ARISE

The forest clearing was now adorned with a peculiar sight of the bodies of the dead goblins.

Luke stood a few steps away, his hands stretched out over the goblins. His Ice Fang Dagger, strapped to his belt, glinting faintly in the dappled light. His eyes, normally cool and calculating, were now filled with a mix of determination and concentration. He activated his [ARISE] skill, a skill that had remained dormant for a long time.

As if answering his command, the shadows beneath the bodies began to contort and squirm as it consumed the bodies of the fallen goblins, their forms taking shape. The process was mesmerizing and haunting, like watching a dance between the living and the intangible. The shadows seemed to wrap around each other, shaping themselves into crude replicas of the goblins. It was as if the very essence of darkness was breathing life into them.

Luke was a little displeased as only two shadow-goblins had been formed from consuming more than two bodies. He inquired about it from the shadow system and it responded in its euphonious yet mechanical sounding tone.

[THE -ARISE- SKILL IS STILL LOW LEVELED AND THUS CAN ONLY EXTRACT AND MAINTAIN UP TO TWO SHADOWS CURRENTLY---]

[LEVEL IT UP BY INCREASING ITS PROFICIENCY TO UNLOCK MORE UPGRADES TO THE SKILL]

Caleb, Dion, and Delia stood in varying degrees of surprise. Caleb's eyes widened, his energy momentarily stilled by the unusual spectacle. "Whoa, what's happening here?"

Delia's lips pursed in suspicion, her eyes never leaving Luke's actions. She shot him a glance laden with silent questions, her arms crossed over her chest.

Dion, his curiosity piqued, edged closer to get a better look. "T-This is… fascinating."

As the shadows solidified into the forms of the goblins, Luke's concentration remained unwavering. It was evident that this wasn't a skill he used frequently, perhaps even one he hadn't dared to use in a long time. He had his reasons for keeping it hidden, and now, faced with a goblin horde and the potential of a hobgoblin, he felt it was time to harness its power once more.

The shadow goblins now stood before the party, their figures mirroring the grotesque forms of the fallen creatures. The shadows cast by the trees around them seemed to cling to the duplicates, lending them an otherworldly presence.

Caleb's enthusiasm couldn't be contained any longer. "This is so cool! I didn't know shadowmancers could do stuff like this!"

Dion, now in full awe, approached the shadow goblins, his eyes glinting with excitement. He inspected them from various angles, his analytical mind seemingly on overdrive. And then, like a floodgate had opened, he bombarded Luke with questions, his words tumbling out in rapid succession. "w-What skill is this? H-How did you acquire it? Is your c-class truly a s-shadowmancer? How d-does the mana fluctuation work with it's a-activation?"

Caleb reacted swiftly, muffling Dion's barrage of questions with his hand over his mouth. He grinned apologetically at Luke. "Sorry about that. Dion goes into research mode whenever he sees a new spell."

Dion's muffled protests were audible under Caleb's hand, his curiosity still evident despite the obstruction.

Luke's surprise was palpable. He had assumed that people would have some knowledge of his class's abilities, given how they all seemed familiar with the concept of the [shadow-mancer] class. But it seemed that Caleb, Dion, and Delia were really taken aback by the emergence of his skill.

He turned to Dion, who had been the most inquisitive. "Is this skill so unusual for a shadow-mancer?"

Dion, now free from Caleb's hold, shook his head. "Y-Yes, actually. H-Historically, the shadowmancer class has b-been seen as quite limited. The only r-recorded skills were generally movement-based, like using s-shadows to hide or p-pass through objects. But this…" He gestured towards the shadow goblins. "T-This is uncharted territory. It's unlike a-anything we've seen before, a-almost like a form of necromancy."

The shadow system's voice echoed in Luke's mind, its robotic tone explaining,

[DION'S ASSESSMENT IS ACCURATE. THE -ARISE- SKILL IS A DEVIATION FROM CONVENTIONAL SHADOWMANCER ABILITIES. IT UTILIZES THE CONSUMED BODIES' MANA TO MANIFEST THESE SHADOW DUPLICATES, RATHER THAN DRAWING FROM THE INHERITOR'S OWN MANA]

Understanding dawned on Luke as he processed this information. His [ARISE] skill was a fusion of shadow manipulation and an unconventional form of energy manipulation and necromancy of sorts. It was no wonder that it surprised his party members.

