Dust curled in the air as the two Cursed Creatures collided again, smashing into each other like war drums made flesh. The crab-like abomination skittered backward, dragging one pincer low and angled as if preparing for a feint. The brute snarled in response, its thick frame trembling with fury as it charged once more—each step rupturing the cracked plain beneath it.
Auren stayed still, nearly motionless. His breath was quiet. His eyes—sharp.
He was studying more than just their strength. He was mapping how the spiked brute shifted its weight before a strike… how the crab creature countered using misdirection… how pain affected their timing. And most of all, he was waiting for the exact moment when one of them slipped—when desperation bled into sloppiness.
The spiked brute slammed its forehead into the crab's carapace, a shattering crack echoing across the dunes. Chitin splintered. The crab reeled.
But instead of fleeing, it did something clever.
