Grey Strength 9

Dropping to all fours, the aetheric beast charged at me.

I raised an arm, signalling for Caera to stay back while shrouding myself in a condensed layer of aether. I could feel the drain on my reserves, but it was better to take safety measures against enemies of unknown strength.

I lowered my stance to meet it head on, expecting it to rear up and attack or to veer away, but instead it lowered its broad head and the aether surrounding it flared as it ran straight into me.

Sidestepping at the last moment, I thrust my palm at its side, hoping to push it off balance. However, the beast shifted its weight at the moment of contact and used the force of my blow to whirl in place. The invisible beast lashed out mid-spin with a paw the size of a dinner plate.

I blocked the blow, catching its giant paw in my hands before pivoting my stance and throwing its arm over my shoulder. Aether flared from my core as I summoned the strength to shoulder toss the two-ton behemoth onto the stairs, shaking the entire dome.

The shell of aether shimmered and faded, and suddenly I could see the thing hidden underneath, strewn across the base of the stairs.