The new map in his head was a godsend. Using it he had successfully navigated the maze of the mines and came to a large ironbound double door. He had left a marker on it where the corpse of the dead dwarf was so that his villagers could retrieve her body and lay to rest properly. He had felt bad about leaving her the way she was considering how much she had left for him. Inspecting the door, he found nothing to indicate a trap. He tentatively laid a hand on one of the rings inlaid to the wood and pulled it. With a loud screech of rusty metal, the door ponderously swung open revealing a large dark space beyond.

Stepping through the doorway Xavier stopped short finding himself on a ledge comprising one side of a deep ravine. The precipice extended to both sides of where he stood vanishing into the darkness. A short distance to his left he could see a stone edifice extending over the chasm. Moving carefully to the edge he peered over and into the void. Deep below he could barely make out what seemed to be the surface of water, faintly shimmering blue in the depths. He found it odd that he could see the light from the water so far away and wondered at how brilliant it must be, that thought soon vanished as he thought about how any source of light might travel great distances in the utter darkness of the deep places of the earth, something that gave him pause as he looked to his own faintly glowing mushroom light source. Sighing, he realized there was nothing to be done for it now, he needed a way to see, and any damage was already done by now.

Stepping back from the edge he started to explore the narrow surface of the ledge he was upon; he found it extended roughly forty feet in either direction from the door with the bridge about fifteen feet to the left of it. Both sides ended as the rough stone walls curved to connect with the edge of the chasm. The faint light from the mushroom allowed him to barely make out the opposite side of the chasm about thirty feet away from his side. It appeared that the only way safely across was the stone bridge, its rough cracked edges and lack of sides did not give him the greatest sense of security or safety in trusting it.

Finally, all other options exhausted, he returned to the foot of the bridge and stared across its expanse. It was only about six feet wide, and as he previously noted, roughly thirty feet long. He took a seat next to it, hanging his feet off the edge of the precipice while he studied the bridge. While he was a fledgling craftsman himself, he had no real skill in stonework, so he had no way to gauge how sound the bridge was. It looked ancient to his eyes. However, back on earth, he knew of stonework that had stood for centuries and was still sound and safe.

He turned his attention to the new map in his interface, it showed roughly the same view he was seeing, a deep chasm with a narrow bridge, on the other side was another ledge and a hallway. Beyond the hallway was another large chamber seemingly filled with crystalline structures, possibly what the dwarf had mentioned in her journal. That chamber ended in just darkness, however. A fact that made Xavier curious about the extent of the map. Zooming out he was able to see his recent travels all showing vibrant colors. A fact he could only assume meant it was current information based on what he had seen. Beyond that, he saw a larger area that revealed a decent area of the land around the woods, the wildlands, and the Ironpeak mountains. That area was in greyscale however, given that it was centered on the mountains that were given to be home to one of the larger dwarven kingdoms he had heard about it made sense that the greyscale was the update to the map from the dwarven lass. Beyond that were notable landmarks such as cities, landscapes, bodies of water, and continent edges in black and white but no details were drawn into those areas. “Updates from other maps?” Xavier mused aloud. “Places where the dwarf had not gone but knew about,” he finally surmised. So, it provided him with landmarks and locations but no details unless someone who owned the map had been to the locations it seemed. The map was proving more and more useful the more he learned about it. However, it didn’t provide the answer he was looking for currently, whether the bridge was safe or not.

Climbing back to his feet he stepped over to the start of the bridge and peered across its length once more. He had a nagging sensation telling him to be wary but couldn’t quite place it. Deciding to dismiss the sense as just nerves he started to place a foot on the bridge when he spotted a discoloration. No not a discoloration, an odd glow to several of the bridge stones. Where the majority of the bridge was just earthen-colored stones, well-shaped and fitted together despite the years of age and wear, they were just earthen-colored stones. The handful that was standing out in his view now had a hazy red tinge overlaying the normal stone color. One of them was near his side of the bridge, two stones in from the right-side edge to be precise. He assumed a prone position allowing him to inch closer to the discolored stone while keeping most of his body on the solid rock of the ledge. While there was no real difference between the stone and the rest of the ones surrounding it, he got a deep uncomfortable feeling about it. He continued to inspect it for several long moments when he suddenly got a prompt.

