The grey expanse stretched endlessly around Jack, a colorless void that seemed to pulse with the anticipation of something vast and unknown. His breath was steady, but his mind raced, processing the System’s cold, detached voice.
"Goldeyes?" Jack thought, but before he could fully form the question, he felt the presence of his companion behind him.
Goldeyes materialized out of the mist, his form much like it had been just moments ago, but there was something different. His golden eyes blazed brighter than before, and a faint aura of darkness rippled across his fur. The space between them hummed with energy—an unsettling yet exhilarating power coursing between Jack and his companion.
“Jack here to help choose?” Goldeyes communicated to his Companion. When he responded in the affirmative Goldeyes sent a feeling of relief towards Jack. He didn’t want to make a decision like this without the input of the one he trusted most.
A warmth spread through Jacks chest as he heard that sentiment.
The grey expanse that enveloped Jack and Goldeyes remained silent, but the tension was palpable. As Jack stared into the swirling mist, three figures began to take shape, each growing more defined by the second. The System’s voice echoed in his mind, but now it wasn’t just a choice being presented; the scenes were coming to life before his eyes.
Three distinct creatures emerged from the fog, each one facing down a horde of enemies, showcasing their terrifying power. Jack stood frozen, mesmerized by the displays of strength, while Goldeyes watched intently beside him, his golden eyes flickering with understanding.
The mist continued to shift and roil, forming an arena for the first beast.
Dire Shadewolf
An apex predator born of shadows, the Dire Shadewolf prowls unseen, blending with the darkness to become an unstoppable force. Known for its mastery of stealth and deathly silence, this creature can strike from the void, rendering even the strongest prey defenseless.
* Skills:
* Shadow Meld: You become one with the shadows, invisible to all but the most acute senses.
* Void Claw: A strike that tears through both flesh and spirit, leaving a wound that festers with dark energy.
* Nightmarish Howl: A terrifying howl that weakens the will of all who hear it, causing paralysis in lesser foes.
The shadowy figure of the Dire Shadewolf materialized before them, its pitch-black fur blending seamlessly into the grey void. This beast was sleek and powerful, with rippling muscles hidden beneath an impossibly dark coat. It was significantly bigger than Goldeyes current body yet it moved with an eerie silence, its body almost flickering in and out of sight, as though it belonged more to the realm of shadows than the physical world.
Around the Shadewolf, a group of heavily armored knights advanced, their weapons gleaming under an unseen light. Their faces were hidden behind visors, but their movements were disciplined, calculated. They marched as one, closing in around the wolf, their swords raised high, shields locked in formation.
Without a sound, the Shadewolf moved. One moment it was crouched, watching its opponents; the next, it vanished into the darkness. Jack’s eyes strained to follow its movement, but the wolf had simply dissolved into the shadows, as if it had never existed.
The knights paused, looking around in confusion. Then it began.
From the corner of the formation, one of the knights staggered backward, his armor buckling inward as if struck by an invisible force. A moment later, a second knight let out a muffled scream, dropping to his knees as a deep gash appeared in his chest, his blood seeping into the grey expanse. The Shadewolf was everywhere and nowhere, using the shadows to strike unseen. Each attack was precise, deadly, and delivered in utter silence.
Jack watched as the Shadewolf reappeared briefly, its form shimmering into existence just long enough to rake its claws across the back of a knight’s exposed neck, severing the spine with terrifying ease. It melted away just as quickly, vanishing once more before the remaining warriors could react. Panic set in among the knights. Their rigid formation broke apart as they swung their swords in blind arcs, desperate to hit a target they could no longer see.
From the darkness, the black wolfs eyes gleamed. It circled the fragmented group, its growl low and predatory. Then, with a terrifying burst of speed, it lunged from the shadows, its massive claws tearing into the flesh of one knight, while its jaws closed around the throat of another. Blood sprayed across the expanse as the wolf ripped through its foes, its shadowy form moving faster than the eye could follow.
