The forest stretched endlessly before Damien, the dense canopy above filtering the moonlight into faint streaks of silver. Each step felt heavier, not from exhaustion but from the weight of the unseen. The crystal’s warning echoed in his mind, and every shadow seemed to pulse with hidden threats.

He pressed forward, Ebonfang at his side. The sword had been quiet since the encounter with the crystal, its runes dimmed but still warm to the touch. Damien could feel its energy, a constant undercurrent beneath his own. It was as if the blade was waiting, observing, testing him as much as the world around him.

The air grew colder as he ventured deeper into the forest. The usual sounds of the wilderness—rustling leaves, distant animal cries—were absent. In their place was an oppressive silence that seemed to press in from all sides. Damien’s hand instinctively went to Ebonfang’s hilt, his senses on high alert.

Then, he heard it. A faint rustling, distant at first but steadily growing louder. He stopped, his eyes scanning the shadows. The sound was unnatural, like dry leaves scraping against stone. It circled him, the source unseen but unmistakably closing in.

Damien drew Ebonfang, the blade humming softly as it came to life. The faint glow of its runes pushed back the darkness slightly, casting eerie patterns on the surrounding trees. He steadied his breathing, his stance firm.

The rustling stopped.

For a moment, there was only silence. Then, without warning, a figure emerged from the shadows, moving with a speed and grace that defied human limits. It was humanoid but grotesque, its body wrapped in tattered black robes that flowed unnaturally around its skeletal frame. Its face was hidden beneath a hood, but two pale, glowing eyes pierced through the darkness.

The creature raised a bony hand, and from the shadows behind it, more figures began to emerge. Damien counted five, then six, their movements eerily synchronized as they formed a loose circle around him.

They didn’t speak, but their intent was clear. Damien tightened his grip on Ebonfang, his pulse quickening. He had faced monsters before, but these… these were something else. There was a malevolence to them, a sense of purpose that made his skin crawl.

The first figure raised its hand, and the others lunged.

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Damien moved instinctively, activating Phase Step. His body flickered, reappearing just outside the circle as the creatures’ attacks hit empty air. Without missing a beat, he swung Ebonfang, channeling his energy into an Astral Slash. The wave of celestial energy tore through two of the figures, their forms dissolving into black mist.

The remaining creatures turned, their movements faster now, more erratic. Damien didn’t wait for them to regroup. He charged, weaving between their strikes with fluid precision. Ebonfang sang in his hands, its runes flaring brighter with each swing. Blade Echo triggered, spectral afterimages striking alongside him and cutting down another creature.

One of the remaining figures lashed out, its clawed hand narrowly missing Damien’s face. He pivoted, driving Ebonfang through its torso. The creature let out a shriek, its body collapsing into mist.

Only one remained. It stood motionless, its glowing eyes locked onto Damien. Unlike the others, it didn’t attack. Instead, it raised its hand, and the mist from the fallen creatures began to coalesce around it. The air grew colder, and Damien felt a heavy pressure in his chest, as if the forest itself were closing in.

The creature’s form began to change, its robes billowing as the mist fused with its body. It grew taller, more defined, its skeletal frame replaced by dark, sinewy muscle. A massive blade formed in its hand, jagged and pulsing with dark energy.

Damien’s grip tightened on Ebonfang. He could feel the shift in power, the presence of something far stronger than before. But he didn’t falter. This was what he had trained for, what he had fought for. The crystal’s warning echoed in his mind—Strength alone is not enough—but this time, he understood.

The creature moved first, its blade crashing down with terrifying force. Damien dodged, the ground where he had stood exploding in a spray of dirt and rock. He retaliated with a quick series of strikes, each one aimed with precision, but the creature’s dark armor absorbed the blows.

It countered with a sweeping attack, forcing Damien to activate Phase Step once more. He reappeared behind the creature, slashing upward with all his might. The strike connected, cracking the armor and eliciting a guttural roar.

Seizing the moment, Damien focused his energy, the runes on Ebonfang flaring brighter than ever. He unleashed a second Astral Slash, the wave of energy striking the creature with explosive force. Its armor shattered, and for a brief moment, Damien saw the faint glow of its core—a pulsing orb of dark energy at the center of its chest.

Without hesitation, he charged, Ebonfang aimed directly at the core. The creature swung its blade in a desperate attempt to block, but Damien was faster. He thrust Ebonfang forward, the celestial blade piercing the core with a burst of light.

The creature let out a deafening roar as its body convulsed, the dark energy dissipating in waves. Finally, it collapsed, its form dissolving into mist like the others.

Damien stood in the silence that followed, his chest heaving. He felt the familiar pulse of experience surging through him, his connection to Ebonfang growing stronger with each passing second. The blade’s runes dimmed slightly, settling back into their steady glow.

He sheathed the sword and turned his gaze toward the path ahead. The battle had been a test, another step on the journey to unlocking his true potential. The creatures had been strong, but they were only the beginning.

The horizon beckoned, and Damien knew that more challenges awaited. He would be ready.