You have discovered a trap – Pressure Stone Trap: Your trap awareness skill has identified a new trap. This pressure stone trap seems to be designed to drop sections of the stone bridge into the chasm below if stepped upon.

Moving deliberately away from the now definitive trap Xavier skirted around it and moved to the next glowing stone. This one was three stones in from the left side and caused him to have to wind a sinuous path across the bridge if it was the same as the first one. Once again laying prone, careful not to kick the first trap he studied the new stone. It, like the first one, triggered his trap awareness skill and was exactly the same prompt as the first one. Grinning to himself he thought his choice in classes was already paying off. He moved carefully across the bridge taking the time to lay down and inspect each of the remaining thirteen stones as he did. All were pressure stone traps; the bridge would have collapsed entirely if he had triggered them in any haste to cross the bridge. All his hard work was rewarded by the universe with new advancements to rank two in both Keen Eye and Trap Awareness skills increasing his likelihood to notice hidden things, identify, and in his mind much more importantly, not trigger traps. He took several more minutes crossing the bridge once more, this time he placed arrows upright in the cracks of the stones directly to the right of each pressure stone. This way if he had to come back this way in a rush he would know where to avoid stepping. Chuckling he offered a silent thanks to one of his favorite authors, the main character of that series often found themselves in a bind during flight and falling victim to traps they had failed to mark. Safely upon the far ledge once more Xavier began to examine it before going to the dark hallway. A cursory glance inside confirmed it was, in fact, a hallway and not rough stone walls. Now that he knew one of his skills would trigger a change in color to what he was seeing to indicate hidden traps he was curious what else it would trigger for other hidden items. Its description described it as “the ability to identify hidden or valuable items, resources, or opportunities in an environment that others might overlook.” Sadly, nothing else on this side of the chasm revealed itself with a different color glow either.

Shrugging at the lack of change he made his way to the entrance to the hallway. The stonework was beautiful and reminded him roughly of the stonework of the entry hall and crypt under the village. He found himself admiring ancient frescos carved into the stones lining either side of the hallway, their artistry seemed to be enhanced with hints of enchantment in key details. The first murals showed miners discovering the mine, carving deep into the stone, and unearthing rich veins of ore, and gems. In the background, there was a depiction of crystalline spires. Lingering next to it he could swear he heard picks and hammers cracking the stone and the tools glowing faintly in the darkness. He touched the wall briefly and the crystals seemed to glow with their own inner light. As he progressed though the scenes changed, growing darker in the theme they showed. Now they depicted a catastrophic collapse, where miners were fleeing or were crushed under falling rock, and shadowy spider-like forms crept through the chaos. The sounds of rumbling stones and faint screams echo through the hall near this mural. As Xavier moved closer, the etched cracks seemed to grow wider, creating the illusion of the collapse still happening. Farther down, solemn stone guardians were depicted standing watch, their gemstone eyes glinting in the dim light, the enchantments of their old dwarven etched warnings, "By stone we toil, by stone we are protected. Let no shadow disrupt the harmony of the depths." were almost audible in the hall’s eerie acoustics. Xavier studied the stone guardians their gemstone eyes glinted faintly, and the carvings of their weapons seemed to shimmer as though ready to strike. The longer he lingered, faint whispers were heard in the air, as though the guardians were watching and communicating with each other. Nearing the end of the corridor, a massive web stretches across the final mural, trapping helpless miners in its grasp while an enormous spider looms at the center, its venomous fangs and many glowing eyes adding to the sense of foreboding. Xavier’s hand rested on the hilt of Vaeltheris, the feeling within the hallway almost oppressive now. The acoustics of the stonework made every sound echo loudly and each drop of water, each kicked pebble, and each of his own footsteps filled the passage with ominous sound and set his nerves on edge.

