The creature landed with a sickening thud, its deformed limbs absorbing the impact at unnatural angles.
Skin like melted wax covered a grotesque figure, with bone plates in places, jutting out of its flesh like parasitic growths.
It sniffed the air, a wet, gurgling sound escaping from its mutilated throat, before it let out a howl— a muffled mix of agony and hate that sent a shockwave through the staircase.
Rakahn was the first to leap into action.
"Stay alert!" he barked, his khopeshes slicing the air in a deadly arc.
The Plague variant was fast—too fast. It dodged the first strike, leaping to the side with savage grace and crashing into the wall, leaving a crater where Rakahn had just stood.
Dahlia didn't wait.
She charged forward, her halberd aimed like a spear. The tip pierced the creature's shoulder, tearing tendons and cartilage—but the monster howled and twisted, yanking the weapon out with brutal force.
It charged again.
