The Abyssal Tide Serpent was beyond anything I had faced before.
It towered over us, coiled like a storm given form, its body undulating through the air with unnatural grace. Each shift of its massive frame sent tremors through the sand, cracking the few crystalline spires that remained intact. The mana radiating from it was overwhelming—thick, electric, suffocating.
I had fought powerful beasts before. I had stood in battles where magic and steel clashed with terrifying intensity. But this… this was something else.
I could feel the other adventurers behind me faltering. Some were still holding their ground, gripping their weapons with grim determination, but others were already taking slow steps back, their instincts screaming at them to run.
I tightened my grip on my staff and took a breath, steadying myself. "Hold the line!" My voice rang out over the battlefield, cutting through the chaos. "We cannot let it advance!"