The few remaining knights fell to their knees, their will to fight shattered by the creature’s relentless, unseen assault. The Shadewolf stalked around them, savoring their fear before delivering the final, merciless blow—a howl that reverberated through the void. The sound was primal, suffused with darkness, and it reduced the last of the knights to quivering wrecks, their weapons falling uselessly from their hands.
Jack shivered, taking in the Shadewolf’s elegance in combat. It was a creature of stealth and precision, capable of taking out even the most formidable enemies without being touched. He could see Goldeyes fighting like that—disappearing into the shadows, wreaking havoc before his enemies even realized they were dead. It would make him nearly invincible in the right conditions.
But Jack also saw the drawbacks. The Shadewolf thrived in darkness, in shadows. In open terrain or under the light of day, it might be less effective, its tactics relying heavily on stealth rather than raw strength.
As the scene faded, the mist churned again, shifting to reveal the next beast in line. This one was vastly different.
Lupine Ragebeast
Unstoppable and primal, the Lupine Ragebeast is a manifestation of fury. With raw power and savage instincts, it crushes foes underfoot, wielding brute strength and untamed rage to overwhelm its enemies. The beast's bloodlust makes it a terror in battle, and its ferocity only grows as it fights.
* Skills:
* Berserker's Wrath: The more damage you take, the stronger you become. Your attacks grow more devastating as your health drops.
* Titanic Bite: A bite powerful enough to crush steel, enhanced with the ability to tear through armor and bone.
* Bloodlust Frenzy: Each kill further amplifies your strength, speed, and endurance, pushing him to unstoppable levels of carnage.
Where the Shadewolf had been silent and swift, the Lupine Ragebeast was the very embodiment of fury. It towered over its enemies, a hulking mass of muscle and fur that loomed at least twice the size of Goldeyes. Its dark grey coat was streaked with blood, and its eyes blazed with unrestrained rage. Every inch of the beast radiated power, its massive jaws snapping and its claws tearing into the ground with each thunderous step.
The opponents it faced were numerous—an army of soldiers armed with spears and shields, their faces grim as they prepared to meet the beast head-on. But there was no hesitation in the Ragebeast’s approach. It charged forward with a roar that shook the very ground beneath its paws, a bellow of pure, untamed wrath.
The soldiers braced for impact, their shields raised to form a wall of steel, but it was futile. The Ragebeast hit them like a battering ram, its titanic strength shattering their defenses in an instant. Shields splintered, spears snapped like twigs, and the soldiers were sent flying through the air, their bones breaking on impact with the ground.
Jack winced as he watched the carnage unfold. The Ragebeast tore into the soldiers with relentless savagery, its claws slicing through armor like it was made of paper. One soldier tried to stab it with his spear, but the beast grabbed the weapon in its jaws and snapped it in half, then grabbed the man by the torso, shaking him like a ragdoll before hurling him aside.
With each kill, the Ragebeast seemed to grow stronger, its muscles bulging, its attacks becoming even more ferocious. Bloodlust Frenzy. Jack recalled the Skill's name, and he could see it in action now. Each fallen foe only fueled the beast’s fury, making it faster, stronger, more unstoppable.
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The ground beneath the Ragebeast trembled as it continued its rampage, swiping with its claws and crushing soldiers underfoot. Its Titanic Bite left nothing standing in its wake—steel, bone, flesh—it all crumbled before its sheer power. The beast’s jaws locked onto one unlucky soldier, biting through his torso and leaving only mangled remains in its wake.
The soldiers attempted to regroup, their commander shouting orders for a counterattack. But it was useless. The Ragebeast moved too quickly, too violently, its rage growing with every blow it received. Even the wounds it sustained seemed to spur it on, its Berserker's Wrath making it an unstoppable force the more injured it became.
Jack felt his own heart racing as he watched the beast in action. The sheer raw power of the Ragebeast was awe-inspiring, a force of nature that could annihilate everything in its path. Goldeyes could become that—a living battering ram of fury and destruction.
