Combat Healer Ch. 17

August 7, 2022

NOTE (CHANGES TO PREVIOUS CHAPTERS): So, this is why plotting a ton is so important (especially for a story that has this much foreshadowing going on).

I’ve finally managed to plot quite a bit ahead of where we are now, and I ended up needing to add a little bit to Chapter 5, just because I didn’t originally think it would matter, but now realize I’ll probably bring the information into the story.

More specifically, in Chapter 5, I added some information about Stamina and Essence Regeneration Rates. 

I have a spreadsheet where I worked all this stuff out a long time ago, but didn’t think it would be relevant to the story to include the exact numbers/estimates.

Same thing with Attack, Defense, Endurance, Agility, Luck, and other derivative stats that I’ve worked out formulas and modifiers for (based on the base Attributes), but I have yet to include into the story, aside from commenting how much Attack a particular spell or weapon has, etc.

> Anyway, here is what I added to CHAPTER 05:

(When Allister goes to heal the cat, encouraged by a bird – I changed the type of bird to a wren, instead of a sparrow – Mel confuses it as a sparrow, but Allister knows it’s a wren. Why this matters? Hehe. We shall find out.)

Most healers didn’t waste their precious essence on animals, unless they were being paid to do so, and I could certainly understand why. It was because most didn’t have a really high Essence Regeneration Rate. But what they didn’t know was that repeated essence expenditure would actually increase their rate. Of course, it was an extremely slow process, which was why most just thought it rose naturally as they grew stronger, but in reality using up one’s essence quickly, over and over again, could dramatically increase the rate of regeneration.

It was a similar concept to how Stamina regeneration worked, although a lack of Essence expenditure wouldn’t necessarily decrease the regeneration rate, unlike how it was with Stamina due to a lack of physical training.

And again, the primary reason why most didn’t make the connection was simply because the process was just so slow in comparison to how quickly someone could improve their Stamina regeneration through physical exertion.

Honestly though, everything was slow with Essence, compared to Stamina.

A very high Stamina Regeneration Rate for an Oni, who excelled in both overall Endurance and Stamina, might be 3 stamina per 1 minute, or 1 stamina per 20 seconds.

Alternatively, a very high Essence Regeneration Rate might be 1 essence every 5 or 6 minutes, with my own Essence Regeneration Rate being a whopping 1 essence every 3 minutes, or roughly 20 essence per hour compared to a ‘normal high’ of 10 essence per hour.

But that was just a huge reason why the Fighter Class was so important to pretty much every team. And a huge reason why Oni, in particular, were prominent in the top teams. Of course, Spells were absolutely vital to the success of clearing out Dungeons…

But having a team of only Mages just wasn’t feasible in most situations, since they could run out of steam too quickly, unless the enemy was impervious to normal physical attacks and required only magic attacks to defeat them.

Nevertheless, there definitely had been situations in the past when a team of Mages was required, but in the typical Dungeon encounter, the Fighter Class made up the core of any good team.

I knew all this, especially the stuff about Essence Regeneration Rates, because I’d been forced to use my healing over and over again when I was living in hell at the age of fifteen.

<< Chapter 16 | Ch 1 (Book 1) | Ch 15 (Book 2) 

- CHAPTER 17: Threats -

Present Day

A mature Oni woman with deep blue skin and black hair shivered in the darkness as if she were freezing, even though the small cavern temperature was fine, terrified that this demon was now clearly playing with her like how a cat might play with a mouse before devouring it.

She was confident of that now, since the monster had again offered the severed deer leg a second time, only to wait patiently out of sight for over an hour, long enough for her to finally hope that maybe it was gone. However, the moment she attempted to grab it, that midnight clawed hand appeared through the crevasse as fast as lightning, just as before, and snagged it away from her, those claws coming dangerously close to severing her own blue hand right off.

But now, it was tossing something else within the cavern.

Something much smaller.

Oddly enough, while this Dungeon had been full of the spider-like demons, each larger than a full grown Oni man, there had been a shocking number of birds living in nests high on the stone walls, seeming to somehow exist amongst the Arakna’cabra despite their thick webs and ravenous hunger…

Perhaps the birds were a prey too small to be bothered by the demons, much like a human might ignore a tiny insect, so long as it didn’t pester the greater being.

However now…

As she held a small flame in her deep blue hand to provide dim light…

She witnessed a growing pile of the tiny birds beginning to collect in front of the crevasse, as that clawed hand tossed in one after another.

All of them dead.

All of them crushed to death, their little pointy tongues hanging out of their beaks.

Some with broken necks, twisted at odd angles.

Some with broken wings and legs.

Some flattened as if crushed by a stone.

And, as small as it might seem, she knew without a doubt it was a show of power.

A taunt from an intelligent demon – something unheard of.

Not only had this monster easily broken through her impenetrable magical barriers…

Not only had this monster crippled and incapacitated two of the strongest men in the kingdom…

Not only had it cornered them and rolled a massive boulder over the entrance, as if it intended to trap its prey all along…a boulder so massive that all three of them would struggle to shove it away, even as strong as they were…

But it also moved in complete silence.

And was also capable of sneaking upon, and even catching, tiny birds with its bare hands.

