Chapter 87 : The Shifting Sands and a Sand Golem's Fury

With the Sunstone now in Corvus's possession, Drake and his companions prepared to leave the ruins of Akhet. Drake, still nursing his bruised ribs and slightly singed ego, was eager to put the desert behind them.

"Alright," he said, dusting off his clothes, "let's get out of this giant oven. I'm starting to feel like a raisin. And not a delicious, sun-dried raisin. More like a shriveled, forgotten raisin that's been sitting in the back of the pantry for, like, a decade."

Elara chuckled. "Just be glad you're alright, Drake," she said. "That energy surge looked… intense."

"Intense is one word for it," Drake replied. "Another word would be 'excruciating,' or 'unpleasant,' or 'why-did-I-think-touching-a-glowing-sphere-was-a-good-idea?'"

Corvus, clutching the Sunstone, consulted the map provided by the Keepers. "The next artifact," he said, "is located in the Oasis of Whispers, a hidden oasis deep within the Shifting Sands. It is known as the Moonpetal, and it is said to possess the power to control the tides of magic."

"The Shifting Sands, huh?" Drake mused. "Sounds… sandy. And shifty. I hope it's not too far. I'm still a bit… tender after my little encounter with the Sunstone. And by tender, I mean 'aching in places I didn't even know existed.'"

They set off once more, their journey taking them deeper into the heart of the desert. The Shifting Sands were a treacherous landscape, the dunes constantly shifting and changing, making it difficult to navigate. The sun continued to beat down mercilessly, and the air was thick with dust and sand.

*Notification: "Environmental Hazard Detected: Extreme Heat. Increased Stamina Consumption. Risk of Dehydration."*

*Notification: "Environmental Hazard Detected: Shifting Sands. Increased Difficulty Navigating. Risk of Getting Lost."*

"This is just great," Drake groaned, trudging through the sand. "It's like the desert is actively trying to lose us. I'm half expecting a giant sand worm to pop out any minute and try to swallow us whole. Because, you know, deserts."

As they journeyed, they encountered various desert creatures: giant scorpions, sand vipers, and even a few packs of wild jackals.

Three giant scorpions emerged from the sand, their stingers raised menacingly.

*Notification: "Enemy Detected: 3 x Giant Scorpions. Threat Level: Low-Moderate."*

Drake used Void Embrace and Shadow Rend to quickly dispatch one of the scorpions.

*Notification: "Skill Activated: Shadow Rend (Level 9). Cost: 70 Mana. Damage Dealt: 200. Bleed Status Effect Applied."*

*Notification: "Health Drain: 0. Drake Health: 90/100"*

*Notification: "Enemy Defeated: Giant Scorpion (+200 XP)."*

Corvus used fire magic, while Elara used wind magic and Borin charged in with his axe. They quickly defeated the remaining scorpions.

*Notification: "Enemy Defeated: Giant Scorpion (+200 XP)."*

*(Repeated for each scorpion)*

*Notification: "Experience Gained: Giant Scorpion Encounters (+600 XP)"*

A group of five sand vipers slithered out of the sand, their fangs dripping with venom.

*Notification: "Enemy Detected: 5 x Sand Vipers. Threat Level: Low."*

Drake used Void Tendrils to ensnare several vipers, while his companions attacked the others.

*Notification: "Skill Activated: Void Tendrils (Darkness) (Level 3). Cost: 60 Mana. Damage Dealt: 60 (each tendril). Ensnared 3 Targets"*

*Notification: "Enemy Defeated: Sand Viper (+150 XP)."*

*(Repeated for each viper)*

*Notification: "Experience Gained: Sand Viper Encounters (+750 XP)"*

A pack of eight wild jackals surrounded them, their eyes glowing with hunger.

*Notification: "Enemy Detected: 8 x Wild Jackals. Threat Level: Low-Moderate."*

Drake used Void Step to teleport behind the jackals, while his companions engaged them in combat.

