Jack’s mind raced. He didn’t know what this thing was exactly, but he could feel its power. The creature radiated an aura of malevolence so thick it was almost tangible. It was pure darkness and despair, and it wanted them gone.

The creature let out a low, rasping growl, its pale eyes narrowing as it sized them up. Then, without warning, it vanished, merging seamlessly with the darkness around it.

“Invisible!” Lyla shouted, panic rising in her voice.

Jack cursed under his breath, adrenaline spiking as he gripped his sword tighter. “Stay sharp!” he growled. “It could be anywhere.”

Goldeyes growled low, his body tense, ears swiveling as he tried to pick up any trace of the creature. The oppressive darkness closed in again, and Jack strained his senses to the limit, trying to detect any sign of movement, but it was like the creature had disappeared completely.

Seconds ticked by, each one feeling like an eternity. Jack’s heart raced, his eyes flicking from shadow to shadow, but nothing moved.

Then, a sudden, sharp chill down his spine.

He spun just in time to see the creature reappear out of the void, its massive form barreling toward him with terrifying speed. Jack barely had time to react, raising his spear as the creature’s claws raked through the air toward him.

Jack's high Agility allowed him to sidestep the attack as his spear swung in a swift arc, aiming for his foe's exposed flank.

But the monster was faster.

It twisted in midair, evading the blow with unnatural grace, its pale eyes locking onto Jack again with a predatory intensity. A low growl echoed through the chamber, and the shadows around the creature rippled violently as if responding to its will.

The Nighthaunt vanished again, disappearing into the shadows like smoke. Jack gritted his teeth, scanning the room, his mind racing. He couldn’t afford to let this thing dictate the fight. They had to take control.

“Lyla, light! We need light!” he shouted, his voice echoing through the chamber.

Without hesitation, Lyla raised her staff, summoning a burst of yellow fire that exploded outward, pushing back the shadows for just a moment. The room was briefly illuminated, revealing the creature’s form high above them, clinging to the ceiling like a spider.

Jack’s eyes locked onto it, and for the first time, he saw the full extent of its twisted, grotesque form. It wasn’t just a monster—it was a predator, designed for the darkness, perfectly suited to this environment. And they were in its lair.

The light faded, and the shadows closed in once again.

Jack couldn’t see the creature, but he could hear it. A low, guttural snarl echoed through the chamber, causing the air to shimmer with dark energy. Jack’s instincts screamed at him as the creature raised its arms, casting a wave of oppressive force into the chamber. The stone floor cracked and rippled, and from the shadows emerged a swarm of creatures.

“What now?” Jack muttered, tightening his grip around his weapon.

The ground beneath their feet started to bulge and ripple ominously as if something massive was stirring beneath the surface. Cracks formed in the stone, and through these fissures, large, sinewy rats began to emerge from the encroaching darkness. Their fur was an unsettling shade of pitch black, absorbing the surrounding light and making them appear as though they were woven from the very essence of shadow. The rats' eyes glowed with a sickly violet hue; a haunting reflection of the twisted runes etched into the pillars that lined the chamber. This eerie glow seemed to pulse with a malevolent life of its own, casting an unsettling light over their forms.

These were no ordinary rats. Their movements were marked by an unnatural, jerking fluidity that defied natural grace, their bodies subtly distorted and twisted in a way that suggested an unnatural influence. Elongated fangs protruded menacingly from their snouts, gleaming with a sinister sharpness, while their claws were unnervingly sharpened, capable of rending flesh and bone with ease. Each rat emerged with a snarl that seemed to reverberate through the very air, their presence filling the chamber with a palpable sense of dread. The sheer scale of their appearance and the dark, almost supernatural quality of their features made it clear that these creatures were far beyond the realm of ordinary pests.

Jack identified the creatures as Tenebrous Rats.

The rats’ numbers grew rapidly, dozens upon dozens pouring out from the cracks in the stone, their tiny claws scraping against the cold ground. They swarmed in waves, surrounding Jack and his companions, their glowing eyes flickering like embers in the suffocating dark.

The horde of Tenebrous Rats circled, a living mass of shadow, teeth, and malice. Their growls echoed through the cavern, and their hunger was palpable, filling the air with the weight of their violent intent.

Jack swung his weapon in anticipation. "Get ready!"

