The forest loomed in a dark, oppressive silence as Ashar, Elara, and Callan made their way through the winding trails. Every step seemed to echo, their breaths tense and sharp. Out of nowhere, the ground beneath them trembled, a heavy rhythmic thud that grew louder with each pulse.

"Stay alert," Callan said, his hand gripping his sword as he scanned the forest.

"There's something big out there, something I hoped we wouldn't encounter yet."

Before Ashar could ask more, a creature crashed through the dense trees. Standing nearly twice their height, it looked like a living fortress of stone and twisted roots. It had two glowing green eyes that fixed onto them with unblinking intensity.

"That's a Goleth,"

Callan muttered, stepping in front of them.

"A beast. Focus on dodging its attacks, not stopping them. It doesn't have many weak points, but we'll find one."

The Goleth let out a bone-shaking roar, swinging a massive arm toward them. Ashar and Elara jumped to the side, barely avoiding the blow as it crashed into the ground, splintering the earth and sending rocks flying.

"Elara, keep moving! Ashar, take its left side!"

Callan commanded, dashing to the creature's right. He raised his hand, and with a low hum,

"Tempest Strikes."

An electric charge built up around Callan's arm, sparking like a storm before he swung his sword. The blade crackled with electricity, his strikes now amplified by bursts of energy that struck against the Goleth's hardened skin. Each blow created small cracks in its armor, and a faint, jagged light started to pulse from the weak points Callan was creating.

Ashar, observing Callan's movements, focused on his own mark, letting its energy build within him.

"Veil Shift", slipping into the shadows just as the Goleth's massive fist crashed down where he'd been standing.

He reappeared behind the creature, his heart pounding as he felt the power of the shadows surging within him. With a quick glance at Callan and Elara, he called out,

"I'll try to draw it away from you two!"

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Ashar dashed toward the Goleth's back, his blade cutting a shallow line across its shoulder. It was more of a distraction than an attack, but it worked. The creature turned its attention toward him, swinging a stone-crusted fist in his direction.

He dodged just in time, but the Goleth's movement was swift; it swung a second arm, knocking Ashar backward. The force sent him sprawling, gasping for breath, but he pushed himself up, feeling the sting of gravel against his skin.

"Stay sharp, Ashar!" Callan called.

"Its armor isn't just stone, it regenerates if we don't keep the pressure on!"

Elara dashed in, aiming a quick strike at the Goleth's knee. She glanced at Ashar and called,

"We'll need to combine our attacks if we want to keep it from healing!"

Nodding, Ashar focused on his second ability, "Shadow Clone". Shadows gathered at his feet, rising and shaping into a dark, ethereal duplicate of himself. His clone mirrored his movements, both of them moving in sync as they struck at the creature's legs, aiming to destabilize it.

The clone was just a temporary distraction, but it was enough. The Goleth roared, staggering under the combined assault. Elara darted in, her sword flashing as she landed a precise blow to the back of its knee.

Taking advantage of the creature's faltering stance, Callan lunged forward, unleashing his second ability:

"Thunderous Impact."

His blade struck the Goleth's chest with a concentrated force, the impact resonating like a thunderclap and shattering more of its stone armor.

The Goleth stumbled back, its once-impenetrable body now riddled with cracks, its movements slowing. But as it faltered, it fixed its glowing eyes on Elara, raising a massive fist to strike.

"Elara, move!" Ashar yelled, but she was too close, her energy depleted from the assault.

Just as the Goleth's arm came crashing down, a voice cut through the chaos.

"Spectral Mirage!"

Benji appeared, cloaking himself in shadows and blending into the surroundings. His silhouette blurred, creating several phantom images that confused the Goleth, causing it to hesitate just long enough for him to dive forward and pull Elara out of harm's way.

As the creature roared in frustration, Benji gave a smirk, helping Elara to her feet.

"Did you really think I'd miss all the fun?"

Elara glanced at him in surprise, then nodded, steadying herself.

"Benjiiii." while having tears of joy.

The Goleth's eyes glowed with renewed rage, its body shuddering as it attempted to recover. Callan called out,

"Now's our chance, hit it with everything we've got!"

With Callan at the front, they launched a final, coordinated assault. Ashar and his shadow clone aimed at the creature's legs, while Benji used Echoed Steps to create the illusion of footsteps around the Goleth, further disorienting it.

The Goleth staggered, its body weakened from the unrelenting strikes. Callan surged forward, his blade charged with a final burst of electricity, and plunged it into the creature's chest. With a sound like cracking stone, the Goleth let out a final groan before collapsing, the light in its eyes fading as it crumbled into a heap of rubble.

Breathing hard, the group took a step back, the weight of the battle settling over them. Elara looked at the fallen creature, then turned to Callan. "What… was that thing?"