Jack remembered stories about necromancers from back on Earth. He pictured in his mind a wizened old man with dark robes, surrounded by swirling mists and eerie shadows. The thought sent a shiver down his spine. Necromancers were supposed to be practitioners of death magic, manipulating the forces of death and undeath to achieve their twisted goals.

With a sense of urgency, Jack rose to his feet, his mind buzzing with thoughts of the impending rescue mission. He took a moment to Identify the tree he had been sleeping under.

[Tree

Type: Scraeling Bondtree

Age: 250 years

Rarity: Rare

Health: Healthy

Magical Properties: ???

Usable Materials: ???

Commonly Found: Forests]

[Congratulations! Identify has gained a level]

Well, that was annoying. Even if he had thought to Identify the tree before sitting under it, he still wouldn’t have known what it truly was.

Frustrated by the lack of information, Jack pushed the thought aside and focused on the task at hand. Elyra had said she would guide him, though she had been vague on the details.

As he took his first steps away from the tree, heading east, he suddenly had a feeling that he was facing the wrong direction. Turning right, he felt the feeling change into one of rightness. Somehow, he knew that this was the direction to go. Well, that’s not creepy at all.

Continuing in that direction, Jack walked for about two hours, Identifying every tree and plant he came across. He was determined to level Identify as fast as possible.

His efforts were rewarded by another level up to the Skill. As the sun began to set Jack noticed the terrain getting increasingly rocky. As he progressed further, he came in sight of a cave. He tried to go around it but that feeling of wrongness began gnawing at him again as soon as he turned away from it.

Of course, the necromancer would be hanging out in a creepy cave in the middle of nowhere. And it was a creepy cave, the stony ground surrounding it seemed to amplify the sense of foreboding, casting long shadows in the fading light of the setting sun.

Well, there was nothing for it but to enter the cave. Jack took a deep breath, steeling himself for whatever dangers lay ahead. Holding his spear in his right hand, he approached the cave entrance cautiously, his senses alert for any signs of danger.

As he stepped inside, the air grew colder, and the darkness seemed to swallow him whole. There was a faint glow coming from up ahead that revealed a narrow passage leading deeper into the cave, its walls lined with jagged rocks and ominous shadows.

Jack proceeded cautiously, his footsteps echoing off the stone walls. Every sound seemed magnified in the oppressive silence of the cave, setting his nerves on edge. He couldn't shake the feeling of being watched, as if unseen eyes followed his every move.

At the end of the passage Jack came upon a chamber bathed in an eerie purple-black light. The source of the glow became apparent as he approached—a pulsating orb of energy hovered at the top of the room, casting its sickly illumination across the room.

Jack saw another passage entrance at the end of the chamber. Unfortunately, it was blocked by a squat creature unlike anything he had ever seen. It was a grotesque thing of twisted limbs and gnarled features, its form shrouded in shadows cast by the weird purple-black light. Its four eyes glowed with a malevolent red gleam as it turned its attention towards Jack, emitting a guttural growl that sent shivers down his spine.

Jack gripped his spear tighter, his heart pounding in his chest as he faced the creature before him. Whatever it was, it was clear that it posed a significant threat. He Identified the monster.

[Flesh Homunculus

Rank: Basic

Level: 8

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Health: 320/320

Mana: 0/0

Stamina: 400/400

Construct Type: Flesh

Abilities: Boneshot

Description: A basic construct made from stitched flesh]

Jack forced down his instinctive revulsion steeling himself against the grotesque sight before him. He knew that he couldn't afford to let fear cloud his judgment, not when his life—and perhaps the lives of others—hung in the balance.

As the Flesh Homunculus continued its menacing advance, Jack assessed his situation. His opponent stood around four feet tall but was as muscular as a bodybuilder. It had four eyes, no nose or ears, and a thin slash of a mouth.

As it came closer, that mouth opened wide, and shards of bone came flying out. Jack barely had enough time to dodge the projectiles, rolling to the side to avoid being hit. He felt a rush of adrenaline as he narrowly avoided the attack, his senses sharpening as he focused on the task at hand.

With a quick motion, Jack lunged forward, aiming his spear at the Flesh Homunculus's torso. It sank in and Jack expected the creature the creature to recoil or show at least some reaction to the pain.

