The sandstorm in the sky stirred with increasing violence as they approached, casting strange shadows across the battlefield. Jelani adjusted his grip on his hexblade as they moved into position.

  Tyson led from the center, shield raised, with Mary hanging back behind the group by several meters. The ranged fighters spread out in a loose arc – Pandora and Greta on the far left, while Davi and Charles were on the right.

  Isaac kept close to Jelani’s right. The sentinel's shield trembled slightly, but his stance was improving. On the opposite side of Tyson, Malik and Saveon mirrored their position.

  The Carnufex noticed them. Eight sets of blood-red eyes fixed on their group as the creatures turned, muscles rippling beneath armored scales. Their growls carried something almost like intelligence.

  "Remember the plan!" Tyson's voice cut through the tension. "They're coming!"

  The beasts moved as one unit, covering ground with frightening speed. The group instinctively stepped back as Tyson's shield began to pulse with aqua light.

  Suddenly a tidal wave of water erupted from Tyson's shield just as the bipedal crocodile like monsters were a few yards away. Instead of a direct impact, the water coiled around their lower bodies like living restraints. The creatures fought against the current, massive arms still free to strike.

  "Now!" Tyson called. "Warriors and sentinels, don’t get greedy I’ll try to give you guys openings to attack!"

  Jelani and Isaac approached their assigned target – a particularly nasty specimen with fresh scars across its snout.

  It tracked their movement, then its arm shot out with surprising speed. The displacement of air alone made Jelani’s locs move. Isaac's shield caught the edge of the strike, the impact sliding him back several inches.

  "That's... that's insane," Isaac gasped.

  ‘If it can do that with a swing i'm gonna need to be careful. Can't rush this, but I’ve gotta help even the odds where I can,’

  Jelani circled for an opening. He darted in after dodging another of its wild swings, landing a clean slash across its torso.

  As Jelani's blade connected, he felt something new – a subtle transfer of energy from the creature to himself. Its scales seemed to ripple with a few extra cracks where he'd struck, while his own muscles tensed with a sudden but small burst of energy.

  ‘So is that how my ability works? ,’

  He felt the creature's power flow into him. Not much – maybe a fraction of its strength – but each successful slash seemed to stack the effect. His next strike cut deeper, the Carnufex's hide offering less resistance.

  Jelani pressed his advantage, confidence building with each successful strike. Every cut seemed to drain more durability from the beast, its movements becoming fractionally slower while his own felt more precise.

  Against the geckos, the effect had been negligible. But here, against an opponent a rank above him, he understood how his ability would come in handy.

  ‘I could get used to this shit! I’m gonna need to figure out what the limits are,’

  He ducked under another wild swing from the croc. His borrowed strength let him push in harder, scoring another slash that left the creature with a wound a couple inches deep. Feeling a bit smug he stayed within its range intending to continue his chain of slashes.

  “Watch out!” Isaac called from behind him.

  His hubris cost him. The Carnufex's tail whipped around through the water current, a move he hadn't seen coming. The impact caught him square in the chest, sending him flying backwards. In seconds he hit the ground hard.

  “Sorry! I-it moved to fast! I couldn’t use my ability in time,” Isaac yelled.

  Through blurred vision, he saw the creature struggling to draw its tail back inside the wave, its previous injuries leaking blood that began to swirl within the waters covering its lower half..

  Warm light washed over him and he gasped from the pain of his ribs snapping back into place as Mary's healing took effect. "Careful!" she called out. "They are still a rank above you!"

  ‘Goddam! that one move almost fucked me up..’

  Jelani pushed himself up, jogging back to Isaac's position. His chest still ached where the tail had connected, a reminder to stay focused.

  "I'll try to do better," Isaac said, determination slowly replacing his earlier nervousness. "I can see their moves a bit clearer now."

  A series of shots rang out from their left. Pandora had found a weak point, her rounds finally cracking through scales after repeated hits to the same spot.

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  Beside her, Greta's frustration was visible as another stone spire missed its mark, the Carnufex weaving around her attacks despite Tyson's water restraints.

  A pained scream cut through the air. Jelani's head snapped right to see Malik staggering back, blood streaming from a set of deep gashes across his face. But something unexpected happened – Saveon's eyes flared with intense light, his tower shield suddenly blazing with blue energy.

  The Carnufex half lunged within its bindings for another strike at Malik, but Saveon moved with newfound purpose. He charged forward, shield-first, into the creature's chest. The impact rang like a bell, actually pushing the beast back despite its size. It released a surprised growl of pain.

  Jelani felt the last of his borrowed strength fade.

  ‘Time to get back in it, looks like the boost from my ability wears off after seconds of not attacking,’

  He moved in for another series of strikes, knowing he'd need to build that advantage again from scratch.

  The creature's claws whipped toward his shoulder but then it feinted and went for a strike with the other arm – too fast to dodge – but a blue pentagon materialized between them. The shield construct caught the attack, dissipating under the force immediately but buying crucial seconds for Jelani to dodge.

  "Thanks!" Jelani called back, genuinely impressed. "Good catch."

  Isaac nodded, standing straighter. Pride replaced fear in his posture as he readied another construct.

  Jelani studied the wounds he'd opened earlier, still seeping blood into Tyson's swirling waters.

  ‘I’ll focus on the wounds I’ve already opened, stack the strikes till I can break through,’

  His blade slid across the first gash he opened, deepening it. The creature thrashed but couldn't break free of the current. Each strike drained more strength, more durability, the transfers adding up faster now that he understood the process. The third hit opened the wound wide enough to see exposed muscle fibers beneath its scales.

  ‘Now,’

  Jelani drove his blade through the weakened flesh with everything he had. The Carnufex's roar cut short as the sword burst through its back, vital organs shredded in its path. The creature went slack, then collapsed.

