That not so important character turned out to be important

The ancient, foreboding trees of Aeternus Silva stood like twisted sentinels, their branches stretching unnaturally high, shrouded in a haze of mist. The air was heavy with an ominous presence, thick with the scent of decay and death, as if the very forest itself was born from suffering. The leaves, black and silver, rustled faintly, whispering dark secrets that Soren could almost taste.

He strode through the forest with a lazy grace, his footsteps barely making a sound on the soft, eerie ground. The forest seemed to notice him, as if it recognized something sinister in his presence. His eyes, black as night with flickers of amber, gleamed with dark amusement as he surveyed the landscape.

His lips curled into a sadistic smile.

A low growl cut through the quiet, and before Soren could react, a Corrupted Ursa, its massive form emerging from the shadows, charged at him. Its claws scraped against the earth, tearing through the ground like a wild beast hunting for prey. Its red eyes burned with fury as it let out a terrifying roar, attempting to crush Soren with a single swipe.

Soren's lips curled into a cold smile, his stance relaxed as if he had all the time in the world. With a flick of his wrist, his palm shot out, and as if the very air bent to his will, the wind surged in a razor-sharp wave. The force of the wind sliced through the creature's claws, splitting the massive limb cleanly down the middle. The Ursa roared in shock, but Soren wasn't finished.

In a blur of motion, Soren vanished from sight, reappearing behind the beast in an instant. His palm met the creature's back with a swift, merciless strike. The sound of his hand slicing through its flesh echoed through the forest as the razor-sharp edge of his palm cleaved the Ursa's spine with brutal precision. The beast crumpled to the ground, its body twitching, before falling completely lifeless, its blood pooling at Soren's feet.

But before he could enjoy the kill, the ground trembled. A horde of Corrupted Ursas, twenty strong, poured from the shadows, their eyes glowing with the same bloodlust. They circled around him, snarling, their claws scraping against the ground like jagged rocks.

Soren's amber eyes flickered with a hint of amusement. "Oh trying to take revenge huh, didnt knew animal such as you would be capable of it."

The Ursas charged in unison, a tidal wave of fur and fangs. Soren's eyes narrowed, and in the blink of an eye, his palm glowed with a fiery light. He slammed it forward, and a blazing wave of fire erupted from his hand, roaring through the air like a hungry dragon. The flames swept over the horde, engulfing the first few Ursas entirely. Their fur burned with an intense heat, their bodies disintegrating into ash in mere seconds in all direction.

"Too weak."

He had been traversing this ancient forest for weeks, searching for answers, for a way back to his own world, he had left the kingdom which summoned him after killing the warlord and his little army in single night without any care though he also killed the royal court which summoned him on the very next day and established a dummy rule by making 2nd prince the king and now he was just wandering around exploring things that was before when he sensed a growing presence—a hostile aura that pulsed with a primal, insatiable energy.

The air crackled with anticipation as he watched a clearing a few hundred meters away. The trees there twisted and contorted, their branches snapping under an unseen weight. A figure emerged from the shadows, its form shifting and rippling in ways no natural creature could. It was a grotesque mockery of a human, its limbs elongated and boneless, its movements a disjointed, fluid dance of pure malice.

Jim, Shaun's monstrous creation, stood in the heart of the clearing, his hollow eyes glowing with an unholy light. His aura, thick with the scent of death and decay, pulsed outward, warping the very air around him. He had grown, Soren noted, his form larger and more monstrous than the last time he'd glimpsed it from afar. The beasts of Aeternus Silva had become its feast, their essence fueling its transformation.

Soren narrowed his eyes, a cold curiosity settling in his gaze. "Intriguing," he thought, his lips curving into a faint, predatory smile. "Whatever this creature is, it's far beyond the capabilities of the mages in this world. Perhaps... there's more to this reality than I initially perceived."

He leaped from the tree, his descent a silent blur. The ground didn't tremble as he landed, his movements as graceful as a phantom. A shadow tendril extended from his cloak, wrapping around a nearby branch and pulling him swiftly toward the clearing.Soren watched Jim's grotesque ballet of destruction, the creature's boneless body twisting and contorting as it tore through the forest. He was no stranger to power, but this... this was something different. It was raw, primal, and disturbingly fascinating.

"So, this is what lurks in the heart of this forest," Soren murmured, his voice a low, gravelly whisper. He stepped into the clearing, his presence immediately drawing Jim's attention. Jim turned, his hollow eyes locking onto Soren. A twisted grin stretched across his face, revealing rows of sharp, uneven teeth. The aura surrounding him pulsed, a silent challenge.

Soren met Jim's gaze, his expression unreadable. "You reek of death and borrowed power," he said, his voice flat, devoid of emotion. "Show me what you're truly capable of." Jim's grin widened, his body rippling with anticipation. Without a word, he lunged, his movements a blur of unnatural speed. Soren didn't flinch.

The confrontation in Aeternus Silva was a clash of titans, a display of power that transcended the bounds of ordinary magic. Soren, faced Jim, Shaun's monstrous creation, whose grotesque form and abilities reflected a terrifying evolution.

