The Shadow Behemoth advanced towards Claudia with deliberate, ground-shaking steps. Its massive form moved with a predatory grace. His claws ready to swipe.
Claudia now lost in her berserk state. The maelstrom of Aether around her body. Her magic lashing out in wild, uncontrolled arcs of power.
Amidst this fury, Ethan stood calm and resolute. His bow ready at hand. He drew back the string, each arrow nocked glowing with the same ethereal energy that Claudia wielded.
He started shooting while Claudia facing the Shadow Behemoth.
*SWISH!*
*SWISH!*
*SWISH!*
...
His shots mostly accurate, each arrow finding its mark even as Claudia twisted and turned in her fury.
The arrows pierced the storm of Aether, their impact sending ripples through the energy that engulfed Claudia. With each hit, her rage intensified, but so did her instability.
The Aether that gave her strength was also her vulnerability because it makes her mind unable to think straight. And Ethan exploited it with every shot.
The Behemoth's claws swiped through the air, aiming for the sorceress with lethal intent. Claudia, in her berserk state, fought back with raw power, her spells colliding with the Behemoth's shadowy form.
The battle was a spectacle to behold. The Aether-engulfed woman and the summoned monster clashing in a dance of power and ferocity.
The Behemoth's attacks were relentless. He has become stronger because the monster has received Ethan's Soul strength as his master and the creature's innate savagery.
Claudia, despite her immense power, found herself on the defensive, her spells barely keeping the Behemoth at bay.
"GROAAAAHHH!!!"
The creature's roars filled the air as he attacking, a sound that shook the very bones of all who heard it.
Ethan's arrows continued to fly, a steady stream of Aether that sought to weaken Claudia further. Blood streaming from her arms and body.
---
In a room shrouded in mystery, entities of unknown origin observed the fierce battle unfolding between Ethan and Claudia. Their forms obscured by the shadows of the room, their eyes glowing with an otherworldly light.
The spectacle before them had captured their attention, the display of strength and magic piquing their curiosity.
Ethan's resilience and strategic prowess, coupled with his ability to summon the Shadow Behemoth, had left a mark on these enigmatic watchers.
They whispered among themselves, their voices a chorus of ethereal tones that resonated through the walls of the concealed chamber.
"It is rare to witness such potential. A high-grade Talent has been awakened indeed," one murmured, his voice laced with intrigue.
"You are right," another agreed, his form shifting like smoke.
As the battle reached its zenith, the entities came to a silent consensus. They had seen enough to judge the worth of those fighting below. With a nod they decided it was time to intervene, to bring an end to the battle.
"The time has come," one of them declared. "We shall end this trial and choose those remaining to ascend to the Second Floor."
The truth is, the Invited, are not required to defeat Claudia. Their true test lies in endurance and resilience.
The challenge is thus: to withstand the onslaught of Claudia's formidable powers, and to survive as long until they decided to end the battle.
Once the entities deem that the Invited have proven themselves, they intervene to halt the conflict. The survivors are then deemed ready to ascend to the Second Floor where new challenges and greater mysteries await them.
There is no real standard. Its all just to their amusement.
---
'Can I absorb her Soul?'
Ethan wondering amidst his shoots. He knew that Claudia is weakening and he wants to absorb emher Souls to make himself stronger.
However, how about the watchers? Is it alright if he do that to a Floor Guardian?
'No. Its too risky. I can't expose myself too much.'
In the end, Ethan decided to not do it.
In the midst of the fierce battle, a sudden stillness enveloped the arena. Time itself seemed to halt.
The clash, the flight of arrows, and the roars of combat—all froze in an instant, suspended in a tableau of halted motion.
Ethan, mid-strike, and Claudia, her magic mid-cast, found themselves caught in an eerie calm. The energy that had been thrumming through the battlefield lay dormant, and the very fabric of reality appeared to wait with bated breath.
However, Ethan and the others still have their consciousness. Its just that they can not move their body.
The watchers who had been observing from their hidden chamber, had seen enough.
With a thought that resonated through the dimensions, they declared, "The trial is complete."
In the blink of an eye, the surroundings shifted. The arena, the sky, the very ground beneath their feet dissolved into a particles of colors and lights.
Ethan and the Invited, along with the Shadow Behemoth, were swept up in a current of otherworldly energy.
When the world settled again, they found themselves in a place unlike any they had known.
---