He paused in front of the final mural, The web glimmered faintly in the dim light, and the sound of skittering legs could occasionally be heard echoing in the hall. Cautiously he touched the mural and felt a faint static charge, as though it was alive. Suddenly the mural erupted with a piercing, crystalline chime, sharp and sudden like the shatter of enchanted glass, slowly it swelled into a pulsating hum that reverberated through the air and ground. Its tones shifted unpredictably between high-pitched, discordant notes and a deep, resonant thrum, creating a jarring, almost disorienting cadence. Faint whispers in an unrecognizable language wove through the soundscape, layered with bursts of metallic clangs that echo like hammer strikes on distant stone. The alarm seemed to emanate from everywhere at once, its vibrations pressing against the chest and charging the air with a crackling static. Glowing runes flared along nearby surfaces, pulsing in sync with the chaotic melody, transforming the space into a symphony of sound and light that demanded attention and compelled fear. Xavier pulled his hand away in horror not only from the sound but from what it might trigger. He ran to the center of the hallway, dropping his pack to the ground as both swords came into his hands almost unbidden, and wary of the alarm. His sense of foreboding was not unfounded. The faint skittering sound he had heard back near the collapse mural returned but louder and from both ends of the hallway.

The hallway suddenly became a scene of chaos as four Giant Wolf Spiders erupted from the shadows, two skittering rapidly toward Xavier from each end. Their massive forms seemed to materialize out of the dim light, their bristly bodies reflecting faint glints from their glossy, black eyes. The thunderous sound of their hooked claws clattering against stone filled the corridor, amplified by the echoing acoustics of the hall. The spiders at the far end crawled along the walls and ceiling, their movements unnervingly fast, while the pair nearer to Xavier charged straight down the center, their fangs glinting with venom. The air grew thick with tension as the predatory creatures closed in, surrounding him in a calculated ambush, their towering legs and eerie, silent coordination emphasizing their lethal intent. “Spiders, it’s always damn spiders. And these ones are the size of a fucking horse.” Xavier complained, at least it wasn’t the usual trope of the undead he supposed.

And with that thought, he was out of time, the first spider lunged towards him with preternatural speed, and he was barely able to get his twin blades up in time to block the attack, its venom-dripping fangs snapping inches from his chest. Xavier sidestepped, slashing with Vaeltheris, the powerful blade glowed dimly but barely cutting through the creature’s bristly leg. It shrieked and recoiled, but the second spider used that moment to dart in from Xavier’s blind spot, raking its hooked claws across his side. Pain flared as blood seeped through his tunic, the claws had torn clean through his leather armor, and he staggered backward, gripping his weapons tightly.

Gritting his teeth, Xavier spun to face the second spider, thrusting his short sword into its abdomen. The blade pierced through its tough carapace and Xavier saw for the first time the power of a pyrestone forged blade as it left a smoking wound in the creature’s side forcing it to retreat with a screech, but the first spider pounced again, knocking him off balance. He slammed into the wall, narrowly twisting away from its venomous fangs as they sank into the stone where his head had been moments before. Vaeltheris flared slightly as he drove it into the spider’s side, wounding it but failing to deliver the killing blow.

From the other end of the hall, the remaining two spiders advanced, their glossy black eyes reflecting Xavier’s struggle. One clambered onto the wall, positioning itself above him, while the other charged low. The ground-bound spider darted forward, its claws swiping at his legs, forcing him to leap back trying to avoid the strike, but the one above seized its chance and dropped onto his back. Xavier grunted in pain as its weight bore him to the ground, its fangs scraping his armor as he twisted desperately beneath it.

With a surge of effort, Xavier rolled onto his back, stabbing upward with his short sword into the spider’s underbelly. The sword flared ember once again as the wound flashed with flame, the creature spasmed and fell limp. Xavier struggled to his feet from under the monster, but the exertion had left him open to attack. The remaining grounded spider lunged, biting into his shoulder. Agony shot through him as venom coursed into the wound, and he dropped to one knee. Desperate, Xavier swung Vaeltheris in a wide arc, its dim light cutting through the shadows. The blade connected with the spider’s legs, forcing it to release him.

Gasping for breath, Xavier stood, blood dripping from his wounds. He clenched his fists around his weapons as the final two spiders circled him, their movements deliberate and predatory. Summoning his remaining strength, he feinted with Vaeltheris, drawing one spider closer before driving his short sword into its head, which left the arachnid curled on the floor with a smoking wound. The last spider, enraged, lunged at him with reckless abandon. Xavier sidestepped, his body screaming in protest, and thrust Vaeltheris into its chest. The blade flared once more its unusually sharp blade just enough to pierce the spider’s carapace deep into its body and drop it to the ground.

The hallway fell silent save for Xavier’s ragged breathing. Bloodied and battered, he leaned against the wall, his grip on Vaeltheris trembling as its faint glow brightened slightly. He wiped sweat and blood from his face, knowing this battle was only a taste of the dangers that lay deeper in this dungeon.

