Lyla conjured a small amount of Witchfire to illuminate the creature above them. From its perch on the ceiling, it emitted a low, guttural growl, and the shadows around it began to writhe. the shadows around it began to condense into tangible shapes. The air grew thick, charged with dark energy. Jack's eyes widened as the air grew heavier, filled with a shadowy, pulsing miasma. A sudden realization struck him—the creature was preparing its next move. Jack’s instincts screamed danger.
The shadows around the gargoyle-like monstrosity solidified and sharpened. It raised its arms and, with a terrible roar, unleashed a storm of black spikes, formed entirely from the solidified shadows. The spikes rained down in a deadly barrage, each one aimed with precision at Jack and his companions.
“Get down!” Jack roared, but there was no time to evade the attack.
Jack’s heart raced as his body reacted instinctively. He shouted a command to his allies. "Stay close!
The spikes descended like a deadly storm. Jack gritted his teeth and whirled his spear into action, knocking aside the incoming shadow projectiles as best he could. His reflexes kicked into overdrive, and his spear struck out with precision. Each hit sent spikes ricocheting away, their sharp edges screeching as they glanced off the spear’s blade.
He remembered his training with the cunning Monkey King, who had once ambushed him with a similar attack—knives flying at him from all directions. It was a harsh lesson in speed and focus. Jack had barely survived that day, but the memory served him now. His spear became an extension of his body, moving fluidly to deflect as many spikes as possible.
As the shadow spikes hurtled toward him, Jack’s mind flashed back to a brutal, almost forgotten moment in his training—a lesson he’d barely survived.
The immortal trickster was a relentless teacher, never one to let Jack rest on his laurels. Jack had sought out Wukong, desperate for an edge in combat, but training with the legendary warrior had been like walking into a storm without cover. The Monkey King’s methods were unconventional, often downright cruel, but effective in the end.
Jack had never seen anyone fight quite like Wukong. He was a blur of motion, all speed and precision, blending agility and strength with an unpredictability that left most opponents scrambling. One particular training session stood out in Jack’s memory—an ambush he hadn’t seen coming.
It had started innocuously enough. They had been sparring on a precarious, narrow ledge high above a ravine in the mountains. Below, the winds howled, and the abyss stretched endlessly. Sun Wukong had been lighthearted, his staff spinning in playful arcs as Jack tried to keep up, his spear clumsy in comparison. The Monkey King’s taunts echoed in his ears.
"You rely too much on power," Wukong had said, sidestepping a thrust that had nearly thrown Jack off balance. "Strength without speed is a hammer in the wind. What you need is precision."
Jack, sweating and struggling to keep up, had muttered something about how it was easier said than done. Wukong had grinned that infuriating grin of his, eyes gleaming with mischief.
"Then let’s see how you handle this!" His teacher had vanished, a puff of golden mist where he once stood.
Before Jack could react, the air around him had erupted into a storm of knives, hundreds of them, materializing from nowhere. They shimmered with the same golden hue that often accompanied the Monkey King’s tricks, each one sharp enough to slice through steel. They came from every angle—above, below, behind—an impossible wave of death raining down on him from all directions.
Panic had gripped Jack then. His instincts screamed at him to retreat, but there had been nowhere to go. The narrow ledge afforded him no room to run. His heart had pounded in his chest, adrenaline coursing through his veins as time seemed to slow down. Every knife, every deadly glint of metal, was a threat, and Jack had felt the suffocating weight of his inevitable defeat.
But amidst the chaos, something had shifted. It had been a brief moment of clarity, a sudden realization that he couldn’t think his way out of this. His mind needed to shut off, and his body needed to take over.
Sun Wukong’s lesson wasn’t about avoiding every knife. It had been about surviving in the storm.
Jack had centered himself, forcing his breathing to slow despite the flurry of danger. He’d stopped thinking about the knives and started reacting to them, letting his body flow with the rhythm of the assault. His spear, previously a heavy and awkward extension of himself, had become weightless in his hands. The world around him had dissolved into motion—pure instinct and muscle memory.
His spear had darted left and right, parrying and deflecting the knives with fluid, lightning-fast strikes. The metallic clang of steel on steel had filled the air as he spun, ducked, and wove between the barrage of blades. The spear’s shaft vibrated with every impact, but Jack had held firm, his arms moving as if guided by something beyond him. It was a dance of survival, each movement fueled by sheer willpower and reflex.
Even then, knives had slipped through his defenses, grazing his arms, slicing into his legs. Blood had flowed, but Jack hadn’t stopped. There had been no time to feel the pain, only the understanding that to slow down even for a second would mean death.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the storm had ended. The knives had vanished, dematerializing as suddenly as they had appeared. Jack had stood there, panting, bloodied, but alive, his grip tight on his spear as if it were the only thing anchoring him to the world. Sun Wukong had reappeared, perching casually on the ledge above him, his tail swishing lazily behind him.
