The Bronze Savage Bull charged at the young thief, its blood-red eyes flickering ominously with the light of imminent death.
Everyone watching was convinced that the thief's end was near; such a deadly gaze was known for its relentless efficiency.
As the Bronze Savage Bull's eyes glowed ominously, signaling the activation of the 'Death Gaze,' the crowd braced for the inevitable.
The guard captain, unable to witness the grim finale, had closed his eyes, dreading the bloodbath that would surely follow and the inevitable chaos that would engulf White Stone City.
The demise of two tome contract holders, especially one from the formidable Butterfly and Flower Valley, was bound to set off a storm of vengeance.
Amidst the tense atmosphere, Shadowclaw's laughter filled the air, a sound as sinister as an owl's screech, suffusing the atmosphere with unease.
But abruptly, within three seconds, his laughter choked off, as if sliced by a blade.
Before today, had anyone claimed that a fifth-level Bronze Savage Bull's 'Death Gaze' couldn't kill a mere young thief, they would have been mocked or deemed mad.
Yet, now, the unthinkable had unfolded right before their eyes. Eddie's figure flickered slightly and then stabilized, standing unharmed and defiant. All onlookers were astounded, their mouths agape in disbelief.
For Eddie himself, this surprising turn of events was unexpected.
Eddie had initially planned to use his life-guarding beast, 'Phantom,' an entity that never truly dies, to counter the Bronze Savage Bull's deadly 'Death Gaze.'
The moment the bull's gaze activated, Eddie moved out of the way, leaving behind only a phantom as a decoy to gauge the true potency of the gaze. Was it an instant kill, or would it prove ineffective?
As the phantom was targeted by the 'Death Gaze,' Eddie sensed in his consciousness a bizarrely swift shadow emerging from the bull's spirit, darting into his own mental realm and then vanishing just as quickly.
The grim reaper-like shadow seemed intent on capturing the phantom in his consciousness, but found nothing to grasp and, seemingly unaware of Eddie's observation, dissipated just as swiftly as it had appeared.
In that instant, Eddie perceived a flood of mysterious and profound insights, feeling a thrill of understanding.
He realized that his 'Insight' ability had miraculously improved following this encounter. An impulse surged within him: had he used the 'Binding Chains' at that moment, perhaps he could have captured this 'Grim Reaper Shadow.'
What would capturing the 'Grim Reaper Shadow' entail? Eddie wasn't sure, but he believed it would be beneficial and well worth the attempt.
Regrettably, due to his caution, he had missed the opportunity to use the 'Binding Chains' on the fleeting shadow.
Despite this missed chance, excitement still surged within him, especially as he discovered that his enhanced 'Insight' now allowed him to perceive several hidden abilities of the 'Phantom,' one of which involved combining several shadows to form a 'Giant Shadow.'
The 'Giant Shadow' was ephemeral, lasting only a minute. Each additional shadow merged only extended its duration by about thirty seconds.
However, this short-lived 'Giant Shadow' possessed immense strength, comparable to a titan.
When Eddie combined five phantoms into one 'Giant Shadow' and enhanced himself with it, he was astounded to find his strength increased by at least a hundredfold.
Even with a duration of less than three minutes, the newly empowered Eddie felt confident enough to grapple with the Stone Golem.
Eddie's newfound strength was a spectacle to behold.
As he grasped the formidable horns of the Bronze Savage Bull, a thunderous roar escaped his lips, resonating across the heavens and earth, causing a tremor of fear in everyone's heart. The massive bull, usually an unstoppable force, was flipped over by Eddie's herculean effort.
The excessive force, coupled with his lack of control over this new strength, resulted in one of the bull's horns snapping off — a display of power that left the onlookers completely aghast.
No one knew this was a miscalculation on Eddie's part; they all presumed it was a deliberate show of terrifying strength. The surrounding warriors were petrified, their faces pale as ghosts.
"This is human strength?"
"I'm going to faint!"
"It's an illusion! This has to be an illusion! I refuse to believe it; this is absolutely impossible!" Shadowclaw, the summoner of the Bronze Savage Bull, couldn't accept what he was seeing.
He was convinced it was all a trick, perhaps a hypnotic illusion cast by one of Eddie's summoned beasts.
In his mind, no ordinary human could ever topple a level-five Bronze Savage Bull, let alone break its horns, the hardest part of its body, reputed to be ten times tougher than steel.
And then there was the matter of surviving the 'Death Gaze.'
Unless someone was a supreme master, just a step away from the transcendent Innate level, no ordinary warrior could withstand the soul-destroying power of the Bronze Savage Bull's gaze.
Could this young man, seemingly a novice in summoning, be such a grandmaster?
It was inconceivable to Shadowclaw. He'd rather believe his father was a woman than accept that a level-one novice possessed the might of a level-six grandmaster.
But what happened next left the audience going from petrified to utterly stupefied.
The crowd couldn't believe their eyes. In an utterly unprecedented turn of events, the hulking Rock Golem, previously poised to crush Eddie into oblivion, had seemingly betrayed its master.
Under Eddie's mere touch, the golem, devoid of thought or wisdom, turned on the Bronze Savage Bull, pummeling it with its massive fists.
Such treachery was unheard of; war golems were known for their unwavering loyalty due to their lack of consciousness. Once bound to a master, they served unconditionally.
For Shadowclaw, it was a nightmare unfolding in real-time. In his mind, the Rock Golem was still his summoned beast, yet it was now acting under an unknown external force, completely ignoring his commands and relentlessly attacking the Bronze Savage Bull.
Seeing this impossible scenario unfold, Shadowclaw felt an overwhelming urge to cry, but the tears wouldn't come. He wanted to end his misery, but there was no time for self-pity. Eddie, a mere novice in the eyes of many, now stood towering over him, a figure of absolute dominance.
In that moment, Shadowclaw felt an acute sense of smallness, as if he were a mouse facing a ferocious tiger. For the first time in his life, he was consumed by a feeling of utter powerlessness and terror.
"Thought you were tough, huh? Let's hear you laugh now, let's see that arrogance! Show me how tough you are!" Eddie taunted as he kicked Shadowclaw to the ground. He then proceeded to unleash a relentless barrage of kicks and punches, ignoring the astonished stares of the onlookers.
The sight of a novice summoner brutally assaulting a high-ranking hero was so shocking that it left everyone with an urge to bash their heads against a wall. Such a scenario was simply too absurd to process.