The bearkin lunged in response, trying to catch up to Lassim, its claws tearing through the air with ferocious speed.
Lassim moved instinctively, the surge of fused mana in his pathways following his motion.
With another short burst of [Lightning Steps], he sidestepped the attack, the sharp claws passing so close he could feel the displaced air on his cheek.
The creature’s momentum carried it forward, its massive frame crashing into the cavern wall, sending chunks of rock and some shards of Spirit Quartz cascading to the ground.
Lassim used the moment to strike. With a calculated pivot, he swung his halberd in a wide arc, channeling his fused mana into the rune covered blade.
Lightning spirit fish materialized around the weapon’s edge, their somewhat translucent and tentacle tails crackling with electricity as they darted toward the bearkin.
The fish struck the beast’s exposed side, each one biting into its flesh before exploding in bursts of energy.
The cavern was illuminated by the flashes of light, revealing the sheer size of the beast now that it was much closer to Lassim and he could get a real sense of scale. Standing nearly twice Lassim’s height, its glowing skeletal markings shimmered with a pulsing white light.
The creature bellowed in pain as the lightning fish left charred wounds along its ribs, but its ferocity only seemed to increase. It turned, its eyes blazing with a feral intensity that sent a ripple of spirit pressure through the air.
The bearkin roared and charged again, its movements seemingly faster and more erratic than before.
Lassim leapt backward, using [Tempest Steps] once more to create distance between them.
The creature’s claws struck the ground where he’d been standing, carving deep gouges into the stone floor.
Lassim grit his teeth as he came to a stop with his back against one of the cavern walls, his focus unwavering as he prepared for its next move.
The beast lunged again, this time feinting with its right claw before swinging its left in a low, sweeping arc.
Lassim caught the feint in time, twisting his body to avoid the follow-up attack. The beast was fast with its initiative, seemingly faster with each passing second, not allowing much time for a counter attack, but the beast’s movements with the feint made it overcommit slightly too hard and gave him another chance.
He countered with a precise [Thrust], driving the halberd’s tip toward the creature’s chest. The lightning spirit fish surged forward, spiraling around the pole of his weapon as they struck the bearkin’s torso.
The explosion of energy sent the beast staggering backward, but it recovered quickly, letting out another deafening roar.
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Its glowing markings flared brighter once more, the energy within them beginning to release giant spiritual pressure and heaviness. Lassim could feel the intensity of its power and weight growing, the cavern trembling slightly under this weight of its aura as well.
"You’re tougher than I expected," Lassim muttered, adjusting his grip on the halberd.
The bearkin roared again, the former intelligence he saw in its eyes completely gone and replaced with this almost berserk-like state, the sound reverberating through the cavern and causing the Spirit Quartz veins along the walls to glow brighter in response for some reason.
It charged, moving with a wild aggression that forced Lassim to continue to stay on the defensive in the tight space of the cavern. The beast’s claws slashed through the air, each strike repeatedly shattering stone and crystals along the walls and some of the pillars that connected the ceiling to floor. Lassim weaved through its attacks, using [Lightning Steps] to stay one step ahead while searching for an opening.
As the fight dragged on, Lassim began to better predict the raging pattern in the bearkin’s movements. Its berserk state made it faster and stronger, but also less precise and somewhat repetitive. Its attacks were wild and uncoordinated and as time passed, more openings were presenting themselves. Lassim decided to take advantage of this, shifting from defense to offense.
He channeled more fused mana into his halberd, the lightning spirit fish gathering around the weapon in greater numbers this time.
With a sudden burst of speed, he closed the distance between him and the glowing bearkin and unleashed a series of rapid [Thrust] attacks. The lightning fish darted toward the bearkin, targeting its limbs and torso with scary pinpoint accuracy. Each strike left scorched marks on the beast’s thick hide, the explosions of energy disrupting its balance and the bear was starting to lose a majority of its body parts with huge chunks missing. The blood was flowing from the beast, but the vitality of a Spirit Transcendent stage is nothing to scoff at, especially beasts.
However, its injuries were finally getting to it. The bearkin stumbled, its massive frame crashing into the cavern wall once more with the last round of fish knocking to the side.
