The fox was the same old same old. Joe knew that he could win the fight in seconds if he chose. He wasn't playing around, knowing that a poisoned bite would take more resources than he could afford to give, but he didn't end the fight in the first swing. The strike in question still carved a deep gouge down the fox's flank, but it didn't sever the limb. Joe had to dodge a second time to get out of the range of the fox's retaliatory bite.
Deena watched nearby but stayed silent, not wanting to interrupt what Joe was doing. His current project wasn't bearing fruit yet, but Joe hadn't expected it to be a quick process. He took it as a good thing that his swing was underpowered and his dodge too short. It meant that he'd started reining in his power.
Later on, those mistakes could be deadly, but for the lower-leveled monsters, even the boss wasn't much challenge. It was the best training he could manage right now. After the treant, he knew it would be too dangerous, so he made the most of the moment.
The fox died a death of a dozen cuts. The last few were appropriately powered, cutting through the beast without ever impacting the ground underneath. Joe was panting a bit, even his high vigor unable to keep the lactic acid buildup in his muscles at bay.
Deena gave Joe a few minutes to catch his breath while she checked the pillar. Nothing new must have been present because she walked away with a shake of her head.
"Anything new?"
"No. I've still only picked up my initial skill. None of the ones I've unlocked really seem to suit me."
Joe offered her a smile. "Keep at it. It took me a lot of time and stupid decisions to unlock the skills I've taken."
Both of them moved forward, not reacting at all to the predictable jumping of the sun. The next series of fights were more challenging than usual. Both fought, but they were each working on their timing and reflexes. There were a few closer calls, but ultimately, nothing threatening. Both of them ate a berry and sat to rest before the treant. Deena took out her axe, and Joe readied his glaive. From that point forward, they weren't so high level that they could afford not to take the fights completely seriously.
They chopped down the treant, and the loot appeared to be a hickory nut. Joe wasn't an arborist, so some of these seeds were outside his field of experience. Once again, the pillar hadn't held anything interesting for either of them. Joe was almost full at seven essence. He hoped his attribute theory was on point, or he would be wasting the precious resource.
The tougher gnolls were enough for Deena to bring out her sole skill. Joe had seen her hands fill with dim and flickering white light before, but she had clearly leveled the skill since then. Her punches were lightweight boxer-level rapid and demolished the gnolls head after it missed her dodge. Joe hadn't paid attention before, but it did seem that her hits were noticeably faster with the fist weapons.
Joe focused on his opponents, and while he still worked on restraining his movements, he pushed most of his power into the strikes. The roses would provide a training opportunity later, but right now, they were still too dangerous. Joe cut them down and waited for the flower monster to bleed out. They both caught their breath for a minute before continuing down the path.
"Have you tried pushing more mana into your skill?"
"I've tried, but it doesn't seem to do anything. The skill just does its own thing."
"I would keep at it. It's good magic training, and it might unlock some related skills. Maybe try to get a feel for the mana mix and push some of that into your arms and legs without the skill."
Deena looked at Joe blankly for a moment. "Is this some more hidden information? Have you been holding out on us?"
She didn't sound upset, just curious. Joe would have been offended by the accusation, as toothless as it was, but everyone played their cards close to their chest lately.
"No, no secret info. I think we need to try new things if we're going to get as strong as possible. My magic sucks but after what felt like a lifetime of trying to influence regeneration, bingo, and a bonus attribute on top."
Deena's mouth was wide open now as she gaped at Joe. "You can control regeneration?"
"I wish," Joe shook his head. "I moved less than a percent of the skill's output. All I was saying was it felt impossible until I did it."
They both lapsed into a thoughtful silence as they cut through their opponents. The crows were problematic, with Deena having no range and Joe's weapon being slow despite his inherent speed. They did provide excellent control practice, and Joe happily traded some minor cuts along his arms for the training. That also showed the value of putting attributes in fortitude.
At level two, those cuts would have been worrisome until they were bound. Now Joe meditated with a healing berry, and they weren't a problem. They were still there, red and angry but not bleeding. Diana would undoubtedly give him grief about it, but progress was rarely painless. Well, Joe's progress was rarely painless. There were probably some good fighters out there that didn't share his special learning needs.
