The moon hung in the sky like a shadow. A slow wind was blowing dry leaves, strange murmurs were rising from the depths of the forest. There, in the darkness, as if there was no one, everything was moving in silence.
The skeleton moved towards the forest with weak steps. His arms made a bone creak with every movement, the emptiness inside him grew bigger with every step. He had no feelings, only a mission.
A sound came from inside the shadow. A crack, then a deep silence. The skeleton's head turned quickly, his eyes staring into the deep voids. Something was coming towards him from the darkness of the forest. The crow. Its black wings had almost disappeared in the darkness.
The skeleton locked eyes with the crow without moving. The crow glided towards him without making a sound. For a moment, he remembered something... or maybe something was being called. The crow was just a sign.
He could sense that something was starting.
The voice of the system echoed from within:
[New Companion: Undefined Entity – "Crow" began to follow.]
[Passive Ability Gained: "Guide of Shadows" – Increased precognition against uncertain dangers.]
The skeleton began to move along with the crow without saying anything. This silent journey marked the beginning of a quest.
The murmur rising from the depths of the forest pierced his ear like a whisper. Rotten leaves danced with rustling sounds under the wind. An abandoned hut appeared in the distance. Inside, three goblins gathered around the fire, trying to fill their stomachs by gnawing on rotten meat.
The skeleton disappeared into the darkness, taking silent steps. Although his bones were so fragile that they could break at any moment, he did not lose focus as he approached the battle. There was a goal, a goal to achieve. His eyes chose one of the goblins chewing their cud inside the hut.
His first move was only a momentary opportunity. He grasped the spear in his hand tightly and aimed it into the ground. The spear moved silently through the darkness, but it was very weak. It hit the body with a blow, but it failed to penetrate deeply. The goblin screamed and was thrown backwards. The other two goblins stood up, growling.
The skeleton's body shook from the impact. Its bones cracked. Its left rib fell to the ground with a small hissing sound. Swinging its spear again was like approaching death; it was weak, but there was only one thing: to continue.
The skeleton made another move before defending itself. It swung the goblin's spear again, trying to take its life. But this time, the spear moved with difficulty in its hand. Its body was exhausted. After a few tries, the spear was stuck in the goblin's throat, but due to its lack of strength, it became much more difficult to make the final blow. The goblin fell to the ground.
However, the second goblin moved immediately. They rushed towards the skeleton. Nails and stones dug in between the bones. He felt a deep pain, but at that moment he had only one thought: To survive.
His ribs cracked once more. Only to survive... To fight...
The skeleton suddenly rolled to the ground, passed the enemy and went behind him. He swung his spear, but the spear still could not penetrate deeply. Weakness showed itself in every movement. But he did not give up. He showed patience for a moment more and this time he successfully completed his attack. The spear stuck into the goblin's back. At that moment, the goblin's body collapsed to the ground. Darkness engulfed both enemies.
The third goblin opened his eyes in fear. He started to run away with his shaking hands. But at that moment, the crow soared in the sky. Their eyes met, but the crow was only watching from afar. The skeleton got up from the ground with one last move and made the final blow, like the silent shadow the crow was following.
The skeleton, ignoring the pain of his weak body, knocked his last enemy to the ground. When the battle ended, everything suddenly went silent.
The skeleton took a deep breath. He could feel a distinct change in his body.
The system's voice echoed in the skeleton's ears:
[3 Low-Level Goblins killed.]
[+18 XP gained.]
[Level Increased: 2 → 3]
[Progress Saved: Bone Density +4% | Height +2.1 cm | Strength +1]
The skeleton felt the blue light shine a little brighter. The system made him stronger with each monster he killed. But this power came at a cost. Every hit made him a little stronger, but every bone that cracked near him brought him one step closer to the brink of death.
He had grown a little taller. His bones had become more solid. But he still had to be careful. His skull could break with the slightest hit.
The crow watched silently for a while longer. He didn't say anything, just remained in the darkness. Something had happened, but the skeleton's mind was still on its target. It remembered its mission.
"Master... if you're alive... I will find you."