  "Damn," Isaac’s voice carried genuine surprise. "That was clean."

  "Good work!" Tyson called out, though his eyes narrowed slightly. "Keep that momentum going!"

  Jelani caught him muttering under his breath – something about "way too quick, shit don’t make sense but it doesn't matter" Tyson's attention snapped back to his water control. He yanked the current holding Malik's target, pulling it back just as its claws whistled through empty air in front of him.

  "Stop swinging that thing like you're at batting practice!" Tyson barked at Malik. "Bob and weave, then strike!"

  Jelani snatched up the fallen creature's core, feeling its residual energy pulse against his palm. He jerked his head toward the next Carnufex in line and then back at Isaac. "Ready for another?"

  Isaac nodded, shield steady now.

  Their second target thrashed closer to the center, giving Tyson a clear view of their approach. Jelani felt the instructor's attention but kept his focus, blade ready to weaken his target.

  He started by slashing at its torso in between swipes of its claws. With every duck, a gust of air from each nearly avoided attack caused his locs to blow in the air.

  The Carnufex's tail whipped around through the water, faster than the first one's attack. But Isaac was ready – two pentagon shields materialized, layered for extra strength. The tail slammed into them with enough force to shatter both shields but slightly slowed after each one giving Jelani time to avoid it.

  "Got you covered!" Isaac called, confidence growing in his tone.

  The tail caught in Tyson's waves, trapped at an awkward angle. Jelani struck hard and fast, blade singing through flesh and bone. The severed tail splashed into the churning water below.

  The creature's roar shook the mesa, deep and primal. Around them, the other Carnufex responded to their packmate's pain, fighting harder against their watery restraints. Tyson's face showed strain as he struggled to maintain control.

  "Finally!" Pandora's voice rang out as her target collapsed, Greta's spikes having found their mark at the same time as a shot from Pandora’s shotgun. The women shared a look of exhausted relief.

  On the far side, Malik's wild swings had somehow worn his opponent down, while Davi's energy arrows peppered his back row target with accumulating damage. The tide seemed to be turning.

  But Tyson's waters were growing thinner, less controlled. They didn't have much time.

  ‘We need to end this fast,’

  Jelani was nervous watching Tyson struggle. The Carnufex before him was already weakened so he chose not to waste time om careful strikes.

  He launched into a rapid series of attacks, each hit draining more strength and weakening its durability. Between strikes, he tried to sneakily activate an enhanced slash, the combination eating through scales and flesh faster than should be possible for someone his rank.

  The creature's chest split open under his assault. He followed up with a final thrust through the exposed muscle tissue of its chest killing the creature.

  He felt Isaac's analytical gaze on his back. The sentinel seemed to war with himself, questions forming on his lips but fading out as he bit them down.

  "Got you BITCH!" Malik's frustrated yet triumphant yell carried across the battlefield, his mace finally finding a killing blow despite his wild technique. Almost simultaneously, one of Davi's arrows found a sweet spot, piercing deep into his target's neck.

  ‘Three left, one in the front row and two in the back row,’

  Jelani saw the increasing sweat on Tyson’s brows and wavering of the waters. He ran past the man towards the last monster in their row hoping to get some damage in before the skill protecting them ended.

  But Tyson's strained grunt stopped him short. The instructor's arms shook, shield wavering as his water restraints grew dangerously thin.

  "Can't... hold much longer," Tyson managed through gritted teeth. "They know it too."

  The remaining Carnufex fought with renewed vigor, sensing their chance for freedom.

  Jelani was too late. The water dissipated completely, leaving three enraged, enlightened-rank monsters completely unrestrained.

  The front row Carnufex moved with frightening speed the moment its watery restraints vanished. Jelani's tactical mind kicked in, seeing their scattered positions across the battlefield. There wouldn’t be much they could do to counter their strength on their own so they’d need to rely on Tyson still.

  "Everyone come over h—" Jelani started.

  "Form up near me!" Tyson's strained voice cut through after an annoyed glance at Jelani, even as he struggled to one knee. "Get to me, now!"

  But it was already too late. At the far right edge of their formation, Saveon's shield flared brilliant blue as he charged to intercept the freed Carnufex.

  The impact echoed across the mesa top as he slammed into its chest, actually driving the massive creature back several steps. But its recovery was instantaneous – claws found purchase on his shield's edge and with terrifying strength, it hurled him spinning through the air.

  "Run, Malik!" Tyson's command carried desperate authority.

  Jelani was already moving to help, but movement on his left forced him to turn. Twenty yards away, Pandora and Greta backed toward a rock formation, their target advancing despite the pink mist erupting from Pandora's shotgun. Isaac stood halfway between both groups, shield wavering with indecision.

  "Get to them, now!" Jelani's voice cracked with stress, his need for control breaking through.

  ‘Everything's falling apart. We need to—‘

  A fearful cry ripped from Charles voice. The second Carnufex that was in the back row had closed the distance to Davi in seconds, its jaws closing around his throat before anyone could react. The ooze of blood from Davi’s neck hadn't even hit the ground when the first beast reached Malik, one savage swipe ripped across his neck.

  Golden light blazed from Mary's staff, desperately reaching for both fallen men. But the croc like beast standing above Malik had found a new target. It turned toward their healer, muscles bunching for the charge.

  "Mary!" Tyson forced himself up on trembling legs, face pale with exhaustion.

  Jelani sprinted harder than he'd ever moved, knowing with sick certainty that he wouldn't make it.

  ‘Without her we're dead. We’re fucked in this vortex without a healer!’

  The Carnufex moved across the distance in several vicious strides, jaws stretching wide for Mary's face.