Sorry im late uall :)
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Ethan's body hit the ground with a thud, the force of the explosive arrow blast throwing him off his feet. He rolled instinctively, narrowly avoiding the burning blade of the Wither Skeleton as it slammed into the spot where he'd just been lying. Sparks flew, lighting up the otherwise dim room.
Ethan grunted, still gripping his sword tightly. "I wont died here," he muttered under his breath, determination driving him to his feet. The fight not over yet... for now
The Fiery Phantom swooped down, spitting a fireball in his direction. Reacting on instinct, Ethan swung his sword, slicing the fireball in two before it could reach him. The two halves sizzled into nothing, but the Phantom wasn't finished yet. It fly around the room surronding Ethan form above.
"Come on, then!" Ethan growled, watching the Phantom's movements. "You want to fight? Let's fight!"
But before he could strike, the Wither Skeleton lunged again, forcing him to block its heavy blow. The force rattled through Ethan's arms, making his hands go numb from the impact. Every swing from the Wither Skeleton felt like a hammer, relentless and brutal. Ethan pushed back, struggling to regain his footing.
"Stay focused, Ethan," he told himself, clenching his jaw. He had to end this fight soon, or it would end him.
Suddenly, the Phantom swooped lower, aiming another fireball directly at him. Ethan sidestepped, letting the fiery orb smash into the stone floor. Taking advantage of the opening, he spun around and swung his sword with all his might, slicing clean through the midsection of the Explosive Skeleton. The skeleton's body crumbled into a pile of bones, its head rolling to a stop against the far wall.
Panting heavily, Ethan glanced at the remains of the Explosive Skeleton, his chest heaving with exertion. "One down," he muttered, wiping the sweat from his brow. "But two more to go."
His momentary victory was short-lived, however. The Fiery Phantom shrieked in pain as Ethan slice two of them in one slash, splitting into multiple smaller versions of itself. Now there were eight of them, each just as fast and fiery as the original.
"You've got to be kidding me," Ethan groaned, realizing how much harder this fight had just become. "Again? Really?"
He swung his sword, trying to keep the Phantoms at bay, but they darted around him in dizzying patterns, their flames licking the air dangerously close to his skin. It was like trying to fight smoke, every time he struck one, it seemed to split or vanish, only to reappear elsewhere.
Amid the chaos, Ethan caught a glimpse of movement from the corner of his eye. His blood ran cold as he saw the Wither Skeleton kneel beside the remains of the Explosive Skeleton. Its skeletal hand reached out, gripping the glowing grey crystal that had fallen from the skeleton's chest. For a moment, Ethan wasn't sure what the creature was doing, until it raised the crystal to its mouth and swallowed it whole.
Ethan's heart skipped a beat. "No, no, no… what the hell is it doing?" he gasped, his eyes widening in horror.
The Wither Skeleton's body began to tremble violently. Its bones cracked and shifted, dark, pulsing veins appearing where its skeletal form had once been. Muscle tissue rapidly began to grow, covering its exposed bones, giving it a more humanoid appearance. What once resembled a twisted, skeletal beast was now evolving into something far more terrifying.
It was no longer just a monster. It was becoming something… human.
Ethan felt a surge of panic as he realized what was happening. "It's feeding off the crystal…" he murmured, his voice barely audible above the din of battle. The room was growing hotter, the tension thicker. He tried to move, to stop the transformation, but the Fiery Phantoms were relentless, their fiery bodies making it impossible to focus on anything else.
One of the Phantoms shot toward him, flames crackling in the air as it aimed for his face. Ethan barely managed to block it, the heat from the impact searing his skin even through his armor. He cursed under his breath, slashing at the Phantom with his sword, but it simply split into two more, circling him with their burning eyes locked on his every move.
Meanwhile, the Wither Skeleton, no, the Wither Mutant stood up from where it had fed on the Explosive Skeleton. Its form was now unrecognizable from the skeletal creature Ethan had first encountered. Muscle had formed over its bones, giving it the shape of a tall, broad-shouldered man, though its eyes remained empty, hollow sockets that seemed to burn with an unnatural darkness.
"Damn it…" Ethan muttered, his heart pounding. "What the hell are you?"
The Wither Mutant didn't answer, couldn't answer, it seemed, but it didn't need to. Its presence alone radiated danger, and the power emanating from its new form was palpable. Ethan could feel it, like the air had thickened with dark energy. It turned its head toward him, its lifeless eyes locking onto his.
Ethan felt a cold chill run down his spine.
"Alright, alright, this is bad," he whispered to himself, stepping back as he tried to keep his distance from both the Phantoms and the newly evolved mutant. "Think, Ethan. There has to be a way out of this."
But his thoughts were clouded by the exhaustion weighing him down. Every muscle in his body screamed for rest, but there was no time for that. The Phantoms darted toward him again, their movements erratic, unpredictable. Ethan swung wildly, managing to cut down one of the smaller ones, but two more replaced it almost instantly.
"I can't keep up with this…" he groaned, sweat pouring down his face as he blocked another fireball with his sword. "I need to focus. I need a plan…"
The Wither Mutant, however, wasn't waiting. It stepped forward, its newly-formed muscles rippling under its dark skin. It lifted its burning sword, pointing it directly at Ethan.
Ethan tightened his grip on his sword, squaring his stance as he prepared for the inevitable clash. "Okay, you freak," he muttered through gritted teeth. "Let's finish this."
But deep down, he wasn't sure if he could. The room felt smaller than ever, the walls closing in as the heat from the Phantoms and the intensity of the Wither Mutant bore down on him. His movements were sluggish, his reactions slower. And the Wither Mutant… it was stronger than before. Far stronger.
Ethan's mind raced. If he didn't figure out a way to take out these Phantoms soon, he'd never be able to face the Wither Mutant head-on. But how? They kept multiplying, growing more numerous and overwhelming.
He had to think. He had to....
The Wither Mutant moved.
In an instant, it was upon him, its massive sword swinging down with brutal force. Ethan barely managed to raise his sword in time, the impact sending shockwaves through his arms, nearly knocking the blade from his grip. The mutant was fast, faster than it had been before.
Ethan stumbled back, his heart racing. The Phantoms circled closer, their flames flickering in the dim light.
And he wasn't sure how much longer he could hold on.