And then…

As if to confirm her suspicions, something else began appearing between the crevasse.

Something long and black, having tiny barbs all along the tip, becoming longer and longer as more of it was shoved through the small opening, until the whole thing lie just next to the pile of crushed birds.

A bony black leg, leaking a yellowish fluid from the end.

A freshly torn limb belonging to an Arakna’cabra.

The spider-demon that could very well be a predator to the entire kingdom…

Was simply an insignificant prey…to this horrifying monster.

And now, even despite the number of birds for her to snag, she dare not attempt to take anything offered again. For, the massive boulder trapping them within the small cavern was no comfort and offered no sense of safety.

After all, it was this small beast that put it there in the first place.

And it was this small demon who could just as easily toss it away, the Mage’s own defensive barriers useless against the ensuing onslaught of claws and teeth. Without a doubt, if she annoyed this creature, she knew death would soon follow.

And yet, she had no hope of being rescued.

With the Northern Invasion to begin in the coming weeks, it would be far too risky for the Queen to send the two or three next best teams to the southeastern coast, on the southern border of Delanor and Ryfle, where they’d first entered this Dungeon.

This deathtrap.

And even if a rescue team was sent…

They’d all just be slaughtered.

For there was nothing and no one who could defeat this monster.

Nothing and no one who could dream to even so much as tame this intelligent beast.

The thought, of which, finally prompted tears to spring to her dark amber eyes as reality truly settled in, that there was no hope of escape. This was where she died.

The two men she loved were already knocking on death’s door from their severe injuries, and she knew she would be soon to follow.

Thus, taking a shaky breath, she shifted her weight, folded her trembling hands, and bowed her head in prayer, her black hair hiding part of her blue face.

For, if she could plead the heavens for just two things, it would be the following.

A swift and painless death, when it did inevitably come.

And…that someway, somehow, this hellish Dungeon would disappear forever, before this demon found its way out into the world…and brought the entire kingdom – no, the entire continent – down to its knees.

Unexpectedly hearing a jarring scraping noise, like a knife on stone, the Blue Oni looked up in alarm, only to immediately flinch when she saw a slitted crimson eye peeking through the crevasse at her…

Only for that same unnerving giggle to echo into the small chamber, the sound of an amused girl from hell…enjoying the fear of her prey, as she slid another small bird into their makeshift cage.

“Tee-hee.”

* * *

By the time we were eating the meal that the outpost village had prepared for us, I was surprised that I was able to at least manage to nibble a little at my food, with how full I felt, but it wasn’t enough for everyone else to avoid noticing. We’d been given a spacious room in someone’s home to eat, sitting around a large circular table, and had thus been afforded some privacy, prompting Eliza to question my lack of appetite.

Currently, I had each elf sister on either side of me, Astaer on my left and Celestine on my right, with Eliza and Sylvia then sitting just past the older sister, while Val and Mel sat past the younger, placing Sylvia and Mel almost directly across from me.

“Mr. Rosengard,” Eliza said quietly, just in case we had prying ears. “Are you feeling unwell?”

I shook my head. “No, my Queen, I feel perfectly fine. Only…” I paused, glancing at Val on my right, who was enjoying some eggs as if she didn’t have a care in the world. “Only a little full from an earlier snack in which I partook.”

Eliza simply nodded, but both elf sisters on either side of me had huge grins on their faces.

I gave them both a look, first at Astaer on my left and then Celestine on my right, causing them to giggle.

Val didn’t react at all, as if it was no big deal that she’d fed me from her tits.

When Eliza asked what was so funny, clearly not knowing ‘why’ I was so full, they simply shook their heads and said they would share later, much to my chagrin.

Mel also seemed in a good mood, most of our conversation thus far having been either her sharing what she’d learned from Eliza, or asking for additional clarification about certain things the Queen had made her try doing.

But at the very least, it appeared that Mel could now control her Flame Whip enough to actually ensnare a monster, since Eliza had shown her a little trick to ‘willing it’ to wrap and curl when she flung it out like a real whip.

Mel still needed to work on keeping the whip in that position to actually hold a beast for longer than a few seconds, but that wasn’t even the biggest news.

Using a few Essence Crystals, Eliza really tried to press Mel’s limits with Fireball to see how many, and how fast, she could shoot them off, only to accidentally cause her to learn a new spell.

Flame Eruption.

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NEW SPELL: Flame Eruption

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DESCRIPTION

Level: 1/5

Element: Fire

Cost: 20 Essence

Effect: Manifest a tower of fire and burn nearby enemies. Inflict Burning Ailment.

Attack: 1,000 (Splash)

Cast Time: Instant

Use Time: 10 seconds

Cooldown: 20 seconds

Limitation: None (Intelligence: 19)

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Of course, Mel’s Fireballs would have been sufficient for the task, since the primary way to take down an Arakna’cabra was to boil its insides, due to the fact that its black carapace was hard as rock and nearly impenetrable. But with this new Flame Eruption spell, the job would be so much easier and more cost effective, in terms of overall ‘essence use’ compared to the ‘amount of flames’ produced, given our enemy’s size.

Literally, just one spell timed correctly, and this single demon would be dead fairly quickly, or at least severely injured enough to be heading in that direction.