Sheathing his blades he pulled a small waterskin from his pack, he took a long drink of the water before pouring the rest over his face and wound. The venom still burned in his shoulder, and his health bar, currently only half of what it could be continued to steadily decrease. He noticed a small icon over it, a pair of fangs with green drops hanging from them. He pulled up his notifications to get an idea of what exactly was going on, despite already having a good idea. It was reading through the combat log he found the information he was looking for.

You have been struck by level 7 Giant Wolf Spider for 17 points of damage. You are poisoned. You will take a further 2 points of damage for the next 30 seconds unless the venom is remedied.

He took another look at his health bar and did some quick math. He had enough hit points to survive until the venom had run its course. A good thing since he currently had no herbs or potions to deal with it. Something he was going to have to talk with the village alchemist about. He needed to learn more about his herbalism skill and potion brewing if he was going to keep dungeoneering alone. That or find more life spells. His eyes widened and he slapped himself in the face having forgotten he knew some spells. Quickly he cast Blooming Touch and after the handful of seconds it took for the gestures and words to be spoken, he sighed in relief as the life magic surged into his body causing the worst of his wounds to slowly start to close. It did nothing for the venom, but the pain lessened, and his hit points started to climb faster than they were ticking away. He repeated the process several times combating the poison effect until it passed and his wounds closed.

Returning to his prompts he sighed, realizing why he had such a hard time hitting the spiders with any real effect during the fight.

Congratulations! You have learned a new skill – Two-Weapon Fighting level 1. The Two-Weapon Fighting skill allows a character to wield two weapons simultaneously, granting increased attack versatility and damage potential. While difficult to master, this skill rewards dedication with fluid combat techniques, improved accuracy, and devastating combos. Starting with small weapons and basic strikes, practitioners refine their ability to strike with both hands in perfect harmony. "If one sword is good, two must be twice as good. Math checks out, right?" -25% to main hand hit/damage. -50% to offhand hit/damage. At the Novice level, you are limited to small weapons in both hands (Daggers, Short swords, etc)

Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.

He looked to his next prompt and smiled broadly; the fight had brought him closer to another level.

For killing 4 giant wolf spiders, levels 5, 6, 7, and 8 you have been awarded 3,750 experience points.

He was only a little over 700 experience points away from his next level. Standing up and retrieving his pack he moved to kick one of the dead spiders. “Yeah, who’s dead now?” He muttered, “Damn spiders anyway.” Shaking away an involuntary shutter something about the spider caught his attention. Several parts of the beast’s body were glowing similar to how different plants did under his herbalism skill. Scowling Xavier realized he was not done with the dreadful creatures and set his pack back down. He knelt next to the first body and pulled Vaeltheris free from its scabbard, mentally willing it to shrink back to dagger form he set to work butchering the bodies of his enemies.

About thirty minutes later, and with a much greater appreciation for games that simply gave him an inventory with all harvestable and lootable items, Xavier sat back on his heels. He couldn’t deny the corpses were profitable, however.

You have discovered: Wolf Spider Venom Sac * 7

Item Class: Uncommon

Item Quality: Average

Weight: 0.2 kg

Durability: 70/100

Description: A dark, flexible sac harvested from a giant spider, filled with a viscous, pale-green liquid. The sac is slightly translucent, revealing the venom swirling within. It emits a faint, acrid odor that tingles the senses and warns of its potency.

Traits: - Toxic Essence: Contains enough venom for 3 applications, each capable of delivering a potent toxin when applied to weapons or traps.

- Corrosive Nature: The venom can weaken certain materials, such as wood or low-grade metals, upon prolonged exposure.

- Paralyzing Effect: Victims hit by venom-coated weapons have a 30% chance of being paralyzed for up to 10 seconds.

You have discovered: Spider Silk Threads * 5

Item Class: Rare

Item Quality: Well Crafted

Weight: 0.1 kg (per spool)

Durability: 95/100

Description: A spool of shimmering, incredibly strong thread spun from the silk of giant spiders. It has a faint, iridescent sheen that reflects light in subtle hues of silver and gold. The thread is astonishingly lightweight yet tougher than steel, making it ideal for crafting and intricate repairs.

Traits: - Tensile Strength: Can support up to 500 kg of weight without breaking.

