The Graveclaw Bear charged like a living avalanche.
Massive paws struck the mud, sending clods flying in every direction. Each thunderous step rattled Kael's bones. The scent of damp earth and primal fur hit him in the face.
Kael's heart pounded—too slow to outrun that beast head-on. He gripped the broken spear tighter, knuckles whitening.
[Shadowstep Activated.]
In an instant, his body vanished. A bone-shaking CRASH echoed where he'd been. The bear's claw split the mud, chunks of clay and shattered stone spraying outward. Kael reappeared just beyond the storm of debris, blood pounding in his ears.
That thing is fast… faster than anything I've faced.
He barely had time to steady himself before a hound lunged out of the fog—its eyes glowing like embers, fangs glinting wetly. Kael braced as the creature sprang.
He sidestepped, spear flying forward in one savage arc. The tip buried into the hound's chest with a sickening wheeze of flesh. The dog yelped, legs folding beneath it, then went still in the mud.
One down. One to go.
But barely a breath later, the Graveclaw Bear roared—a sound like shattering thunder that stung his eardrums. Kael's breath caught. Even the last hound hesitated, its hackles rising.
The bear turned its massive head, eyes burning molten gold. Kael felt a chill snake down his spine.
System window flickered in his vision: Enemy Threat Level: High.
He exhaled, tasting copper on his tongue. A tremor of dread and determination coursed through him.
Then the last hound sprang, perhaps driven mad by fear. In that split-second, Kael moved.
[Shadowstep Activated.]
He materialized behind the dog. In one brutal motion, the broken spear drove through its side. The beast crumpled, foam flecking its jaws, before silence swallowed the battlefield.
Now it was just him... and the bear.
The monster advanced, each footfall shaking the ground like distant artillery. Kael's eyes darted over its rippling muscles, its dew-damp fur plastered with mud. He could taste his own sweat. Running wasn't an option—he'd never outpace it. Fighting head-on would kill him.
The bear lunged again, faster this time. Kael felt the wind of its claws as they slashed through the air where he'd stood.
[Shadowstep Activated.]
He reappeared behind the creature and jabbed with all his strength. The spear bit into thick fur and muscle—but only a shallow nick. His heart sank.
In a blur, the bear whipped around. Its paw hammered the earth—mud burst at his feet—and grazed his side with a jagged swipe. A white-hot pain lanced through him. He tumbled, clay smearing his cheek, then shot upright, lips curt with blood.
Damn… that almost killed me.
The bear's great chest heaved, its breath ragged but fierce. Kael's arms shook; fatigue clung to his bones. Still, the Abyss Core nestled in his chest pulsed with a frigid glow, seeping a cold steadiness into his veins.
It charged again. Kael crouched low, muscles coiled.
[Shadowstep Activated.]
Now he slipped beside the bear's haunches and slashed upward. The blade carved through flesh, and a gout of dark blood hissed onto the mud. The monster roared, pivoted, and drove a claw into the ground—mud erupted like a geyser—and Kael staggered backward, chest heaving.
His breaths came in ragged bursts. Yet the bear slowed—just a fraction—its hind leg dripping crimson. A sliver of hope stabbed through Kael's exhaustion.
The bear charged again. Kael tensed, breath caught, every nerve blazing.
Closer. Closer. Its roar boiled the fog around them.
At the last heartbeat, claws raised for the killing blow—
[Shadowstep Activated.]
Except this time, he didn't vanish behind. He faded out of the line of fire and reappeared inches from the beast's throat. His arms burned as he thrust the spear straight up, driving the jagged point into the thick hide. Darkness roared at him through the bear's eyes as blood painted the air.
The monster howled in agony, the ground shuddered beneath its thrashing bulk, and Kael staggered free just before the fierce body slammed down where he'd stood.
Silence crashed in its wake. The Graveclaw Bear lay trembling, fierce light dimming in its golden eyes. Kael stood a few paces back, chest heaving, arms trembling so badly his spear quivered in his hand. One more hit—maybe two—was all he had left.
A low growl rumbled in his ears as the bear gathered itself. The fog swirled. Kael tasted iron and ambition on his tongue. The Abyss Core pulsed again, lending him a last shard of frigid power.
He raised the spear, legs coiled like springs. The bear surged forward, claws arcing high.
[Shadowstep Activated.]
This time, Kael vanished only to reappear charging straight at it—no retreat, no fear—fully committed to the final clash.
The battlefield held its breath. The duel had only begun.