Eccar finished off the smaller shadow creatures that attacked him with ferocity in a matter of seconds. He didn't want to waste time and immediately unleashed his claws, tearing them to pieces. The creatures turned into wisps of shadow that floated for a few seconds in the air before dissolving like mist and vanishing.
After killing the smaller ones, Eccar focused his gaze on the large one that had just appeared. No matter how he looked at it, he was convinced it was their leader or something similar.
So he moved at the same speed he had used to kill the smaller shadows and launched a punch at the large shadow. But to his surprise, the creature actually blocked his fist with its own massive hand. Eccar looked at it, startled.
"Oh?" he said. "You're a bit stronger than the others."
"Grhh…" the large shadow growled. It then opened its mouth, revealing a row of black, abyss-like teeth that seemed to go on forever, and let out a scream. "HAAAA!!!"
The sound that came from the creature's mouth didn't resemble a human scream—it sounded more like grinding metal. Its green eyes also glowed brighter, sending another wave of assault toward Eccar's soul.
This might have worked if he were human, and in fact, it had staggered him earlier. But he was a Dragonborn, so the attack had little effect on him.
Eccar grinned widely. "It's not working, bastard."
He opened his other hand, brandishing his claws, then swung it at the large shadow's arm—the one gripping his first hand. With a swift strike, Eccar severed the arm at the elbow. Wisps of black mist rose into the air as the severed limb dropped to the ground.
The green glow in the creature's eyes dimmed, and it staggered back, letting out a sound that could only be described as a cry of pain.
Eccar charged at it, leaped, and clawed into its torso, creating yet another massive wound. He kept attacking, eventually severing its limbs. The big shadow collapsed to the ground with a heavy thud.
Eccar stood in front of it, watching carefully in case it had some kind of regenerative ability. But after several seconds of writhing in pain, Eccar was confident it didn't.
Nodding to himself, he grabbed the creature's remaining arm and dragged it back toward the camp.
Thorne, Selene, and Kaela looked alert at the strange sound coming from deep within the forest. It was loud and odd, like someone dragging something large across the forest floor.
At first, they feared that some unknown monster had defeated Eccar and was dragging him through the woods. But what they saw in the next second proved otherwise.
Mark snorted, grinning. "See what I told you?"
Thorne, Selene, and Kaela finally witnessed Eccar's strength for themselves. He was now dragging a strange creature that looked entirely made of shadow—black and massive.
Letting out a sigh, Eccar said, "It was a good call that you didn't follow me. This thing could perform soul attacks."
At his words, all of them were stunned. They exchanged shocked looks. Soul attacks were considered one of the most dangerous types of Magic because very few had the means to counter or defend against them. Encountering one here could have meant their doom, since none of them had any protection against it.
"Then how did you survive the attack?" Selene asked, staring at Eccar.
"Me? Well, let's just say I'm a little bit special," Eccar replied nonchalantly.
His answer finally made the three of them fully acknowledge Eccar's capabilities. They now understood why Mark had said what he did earlier.
"Now we can ask him some questions," Eccar said, setting the powerless shadow creature down.
Mark stood up and moved closer to the creature, studying it with a wary expression. Thorne, Selene, and Kaela joined him, each of them wondering the same thing—did Eccar have any way to communicate with this thing?
Without a word, Eccar stepped forward and kicked the creature in the head. "Can you talk?" he asked flatly.
The creature glared up at him, its green eyes burning with hatred but offering no response.
Selene let out a sigh. "I'm guessing you don't know how to speak to strange Magic creatures."
She walked past him, approaching the shadowed figure without hesitation.
"No. I usually don't bother talking to enemies," Eccar replied. "But I guess you can do something about that, right?"
Selene nodded. "You're lucky."
She stopped in front of the massive shadow, then cleared her throat a few times. As she did, Eccar noticed a faint shimmer of light pulsing gently around her neck and mouth.
Then Selene began to speak, her voice carrying a rhythm and cadence that didn't match any language he knew—an ancient tongue that echoed with the weight of Magic.
Eccar, Mark, Thorne, and Kaela stood in a loose semi-circle, their eyes fixed on Selene as she spoke to the shadow creature.
Her voice moved with a smooth fluid rhythm, each word bending the air around them in unnatural ways. Though the language was foreign to them every syllable carried a weight that tugged at their senses.
A faint breeze stirred the clearing—not from wind, but from something deeper. It brushed past their skin like whispers from the trees, the grass, the earth itself. It was a tongue not meant for humans but belonged to the roots and leaves, to the Magic of the forest.
The shadow creature answered her. Though its expression twisted in fury and its green eyes flared with hatred, it obeyed. Trapped and wounded, it had no choice.
Its voice rumbled low like stones grinding together in a forgotten cave. But the more it spoke, the more restless it became.
The others remained tense, watching the exchange. Eccar narrowed his eyes, sensing the build-up of aggression in the creature's twitching limbs and trembling breath.
With a guttural roar, the big shadow surged forward, burning with reckless desperation. It launched itself at Selene, green eyes blazing, claws outstretched in a last-ditch attempt to tear her apart.
The attack was so sudden, none of them reacted in time, except Eccar.
He moved effortlessly. Slamming one foot into the earth. In an instant, a jagged spear of solid stone erupted from the ground, angled perfectly. It pierced the shadow creature mid-lunge, impaling it through the chest with a sickening crack.
The creature froze, limbs spasming once, then slumped lifelessly against the spear, its green eyes finally dimming. Silence fell over the clearing.