As Callum stepped into the opening, he pressed himself against the nearest wall and waited, his elvish senses straining for any sign of danger. The silence was oppressive, broken only by the sound of his own breathing. Satisfied that there was no immediate threat, Callum ventured deeper into the cave.
The mine tunnels were treacherous, with uneven walls and a rocky, jagged terrain that made stealthy movement difficult. The air grew cold and damp as Callum crept deeper into the tunnels, the scent of earth and metal filling his nostrils. Despite the obstacles, Callum's Dark Elf: Dark Vision racial ability allowed him to see clearly in the darkness, revealing the veins of ore that crisscrossed the walls.
Torches and lanterns sporadically illuminated the tunnel, but Callum relied on his innate abilities to guide him through the shadows. He moved with purpose, his senses on high alert for any sign of danger lurking in the darkness.
As he moved deeper into the mine, the tunnel twisted and turned, leading him deeper into the earth. He could hear the faint sound of running water in the distance and the occasional rumble of rockfall from deeper in the mine. Every so often, he would catch a faint whisper of sound, as if someone were speaking in hushed tones just out of earshot.
Despite the chill in the air, Callum could feel his heart racing with anticipation. He knew that he was close to his destination and that every step brought him closer to the danger that awaited him; however, he was determined to see his mission through, no matter the cost.
After a few more steps, Callum found himself at the entrance to a yawning cavern. *This must be one of the first breaks in the mine to allow for harvesting.*
He settled into a crouch to the side of the entrance and could clearly see the beacons of shining torchlight at the far side of the cavern. It looked like the torches were mounted to the wall, accompanied by a goblin on each side of an opening to the tunnel that continued deeper into the mine. He was hesitant to engage two of them at once, not quite knowing his new combat strength, but he didn't see a way around it. The goblins would be intelligent enough that he likely not be able to engage one in combat while the other remained out.
As Callum assessed the situation, he couldn't help but notice the goblins' peculiar physical features. Their lanky limbs and hunched postures indicated an abnormality in their anatomy, but it wasn't something he could dwell on for long. His mind raced as he calculated the potential threat level of the two goblins before him. Based on their appearance and assumed levels, he estimated their health pools to be between 15 and 30. Their lack of armor made them vulnerable to physical attacks, but their clubs with sharp metal protrusions could deal significant damage if Callum weren't careful.
With his experience in shadow magic, Callum knew that his best chance of success would be to cripple one of the goblins before engaging the other. This tactic, being adapted for melee, would require close proximity to the goblins, but it was a calculated risk he was willing to take. If he could slow down one of the goblins, he could buy enough time to deal with the other one as he lured it away from its injured companion. As he crept closer to the goblins, Callum couldn't help but feel a twinge of nostalgia for his previous training scenarios. His range of skills allowed him to freeze enemies with his ice magic and then shatter one of the two out of the freeze and fight them individually. Using slows and control spells to kite them around the open space easily.
Callum shook off the distraction and focused on the task at hand. He moved slowly and deliberately, staying low to the ground and avoiding detection. As he approached the goblin on the right, he realized just how short they were compared to him, even while he was crouched. It was an odd realization to have just before a battle, but Callum steeled himself and prepared to fight. Callum could feel his heart pounding so hard in his chest that he feared the goblins would hear it. But to his surprise, both creatures remained motionless, gazing off into the darkness as if lost in thought. Callum knew that goblins were often scatterbrained and prone to impulsive actions, which is why they assigned the least intelligent of their kin to stand guard. It seemed that these two were content to stand in the same position all day long.
As he crept closer to the rightmost goblin, Callum felt his legs and spine begin to tremble with anticipation. Adrenaline coursed through his veins, fueling his excitement. With a wrench in hand, he prepared to strike, shuffling forward as quietly as possible.
But just as he was about to attack, the goblins turned in his direction. Callum cursed under his breath, knowing that he had lost the damage modifier for an ambush attack. However, he was close enough that the goblin wouldn't have time to dodge his attack. With swift, brutal efficiency, Callum brought his wrench down with a blinding flash of light toward the goblin's knee. The bright lightning from his [Wrench Strike] cast strange, erratic shadows that flickered in the opposite direction of those produced by the torches.
