Heat

The creature's transformation finished in seconds but those seconds felt like minutes.

Its lean wiry body thickened with grotesque muscle. Sinews swelling under pale grey skin with black line and began to pulse with dark veins. Its once humanoid hands changed and hardened into jagged blade-like extensions.

Its eyes grew larger and bulging slightly out of its skull. The green flare within them intensified until they shone like lanterns.

The soul attack hit them already even thought it were not targeting them. Then when it roared again, the sound wasn't physical. It echoed in the adventurers' skulls.

They recoiled instantly while clutching their heads. The pain wasn't from any visible blow but a deep sickening pressure on their souls and brain.

Jan staggered back. "My head!"

Mark gritted his teeth. "Get back. We have to go further now!"