Era of Players: Death God

The aftermath of the gnolls' defeat was suffocating, the air thick with the stench of blood and metal. Noah, unaffected by the carnage surrounding him, stood motionless.

Letting out a weary sigh, he knelt beside the lifeless bodies of the gnolls. These creatures, corrupted by darkness, were not entirely at fault for their savage nature. Noah scavenged their remains, collecting only a meager assortment of crude weapons and a handful of worn-out Magic Stones.

Securing the loot in his trusty Item Box, Noah stood up and continued his journey. As he ventured deeper into the forest, his heightened senses detected a new sound - the unmistakable snarls and growls of more gnolls. But this time, their numbers had multiplied. Ten, if his estimation was correct.

A furrow formed on his forehead. This was an unusually large pack for this area. Taking cover behind a towering oak, Noah contemplated his next move. A direct confrontation, even with his extraordinary abilities, would be perilous. He needed to thin their ranks before they overwhelmed him.

A plan began to take shape. Concentrating his mana, Noah summoned a fraction of his telekinetic power. A surge of energy pulsed outward, lifting a cluster of loose rocks and hurling them towards the gnolls. The rocks groaned in protest as they crashed down into the heart of the pack, causing a deafening clamor.

Chaos erupted among the gnolls. Cries of pain and bewildered yelps filled the air as they scrambled to evade the unexpected assault. This was his chance.

With a swift flick of his wrist, Noah transformed his weapon, Nemesis, from its sleek sword form into a familiar black pistol. Dark energy crackled around the firearm as he took aim. His finger tightened on the trigger, releasing a magical bolt of energy - a Magic Bullet - that shot out from the barrel.

The bullet, infused with arcane power, streaked through the air, leaving behind a faint blue trail, and struck its target with deadly precision. One of the larger gnolls collapsed to the ground, its chest exploding in a crimson spray.

Another shot. And another.

BANG! BANG!

With each Magic Bullet, a gnoll met its demise, the blue streaks of energy carving lethal paths through the air. The remaining gnolls, intimidated by the sudden and merciless assault, looked around in confusion and fear.

Before they could react, Noah emerged from his hiding spot, gripping Nemesis with both hands. He became a whirlwind of bullets and precise gunfire, dispatching the remaining gnolls with ruthless efficiency honed through countless battles.

In the clearing, a heavy silence hung in the air, tainted with the metallic scent of blood. The robotic voice echoed in Noah's ear, a sharp contrast to the scene of destruction.

[You have gained 30% experience!]

Noah acknowledged the notification with a quick nod. He calculated in his mind – 2% for each gnoll, fifteen kills in total. 30% progress, bringing him closer to an enticing 85% towards his next level. A genuine smile, a rare sight on his face, tugged at the corner of his lips. He was growing stronger, steadily ascending the path of power.

"Now it's time to finish off the remaining gnolls," he muttered, determination gleaming in his eyes.

With a burst of speed fueled by his increasing agility, Noah shot forward like a speeding bullet. The fleeing gnoll led him straight to a foreboding grotto, guarded by two massive gnolls dressed in crude yet surprisingly durable armor. They tightly gripped spears with wickedly barbed tips.

"No doubt this is their dwelling," he murmured, a predatory glimmer shining in his golden eyes. He licked his lips, a hunter closing in on his prey.

Setting Nemesis aside for a moment, he reached into his ever-reliable [Item Box]. Two rough arrowheads, collected as trophies from past battles, materialized in his hand. With a silent whisper of mana flowing through him, he flicked his wrist and sent the projectiles soaring. Infused with telekinetic force, they sliced through the air with deadly accuracy, becoming silent bullets.

The guards, oblivious to their impending doom, never saw it coming. The arrowheads pierced their eyes swiftly and mercilessly. Using telekinesis once more, Noah softened their falls, ensuring a silent demise that wouldn't alert the other gnolls nearby.

A ghost of a smile danced across his face. Noah, the harbinger of death, but also a master of strategy and stealthy takedowns. The grotto loomed ahead, its darkness promising a final showdown. He took a deep breath, the thrill of the hunt coursing through his veins.

