While I wasn't intimately close with the art of battle, I was getting there. It was hard not to with all of the experience. My fighting form would probably be called wild and unrefined by anyone of greater skill, but it worked for what I needed it to.

I learned early that wild swings and unbalanced aggression was not the way to fight. Sure, it had its uses, but it wasn't the way to get better. Sometimes wild aggression was the thing that you needed in a fight and all offense could often work, but not for sustained fighting.

If I had one enemy it would be fine. Or even a handful. At the numbers I faced, not so much. There was only so much one person could do and fighting with a raging flame was a quick way to burn out.

A raging fire still had its uses, but a properly stoked flame was more useful right now. Sustaining the burn over a longer period of time for the most use. Experience and training added together with my Endurance increased the amount of wood to burn and allowed the fire to burn for longer.

Using a hammer was different than other weapons. It wasn't a sword to be used for slicing in refined art forms, nor was it a spear for quick stabs from range. Hammers were similar to axes in a way.

Axes were unbalanced weapons mostly used for attacking. All of the weight was at the axe head and it had to be used as such. Swords were balanced at the hilt. They would feel different in the hand and they had different ways to swing them.

Most swords at least. There were exceptions and different styles of blade, but generally, swords were better balanced. Hammers matched axes in this regard. The hammerhead held all of the weight.

While feints and different techniques were common with swords, hammers were more straightforward. Calling it straightforward was not calling it simple.

With base human abilities, there was only so much someone could do with a hammer of this size. Its size and weight made most moves impractical. Now, with stats, normal conventions went out the window.

With my strength, I could maneuver the hammer better than what normal people could and my stats were designed for it. Asking Austin to swing one around would be the same as giving me a rapier.

I could use it, sure, but it wouldn't leverage all of my abilities. My strength was what made it possible. Hammer swings weren't the all-attack that some people might think. It was a balance of sorts, swinging versus defending.

Keeping the hammer swinging could work, conserving momentum, but it had problems of its own. There were 4 feet of shaft to work with and it would be a waste not to use it.

It was similar to a quarterstaff in a way, but not at all. I could use it to defend and block attacks at my body, but there was the weight distribution to keep in mind. A quarterstaff didn't have a heavy mass on one end.

With the weight disparity, some things were better left unblocked. It was why I loved my armor so much. If I could ignore more attacks coming at me, it would give me more time to attack.

Finding exactly which attacks to block and which to ignore was difficult. I had to learn to trust my armor and my fortitude. Even when I was using the axe before I had the same problem. Fighting through the pain was another thing I had to learn. I couldn't be afraid of a little pain.

Trial and error were painful teachers and I had come to learn how much my forging could handle. How much of an attack I could afford to take without my armor breaking.

I learned the limit of my old armor and [Frost Armor] went and changed it. With my new skill, I had to relearn what the limit was. I was blocking attacks that wouldn't affect me and that was a waste of time.

It came easier the second time as I had more experience. Now it was even harder. [Momentum of the Avalanche] worked to double all of my physical skills. That meant a constant increase in my Fortitude. [Fortified Body] also changed based on my fortitude stat which added to the complications.

My fortitude going from 100 to 200 made the balance of which attacks I could take constantly changing. It was something that I had to get used to and not something I would accomplish using the skill for the first time.

All of my defense let me ignore many of the spider's attacks. My boost was near its peak and my stats had never been higher. Instead of the steady wearing down that usually took place, I steadily got stronger.

It worked in reverse of normal convention. A quick peek at my stats left me stunned. I knew they would double, but seeing it was different.

Strength - 422

Agility - 210

Perception - 68

Fortitude - 202

Endurance - 224

Vitality - 120

Intelligence - 24

Wisdom - 41

Acumen - 26

It felt great. My body firing on all cylinders, mowing through the foes who stood before me. After about the 50% mark my body was becoming uncoordinated again. It wasn't the stat disparity that did it, it was the unfamiliarity with the high stats. A doubling of stat points was too much to handle on my first try it seemed.

There were also new sensations I had to work to block out. My vitality worked through my system faster than before and I could feel my body knitting together in a way I hadn't felt before. My perception doubling let me hear more than before and feel more than before. I had to block it out before I got overwhelmed. The sensations were... unsettling. It let me feel my body and those around me in weird ways.

When the spiders suddenly ended I was surprised. I had lost track of time and there were no more monsters for me to fight. It made me slightly frustrated too. I was in the zone, getting better with my hammer and getting accustomed to my new stats.

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The lull in battle let me take in my surroundings and what I saw shocked me. Body parts were everywhere, spider legs oozing green blood scattered around me with bodies crushed and deformed. Ice coated with the green substance embedded in corpses with the use of [Shatter].

The boss wasn't here. It was on one of the other sides.

[Momentum of the Avalanche] only built up while in battle and I didn't know how long my skill would last as I was technically not in battle, so I rushed toward the other side.

Jonathan's side was the worst off and I could see monsters getting through. I even saw a body on the ground, not getting up. It was something I expected but it still hurt to see.

