Aenigma

A large, open ravine stretches before Valaine, its depth hidden in the murky shadows below.

A large boulder is nearby, a boulder she had no trouble on climbing into, and she finds herself perched atop the high platform overlooking a deep ravine. It is too far to glide, and there are no alternate routes in sight.

"woah"

She could barely see the other side. Valaine would try but she would lose stamina half way through. It is far too wide for her. If she would guess, it can probably fit four entire skyscrapers crosswise.

In Yggdrasil, the game doesn't show you the entire map of the worlds. It is up to the players to map them out. The waypoint that leads to the crypt is dangerous as it only shows her the direction, but not the obstacles that may be out there.

A sense of vertigo washes over her as she peers into the gaping chasm below.

"hm.. what an interesting effect"

Starring too much to the abyss is making her dizzy. Quite an interesting effect. She'll have to find a different route if she want to get to the crypt.

She took a detour. Quite a short one and it appears that corner of the ravine was quite close.

Moving forward, the scenery is quite ethereal. She was in Helheim.

It is a dark, shadowy realm, the oppressive gloom hanging like a dense fog. All around her, the ambience of winds and the tortured souls of the dead murmur and whispering, their voices echoing off the frozen valleys of this underworld. The game developers really went above and beyond.

As she peered through the darkness with her [Dark Vision], she saw a distant, flickering blue flame, casting a faint light throughout the realm.

Valaine's eyes slowly adjust to the gloom and she noticed that standing within her, a colossal marble colosseum. However, the once-magnificent structure is now in a state of disrepair, its surface pockmarked with cracks and covered in a thick layer of grime and decaying purple vines. Faint, eerie blue flamed torches flickers from above, casting an ominous glow throughout the arena.

"creepy.."

Her footsteps echoed throughout the colosseum, the sound punctuated by the distant rumble of thunder. It's difficult to see, but she saw a silhouette of someone else in the middle of the arena, it's arms crossed.

[Hobgoblin Lvl. 15]

An NPC.

A bald dark-skinned Hobgoblin standing in the shadows, its obsidian-like skin gleaming in the dim light, silver bearded and wearing relatively light leather armour. The Hobgoblin seems unfazed by her presence, a neutral expression on its face. Its red eyes flash warily, but it doesn't make a move to attack.

The Hobgoblin stands still, its eyes fixated on Valaine. It's difficult to read its intentions.

"Looks friendly enough.."

She approached the Hobgoblin with cautious steps, making sure her rusty sword and newly looted crossbow remained in her hotbars. It continues to remain still, its eyes fixed on her. She finds herself at a close distance to the Hobgoblin, close enough to gauge its intentions and trustworthiness.

The Hobgoblin looks intelligent, with sharp features and alert eyes. It also seems harmless, its expression conveying no signs of aggression. Up close, the Hobgoblin is towering her by about 4 feet if she can guess.

"Hi" her greeting echoing throughout the open arena.

Valaine greets the Hobgoblin, who responds with a greeting of its own, a simple nod. Then, it proceeds to offer her a simple task in order to proceed.

With a sly grin that revealed his jagged, yellowed teeth, the Hobgoblin raised a gnarled thumb, pointing backwards at the lone, narrow exit.

"In order to pass," he rasped "you must answer my one riddle."

Then he lifted his three gnarly fingers to her. "but you only have three chances."

A riddle with three allowed guesses. This seems like something she can manage. Unless it's a hard one. Moriya herself was never good at logical puzzles. This is why she became an accountant and switched from a programming major. She barely graduated with barely passing grades.

Accountancy, like many other professions, does require logic, but it may not necessarily demand certain types of logic. Many accounting tasks can be routine, especially in entry-level positions like her, such as data entry, bookkeeping, or tax preparation.

Valaine nod acceptingly, indicating that she is ready to hear the riddle.

The Hobgoblin tilts its head to the side, its lips curled into a slight smile. After a moment, it speaks the riddle aloud, its raspy voice echoing through the marble pillars:

"I speak without a mouth and hear without ears. I have no body, but I come alive with the wind. What am I?"

Valaine ponders the riddle, considering the possibilities and potential answers. It's tricky, but she feels confident that she can decipher the answer.

She responds with "A worm?" but the Hobgoblin shakes its head in disapproval, indicating that her guess is incorrect.

The Hobgoblin's demeanor becomes a bit more hostile, its eyes fixed on Valaine, its features becoming harder. The situation is beginning to feel a little tense. The Hobgoblin waits with anticipation, its eyes still fixed on her.

Valaine responds quickly with "A cloud!" but the Hobgoblin's disappointment is audible in its raspy voice, and its manner becomes more hostile and aggressive.

"no, no, no, NO, NO… NO!!"

The Hobgoblin's toes curl, its eyes becoming narrow, and its expression becoming agitated as it waits for her next response. If she does not answer correctly on this attempt, it's possible that the situation will escalate.

Valaine quickly reply with "A flute!" but the Hobgoblin's demeanor grows increasingly hostile, as it realizes that her answer is wrong.