The Monkey King had smirked, clearly impressed, though he hadn’t said it outright. "Not bad. But next time, don’t wait so long to stop thinking. If you think too much in a fight, you’re already dead."
That lesson had stayed with Jack. It had been brutal, a near-death experience, but it had changed him as a fighter. Wukong had forced him to find a deeper connection between his mind and body, to react without overanalyzing every move. It was about letting instinct take over, trusting in the training he had received, and adapting in the moment.
Now, as Jack faced the incoming spikes, the memory of that ambush burned vividly in his mind. This was no different. This barrage of shadow spikes mirrored that storm of knives, and while the setting was different, the lesson was the same.
His spear moved with the same fluidity as it had that day on the ledge, each thrust, parry, and strike an instinctual response. The spikes came in waves, faster than most could track, but Jack’s body was already in motion, spinning, ducking, and weaving between the deadly projectiles. His arms worked tirelessly, his spear deflecting as many of the spikes as possible.
Some of the shadow spikes broke upon his spear, shattering into harmless wisps of darkness, while others ricocheted off at odd angles. But despite his best efforts and high Agility, Jack wasn’t perfect and not all of the spikes could be blocked. A few managed to slip through his defenses.
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One sliced across his shoulder, tearing through his armor and leaving a deep gash. Jack hissed in pain, but he gritted his teeth, pushing through it. He had no time to slow down.
Around him, the others were faring similarly.
Lyla cried out as a shard pierced her thigh, staggering her briefly. She fell to one knee, her staff clattering to the ground as she pressed her hand against the wound, blood seeping through her fingers. She winced, but a defiant look crossed her face as she raised her other hand, summoning another pulse of yellow fire to hurl against the shadow spikes causing a good number of them to be consumed by the mystic flames.
Cael was nimble, his high Agility allowing him to evade many of the spikes with quick rolls and dodges. Still, a spike grazed his side, leaving a deep cut. He clenched his jaw, refusing to let the pain slow him down as he slipped into the shadows again, blending with the darkness to evade further strikes.
Monsoon let out a pained growl as several shadow spikes embedded themselves into his flank. He shook his massive body, trying to dislodge them, but his movements slowed as the wounds sapped his strength. Despite this, the Wavewolf continued to dodge the deadly rain as best he could.
Goldeyes, quick and agile, managed to avoid most of the spikes. However, one spike found its mark, embedding itself into his shoulder. The wolf snarled in pain and outrage, glaring upward at their airborne tormentor.
Jack, breathing heavily, surveyed the battlefield. Blood dripped from his wounds, and the others were battered, but still standing. The rain of spikes had stopped for now, but the creature hovered above them, its pale eyes gleaming with malice.
As the barrage ceased, the creature didn't give Jack or his companions a moment to catch their breath. With a deep, guttural roar, it descended from its perch in a blur of motion, claws outstretched and eyes burning with malevolent fury. Its wings spread wide as it swooped low over the battlefield, its hulking form casting a shadow over the group.
Jack's instincts screamed danger once again. "Spread out!" he yelled, but before anyone could fully react, the creature was upon them.
Its first target was Monsoon. The Wavewolf snarled, bracing himself for the impact, but the creature was faster. It lashed out with a swipe of its massive wing, striking Monsoon across the side with a sickening crack. The force of the blow sent the wolf sprawling, blood pouring from the deep gashes in his flank. Monsoon let out a pained growl, struggling to regain his footing as the creature wheeled around for another attack.
Jack's blood boiled at the sight, but he couldn’t afford to charge blindly. He knew they needed to fight smart. As the creature rounded on Goldeyes, Jack moved into position, his spear ready.
The gargoyle-like beast slashed at Goldeyes with frightening speed. The wolf leaped back, narrowly avoiding the worst of the blow, but the creature's claws still caught him on the shoulder, tearing through fur and flesh. Goldeyes yelped in pain but retaliated immediately, lunging forward to sink his teeth into the monster's leg. His jaws clamped down hard, but the creature barely flinched, yanking its leg free and sending Goldeyes tumbling.
Lyla, breathing heavily from the spike wound in her thigh, struggled to stand. Her golden eyes burned with resolve as she raised her hand, preparing a spell. "I’ve had enough of this!" she hissed, summoning the energy for a curse.
The creature's attention shifted to Cael next. It lashed out with a ferocious swipe, but Cael’s agility saved him—barely. He dodged left, but the tip of the beast's claw caught him across the side, opening a long, bloody gash. He grimaced, biting back a curse as he stumbled away, the pain momentarily slowing him.
