"System, use Insight on these green-skinned creatures," Nyx ordered, his voice as cold and precise as ever.
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[ INSIGHT ]
NAME : GOBLIN
STATUS : DECEASED
[ NO FURTHER INFORMATION CAN BE GATHERED FROM DEAD CREATURES ]
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Nyx studied the fallen creatures, their lifeless forms sprawled on the blood-streaked floor. "I've got what I wanted," he murmured, brushing aside a strand of his black hair that had fallen over his eyes. His voice echoed faintly in the hollow silence of the room, filled only with the faint dripping of blood and the quiet hum of chaos in the distance.
He stood for a moment longer, as if contemplating something, before his gaze shifted upward. "Nothing left to do downstairs," he muttered, turning toward the staircase. "The only path... is up."
Nyx's footsteps echoed through the desolate hallway as he ascended, the weight of the silence pressing down like a thick fog. The dim, flickering lights cast long shadows along the cracked walls, and the distant sounds of screams and monstrous growls seemed a world away.
He reached the next floor, stopping in front of a classroom door. The air was stale with fear and panic, but Nyx remained unshaken. He peered through the small glass window and saw two goblins inside, their green skin glistening under the flickering fluorescent light. They moved with a predatory alertness, scanning the room for anything that might be hiding. Nyx's lips curled into a cold smile.
"Let's test the limits of my abilities," he whispered, his voice barely audible as he crouched down, eyes never leaving the creatures. "Insight."
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[ INSIGHT ]
NAME : GOBLIN
LEVEL : 3
STATUS : HEALTHY
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[ INSIGHT ]
NAME : GOBLIN
LEVEL : 2
STATUS : HEALTHY
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He straightened up, the faintest hint of amusement tugging at the corner of his mouth. "A level three and a level two," he mused. "Nothing I can't handle."
"System, show me my status."
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[ STATUS SCREEN ]
PLAYER : NYX VALMEISTER
LEVEL : 1 [ 22 / 100 ]
TALENT : GENERATE [ Z ]
SKILLS --
COMMAND [ SS ] | PROFICIENCY - [ 0.31% / 100% ]
INSIGHT [ F ] PROFICIENCY - [ 14% / 100% ]
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"So, I gained some experience from commanding those creatures earlier," Nyx muttered, piecing together the mechanics of the system. His eyes narrowed, calculating the situation. "And it seems like the more I use my skills, the higher their proficiency gets. Perhaps when they reach max, they'll evolve into something more powerful."
His gaze flicked toward the goblins, who remained oblivious to his presence. "The system doesn't spoon-feed answers. I'll need to figure this out on my own through trial and error."
Raising his hand slowly toward the closest goblin, Nyx whispered, "Command."
The goblin's head snapped up, eyes gleaming as it let out a deep, guttural roar, its muscular frame tensing. The roar reverberated through the room, filled with raw fury.
Nyx didn't flinch. He watched the creature, unblinking. "It didn't work," he said flatly, feeling a sudden wave of exhaustion washing over him.
His knees buckled, and Nyx collapsed to the floor, his vision momentarily blurring. Sweat dripped down his face, and his body felt heavy, far more so than he had realized. He clenched his fists, trying to push himself back up, but before he could, a shadow loomed over him.
One of the goblins had noticed his presence, its beady eyes gleaming with sadistic pleasure. It raised its crude wooden club high, ready to bring it crashing down on Nyx's skull.
Instinct kicked in. At the last possible moment, Nyx rolled to the side, narrowly dodging the attack. The club slammed into the floor, splintering the wood with a sickening crack. Gasping, Nyx staggered to his feet, shaking off the disorientation.
But he wasn't alone for long.
From behind him, the second goblin lunged, its massive form casting a long shadow over Nyx as it swung its club down. Nyx, barely managing to stay on his feet, sidestepped just as the weapon smashed into the floor where he had been standing seconds before.
"Not paying attention... could've cost me," Nyx muttered to himself, his voice sharp with frustration. He wiped the sweat from his brow, his breath coming in ragged gasps.
He gathered his bearings, eyes narrowing as he focused on the two goblins. They were closing in on him, their predatory grins growing wider, sensing an easy kill. Nyx's fingers twitched, his mind racing. He couldn't afford to keep wasting time.
"I didn't want to resort to this... but it seems I have no choice," he muttered under his breath, his voice low and steady.
"Generate!" he commanded.
Instantly, the mana stone in his pocket disintegrated, and a faint blue light surrounded him. A translucent screen flickered to life in front of him.
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[ GENERATED SKILL ]
[ HASTE ] [ TIER F ]
Greatly increase agility for 15 seconds