The fetid air of the grotto clung to Noah like a second skin as he ventured deeper. The passage narrowed, forcing him to crouch low, his senses on high alert. Thanks for Lord of Night's skill amplifying his sight in the oppressive darkness. He could see the faint glint of moisture on the dripping stalactites overhead and feel the rough texture of the uneven stone floor beneath his boots.

His [Presence Detection], honed through countless battles, pulsed outwards, searching for any sign of life. Thankfully, it remained quiet, devoid of the telltale thrum of hostile life force. He navigated a treacherous maze of hidden pitfalls and tripwires, his telekinesis acting as a ghostly hand, brushing against the invisible dangers before they could be sprung.

Each disarmed trap was a silent victory, a testament to his caution and skill.

Finally, the passage opened up into a surprisingly vast cavern. A dim, bioluminescent glow emanated from strange, fungus-like growths clinging to the cavern walls, casting an eerie, otherworldly light on the scene before him.

Noah's breath hitched in his throat. This wasn't what he had expected. Instead of the expected lair of a monstrous gnoll chieftain, a full-fledged underground village sprawled before him. Huts, crude but surprisingly sturdy, were carved into the cavern walls, their smoke curling upwards towards cracks in the ceiling that served as ventilation shafts.

Figures, smaller and less hulking than the gnolls he'd encountered earlier, moved about, tending to fires or carrying bundles of what looked like bioluminescent moss.

Were these… gnoll women and children? The realization struck Noah with a force that left him momentarily stunned. He had been prepared to fight, to eradicate a threat, but this… this was different. This was a community, albeit a twisted one, struggling to survive in the harsh darkness.

A cold gust of wind whipped through Noah, a stark contrast to the stifling heat of the cavern. It wasn't just the oppressive darkness that threatened to suffocate him; it was the weight of his duty clashing with a burgeoning flicker of empathy. These weren't mindless beasts like the gnolls he'd slain previously.

Here, beneath the flickering bioluminescent glow, was a semblance of society, a twisted reflection of humanity clinging to existence.

The image of a gnoll child, its eyes wide with a fear that mirrored his own inner turmoil, flashed in his mind.

"Remorseful," he scoffed, the word leaving a bitter taste on his tongue. He couldn't afford sentimentality in this world, a world governed by the law of jungle. Here, it was kill or be killed, a brutal truth etched into the fabric of his existence.

With a practiced flick of his wrist, he summoned his [Item Box]. The familiar hum filled the air as he rummaged through his ever-growing collection of scavenged materials. Empty flasks, a few scraps of cloth, and a vial of a highly volatile alchemical concoction he'd acquired on a previous mission – the ingredients were there.

His hands moved with practiced efficiency, weaving the makeshift Molotov cocktails. A dangerous glint flickered in his golden eyes as he ignited them, the flames dancing like hungry demons in the cavern's dim light.

He didn't need brute force. He needed chaos. He needed the gnolls to flee, to panic, to create an opportunity for him to infiltrate their society and find the source of the corruption. With a deep breath, he launched the flaming projectiles at strategic locations – the crude huts farthest from the exit, the makeshift food stores.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

Explosions rocked the cavern, showering sparks and sending gnolls scrambling in terror.

Smoke billowed upwards, quickly filling the vast space.

''!!!"

Screams and panicked barks echoed through the cavern, punctuated by the clatter of dropped tools and the frantic scrambling of small feet.

Noah, hidden behind a massive rock overlooking the chaos, notched an arrow onto his bow. This wasn't about slaughter, not yet. He would eliminate any immediate threats, any gnoll that emerged from the inferno with violence in their eyes. But his true target lay deeper within, their leader, he was certain he wouldn't die from something like this.

The cavern was a pandemonium of sound and fury. Using the smoke and confusion as his cloak, Noah began his descent towards the heart of the gnoll village, his golden eyes scanning for any sign of leadership, any hint of what lay at the root of this darkness.

The path ahead was shrouded in smoke and uncertainty, but one thing was clear – the hunt was on.