Just like that, the threat would be over.

For here, at least.

And we could then move on to slaughter the other Flesh Collector spotted more to the northwest.

Of course, I was sure we would search for any nests before leaving, to ensure any eggs were destroyed too, but that would be like fishing from a barrel.

Similar to the body of the Arakna’cabra, the webbing wasn’t very flammable, burning but not actually catching fire, but supposedly the fluid within the eggs was highly flammable and would burn just fine once exposed to flame.

Same with the Arakna’cabra itself, if we could put a crack in its hard shell, though that wasn’t necessary to kill it.

However, it was as I was studying Mel’s new spell, as well as reexamining her overall abilities, that I unexpectedly realized I’d missed something huge in her skillset.

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Melantha Murta’rahg

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ABILITIES

Skills: Essence Extraction, Battle Instinct, Two-Handed Proficiency, Hammer Strike, Berserk, Juicy Pussy

Spells: Fireball, Flame Daggers, Flame Whip, Ignition, Flame Eruption, Rising Phoenix

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And it wasn’t her unique ‘Juicy Pussy’ problem.

It was something far more crazy.

“Mel,” I unexpectedly said in sincere surprise, knowing exactly why I’d missed it previously, but still unable to believe I’d really overlooked it.

She was more alarmed than I was anticipating. “What’s wrong?” she asked seriously, with me suddenly having everyone’s attention.

I quickly lowered by voice to avoid eavesdroppers hearing.

“You…” I paused, only to rephrase. “Did you know that you have the Berserk skill?”

Instantly all eyes were immediately on her, various levels of surprise and shock around the table.

Of course, I knew exactly why.

Similar to Turg’s Warlord skill, which was a rare ability that gave him a temporary, but incredibly terrifying, boost to Strength when used in battle, only requiring Stamina to sustain, Berserk similarly was both rare and powerful.

Almost too powerful.

For, while Turg’s Warlord skill made him nearly unbeatable in a fight…

Berserk practically made the user a god.

It was like Jackel’s extremely rare Immortal Form, except Berserk could last for minutes, instead of seconds – a massive difference in a battle. For Jackel, if he activated his Immortal Form, the essence use would give him an almost infinite boost to the derivative attributes of Attack, Defense, Endurance, and Agility for maybe up to 10 seconds at most, the ability rapidly consuming both Stamina and Essence.

And truly, Jackel was practically an immortal god in that form.

But Berserk?

That was something else entirely.

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SKILL: Berserk

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DESCRIPTION

Level: 1/5

Type: Combat Active

Effect: Exceed limitations and obtain temporary boost to Strength, Dexterity, and Fortitude, depending on Skill level.

Cast Time: Instant

Stamina Use: 5 stamina per 1 second

Limitation: Inflicted with Fatigue (moderate) upon deactivation, and increased Stamina requirement if the combined total of Strength and Fortitude is under 35 (Strength: 15, Fortitude: 18, Total: 33)

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Clearly, she would need to level it up to unlock its full potential, and I knew she may never be able to truly master it, due to her stat limitations in Strength and Fortitude, considering she was a Mage class and was already very close to her maximum overall level, but it was still a rare and powerful skill.

Of course, even more rare was the Fighter Class with the Berserker Focus, something that was almost fabled as purely a legend, even though there were historical records of such individuals existing in the past – fabled, because ‘Berserkers’ could reportedly maintain their Berserk state almost indefinitely, truly making them gods walking among mortals in comparison.

But needless to say, there wasn’t a single ‘Berserker’ known to exist on the entire continent today.

And clearly, while there were definitely a few powerful individuals with the Berserk skill, including the two men on the top team of our guild Remnant, Mel clearly had no idea she was among their ranks.

The ranks of the truly elite.

She finally spoke up after staring at me in disbelief, her gold eyes wide, her rosy hand holding her utensil tightly halfway to her mouth. “Are…Are you serious?” she finally managed.

“Absolutely serious,” I replied firmly. “You have the Berserk skill.”

Her gold eyes unfocused then as she tried to grasp that, prompting Eliza to speak up.

“Truly, did you not know?” she wondered.

Mel focused on her and then shook her head, her chin-length white hair bouncing slightly with the motion. “N-No. Although, now that I’m thinking about it, I may have used it once or twice, and not realized it.”

I smirked at her, knowing this was a huge deal.

Just as big of a deal as Jackel learning that he had an Immortal Form.

My tone was warm and playful. “And here, you were complaining about ‘Rising Phoenix’ not technically being your spell, since it’s bestowed by your weapon. Yet this is far more powerful.”

She stared at me for a second, still seeming stunned. “A-Allie,” she finally managed, sounding out of breath. “You made me stronger.”

I smirked at that. “Nah, you were strong all along, and just didn’t know to what extent.”

“I really have the Berserk skill?” she repeated.

“Promise,” I said simply.

Finally setting down her utensil, she slowly began rising from her seat then, still focused intently on me, only to walk around the table past Val and Celestine, and practically tackle me in an intense hug as she fell into my lap.