But again, Jack pondered the cons. The Ragebeast was relentless, yes, but it also seemed uncontrollable in its frenzy. Once it began, there was no stopping it. It relied entirely on brute force, charging headfirst into battle without strategy or finesse. In the wrong situation, it could be led into a trap or overextend itself.
The mist swirled once more, the scene fading as the final option took shape.
Ancestral Spiritcaller
The Ancestral Spiritcaller is a mystical entity connected to the spirits of ancient wolves. This being communes with the dead, calling forth the spirits of its ancestors to aid in battle. With spiritual power and the wisdom of countless generations, the Spiritcaller is a guide, protector, and terror to those who defy it.
* Skills:
* Spectral Pack: You can summon the ghostly spirits of your ancestor wolves to fight alongside you, their ethereal forms untouchable by most weapons.
* Howl of Ages Past: A howl that summons the power of the ancients, granting strength and wisdom to you and your allies while sowing fear and doubt in the hearts of enemies.
* Ethereal Step: The ability to phase out of the physical realm, passing through solid objects and avoiding attacks. When you return to the physical realm your natural weapons are enhanced with Ethereal energy.
The third creature was unlike the others. Not quite as big as the Ragebeast but bigger than the Shadewolf, the Ancestral Spiritcaller stood tall and proud, its white fur gleaming under an ethereal light. Its silver eyes glowed with an otherworldly wisdom, and a soft, almost invisible mist surrounded it. This was no mere beast—it was a being connected to something far older, far deeper.
The Spiritcaller faced a group of heavily armed warriors—each one a seasoned veteran, their armor scarred from countless battles. But the white wolf was not alone.
Jack watched as the Spiritcaller raised its head and let out a low, haunting howl that echoed through the void. In response, the mist around it thickened, and from within the fog, spectral forms began to emerge. Wolves—ghostly, ethereal wolves—appeared at the Spiritcaller’s side, their translucent forms moving with silent grace.
The warriors hesitated, sensing the change in the air, but it was too late. The spectral wolves leaped into battle, their forms phasing through the warriors' attacks as if they were mere illusions. But their bites were all too real. Teeth of pure energy sank into flesh, leaving behind wounds that bled light rather than blood.
The warriors fought back, their swords cutting through the air where the spectral wolves had been, but the wolves simply phased out of existence and reappeared elsewhere, striking from angles the warriors couldn’t predict. It was a battle of attrition, one where the Spiritcaller controlled the battlefield with the spirits of its ancestors.
The Spiritcaller itself moved with purpose, its body phasing through solid objects as it dodged attacks. It struck with precision, its claws infused with a strange spectral energy, each swipe weakening its enemies as they lost not just blood, but something deeper—their very essence.
At one point, a warrior managed to land a strike on the Spiritcaller, but the wound barely bled. Instead, the creature’s howl rang out, calling forth the strength of its ancestors. The spectral wolves surged forward with renewed vigor, and even the Spiritcaller’s own body began to heal, the wisdom and strength of its forebears coursing through it.
The warriors faltered, their strength sapped by fear and the otherworldly presence surrounding them. The Spiritcaller’s ethereal step allowed it to move gracefully, evading strikes with ease, and positioning itself for decisive blows. With every movement, the white furred wolf exuded an air of calculated control, as if it understood the rhythms of battle in a way no other creature could.
Jack stood transfixed, watching as the wolf commanded the battlefield not with brute force or raw speed, but with a deep understanding of the ebb and flow of life and death. Each attack seemed deliberate, every action guided by a higher purpose. The spectral wolves fought alongside their master, not as mere conjurations, but as extensions of the Spiritcaller’s will. Together, they overwhelmed the enemy with a relentless, but eerily calm, onslaught.
One of the warriors, desperate to turn the tide, let out a battle cry and charged directly at the Spiritcaller. He swung his sword in a powerful arc, aiming to end the fight in a single blow. But the white wolf didn't even flinch. Instead, it let out a soft growl, and the mist thickened around it. The spectral wolves converged on the warrior, passing through his body and draining his vitality. His swing slowed mid-motion, and by the time his sword reached the Spiritcaller, he was too weak to deliver a meaningful strike.
