The Stonegrinder moved closer, its massive form blocking the narrow passageway. Kael could see every detail now—the cracks running through its body, the faint glow of some dark energy pulsing beneath the surface. It was a creature of the realm, a twisted embodiment of the mountain’s wrath.

Kael swung his club-hammer with a grunt, the weight of the weapon pulling him forward as he aimed for the creature’s knee joint. The impact was like striking a boulder, a jarring collision that sent shockwaves up his arms. Stone splintered under the force of the blow, fragments flying in all directions as the creature staggered, its leg buckling beneath it. A deep, guttural roar echoed through the cave, a sound that vibrated in Kael’s bones, as if the mountain itself were screaming.

He danced backward, his movements quick and precise, the agility he’d trained so hard to hone coming to the forefront. The creature lunged, its massive arm swinging in a slow arc, the obsidian claws glinting menacingly in the dim light. Kael ducked, the claws whistling over his head, a near miss that left his heart pounding in his chest. He felt the rush of air as the claws passed, the sharp tang of ozone filling his nostrils.

“Yareeth, now!” he shouted, his voice echoing off the cave walls. She moved like a shadow, her form a blur of motion as she darted forward, her dagger flashing in the faint light. She struck at the creature’s other knee, her blade biting deep into the exposed joint. A spray of dark, viscous fluid erupted from the wound, splattering across her scales and the cave floor. The creature roared again, a sound of agony and fury, as it tried to turn, its movements slow and cumbersome.

Kael didn’t hesitate. He lunged forward, bringing his club-hammer down in a powerful overhead swing. The weapon connected with the creature’s shoulder, the force of the blow shattering the stone and sending cracks spiderwebbing through its torso. The Stonegrinder staggered, its balance faltering as it tried to keep its footing on the uneven ground.

But the creatures weren’t just made of stone and bone. There was something else, something dark and malevolent that twisted through their forms, binding them together. Kael could feel it, a pulsing, thrumming energy that resonated with the Void Shard in his chest. It was like a shadow that clung to the creature’s very essence, a darkness that seeped into the air, making it heavy and oppressive.

As the Stonegrinder reeled, Yareeth pressed the attack. She moved with a fluid grace, her dagger slicing through the air in precise arcs. Each strike was calculated, aimed at the creature’s weak points, the places where the stone gave way to the brittle, splintering bone beneath. Her blade flashed, a silver blur that left trails of darkness in its wake, as if she were cutting through the very fabric of the creature’s existence.

Slashing Weapons +1

“Yareeth, behind you!” Kael’s warning came too late. The second Stonegrinder lunged from the shadows, its arm swinging in a wide, brutal arc. Yareeth barely had time to twist away, the claws grazing her shoulder, tearing through her tunic and leaving a deep, bloody gash in their wake. She stumbled, her breath hitching as pain flared across her face.

Rage surged through Kael, hot and violent, boiling over like molten lava. He bellowed, the sound primal and raw, and charged the second creature, his club-hammer a blur as he struck again and again, each blow fueled by a fury that seemed to burn in his very soul. The impact of his strikes sent chunks of stone flying, the creature’s arm splintering under the onslaught.

2x Stonegrinder Killed

But it wasn’t enough.

A low, rumbling growl echoed through the cave, the sound vibrating in the very walls. Kael turned, his heart pounding, as a third creature emerged from the darkness. It was larger than the others, its form a grotesque amalgamation of obsidian and bone, its eyes burning with a cold, malevolent light. The System’s notification flashed before his eyes:

Stonegrinder Alpha Level 4 [Realm Boss]

The Stonegrinder Alpha moved with a terrifying grace, its body shifting and reshaping as it advanced. Kael could feel the temperature in the cave drop, a biting cold that seemed to seep into his bones, sapping his strength. The creature’s presence was suffocating, an overwhelming aura of darkness and malice that pressed down on him, making it hard to breathe.

“Get out of here! It’s the Realm Boss!” he shouted, his voice edged with desperation. But Yareeth was already moving, her form a blur as she darted towards the creature, her dagger raised.