- Flexible and Lightweight: Ideal for creating fine, unbreakable fabric or reinforcing armor and tools.

- Enchantable: Highly receptive to enchantments, making it a valuable material for magical items.

You have discovered: Spider Chitin Fragments * 16

Item Class: Uncommon

Item Quality: Average

Weight: 0.5 kg (per fragment)

Durability: 80/100

Description: Jagged fragments of dark, glossy chitin harvested from the exoskeleton of a giant spider. The fragments are rigid, lightweight, and naturally resistant to damage, making them useful for crafting and reinforcement. Their surface is textured with natural ridges and patterns, offering both functional and decorative potential.

Traits: - Durable Material: Extremely tough and resilient, ideal for crafting lightweight armor or tools.

- Natural Camouflage: The chitin’s coloration blends well in dark or forested environments, making it ideal for stealth-based equipment.

- Poison-Resistant Properties: Provides moderate resistance to toxins when used in armor or gear.

The parts he was able to harvest from the creatures made him half-serious about hunting more. That train of thought derailed as he reread the features of the venom sac. A chance to be paralyzed for 10 seconds, had the spider's bite triggered that effect he would have been killed. No, he wouldn’t be hunting more spiders like this until he had anti-venom and hopefully some sort of potion to resist paralysis. Tucking his newly gotten loot into his satchel he couldn’t help but appreciate its weight-reduction capabilities. The large sections of chitin were not light when all gathered together, the fact that it all fit into the amazing pouch without being bulky could not be ignored either. He had also gained another two ranks in his survival skill. He had wondered what had caused the animal parts to glow, now he knew. He was going to have to practice that skill more as well. This solo trip reminded him how little time he had to himself so far and he resolved to dedicate more time to his own growth when he got back home.

Washing the gore of the animal harvesting from Vaeltheris and his hands, he retrieved his pack once again and turned towards the far end of the hallway, it was time to see what the rest of this dungeon would bring. The hall ended in another twisting cavern of rock, that gave Xavier a moment of confusion, why build the bridge and hall if only to open to more raw stone? The mushroom he had been using for light finally ebbed to darkness and he had to retrieve another from his satchel, using the fresh light he continued down and around several twists, all lining up with his map before it opened into a large cavern. The sight took his breath away. Faintly glowing shards of crystal covered nearly every inch of the area Xavier could see. They were a rainbow of color, and then he noticed the truth, there were only eight colors of the glowing crystal, they refracted the light in a rainbow, but the actual glow was only of the colors matching the eight basic schools of magic. He was certain now that this was what the dwarf was talking about in her journal. This was a huge find, he was certain that this was essence crystal, that exceptional material he had been told about for higher crafting items. He took the pommel of one of his swords to the base of a larger crystal and it broke cleanly away from its rocky mooring. Picking up the piece he got a new prompt.

You have discovered: Life Essence Crystal

Item Class: Rare

Item Quality: Superb

Weight: 0.5 kg

Durability: 15/15

Description: A golden-green crystal glowing with a soft, warm light. It symbolizes vitality, growth, and renewal, with delicate vein-like patterns running through its core.

Traits: - Crafting Component: Essential for creating healing potions, vitality-based enchantments, and restoration spells.

- Essence Stone Creation: Refined into a Life Essence Stone, amplifying life magic or trapping the essence of natural creatures.

Reading through the details of the item was enlightening. He had no idea that they were so specific. He looked about the cavern and the wealth of the different crystals that were found. Now he fully understood why the dead dwarven lass was so excited about her find. He also knew he needed to keep this a secret until he could better defend it. This was a major find for his little settlement, and he needed it safe and protected. He wished there was a way to bring it closer but there was nothing to be done for that now. He quickly retrieved some crystals of each color getting a new prompt each time he retrieved a new color.

You have discovered: Light Essence Crystal

Item Class: Rare

Item Quality: Superb

Weight: 0.5 kg

Durability: 15/15

Description: A radiant yellow crystal glowing with a pure, warm light. It symbolizes illumination, purity, and hope, with soft golden veins flowing through its core. This crystal is sought after for crafting holy potions and light-based enchantments.

Traits: - Crafting Component: Essential for creating smiting potions, light-based protective enchantments, and purification tools.