Jack roared in defiance and charged the creature, spear thrusting toward its exposed flank. His weapon struck true, but the creature’s hide was tough, the spearhead only managing to pierce the surface. The creature let out a snarl of irritation and swatted at Jack, forcing him to leap back, narrowly avoiding the deadly claws.
"Lyla, now!" Jack shouted, hoping she had a plan. They couldn’t keep taking hits like this.
Lyla didn’t respond with words, but the air around her shifted. Her staff glowed faintly, and she began to chant, her voice low and menacing. Her voice cut through the din of battle as a dark, crackling energy formed at her fingertips. She thrust her hand forward, releasing the spell.
The curse shot forward like a ripple of dark energy, hitting the creature square in the chest. The effect was immediate. The beast recoiled, its movements suddenly sluggish. Its massive wings faltered mid-beat, and it stumbled in the air, crashing heavily to the ground with a snarl of frustration. Its body seemed to sag as though a great weight had been placed upon it, its once-imposing frame hunched and weakened. The pale glow in its eyes dimmed, and its skin took on a cracked, withered appearance as if it had aged centuries in an instant.
The creature roared in anger, thrashing against the effects of the curse, but it couldn’t shake off the debilitating magic.
“That’ll keep you down for a bit,” Lyla muttered through gritted teeth, her face pale from the exertion.
The others, seeing the opportunity, moved in for the attack. Jack charged again, spear aimed at the creature’s exposed side, while Goldeyes and Cael flanked, each seeking weak points in the monster’s defenses.
But the creature wasn’t finished yet. Despite the curse sapping its strength, it still had fight left. It lunged at Jack, swiping with one of its claws. Jack parried, but the weakened blow still knocked him back a few steps. The creature tried to rise, but Lyla, determined to keep the curse active, used the last of her mana to unleash it again. The dark energy rippled over the beast, further weakening it. Its skin cracked even more, its movements becoming jerky and uncoordinated as the aging curse compounded with each casting. Jack took the opportunity to use his Soul Trap Skill on the monster. He was disappointed to see no visible effect on the creature and guessed there would be none until it died.
Cael darted in from the side, his twin daggers flashing as he stabbed at the creature’s underbelly. The creature howled in pain, but it could no longer move with the same speed and grace it once had. Monsoon, though bloodied, rejoined the fray, biting into one of the creature's legs to hold it in place.
As the blue furred wolf latched onto the creature’s leg, its massive form staggered but refused to fully submit. The monster’s breath came in ragged gasps, its claws swiping clumsily in a desperate attempt to fend off the attackers. Cael’s twin daggers flickered in and out, finding their marks in the beast’s vulnerable underbelly, while Jack circled, looking for an opening to strike again.
But it was Goldeyes who saw the true moment of opportunity.
With a deep, rumbling growl, the black wolf darted forward, his eyes fixed on the creature’s chest. There, amidst the cracks forming in its decaying skin, Goldeyes sensed the source of the monster’s power—the heart, still pulsing with dark energy. His primal instincts took over, and he lunged with unrelenting ferocity.
The creature barely had time to react before Goldeyes was upon it. He slammed into its chest, claws digging deep into its already weakened flesh. With a savage snarl, he tore through the thick hide, ripping past muscle and sinew, driving his claws deeper until they reached the cavity that housed the creature's heart. The beast let out a final, ear-piercing scream, thrashing wildly, but Goldeyes held fast, his powerful jaws snapping in anticipation.
In one swift, brutal motion, Goldeyes drove his snout into the gaping wound, his teeth closing around the still-beating heart. With a powerful yank, he ripped the organ free from the creature’s chest, blood and dark ichor spraying across the ground.
The creature shuddered violently, its remaining strength draining away as its heart was torn from its body. Its wings collapsed, and its claws twitched uselessly. The dark light in its eyes flickered once, then extinguished.
Goldeyes, standing over the creature’s now-lifeless form, raised his head and tore into the heart with his teeth, devouring it in a savage frenzy. The dark energy within the organ surged through his body, his fur bristling as his golden eyes glowed brighter, momentarily crackling with the power he had consumed. His muscles tensed, and for a brief second, a shadowy aura flickered around him, as if he was absorbing the very essence of the monster.
Jack and the others watched in stunned silence as Goldeyes finished devouring the heart. When it was done, he stood tall over the corpse, blood dripping from his jaws, his chest heaving from the exertion.
Before he even had time to process the gruesome sight, everything around Jack dissolved into a swirling mist of grey, as if the world itself had blinked out of existence. The battlefield, the blood-soaked ground, even his companions disappeared in the blink of an eye. Jack stood in the void, alone, his heart pounding as the familiar voice of the System echoed through his mind.
[Your Companion is ready to Evolve]
[Prepare for Evolution]