Lyla stepped forward, her staff already aglow with power. Her eyes narrowed as she raised her hand, dark energy swirling around her fingertips. A burst of yellow flame erupted from her staff, sweeping across the room like a tidal wave. The fire was unnatural, burning cold and ravenous as it consumed the rats that dared come too close. Screeches filled the air as the Witchfire washed over the horde, incinerating the creatures in its path. The flames didn’t stop at just one wave—Lyla channeled the fire, sending out pulse after pulse, each one obliterating more of the Tenebrous Rats as they rushed to attack.

The rats shrieked as they were reduced to ash, their bodies dissolving into nothingness under the relentless assault. Yet more kept coming, pouring from the cracks in the walls and floor, seemingly endless.

Jack cleaved through the horde with adrenaline coursing through his veins. Each swing of his weapon killed the Tenebrous Rat, but the sheer number of them was overwhelming.

“Lyla, we’re getting overrun!” Jack shouted, parrying the gnashing teeth of one particularly large rat.

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Lyla’s face was set in grim concentration. Sweat dripped from her brow, but her hands never wavered. “I need more time!” she called back, summoning another wave of Witchfire. It cascaded across the chamber again, reducing scores of rats to charred remains, but it wasn’t enough.

Jack could see the strain building in her. The endless horde was taking its toll, and her mana wasn’t endless.

Cael, moving swiftly and silently, darted through the ranks of the rats. His movements were fluid and precise. He slipped through the shadows, using his agility to avoid the rats’ attacks while delivering precise strikes with his dual daggers. Each motion was calculated and aimed at vital points to maximize damage. His Camouflage Skill let him blend seamlessly with the shadows, making him nearly invisible against the swirling chaos.

With each swing of his blades, Cael carved a path through the swarm. His daggers flashed in the dim light, striking with deadly efficiency. Despite the chaos, Cael’s focus was unwavering. He was a blur of motion, darting in and out of the fray, ensuring that no rat could get close enough to overwhelm him.

Monsoon, his blue fur streaked with grime, fought beside Jack with a primal fury. The Wavewolf’s powerful jaws snapped around one of the Tenebrous Rats, crushing it with ease. His massive claws swiped through the air, rending the rats apart as they came too close. Monsoon's senses were finely tuned to the battle, and every sound and movement registered with a predator’s instinct. His eyes glowed fiercely, scanning for any sign of weakness in the rats’ assault.

In the midst of the tumult, Goldeyes was a striking figure of black fur and fluid motion. His presence on the battlefield was both awe-inspiring and devastating.

Goldeyes sprang into action, his movements fluid and precise. With a burst of shadowy energy, he vanished into the darkness, only to reappear behind a cluster of rats. The rats’ frantic squeaks were abruptly cut short as Goldeyes launched himself into the fray. His claws, now infused with a dark, eerie power, slashed through the hordes with a supernatural edge. Each swipe left behind a trail of shadowy energy, causing the rats to evaporate into dark mist with a violent hiss.

The wolf’s eyes glowed fiercely as he executed a series of powerful leaps. From the depths of the shadows, he materialized at various points around the chamber, his presence an unpredictable and deadly force. Each time he emerged, his claws were a blur of dark energy, tearing through the rats with merciless efficiency.

Goldeyes’ bite attacks were a sight to behold as well. As he closed in on the larger rats, his teeth sank in with a ghostly, spectral force. The effect was dramatic; a translucent wolf's head seemed to overlay his own, its spectral jaws adding extra ferocity to his attacks. The spectral bite crunched through the rats’ flesh, leaving gaping, smoking wounds. The rats, caught in the grip of this supernatural assault, were reduced to little more than ash and shreds.

As he fought, his movements were a seamless dance of power and precision. He darted through the chamber, his body moving fluidly from one shadow to another, leaving chaos in his wake. The sheer impact of his attacks created pockets of devastation among the ranks of the rats, thinning their numbers and forcing them into disarray.

The constant shifting and striking kept the rats in a state of confusion. Their attempts to regroup were continuously thwarted by Goldeyes' relentless assault. The blur of his fur and the dark streaks of his spectral attacks created a tumultuous whirlwind that overwhelmed the rats, each slash and bite contributing to the collapse of their ranks.