Running my hands against the silky-smooth rosy skin on her exposed torso, I slowly slid my arms around to return the embrace, realizing she was almost becoming a little emotional now. Not to the point of tears, but clearly feeling touched that I’d ‘magically made her stronger’ – at least, in her perception.

Granted, it was possible she might not have figured it out for a long time, since skills weren’t like spells. Usually, someone knew exactly what spells they could cast the moment they learned them, but often skills could be allusive. Quite a few people only knew what skills they had by the effects themselves, although once they figured it out, they’d always know, just like a spell.

Mel held onto me for a long minute, before Queen Eliza finally spoke up.

“Congratulations Melantha,” she said sincerely.

“Thank you,” she replied, twisting slightly in my lap as she focused up at her again.

Eliza continued. “Although, while I do not wish to ruin your cause for celebration, I find it important to mention that such a skill is useless against our current target.”

“Of course,” Mel agreed, only to sigh, keeping her arms loosely around my neck as she continued to sit in my lap. “And I realize Berserk can be a double-edged sword, especially for the untrained. It’s probably not something I can safely wield in battle for at least another year. But after feeling stunted in my growth for the last couple of years, I finally have hope again that I can get a lot stronger than I currently am.”

Eliza lowered her voice, even though she was already speaking quietly. “Then please forgive me, Mel. I shouldn’t have assumed you were not so sensible and level-headed.”

My Oni girlfriend simply nodded. “It’s fine. A lot is at stake, so I understand.” She then focused back at me, giving an almost passionate look now, before abruptly slipping her hands to my face and planting a really passionate kiss with those full lavender lips of hers.

She then let go just as fast, and hopped off my lap.

I decided to use the opportunity to smack her leather-clad ass, loving how firm and tight it got when she tensed it in surprise.

However, she knew we couldn’t really afford to get carried away, so she only gave me a playful glare over her rosy shoulder, before returning to her seat to finish her breakfast.

Astaer spoke up then on my left.

“So wait, how did you know she has the Berserk skill?” she asked seriously.

I nodded, realizing she didn’t know what kind of healer I was. “I guess I’ve never told you that my Focus is Essence Diviner, and that I have some analyzing skills.”

Her bright blue eyes widened, the coloring a sharp contrast to her tan face and rich chestnut hair. “So then, can you analyze me? Do I have anything cool like that?”

I gave her an apologetic look. “Sorry. Already took a look, and there’s nothing you shouldn’t know about. I assume you know you can use Essence Infusion, and obviously you can talk to animals.”

Her azure gaze immediately turned sultry then as she tenderly rested her hand on my left shoulder, gently biting her full bottom lip. “Already took a look, huh? And without my permission? Should have sat on your face last night when I had the chance.”

My face flushed, only for Eliza to immediately shush her for being too loud.

Astaer was immediately apologetic. “Sorry, my Queen.”

Eliza just shook her head, taking another bite of her breakfast.

I collected myself. “Umm, and you probably also realize you have a skill related to charming others.”

She smirked, giving me a wink. “Yeah,” she admitted in a sultry tone.

I cleared my throat. “So that’s about it.”

“W-What about me, master?” Val wondered then.

I frowned slightly as I considered that, feeling fairly confident there wasn’t anything overly unique, though I did recall seeing one thing that I was uncertain about.

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Valshia Kumrahg

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ABILITIES

Skills: Determination, Sharp Eye, Perfect   Aim, Critical Bullseye, Rapid Fire, Iron Stomach, Ranged Weapon Proficiency

Spells: Essence Bow, Essence Arrow, Barrage, Tempest

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“You have fairly typical Ranger skills, including Sharp Eye, Perfect Aim, Critical Bullseye, and Ranged Weapon Proficiency.” I paused when she nodded. “You also have Rapid Fire, but then there’s also something called Iron Stomach.”

Shockingly, her face flushed slightly at that and she looked straight down, her purple eyes visibly embarrassed.

Which prompted my brow to furrow, causing me to wonder what exactly Iron Stomach did.

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SKILL: Iron Stomach

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DESCRIPTION

Level: 1/1

Type: Innate Passive

Effect: Capable of extracting energy from almost any consumed substance.

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Being that it was an Innate Passive skill, I would normally assume that it was something she was born with, and likely even something that was common to the Minotaur race. However, I’d never really spent time analyzing such individuals, since they rarely had a Class to begin with, which meant I didn’t know for sure.

At the very least, the description didn’t seem at all abnormal.

However, clearly she was embarrassed for some reason.

Thus, I decided to change the subject.

“And then for spells,” I continued casually. “You have Essence Bow, Essence Arrow, Barrage, and Tempest.”

She simply nodded, her purple gaze still downcast.

Celestine spoke up next to her. “Kind of wish I was an Essence Archer,” she admitted. “Not that I mind having the Beast Master focus, but you’ve got the one that most others wish they had.”

“Oh, umm, thanks,” Val said weakly, definitely embarrassed now, her tan skin flushing more. To the point that even her huge tan tits were flushing slightly.

Eliza cleared her throat, having finished her meal. “Anyway, we should be departing soon. I requested the people meet together for an announcement before we leave, and then afterward we should be on our way. However, before we do, there is one thing I wanted to discuss.”

We all silently gave her our attention, prompting her to continue.