The run back through the respawned rooms continued to provide excellent opportunities to work on his form. Deena was worse this time, and Joe worried about her stamina until he watched her fighting and saw the problem. She was taking his advice and trying to use mana while moving. Joe figured it was similar to when he was working on the silent use of his bite skill. That had been a bitch and a half.
He left her to it. She was a capable adult and didn't need him babysitting. He did make sure to seek out the poisonous monsters for himself. Those little bastards were less forgiving when it came to small mistakes. A gnoll bite would suck and potentially end the run early. A few viper strikes would be much worse, even with the berries.
Both rested at the end of the clear, readying themselves and letting the berries help return them to top condition. Joe warned Deena that the bearcoon was surprisingly durable and about its belch attack. She laughed at that, and the scowl on Joe's face drove the point home.
"It sounds stupid, like a lot of the monsters sound in this rift, but it's no joke. If you hear the sound try to clear out."
Joe took point and charged the monster once he was near the clearing. This boss didn't try to play tricks like the previous two, so there was no point in being sneaky. The large monster shouldered through Joe's initial strike, forcing Joe to dodge. The bleeding wound on its shoulder was the price it paid, but it charged right at Deena.
At that moment, Joe wondered if the rift monsters could sense their levels. They almost always seemed to converge on the weakest combatants. It hadn't seen her do anything yet, but the monster took a hit to get at her. Fortunately, Deena wasn't weak.
The monstrous boss bore down on her, and she did a complete rolling dodge into a run. The beast turned to follow, and Joe used its distraction to cripple its back right knee. He avoided the rectal strike this time. Joe wanted to pretend that he'd never experienced that fight.
Joe jumped back, prepared for the counterattack. Even with its bad leg, the boss turned quickly and snapped its rank drolling jaws shut where Joe's arm had been a moment before. Deena dashed in with her skill active, and her strikes hit the boss's ribs in the same spot three times before she ran away once again. On cue, the bearcoon turned and swiped her direction. She wasn't quick enough, and painful red lines welled blood between her shoulder and the elbow.
The bleeding didn't look too bad, but they needed to finish this fight. Joe ran forward and struck out at the other back knee. His angle was poor, and while the hit damaged the limb, the monster's movement stayed the same. This time the boss ignored Joe and continued to chase after Deena.
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She was faster, but it wasn't by a considerable amount. Her escape options were dwindling between that and the boss's sheer size. The boss had moved to block the escape route, and Joe dove forward again. Joe landed an overhead chop on the boss's back and was rewarded with a sizeable gash opening up. Still, the monster ignored him and focused on Deena.
Joe was starting to panic a bit. He couldn't let one of his party members die here. Adrenaline surged through him, and he reversed his grip and hauled the glaive into another cut upwards. More blood and tissue hit the ground in a disgusting wave, but the bearcoon paid him no mind. It had seemingly given up the fight, content with taking someone with it. Considering it could respawn and people couldn't, that made a macabre sort of sense. Joe pulled back for a mighty thrust, attempting to take out the monster's heart and lungs.
He wasn't going to kill it in time. Deena's last clear path had closed off, with the opening slightly too far for her to make it past the bearcoon without hitting the thorn wall. Joe still pushed, trying to will his body, his spirit, his anything, into making him fast enough to save his friend. Nothing happened.
Deena seemed to realize the situation at the same time Joe did. She screamed wordlessly as the boss closed in with its bloody claws and ichor-dripping fangs. Then a miracle happened. Deena still dashed forward as she screamed, unwilling to lay down and die. Suddenly a wavering light similar to her skill burst forth from her body for a single second. Her next step shot her forward, and she cleared the closing gap with inches to spare.
The bear couldn't give chase, its momentum carrying it into the wall. Joe caught up, and his thrust ended the fight, though the boss still took some time to finish dying. Joe saw the frothing on its lips from the thorns poison and went to Deena. She was on the ground holding her head but seemed fine other than the long scratches down her arm.
"Are you OK? What happened there?" Joe realized he was shouting at first and lowered his voice. It was probably best not to shout at someone holding their head.
