spikes that erupted and spread, turning the creature's once familiar fur into a nightmare of menacing protrusions.

The dim light revealed the creature's eyes, now aglow with an intense red akin to embers in the abyss. Its upper jaws underwent a disturbing alteration, revealing a set of formidable teeth, while two menacing napes jutted downward from the front, shrouding the lower part of its face. It became evident that this monstrous horror, now fully transformed, possessed a power that surpassed even the serpent.

I watched as the monster lifted its body off the floor, unable to stand on its hind legs. My partner seemed to have passed out from the beating. Well, I didn't care much; he had done his part, and that was fine. I called him back to my hand then I prepared to attack the monster facing me; some areas of its body were left exposed and devoid of any spikes. However, these areas were surrounded with spikes which could probably hinder my strikes. Sliding below it was not an option, and flipping it upside down was not possible as well, all thanks to the spikes going in every direction surrounding it. Why doesn't one of us distract it while the other attacks its blind spot? It seemed like a decent idea, only if it could see Darak.

I settled on calling Darak to materialize beside me; however, the high-pitched scream brought my attention back to this behemoth in front of me. Was it even a beast anymore? I doubted myself, this creature looked closer to a monster than a beast. A shiver went down my spine as the amalgamation started shaking, and my body urged me to take a defensive stance. I acted immediately, fully trusting my instinct, holding my sword in a defensive state. Shortly, the lengthy spikes flew in every direction; some made contact with my axe, pushing back and failing to pierce it, then falling to the ground. The rest pierced the domain's walls and ground, giving it a weird look. It birthed an idea that I liked. Let's decorate this place later, maybe when I upgrade it.

The spikes that covered the beast were now scattered everywhere, and the beast itself no longer had any on its back, leaving it exposed. Soon, I had a glimpse of the new spikes growing on its back. It didn't take long for them to reach the same size as before, maybe noticeably shorter this time. A little later, the monster started shaking once again, and before long, the new spikes flew everywhere once again, leaving its back naked once more. It was easy to tell that this was a pattern it followed, which gave me an idea to execute.

Stolen story; please report.

I urged my partner's {Shift} ability, making it morph into its axe form. Then, I waited patiently for the spikes as I searched for the clearest path I could find. Finally, the moment arrived, and the new spikes were shot in all directions once again. The moment the spikes hit my axe, I shoved them away, and then I charged, running at the beast in front of me.

With a swift motion, I aimed my axe, lunging at the beast's side. A scream erupted, echoing through my domain as I pulled my axe off its body, preparing to distance myself. However, before I could retreat completely, the monster turned around, facing me as it aimed its large jaws at me, forcing me to make a hasty move that I regretted. As I slapped the monster's head jaw with my empty claw, it was caught in its mouth. The large visible teeth closed on my wrist, ripping it off along with my hand. I gritted my teeth against the intense pain as the shock coursed through my arm. The {Regeneration} ability stopped the bleeding quickly as the wound closed. However, it seemed that it wouldn't heal completely any time soon, leaving my left arm handicapped.

(You've dealt 92 damage to a level 43 Demonic Parasite)

Demonic Parasite? The damage message shocked me; it seemed like I was fighting another foe from earlier. Still, I had no clue what this parasite was. I dismissed my thoughts deciding not to dwell on it once I noticed the monster's spikes shaking violently once again. I forced my partner to take on his phantom form as the next wave of spikes came at me. Despite being unconscious, he did a good job acting as a meat shield before falling on top of the spikes laid on the floor, crushing them easily. I leaped forward, charging at the beast once again as I urged my weapon back, which followed me as it materialized at my right hand.

(Warning: Your Dark Energy is too low! Reverting to base form in 15 seconds)

I aimed my axe at the monster's head, then I lunged it at its right eye. The painful scream echoed as I ripped my axe off, leaving it semi-blind. The monster took a couple of steps back, shaking its head in frustration. It then adjusted its head, making the uninjured eye face me as I distanced myself once again. A while passed like this with no further advancement; the monster didn't seem to have any kind of regeneration ability.

I decided to attack the moment I saw the warning, assuming if my transformation goes out, then I will do way less damage to it. I charged once again at the massive creature. This time, I urged Narco's {Shift} to take on his base form. Once I came closer to the beast, I altered my direction, taking its side. I stabbed my sword directly at its neck, failing to break through. Then, I kept pushing with all of my strength until I finally pierced its skin as my body started reverting. I pulled my sword with all of my might as I felt my strength waning down. Finally, the sword left its body as my transformation came to an end. The monster fell to the floor twisting and unable to make any proper movement. I distanced myself once again as I fell on the ground far from it. I sighed in relief waiting for the monster to die on its own, after all this was a devastating hit, some time passed as it finally died.

Its corpse started to wither slowly, revealing what looked like a half-naked humanoid lying on the floor, blood staining every single inch of its body. I collapsed as well, taking a rest, and decided to check up on it later.