The dense, thorny underbrush to his immediate right simply exploded outward in a shower of dirt shredded leaves, and pulverized wood.
A heavy, muscular blur erupted from the shadows of a petrified root, aiming a lethal, scythe-like swipe directly at his body. Sol didn't even have time to blink.
Trusting entirely in the reflexes hammered into his cells, he violently pivoted on his heel, bringing the heavy shaft of his Void-Oak spear down in a brutal, sweeping block.
CLANG!
The impact didn't sound like wood hitting flesh, it sounded like a blacksmith's hammer striking an anvil. A jarring shock shot up Sol's arms, making his teeth rattle.
The attacker didn't bounce off. It absorbed the concussive blow with terrifying resilience, its massive claws tearing deep gouges into the dirt as it dug in, letting out a low, guttural hiss that sounded like grinding stones, followed by a wet, aggressive snarl.
