Cruzer took a deep breath, feeling the weight of the remaining task pressing on him. With the forest wolves' fangs secured, his next targets were the goblin warrior cores and the ice phoenix hatchling feathers.
He knew time was of the essence and couldn't afford to waste any more of it. The goblin warriors were known to inhabit the caves found at the fringes of Whispering Woods.
Goblins were notorious for their cunning and ferocity, but the warriors, in particular, were a cut above the rest. Cruzer had faced them before during training exercises, and while they were tough opponents, they weren't beyond his capabilities.
He made his way to the cave entrance, moving with purpose. The journey was uneventful, and he arrived without incident. The mouth of the cave yawned before him, dark and foreboding.
He lit a torch and ventured inside, the flickering light casting eerie shadows on the walls.
It didn't take long to encounter his first goblin warrior. The creature snarled at him, brandishing a crude but effective weapon.
Cruzer wasted no time, engaging it with a swift and decisive strike. His sword met the goblin's weapon with a clash, and the battle was on.
"Fury Cutter!" he called out, his sword glowing as he executed the powerful technique. The goblin warrior was taken aback by the sudden onslaught, its defenses crumbling under the relentless attack.
Cruzer's blade cut through the goblin's defenses with ease, leaving it lifeless on the cave floor.
Ding! Goblin warrior killed, obtained Exp points x60, Goblin core x1, Goblin weapon x1.
Cruzer barely had time to catch his breath before another goblin warrior lunged at him from the shadows.
This one was more aggressive, swinging its spiked club with wild abandon. Cruzer dodged to the side, narrowly avoiding the brutal strike.
"Sword Barrage!" he shouted, unleashing a flurry of rapid strikes. The goblin tried to block, but Cruzer's attacks were too fast and precise. His sword cut through the goblin's defense, leaving it defenseless and soon dead on the ground.
Ding! Goblin warrior killed, obtained Exp points x62, Goblin core x1, Goblin armor x1.
As he continued deeper into the cave, the battles grew more intense. The goblin warriors began to coordinate their attacks, using the narrow passages to their advantage.
Cruzer found himself constantly on the move, dodging attacks and countering with swift strikes.
A particularly tough goblin warrior appeared, larger and more heavily armored than the rest.
It carried a large shield and a jagged sword, its eyes gleaming with malice. Cruzer knew this would be a difficult fight. The goblin charged, its shield raised.
Cruzer sidestepped, aiming a quick slash at its exposed side, but the goblin was quick, blocking the attack with its shield and retaliating with a powerful swing. Cruzer barely managed to parry the blow, the force of it sending vibrations up his arm.
"Sparkle!" Cruzer chanted, extending his free hand. A streak of light shot from his fingers, hitting the goblin and causing it to convulse. The paralyzing effect of the spell left the goblin momentarily immobilized.
Seizing the opportunity, Cruzer dashed forward. His sword moved with blinding speed, targeting the goblin's weak points. The creature roared in pain as Cruzer's blade found its mark, piercing through its armor.
Ding! Goblin warrior killed, obtained Exp points x70, Goblin core x1, Goblin shield x1, Skill Fragment x1.
Ding! Level Up! Obtained 10 attribute points.
Cruzer noticed a new item in his inventory: a skill fragment. He had heard about these rare items; they could be used to obtain a skill when one collected the required amount of fragments. Sometimes 3 fragments were enough while sometimes it required 4 or 5 to get a skill.
The higher the number of fragments required, the higher the skill's value. He decided to save it for a crucial moment.
He continued his methodical advance through the cave, cutting down goblin warriors with increasing ease.
Ding! Goblin warrior killed, obtained Exp points x65, Goblin core x1, Goblin weapon x1.
Ding! Level Up! Obtained 10 attribute points.
Finally, he had gathered the necessary goblin cores. With his pouch filled with the glowing blue orbs, he made his way out of the cave.