“This demon can move silently, which means we need someone looking in every direction at all times.” She paused to focus on the scout sisters. “Astaer, Celestine, the two of you will take turns keeping eyes on our rear, while the other tracts down our prey.” She glanced to her left at the blonde elf when they nodded. “Sylvia, I’d like you to take the left, and then Val, I would request you keep your eyes to the right at all times. Mel and I will focus on restraint and attack, once we spot the enemy.”

“What about me?” I wondered.

Eliza gave me her attention. “You are free to look around however you wish, since I want you to be able to use your ‘Stun’ spell as you see fit. Although…” She paused to focus on each person briefly. “Even if we do engage in battle, it is very important everyone keep to their task. Otherwise, we risk a second foe sneaking up on us. Avoid being distracted by the fight, even if it draws near.” She focused on the scout sisters again. “Which means, whoever is watching our rear must continue to do so, even if the fight is upon us.”

The sisters both covered their hearts with their fists in sync, with the older sister speaking up.

“On my life, even if the enemy is breathing down my neck, I will keep my eyes on our rear when it is my task.”

“As will I,” Celestine agreed simply.

“Very good,” Eliza praised. “With the seven of us, I feel confident this mission will be resolved quickly, and without further loss of life. Perhaps even without injury. Now, let us finish our meal and be on our way.”

Everyone did so, with me offering my own food for Mel and Val to split, since I still wasn’t hungry and they were both going for seconds anyway.

Then, once everyone was full, we went back outside, escorted by a couple of elf guards, and made our way to a small wooden stage that had been erected toward the edge of the village square, which now had quite the crowd gathered, given that the news had spread.

Honestly, I was a little surprised there were this many people, because while there had been only maybe fifty elves when we first arrived, there was now something closer to five-hundred elves who had gathered in preparation to hear the Queen’s message.

Of course, that was still a small number of people compared to the population of the capital, which numbered in the tens of thousands, or even compared to a moderate sized town, but it felt like a lot in the small square.

I patiently waited while the guards spoke with Eliza, others working to establish some order to the gathering, until she was finally inviting me to come stand beside her on the wooden platform, the rest of our team then standing just off to the side for all to see.

Eliza spoke up once the crowd had quieted down, raising her right hand to crackle some electricity just as a show of power, even as she began her speech, her tone full of authority.

“I am your Queen, Eliza Ashryn Nylanthria, and I am traveling to personally assist in slaying at least two Arakna’cabra, which you may also know as Flesh Collectors, spotted to the northeast of our kingdom – one here, and one to the northwest of this location.” She paused briefly when murmurs began, only for it to immediately quiet down. “The demon we hunt is highly lethal and capable of rapid reproduction. If these monsters are not defeated soon, then within three weeks’ time the entire kingdom will be slaughtered – every man, woman, and child – with the southern Ryfle kingdom soon to follow.”

The crowd erupted in even more murmurs and panicked shouts, prompting Eliza to speak louder.

“But I will not fail!” she yelled, causing the crowd to mostly quiet back down. “For I am accompanied by a competent team, and most importantly, I am led into battle by a powerful human Healer. His name is Allister Rosengard, and as some of you witnessed firsthand, he has within his possession a spell that can heal the incurable bite of the Arakna’cabra.”

Surprisingly, they all cheered at that, possibly because she’d just confirmed the rumor that had been circulating, considering most of these people hadn’t been present when it happened, though I was sure many at least saw the light.

In response to so much attention now directly on me, I stood straighter, with her finally continuing after a few moments, gesturing in my direction.

“Together, we will not rest until these demons are defeated, and when you and your families are alive and well in three weeks’ time, remember that your Queen has saved you by her own hands…” She paused, seemingly to emphasize her next point. “And remember that I did it under the leadership of the powerful Healer, Allister Rosengard.”

Shockingly, the crowd cheered even louder this time, beginning to clap too, almost all eyes definitely on me at this point. Without a doubt, it was a huge deal for the Queen to elevate another individual above herself, and a human no less!

For some, I was sure it validated what they’d witnessed firsthand, that I held within my grasp the divine light of the gods, and for others, I suspected it made them slightly uneasy, though right now they were all clapping and cheering as if I was a literal god within their midst.

It took quite a while for them to quiet down enough for Eliza to continue.

“Now,” she said firmly, still holding up her right hand, which crackled again with electricity as if to emphasize her next point. “Urgency is of the utmost importance, and we must be on our way.” She raised her voice. “Pray to your gods! Request for our safe passage, wish for luck on our hunt, and thank them for the blessing that is Allister Rosengard! The human healer who overcame the impossible! Whose very hands have shone with the holy light of the gods themselves!”

Everyone erupted into deafening cheers and whistles this time, making it almost feel surreal that there was so much celebration directed toward me.

So surreal, to the point that I didn’t initially realize we were leaving until Mel grabbed my arm to get my attention, prompting me to see that the guards were surrounding Eliza, Sylvia, Astaer, and Celestine in preparation to escort our group to the northern edge of the village, with Val hanging back as she waited on me.

Of course, under normal circumstances, I was sure Eliza would have gotten my attention herself when she saw I wasn’t following her off the stage, but she couldn’t afford to do so under these circumstances, since such a task should be beneath a Queen.