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The goblin's knee shattered with a sickening crack, and blood sprayed from the tiny, twig-like limb. The creature screeched in pain, but Callum could barely hear it over the pounding of his own heart. He leaped backward and backpedaled across half the cavern without hesitating, putting a distance between himself and the two goblins.
In the orange glow of the torch, Callum stood poised, his heart beating with anticipation. He waited as the first goblin fell. It took a moment for the other goblin to register what was happening; once it did, it let out a high-pitched warcry before charging forward.
With a grin, Callum bent his knees, bracing himself for the attack. Callum deftly dodged to the right as the goblin rushed towards him, his body moving with fluid grace. The overhead strike was telegraphed and easy for him to evade. Callum took advantage of the opening, raising his wrench and delivering a solid horizontal blow to the goblin's head.
At that moment, he activated [Wrench Strike], the power surging through his arms and into the wrench. The impact of the blow was immense. The goblin was sent cartwheeling through the air, its body crashing to the ground in a heap several feet away. Callum dashed forward and repeated the action, aiming for the goblin's head as he lay on the ground. It took him an additional [Wrench Strike] to finish off his first kill. Costing him a total of 15 mana to kill a single goblin.
Callum stopped himself from analyzing the damage numbers any further. He needed to eliminate the threat completely before he could afford to break down the details. He turned to the entrance of a small tunnel and noticed a bloody streak moving away from where the goblin had originally stood. Callum followed the streak with his eyes and cursed as he realized that the goblin was at least smart enough to retreat and alert its companions. He sprinted towards the tunnel, hoping to catch the goblin before it could warn the others.
Once inside the tunnel, Callum caught up to the goblin within a few strides. The goblin had tripped and was attempting to drag itself deeper into the mine. Callum swiftly dispatched the beast and felt a twinge of guilt for taking down the two goblins with such ease. However, he remembered the heinous acts he had witnessed goblins commit during his training missions and shook off the remorse. The goblin race was known for its savage culture. They had no qualms about resorting to violence to obtain what they coveted. They often raided small villages using swarm tactics and poisoned weapons, raping and pillaging as they went. The goblins were particularly drawn to shiny objects and would do whatever they could to get their hands on more. Their overwhelming numbers allowed them to toy with their prey, adding a cruel element to their already vicious ways. He had heard rumors that they even relished the taste of meat infused with excessive amounts of cortisol.
This thought sent shivers down Callum's spine, and he steeled himself for his recent skirmish and those ahead.
As he scanned his stats, he saw that he had exhausted all his mana after landing six wrench strikes on the two goblins. He realized that taking on more than two foes was beyond his current capabilities. Needing a moment to regroup, he grabbed the goblin from the tunnel by its loincloth and made his way back to the cavern. There, he laid the lifeless body next to its fellow and sat down to catch his breath.
In the meantime, he decided to review the combat log to understand what had happened.
Combat Log:
Callum: Deals 9 points of blunt damage (lightning affinity) to Goblin Scout
Callum: Deals 9 points of blunt damage (lightning affinity) to Goblin Scout
Callum: Deals 9 points of blunt damage (lightning affinity) to Goblin Scout
Callum: Deals 9 points of blunt damage (lightning affinity) {Overkill} to Goblin Scout
Callum Deals 9 points of blunt damage (lightning affinity) to Goblin Scout
Callum Deals 9 points of blunt damage (lightning affinity) {Overkill} to Goblin Scout
Resting his back against the wall, Callum hummed at the combat log messages. If he understood correctly, he was wasting mana on his third [Wrench Strike]. The 'Overkill' descriptor didn't pop up in the combat log unless more than 50% of the damage from the identified strike was wasted damage. That meant he was dealing at least five damage over the amount needed to finish off the goblin.
On the next round of combat, he decided to use two [Wrench Strikes] and attempt a regular blow. If the three points of blunt damage done were enough to finish off the goblin, he'd effectively be able to take on three goblins before needing to get out of combat and recover his mana. In the world of strategy, Callum found one of his greatest passions. While his sister and friends preferred brutal force, he relished the thrill of precise planning. To him, combat was about being as effective as possible while maintaining a deadly edge in combat.
Feeling his heart rate slow down, Callum stood up and stretched, basking in the satisfaction of a job well done.