System Mania!

32  Unsettling Uncertainty

Korig held the axe firmly in his hands and, defying the instinct to remain silent in the mist, he called out into the hazy void, "Who is it?"

Aurora, initially taken aback by his bold move, quickly realized that shouting would only serve to reveal their own position.

However, it wasn't as if their unseen adversary already knew exactly where they were hiding.

Korig had a plan in mind, one that required a certain level of boldness.

Just as Korig's voice echoed through the mist, another axe came hurtling toward him.

He reacted with astonishing speed, catching the airborne weapon effortlessly.

Without a moment's hesitation, he flung it back into the foggy abyss, tracing the same path it had taken when thrown at him.

Aurora understood Korig's strategy.

By observing the trajectory of the axe, they could potentially pinpoint the enemy's location.

The second axe Korig launched found its mark with a sickening squelch, followed by a heavy thud as if something had struck the pavement.

With a heightened sense of alertness, both of them cautiously advanced in the direction of the noise.

Each step was deliberate and cautious, their eyes scanning the mist for any sign of movement.

As they moved forward a few more meters, they discovered the source of the noise.

Lying on the ground before them was a goblin, its skull impaled by the axe that Korig had so accurately thrown.

The small creature, once an unseen threat, now lay lifeless at their feet.

The tension in the air was palpable as they stared at the fallen goblin, its lifeless eyes staring into the mist above.

Korig and Aurora exchanged glances, their unspoken acknowledgment of the situation they now found themselves in.

"It was the goblin," Aurora stated, her voice tinged with a mix of relief and understanding.

"The quest has begun to take effect."

Korig nodded, his eyes never leaving the goblin's still form.

"The goblins are out to scavenge. The goblin scavenge has begun." n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

This revelation also meant that their own journey, their grind to kill and level up, had started.

The mist still shrouded their surroundings, and they needed to find a way out of it.

Being caught by multiple flying axes within the mist wasn't an option.

A window tab popped open before Korig, revealing that he now had a count of 99 goblins to take down to complete the bonus objective.

He glanced at it, recognizing the magnitude of the challenge ahead.

Aurora broke the silence, her voice measured.

"We need to make our way out of this mist first. I don't know how far it stretches."

Korig offered a reassuring smile.

"It's fine."

With that, he delved into the depths of his mind, accessing the dark arts he had acquired by consuming the Undead Lich.

The ancient incantation resided within him, and he whispered the words with eerie confidence.

"Arise."

The goblin's lifeless body jolted as if electrified, and it rose to its feet, plucking the very axe that had ended its life from its own skull.

The transformation was unsettling, turning the once dead creature into an obedient minion.

The newly risen goblin undead had a visage that could only be described as macabre.

Its skin, a sickly shade of greenish gray, bore the scars of countless battles, telling stories of a past fraught with violence and hardship.

Its beady yellow eyes, devoid of any true life, held a sinister glimmer, even in undeath.

Draped in tattered rags that barely clung to its emaciated frame, and brandishing a crude, blood stained axe, it presented a chilling and unsettling sight that sent shivers down the spine.

Aurora, upon witnessing this morbid spectacle, raised an eyebrow, her expression a mix of curiosity and impressed surprise.

Unable to resist, she voiced the question that naturally arose, "Are you a necromancer?"

Korig responded with a knowing chuckle, a wry smile gracing his lips.

"You could categorize me as such, but let's just say I dabble in the darker arts."

"I'm more like a... sort of necromancer."

With a hint of sardonic humor, Korig turned his attention to the newly reanimated goblin, his tone dripping with sarcasm.

"Could you please do us the favor of taking down your fellow goblins?"

"We'd greatly appreciate it."

Surprisingly, the goblin undead displayed a level of compliance in its eerie state.

It nodded its grotesque head in agreement and scurried off into the mist, disappearing into the foggy abyss.

From within the thick shroud, the sounds of scuffles and clashes soon emanated, signifying the goblin's willingness to fulfill its grisly task.

As these noises persisted, the tally of goblins Korig needed to dispatch dwindled, thanks to the efforts of his undead minion.

Together, they continued their steady march through the dense mist, with Korig occasionally stumbling upon the lifeless forms of fallen goblins.

Though he hadn't yet unlocked the skill of raising multiple undead simultaneously, the single minion proved to be a valuable asset in thinning the ranks of their adversaries.

However, as they pressed deeper into the obscurity of the mist, a sense of foreboding filled the air.

Korig's instincts tingled with unease, and he couldn't shake the feeling that something was amiss.

Suddenly, silence descended upon them like a heavy shroud.

It was a stillness so profound that it sent chills down their spines, leaving them with a palpable sense of apprehension.

Korig's heart raced as he scanned the mist, his senses on high alert.

The experience points he'd gained moments later confirmed his suspicion, his goblin minion had met its end.

Aurora and Korig exchanged glances.

Korig, undeterred by the loss of his previous goblin minion, swiftly called forth another from the realm of the undead.

"Arise"

With an eerie and dark aura, he seized control of the newly risen creature and directed it into the enigmatic mist ahead.

As the goblin rushed into the fog, it was clear that this time something was amiss.

Korig felt a sudden, unsettling sense of deja vu.

Just as the goblin had ventured deeper into the concealing mist, he experienced a familiar sensation, the influx of experience points that indicated the minion's untimely demise.

This repeated pattern was impossible to ignore.

It was evident now that a formidable adversary lurked within the mist, one that had already vanquished two of their goblin minions.

Korig exchanged a knowing look with Aurora, and it was clear that their situation had taken a perilous turn.

The mist, once a mere obscurity, had transformed into a battleground fraught with danger, and they would need to tread carefully to emerge from this ordeal unscathed.

With the mist thickening around them and the ominous sense of a lurking adversary growing stronger, Korig couldn't shake the feeling that they were under attack, not by chance, but by design.

As if some eerie presence in this unforgiving world had set its sights on them, plotting their doom.

In the midst of this unsettling uncertainty, Korig turned to Aurora, his voice tense with apprehension.

He uttered words that echoed their dire predicament, "Whatever's lurking in this mist…"

"It's hunting us."

...