Following Mel and Val to rejoin our group, we were led through a fairly large grassy alleyway between buildings and then onto another path that led to the thick forest in the near distance.

There were plenty of trees in the actual village itself, as well as at the edges of the plowed fields, but the northern forest was distinctly different.

For one, the forest itself was clearly very old, being dominated by massive trunks and almost abnormally thick canopies that allowed very little sunlight to reach the forest floor. Entering the forest was like the sun setting, with it rapidly becoming twilight within, the further one ventured, there being very little vegetation hindering the path the deeper in someone went.

Certainly, there was the frequent patch of moss and plenty of fungi growing in various spots, something that could serve as a food source if needed, but there was a distinct lack of color, even without the dimming light. Lots of browns and grays, unless one were to look up toward the vibrant green canopies high above, many of the lower branches completely bare and devoid of leaves.

There was also almost a complete lack of animals.

Something that became very clear, when Astaer and Celestine both attempted to call upon the wildlife nearby, only for there to be no response.

Which was saying something.

According to them, they could call upon their friends from miles away, and they would come.

Yet there were none nearby, making it very clear we were in this demon’s territory right now.

However, it was more than that.

Their Gryphon had indicated that he would return to scout the area from the skies, and yet he also wasn’t within their reach either. Something that definitely had them a little concerned, though there was no reason to believe he was harmed, since he wasn’t an overly generous beast – he would never sacrifice his life to try to save a normal person, his commitment lying solely with the elf sisters.

However, that didn’t leave us without any direction.

Given that an elf boy had been attacked, we had a general idea of where the Arakna’cabra was last seen only a few hours ago before sunrise, with there being plenty of footprints to follow from the search party that ended up finding his liquifying body.

It was a location that we could have found on our own, since Astaer and Celestine were both amazing trackers, but four of the guards decided to at least lead us that far. I suspected mainly because they wanted to spend more time with both of the sisters, given all the attention Astaer and Celestine got as the elf men led us to where the boy had been found. And given the fact that they also carried most of our supplies, seeming more than happy to shoulder the weight for Sylvia and the sisters. One even offered to carry Val’s pack, though she declined.

Of course, they gave the supplies back though, once we reached our first destination.

Specifically, the place where the boy was found wrapped up in a web and hanging from a tree branch.

Unlike the actual spider ‘insect,’ the Arakna’cabra Scourge Beast didn’t usually have sticky webs except where it might attach to a tree or rock, though it was still a very strong material that was used both to build nests as well as to trap their prey much like rope might do. A normal person probably couldn’t escape being wrapped up in their webbing on their own, even if they weren’t suffering from the monster’s horrible bite, and it was very obvious from the black scorch marks that the boy had been ‘cut out’ of the prison with fire or something very hot.

But it was at that point Eliza instructed the men to return to the village and to keep fires burning at all hours of the day, especially at night, in hopes that it might scare off the beast and spare them from an attack in the event we couldn’t find the monster by nightfall.

They all agreed and then did as they were asked, finally leaving the seven of us alone.

Me, with my six women.

It wasn’t overly relaxing though.

Because we were finally on the hunt.

I had my slingshot in hand, a pebble ready to go, just waiting for a sign of a large target to hit.

And, as everyone took their positions to ensure that we were watching all sides, Astaer was the one focused on tracking down our target, occasionally studying the forest floor, but keeping her eyes mostly up to look for signs of the creature having traversed amongst the trees, noticing little scratches in the bark that I never would have caught, even if it was bright enough to see clearly.

Something that Val unexpectedly commented on after a few minutes of us walking silently.

She was on my right as planned, with Sylvia on my left, and Celestine was close behind, actually walking backwards with ease as if she knew every nook, cranny and stray root in this forest. Alternatively, Eliza and Mel both walked just ahead of me, with Astaer at the lead.

“Master,” Val whispered quietly. “Can you see in this darkness?” she wondered. “I feel confident my father would be stumbling by now under these conditions.”

The comment prompted Astaer to stop, which had everyone else coming to a halt too.

“Oh,” the older elf sister whispered, turning her now silver eyes toward me in the twilight. “I hadn’t even thought of that. Humans have poor night vision, don’t they?”

“I’m fine,” I whispered, exchanging a glance with Eliza’s silver eyes. “I’m used to the limited light of Dungeons, so this is nothing in comparison. And…I sort of have a skill that let’s me function in the dark.”

“You do?” Mel said in surprise, her gold eyes glowing just slightly. “Because if it was much darker than this, even I would struggle to see. My previous teams have normally carried at least one Light Crystal for when it gets too dark.”

“Right,” I agreed. “And my team always does that too. Usually Shel and I both carry at least one Light Crystal. But I’m fine.”

Astaer spoke up again. “We should have a couple of Light Crystals in one of the packs,” she commented, only to set down her own pack and begin digging inside it.

“I’m fine,” I repeated, even as she held up a familiar yellow crystal.

Despite my comment, I accepted it anyway, since it might be useful later, while Astaer handed out another to Eliza, as well as one to Mel, since they were standing right there, before shouldering the pack again.