- Essence Stone Creation: Refined into a Light Essence Stone, used to amplify holy spells or entrap extra planar beings' essence.

You have discovered: Fire Essence Crystal

Item Class: Rare

Item Quality: Superb

Weight: 0.5 kg

Durability: 15/15

Description: A crimson crystal that radiates intense heat, its fiery glow flickering like embers. This crystal represents passion, destruction, and transformation. It is prized for crafting fire-enhanced weapons and heat-generating tools.

Traits: - Crafting Component: Used in fire resistance potions, flame-based enchantments, and forging tools that generate heat.

- Essence Stone Creation: Refined into a Fire Essence Stone, enhancing fire magic or trapping fire elemental essences.

You have discovered: Earth Essence Crystal

Item Class: Rare

Item Quality: Superb

Weight: 0.5 kg

Durability: 15/15

Description: A rugged emerald-green crystal with a solid, unyielding structure. Its surface is veined with golden lines, symbolizing stability and strength. This crystal is essential for crafting geomantic tools and fortification enchantments.

Traits: - Crafting Component: Used for creating barrier potions, earth-enhanced weapons, and fortification spells.

- Essence Stone Creation: Refined into an Earth Essence Stone, amplifying geomancy or trapping elemental earth essences.

You have discovered: Death Essence Crystal

Item Class: Rare

Item Quality: Superb

Weight: 0.5 kg

Durability: 15/15

Description: A midnight-black crystal with faint, swirling shadows within. This crystal exudes a cold, ominous aura, representing decay, finality, and necromantic energy. It is used in dark rituals and necromantic enchantments.

Traits: - Crafting Component: Essential for necrotic potions, curse-based enchantments, and decay magic tools.

- Essence Stone Creation: Refined into a Death Essence Stone, powering necromantic rituals or trapping undead essences.

You have discovered: Dark Essence Crystal

Item Class: Rare

Item Quality: Superb

Weight: 0.5 kg

Durability: 15/15

Description: A shadowy purple crystal that absorbs light, symbolizing secrecy, stealth, and shadow magic. Its surface seems to ripple, creating an illusion of depth. This crystal is ideal for crafting stealth-based enchantments and cursed tools.

Traits: - Crafting Component: Used in crafting shadow-infused potions, stealth-based tools, and cursed artifacts.

- Essence Stone Creation: Refined into a Dark Essence Stone, amplifying shadow magic or trapping shadow-based essences.

You have discovered: Water Essence Crystal

Item Class: Rare

Item Quality: Superb

Weight: 0.5 kg

Durability: 15/15

Description: A cerulean blue crystal with a liquid-like shimmer, symbolizing adaptability and purification. It feels cool to the touch and is often used in crafting frost or water-based magical tools.

Traits: - Crafting Component: Used for creating frost enchantments, water-breathing potions, and purification spells.

- Essence Stone Creation: Refined into a Water Essence Stone, amplifying water magic or trapping aquatic essences.

You have discovered: Air Essence Crystal

Item Class: Rare

Item Quality: Superb

Weight: 0.5 kg

Durability: 15/15

Description: A pale silver crystal shimmering faintly, symbolizing freedom and agility. It seems weightless in the hand and emits a faint hum when exposed to wind. This crystal is used in crafting levitation tools and speed-enhancing potions.

Traits: - Crafting Component: Essential for creating swiftness potions, levitation enchantments, and wind magic artifacts.

- Essence Stone Creation: Refined into an Air Essence Stone, amplifying air magic or trapping flying creature essences.

He soon had a large collection of each type of crystal in his satchel, its weight had increased appreciatively despite its weight reduction. The fact that he now had a not-so-small fortune hanging at his side was not lost on Xavier either. Luckily since the bag was bound to him no one else should be able to retrieve anything from it as long as he lived, in theory, that was how it was in the books and games so hopefully that still held true here as well. Bending over to pick up the last shard he had broken free, he felt more than heard the movement behind him and he threw himself prone right as a large amorphous appendage smashed into the crystal next to where he had been standing. Rolling quickly away to the side, ignoring the small cuts and lacerations from the crystals on the ground and the shards caused by the attack, he soon found himself in a crouched stance once again reaching for Vaeltheris and the pyrestone blades. His eyes grew to saucers when he saw the large blob of goo and crystals oozing towards him. Without conscious thought, he triggered, for the first time, his insight skill.

