Kael remained on his knees for a moment, his breath uneven as his mind processed what had just happened. The Manticore lay motionless before him, but the air was still thick with a lingering tension. The golden orb floated nearby, emitting a faint, warm glow that contrasted with the dark surroundings.
Before he could relax, a strange sound caught his attention. It was a low crackling noise, as if something else was stirring in the shadows of the clearing. Kael tightened his grip on his sword's hilt, his body still taut from the adrenaline.
"This can't be over," he muttered to himself.
Then he saw it—a faint glimmer on the Manticore's skin, right where his sword had pierced its body. A dark mark began to spread from the wound, pulsing with malignant energy.
Suddenly, the creature convulsed. Its body emitted a black vapor that rapidly spread through the clearing, shrouding Kael in a thick fog that made it nearly impossible to see. He stood up instantly, sword raised in front of him, as the golden orb emitted a warning:
—Anomaly detected. The creature is absorbing residual energy from the trial.
"What?" Kael exclaimed, instinctively stepping back.
The Manticore rose once more, its eyes glowing even brighter than before. But this time, something was different. Its body appeared to decompose and reconstruct itself simultaneously, as though it were being forced to transcend its natural form. The creature roared, a distorted sound that reverberated like an echo of pure rage.
Kael felt the crushing weight of the threat before him, but he didn't retreat. Instead, he reactivated his affinity with shadows, forming a protective shield around his body. If I don't finish this now, I won't leave here alive, he thought grimly.
The Manticore, now cloaked in a black aura, charged at him with a speed far beyond anything Kael had faced before. He barely had time to react. His shield absorbed part of the impact, but the sheer force of the blow hurled him several meters, slamming him into a tree.
"Damn it!" he growled, struggling to stand.
Kael knew brute strength alone wouldn't suffice. The creature had become more powerful, but also more unstable. If he could find a pattern in its attacks or exploit a weakness in its new form, he might still have a chance.
Closing his eyes for a moment, he focused on the fluctuations of energy around him. His shadow affinity allowed him to sense the Manticore's movements even amidst the chaos. Using this advantage, he narrowly dodged a swipe from its claws, rolling to the side and countering with a quick slash.
The strike landed, but it barely scratched the creature. However, Kael noticed something curious: the black energy surrounding the Manticore seemed to react when it came into contact with his magic.
"Could I... neutralize it?" he wondered aloud, rapidly formulating a plan.
Channeling his shadow energy, Kael began concentrating it into a more focused pattern, crafting an improvised magic circle around himself. He knew it was risky—this type of technique was far from mastered—but he had no other choice.
The Manticore roared again, launching itself at him with unbridled fury. This time, Kael didn't dodge. Instead, he stood firm, waiting until the very last moment before unleashing all the energy he had stored within the circle.
An explosion of shadows and black light engulfed the clearing, trapping the creature in a whirlwind of energy that seemed to tear it apart from within. The Manticore's roar turned into a wail as its body began to fragment, each piece of dark energy dissolving into the air.
When the light finally faded, Kael staggered forward, exhausted but victorious. The Manticore had vanished entirely, leaving behind only a small, dark crystal on the ground where its heart had once been.
The golden orb reappeared, floating calmly beside him.
—Anomaly neutralized. Second objective complete —it announced in its usual neutral tone.
Kael collapsed to the ground, no longer caring about appearances. Exhaustion consumed him, but a sense of relief broke through the weariness.
"This is only the beginning," he thought as he stared at the dark crystal.