The Hobgoblin's toes curl, its eyes narrowing in a fierce glare, and its manner becoming even more aggressive.

It held both of his hand in the air, and a jagged greatsword appeared on his right hand, and a chipped battle axe on the left.

"Shit"

Valaine suddenly sense the Hobgoblin's swift movements, as it moves towards her with a series of rapid strikes, hissing fiercely. The situation has become very dangerous, and she must act quickly and decisively to survive the encounter.

Quickly, Valaine defended herself against the Hobgoblin's fierce attacks, dodging off its series of strikes. It's large frame made it easier to do so. After a few moments, the Hobgoblin suddenly stops, its movements halting briefly in a moment of pause.

The sudden change in the Hobgoblin's behavior catches her off guard, leaving a feeling of confusion. Sensing it might be a powerful AOE attack, she created some distance.

The Hobgoblin remains still, its gaze fixed on her. Then, she saw a blue magic circle appear near the Hobgoblin, out of which a group of flying imps emerge, all of them seems to be around level 4, half her level. The imps move quickly through the air, their small wings beating rapidly. They seem to be under the Hobgoblin's control and are likely here to support it in the fight.

This will be a problem to her.

The Hobgoblin regards her now calmly, the corners of its mouth slightly curled upward. Its attitude seems calm and confident, but there's an unmistakable air of menace in its manner.

Valaine watches as the Hobgoblin sinks its greatsword and battle axe onto the dirt ground, seeming to settle himself, his manner becoming more relaxed. He sits down in an Indian-style position, with his legs crossed and his eyes lowered, his face resting in his left hand knuckle, and his sword and axe are still firmly planted in the ground.

The Hobgoblin's imps continue to buzz around him, waiting for his command. Valaine feels the tension and menace rising once again.

She then saw the Hobgoblin's imps approach her fast, very fast, their small wings beating rapidly. They attack her with their claws, trying to strike her with surprising speed.

She tried to dodge and avoid the attacks, but the imps are relentless in their onslaught. Valaine's agility and speed are being tested to their limits.

The Hobgoblin remains seated on the ground, his manner calm but his eyes focused on her, and grinning. It's not clear if he's just watching Valaine or planning something…

She decided to take to the sky, and flew to the windows the leads inside the colosseum. As she flew in, she was greeted with a cavernous marble chamber lay in a state of profound decay, countless pillars stretched out in every direction, and the light of a hundred flickering blue torches bathed the room in an eerie glow. Their wavering flames barely lit the room, casting long, quivering shadows.

She decided to use the pillars of the room as a means to keep the imps at bay and to strike at the Hobgoblin from the windows.

For a moment, she was able to evade the onslaught of the imps, her quick and agile movements causing them to lose track of her in the maze of pillars. As she moved through the pillars, the imps struggle to keep up with her, flying and buzzing around in a frenzy.

Valaine tried to quickly hit the Hobgoblin when the opportunity arises, shooting from the window with her crossbow. Avoiding direct confrontation with the imps, Valaine's attack is unsuccessful, as it misses the Hobgoblin by a wide margin.

Instead of trying to attack the Hobgoblin, she focuses her attention on the imps, her goal being to eliminate the Hobgoblin's support.

She dodges and weave through the onslaught of attacks, her eyes constantly scanning for the imps' movements. She always find herself on a constant lookout, her body moving swiftly through the pillars, trying to avoid the imps' claw-strikes.

After a few moments, Valaine catches one of the imps by surprise, managing to hit it with a quick strike before it can respond. The imp falls to the floor, its body motionless.

She had managed to take down one of the imps, and the remaining one have dispersed, flying to different areas in the colosseum. The Hobgoblin has not moved since she began her offensive, still seated on the ground.

His expression remains calm and relaxed, and his manner revealing nothing of his intentions.

She continues to focus on the imps, her attention divided between their movements and the Hobgoblin's calm vigilance. The imps flew, moving with surprising speed and agility. Their small wings beat rapidly, the sound filling the air.

One of the imps suddenly makes a move, diving towards her while shrieking in a high-pitched voice. It tries to strike her, its claws extended and its eyes glowing a yellow lurid glow.

She reacted quickly, dodging the imps' surprise attacks and avoiding its claw-strike. The imp buzzes around her, darting in and out as it seeks another opportunity to attack.

The remaining imps move around her, watching and waiting for an opening. They seem to be following the Hobgoblin's orders, and act in a coordinated manner.

She decided to throw caution to the wind, taking a decisive action that the Hobgoblin is unlikely to predict.

Suddenly, she launched her sword at all of the imps, her attack taking the creatures by surprise. The imps attempts to dodge, but the blades plunged its upper torso and slashes their hearts. The creatures shrieks loudly in pain as they crash to the floor.

"That should be all of them"

She was about to turn her attention back to the Hobgoblin, she suddenly notice a shadowy figure behind her in the dimly lit room. It's the hobgoblin, his gaze cold as he stares at her with contempt.

"Oh hello"