Shadow Being System

Commander Charles stood firm, his massive hand gripping the beast's paw, holding it mid-swing. The creature snarled, its bloodshot eyes burning with hatred. Electricity crackled off its fur, causing sparks to leap into the air and fizzle out on the cold stone floor. For a brief moment, their eyes met—man and beast—and Charles felt the weight of what he was about to face.

"This thing is a Commander-tier beast, he thought, his jaw tightening. That makes the two of us equals. This fight won't be easy, and if I stay here, these soldiers—no, everyone—will get caught in the crossfire."

His eyes flicked toward the soldiers still battling in the background, some of them struggling against the smaller beast, others holding their own against the human enemies. But if this fight went down here, in the middle of all of them, there wouldn't be anyone left standing.

"I need to get this thing out of here," Charles muttered through clenched teeth.

The beast roared again, its massive paw still locked in his grip. Without warning, it jerked back, using its immense strength to pull away from Charles. The force of it almost sent him stumbling, but he held his ground, tightening his grip and refusing to let go.

"Not yet," Charles growled. His mind raced. He had to lure it away—somewhere isolated where he could go all out. But first, he had to provoke it, make it want to follow him.

With a sudden, calculated movement, Charles released the beast's paw and drove his hammer into the ground. The tunnel shook as the earth beneath them responded to his command, sending a wave of rock and debris straight at the creature. The beast howled in fury as the ground erupted beneath its feet, throwing it off balance. Charles didn't waste a second.

He spun on his heel and began running, charging through the tunnel with the beast hot on his heels.

"Come on, you ugly bastard," Charles muttered under his breath. "Let's dance."

The beast followed with a snarl, its claws scraping against the stone as it gained speed. Charles could feel its presence looming behind him, like a storm about to break. His muscles burned as he pushed forward, weaving through the tunnel, leading the beast away from the battlefield and deeper into the dark, forgotten depths of the underground.

He could hear the crackle of electricity behind him as the beast gathered its power. A sudden bolt of lightning shot past him, slamming into the tunnel wall and exploding in a shower of rock and dust. Charles didn't flinch. He kept running, his eyes scanning ahead for a suitable place to fight.

After a few more minutes of sprinting, he found it—a large, open cavern where the tunnel widened into a circular room, its walls covered in ancient, crumbling rock. Here, there were no soldiers, no civilians—just him and the beast.

Charles skidded to a halt, spinning around just in time to see the beast barrelling toward him. The creature leaped into the air, its claws outstretched, lightning crackling from its body.

"Perfect," Charles muttered.

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With a sharp motion, he slammed his hammer into the ground. A wall of earth erupted between them, blocking the beast's attack. The creature collided with the wall, smashing through it with sheer force, but Charles was ready. He raised his hands, and the ground beneath the beast shifted, becoming a muddy pit that pulled at the creature's legs.

"Let's see how you handle this," Charles said, his voice low.

The beast thrashed, its claws struggling to find purchase in the slippery mud. For a brief moment, it seemed trapped, its movements slowing as the earth pulled it deeper. But then, with a roar, it transformed. Its body shimmered, and in a flash, it became a bolt of lightning, crackling with energy as it shot out of the mud and reformed on solid ground.

Charles cursed under his breath. "Of course it can do that."

The beast, now enraged, charged again, its speed even greater than before. It zigzagged across the battlefield, leaving trails of electricity in its wake, its movements almost too fast for Charles to track.

The creature lunged, and Charles barely managed to raise his hammer in time to block. The force of the impact sent shockwaves through his arms, but he held firm, gritting his teeth as the beast pressed forward, trying to overpower him. Sparks flew from the creature's fur, and Charles could feel the heat of the electricity, but he stood his ground.

"Earth counters lightning", he reminded himself. "I just need to play this right."

With a grunt, Charles pushed back, forcing the beast off him. As it stumbled, he raised his hand and summoned a massive boulder from the ground, sending it hurtling toward the creature. The beast dodged, but the boulder wasn't the real attack. With a swift movement, Charles slammed his hand into the ground, sending cracks rippling through the floor beneath the beast.

The ground shifted, and the creature's front legs sank into a pit of solid rock.

The beast let out a furious howl as it struggled to free itself. Charles wasn't done. He raised his hands again, and the earth responded, forming massive stone spikes around the creature, trapping it in place. But the beast wasn't finished. Its body began to glow with electric energy, and with a blinding flash, it transformed into a bolt of lightning once more, breaking free of its earthen prison.

Charles shielded his eyes from the brightness, but he didn't back down. His muscles ached, and his soul essence was running low, but he had to keep fighting. The beast materialized again, this time right in front of him. It lunged, its tusks aimed at his chest.

Charles barely had time to react. He summoned a wall of rock between them, but the beast broke through it with ease, its tusks grazing his side. Pain shot through him as he stumbled back, blood dripping from the wound.

But Charles didn't stop. He swung his hammer with all his might, smashing it into the beast's side. The impact sent the creature crashing into the cavern wall, creating a deep crater in the stone. The beast roared, black blood oozing from its side as it staggered to its feet.

Charles wiped the sweat from his brow, his breathing ragged. "You're tough," he muttered, "but I'm not done yet."

Commander Charles stood, chest heaving, eyes locked on the hulking beast in front of him. Black blood oozed from the wound on the creature's side, but it was far from defeated. Its bloodshot eyes burned with even more fury, sparks of electricity crackling in the air around it, making Charles's skin tingle.

