The spearhead pierced the Shoggoth-wolf’s flesh, sinking deep into its shifting mass. For a split second, the beast didn’t react. Then, with a screech that sent a shiver down Jack’s spine, the creature recoiled, twisting violently as the spear struck true. Black ichor sprayed from the wound, splattering across the ground as the creature writhed in pain.

Jack didn’t waste time. He called on the Skill that could turn the tide of battle.

Soul Drain

Soul Drain

* Requirements: Edged or Piercing Weapon, Soul based Class

* Type: Active

* Cooldown: 90 seconds

* Cost: 80 Soul Points

* Effect: Absorbs health and a portion of the target's soul essence, transferring it to the wielder as health and temporary buffs. Reduces the target's overall vitality, weakening their abilities.

* Duration: 90 seconds

* Description: By channeling the power of capturing souls, your weapon becomes a method of empowering yourself. Each strike not only drains the life force of your enemy but also siphons a fragment of their soul, invigorating you with newfound spower. The stolen essence can also provide a temporary buff depending on the strength and type of creature in question giving you a crucial edge as you drain both body and soul from your foe. Using this Skill on a foe will make it less likely for Soul Trap to work on it.

The moment he activated the Skill, he felt a surge of energy rush through the spear. The weapon glowed faintly as it began to siphon the creature’s essence. Jack gritted his teeth as the power flooded into him, a sickeningly sweet sensation of vitality flowing from the wolf-Shoggoth into his body. He could feel its life force draining, its strength weakening as he drew from its very soul.

The creature let out another ear-piercing shriek, its many eyes turning toward Jack with a mixture of rage and desperation. It tried to pull away, but Jack held firm, driving the spear deeper into its body.

Suddenly, a notification flashed before his eyes.

[You have absorbed a portion of the Shoggoth’s essence.

Health restored: 80 points.

Temporary Buff gained: Mutable Flesh.

]

Jack barely had time to process the words before the full weight of the buff hit him. His skin tingled, his muscles shifted His very body seemed to ripple, becoming more malleable, more adaptive. He could feel the wolf-Shoggoth’s regenerative power coursing through him, though not nearly as potent as the original. It, along withe health had drained, was enough to fully close the wound in his chest

The beast howled again, thrashing wildly, but it was weaker now—its movements slower, more sluggish. Jack could see the damage it had sustained, and this time, it wasn’t healing as quickly. He had done it. He had weakened it.

But the fight wasn’t over yet.

"Now!" Jack shouted, pulling his spear free and stepping back. "Cael, Monsoon—hit it now!"

Without hesitation, Cael darted forward, his daggers flashing as he struck the wounded creature, targeting the same spot Jack had pierced. Monsoon followed suit, his elemental fury crashing into the beast like a tidal wave. Together, they pressed the attack from the right, hammering the Shoggoth-wolf with everything they had.

On the left, Lyla and Goldeyes surged forward, their attacks poised to deal the final blow. Jack trusted them with this opportunity—they were more than capable.

Lyla’s eyes flashed with an eerie glow as she summoned her power. She raised her hand, chanting words in an ancient, guttural language that crackled with dark energy. Her aura thickened, taking on a palpable presence as she invoked the Cursed Circle.

From the ground, a circle of decay surged upward, forming around the Shoggoth-wolf. The air inside the circle grew thick with dread, and Jack could feel the life force of the creature begin to drain as its strength was siphoned away. Within the circle, he felt invigorated, the dark energy boosting his health and replenishing some of his mana reserves.

The Shoggoth-wolf shrieked in agony as the Cursed Circle gnawed at its vitality. Its regeneration stalled entirely now, with black ichor leaking from the open wounds that no longer sealed themselves. Jack watched in grim satisfaction as the once-terrifying creature struggled to stay on its feet, clearly weakening from the combined efforts of Lyla’s ritual and his Soul Drain.

But even as the beast staggered under Lyla's spell, it lashed out with another attack, its body shifting to release jagged tendrils of blackened flesh toward her.

Lyla narrowed her eyes and, with a flick of her wrist, summoned Witchfire. Flame erupted between her and the approaching tendrils, burning with an intensity that consumed both flesh and spirit. The tendrils shriveled under the onslaught of the unnatural flame, disintegrating into nothingness before they could reach her.

Meanwhile, Goldeyes had been waiting for the opportune moment. As Lyla’s flames kept the beast at bay, Goldeyes paddeded forward, his face set in a grim expression. He let out a low growl, summoning his power as an Ancestral Spiritcaller.

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With a howl that echoed through the battlefield, Goldeyes invoked the Spectral Pack.

Ghostly wolves, translucent and shimmering with ethereal light, materialized around him. Their eyes glowed with the wisdom and power of ancient spirits, and their forms were untouchable by most mortal weapons. With a silent command from Goldeyes, the spectral wolves surged forward, their paws leaving no trace as they passed over the corrupted earth, heading straight for the Shoggoth-wolf.

The beast sensed the danger, its many eyes widening in panic as the new spectral pack descended upon it. Teeth bared, the ghostly wolves tore into the Shoggoth-wolf’s flesh, ripping and tearing at it with jaws that phased through its physical form to strike at its soul directly.

The creature howled in pain, its body convulsing under the assault of the wolves. Each bite drained more of its essence, weakening it further. The once-massive beast was now a shadow of its former self, its body shriveling as it struggled to resist the combined might of Goldeyes’ spectral pack and Lyla’s curses.