Name: Crystaline Ooze Disposition: Hungry

The Crystalline Ooze is a mesmerizing, translucent creature, its gelatinous body filled with jagged shards of crystal that refract light in brilliant, shimmering hues. Its surface appears smooth and liquid, but it conceals razor-sharp edges that can slice through flesh and armor. The ooze moves slowly and deliberately, its crystalline structure grinding softly with a faint chiming sound. When it senses prey, it ripples and pulses, using its sharp shards and magical properties to attack and absorb its victims. Despite its beauty, it is a deadly predator, often camouflaging itself in crystal-rich caverns.

Health: 130/130 Stamina: 200/200 Mana: 100/100

He mentally kicked himself for not using the skill on the spiders earlier. It would have been handy to know more about them before the fight, he then reminded himself that there was no time to really use the skill, he finally reminded himself that he needed to pay attention to what was going on now and narrowly dodged another swiping attack from the ooze.

Solidly back in the now, he pulled his two blades free and stared at the gelatinous blob. It was mostly clear, only the spots where crystal shards floated in its mass seemed to be solid. Fighting this thing was going to be a pain, Xavier thought to himself then gutted up and lunged forward with Vaeltheris leading the way. The enchanted blade sunk deeply into the ooze but if it did anything there was no real reaction from the creature. Xavier had to duck and dodge back once again narrowly avoiding being struck by a pseudopod-like appendage singing from his left. He lashed out with the pyrestone blade and cleaved cleanly through the “arm” of the creature. That elicited a reaction as the nature of the blade’s metal caused a hissing sound as smoke and steam rose from the severed appendage.

The ooze drew back and shuddered for several seconds before it seemed to explode, shards of crystal shot in all directions and several struck Xavier piercing clean through his armor leaving him pin-cushioned with the crystal pieces. His health plummeted rapidly, and he sheathed Vaeltheris to free a hand for the gestures required to cast Blooming Touch once again. As he did so the ooze seemed to regain its form and another quick use of insight revealed that he was indeed hurting it with his attacks, though not nearly as quick as he hoped he had been.

Name: Crystaline Ooze Disposition: Hungry

The Crystalline Ooze is a mesmerizing, translucent creature, its gelatinous body filled with jagged shards of crystal that refract light in brilliant, shimmering hues. Its surface appears smooth and liquid, but it conceals razor-sharp edges that can slice through flesh and armor. The ooze moves slowly and deliberately, its crystalline structure grinding softly with a faint chiming sound. When it senses prey, it ripples and pulses, using its sharp shards and magical properties to attack and absorb its victims. Despite its beauty, it is a deadly predator, often camouflaging itself in crystal-rich caverns.

Health: 63/130 Stamina: 200/200 Mana: 40/100

Narrowing his eyes he focused on the creature and cast the only other spell he knew, praying that he had time to make the magic form before the monster attacked again. His fingers worked the arcane gestures as words roiled from his lips in a language even his gift for languages couldn’t translate and suddenly the necrotic energy shot from his hand plunging into the quivering blob. It tried to move away from the decaying magic as its color changed from clear to a murky grey color. However, Xavier didn’t let up and followed it as it tried to retreat back into the crystalline forest. His mana nearly bottomed out and his head felt like his brain had a vice cranked down upon it, but the ooze finally stopped moving and he saw the icon for waiting prompts illuminate in the side of his vision. Holding the arcane power to the corpse for several seconds longer, just to be safe, he finally released the power and slumped to his knees.

A radiant symphony of chimes reverberated through his head, accompanied by a booming voice reading the notification:

"Hark and Hear! You have ascended in power. You are now Level 7!

The touch of the divine lingers upon you, granting 6 attribute points to shape your destiny—an exceptional gift, elevated from the ordinary 4 points by the Blessings of the Gods (Danu). Choose wisely, for these points will define your path. You have 3 days to assign them, or they will fall to the whims of fate. Your growing prowess earns you a boon: 20% skill allocation to distribute among your known skills. This is your chance to sharpen the blade of a favored talent, forge new strength in an untapped domain, or balance your growth across disciplines. Let this moment be a cornerstone of your greatness.

Rise, Seeker of Glory. The world awaits your will. Seek adventure, seek wisdom, seek love—and let your legend be forged in your choices. LIVE!”