"Uggghhh. That sucked. I assume the boss is dead?" Deena's voice started as a hoarse croak but strengthened as she went along.
Joe saw the flames flash up from where the boss lay, leaving only a tiny blue crystal to mark its passing. He left it there and continued watching Deena, ensuring she was OK. Finally, she opened her eyes, and Joe breathed a sigh of relief. Her eyes tracked his face, and he backed off to give her some room, confident that her senses were working.
"I knew I wouldn't make it," Deena said softly. "I let it back me into a corner, and I was going to die. I was desperate, so I activated my skill and pushed the mana as hard as possible towards my legs. It kinda worked, but the feedback was intense."
She ate a berry at that point, and Joe took a moment to analyze the fight. It had been easy for him, but that's because the boss had only been interested in Deena. He needed to get close and stay close so the boss didn't lose interest or do so much damage it couldn't ignore him. A shiver ran through Joe's body at the thought of staying close to monsters like the bearcoon. So Joe had to do more damage.
Weapons, armor, and skills were all in need of a serious upgrade for all of them. It was honestly getting embarrassing to have to fight bloodthirsty monsters in what amount to shorts and a t-shirt. Mike was only one man and had shit for resources and equipment. They needed to step up and get him better materials. The rift in Nik's town could get them that, but it was a bad dice roll on whether they'd get there with the hound roaming around in that direction.
Ten minutes later, Deena stood up, looking solid on her feet, and strode over to the pillar. Joe saw the level-up twitches take hold and smiled at the sight. No matter what happened, they had another level four on their team, which was something to celebrate. She stayed up there longer, though, her head jerking side to side, and Joe wondered what was eliciting that reaction. Finally, she stopped and walked away with a big grin.
"Fuck yeah!" Deena gave the appropriate deep elbow to emphasize her point. "Who's got more than one skill now?"
"Well, what is it?" Joe's smile was wide and genuine. He knew the feeling of getting a new skill and was thrilled for her.
"They kinda suck now, but at least they're heading in the direction I want."
She explained the skill description line by line, and Joe agreed that it seemed she'd gotten the right skills for her fighting style.
Minor Alacrity Boost
Common Skill
Mana cost - lesser / activation - lesser / cooldown - lesser
Adds +1 Alacrity per Skill Level (SL) to user for SL*minutes
Minor Reflex Boost
Common Skill
Mana cost - lesser / activation - lesser / cooldown - lesser
Adds +1 Reflex per Skill Level (SL) to user for SL*minutes
At the moment, both skills sucked. They had a long cast and a hefty mana cost for a minute of minimal enhancements. Joe's regeneration had been the same way, though it had probably saved his life that first night so maybe it wasn't an apples-to-apples comparison. Both skills could grow into solid self buffs that could make Deena a threat too fast for most monsters or people to handle.
"Congrats. We'll get you some more runs to get those leveled up. What did you put your level bonus into?"
"Fortitude," Deena said with a wince at her arm. "Getting hit hurts, and I won't be able to fight properly for a day or two even with the berries. This isn't a video game. All it will take is a single mistake to end a glass cannon build."
Joe agreed with a nod. He'd originally hadn't thought about anything but surviving, which led him down his current path. When Joe had seen Nik's skills and speed, he had been slightly jealous at times. That had lasted until Nik took a glancing hit and struggled to shake even that off. Without a team to back him up, Nik couldn't so much as stumble without severe risk. Joe walked over to the pillar and looked around.
His essence storage was full at eight. He hadn't gotten any attributes and wanted to see if he could squeeze anything out of the next room before he leveled one of his skills. Joe looked over at Deena.
"I want to try the next room. I haven't been hit this whole run. I can heal past some damage without too many issues. You good to tag along with that arm? We'll run out if it looks dicey."
"Yeah, I can watch your back," Deena said with a slight grin. "It will let me test these new buffs."
Joe nodded, and they moved down the new path. Joe was prepared for the sun to shift to dusk, but Deena stumbled slightly. She caught herself short of the thorns and looked over at Joe with embarrassment clear on her face. Joe just shrugged.
