I Can Extract Game Items

[ System Notification: Ethereal Storm Activated! ]

[ Effect: Decreased Vision Radius for Enemies in AoE. ]

A bolt of purplish energy shot down from the sky, striking both the bawler and the leader.

[ - 3500 HP ]

[ - 3500 HP ]

The brawler lost the rest of his HP instantly while the leader weaved his sword around as he staggered blindly.

[ System Notification: Critical Hit! Brawler Defeated! ]

+2500 EXP

Now only the leader remained.

August dodged the blind slash from the leader who couldn\'t see properly due to the effect of the Ethereal storm.

He countered with a quick combination of Slash and Fireball.

Flames engulfed the leader, who roared in pain. With one final dash, August plunged his dagger into the leader\'s chest.

[ System Notification: Leader Defeated! ]

+3500 EXP

[ Item Dropped: Unlock Totem x1 ]

The remaining travelers cheered as the thieves lay defeated. One merchant approached him cautiously. "Thank you, adventurer. Without you, we would have been done for."

"No problem," August responded while retrieving the dropped items.

He held up the strange Unlock Totem item, examining it. "Hmm? I wonder what this does..."

August tried to see if the system would give him any information on the item but it only showed a few vague words.

[ Unlock Totem: An Item Dropped By The Leader Of The Robbers ]

He decided not to think much of it and kept it away.

[ System Notification: Side Objective Completed!

[ Reward: +1,000 Gold, +10,000 EXP ]

The merchant approached August with a smile after the battle. He held out two items.

"You\'ve done more for us than I can ever repay," the merchant said while bowing slightly. "Here, take these. They might be useful to you on your journey."n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

[ System Notification: You Have Received the Following Items: ]

- Enchanted Mirror (Hand-Sized): A magical mirror that can reveal hidden pathways or dangers when activated. It also helps to view other locations from a distance.

- Merchant\'s Plaque: A token displaying the merchant\'s shop name. Grants access to items at significant discounts.

"Thanks," August showed his appreciation while examining the items briefly before stowing them in his inventory. "I\'ll be sure to stop by your shop."

The merchant pointed towards a golden symbol etched onto the plaque. "Whenever you\'re nearby, just show this, and you\'ll always be welcome."

After exchanging brief goodbyes, August resumed his trek up the Mountainous Bluffs.

The path ahead was rugged and steep. The howl of the wind grew louder as August ascended higher.

From this vantage point, he could see Tagharuim Kingdom below. Its towers glinted faintly in the distance under the sun.

"This view would\'ve been worth it if I weren\'t on the clock," August muttered.

The winding path eventually ended abruptly.

A massive section of the path had crumbled away, leaving no clear way forward. August glanced around. To the left, a jagged path led into a dark forested area. Its entrance was littered with bones and claw marks—clear signs of dangerous beasts.

To the right was something even more peculiar: a swirling sea of purplish mist stretching across a narrow ledge. The mist was unnaturally dense, and its eerie glow obscured visibility.

[ System Notification: Warning! Two Dangerous Paths Detected. Choose Your Route. ]

[ Left Path: Known for aggressive beasts and high-level creatures. ]

[ Right Path: A treacherous area full of traps and roaming ghosts. ]

"I\'d rather not wrestle with giant claws right now," August muttered while stepping towards the mist.

The air was thick with an unnatural chill as August entered the misty path. His steps were cautious as his eyes darted to catch faint shapes moving within the swirling haze.

[ System Notification: You Have Entered the Purplish Mist Zone. ]

- Effects: Reduced Visibility.

- Dangers: Traps, roaming Dark Ghosts (Level 27+).

The sound of something snapping underfoot froze August in place. A sharp creak echoed, and suddenly, the ground beneath him gave way.

He was hoisted into the air by a hidden trap—a net woven from some kind of magical thread.

[ System Notification: Trap Detected! ]

[ Effect: Movement Restricted. ]

"Of course... an assassin gets caught in a trap..." August groaned while struggling against the bindings.

As he fought to free himself, a faint wailing sound emerged from the mist.

His eyes snapped toward the noise, catching the faint silhouette of a Dark Ghost slowly floating toward him.

Its form was translucent. Its face contorted in a grotesque scream, and long, clawed fingers reached out for him.

[ System Notification: Dark Ghost Detected! ]

Level: 28

Abilities:

- Life Drain: Siphons HP from its target.

- Phantom Slash: A spectral attack that bypasses most physical defenses.

August muttered, "Fucked by a ghost? I think not..."

