In the dim twinkle of starlight, Sir Sneaks' shadowy form melded with the darkness, flowing like a wisp of smoke through the valley. The lithe Shadowling preferred when the world was devoid of the sounds of their passing. There was a certain thrill in evading the notice of other creatures and having the power to control potential interactions.
Sadly, the need for stealth was unnecessary, as the world was relatively devoid of anything tangible, save for the gremlins who were still presumably gathered at the plateau. And while sneaking around was good skill practice, it also made the multi-day hike from the bogs to the plateau that much longer.
The pocket dimension wasn't insurmountably large. Rather, it was mostly rough terrain covered in dense foliage, except for the bogs. It took Vex nearly three months to explore the valley outside the plateau because he meandered in circles at a Shadowling's pace.
A moderately competent hiker taking long breaks could easily make it around the full valley within a couple of weeks. The addition of a walking path would nearly halve that time. While that distance meant the pocket realm was larger than most cities, it was still an extremely confined ecosystem that wouldn't support the same amount of life or development.
Not that Sir Sneaks cared about the size of the world or gave it any thought beyond how long it would take them to get to the plateau and stab the elder gremlin. The Shadowling's thoughts were far too focused on its immediate goals for that. Its entire plan was to sneak to the plateau, kill the elder gremlin, then sneak back to the bogs and rub their success in Strikesies annoying face.
Visions of returning as the conquering hero and performing an obscene victory dance, complete with booty shaking and crude gestures, occupied the majority of Sir Sneak's thoughts as they crept onward and eventually found themselves a few miles from the base of the plateau.
Once Sir Sneaks was near the plateau, they quickly noticed the gremlins they passed were huddled in agitated clusters. The creature's snarl and bared teeth were a stark contrast to the otherwise adorable and previously lethargic nature they had displayed over the past several months. Even their eyes had become far more eerie, glinting like tiny embers as they snapped at each other, no longer content with their previously subdued persona.
"Something's definitely not right here," Sir Sneaks thought, their unease growing as they continued towards the walking path along the plateau.
As they reached the base of the walking path, they found it surprisingly unguarded, much to their relief. With stealthy grace, Sir Sneaks ascended the narrow trail, their wispy form blending in with the shadows on the rocks around them.
Upon reaching the top of the plateau, Sir Sneaks peaked over the top and spotted one of Vex's early shelter designs near the path. With the gremlins being relatively sparse at the top of the plateau, the empty structure offered just enough cover for the Shadowling to observe without being detected. Darting from the shadows to the structure, Sir Sneaks couldn't help but feel a pang of excitement at their calculated risk.
"This is going far better than expected," Sir Sneaks mentally congratulated themself, feeling a bit of pride in their circumstance. "I'm going to have to gloat extra to Strikesies ugly face."
Now safely hidden within the shelter, Sir Sneaks turned their attention to the unsettling scene unfolding below. Before them, the elder gremlin stood hunched over a large runic circle etched into the ground, its gnarled fingers tracing intricate patterns in the hard earth as it chanted in a guttural language. The sound seemed to pulse with sinister energy, setting the Shadowling's non-existent hairs on end.
As the elder gremlin continued its incantations, it reached for one of several small clay pots scattered across the plateau. With a flourish, it upended the container, pouring a thick stream of blood into the runes. The symbols seemed to comealive, pulsating with a dark power that cast unnatural shadows over the area.
"Great, the gremlins have pots of the idiot's blood," Sir Sneaks scowled internally, their thoughts dripping with sarcasm. "It wasn't enough that the nitwit had to wander around smelling so bad that he could be tracked from the other side of the valley by his scent alone. No, the bonehead had to provide the creatures that can eviscerate worlds and reproduce at breakneck speeds with the one substance they needed to do exactly that."
Pondering that last thought for a minute, Sir Sneaks realized that Vex may not have had a choice in his latest blood donation. But that didn't change the block head's status in this world: Barely smarter than a rock, but slightly less useful. Grinning at their latest comparison, Sir Sneaks shifted their focus, scanning the plateau for any other items of interest. While they located all the remaining clay pots, nothing else caught their attention.
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"Guess it's just me, the elder, and a whole lot of the idiot's blood," Sir Sneaks mused, their gaze returning to the gremlin. For now, they would have to bide their time and wait for the perfect opportunity to intervene.
Slowly settling down into a sitting position where they could comfortably wait out the elder, Sir Sneaks focused their attention on the task at hand. Watching the elder…Still watching.
About a minute in, the Shadowling had found a handful of pebbles in the dirt and began playing with them. There were two pebbles in the center, with handfuls scattered around the pair. Then Sir Sneaks drew a roughly circular shape, not unlike the top of the plateau around the entire gathering of rocks.