Jim stood in the heart of the clearing, his hollow eyes fixed on Soren. The aura surrounding him pulsed with dark energy, the air thick with the scent of decay. His silence was a predator's patience, a coiled spring ready to unleash.

Soren, unfazed by Jim's monstrous presence, met his gaze with chilling composure.

A grotesque grin stretched across Jim's face, revealing rows of sharp, uneven teeth. He lunged, his movements blurring into a disjointed, liquid-like charge. Soren reacted instantly, activating Temporal Rewind, reversing time by a crucial fraction of a second.

He sidestepped Jim's attack with an almost bored elegance, the creature's claws passing harmlessly through the space where he'd stood a heartbeat before.

Jim stumbled, momentarily disoriented by the sudden shift in time. He snarled, his hollow eyes burning with a primal frustration as he tried to reorient himself.

Taking advantage of the creature's confusion, Soren unleashed a barrage of shadow tendrils. They lashed out, coiling around Jim's elongated limbs, attempting to bind him.

But Jim's form rippled, his body contorting in ways that defied the laws of physics. His flesh seemed to flow like liquid, slipping through the gaps in Soren's grasp. The shadow tendrils tightened, only to find themselves clutching empty air as Jim's body reshaped, shifting through the constraints.

Soren narrowed his eyes, a flicker of surprise momentarily breaking through his stoic facade. This creature… it's adapting, he thought, his mind racing.

Before he could react, Jim unleashed a torrent of dark energy. It wasn't a focused blast, but a wave of raw, corrupting power that swept across the clearing.

Soren summoned a barrier of solidified shadows, a shield of pure darkness that absorbed the attack. But the force of it was staggering, pushing him back several steps. The air crackled, the very ground beneath his feet seeming to groan under the strain.

Jim pressed his advantage, his body morphing, his limbs elongating into grotesque, whip-like appendages that lashed out with incredible speed. They cracked through the air, each strike carrying enough force to shatter stone.

Soren, forced onto the defensive, relied on his agility and mastery of shadows to evade the attacks. He flowed through the clearing like a phantom, his movements a blur of dark energy, always a step ahead of Jim's strikes.

As the fight intensified, Soren realized that Jim wasn't simply attacking. He was consuming. With every blow that landed, every tendril of shadow that brushed against him, Jim's aura seemed to grow stronger, his form becoming more solid, more defined. The scent of decay intensified, a miasma of death that threatened to suffocate Soren.

This creature was a parasite, feeding on the very essence of its surroundings. The longer the fight continued, the more powerful it would become.

Soren needed to end this quickly. He couldn't rely on Time Pause again, and Temporal Rewind was a limited resource. He needed a strategy, a way to exploit Jim's weaknesses.

He focused on the creature's movements, analyzing its attack patterns, searching for an opening. Jim relied on instinct, on raw power and aggression. There was no finesse, no strategy, just a relentless hunger to consume and destroy.

Soren smirked. This was his advantage.

He allowed Jim to press the attack, drawing the creature into a close-quarters engagement. Jim lunged, his claws outstretched, his body a whirlwind of unnatural motion. Soren didn't evade. Instead, he embraced the attack, allowing Jim's claws to tear through his cloak.

Jim shrieked in triumph, his aura flaring as he sensed victory. But his triumph was short-lived. The moment his claws made contact, a wave of cold, oppressive energy surged through him. It was Soren's aura, channeled through his cloak, a direct attack on Jim's spiritual core.

Jim recoiled, his form flickering as his body spasmed. The dark energy that had sustained him dissipated, leaving him vulnerable. He stumbled back, his movements sluggish, his aura flickering like a dying flame.

Soren didn't hesitate. He unleashed a torrent of shadow tendrils, not to bind, but to pierce. They surged forward, sharp as blades, aimed at Jim's exposed core.

Jim tried to defend himself, but his movements were too slow, his reactions delayed. The tendrils struck, piercing his form, tearing through his corrupted essence.

Jim shrieked, the sound echoing through the forest like a symphony of pain. His body contorted, his form collapsing in on itself as his aura dissipated. He was being consumed from the inside out, the very power that had sustained him now turning against him.

Soren watched impassively, his gaze cold and detached. He had faced countless enemies, had manipulated time and shadows to achieve his goals. But this… this was different. This creature wasn't simply a foe to be defeated. It was an abomination, a twisted experiment that had gone horribly wrong.

Despite the initial setback, Jim continued his assault, his form rippling and adapting to Soren's shadow tendrils, showcasing an uncanny ability to shift and flow. He unleashed a wave of raw, corrupting energy, pushing Soren back, forcing him into a defensive dance of shadows and agility.

Soren could have finished Jim then, but he held back. He saw in Jim a twisted potential, . With a final surge of shadow tendrils, he crippled Jim, leaving him writhing in agony.

Instead of delivering the final blow, Soren chose a different path. Driven by his innate curiosity and a desire to understand the force behind this creation, he decided to leave Jim alive. He shifted his focus to the true target - the architect of this monstrous being.

His voice laced with chilling resolve. "Its going to be fun, game has only just begun", as he turned away from the broken form of Jim and ventured deeper into Aeternus Silva. His path was now clear