The Alpha lashed out, its arm a blur of motion. Kael saw it in slow motion, the way the obsidian claws sliced through the air, the jagged edges catching the light. He lunged, his club-hammer swinging up to intercept the blow, the impact jarring him to the core. He felt the bones in his arm crack, the pain white-hot and searing, but he held his ground, the force of the blow sending him staggering back.

“Run!” he bellowed, his voice raw, the word torn from his throat. But she didn’t run. She stood her ground, her eyes blazing with determination.

The Alpha roared, a sound that seemed to shake the very foundations of the cave. It reared back, its body twisting as it prepared to strike again. Kael’s vision blurred, the world tilting as pain and exhaustion clawed at him. He couldn’t keep this up. Not against this.

But he had to. He couldn’t let it end like this.

He tightened his grip on the club-hammer, his knuckles white against the wood. The Void Shard in his chest pulsed, a dark, insistent beat that resonated with the darkness in the creature before him. He could feel it, the power thrumming beneath his skin, a chaotic, destructive force that begged to be unleashed. But he held it back, his mind a taut wire of control.

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“Shattering Impact,” he whispered, the skill’s name a promise, a prayer. He channeled the energy into his weapon, the club-hammer glowing with a dark, malevolent light.

He swung.

The impact was like a thunderclap, the force of the blow shattering the Alpha’s arm, sending shards of obsidian flying. The creature staggered, its roar a deafening cacophony of rage and pain. Kael felt the reverberations of the strike travel up his arms, his bones singing with the force of it, but he didn’t stop. He couldn’t stop.

“Yareeth!” he shouted, his voice a ragged plea. “Get out of here!”

But she was already moving, her dagger a blur as she struck at the Alpha’s exposed side. The blade bit deep, the sound of stone cracking like a gunshot in the confined space. The Alpha twisted, its body contorting as it tried to reach her, its movements a terrifying blend of speed and brutality.

Kael lunged forward, his club-hammer swinging in a wide arc. He struck the creature’s knee, the force of the blow sending shockwaves through the stone. The Alpha buckled, its leg crumbling under the impact. It roared, a sound of pure, unadulterated rage, and lashed out with its remaining arm.

The claws caught Kael across the chest, the obsidian tearing through his tunic, through flesh and muscle. Pain exploded through him, a white-hot agony that stole his breath, his vision going white at the edges. He staggered, his body screaming in protest, but he forced himself to stay upright, his legs shaking, blood pouring from the wounds.

He looked at Yareeth, saw the fear in her eyes, the determination. She was holding her own, her movements quick and precise, her blade flashing as she struck again and again, each blow a testament to her will, her strength.

But it wasn’t enough.

The Alpha reared back, its form towering over them, a shadow that seemed to blot out the very light. Kael’s heart hammered in his chest, a wild, frantic rhythm that echoed the fear thrumming in his veins. He couldn’t let it end like this. Not here. Not now.

“Together?” she whispered, her voice barely audible over the creature’s roars.

He nodded, his grip on the club-hammer tightening, the pain a distant echo. “Together.”

Kael and Yareeth charged together, the jagged terrain of the cave floor crunching beneath their feet as they closed the distance between themselves and the towering Stonegrinder Alpha. The creature’s obsidian eyes glowed with a malevolent light, its jaws opening in a roar that shook the very air around them. Each step they took seemed to draw the beast’s ire, its claws raking the ground as it shifted, preparing to meet their assault.

Kael’s muscles burned with the effort of holding his club-hammer high, the weight of the weapon almost unbearable as adrenaline pumped through his veins. His heart pounded in his chest, each beat a deafening drum that drowned out the sounds of battle. But he focused, narrowing his world to the single, desperate purpose of bringing this creature down.

“Shattering Impact!” he roared, swinging the club-hammer with all his strength. The weapon glowed with dark energy, a pulse of power that resonated deep within him as he channeled the Void Shard’s chaotic force. The hammer struck the creature’s knee joint, a deafening crack echoing through the cave as stone and bone shattered beneath the impact. The Alpha staggered, its leg crumpling as it let out a guttural roar of pain.