With a nod, Luke deactivated the skill. The shadow goblins began to dissolve, their forms merging with the natural shadows cast by the trees. As the darkness reclaimed them, Luke couldn't help but feel a sense of accomplishment. He had delved into uncharted territory within his class, and now he had an understanding of its potential.

The party members exchanged glances, a newfound respect evident in their eyes. They had witnessed a side of Luke's abilities that defied convention, and it had left an indelible impression.

With the shadow-goblins gone, the group's focus shifted. Their original purpose remained—tracking the goblins' path to uncover the horde's location and, hopefully, a potential hobgoblin leader.

As they ventured deeper into the forest, the canopy of leaves above cast intricate patterns of light and shade on the forest floor. The journey was one of curiosity and anticipation, each step bringing them closer to the heart of the mystery that had brought them to this place.

As the group continued to tread through the dense forest, their steps occasionally rustling fallen leaves and snapping twigs beneath their boots, the atmosphere seemed charged with a mixture of excitement and anticipation. The shadows cast by the towering trees around them danced and shifted, seemingly whispering secrets of the forest's mysteries.

Caleb, his boundless energy undiminished by the previous battle, walked beside Luke. His eyes were alight with curiosity and enthusiasm as he looked at his leader. "Hey, Luke, that skill you used back there… that was seriously awesome! Who would've thought a shadowmancer could do something like that?"

Luke chuckled softly, appreciating Caleb's unbridled excitement. "Honestly, I didn't expect it to be such a surprise to you guys. I guess there's more to the shadowmancer class than meets the eye."

Dion, always the thoughtful one, chimed in with his stuttering voice. "I-it's not just the skill itself, Luke. It's the fact that it's so u-unique, something we've never seen before. It's… I-intriguing, to say the least."

Delia, who had been walking quietly beside Dion, added her own perspective. "I must admit, I was taken aback by it. My family has a history of alchemy, and we've collected knowledge on various magic-related skills, but this… this is truly remarkable. I must have you show it to madam Isabella once we are back!"

Luke's cheeks tinged with a faint blush as he listened to their words of admiration. It felt good to be appreciated by his companions for something he had kept hidden. "Well, I'm glad you guys found it interesting. It's just a skill I learned a while ago, and I thought it might come in handy."

Caleb's grin widened. "Handy? Dude, that's more than handy! It's like having a whole new arsenal at our disposal. Imagine what we can do with those shadow-goblins!"

Dion, his curiosity now seemingly sated, spoke with his usual calm demeanor. "Indeed, the p-possibilities are intriguing. I wonder how these shadow constructs will react in d-different situations. They o-obviously don't have a w-weakness to sunlight b-but woukd they have a b-buff under the darknes o-of the night?"

Delia's eyes sparkled with a mischievous glint. "Maybe we can use them for pranks, like making them appear in the middle of the night and scare off people in the city like ghosts."

Caleb burst into laughter at the thought. "Oh man, that'd be hilarious! Imagine the look on a people's face when a shadow-goblin suddenly pops up out of nowhere in the middle of the city!"

Luke couldn't help but join in on the laughter, the tension from the battle and their journey momentarily forgotten. It was moments like these that reminded him of the camaraderie they shared.

As the group ventured further into the heart of the forest, their senses attuned to their surroundings, Luke's keen eyes caught a glimpse of something unusual—a dark crevice in the side of a large hill. It was a cave entrance, partially concealed by thick undergrowth. The sight sent a shiver of anticipation down his spine. Could this be the entrance to the goblin horde's den?

He raised a hand, signaling the others to halt. With a subtle gesture, he pointed towards the cave entrance. Caleb, Dion, and Delia followed his gaze, their eyes narrowing as they took in the sight.

Caleb, always eager for action, grinned as he cracked his knuckles. "Looks like we've found their den"

Dion's expression was one of cautious curiosity.

Delia adjusted the strap of her mystical pouch, her eyes focused on the cave entrance.

With their determination solidified, the group cautiously approached the cave entrance. As they drew closer, the figures of two goblins came into view, standing guard with short swords and small shields. The goblins' beady eyes locked onto the adventurers, and their stances shifted into defensive positions.

Luke held up a hand to signal his companions to halt. He lowered his voice to a hushed whisper. "Two guards'

Caleb leaned closer, his own voice low. "I say we take them out quietly. No sense in alerting others if we don't have to."

Dion nodded, his expression serious. "I c-can use my spells from a distance to a-attack them"

Luke glanced at each of his companions, a silent understanding passing between them.

"Alright, let's do this."