Lassim pressed the attack, delivering a powerful [Slash] that sent a cascade of lightning spirit fish slicing through the air. The fish struck the beast’s exposed side as it used what remained of its arms to cushion its fall into the wall. Their energy exploded in a burst of lightning and shrapnel-like space fragments that tore and cut the beast into more shreds. The bearkin let out a pained roar, its movements growing slower and more labored as it struggled to push itself back up to turn and face Lassim for another attack.
Lassim’s eyes narrowed as he prepared for the finishing blow. He gathered his fused mana into the halberd again, the weapon glowing with an intense light as the lightning spirit fish swarmed around it in a giant school.
The bearkin, sensing the danger in its enraged state and lunged toward him in a final, desperate attempt to overpower him as the glowing marks released a massive wave of spiritual pressure; much heavier than any moment leading up to this last burst.
With another usage of [Lightning Steps], Lassim dodged to the side and pivoted, driving the halberd forward in a devastating [Thrust]. The weapon pierced the beast’s chest, the lightning spirit fish spiraling into the wound and delivering a concentrated burst of energy as the halberd went deep into and out the other side of the bearkin.
The explosion sent a shockwave through the cavern, the force of it causing the Spirit Quartz veins to flare brightly as if overcharged.
The bearkin let out a final, guttural roar as its glowing markings flickered and faded. Its massive body collapsed to the ground, the light in its eyes dimming as its life and spiritual pressure dissipated.
Lassim stood over the fallen beast, his halberd lowered towards it but still swirling with residual fused mana.
He took a deep breath, his gaze lingering on the creature’s lifeless form—the fight was over. The cavern was silent once more, save for the faint hum now being emitted by the Spirit Quartz veins and a slight residual rumbling in the walls.
Approaching the nearest quartz cluster, Lassim began carefully extracting several large pieces to not waste time. The veins glowed bright, their light steady and bringing the entire shaky cavern into the light. He worked methodically and quickly, ensuring each shard was intact before storing them into his magic pouch.
As he reached for a particularly large shard, his eyes were drawn to a unique piece embedded deeper in the wall behind it. This shard was unlike the others, its glow purer, whiter, and more vibrant, with a faint silvery moonlight hue that set it apart.
Lassim carefully pried it free, holding it in his hands as he examined its unusual properties.
"This one’s definitely special," Lassim muttered, tucking the shard into his magic pouch alongside the others.
He continued collecting more quartz until he was certain he had enough for Rlyis and Eno’s project.
Just as he turned to leave, the cavern’s rumbling began to intensify. He already knew the energy released during the fight had destabilized the structure, but now cracks were spreading across the walls and ceiling.
Lassim reacted instantly, activating [Lightning Steps] to dart toward the cavern entrance.
The ground trembled beneath his feet as debris rained down, large chunks of rock crashing to the floor.
Lassim moved with precision, his fused mana enhancing his speed and reflexes as he navigated the collapsing cavern.
A massive boulder that must’ve fallen during their fight earlier blocked his path, but with a quick [Thrust], he shattered it into fragments and continued forward.
He reached the entrance just as the cavern gave one final, violent shudder. With a last burst of speed, Lassim leaped out into the open air, landing on the forest floor as the entrance caved in behind him. Dust filled the air, and the sound of the collapse echoed through the island’s dense ivy and trees.
Lassim straightened, brushing debris from his armor as he surveyed the collapse. With the mission complete, he lifted up into the air and flew back south for the day and a half long journey that awaited him to get back to the workshop outpost.
~~~
Unbeknownst to Lassim, a shadowed figure emerged from the dense underbrush, its form barely discernible against the misty backdrop that permeated the island several minutes after he left.
Its presence was heavy with malice as its gaze fixed on the collapsed cavern and Lassim’s retreating form that was quite the distance away.
A faint, twisted smile curled across its lips, revealing sharp, uneven teeth, "...Found you," the creature whispered.
The figure lingered for a moment longer, watching as the sight of Lassim quickly disappeared into the distance, before slipping back into the shadows.