Desperation fueled a renewed surge of energy in William's veins. Ignoring the throbbing pain in his muscles, he activated the red gem once more.

A blinding golden light engulfed him, pushing Jasmin back a step. As the light faded, William stood tall, his body radiating an aura of raw power.

Jasmin, her eyes gleaming with a determined glint, mirrored his resolve. With graceful movements, she began weaving intricate patterns with her hands, muttering ancient incantations.

The air around her , crackled with an unseen energy as she unleashed a barrage of spells - bolts of lightning arcing through the air, and balls of pure energy exploding near Thalnos.

William, empowered by the golden qi stage,also roared and charged towards Thalnos.

William throughout his life, has won many fights which were impossible to win , so all hope was not lost.

But before he could reach him, a chilling cackle erupted from Thalnos.

With a flick of his wrist, a wave of dark energy pulsed from the amulet around his neck. The energy coalesced in mid-air, solidifying into a six feet skeletal warrior. Its bony form, clad in tattered armor, wielded a spectral blade that gleamed with an unnatural light.

William skidded to a halt, his eyes widening in surprise. Thalnos, a cunning strategist, had opted to summon a fighter instead of engaging William directly.

"Amuse yourselves," Thalnos taunted, his voice dripping with malice.

William skidded to a halt, fury contorting his face. He knew that the skeleton needs to be dealt with , as fast as possible.

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So William roared and started running towards the huge skeleton . But before he could reach the skeletal warrior, a wave of dark energy erupted from Thalnos' outstretched hand, slamming into William and sending him flying back several feet. He landed hard, the impact momentarily knocking the wind out of him.

Don't be so eager, William," Thalnos sneered, his voice laced with amusement. You have to fight me.

And this little puppet is a present for our dear Vedik . He gestured the skeletal warrior towards Vedik , a cruel smile twisting his lips.

Jasmin's POV

The skeletal warrior, a horrifying undead , solidified from the dark energy. Its hollow eyes glowed with an eerie blue light, sending chills down Jasmin's spine.

She knew this skeleton was something else. The skeleton warriors she had fought previously, were normally small and weak but this skeleton was not only big but could understand Thalnos command.

Fear, cold and primal, threatened to consume Jasmin. But she wouldn't succumb to it. Not when Vedik was in danger.

She saw , William, a beacon of golden power, charged towards Thalnos. A surge of hope flared within her.

She thought together, they could overcome this threat. But before William could clash, a wave of dark energy erupted from Thalnos' hand, slamming into William with a sickening thud.

Jasmin's heart lurched as William was sent flying back, a pained groan escaping William's lips.

Rage and despair twisted in her gut. But amidst the turmoil , a single thought pulsed with terrifying clarity in her mind – Vedik.

Jasmin took deep breaths as she saw the skeleton warrior completly ignoring her , and dashing towards Vedik.

Panic surged through Jasmin. I can't let that monstrosity reach him! She shouted .

With a desperate snarl, she unleashed a barrage of spells. A bolt of lightning arced towards the creature, followed by a crackling ball of pure energy.

The spells interconnected, exploding in a blinding flash. But to Jasmin's horror, the skeletal warrior didn't even falter.

The energy seemed to dissipate harmlessly . Jasmin's powerful spell only slowed the skeleton warrior's speed and a few cracks occurred on his ribs .

The skeleton creature, didn't react to her attacks and continued its relentless march towards Vedik. Every lumbering step fueled Jasmin's panic.

It was unlike anything Jasmin had ever encountered. Her meticulously crafted spells, were usually potent enough to decimate strong foes, which were now proved to be useless.

Despair threatened to engulf her, but she forced it down. Vedik was counting on her .

Jasmin knew that time was running out. Taking a deep breath, she focused all her energy.

Ignoring the throbbing pain , she began weaving an intricate spell, one that manipulated the flow of time itself. It was a powerful spell, one that could potentially buy Vedik a precious few moments.

With a final desperate plea, she muttered the incantation, her voice laced with nervous tone and exhaustion.

Suddenly a shimmering bubble materialized around Vedik, distorting the space within and slowing down the passage of time for him. It was a temporary solution, but hopefully, enough for him to react.

The exertion left Jasmin drained. Her vision blurred, and a wave of dizziness washed over her.

Jasmin sanked to her knees, gasping for breath. Her entire body ached, due to overuse of Mana .But this is all she could do for Vedik.