Val chimed back in. “What’s the skill, master?” she wondered, only to look to her right again as if she was afraid of not keeping up with her duty to keep an eye out.

I sighed, again exchanging a glance with Eliza’s silver eyes, her expression reserved. A look that finally the rest of them noticed, prompting most everyone to glance at her too, even Sylvia finally looking over.

“The same as mine?” Eliza assumed quietly, likely knowing exactly what I was referring to.

“Night vision?” Mel said in surprise.

I sighed heavily, shaking my head. “No, I can’t see like elves can. She speaks of another skill. One we gained in that Dungeon a long time ago.”

Eliza nodded somberly. “Yes.” She paused. “Known…by Darkness.”

“Known by Darkness?” Sylvia finally whispered. “That sounds very ominous.”

“Perhaps,” Eliza agreed. “But it’s a useful skill, nonetheless. I could close my eyes and still find my way without stumbling.”

“Same here,” I agreed.

Eliza sighed. “Anyway, let us continue.”

“I think I see something up ahead,” Astaer chimed in, just as we started moving again.

Everyone was immediately on guard and tense.

“Not a Flesh Collector,” she quickly added. “Something else. Almost looks like there’s some kind of wall, but there should be no outcroppings or unearthed rock in this area.”

“Let’s move closer then,” Eliza urged. “Perhaps it is the demon’s nest.”

We all quickly did so, everyone falling back in sync as we stepped together through the ever-darkening forest, it now nearly feeling like the middle of the night despite the fact that it was not yet even noon. And I knew I wasn’t the only one confused by the lack of light streaming through the thick canopy.

“What time is it?” Mel wondered.

“Barely the tenth hour of the day,” Eliza whispered, all four of the elves with us having a strong perception of time.

Astaer spoke up again. “It’s a nest,” she confirmed. “Way larger than I was expecting.”

Mel and Val both gasped, presumably seeing it at the same time in the darkness, with me not fully comprehending just how large Astaer was talking until my own skill, Known by Darkness, unexpectedly picked up the massive wall before us.

A blockade unlike anything I would have anticipated.

Stretching as high as I could sense, as well as seemingly in an endless distance in either direction.

It wasn’t until Mel held up her hand as we finally stopped, activating the Light Crystal she’d been given, that I finally saw with my eyes what lie before us, also finally realizing just how tense everyone was.

A wall of thick white webbing, comparable to the great walls surrounding the capital itself.

“Oh my God,” I hissed in disbelief. “There must be hundreds.”

“Thousands,” Eliza corrected, her voice strained. “There must be thousands. And we are already almost too late. In a week’s time, they’ll be overrunning the capital.”

“Can I just burn it all down?” Mel asked seriously.

I quickly spoke up. “No, their webbing won’t catch fire.”

“Correct,” Eliza agreed, gathering herself. “The best we can do is seek out their lair of eggs, to burn them before they hatch, killing any Arakna’cabra we find along the way. No doubt there are tens of thousands of eggs already. Tens of thousands of Flesh Collectors just waiting to be born.”

“Is that wise, my Queen?” Sylvia asked seriously. “With only one Fire Mage and one Essence Archer, we are not prepared to endure such an arduous task.”

“We don’t have a choice,” Eliza said firmly. “The kingdom cannot handle even ten thousand Flesh Collectors descending upon it, let alone hundreds of thousands. We must destroy their eggs now, for even another day or two delay could mean the end of life on this continent.”

“Fuck,” Astaer hissed. “If only we could send word, if only we could warn them that…”

Her voice instantly cut off when a bird unexpectedly chirped above us, causing everyone to look up in surprise.

Without hesitation, Astaer held out her hand, only for a tiny brown wren – similar to a sparrow, but being somewhat spotted with a white line above its eye, making the species undeniable – to land on her finger as it focused on her intently.

It was silent for a long tense handful of seconds.

“Truly?” she said in disbelief to the creature, only to nod firmly. “Yes, please do,” she added, only for it to fly away.

“What did it say?” Eliza asked urgently.

Astaer turned to face us, her expression determined, her eyes blue again due to the light from Mel’s flame. “That wren heard our earlier request for help and flew to us. It said the Flesh Collectors do not bother it, and that they live within the tunnels of the demon without fear. There’s an entrance to this nest just to the east.” She paused. “I asked it to please retrieve as many of its friends as possible, so that I might send word back to the capital and all other Beast Masters to report the state of this crisis.”

“Thank the heavens,” Eliza said in sincere relief. “Truly, the kingdom would be lost without you and your fellow Beast Master scouts.”

“It is an honor, my Queen,” Astaer said sincerely.

She simply nodded. “Very well, we have a task to complete. Let us head toward this entrance, and be ready to defeat the demons that may guard it. Once word has been sent with these birds, we will invade this nest and destroy its lair of eggs.”

“As you wish, my Queen,” Astaer said simply, turning toward our left to begin leading the way.

Everyone quickly took up positions again, and Mel put out the Light Crystal, leaving us in what felt like an even greater darkness than before. In the meantime, even while Celestine kept her focus toward our rear, two more birds came to greet Astaer, and she began delivering her messages, instructing them on where to go.

