Reacting instantly, Colm repositioned himself to secure a clear shot with Abyssal Lance at the Shivermaw while Robin provided covering fire from their elevated position. His senses heightened as he coordinated with his phantoms, observing the battle unfold with calculated precision.

Regaining his bearings, he spotted Herb, now entirely on the defensive, gripping the hilt of the shattered spectral blade. The weapon reformed gradually, its edges pulsing with ethereal energy as it reconstructed itself.

Carver and Lance continually attempted to draw the Shivermaw's attention, their coordinated movements keeping the beast distracted. Colm let out a controlled breath.

Phase one complete.

"Aim for the body," he commanded Robin. "If you get lucky, you can take out the eyes, but its movements are too erratic to risk a precision shot."

Tension coiled through Robin's body as the Phantom Archer pulled back the arrow, their grip steady despite the chaos unfolding before them.

The Shivermaw lunged, its powerful maw snapping onto Herb's leg.

An instant later, it rolled.

The signature death roll. Colm couldn't help but chuckle at the sight. It appeared almost absurd in this context, a primal, instinctive maneuver playing out in a battle far beyond anything from home.

A violent, twisting death grip meant to tear prey apart.

"Now!"

Robin released the arrow.

It whistled through the air, streaks of ghostly energy trailing behind it, tidal droplets cascading along its flight path as it sliced through the cavern.

Mid-roll, with the Shivermaw still on its back, the arrow punctured through its exposed belly with a resounding thunk.

The impact reverberated through the creature, ripping through the frozen flesh with ease, the amplified force of Robin's enhanced strength due to the Phantom Harbinger allowing the arrow to drive a hole straight through its torso.

But Robin didn't stop there.

The moment his arrow found its mark, the Phantom Archer triggered Phantom Volley.

A single spectral arrow launched into the sky with blinding speed.

At its peak, it split.

A barrage of phantom arrows rained down, each one penetrating through the Shivermaw's hardened, scale-like hide, eliciting a roar of agony.

The beast twisted violently, its jaws finally releasing Herb's leg.

That was the opportunity.

Lance arrived in a blur, the phantom's spear already positioned for a devastating strike.

The Phantom Spearman didn't hesitate. A piercing thrust shot forward, striking directly through the creature's gaping maw, pinning it to the cavern floor.

Colm grinned, seeing a chance. Without hesitation, he raised his arm casting Abyssal Lance and released it. But just as it neared its target, the Shivermaw shimmered, and an icy sphere erupted around it, encasing both itself and the nearby phantoms in a glacial prison.

His grin vanished as his spell fizzled instantly uselessly into the ice, stopping several feet short of the creature. His eyes widened as he absorbed the disturbing sight. His phantoms were frozen solid, unable to move. But the Shivermaw? It swam through the frozen sphere as if it were liquid, its movements fluid and unrestricted.

"Shit."

Without wasting a second, he casting Abyssal Lance after Abyssal Lance, each impact slamming into the icy barrier with a sharp crack.

Then—

Your Phantom Harbinger has been destroyed.

A pulse of tidal energy burst outward from Herb as the attunement effect for Spectral Persistence activated, drenching the Shivermaw in a wave. The creature snapped toward Herb, its aggression immediately focusing once more.

"Good," Colm thought grimly as he readied another spell. "It's locked onto Herb hopefully for the next few seconds."

Lance and Carver, on the other hand, were being ignored entirely granting Colm at least a bit of breathing room to break through the ice if the same scenario played out with the other phantoms.

Robin and Colm kept firing, each arrow and spell pounding into the frozen sphere, the impacts sending deep, reverberating cracks through the thick ice. He barely blinked as Herb finally vanished, his spectral form dissolving into nothing as Spectral Persistence expired.

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With one final, resounding crack, Colm's next arrow pierced through, shattering the prison. The moment the ice gave way, Carver and Lance sprang into action. With a swipe of its tail the Shivermaw sent Carver to the side but while the beast was distracted Lance sent a Piercing Thrust driving deep into the Shivermaw's entrails.

The Phantom Spearman twisted his spear, forcing a writhing, agonized shriek from the creature.

Colm smiled, readying back his next shot, and released the Abyssal Lance straight through the creature's chest. The Shivermaw's body lurched, slumping heavily toward the cavern floor.

"Almost done."

He exhaled, nodding to Robin as the Phantom Archer quickly nocked another arrow, ready to end it—

Then his instincts shrieked.

A subtle movement. The Shivermaw's tail slammed into the ground.

"Shit—"

Before he could react, the creature vanished in a blur, moving with blinding speed.

His eyes barely had time to widen before it was already in front of him.

He tried to twist away, but there was no time.

Massive jaws clamped down around him with bone-crushing force. He felt his body violently thrashed back and forth like a ragdoll before being hurled through the air, his back slamming into the jagged stone of a nearby ruin with a sickening thud.

Darkness.

A surge of weakness overtook him as Phantom Sacrifice triggered, the protective ability jerking him back to consciousness as he felt Robin's form dissipate.