The blow left Kael winded, his breath coming in harsh, ragged gasps. His arms trembled from the force of the strike, the energy of the Shard draining him with each swing. But there was no time to rest. The creature was wounded, but not defeated. He could see the dark energy thrumming within it, a relentless will that refused to yield.

Yareeth moved in, her dagger flashing as she struck at the creature’s exposed side. Her blade sliced through the cracks in its stony hide, a spray of dark, viscous fluid splattering across her scales. She twisted away as the Alpha swung at her, its massive arm missing her by inches as she ducked beneath the blow. Her movements were quick and fluid, each strike precise and calculated, a testament to the training they’d endured together.

“Kael, watch out!” she shouted, her voice sharp and urgent. He barely had time to react as the Alpha’s tail, a massive, bone-tipped appendage, whipped around. He threw himself to the side, the tail crashing into the ground where he’d stood moments before, sending shards of stone flying through the air.

He rolled to his feet, pain lancing through his side as he gritted his teeth. He could feel the blood trickling down his ribs, the torn flesh burning with every movement. But he pushed it aside, the fear and pain, everything. He had to keep fighting. He couldn’t let this thing hurt her.

“Shattering Impact!” he shouted again, the words ripping from his throat as he brought the club-hammer down on the Alpha’s shoulder. The weapon glowed with dark light, the energy of the Shard surging through him as the hammer connected with the creature’s flesh. The impact sent a shockwave through his body, his muscles screaming in protest as the Alpha’s arm shattered beneath the blow, fragments of bone and obsidian scattering across the cave floor.

Kael staggered back, his vision blurring as exhaustion clawed at him. The Void Shard’s power was intoxicating, but it was draining him, each use leaving him weaker, more vulnerable. He could feel his strength ebbing, the energy slipping through his fingers like sand. But the creature was still standing, its eyes blazing with hatred as it lunged at him.

He barely managed to lift the club-hammer in time, the creature’s claws slamming against the weapon with a force that rattled his bones. He grunted, his legs buckling beneath the strain as he struggled to hold his ground. The Alpha was relentless, its movements a blur of stone and shadow as it pressed the attack, driving him back step by step.

Yareeth darted in again, her dagger flashing as she struck at the creature’s side, her blows precise and deadly. But the Alpha was too large, too powerful. It turned on her with a roar, its massive arm swinging in a wide arc. She jumped back, but the claws caught her across the chest, the force of the blow sending her sprawling to the ground.

“Yareeth!” Kael shouted, his heart lurching in his chest as he saw her fall. Rage surged through him, a white-hot fury that burned away the exhaustion, the pain. He wouldn’t let this thing take her. He wouldn’t let it win.

With a roar, he channeled the last of his strength into the Void Shard, feeling its dark energy surge through him like a raging torrent. “Shattering Impact!” he bellowed, but this time he pushed further, letting the shadows coiled within him gather around the club-hammer, twisting and swirling with chaotic intensity. “Minor Void Burst!” The weapon erupted with a vortex of shadowy tendrils, each one lashing out in violent arcs that crackled and hissed, distorting the air around them. As he swung, the shadows converged on the Alpha, disrupting its form, destabilizing the very fabric of its stone and bone. The hammer struck with a blinding flash, the combined force of the impact and the Void Burst shattering the creature’s chest in an eruption of dark energy and splintered rock. The Alpha staggered, its body crumbling as the power that held it together began to unravel, chunks of stone and obsidian cascading to the ground.

Kael stumbled back, his vision swimming as the world tilted around him. He felt his legs give way, the club-hammer barely supporting him as he slid to his knees. Every muscle in his body felt like it was on fire, the Shard’s energy leaving him utterly drained, its once-bright pulse now dimmed and hollow within him.

But the Alpha wasn’t done yet. It reared back, its form a broken, twisted mockery of its former strength, its eyes blazing with one last, desperate fury. Kael tried to rise, but his body refused to obey, his limbs trembling with exhaustion. He could see it coming, the end, the darkness closing in.