The first two, she sent to the capital.

The following dozen, she sent in every direction where she knew a fellow Beast Master was stationed, beginning to send multiple wrens to the same individual as more came, just to guarantee that the message was received sooner than later.

Which filled my heart with relief and appreciation, knowing that these creatures were all obeying willingly – not a single one was forced to do as they were told.

Which meant that, before long, in less than a day, the entire kingdom should be made aware that the threat was far greater than any of us anticipated.

And that all the Fire Specialists and Magicians of the kingdom, anyone capable of casting at least Fireball, should be amassed into a true army in order to defend the northern lands against the potential onslaught of monsters that might soon befall the nearby towns and villages.

Nevertheless, a part of me sincerely feared for our safety, because the prospect of defeating even a hundred Arakna’cabra seemed daunting.

However…

Then I recalled what I’d gone through in the Dungeon with my beloved Eliza, knowing we made do with much less skill and power, against a demon that was just as fearsome as this monster. For, without a doubt, the Lost Souls were just as horrible, having a humanoid figure, but running on all fours and having an extra pair of arms, all of their appendages having knife-like claws.

Claws that sliced Eliza’s mother into three pieces with a single strike.

And yet, their most horrifying feature was their faces.

Disfigured with no visible eyes, their entire heads opened up straight down the middle to feed, as if their entire skull was one massive mouth.

They were just as quick and lethal as the Arakna’cabra.

Yet, Eliza and I survived together for three months within their midst, until we finally conquered the entire Dungeon.

In comparison, this should be just a stroll through the trees.

“We’ll be fine,” I said firmly, completely unprompted, causing most everyone to glance at me in surprise. “Eliza and I survived a situation just as bad, with only Heal, Stun, and Shock. So, we’ll be fine,” I emphasized.

“Yes, my love,” the Queen agreed. “With this new spell of yours, and plenty of Essence Crystals to restore the cost, we shall be fine, even if one of us is bitten.”

“Yeah,” Mel agreed. “I can do this. I can protect everyone.”

“As can I,” Val said firmly, surprising me with the level of determination in her tone.

“We’re here,” Astaer whispered then, prompting us all to slow down to a stop next to a couple of large trees. “I don’t see any Scourge Beasts,” she added.

Mel used the opportunity to activate her Light Crystal a second time, immediately illuminating a massive tunnel of webbing, the depths of which seemed endless. With a deep breath, I steeled my nerves, knowing it was technically my job to lead the team. Something I was fairly accustomed to with Turg and the others.

In this case, Eliza was the Queen, and technically the official leader…

But, if it came to a disagreement, no doubt my decision would trump hers.

Just like in my previous team.

For, I was a Scourge Suppressor, and Dungeon diving had become my life, even if this wasn’t technically a Dungeon. Out of everyone, I was probably the most qualified to lead, even if the others had conquered their own Dungeons in the past.

“Let’s go,” I said confidently, prompting everyone to straighten, the seven of us beginning to creep forward as one unit.

Astaer finally fell back to switch places with my Holstaur betrothed, while Eliza, Mel, and Val all took up the front, in preparation to defeat anything that came across our path, with Celestine still carefully watching our backs as we began venturing further and further into the tunnel. Mel also pocketed her light crystal to wield her staff-like mace in both hands, while Eliza took up the task of illuminating our path with her own Light Crystal.

However, very rapidly the smaller entrance opened up into an even more massive passageway that far exceeded my expectations, almost causing me to feel disoriented when I realized that the walls of webs had patches of what appeared to be stone showing, as if…

As if…

My eyes widened in alarm when I focused back, realizing I couldn’t sense the opening we’d just come from, instead finding more walls covered in webbing.

Stone walls, covered in webbing!

In the middle of a forest!

“Eliza!” I said in alarm, too shocked to control my volume, my voice echoing off the walls.

But she already knew.

She already knew.

“Oh my God,” she exclaimed in sincere shock, sensing what I sensed.

“What’s wrong?” Mel said in alarm, pulling out her Light Crystal again. “What do you see?”

I focused back on her gold eyes, unable to believe the words escaping my mouth, even as I delivered the impossible news.

“It’s happened again,” I whispered, watching as her gold eyes widened in shock.

“W-What’s happened?” she stammered.

I couldn’t believe it, but I knew it was true.

I could sense that it was true.

“A Dungeon Engulfing.”

And as if the universe found cruel amusement in my words, I felt like I unexpectedly heard the quietest giggle far off in the distance, deep within the depths of the abyss. One that immediately sent a chill up my spine, and caused the fine hairs on the back of my neck to raise.

The sound of a girl, so quiet that it had to be a hallucination, but a noise that made my skin crawl, nonetheless.

The quietest of sounds.

The quietest of giggles.

‘Tee-hee.’

FEEDBACK: What did you think of this chapter? Also:

1) Why do you think Val is embarrassed about her Iron Stomach skill?

2) Were you surprised by the Dungeon Engulfing?

3) Any other thoughts?

Also, it's been a while since I wrote a new chapter of this story, so please rate this chapter.

1) It's okay,

2) Really like it a lot,

3) Super Engaging (love it),

4) I am so obsessed with this story, and can't get enough.

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