With the Stormforged Hammer now in Borin's capable hands, Drake and his companions consulted the map once more. The next artifact, the Shadow Orb, was located within the Obsidian Citadel, a fortress built into the side of a dormant volcano.
"A volcano, huh?" Drake sighed, rubbing his temples. "Seriously? Can't we just find an artifact in, like, a nice, comfortable library? Or maybe a spa? I'm starting to think this whole 'saving the world' thing is really bad for my… everything."
Corvus, his eyes now glowing with a soft, white light – his fire magic having been permanently enhanced and transformed by the Sunstone's radiant energy – consulted the map. "The Obsidian Citadel is said to be heavily guarded," he said. "It is a stronghold of a dark cult known as the Obsidian Hand."
Elara, now radiating a faint, silvery aura – her wind magic having evolved into Lunar Ice thanks to the Moonpetal – nodded in agreement. "The Obsidian Hand are known for their mastery of dark magic," she added. "They will be a formidable foe."
Borin, now radiating a faint aura of crackling lightning thanks to the Stormforged Hammer and his newly unlocked Stormforged System, simply grunted, hefting the hammer. "Citadel. Cult. Orb. Let's go."
Drake grinned. "Finally! Borin has joined the 'system' club!" he declared. "Took you long enough, buddy. We were starting to think you were just… naturally grumpy. Turns out, you were just… system-less. Congratulations, my friend. You've officially joined the ranks of the… system-enabled. We should throw a party. Maybe get some cake. And definitely some chimichangas. Because, celebrations."
Everyone chuckled, happy that Borin had finally unlocked his own system. It was a long time coming and they were all happy for him.
Their journey to the Obsidian Citadel was relatively uneventful, save for a few minor encounters with wild animals. They reached the base of the dormant volcano, the Obsidian Citadel looming above them, a dark and imposing structure built into the side of the mountain.
*Notification: "Location Discovered: Obsidian Citadel. Volcanic Fortress. Suspected Artifact Location."*
As they approached the citadel, they noticed a large group of figures guarding the entrance. They were clad in black robes, their faces hidden by masks.
*Notification: "Enemy Detected: 20 x Obsidian Hand Cultists. Threat Level: Moderate-High."*
"More cultists," Drake groaned. "Seriously? Can't we go anywhere without running into these guys? It's like they're having a 'Dark Lord's Fan Club' convention, and we're the uninvited guests. Again."
The Obsidian Hand Cultists were numerous and well-equipped, wielding dark swords and casting shadow spells. They attacked Drake and his companions, their movements coordinated and precise.
The battle was fierce. The cultists were skilled fighters, their dark magic creating shadowy tendrils that lashed out at Drake and his companions.
Corvus, wielding light magic, unleashed blasts of radiant energy, searing the cultists' dark armor. Elara, with her Lunar Ice, created walls of ice to block the shadow spells. Borin, wielding the Stormforged Hammer, charged into the fray, his lightning strikes sending cultists flying.
Drake, meanwhile, used Void Embrace and Shadow Cloak, disappearing into the shadows. He then used Void Step to teleport behind the cultists, delivering swift and deadly strikes.
*Notification: "Skill Activated: Shadow Rend (Level 10). Cost: 70 Mana. Damage Dealt: 250. Bleed Status Effect Applied. Shadow Strike!"*
*Notification: "Health Drain: 0. Drake Health: 100/100"*
The cultists, though numerous, were no match for Drake and his companions' combined power. They fell one by one, their dark magic no match for the radiant energy, lunar ice, and crackling lightning.
*Notification: "Enemy Defeated: Obsidian Hand Cultist (+1200 XP)."*
*(Repeated for each cultist)*
*Notification: "Experience Gained: Obsidian Hand Cultist Encounters (+24000 XP)"*
*Experience: 83200 + 24000 = 107200/15400*
*Notification: "Level Up! Drake has reached Level 24!"*
*Notification: "Stat Points Available: 24"*
*Notification: "Skill Points Available: 2"*
He allocated his stat points putting 14 into Strength and 10 into Dexterity.
*Notification: "Stat Points Allocated: Strength +14. Current Strength: 124."*
*Notification: "Stat Points Allocated: Dexterity +10. Current Dexterity: 110."*
He allocated his skill points, putting one into Void Shatter and one into Shadow Cloak.
*Notification: "Skill Point Allocated: Void Shatter (Level 8). Effect: Increased damage, blast radius, chance to inflict 'Void Corruption,' 'Void Resonance,' 'Void Collapse,' and 'Void Annihilation' status effects, and now has a chance to inflict the 'Void Singularity' status effect, which creates a miniature black hole that sucks enemies towards the center of the blast, dealing massive damage over time and potentially disintegrating weaker enemies."*
*Notification: "Skill Point Allocated: Shadow Cloak (Level 13). Effect: Increased invisibility duration, significantly reduced mana cost, grants a significant bonus to stealth, allows for silent movement even on rough terrain, allows Drake to briefly become intangible while cloaked, avoiding incoming attacks, grants a temporary boost to movement speed while cloaked, and now allows Drake to perform a 'Shadow Strike' while cloaked, dealing bonus shadow damage and potentially stunning the target."*
With the cultists defeated, they approached the entrance to the Obsidian Citadel. The massive doors were made of obsidian, their surface smooth and reflective.
"Well, this place is certainly… obsidian-y," Drake observed. "I wonder if they have an obsidian gift shop. I could use a new… obsidian paperweight. Or maybe an obsidian… chimichanga holder. Because, you know…"
They entered the citadel, ready to face whatever dangers lay within. They knew the Shadow Orb was close, and they were determined to find it, no matter the cost.