As Callum and Calanthe rode their horses down the road heading to Cintra. Cain sprinted to chase after his horse that ran towards the opposite direction. After minutes of sprinting through the forest and hills past Hillstead, Cain came to a sudden stop.
With sweat dripping down his face and his breathing heavy, Cain decided to rest. He was far from the village but also in the opposite direction of the twins.
"Damn it's gonna get dark soon and the last thing I want to do is try to find a horse and travel the roads at night."
The woods and hills stretched endlessly as Cain walked, his boots pounding against the uneven ground. The red sunset painted the sky in streaks of crimson as shadows stretching long across the slopes and underbrush. The wind whipped against his face, carrying the earthy scent of damp leaves and moss.
As Cain made his way through a tree line his Witcher medallion suddenly vibrated against his chest. Cain slowed, scanning the surroundings, his senses focusing on anything abnormal. Ahead, past the tree's was a partially hidden clearing, he saw the dark silhouette of his horse, grazing near a carved stone altar. Symbols were painted across its surface in streaks of red and ochre. A chill ran down Cain's spine the closer he approached.
Cain first raised a hand and casted the Axii sign to calm the horse. The beast trembled briefly before relaxing, nostrils flaring as it nickered softly. Cain approached cautiously, checking the horse over. Its flanks heaved, but it was unharmed, thankfully.
Cain rubbed the horse in appreciation for it being okay. "Glad your okay. I would hate if you got injured because Calanthe was pissed at me."
Then Cain's gaze returned to the altar. The paintings were illuminated faintly from the moonlight in the dark. He recognized some drawings as patterns forming spirals and runes he couldn't fully read. Still, he could feel a hum of raw power emanating from this location, and his thoughts drifted to the druids from Hallstead Village. Could this be one of their ritual sites?
Before he could ponder further, the system pinged:
[System Notification]: Place of Power Discovered
Activate Void Quest and absorb Place of Power:[Accept/Decline]
Rewards:+1 Ability Point. Mana Boost for 24 hours.
Cain's heart skipped a beat from excitement and caution. Since unlocking his Elder Blood places of power now came with risk. I could activate another void quest, If it mirrored the one from the Witcher forge, I might be facing goblins, or even something worse like the mutated Leshen from the Hillstead. Since I'm by myself depending on the rank of the quest the danger could be even worse.
Cain reached into his hidden inventory and mentally summoned Black Brother, feeling the comforting weight of the ebony blade manifest at his side. He hesitated for a fraction of a second, then pressed his hand against the carved altar and mentally clicked [Accept].
[System Notification]: Void Quest Accepted
Temporary Mana Boost Activated : All spells and abilities will receive +2% to power and efficiency for 24 hours. +1 Ability Point gained.
A surge of energy coursed through him, tingling in every nerve, every muscle. The air around him shimmered, the symbols on the stone glowing brighter as if recognizing him.
But then the system began to flare notifications in his mind:
Danger!...
Danger!!...
Danger!!!...
[System Notification]: Rare Void Quest Activated: "The Berserker"
Objective: Monsters from another world have discovered the void portal. Defeat them before they access this world.
Monsters: [0/100]
Boss: [0/1]
Rewards: 1 Rare Equipment Chest, 2 Random Stat Points
Failure: This world will be invaded by Dark Gods.
Cain's eyes narrowed as he read the quest details. Oh great Dark gods, that never sounds good. Probably some eldritch monsters or something. Cain sighed, I swear it's to early for me to deal with Cthulhu and the title alone. The Berserker, gave the impression the quest will be about raw violence and overwhelming fury. He tightened his grip on Black Brother. The risk was monumental, but now he had no choice.
A small, sparking portal appeared near the altar, the size of a stone. Cain placed his hand against it, feeling a pull, a tugging sensation that compressed his stomach and pulled him inward. The world vanished in an instant.
He landed on solid ground within a darkened room. Before his senses could adjust to the new environment, the smell of death and decay hit his nose while a blade sliced across his chest. He grunted in pain, jumping back with his sword in a defensive position, and casting the Igni sign to illuminate his surroundings. The sudden flames illuminated the room in flickering orange fire light.
In that brief illumination, Cain's eyes widened from surprise. Skeletons. Not just one or a few, but dozens, armed with rusted weapons. Some were stripped to bare bones, others still clinging to torn, rotting flesh. The room smelled of decay and old iron, their eyes glowing faintly with a sinister light.
Oh Great skeleton soldiers, Cain thought grimly. Their not cruel, or violent like goblins. But they have no fear and keep moving even when their body is mostly destroyed. As a mob monster they are dangerous in large numbers. Unless you have a party that has good crowd control with blunt weapons and holy or light attribute magic or weapons. These things are gonna be hard to deal with.
As the flames died, plunging the room into darkness again, I casted Quen, a protective barrier shimmering around me, as I felt the healing warmth of my regeneration skill knitting the wound where the blade had grazed me back together.
My heart raced, adrenaline surging through my veins and Cold blooded activated. Like last time the instant I stepped into this dark world my life is being targeted. And I know, this was only the beginning. There's at least 100 of these things including a final boss.
As The nearly endless numbers of bones shifted around him, silent but deadly, and Cain tightened his grip on Black Brother, ready to fight. In another location far from Cain was another warrior. He was carving a path from through the skeletons with great force. The sound of his sword could be heard echoing through the dark corridors.