The path ahead wound through a narrow gorge, where jagged rocks jutted out like the broken teeth of some ancient beast. The air was cooler here, carrying the damp scent of moss and the faint trickle of water from an unseen source. William walked in silence, his grip on the dagger still firm despite the lull in combat. The adrenaline from the previous encounter had ebbed, leaving behind an uneasy tension.
Garret's voice broke the quiet. "We'll need to make camp soon. Pushing ourselves any further without rest would be reckless."
William glanced at the knight, noticing the weariness etched into the lines of his face. "Agreed," he said. "Elara, do you sense anything ahead?"
The mage closed her eyes, extending her senses outward. A faint aura pulsed in the distance, a murmur of magic that prickled at the edge of her awareness. "There's something… unnatural further up the gorge," she said, her voice tinged with caution. "It feels like a distortion in the Grid, but I can't pinpoint what it is."
William's brow furrowed. The Grid was everywhere in Elarion, a constant hum of power that underpinned the very fabric of reality. But disturbances in the Grid were rare—and always dangerous. "We should investigate," he said, his tone resolute. "If there's something wrong with the Grid, we need to know."
The group pressed on, every sense heightened as they approached the source of the magical disturbance. The gorge walls loomed overhead, casting long shadows that seemed to reach out and grasp at the edges of their vision. As they rounded a bend, a cave mouth came into view, its entrance dark and yawning like the maw of a beast. From within, a soft, eerie glow radiated, casting strange patterns on the surrounding rocks.
"Stay alert," Garret murmured, drawing his sword. "We don't know what we're walking into."
The three ventured into the cave, the air growing colder with each step. The faint glow intensified, illuminating the rough stone walls with a sickly green hue. As they ventured deeper, the source of the light became apparent—a cluster of crystals embedded in the cave floor, pulsating with a twisted energy.
William felt a twinge of recognition. These crystals were XP Nodes, but something was wrong. Their glow was dim, almost corrupted, and the energy they emitted felt unstable. "I've never seen them like this before," she said quietly.
Elara crouched near one of the crystals, her hand hovering above its surface. "It's as if they've been drained... or tainted," she observed. "The Grid's influence here is warped. Someone—or something—is interfering with it."
Garret stepped closer, his eyes narrowing. "If someone's tampering with the XP Nodes, that could mean we're dealing with more than just corrupted creatures. This could be sabotage."
Before anyone could respond, the ground trembled beneath them, and a deep rumble echoed from the cave's depths. The glow from the crystals flared brightly, then dimmed to a dull flicker. A low growl reverberated from the darkness, followed by the scrape of claws against stone.
"Get ready," William whispered, his muscles tensing as he gripped his dagger. "We're not alone."
System Stats Update:
Name: William
Level: 5
Stats:
Strength: 9
Agility: 9
Endurance: 8
Intelligence: 8
Wisdom: 8
Bloodline: Unknown
Last Name: Unknown
Skills:
Basic Combat
Dagger Mastery II
Items:
Enchanted Iron Dagger