Nearly wheezing, he forced himself upright, his vision locking onto the creature. It was already coiling, preparing to lunge again.

No time to hesitate.

He activated Phantom Harbinger directly above the Shivermaw, summoning Herb instantly. The spectral behemoth materialized mid-air, it's massive blade in hand, and within seconds, Herb drove its weapon deep into the creature's back, the spectral steel piercing through thick flesh with ease.

Herb met the creature's gaze with undying fury behind the spectral eyes. With a swift, practiced motion, the Phantom Harbinger slashed the blade down once more, causing icy blue blood to spill onto the ground in thick droplets.

The Shivermaw lurched, twisting its massive form to retaliate, but Herb was already one step ahead.

Colm muttered, "Shit" as Herb slipped on the ice, and watched in slow motion as it fell right straight into the creature's gaping maw, offering no resistance as its jaws clamped down on his head.

A pulse echoed in Colm's mind.

Your Phantom Harbinger has been destroyed.

Carver and Lance were still sprinting toward the fight, their weapons ready, but Colm focused entirely on the Shivermaw. As Herb's spectral form burst apart, the effect of Spectral Persistence activated, sending a surge of tidal energy cascading over the creature once more.

The Shivermaw staggered, its limbs trembling as the energy coursed through it. It lunged again, snapping at Herb's newly reformed spectral form, but its teeth passed through harmlessly—the invulnerability from Spectral Persistence preventing it from landing a killing blow.

Colm's smile returned as Herb struck. The spectral blade sliced cleanly through the Shivermaw's icy scales, carving deep, glowing gashes into its hide. The creature let out a roar, a piercing, guttural sound that shook the cavern walls.

"That's the loudest one yet."

Herb never relented, its spectral blade carving deep, each strike merciless as it tore into the Shivermaw's flesh. The once-imposing beast thrashed, its icy scales cracked and bloodied, its movements slowing with every precise, ruthless cut.

Colm observed closely, his breathing steady but his heart racing. The creature had been an unstoppable force just moments ago—its speed, its sheer presence had been overwhelming. But now? It was crumbling, its body losing all strength, its fight draining from its core.

Finally, the Shivermaw buckled, its massive frame collapsing onto its belly, limbs twitching as its ferocity faded away. The beast that had devoured a Frost Wyrm in seconds was now struggling to breathe, its body broken and bleeding out onto the frozen ruins.

Colm felt the rhythmic pulse of Spectral Persistence nearing its end, the intuitive countdown warning him that Herb's final moment had arrived.

One last strike.

As if sensing the same, Herb tightened its grip on the spectral blade, stepped forward, and with a single, decisive motion, drove it down into the Shivermaw's skull and at the same time Lance and Carver sprung from behind and drove their weapons deep in to the creature's back.

A sharp, sickening crunch echoed through the cavern.

The creature shuddered violently, its body convulsing one last time. Then it went still.

Silence settled over the battlefield.

The intense yet brief battle had reached its definitive end, and before Colm could even process it, notifications flooded his vision, one after another.

Shivermaw (Level 97) Defeated. Experience Gained. Bonus experience granted for defeating a higher level enemy.

Level Up! +5 Stat Points Available.

Level Up! +5 Stat Points Available.

New class abilities available.

Phantom Warrior (Tier 2, Level 4) has increased to Phantom Warrior (Tier 2, Level 5).

Spectral Persistence (Tier 2, Level 1) has increased to Spectral Persistence (Tier 2, Level 2).

Stealth (Level 7) has increased to Stealth (Level 8).

Phantom Harbinger (Level 3) has increased to Phantom Harbinger (Level 4).

Phantom Harbinger (Level 4) has increased to Phantom Harbinger (Level 5).

Loot Acquired: Frozen Prime Scale

A rare scale infused with primordial energy, its frozen variation radiating far greater power than usual. Cold to the touch, yet pulsing with an unnatural icy resonance, it is highly sought after for its unparalleled might.

Colm's legs buckled, the sheer weight of the moment crashing down on him. His body sank to the ground, his breathing ragged as the adrenaline finally ebbed away. His mind replayed the nightmarish image of the Shivermaw's jaws closing around him, the crushing force, the suffocating darkness that had consumed him for an instant.

"Holy fuck… that was too close."

A violent shudder ran through him, but even as the fear settled, a different emotion surged upward—triumph.

His gaze lifted to the lifeless corpse, the once-unstoppable beast now nothing more than a bloodied husk, defeated by his strategy, his phantoms, his might.

A slow, delirious grin stretched across his face, quickly twisting into something more wild, unrestrained.

"We fucking did it!" he roared, his voice echoing through the ruins as he threw his head back and laughed wildly, the thrill of victory coursing through his veins.

His body trembled—not from exhaustion, but from pure exhilaration.

He turned to his phantoms, eyes gleaming.

He clenched his fists, feeling the raw, untamed power still thrumming beneath his skin.

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