He reached into his inventory and grabbed his Enhanced Dagger before slashing at the magical net until it frayed.

He dropped to the ground just as the ghost lunged.

Rolling to the side, he activated Shadow Dance, creating shadowy afterimages to confuse the creature.

However, to August\'s surprise, the ghost lunged forward and immediately singled out the original.

[ System Notification: Dark Ghost Has Used Spectral Slash ]

August raised his dagger just in time to block this attack but it phased right through his dagger and struck him directly.

August got sent flying and immediately lost some HP.

[ -450HP ]

"Damn it... That\'s cheating," August voiced in frustration as he jumped back to his feet.

The ghost lunged forward once more but August wasn\'t about to let it get close.

He instantly cast Lightning Bolt with his custom staff.

[ System Notification: Lightning Bolt Activated!

Effect: Target is paralyzed temporarily

The Dark Ghost\'s form crackled with energy as it froze mid-air.

"Yes!" August was initially worried the attack would phase through but fortunately, Magic bypassed that.

He proceeded to dash forward with his newly leveled-up Dash, slashing with precision at the ghost continuously.

[ System Notification: Critical Hit! Dark Ghost Defeated! ]

+4500 EXP

Item Dropped: Dark Essence x1

Fortunately, the ghost HP wasn\'t crazily high or he would have had a harder time defeating it.

August leaned against the rocky wall and began consuming an HP potion.

The mist continued swirling, making it hard to see more than a few feet ahead. "I better be careful so I don\'t end up losing a dying and losing a level," he muttered while storing the dropped Dark Essence into his inventory.

He pressed onward cautiously, gripping his dagger tightly and keeping his eyes peeled for more traps or roaming enemies.

This path was proving to be far more treacherous than he anticipated.

...

Hours into his journey, a new system notification appeared.

[ System Notification: You Have Entered the Depths of the Purplish Mist Zone. ]

[ Status: Increased density of traps and hostile entities detected. ]

August wiped sweat from his brow while crouching behind a boulder to catch his breath.

His body was aching from a near-miss earlier, where a phantom claw grazed his shoulder, leaving behind a faint chill that had sapped a chunk of his HP.

"This place just doesn\'t let up," he muttered while glancing at his inventory to assess his potion count. He had just enough Mana Potions and Health Potions to sustain him for a while longer.

He held up the Enchanted Mirror gifted by the merchant and activated it.

[ System Notification: Enchanted Mirror Activated ]

[ Effect: Revealing hidden traps within a 15-meter radius.]

The mist swirled in response, revealing the faint outlines of concealed pitfalls and tripwires ahead. August studied the glowing reflections in the mirror and carefully maneuvered past them.

"Probably the best reward I\'ve received so far," he muttered while keeping it back in his inventory before continuing down the path.

August\'s relief was short-lived as a spine-chilling wail echoed through the mist again. Two Dark Ghosts emerged with their forms flickering erratically as they floated toward him.

--- Find your adventure at empire

[ System Notification: Dark Ghosts Detected! ]

- Level: 29

- Abilities: Life Drain, Phantom Slash, Mist Veil (temporarily turns invisible).

"Not again," August groaned while gripping his custom staff tightly.

One of the ghosts lunged, activating Mist Veil to become nearly invisible.

August stepped back, using Lightning Bolt to light up the area in an attempt to locate it.

The bolt struck true, momentarily revealing its distorted form.

The second ghost circled around, attempting to flank him. August activated Dash and reappeared thirty-five paces away, narrowly avoiding a swipe from its claws.

He retaliated with Fireball, enhanced by his custom staff to unleash flames laced with poison.

The fireball exploded on impact, leaving the ghost shrieking in agony as poisonous flames consumed it.

[ System Notification: Critical Hit! Dark Ghost Defeated!]

+3800 EXP

[ Item Dropped: Spectral Shard x1 ]

The second ghost lunged again, but August was ready.

He activated sidestepped, appearing a good distance away from the creature, and instantly cast Ethereal Storm.

A concentrated vortex of destructive winds was immediately summoned, shredding the ghost to pieces.

[ System Notification: Dark Ghost Defeated! ]

+850 EXP

[ Item Dropped: Ectoplasmic Core x1 ]

August leaned against a rock to take a breather. His HP bar was dangerously low, but he quickly downed a Health Potion to stabilize himself.

He realized that it had been nearly ten hours since he started this mission. A C-ranked quest was no joke.

August proceeded to continue with his journey.

Soon, the mist began to clear as the path widened. Ahead, the treacherous terrain gave way to a more open area, though it wasn\'t any less ominous.