The dog snarled. A sound that ripped at the edges of reality. It scrambled back. Shaking its head. Its red eyes, now narrowed slits of fury, scanned the area. Trying to locate whatever had hit it.
It couldn't see Jack.
Jack tried the illusion aspect of [Mysterious Anomaly]. He projected distracting horrors directly into the dog's primitive mind.
Flashes of fire. Walls of teeth. Shifting, impossible shapes. Things that should have disoriented or terrified it.
The dog blinked. Then it shook its head again. Like shaking off a fly. The illusions rippled and faded around it. Having almost no effect.
Jack cursed silently. Right. Demonic. Probably has built-in resistance to mental manipulation. His illusions worked best on minds susceptible to fear, guilt, and anything that showed sentience.
This thing seemed to operate on a different frequency. It was too simple. Too focused on primal instinct. Or perhaps its demonic nature provided inherent protection.
The dog ignored the fading illusions. And locked onto Weedy again. Its attention solely on the vulnerable target. It began to stalk towards her. Low to the ground. Muscles coiling.
Illusion wasn't sufficient. Telekinesis could only push or slightly deflect. He needed something else. Something with more direct impact. More raw power.
Jack pulled back slightly. His invisible form shimmered violently for a moment, then solidified, becoming visible again. He stood, a translucent but clearly defined specter in the gloom, still shimmering with urgency. Time for Mystic Arts.
He willed his spectral gear into existence.
First, the Spirit Torch appeared in his spectral hand. A mace-like object crackling with faint, ethereal energy. Its flame was ethereal and flickering
Then, the Spirit Cloak draped itself over his form. A translucent mantle sparkling with starlight. Offering protection against spectral and magical threats.
Finally, his spectral grimoire materialized. Floating beside him. It was bound in what looked like translucent leather. Inscribed with glowing script that shifted and reformed constantly.
Pages turned on their own. Guided by Jack's will. Finding the necessary incantations.
The demonic dog was almost at Weedy. Jack had to act now.
He focused on the grimoire. Finding the spell he needed. The glowing script solidified under his gaze.
"Hey, you! Overgrown flea-bag!" Jack projected the words. Amplified and twisted by Mystic Arts into a sound that scraped against the dog's demonic senses. A low level cantrip. Vicious Taunt.
The dog froze. Its head snapped around. Away from Weedy. Towards Jack's now visible, shimmering form. Its red eyes locked onto him. Drawn by the magical provocation.
A low, raging growl rumbled in its chest. It had a target now. A challenging target.
It turned fully. Shifting its predatory focus from the helpless girl to the spectral entity that dared to challenge it. The dog lowered its head. A deep, resonating challenge echoing in the cellar.
Jack didn't waste the opening. With the dog's attention on him, he flipped a page in the grimoire. Spell lines ignited on the page. Magic Missiles.
Four bolts of pure magical force appeared. Crackling with blue-white energy. With a swing from the Spirit Torch in his hand, they shot towards the demonic dog.
They weren't physically large. But they carried significant mystical impact.
THWACK! THWACK! THWACK! THWACK!
The missiles hit the dog's tough hide. It yelped. A surprised, pained sound. But it remained standing.
The missiles left faint, smoking gouges in its dark fur. But they didn't seem to penetrate deep. Mystic offence was effective. But this creature was resilient.
The dog didn't hesitate. It charged. Not towards Weedy. But towards the source of the attack. Towards Jack's visible form.
Its charge was terrifyingly fast. A blur of black fur and red eyes. Claws scrabbling on the floor.
Jack saw it coming. Swiftly he moved, evading the pounce.
He needed defense though. And he had one. Another page turned in the grimoire. Another spell. Lesser Ward.
He instant-casted and directed the spell. Not just at himself. But primarily at Weedy. A faint, almost imperceptible barrier, sprang into existence. Around him. And around the bound girl.
It would deflect any assault. But just once. The ward was too brittle to last against even a weak punch.
Jack didn't just rely on his weak wards. He used subtle telekinetic nudges from [Mysterious Anomaly] to boost his spectral movement.
He didn't actually think it would work. His body was intangible after all. But it did. He could drift rapidly on air. Putting distance between himself and the charging beast.