*Notification: "Enemy Defeated: Wild Jackal (+100 XP)."*

*(Repeated for each jackal)*

*Notification: "Experience Gained: Wild Jackal Encounters (+800 XP)"*

"You know," Drake said, after defeating a particularly large scorpion, "I'm starting to think this desert is trying to kill us. First the heat, then the shifting sands, now giant scorpions, venomous vipers, and hungry jackals. It's like the universe is running a 'Drake's Desert Survival Challenge,' and I didn't even sign up for it."

After several days of arduous travel, they finally spotted a patch of green in the distance. As they approached, the green patch revealed itself to be a lush oasis, a hidden paradise in the midst of the desolate desert.

*Notification: "Location Discovered: Oasis of Whispers. Lush Oasis. Suspected Artifact Location."*

"An oasis!" Elara exclaimed, her voice filled with relief. "We've made it!"

They rushed towards the oasis, eager to escape the oppressive heat and rest in the shade of the palm trees. As they approached the oasis, however, they noticed something amiss. The air around the oasis shimmered with an unnatural energy, and the silence was broken by a low, rumbling sound.

"Something's not right," Corvus said, his voice grave.

Suddenly, the ground began to shake, and a massive figure rose from the sand. It was a Sand Golem, a creature of immense size and power, formed from the very sand of the desert.

*Notification: "Enemy Detected: 1 x Sand Golem. Threat Level: High."*

"Oh, come on," Drake groaned. "A giant sand monster? Seriously? What is this, a sand-themed monster movie marathon? I'm starting to think this whole 'saving the world' thing is really bad for my mental health."

The Sand Golem roared, its voice like the grinding of rocks. It raised its massive arms, sending waves of sand crashing towards Drake and his companions.

The battle was fierce. The Sand Golem was incredibly strong and resilient, its attacks sending shockwaves through the oasis. Drake and his companions fought with all their might, but the Sand Golem seemed impervious to their attacks.

Drake used Void Embrace and Shadow Cloak, trying to find a weak point in the golem's sandy armor.

Corvus, wielding the Sunstone, unleashed blasts of radiant energy, hoping to disrupt the golem's form. Elara used her wind magic to create whirlwinds, trying to knock the golem off balance. Borin charged into the fray, his great axe chipping away at the golem's sandy limbs.

Despite their combined efforts, the Sand Golem was proving to be a formidable opponent. It was like fighting a mountain of sand, its attacks relentless and powerful.

Just when they were beginning to tire, and the Sand Golem seemed to have the upper hand, Drake, with a desperate surge of energy, used Void Step to teleport behind the golem and unleashed a powerful Void Shatter, the chaotic energy tearing through the golem's sandy form.

*Notification: "Skill Activated: Void Shatter (Level 3). Cost: 70 Mana. Damage Dealt: 120. Void Corruption Status Effect Applied."*

*Notification: "Health Drain: 0. Drake Health: 56/100"*

The Sand Golem shrieked, its form collapsing into a pile of sand.

*Notification: "Enemy Defeated: Sand Golem (+7000 XP)."*

*Notification: "Experience Gained: Sand Golem Encounter (+7000 XP)"*

*Experience: 22200 + 7000 = 29200/14000*

*Notification: "Level Up! Drake has reached Level 17!"*

*Notification: "Stat Points Available: 17"*

*Notification: "Skill Points Available: 2"*

He allocated his stat points putting 7 into Strength and 10 into Dexterity.

*Notification: "Stat Points Allocated: Strength +7. Current Strength: 66."*

*Notification: "Stat Points Allocated: Dexterity +10. Current Dexterity: 70."*

He allocated his skill points, putting one into Void Shatter and one into Shadow Cloak.

*Notification: "Skill Point Allocated: Void Shatter (Level 4). Effect: Increased damage, blast radius, chance to inflict the 'Void Corruption' status effect, and now has a chance to inflict the 'Void Resonance' status effect. Void Resonance amplifies the damage of subsequent Void attacks against the target."*

*Notification: "Skill Point Allocated: Shadow Cloak (Level 11)