I looked at the unnamed skill and my shoulders sagged. Oh great—another thing to deal with. Being trapped in another dimension, surrounded by dangerous monsters, and carrying a parasite that's going to turn me into a mind-flayer wasn't enough—now this. At least the mission screen showed I was halfway done. The thought of killing goblins no longer interested me.
I'd have to leave this ship soon to hunt for these sand crawlers. Supplies and better clothing would be essential. Maybe I could fashion some coverings out of loose tarps. I wondered how many more I'd have to kill before I could leave. Was the question born of anticipation or dread? I wasn't sure—or maybe I just didn't want to know. I pulled my mind away from that line of thinking and kept moving down the hallway. The blood coating me was both a reminder of what I'd done and a warning to anyone who might cross my path.
I stalked the halls as if I owned them, walking with little concern for the green things whose numbers seemed endless. With a thoughtless throw of a spear I ended one goblin's life, and before the second could flee or fight, I used Mental Stun. I rushed forward, and with a single slash stood once again alone in the hallway. Despite my stony face, my hands still shook. Their final moments were almost intoxicating—like a forbidden delicacy just out of reach. I could almost taste it: fear, desperation, and just a hint of anger.
I began to manipulate those emotions, shifting their "flavors" like a master chef at work, each note dancing just out of reach. But I didn't know how to grasp them fully. My hunger would have to be sated another way. Experimenting further, I blended emotions together to craft even richer sensations.
Then I turned the corner—and froze. Against the wall stood a box with a crude picture of me on it. Plates of meat and fruit rested atop it. Before I could react, a blue screen appeared:
System: You have unlocked a title: Boogeyman. Description: You are feared and respected as a creature from the gate. In an attempt to appease you, they have left offerings.