The growls didn't cease; instead, they grew louder and closer, reverberating throughout the arena. More of those bizarre boar-snake creatures slithered out from the cracks in the stone walls and dark corners between the broken pillars that lined the outer ring.
Their scaled bodies scraped against the ground with a rough, unsettling sound, their eyes glowing faintly as they locked onto Boren and Lyana with clear killing intent.
The moment this new wave appeared, the already tense air felt even heavier, pressing down on them like an invisible weight. Boren's breathing became more uneven as he stood there gripping his sword with both hands, his fingers trembling slightly.
His arms ached from continuous swings while Lyana stood just behind him, her magic circle still glowing beneath her feet but dimmer than before. Its rotation had slowed noticeably, showing signs of strain as she forced more mana into it to maintain control of the battlefield.
