Standing tall upon the mound that had been my cover, I watched as the monstrous gladiators battled, scanning the data that Jeldorain had given me before as I did so.

First, the Shadow Warrior and the Frostwing Harpy clashed. The harpy, with its icy-blue feathers, darted through the air like a spectral arrow. But the Shadow Warrior was a master of the unseen, blending into the darkness with uncanny ease. It moved like a whisper, a mere flicker in the corner of one's eye. The two were a blur of motion and shadows, the harpy's chilling screams piercing the air, met with the sinister hiss of the warrior's blades.

Nearby, the Flame-Tongued Serpent, a magnificent creature with scales that shimmered like flowing lava, faced off against the Ironhide Boar. The serpent coiled and struck with the speed of lightning, flames licking from its maw. In contrast, the boar, armored in its natural plate of iron-like hide, charged with the unstoppable force of a living siege engine. The ground shook with each collision, fire and brute force in a spectacular and terrifying display.

In a different corner, the Ghastly Wraith, a haunting figure of tattered robes and darkness, drifted towards the Crystal Golem. The golem, towering and resplendent with its shimmering crystalline form, seemed an immovable object, an unyielding fortress of nature's making. The wraith's ethereal form phased through the golem's attacks, its chilling touch seeking the life essence within the stone.

And then there was the T-Rex. Its thunderous roar silenced the din of battle momentarily. It was fighting against some flying beast that I hadn’t seen leave the gates. A blue wyvern of some sort.

A sort that looked tremendously powerful. Its leathery skin crackled with electrical crackles and lightning as it swooped and dove.

Uh, Jeldorain, what is that thing?

Monster: Azure Lightning Wyvern

Strength: 28 (Capable of tearing through most armors and obstacles with its powerful claws and jaws)

Endurance: 26 (Resilient to physical attacks, its scales are like natural armor)

Agility: 24 (Swift and agile in the air, capable of quick, darting movements)

Wits: 15 (Cunning hunter, known for its strategic approach in battles)

Intelligence: 14 (Displays problem-solving abilities and can adapt to different combat situations)

Description: The Azure Lightning Wyvern is a majestic but fearsome creature, with iridescent blue scales that shimmer with electric energy. Its wingspan is immense, casting a shadow that chills the hearts of those below. Known for its control over the storms, it can summon lightning and is equally formidable in the air and on the ground.

“Great,” I said, letting out a gigantic sigh. As I watched, the Wyvern landed, its immense wings stirring up a powerful gale that whipped up dust and debris. The T-Rex staggered against the wind attack, then charged with earth-shaking steps, its massive jaws agape, ready to clamp down on its enemy. The Wyvern reared back, its serpentine neck coiling, and then unleashed a concentrated blast of lightning that streaked across the arena with a deafening crack.

The bolt struck the T-Rex, arcs of electricity dancing along its massive frame. The mighty predator was stunned, its roar turning into a pained bellow.

The Wyvern took to the air again, its powerful wings beating a tempest, as it circled above the T-Rex, looking for another opening. It dove, lightning crackling in its maw, but the T-Rex was ready this time. With surprising agility, it leapt to the side, avoiding the brunt of the attack, and swiped at the Wyvern with its colossal tail.

The tail hit the Wyvern mid-dive, sending it crashing into the arena wall. The impact shook the entire coliseum, eliciting blood-thirsty cheers from the audience. The Wyvern, dazed but not defeated, quickly recovered and took back to the sky.

This battle shall be great, champion, Jeldorain exulted as I stared. I decided I’d wait for one of them to come to me, let them grind each other down.

From behind my barrier, I watched as the arena became a maelstrom of violence and elemental fury. The Azure Lightning Wyvern soared overhead, its electric breath lighting up the sky, while the T-Rex roared below, its every step causing the earth to tremble. The other monsters, each formidable in their own right, added to the chaos with their unique abilities and instincts.

The Shadow Warrior and the Frostwing Harpy were engaged in a deadly aerial dance, the harpy's ice shrieks clashing with the warrior's shadowy maneuvers. The Frostwing Harpy swooped and darted, trying to catch the elusive Shadow Warrior, who melded into the shadows only to reappear moments later for a swift strike.

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Nearby, the Flame-Tongued Serpent and the Ironhide Boar continued their fiery confrontation. The serpent, agile and quick, spat flames at the boar, who charged through the fire, its iron-like hide glowing red but seemingly unharmed. Each charge of the boar was met with a swift, fiery counterattack from the serpent, turning their battle area into a blazing inferno.

The Ghastly Wraith, meanwhile, drifted ominously towards the Crystal Golem. The golem's prism beams shot through the arena, refracting off the walls and illuminating the wraith's ghostly form. The wraith attempted to drain the golem's energy, but its spectral hands passed through the crystalline body without effect.

