Slippery Dance

Atlas felt the world narrow down to a pinpoint as he activated his "??? Eye" ability. A wave of aquamarine light washed over him, tinting the world and illuminating the Aether around the creature like a halo. For five precious seconds, he could see beyond the creature's immediate movements, catching glimpses of its Aether Body—the unseen force that guided its actions, coiling and uncoiling like a serpent preparing to strike.

In those fleeting moments, he watched the creature's limbs retract, preparing for another onslaught. Its jaw opened, and he could see the pulsing energy surging within, anticipating the attack. Each movement was a prelude, a dance he could now predict.

As the creature launched itself toward him with a speed that sent a thrill of fear racing through his veins, Atlas calculated the trajectory of its limbs, their speed, their angles. He didn't hesitate. Just as the creature's maw snapped closed, missing him by a hair, he warped sideways, the displacement like a breath of fresh air against his skin. The world blurred around him, and he landed just beyond the reach of its deadly teeth.

Atlas took a deep breath, feeling the Aether swirl within him, preparing for a counterattack. He could already sense the creature's next move; it was winding up for a more forceful strike, limbs coiling tightly before releasing with an elastic force.

Without making a noise he unleashed a focused blast of Aether from his palm. The energy shot forward, a shimmering beam of aquamarine light that connected with the creature mid-lunge. The impact sent shockwaves through the air, and the creature reeled back, screeching in pain. For a brief moment, it staggered, its limbs flailing in an erratic dance as it struggled to maintain its balance.

But Atlas knew he couldn't afford to celebrate. The creature was formidable, and its pain only seemed to stoke its rage. The ichor oozing from its wounds glistened like black oil, pooling beneath it as it twisted to face him once more, fury radiating from its every sinewy limb.

His heart raced as he prepared for its inevitable retaliation. He could feel the Aether coiling within him, but the drawback of his ability loomed over him like a shadow.

The creature coiled its limbs again, muscles taut, and Atlas steeled himself, knowing the danger that lay ahead. 

He only had around three seconds left, during those three he saw the creature's intention clearly: a sudden lunge, followed by an immediate retraction of its limbs, then another attack aimed directly at his throat. He calculated his next move, but as the seconds slipped away, he knew he had to make it count.

Just as the tint faded, and darkness closed in around him for those critical two seconds, he braced himself for the onslaught. The creature lunged, its elongated limbs snapping toward him with horrifying speed.

In that moment of blindness, Atlas felt the air shift, a chilling whisper of movement so close he could almost feel the creature's breath against his skin. He took a gamble, twisting away as he heard the rush of air, the limb slashing past him like a scythe.

The instant he regained his sight, he turned to face the creature again. There was no time to waste; he had to act before it could recover. Atlas channeled the remaining Aether in his core, focusing it into a single strike aimed at the creature's exposed flank, hoping to exploit the brief window of opportunity he had earned through instinct and sheer will.

As he thrust his palm forward, the air crackled with energy, and the beam of aquamarine Aether shot forth, colliding with the creature's side with a resonating explosion. The impact sent the creature reeling, its limbs flailing helplessly as it struggled to regain control.

Atlas didn't waste any time as he seized this opportunity to try and finish off the creature. He warped to the creature's head, using his maximum range of two meters, and once again filled his palm with Aether. While the creature couldn't see him, he placed his hand right next to the leech-like head and poured all his effort into a single strike.

Time seemed to freeze as Atlas witnessed the outcome.

The creature's head was left with a deep scratch. That was all.

 It was still alive after all that effort.

During his brief examination, the creature swiftly moved its appendages and struck at Atlas. 

He was Forced to react

Warping to the opposite side of its head while still in the air, he unleashed another strike. Again, it only resulted in a deep scratch. As a fast attack came his way, he warped again to the other side and released more Aether.

He continued this game of cat and mouse, striking from the air without falling, teleporting around his opponent. If the creature guessed his location correctly, even once, he would be struck and likely killed. Still, he had to try and finish it off here.

One after another, he cut deeper and deeper, transforming his opponent into a mass of wounds, slowly sapping its stamina. But Atlas felt his own energy waning as well. All of this warping and using Aether to strike was a test of pure endurance, and that was not something he wanted.

He yearned for this fight to end quickly, but not everything goes according to plan.

Atlas warped to the top of its head and shot down. This time, he activated his

 "??? Eye" ability again.

His Aether reserves were dangerously low, and he realized that using the "??? Eye" ability consumed more than thirty percent of his total Aether.

He saw the world through an aquamarine tint. This time, what he saw wasn't him being attacked but rather a scene of defense.

The creature was going to block his next warp if he moved to the left, and if he moved to the right, it would slice him in two.

It was clear the creature was starting to predict his movements with alarming accuracy.

Using this knowledge, Atlas decided that if he couldn't go left or right, it was best to go straight ahead.

He warped, and in an instant, his fingers were extending toward the beast's front throat.

Without thinking about it, as if it were second nature, Atlas infused Aether into his fingertips, creating a claw-like ability. His primal instinct to rip at the throat of his opponent manifested through his Aether, forming this technique.

He laid waste as his claws barely pierced through the already made wounds. Shredding and tearing, the slimy layer was forcibly ripped apart as Atlas pumped his muscles with the very last of his Aether. He kept going, and with each strike, he could feel the creature squirming, desperately trying to throw him off.

At some point, he felt the creature's claws dig into his right side, but it wasn't enough to kill him. The creature was too fatigued and hurt to exert all its power; otherwise, Atlas would have been dead.

He kept digging deeper, even as the black ichor splattered across his body, and the tendons of the creature fell from his hands. He was determined not to stop until either the creature was dead or he was.

This all happened in the air, with Atlas latching onto the creature's body with his claws. Finally, the creature crashed down to the ground, and Atlas went down with it.

He rolled onto the ground next to the monster, struggling to get up. His muscles failed him, overwhelmed by fatigue. He had exerted himself too much. He wanted to keep going, no matter what; he needed to kill this monster. This was more than a trial set by Ivan or the Door itself. This was a personal vendetta to win, set by something previously unknown inside Atlas..

He tried again, only to fail. Burning with fury to rise and attack again, he felt too weak to move.

In his passion, he almost thought he was hallucinating when he heard it.

The feminine voice of the Bounder rang out like a sweet melody in his ear.

"You have killed an UmbraCoil, Rank: Sentinel"

"Your core has grown stronger."