As the little Shadowling pitted the two pebbles in the center against each other in several mock battles, you could almost hear its thoughts whirring: "Curse your sudden but inevitable assassination." Caught up in their game of, umm, strategy, Sir Sneaks completely missed the elder's last guttural barks as they closed the runic circle with manic glee.
Upon reaching the final steps of the ritual, the elder gremlin's body crumpled to the ground, its chest heaving with exertion as its haggard breathing filled the air. Its gnarled fingers twitched, struggling to maintain control over the last remnants of its mana filling the circle but ultimately giving in to the exhaustion that weighed it down. The creature's eyelids drooped until they closed completely, and the faint sound of snoring soon followed.
"Already sleeping like the dead," Sir Sneaks thought with a smirk, seizing the moment of vulnerability. They slipped out of their hiding spot, their shadowy form flickering like a wavering flame as they moved toward the sleeping elder and the remaining clay pots.
"The idiot will owe me for this one," they mused, moving quietly to remain undetected. "And Strikesies' stupid face is getting a double round of gloating."
Carefully staying low to the ground and mostly hoping that the lesser gremlins were not paying enough attention, Sir Sneaks darted to the clay pots a few paces behind the elder. Peering inside, they couldn't help but notice how Vex's blood glistened in the dim light, each drop shimmering with an iridescent hue.
With practiced precision, Sir Sneaks swiped the leftover containers of Vex's blood from the campsite, swiftly adding them to the guild storage. The task was easier than they had anticipated; the elder gremlin seemed to be so thoroughly spent that they doubted it would wake even if the idiot cut himself and trampled through with its incredible stench.
The stars cast an eerie glow over the plateau as Sir Sneaks knelt beside the slumbering elder gremlin, their ethereal shadow-like form blending seamlessly with the darkness. They cocked their head, silently debating the best way to end the creature's life without alerting the other gremlins in the area.
"Stabbing would be too kind... strangling, too slow," they mused, their thoughts taking on a calculating edge. "I need something more... creative."
A wicked grin flickered across Sir Sneaks' face as they remembered their personal storage, willing out a handful of small, dark berries that seemed to absorb all light around them.
With swift, decisive motion, Sir Sneaks balled their hand into a fist and drove it towards the back of the elder gremlin's throat, squeezing the midnight berries between their fingers in the process. The creature gagged and choked, its eyes bulging as it struggled against the sudden intrusion.
Attempting to flail and claw at the Shadowling, the elder gremlin's eyes flew open, wild with terror. Frothy saliva bubbled at the corners of its mouth as it choked and gasped for air. Sir Sneaks' arm remained lodged in its throat, the midnight berries slowly dripping their juices as the elder bit and gagged at the arm that firmly pinned it down.
As the poisonous juices seeped down the elder's throat, Sir Sneaks couldn't help but feel a perverse sense of satisfaction. After all, who wouldn't relish the opportunity to deliver a fatal blow while ensuring that their revenge was forcibly served at room temperature?
The elder could do little more than rasp, clawing at the Shadowling's incorporeal form. Though each frantic swipe tore through Sir Sneaks' shadowy body, they showed no sign of releasing their grip. The elder's futile efforts only served to ravage the rogue further, causing them to waver like wisps of smoke.
As the elder's thrashing intensified, the lesser gremlins slowly roused, alerted by the commotion. With clear hesitation, the fluffy little balls of death surged forward, almost as if they were commanded.
The pack of lesser gremlins closed in, their shadows stretching out menacingly before them. As they reached the struggling duo, their claws and teeth rained down upon Sir Sneaks, tearing into the already weakened shadowling.
Sir Sneaks finally succumbed to the pain, though their determination didn't falter. They held onto the spasming elder, ensuring the last remnants of poison coursed through its veins.
Sir Sneaks' form began to flicker and fade, their body dissolving into tendrils of shadow as the gremlin horde continued their relentless assault. The elder gremlin shuddered one final time before it collapsed, lifeless, with a mix of poisonous berries and frothy saliva staining its mouth. In those final moments, Sir Sneaks managed to active guild acquisitions, prompting a slew of unreadable system messages as the world faded to black:
> Your poisoning skill has reached level 2.
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> Your strangulation skill has reached level 1.
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> Your focus skill has reached level 1.
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> You have killed a level 78 elder gremlin of the apocalypse. You have gained 758,390 experience points.
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> The linked Guild Acquisitions trait allows you to loot a level 78 elder gremlin of the apocalypse on behalf of your guild.
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> Thirteen platinum, six gold, and five silver have been deposited to the guild storage.
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> An apocalypse core has been deposited in the guild storage.
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> A skull of the elder gremlin (trophy) has been deposited in the guild storage.