As I observed, calculating my next move, I noticed a change in the Ghastly Wraith's demeanor. It had become aware of my presence behind the barrier, and for whatever reason, it couldn’t take its eyes off of me. With a sudden shift, it turned from its engagement with the Crystal Golem and floated towards me, its tattered robes billowing in an unseen wind. Its face, obscured in darkness, seemed to fixate on me with a chilling intent.

Chilling, Jeldorain said, staring at me through our spiritual haze. You think of the word as if it is a bad thing. Besides, there is no surprise in its intent. It can sense our double life force, and that makes it hungry.

Hungry. That was something that spoke of desperation. Hunger would make the creature impatient, I guessed, watching it float towards me. Part of me wondered if maybe the Crystal Golem would go after it, but the construct seemed to be automated, going after the nearest target.

In this case the Flame-Tongued Serpent, turning that particular battle into a three-way.

Still, Jeldorain’s bestiary that he’d given me said that the creature was intelligent, so that meant I would have to sly in my plans and traps if I was going to make this work in my favor. My mind went back to the last monster. The same trick would almost certainly work here, since it was a healing spell, and it might even work better since it was also a cold spell. In Lords of Chaos the undead certainly didn’t appreciate frost unless they were specialized to it.

I stepped back out as the wraith fluttered down silently from above, and I hit it with my Frostweave Healing, watching in thud to the ground in a cocoon of positive damage.

Well done champion, Jeldorain exclaimed. Who do we battle next?

With the Ghastly Wraith defeated, I turned my attention back to the ongoing battle among the remaining monsters. Lightning crackled, flame blasted, and teeth chomped and gnawed as I watched them.

The Azure Lightning Wyvern was now locked in with the Frostwing Harpy. The Wyvern's electric breath crackled against the cold air, creating brilliant flashes of light as it clashed with the Harpy's icy shrieks. The sky above the arena was like a thunderstorm, the Wyvern swooping and diving in and out of a growing assortment of dark crackling clouds, trying to catch the agile Harpy in its electrifying grasp.

On the ground, the T-Rex was going toe-to-toe with the Crystal Golem, the two battering at each other with solid thumps as they struck with fist or tail.

Nearby, the Flame-Tongued Serpent and the Ironhide Boar were still engaged in a heated confrontation. The serpent's flames licked at the boar's iron hide, creating bursts of sparks. In return, the boar charged relentlessly, its tusks aiming to pierce the serpent's fiery scales.

And the Shadow Warrior was nowhere to be seen at all. I shifted back behind my mound, contemplating its absence.

Is this another undead? Is it possibly coming after us?

They aren’t undead, oh brave hero,” he said, his spectral face thoughtful. The Shadow Warrior is something else entirely – a creature born of magical darkness. Its form is humanoid, but it's steeped in the art of shadows. It's as if the very essence of stealth and ambush were given flesh and bone. This warrior moves with a speed and agility that's almost unnatural.

I pondered his words. Solid darkness then. Can it be hurt by light?

Yes. In fact, I would say that light is its greatest weakness. Though it is darkness made solid, battering it physically takes a long time to destroy it since it has no vital organs or life fluid.

I heard the sound of a whisper behind me, and then felt the stab of a blade. Turning, I saw the malevolent darkness glare triumph even as a hot burning sensation tore through my veins.

Shadow Stab

Effect: Severe Vulnerability

Duration: 5 minutes

Additional Impact: One hit point a minute poison damage and a lingering curse that makes you highly susceptible to damage (1-100% extra damage for each attack that scores a hit).

I staggered forward, the pain sharp and disorienting. I could feel the debuff’s heating working its horrors, making my body feel unnaturally fragile and brittle as if even a gentle breeze could shatter my bones. My joints ground in their sockets and every movement was pain.

“Hells that hurts!” I yelled.

Despite the overwhelming pain, I knew I had to act fast. Turning, I counterattacked the creature with Ball Lightning. The spell crackled through the air, illuminating the arena with its blinding light and striking the spot where the Shadow Warrior was already pulling itself back into invisibility.

The Ball Lightning did its work; and the shadow figure that was briefly illuminated in the electric glow writhed in pain, getting noticeably smaller with each tear of light across its body. It was easy to see the damage was substantial, the lightning disrupting the magical darkness that cloaked the Shadow Warrior. But it was a fleeting victory – the warrior, resilient and cunning, quickly faded out, once again hidden under its invisibility magic.

And it had certainly gotten me better than I had gotten it. The blade alone had done sixty-three points of damage and inflicted a debuff that threatened to do another three hundred over the next five minutes. Plus I was highly vulnerable to additional damage now.

Aware that it might well set me up for catastrophic attack, I cast Glacial Shield upon myself, waited a bit for poison damage to accumulate, then spent the next twenty seconds basking in 2 cast spells of Frostweave Healing, letting the icy swirls knit my flesh and repair the poison damage even as it burned through me. When the shield fell down, I was at full health, but still had 270 damage to look forward to. I’d have to keep an eye on it, drinking my healing potions and using mana to keep it topped up. The battle was grinding down, but there was still quite a bit of fighting to be done.