“Come on!” Jack growled, activating Soulrage for the first time. The change was immediate and profound. As the Soulrage effect took hold, Jack felt his muscles swell and tighten with an incredible force. His stats skyrocketed, each movement now powered by a raw, primal energy. He swung his weapon with a new, almost reckless ferocity, his strikes slicing through the mass of Tenebrous Rats with a brutal blend of strength and speed. The enhanced power behind each blow shattered the rats’ defenses, sending their bodies flying with a satisfying crunch.

Yet, it wasn’t just his strength that had been amplified. Soulrage also brought with it a remarkable increase in speed and control. Jack’s movements became fluid and lightning-fast, his strikes coming in a flurry of controlled aggression. He danced through the horde, his weapon a blur of deadly precision. The rats, which had once seemed like an impenetrable wall of fur and teeth, were now caught off guard by Jack’s rapid, calculated attacks.

His enhanced speed allowed him to move between enemies with a grace and agility that belied his increased strength. Where Berserk had only increased his physical toughness and raw power, Soulrage provided him with a complete package of offensive superiority. He could now not only deliver devastating blows but also maneuver with a newfound nimbleness, sidestepping attacks and positioning himself advantageously with each step.

The control Jack had over his strikes was heightened to an extraordinary degree, an effect of his increased Dexterity. With each swing of his weapon, he felt an almost intuitive connection to his movements, every motion perfectly timed and executed. He no longer had to rely on sheer power alone; his precision had improved significantly. He could target the weak points of the Tenebrous Rats with uncanny accuracy, his weapon cutting through their ranks with a devastating efficiency that left them reeling.

Even amidst the chaos of battle, Jack’s heightened senses allowed him to keep track of the shifting dynamics around him. He could read the movements of the rats with an almost preternatural awareness, anticipating their attacks and countering them with swift, decisive blows. The combination of increased speed and precise control turned the tide of the fight in his favor, allowing him to clear a path through the relentless swarm.

But despite the overwhelming advantages of Soulrage, Jack knew that this heightened state couldn't be sustained indefinitely. The battle raged on, and even with his extraordinary speed and strength, the sheer number of Tenebrous Rats was an unrelenting challenge. He knew they couldn’t keep this up forever.

Cael, seeing Jack’s struggle, darted toward him, his daggers flashing as he cut through the rats that had gathered around Jack. “I’m here!” he shouted over the din. “We need to push them back!”

Lyla’s eyes darkened with resolve. She raised her staff once more.

A final, cataclysmic burst of energy erupted from Lyla’s staff, casting an intense glow across the chamber. The flames that surged forth were no longer yellow but had transformed into a deep, dark crimson, swirling with ominous black tendrils that coiled and writhed like living shadows.

The flames burst forth in a dazzling display of raw power, erupting from the staff with a ferocity that seemed to shake the very air. As the crimson inferno spread, it devoured the chamber, turning the once-murky darkness into a blazing cauldron of fiery destruction. The walls and ceiling were bathed in an unsettling, blood-red light, casting flickering, eerie shadows that danced and twisted with the flames.

The Tenebrous Rats, caught in the midst of this infernal storm, let out piercing, panicked shrieks. The sound was a high-pitched chorus of agony as the dark fire lashed out, wrapping around them with an insatiable hunger. The flames seemed to have a malevolent will of their own, reaching out to each rat with relentless determination. As they were engulfed, the rats' forms were consumed in a matter of moments. The dark fire tore through their flesh and bone, reducing them to nothing more than smoldering ash and wisps of smoke.

Cael leaped backward as the fire surged, his agility allowing him to avoid the worst of the heat. He rolled across the floor, coming up in a crouch as he scanned for any remaining threats. His sharp eyes were constantly moving, searching for any sign of danger.

Monsoon, too, took advantage of the opportunity provided by Lyla’s devastating attack. The Wavewolf bounded through the flames, his powerful frame cutting through the heat and light. He used his momentum to leap over the remaining rats, his claws flashing as he finished off the few that had survived the initial onslaught.

As the last of the flames licked up the remains of the Tenebrous Rats, the chamber was left in a haunting silence. The deep crimson glow gradually faded, leaving only the smoldering embers and a thin veil of smoke curling upwards. The oppressive weight of the darkness had been lifted, replaced by a desolate calm. The only sound that lingered was the faint crackle of residual flames, echoing softly in the now-empty space.

Jack exhaled, lowering his weapon. “Lyla…”

She stood, breathing heavily, her hands trembling slightly as she lowered her staff. “It’s not over yet. That creature… it’s still here.”