Back to Noah's location on the sixth floor. It was a city, or rather, the ruins of a city. Skyscrapers, once symbols of human ingenuity, now stood as skeletal remains, their glass facades shattered, their steel frames twisted and warped. The streets were overgrown with an unnatural vegetation, a sickly green that seemed to glow in the dim light filtering through the broken sky.
An eerie silence hung over the city, broken only by the occasional rustle of wind through the overgrown vegetation. The air was thick with an unnatural energy, a malevolent presence that seemed to seep from the very foundations of the city. It was a place of decay and despair, a testament to a civilization lost to time. He stood in front of the abandoned city, his Presence Detection was deployed.
It was the time to start the exploration of the sixth floor, the ghost town.
Noah stepped into the city, the weight of the unknown pressing down on him. The air was thick with the scent of decay and something else, a metallic tang that seemed to cling to his senses. His Presence Detection flickered, a constant companion in this eerie landscape.
The first thing that struck him was the scale of the devastation. Skyscrapers, once symbols of human ambition, were now skeletal remains, their glass facades shattered into a million pieces. Twisted metal and concrete formed grotesque sculptures, mocking the city's former glory. Nature had reclaimed its territory with a vengeance.
Towering weeds and strange, bioluminescent fungi had replaced sidewalks and parks.
As he ventured deeper into the city, the buildings grew closer together, creating a labyrinth of shadows. The unnatural light that filtered through the broken sky cast eerie patterns on the ground, making the place seem even more sinister. His Presence Detection flared to life, a series of red blips appearing on his HUD. Something was moving in the shadows.
Noah gripped his weapon tighter, his senses on high alert. The city was not dead; it was merely sleeping, waiting for the right moment to awaken. He would test his new skill without relying too much on the other skills.
Roar!
There was a sudden roaring sound and something appeared.
But the ogre was not finished yet again. With a final, desperate effort, it swung its club. Noah, caught off guard, was struck a glancing blow. He was sent flying, crashing into a ruined building. The wind was knocked out of him, and for a moment, he saw stars.
When he regained his senses, the ogre was standing over him, its club raised high. Noah knew he had to act fast.
Adrenaline surged through Noah's veins as the ogre's club descended. Time seemed to slow once more as he activated Mind Acceleration. With a superhuman burst of speed, he rolled to the side, narrowly avoiding the crushing blow. The ogre's club connected with the ground, sending shockwaves through the crumbling building.
Noah scrambled to his feet, his mind racing. He couldn't afford to let the ogre dictate the pace of the battle. With a determined look, he charged forward, his daggers hovering around him like a deadly swarm. The ogre roared, meeting the charge with a wild swing of its club.
The two combatants clashed in a brutal melee. Noah's daggers danced around the ogre, finding gaps in its defenses. The ogre, despite its size and strength, was no match for Noah's speed and precision. With each strike, the ogre's roars grew weaker, its movements slower.
Finally, with a decisive thrust, Noah drove a dagger into the ogre's eye. The creature let out a final, agonized howl before collapsing to the ground, lifeless. Noah stood over the fallen beast, panting heavily. He had won, but at a great cost. His mana reserves were depleted, and his body ached from the exertion.
Noah stood over the fallen ogre, his mind racing. The battle had been intense, but the victory was sweet. More importantly, he had a chance to fully grasp the potential of his new skill, Mind Acceleration.
It was a powerful tool, no doubt, but it came with a price. The mana consumption was significant, and the skill had a limited duration. He needed to find a way to optimize its usage, to make the most of those precious seconds.
He began to mentally run through the battle, analyzing his actions and the ogre's movements. What if he had used the skill differently? Could he have ended the fight sooner? The possibilities were endless.
As he stood there, lost in thought, a strange sensation washed over him. It was as if the city itself was watching him, waiting for its next victim. A chill ran down his spine. He knew then that his exploration was far from over. The city held many more secrets, and many more dangers.