The will of the veil (1)

Elijah approached the entrance to the Jackle Den, his senses immediately assaulted by the harsh scent of decay and sand. The air was thick with the stench of rot, a sickly sweet odor that mingled with the dry, dusty winds. The den was a vast, barren expanse, the ground covered in fine, gritty sand that crunched underfoot. Jagged rocks jutted out like broken teeth, creating a maze-like terrain that offered little in the way of cover.

He scanned the area, noticing the Jackles prowling in packs in the distance, their crazed eyes glowing in the dim light. Unlike the Gobes, these creatures were a level higher—a significant risk for someone like him. Elijah sighed, a mix of apprehension and determination tightening in his chest. "These things are more dangerous than the gobes I fought before, maybe coming here was a mistake" he muttered under his breath, but he knew there was no turning back.

Sticking close to the shadows, Elijah began to move cautiously, trying to avoid detection. He crouched low behind a cluster of rocks, his breathing shallow as he scanned the area for a lone Jackle. He was no expert at this—his movements were clumsy, his steps uncertain. He felt the weight of his inexperience pressing down on him, knowing full well that a single mistake could cost him his life.

After what felt like an eternity, he spotted a solitary Jackle sniffing around the edge of the den. His heart raced as he began to sneak toward it, his muscles tense with anticipation. But his novice approach was flawed—his footsteps too loud, his movements too obvious. The Jackle's ears twitched, and it snapped its head in his direction, its eyes locking onto him with a feral intensity.

Elijah froze, his body trembling as he met the creature's crazed gaze. The Jackle's lips curled back in a snarl, revealing rows of jagged teeth. Elijah could feel the panic rising in his chest, his thoughts scattering as the creature's primal aura overwhelmed him. Elijah quickly grabbed a handful of sand and flung it at the Jackle. The sand hit its mark, forcing the creature to close its eyes reflexively. 

That brief moment of blindness was all Elijah needed. He threw himself to the side, narrowly avoiding the Jackle's snapping jaws, and with a quick, unsteady motion, he slashed his weapon across the creature's flank. The blade cut through the matted fur and flesh, but not deep enough to kill. The Jackle let out a pained howl, spinning around to face him, blood dripping from its wound.

Elijah staggered back, breathing hard, the reality of the fight sinking in. The Jackle lunged at him, and though he managed to dodge, its claws grazed his arm, leaving a shallow, stinging wound. He gritted his teeth, swinging his weapon again. This time, the blade struck true, slicing through the Jackle's neck. The creature collapsed with a final, gurgling snarl, its body twitching as life left it.

Elijah stood over the fallen Jackle, his chest heaving, his arm throbbing with pain. He stared at the creature's black core, now visible among the gore. "These things are way stronger" he whispered, shaking his head. "Maybe I shouldn't have come here." He knelt down, picking up the core, the dark orb cold against his skin.

The difference between the cores was stark. The Gobes core was silvery, light, and almost ethereal, while the Jackle's core was denser and dark gray, its surface glistening in the light. Elijah remembered reading in a guide that the color and density were due to the concentration of Soul Energy within. He cleaned the core, preparing to absorb it when he felt a sudden shift—the shadow avatar moving as if trying to get his attention.

Before he could react, a searing pain shot through his arm. Elijah cried out, clutching the deep wound that had suddenly appeared, blood pouring from the gash. "DAMN IT!" he hissed through gritted teeth, realizing one of the Jackles had snuck up on him. "One of them snuck up on me. Luckily, the avatar warned me, or I would have been killed."

Elijah staggered, his vision blurring as he tried to fend off the second Jackle. The battle that followed was brutal, each strike a desperate attempt to survive. The Jackle was relentless, its crazed eyes fixed on him as it lunged and snapped at his weakened form. Elijah managed to dodge some attacks, but others found their mark, leaving him with more cuts and bruises.

Exhausted and bleeding, Elijah finally saw an opening. With a final burst of energy, he drove his weapon into the Jackle's chest, feeling the resistance as the blade pierced through bone and muscle. The Jackle let out one last, agonized scream before collapsing on top of him, its weight knocking him to the ground.

For a moment, Elijah lay there, struggling to catch his breath, the large dead Jackle pinning him down. He pushed the creature off, his body screaming in protest as he slowly got to his feet. He grabbed the second core, stowing it in his bag alongside the first. His mind raced as he began the long trek back to the settlement, his senses on high alert.

The journey back was nerve-wracking, every sound and shadow putting him on edge. The sun had dipped below the horizon, and the den's eerie stillness made every rustle of sand seem like a potential threat. Elijah kept his weapon ready, constantly glancing over his shoulder, expecting another Jackle to emerge from the darkness. The adrenaline kept him moving, but his injuries slowed him down, each step a painful reminder of how close he had come to death.

When he finally reached the settlement, Elijah felt a wave of relief wash over him. He headed straight for the infirmary at the Wanderer Union's base, his body trembling from the combination of pain and exhaustion. The medical staff patched him up, wrapping his wounds with sterile bandages. But the relief came at a cost—1,000 Union Credits, leaving Elijah with a bitter taste in his mouth as he paid the fee.

Elijah trudged back to the inn, his mind racing with thoughts of the day's events. "One Gobe core is worth 20 Union Credits, but a Jackle core should be around 50," he murmured to himself, debating whether to sell the cores. But something held him back. He settled into his room, pulling out one of the black cores, and feeling its weight in his hand.

As he was about to start absorbing the core, the shadow avatar vibrated, catching his attention again. Elijah frowned, trying to understand what it wanted. "You want the core?" he asked, the avatar vibrating in response.

"Why? Do you need it?" he questioned, hesitant to waste such a valuable resource. The avatar vibrated again, more insistent this time, as if reassuring him that it was necessary.

Elijah sighed, nodding as he placed the core in his right palm. "Alright," he said, allowing the avatar to do as it wished. To his astonishment, the thin veil covering him intensified around his hand, and before his eyes, the core began to dissolve, absorbed directly into the avatar.

As the last remnants of the core disappeared, Elijah heard a voice echo in the back of his mind—a deep, resonant tone that sent chills down his spine.

[Black Jackle core absorbed. 0.2 Soul Energy gained. Basic Soulshard, Jackle's Stealth, earned.]

"WHAT THE FUCK??" Elijah's voice was filled with disbelief. He stared at his hand, the reality of what just happened sinking in. The will of the veil—the guiding force that only spoke when something extraordinary occurred—had just announced the acquisition of a Soulshard. Elijah's mind raced as he tried to comprehend the significance of this moment.

"A Soulshard? From a low basic level creature? Is that even possible?" he wondered aloud. From what he knew, obtaining a Soulshard from a basic-level creature wasn't unheard of, but it was rare—especially from one as low level as a Black Jackle. It was something that happened by pure chance, a stroke of luck in a world where survival was never guaranteed.

"Did I get lucky?" Elijah questioned, staring at the 0.2 increase in his Soul Energy with growing confusion. "I thought Black Jackles give 0.1 at max when their core is absorbed... what is happening!!!"

But there were no answers—only more questions. Elijah's world had just gotten a lot more complicated, and as he sat there, clutching the second core, he knew that this was only the beginning.