Alex stepped forward, his sword at the ready. "This is no ordinary beast," he warned, his voice tight with tension. "It's a boss monster, and it's not going to be easy."
Lily's eyes narrowed, and she whispered an incantation, a sheet of ice spreading beneath their feet, creating a slippery surface for the bear to navigate. "We'll have to be smart," she said, her voice low and focused. "We can't just rely on brute force."
Simon nodded, his mind racing. He knew that boss monsters were not to be underestimated. They had unique abilities and tactics that could turn the tide of battle. He looked at his status window, his mana still dangerously low from the incomplete summoning. He had to make his next move count.
The bone bear roared, charging towards them with surprising speed for its size. Its massive paws swiped through the air, leaving a trail of bone shards. Simon's heart pounded as he tried to gather enough mana to cast something substantial.
Lily stepped up, her staff glowing brighter than ever before. She chanted an incantation, and a wall of ice shot up in front of the charging beast. The bear slammed into it, the impact causing the ice to crackle and groan under the pressure. "Now!" she shouted, and Simon knew what she had planned.
With a deep breath, Simon focused all his remaining mana into his wand. The incantation for skeletal minion was etched in his mind. He had to get it right this time. With a flick of his wrist, the bone shield man vanished, and in its place, a horde of skeletal minions emerged from the ground, weapons at the ready. They were weaker than the bone shield man, but their sheer numbers could overwhelm the bear.
Alex took the opportunity, his sword a blur as he darted around the bear, looking for an opening. The creature's attention was split, trying to fend off the icy projectiles from Lily and the relentless assault from the skeletal minions. Simon watched in amazement as his friend danced around the creature, his movements precise and deadly.
The bone bear snarled, its eyes glowing with an otherworldly rage. It swiped at Alex, its paw catching him in the side. The blow sent him flying into a nearby tree with a sickening crunch. Simon's heart sank, but Alex was back on his feet in an instant, his eyes blazing with determination.
The trio continued to fight in unison, their skills complementing each other perfectly. Lily's ice spikes rained down, slowing the bear and keeping it at bay, while Simon's skeletal minions swarmed it from all sides. The creature was powerful, but they had the upper hand—or so they thought.
With a bone-chilling roar, the bear stood up on its hind legs, its paws transforming into massive bone swords. It brought the weapons down with a force that sent shockwaves through the ground. The skeletal minions were no match for the sheer power, and they shattered into a thousand pieces.
Lily's ice wall held, but just barely. She stumbled back, panting. "We need to end this," she said, her voice strained. "I don't know how much longer I can keep this up."
Simon gritted his teeth, his eyes on the bone bear. He knew that the creature's power was growing, and their window of opportunity was closing. He had to risk everything. He began chanting the most powerful necromantic spell he knew, one that would summon a creature so terrifying, even the bravest hunters spoke of it in whispers.
The air grew thick with the scent of decay, and the ground trembled as the spell took form. The bone bear paused, sensing the shift in power. Out of the ground erupted a giant skeletal dragon, its eyes burning with the same fiery hunger as the bear's. The dragon's massive wings unfurled, casting a shadow over the battlefield.
For a moment, the three of them just stared at the creature before them. This was no ordinary summon; this was a creature that could turn the tide of battle. The dragon's gaze fell upon the bear, and with a roar that echoed through the night, it charged.
The battle was intense, a dance of bone and steel, fire and ice. The dragon's fiery breath scorched the air, while the bear's swords clashed against the dragon's bone armor. The dragon's tail swept through the air, sending skeletons flying and the bear stumbling.
Simon felt his mana drain away with each breath he took. The summoning had taken everything he had and then some. He watched as Alex and Lily fought alongside his creation, their movements in sync, a testament to their friendship and trust.
And then it happened. The bear's sword arm shattered under the dragon's relentless assault, and with a final roar, the creature collapsed, defeated.