"It happens."
That was all that needed to be said. They stopped just short of the meadow, and Deena focused inward. It took fifteen seconds by Joe's count before light flared slightly and died down. Deena immediately started on the next buff, and Joe was ready when she opened her eyes. They only had forty-five seconds until the first buff wore off. They were small enough that it wouldn't be the end of the world, but it was best to get the most out of them.
By agreement, both ignored the foxes and dashed straight at the squirrels. The monsters seemed as surprised as mutated woodland murder machines could be and missed their first hurried shots. They didn't get a second chance, with Deena's white luminous hands crushing one's skull while Joe bisected the other with a swing of his glaive. They turned around, and Joe dashed towards the foxes, quickly approaching.
Now that the poisoning threat was behind them, Joe tightened his stance and waited again, trying to fight with minimal movements. It didn't go well at first. The foxes were fast, and there were two of them. Joe took several nips to his legs and recognized the telltale burning of poison working through his body. Joe didn't know why he thought that they'd be ordinary beasts given this rift's unmistakable design.
Joe ignored the pain and the burning, focusing on every movement around him and finally taking out one of the foxes with a bashed in head. One-on-one, Joe had the speed and focus to keep up with the other fox, finishing it two passes later. Joe grumbled as he walked back towards the portal. Once they were far enough from the meadow, he ate a berry and sat down.
As always, he moved the mana towards the poison, but this time he focused on sensing as much as he could about the mana battle raging in his body. The fox's poison was less than the mushrooms, and he hadn't taken too much of it, so Joe never felt like he was in danger. By the time the last of the poison was eradicated, Joe felt his perception of it had improved.
"Again?"
"If you're sure." Deena hadn't taken any damage, but she looked surprised by the speed of the monsters. Despite their almost cute appearance, they were no joke.
They repeated the fight, and it came down to about the same. Deena was too fast for the squirrels to get her while her buffs were active, and Joe would have been faster if not for his oversized weapon. Joe repeated his training and felt he was getting closer to what he sought. These opponents were enough to push him, making a difference. The poisoning was even less severe, and Joe sunk into his eternal world to study the mana at work.
"Last one?" Deena looked tired, and he didn't want to put her in any extra danger.
"Yeah, I can do one more. My mana's pretty low, though, so I think this will be it for me."
Joe didn't blame her. He had suffered more than necessary, ignoring his limits in favor of just a little more essence and loot.
"Stay behind me and keep the foxes off my flank while I take out the mushrooms."
Deena nodded, not arguing in the slightest. Joe and Nik had given everyone a rundown and facing off against an area poison needle storm didn't sound fun. Joe made a third mental note to acquire a shield at some point before he charged the room. Joe took a pair of needles before he managed to bring down the foxes. Deena had managed to kill one fox but looked exhausted. Joe guessed the buffing skill was taking a lot out of her. He waited for the remaining fox to lunge at her, bringing his glaive down perfectly on its tiny neck.
+1 Reflex
"Hell yes," Joe screamed to the sky.
A wave of weakness rushed through his body from the poison in his legs, and Joe stumbled. It wasn't much, but his arm did graze the thorn wall, more poison coursing up his hand.
"Well, shit."
Deena didn't say anything as Joe ate three berries and sat down to keep his organs intact. He tracked the two poisons as they worked towards his core. The berries' mana and his skills pushed back, with Joe sensing everything he could. His mana had dropped to a quarter when the last of the poison was eradicated. Joe thought that mushroom toxin was almost as hard to root out as those damn roses.
+1 Glamour
"Totally worth it!"
Deena was slightly startled by his outburst but got to her feet quickly. Joe was smiling ear to ear despite the poisoning. As far as he was concerned, his theory was paying dividends. There were no attributes between him and his next level, just a bunch of venomous and poisonous monsters. At the portal, Deena waited while Joe leveled up some skills. There was no need to hoard his essence now. He upgraded both tough skin and poison resistance since regeneration was already maxed.
As he walked out the portal with Deena, Joe felt the satisfaction of a good day's work. The roar he heard from a block away as he reentered the real world wiped that feeling away in a heartbeat.