Grey Regen 14

I thought I was imagining it, until a four-fingered, clawed hand reached out from the void and grabbed the platform, digging into the flat, black panel of mana. A second claw followed, and, very slowly, spindly arms formed, dragging a horribly skinny creature out of the black background and into reality right in front of me.

Its bones protruded in sharp ridges against shiny black skin that blended into the darkness behind it. The flat face had no mouth or nose but four out-of-place eyes. As it uncoiled from its crouched position, I found myself looking up at it; the creature was at least seven feet tall.

It blinked, each eye closing and opening slightly out of time with the others. Then it lunged forward, clawing at my stomach.

I stepped into the blow, conjuring an aether blade in my left hand. The monster’s claws dug into my side beneath my ribs, slicing right through the aetheric barrier that clad my skin.

My sword punched into its bony chest, then ripped up and out the side of the neck. Its eyes rolled in four different directions as it toppled over, and when it struck the ground it dissolved into the platform under my feet.

Pressing a hand to my side, I checked the wound; it was healed, as expected. At least that power is working.

‘You know, we’ve seen a lot of shit in here, but that thing was nightmare-inducing,’ Regis said via our telepathic link.

“This is going to be a problem,” I said to myself, considering the obstacles this zone presented. Is everything still clear over there?