There was a lot of people injured during the first attempt at Nemesis grinding. Luckily for everyone involved, Nemesies seem to prioritize powerful individuals instead of mobbing groups in most cases.

Otherwise we would have had a much worse outcome.

We made it back to the village without any major incidents.

There was a couple of Nemesies that were in our path, but we took care to skirt around them.

On the bright side, it gave us the opportunity to hunt and replenish our frankly appallingly low food stores, as well as getting a bit more leather to tan.

Heaven knows we're going to need the extra strips for all of the cuts and gashes we've amassed... and if we're being honest, likely going to continue to amass.

I had all of the items that we acquired from the Nemesies we'd killed, other than the one's given to Juohen and Hund obviously, laid out on a table in the building Sydui and I stayed in.

Hund, Juohen, Sydui, and I all looked at the various items in contemplation.

[Gem Of Skill Storage]

[Gem Of Nondetection]

[Special Skill Orb: Gravity Shift. This Skill does not use gamemaster resources and instead activates as if the slain Nemesis used it against your enemies. Crush the orb to gain this Skill.]

[Special Skill Orb: Toxikinesis. This Skill does not use gamemaster resources and instead activates as if the slain Nemesis used it against your enemies. Crush the orb to gain this Skill.]

[Special Skill Orb: Photon Gaze. This Skill does not use gamemaster resources and instead activates as if the slain Nemesis used it against your enemies. Crush the orb to gain this Skill.]

Now that I thought about the fight with the Nemesis that gave [Gravity Shift], it made sense... I was wondering why Hole Puncher kept facing downward suddenly.

Juohen was the one to break the silence. "So, who gets what?"

"I want to try some stuff first, then we'll make a decision." I replied after a bit of thought.

We went out to the makeshift training grounds to test the properties of the Gem Of Skill Storage.

The fight for it wasn't especially hard, presumably because we didn't really have any [Skills] to copy for the most part. Sydui ended up just beating it to death with her bare hands.

I wanted to see how it could have gone.

"Sydui, if you would use [Nightfire] really quick."

Her breath became a blackened haze. "Sure."

A black orb of fire flew directly into the air.

I held the Gem upward and attempted to focus on the activated [Skill].

A twinkle of blackness was clearly absorbed into the Gem.

Not really sure what to do next, I tried thinking about willing it to release from the Gem.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

Suddenly, a small burst of black fire came out of my mouth.

Everyone looked at me with various levels of awe and shock.

I held out the Gem toward Sydui. "Alright, take it and try to picture putting [Nightfire] into it."

She took it and closed her eyes.

In a moment, the same blackness returned, this time much stronger.

I took it back and was able to produce a full [Nightfire] blast.

I looked at the crowd. "I think I'm going to keep this one."

"Why do you get to keep it?!" Polyu dissented.

"When I say this, I don't mean to sound like an asshole, but I'm pretty certain I'd get the most use out of it."

Most of the Fifskae agreed, others didn't argue.

Polyu pouted.

Next, we passed out the remainder of the items we'd acquired.

I gave the Gem Of Nondetection and [Gravity Shift] to Polyu, as she was the best shot when it came to the crossbows of both varieties.

I gave Toxikinesis to Juohen, as he was our poisons expert. He surprised me by giving it to his disciple Leyn.

Finally, I couldn't figure out a reason why I would give [Photon Gaze] to anyone in particular, and just chose someone randomly. Their name was Rahyu.

With everything settled, I was about to give the order to ready for another bout of Nemesis hunting, but the alarm bell put an end to that plan.

I sprinted to the nearest guard tower and climbed up.

What I saw was a strange being who reminded me strongly an insectoid version of one of those cloth wigglers you'd see outside a mattress store, surrounded by about a thousand of skeletal undead of just about every description.

[Kikiikki The Macabre, plus three other titles]

Danger Level: Probable Death

When it got to about a hundred yards out, it spoke. "[Raise Minion]!"

Outside of our gates, ten skeletons rose out of the ground, all of them with the general makeup of a Fifska.

At first I was confused and angry... but then I realized something...

All of those skeletons were probably villagers from somewhere else in the world.

I stopped being confused or angry, and became focused on the best way to make this douchebag die the most painful death I could manage for him.

"Everyone, do your best to take care of the skeletons! I'm going for the champion!"

I climbed back down the tower where Sydui was waiting for me.

I nodded to her and we both made our way outside of the walls to meet the champion before he got in range of more dead Fifska.

As soon as we dropped down off the wall, Kikiikki chittered some sort of command.

In response, all of the skeletons ceased advance and immediately surrounded us.

I took out Shreddy and passed him to Sydui, before leveling Hole Puncher at the crowd in front of me.

"Full power, accuracy be damned, as long as it shoots forward it'll hit."

'Understood, ready to fire.'

I fired, destroying a line of skeletons forty-five degrees away from where I was aiming.

I didn't realize the aim could be that bad.

As I was reloading, I used my sabatons to destroy more skeletons and to try to keep them off of me.

Meanwhile, Sydui was destroying scores of skeletons with [Nightfire], Shreddy, and sheer strength.

The crowd even began to thin...

"[Reform]!" Kikiikki ordered.

His skeletons suddenly reformed, undoing all of our work.

I looked over at Sydui who was already getting winded from all of the fighting.

I needed a new plan immediately.

"Polyu! Use [Gravity Shift] and your Gem to get behind the champion with a mounted crossbow! We'll distract him while you put a hole in him!"

I had no idea if she heard me, but I just had to hope beyond hope she did.

After all, if I looked behind me, there's a chance the champion might catch on.

Sydui started to be in a bad way, clearly showing exhaustion and quite a few small cuts and bruises.

I wasn't doing any better honestly, especially because I was fighting even harder in an attempt to take some pressure off of Sydui.

I then ran out of bolts.

I pulled the pole hammer off of Sydui's back and started using it as clumsily as you might expect from a complete novice.

Sydui used [Berserk] to try to buy another precious minute.

"[Reform]!"

There was still so many to go, but it was all undone again.

It must just have a cooldown of a minute or so... not that I could possibly kill a thousand things in the span of a single minute.

"Whoever... made this [Skill]... is a sadist!" I yelled between heavy breaths.

It was then that Sydui's [Berserk] ran out and she fell to the ground in a heap.

I ran over to her and picked her up in my arms.

I was down to just my sabatons as weapons, but I'd be damned if I let them hurt my girlfriend!

I was grabbed from behind.

I shook them off.

I was grabbed from both sides.

I kicked one off, but another took its place.

I wrapped myself around Sydui, trying my best to shield from what I knew came next.

I was certain that it was the end.

I heard Kikiikki make a chittering laugh.

Then there was a meaty thwack.

All of the skeletons disintegrated along with Kikiikki himself.

"I'm sorry I'm late, this thing is really heavy." Polyu said with a quiet exhaustion, before dropping the crossbow and lowering herself to the ground.

And by 'lowering herself', I mean that she accidentally smacked into the ground a little bit... I can't imagine using gravity is an easy way to fly after all.