The fresh air was a relief after the dank, oppressive atmosphere inside. Cruzer paused to catch his breath and regroup before heading to his next destination: the ice phoenix hatchling nests.
The ice phoenix hatchlings were a rare and elusive breed, known to reside in snow-capped regions and high peaks perpetually covered in snow and ice.
Fortunately, his academy had various zones with different climates and topographies for student training, so he didn't have to leave the academy premises. He just had to go to the ice zone.
From the time he started his mission, six hours had already passed, and it was 1 a.m. He had only six hours left till his mission deadline and eight hours until the academy gates closed at sharp 9 a.m. He calculated the time it would take him to reach the teleportation portal to go to the zone containing the ice phoenix hatchlings.
Feeling the pressure mounting, Cruzer hurried to the teleportation portal, his mind racing with thoughts of the upcoming challenges.
The forest wolves and goblins had been formidable, but the ice phoenix hatchlings posed an entirely different challenge. The cold, the isolation, and the time constraint all combined to make this the most difficult part of his mission.
As he arrived at the portal, he took a deep breath and stepped through. The world around him shimmered and shifted, and he found himself standing in a frigid landscape of ice and snow. The ice zone was beautiful but unforgiving, and he could feel the chill seeping into his bones.
He trudged through the snow, the cold biting at his exposed skin, keeping his eyes peeled for any signs of the hatchlings. The zone was eerily quiet, the only sound being the crunch of snow under his boots. He finally spotted a nest nestled among the branches of a frost-covered tree.
The hatchlings were small, ethereal creatures with shimmering feathers that glowed with a soft blue light. He knew that their parents, the formidable Ice Phoenix, would be away hunting for food in the early morning. This gave him a small window of opportunity to collect the feathers without facing the deadly creatures.
However, he also knew that the time he had left to complete the mission was dwindling. The thought of the academy's impending talent testing and training weighed heavily on his mind. He couldn't afford to fail now, not after coming so far.
As dawn broke, Cruzer made his way to the nest. He reached into the nest, gently plucking a few feathers from the hatchlings. The creatures chirped softly but didn't seem distressed.
Ding! Ice phoenix hatchling feathers obtained, Exp points x45.
The system's voice echoed in his mind, "Mission complete. Reward: Talent Level restored to 3 stars for 6 hours, host will have one chance to use the shop feature."
With the feathers secured, Cruzer's mission was almost complete. He checked his watch—he had just under two hours left. He couldn't waste any more time.
He hurried back, pushing himself to move faster despite his exhaustion. The academy loomed in the distance, its spires silhouetted against the rising sun.
The system's voice echoed in his mind, "Mission complete. Reward: Talent Level restored to 3 stars for 6 hours, host will have one chance to use the shop feature."
Cruzer felt a rush of relief and satisfaction. He had done it. He had completed the seemingly impossible mission within the time limit.
As he stood inside the academy premises, catching his breath, he knew this was just the beginning. There would be more missions, more challenges, and more opportunities that would aid him in his growth.
"System, show me my attribute panel," asked Cruzer, eager to see his gains.
Attribute Panel:
Level: 5
HP: 260 (+40)
MP: 160 (+20)
STR: 22 (+3)
AGT: 16 (+2)
INT: 12 (+1)
WIL: 21 (+2)
END: 18 (+2)
Skills:
Fury Cutter: A powerful sword technique that enhances attack damage.
Sword Barrage: A rapid series of sword strikes that overwhelm opponents.
Sparkle Level 3: A basic lightning spell that creates a streak of light capable of paralyzing low-level enemies.
Fireball Level 3: A basic fire spell that creates a small explosive flame.Heal Level 3: A minor healing spell to recover small amounts of HP.
Skill Points: 10
Attribute Points: 20
Items:
Forest Wolf Fangs x6Goblin Core x5Goblin Weapon x3Goblin Shield x1Skill Fragment x1Ice Phoenix Hatchling Feathers x3