"I've got it on the ropes" Charles thought, wiping the blood from his side. But he knew better than to let his guard down. The beast was fast, cunning, and most of all—desperate. A cornered enemy was always the most dangerous.

The beast let out a guttural roar, its massive body tensing, and in the blink of an eye, it disappeared in a flash of lightning.

"Not again!"

Charles barely had time to react. He felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end as the air crackled with energy. He spun just in time to see the creature reappear inches from him, claws outstretched and tusks gleaming.

With a grunt, Charles threw his hammer up in a defensive block. The impact was like a thunderclap, the force sending shockwaves through his body and rattling his bones. He dug his feet into the ground, trying to hold his position, but the beast was relentless. It pressed forward, snarling, its claws scraping against the metal of his hammer as sparks flew from the collision.

Charles gritted his teeth, feeling the strain in his arms. His earth armor cracked under the pressure, the weight of the beast nearly overwhelming him. But he couldn't fall—not here, not yet. With a roar of his own, he pushed back, forcing the creature to stumble.

"Now!"

Seizing the moment, Charles slammed his free hand into the ground. The earth responded to his will, surging upward in a massive wave that swallowed the beast, trapping it in a makeshift stone prison. The walls of rock closed in around the creature, pinning its legs and immobilizing it.

But even trapped, the beast wasn't finished. Electricity surged through its body, lighting up the cavern with blinding intensity. The smell of ozone filled the air as the creature's electric aura began to destabilize the stone, cracks forming in the prison Charles had created.

Charles cursed under his breath. "This thing's not going to stay down for long."

Before the beast could break free, Charles raised his hammer high above his head. With a shout, he brought it crashing down onto the ground, sending a massive shockwave rippling through the floor. The earth quaked beneath their feet, and the beast's stone prison collapsed inward, crushing the creature beneath tons of rock and debris.

There was a moment of silence—just the sound of crumbling stone and Charles's heavy breathing. He watched the pile of rubble, waiting for any sign of movement.

Then, with a deafening roar, the pile of rocks exploded outward. The beast emerged, battered but furious, its body glowing with electric energy. Black blood dripped from its mouth, and its eyes were wild with rage. The electricity around it intensified, sparks arcing between its tusks as it charged at Charles, faster than ever.

Charles's eyes widened. "Damn it!"

The beast was too fast. Before he could react, it was on him. The impact sent him flying backward, his body slamming into the cavern wall with enough force to crack the stone. Pain shot through his ribs as he collapsed to the ground, gasping for breath. His earth armor shattered, falling away in pieces, leaving him vulnerable.

The beast didn't give him a moment to recover. It lunged, claws outstretched, aiming for his throat. Charles rolled to the side just in time, the creature's claws raking across the ground where his head had been moments before. He struggled to his feet, gripping his hammer tightly, but the beast was relentless. It spun around, its tusks flashing as it swiped at him.

Charles blocked with his hammer, but the force of the blow sent him stumbling. Blood dripped from the wound in his side, and he could feel his strength waning. His soul essence was nearly depleted, and the beast showed no signs of slowing down.

I have to end this now, Charles thought, his mind racing. If I don't, I'm finished.

The beast charged again, its eyes glowing with murderous intent. Charles's grip tightened on his hammer. He had one shot left—one chance to turn the tide.

As the beast lunged, Charles slammed his hammer into the ground one last time, summoning all the strength he had left. The earth beneath the beast's feet buckled and shifted, turning into a slick mudslide. The creature's claws scraped at the ground, but it couldn't find purchase. It slid, losing its balance, and in that moment of vulnerability, Charles struck.

With a roar, he swung his hammer in a wide arc, aiming for the beast's head. The hammer connected with a sickening crunch, and the force of the blow sent the creature crashing into the cavern wall with enough power to create a crater. Black blood splattered across the stone as the beast's body crumpled to the ground.

But even as it lay there, twitching, it wasn't dead. The creature's body began to glow once more, sparks of electricity flickering across its fur.

It's trying to transform again!

Charles's heart pounded in his chest. He didn't have the strength for another attack, but he had one more trick up his sleeve.

"Let's see how you like this," he muttered, raising his hand.

With the last of his soul essence, Charles called upon the earth one final time. The ground beneath the beast's feet shifted again, this time solidifying into thick, heavy rock that wrapped around the creature's legs, pinning it in place. The beast thrashed, electricity arcing wildly from its body, but the rock held firm.

Charles took a shaky step forward, his vision blurred from exhaustion. He could barely lift his hammer, but he knew this was his only chance. He raised it high, summoning every ounce of strength he had left, and brought it down with all his might.

The hammer connected with the beast's skull, and for a moment, everything was still. Then, with a final, ear-splitting crack, the creature's head split open, black blood gushing from the wound. The electricity around its body flickered and died.

It was over.

Charles staggered backward, his legs trembling beneath him. His hammer slipped from his fingers and clattered to the ground as he collapsed to his knees, gasping for breath. Blood dripped from his wounds, pooling on the cold stone floor beneath him.

His body ached, every muscle screaming in pain, but he had won. The beast lay dead at his feet, its black blood staining the earth around it.

Charles let out a weak laugh, collapsing onto his back. His vision swam, and his head pounded, but the battle was done. He lay there for a moment, staring up at the cavern ceiling, trying to catch his breath.

"I really need to listen to an hour of Brazilian phonk," he muttered with a wry grin, his voice barely above a whisper.