With a single, almost gentle motion, the Spiritcaller brought its claws down upon the warrior’s head, ending the fight with quiet finality. The remaining warriors, seeing their comrade fall, tried to regroup, but they too were quickly dispatched, their life forces devoured by the relentless spectral pack.
As the last of the warriors fell, the Ancestral Spiritcaller stood tall among the fading mist, its glowing eyes calm and unyielding. It was a creature that didn’t just fight—it dominated, using the wisdom of its ancestors and the power of the spirits to control the battlefield and drain the life from its enemies.
Jack felt a shiver run down his spine. There was something hauntingly beautiful about the Spiritcaller, something deeply profound in its ability to command the spirits and channel the strength of generations past. It was more than just a physical fighter; it was a master of the unseen forces that governed life and death.
Yet Jack also saw the limitations. The Spiritcaller’s strength lay in its connection to the spirits, in its ability to draw power from its ancestors. In a world where those spirits could be severed or disrupted, its power would falter. And though its spectral wolves were deadly, they relied on their incorporeal nature to avoid damage—against an enemy who could attack on a spiritual or metaphysical level, they might be vulnerable.
As the scene before him faded once more, Jack let out a slow breath, his mind buzzing with the possibilities each form presented.
The Dire Shadewolf was a master of stealth and assassination, a creature that could move through shadows and strike without warning. It was perfect for hit-and-run tactics, capable of taking down enemies before they even realized they were under attack. But it relied heavily on darkness and surprise—if caught in open combat, it might struggle against stronger foes.
The Lupine Ragebeast, on the other hand, was raw power incarnate. Its brute strength and relentless fury made it a terrifying force on the battlefield, capable of tearing through entire armies with ease. But it lacked control, its rage making it reckless and vulnerable to more cunning opponents.
The Ancestral Spiritcaller was something entirely different—a being of wisdom and control, able to call upon the spirits of the dead to aid it in battle. It was a creature that didn’t just fight with tooth and claw, but with the very essence of life and death itself. Yet its reliance on the spirits made it vulnerable in situations where that connection could be severed.
Jack glanced at Goldeyes, who had been watching the scenes with an unreadable expression. He could see the potential in each form, and he knew that whatever path Goldeyes chose, it would define his future.
But which one?
Jack’s mind raced as he weighed the pros and cons. The Shadewolf would make Goldeyes a master of stealth, a killer in the shadows who could strike before his enemies even knew he was there. But it was a limited skill set, one that relied on specific conditions—darkness, shadows, and surprise.
The Ragebeast, on the other hand, would turn Goldeyes into a juggernaut, a walking weapon of mass destruction. But in that transformation, Goldeyes might lose control, becoming a slave to his own fury. It was a path of destruction, one that might lead to victory, but at what cost?
And then there was the Spiritcaller—a creature that didn’t just fight with brute force or stealth, but with the wisdom of generations. It was a path of balance, of control over life and death itself. But it was also the most precarious path, one that relied on a connection to forces beyond Goldeyes’ immediate control.
Jack clenched his fists, his mind swirling with the weight of the decision. Each form offered something unique, something powerful. But each came with its own dangers, its own limitations.
"Goldeyes," Jack murmured, his voice soft in the stillness of the grey expanse. "This decision… it’s yours. I can’t choose for you."
Goldeyes turned to him, the golden eyes shimmering with a quiet intensity. For a long moment, the two stood in silence, the weight of the choice hanging between them.
Finally, Goldeyes closed his eyes, as if listening to some distant, unheard call. When he opened them again, there was a clarity, a resolve that hadn’t been there before.
The decision had been made.
As the grey mist around them began to dissipate, Jack knew that whatever form Goldeyes had chosen, it would set them both on a new path—a path filled with danger, power, and the unknown.
And in that moment, Jack couldn’t help but feel a surge of excitement.
The future was theirs to shape, and Goldeyes had chosen his path.