He was still intangible. He zipped and phased through the frozen Mr. Boulder. Who still stood. Locked in his illusionary hell. Utterly oblivious to the supernatural battle raging feet away.
The dog followed. Relentless. It leaped onto the butcher's block where Weedy was tied. Its weight making the sturdy wood groan.
Weedy screamed. Muffled by the gag. As the monstrous dog landed beside her. The Lesser Ward flared faintly under the pressure of its paws. Holding for a fraction of a second before it broke.
But the dog had scrambled off the block. Its focus was back to Jack's visible, magical presence.
It landed back on the floor. And continued its pursuit. Jack needed to slow it down. Restrain it.
Another spell. Vine Entanglement.
The glowing script in the grimoire pulsed. Jack focused on the floor in front of the charging dog. Without showing any gestures.
Yet, from the cold stone, spectral vines erupted. Not physical plant matter. But thick, rope-like constructs. Woven from green-tinged ethereal energy and shadow. They were fast. Wrapping around the rushing dog's legs, torso, and snout.
The dog roared in frustration and pain. As the vines constricted. They were like chains of pure magic. Biting into its very essence.
It struggled fiercely. Tearing at the vines with claws and teeth. The vines held. But they were clearly straining. This creature was powerful.
Jack kept up the pressure. While the vines held it, he fired more Magic Missiles. Trying to wear the creature down.
Four more bolts hammered into the struggling dog. It shrieked. A sound that scraped against the soul.
He needed to maintain the entanglement and attack. It required focus. Splitting his attention between the spells in the grimoire. And the chaotic movements of the dog. All while maneuvering his visible spectral form.
He mixed tactics. While the vines constricted, he used subtle telekinesis via [Mysterious Anomaly].
He didn't try to lift the dog. That would be exhausting. Instead, he used the power to subtly shift fallen objects on the floor. Trip hazards.
Or he used the power to momentarily intensify the 'grip' of the spectral vines. Imbuing it with telekinetic strength.
The dog was strong though. It was tearing through the Vine Entanglement faster than anticipated. The vines snapped. Dissipating into wisps of green smoke. It was getting free.
Jack repositioned. Staying mobile. He needed to keep the dog focused on him. Away from Weedy. Spider remained near the girl. A silent, watchful guardian.
The demonic dog broke free from the remaining vines with a final, powerful heave. It shook its massive head. Droplets of dark drool flying.
Its red eyes were burning with pure hatred now. Locked onto Jack. It had been hurt, bound, and distracted by the visible specter. It wouldn't make that mistake again.
It lunged again. Its movements more deliberate this time. Aiming to cut off Jack's escape route. It was learning.
Jack dodged again. Using a burst of telekinetic speed. As he moved, he flipped pages furiously in the grimoire. He needed something more effective. Or he needed to keep this cycle going – taunt, missile, entangle, repeat – until he could figure out a better plan.
He fired Magic Missiles again as he retreated. The dog took them. Snarling. Barely slowing. It was like a tank. Direct damage wasn't finishing it quickly.
His spectral form flickered slightly. This constant use of Mystic Arts and Anomaly... It was draining. He was intangible. But he wasn't invincible.
He could feel that solid hit from the dog's claws or fangs could hurt him. A lot. It was not pure physical thing. It could potentially dissipate him temporarily.
He glanced at Weedy. Still bound. Still watching. Her terror seemed to have been replaced by a wide-eyed, bewildered fascination. With the visible, magical fight happening around her.
He needed a sustained restraint. Something more robust than the vines. Or a way to exploit a weakness.
He sidestepped a swipe from the dog's clawed paw. The air where the claw passed felt cold and wrong. Demonic energy. The Spirit Cloak absorbed some of it. A faint pop sounding in the spectral realm.
He pointed the Spirit Torch at the dog. Focusing. He needed to buy serious time. Maybe lure it away from the cellar entirely? But that seemed dangerous. Letting this thing loose anywhere else was a bad idea.
He saw his spectral reflection in a shard of broken mirror on the floor. The masked magician specter. Cloak billowing. Hand holding the glowing Torch.
It was a strange image. The ghostly showman facing a hellhound in a butcher's cellar.