But the Flesh Homunculus didn’t seem to notice the spear sunk into its middle. It swung a fist at Jack who managed to dodge most of it. The creature only grazed him, but it was enough to send him staggering backward. He stumbled but managed to regain his footing, his focus unwavering despite the throbbing pain in his side.

Jack checked his notifications just to make sure he had hurt his foe.

[You have dealt 34 Piercing damage to Flesh Homunculus]

[You have dealt 13 Frost damage to Flesh Homunculus]

So, he could hurt the creature, it just didn’t feel the pain the way a normal opponent would. Jack supposed that made sense if it was a construct and not a true living being.

Jack conjured an Ice Dagger and sent it hurtling towards the Flesh Homunculus, aiming for its chest. The shot went wide and ended up hitting the construct in the center of one of its glowing eyes. The icy projectile struck true, embedding itself in the creature's eye socket with a sickening crunch. The homunculus emitted a shrill shriek of agony, its remaining eyes glowing with rage as it staggered backward, clutching at its injured face.

[You have dealt a Critical Hit to Flesh Homunculus, Damage x4]

[You have dealt 100 Piercing damage to Flesh Homunculus]

[You have dealt 44 Frost damage to Flesh Homunculus]

Thats right. Critical hits multiply damage. The fleshy construct let out another barrage of bone shards. This time, instead of dodging to the side, Jack rolled underneath the deadly rain. He jumped to his feet, grabbed the haft of his spear and yanked it out of what passed for the constructs stomach. He then thrust it back at his opponent, aiming for one its intact eyes.

The Flesh Homunculus was evidently smart enough to realize what he was doing, because it grabbed onto the spear with one of its twisted limbs, halting Jack's attack before it could land. With a guttural growl, the Homunculus exerted its unnatural strength, attempting to wrestle the weapon away from Jack's grasp.

Jack gritted his teeth, muscles straining as he fought to maintain control of his spear. The two adversaries were locked in a fierce struggle, each refusing to yield ground to the other as they battled for supremacy.

Jacks mouth opened and he unleashed Savage Roar. For a moment he feared it wouldn’t work. The creature didn’t have any ears after all. But apparently, that wasn’t how the ability worked because the Flesh Homunculus froze in place, its grip on the spear growing slack.

Jack ripped his weapon out of the constructs grip and stabbed it straight into one of its bulging red eyes.

[You have dealt a Critical Hit to Flesh Homunculus, Damage x4]

[You have dealt 120 Piercing damage to Flesh Homunculus]

[You have dealt 44 Frost damage to Flesh Homunculus]

[You have inflicted Freezing status effect on Flesh Homunculus]

As Jack wrenched his spear out of his opponents eye, the effects of Savage Roar wore off. However, with the Freezing debuff, the Homunculus was considerably more sluggish than it had been. It hadn’t exactly been a speed focused construct to begin with and now it was slower than ever.

Jack was able to dodge its slower and more predictable attacks with greater ease, using his agility to his advantage as he circled around the wounded homunculus. With each well-timed strike, he inflicted further damage upon his foe, exploiting its weakened state to press his advantage.

As the battle wore on, Jack's determination only grew stronger, his resolve unshakable despite the relentless assault of the homunculus. With each blow he landed, he felt a surge of satisfaction, knowing that he was one step closer to victory.

Finally, with a decisive thrust of his spear, Jack delivered the finishing blow to the Flesh Homunculus, driving the weapon deep into its chest with all the force he could muster. With a guttural cry, the construct collapsed to the ground, its twisted form convulsing in its death throes as Jack stood victorious over his fallen foe.

[Congratulations! You have slain Flesh Homunculus]

[800 Experience earned]

[Congratulations! You have levelled up]

[You have gained + 2 Strength]

[You have gained + 2 Agility]

[You have 2 free points to distribute]

[Congratulations! For successfully defeating 3 foes of a higher level, you have gained the skill Spear Mastery]

[Spear Mastery

Aptitude: 80%

Rarity: Uncommon

Type: Passive

Level: 1

Description: Increases damage dealt with any type of spear. Prerequisite for spear related Skills

Note: Skill level can be increased through use.]

Panting heavily, Jack took a moment to catch his breath, his heart still pounding from the intensity of the battle. He glanced around the chamber, his eyes scanning for any further threats, but the room was eerily silent save for the echo of his own labored breaths.