Goldeyes raised his head and let out another howl, this one infused with the power of ages past. The Howl of Ages Past resonated through the battlefield, its sound ancient and primal. Jack felt its effects immediately—a surge of strength and clarity filled him, his muscles brimming with newfound vigor. At the same time, the howl sowed fear and doubt in the Shoggoth-wolf’s remaining consciousness, further sapping its will to fight.

The Shoggoth-wolf howled in pain, its twisted, otherworldly body writhing under the relentless assault of Goldeyes’ spectral pack. The ethereal wolves tore into the beast, each bite draining more of its essence. Yet, even though it was wounded and weakened, the creature was not yet defeated. Its once-massive form, though diminished, pulsed with a malevolent energy. Its formless flesh rippled and stretched, black tendrils lashing out like the limbs of a vengeful shadow.

With a guttural roar, the Shoggoth-wolf retaliated. One of the tendrils shot forward, slamming into one of Goldeyes’ spectral wolves, dissipating the spirit with a snarl and a burst of cold light. Another tendril snaked toward Goldeyes himself, but the Ancestral Spiritcaller phased out of the physical realm just in time, dodging the attack with his Ethereal Step. The tendril smashed into the ground where he had stood, shattering stone and sending a cloud of dust into the air.

Lyla, standing a few feet away, prepared her next spell. But the creature was quicker than she anticipated. A black tendril, as thick as her arm, whipped through the dust cloud, catching her off guard. The impact sent her sprawling to the ground, the breath knocked from her lungs as pain shot through her ribs.

She gasped, clutching her side. Blood oozed from a deep gash where the tendril had struck, staining her robes. Gritting her teeth, Lyla forced herself to stand, her hand glowing with the s green light of her healing magic. But before she could fully heal, the Shoggoth-wolf was on her again, its malformed body surging forward, intent on finishing her off.

"Lyla, move!" Jack shouted, his voice carrying over the chaos of the battlefield.

She barely managed to dodge another strike, stumbling back as the tendril cracked the earth where she had just been. Sweat dripped down her brow, mingling with the blood that still seeped from her wound. She couldn't keep dodging for long, and she knew it. She silently regretted not putting more points into her Agility, even though intellectually she knew that didn’t play to her strengths and would likely have made her future build weaker. Here and now, she knew she would not be able to dodge the next blow.

Goldeyes, sensing her peril, let out another howl—this one infused with the power of his ancestors. The Howl of Ages Past reverberated through the battlefield again, the ancient and primal sound filling the air. Lyla felt the surge of strength and clarity it granted, her muscles brimming with renewed energy. But it wasn't just a boon to their allies. The Shoggoth-wolf froze for a split-second, its twisted form trembling as fear and doubt crept into its fractured consciousness.

Taking advantage of the momentary hesitation, Jack lunged forward, aiming for the creature’s heart, thrusting the weapon toward its core. One more good blow there would finish it, he was certain. But the Shoggoth-wolf wasn’t done fighting.

With a snarl that echoed through the night, the creature twisted its body, avoiding Jack’s spear at the last second. One of its tendrils shot out, wrapping around Jack’s ankle and yanking him off his feet. He hit the ground hard, the wind knocked out of him as he tried to wrestle free from the crushing grip.

Monsoon roared in fury, his massive form moving with the speed of a hurricane. The Wavewolf launched himself at the Shoggoth-wolf, claws crackling with elemental power. His Riptide Charge surged through his strikes, waves of water crashing down on the creature, drenching it in torrents of liquid force. Each blow destabilized the Shoggoth-wolf, but the beast fought back with ferocity, whipping its tendrils and claws at Monsoon and forcing the Wavewolf to dodge and weave to avoid being ensnared.

Lyla, still clutching her injured side, raised her hand, summoning the dark magic of Baba Yaga. Her eyes glowed with an eerie light as she chanted an ancient incantation, her voice low and filled with power. She sent forth more Witchfire, yellow flames erupting from her fingertips and engulfing the Shoggoth-wolf. The fire burned with an intensity that consumed both flesh and spirit, the creature's form writhing in agony as the flames devoured its essence.

But even in its torment, the Shoggoth-wolf lashed out. Another dark tendril whipped across the battlefield, catching Lyla once again. She cried out as the impact sent her crashing into a nearby boulder, her body crumpling to the ground. Blood trickled from her mouth, and her vision blurred as unconsciousness took her.

Goldeyes' spectral pack continued their assault, their ghostly forms tearing into the Shoggoth-wolf with savage fury. But the beast was relentless. It shook off the wolves, its tendrils whipping through the air with deadly precision. One tendril slammed into Goldeyes, sending him skidding across the ground, though the Spiritcaller managed to stay on his feet, his ethereal energy flaring around him.

The tendril tightened around Jacks leg, its jagged surface biting into his skin.

Gritting his teeth, Jack focused on the Mutable Flesh buff coursing through him. He visualized the malleability of his own body, channeling the foreign power now infused into his essence. He wasn't sure if it would work but it was worth a try. His leg rippled unnaturally, shifting and contorting as he twisted free from the tendril's grasp. The sudden movement forced the appendage to loosen, and Jack rolled away, regaining his footing with a triumphant grin.

Monsoon struck again, his claws tearing through the Shoggoth-wolf’s malformed body, exposing its vulnerability. Jack, seizing the opportunity, threw his spear forward with all his might. This time, the weapon found its mark, piercing the creature’s core.

The Shoggoth-wolf let out one final, agonized scream. Its body convulsed, its form dissolving into a black, bubbling mass that hissed and steamed before disintegrating entirely.