Even with all of the training I put everyone through, it was battle. Not everyone would make it.

I was about to step in and help when another explosion sounded out. Now that I wasn't in battle, I could see what it was. The boss was climbing over the wall while Hal tried to hold it off.

It looked like a spider out of horror stories. It stood at over 10 feet tall and had a bulbous sack that was bigger than a car. Its eight long legs ended in sharp spikes that it was using to climb over the wall.

When the wave first started I feared that the other spiders would do the same but they failed. Their legs couldn't find purchase in the stone. The wall was enchanted to not be climbable.

The boss disregarded that sentiment. With its size, it could reach the top of the wall and try to pull itself up where the other monsters were too small. Every time the boss got close to pulling itself over, Hal would shoot it back down.

I had no idea how long he had been doing this but he looked haggard. He was slumped over and looked like he could barely stand in the stand we built for him.

Not wanting my boosts to go away and seeing the target I was after, I rushed in. Austin and the rest of those who fought the bosses with me were still busy, but it didn't matter.

I alone could hold it off at least. Killing it was another matter though. The boss was stronger than what its level indicated and treating it as a normal level 37 was a mistake. Bosses were stronger than normal and it had a Law of its own to defend with. I wasn't sure which yet, but I would find out.

Being 7 levels below the boss wasn't that bad in all honesty. My skills and abilities were enough to hold their own against much stronger opponents. My boost from [Avalanche] would make me strong enough.

I launched myself at the boss and brought my hammer down on the leg it was using to climb the wall. The resulting impact launched the intruding appendage off of the wall.

What surprised me was the minimal damage I did. I expected my strength to be enough to crush the leg. Granted, I only used [Frostbite] for the attack, but still. The chitin had a way of dispersing the damage and evening out the load. I could tell I damaged it, just not as much as I anticipated.

The spider hissed at me before doing something I didn't expect. Given its size and long sharp legs, I expected it to use them to attack me. Like the stone lizard who used its body to attack. Instead, it created an orb of green liquid in front of its mouth that it then shot at me. Not expecting that kind of attack, I couldn't get out of the way fast enough and it splashed over my right side.

It didn't carry much force with it but its use quickly became known from the sizzling I heard. My armor was melting and wherever the liquid touched started corroding. It started to melt holes through my ice armor and reach the metal underneath.

I tried to use my law to prevent the ice from melting, but it wasn't working. It was like something was fighting me and it had equal strength.

Ah, shit. It had an Acid Law. I wasn't sure if they were Acid Laws or Corrosion Laws, but my sizzling right side didn't give me much time to contemplate.

The acid was something I hadn't expected it to have and would make this fight a lot more difficult.

As it ate through my armor, the boss readied itself for another attack. Not wanting to let it hit me, I threw up a wall of ice using [Ice Fortress] to intercept the attack.

It started to sizzle and melt as well and wouldn't last more than a few attacks. The skill slowed down its corrosion and saved me from getting more of the liquid on me. This boss was going to prove difficult if it continued shooting acid at me.

I jumped down from the wall to get more room to dodge the globs of green liquid. I wasn't as fast as Austin but I could if I was ready for it.

The boss continued to shoot out acid and everywhere it hit started sizzling. Every attack I made barely affected it. Its legs had strong chitin covering them that was hard to damage. It felt like my hammer was hitting jello instead of the hard chitin it appeared as.

[Frostbite] was getting through and I could feel the ice mana hindering its movements, but it wasn't enough. It was disintegrating quicker than normal and wasn't doing as much damage.

Using [Heavy Blow] was the only thing that caused lasting damage. With the skill, my swings became strong enough to bludgeon the legs of the spider. Chitin started to crack from the blows faster than before.

The boss noticed that I was weakening it and changed its approach. Any time I got close, it would shower the area in liquid. I wasn't able to attack it without getting covered in it.

Our standoff lasted a few moments before a large fireball came flying in matched by an arrow of wind not long after. Rachel and Hal joined in on the attack. Hal spent the time I was fighting it recovering as much as he could.

With me holding it off, they were free to attack it from the wall. Austin joined in not long after and I saw Jonathan hobbling over to help. I wasn't sure how Jonathan's stone would hold up to the corrosion effect. With my stats so high, it was better if I tanked it in case something went wrong.

"Jonathan let me tank, it has a strong corrosion effect. Don't let the liquid hit you!" I shouted to the new arrivals.

We had fought together enough to be able to switch roles with ease and Jonathan started strafing the boss. He stood back and launched the few ranged skills he had while I held the monster's attention.

Most of his skills were tanking related but he had a few he could use from range. I got him to buy [Earth Spike] for this very reason. Everyone should have at least one way to attack from range. He also had [Earth Manipulation] he could use to throw clods of rocks at the monster from range.

Throughout the fight, I got battered and burnt from the liquid I couldn't dodge, but the boss was worse off. The five of us wore it down and started crippling limbs.

The damage built up and the chitin wasn't strong enough to hold forever. My heavy hammer blows weakened it and Austin's spear was able to pierce through.

After it lost its first leg it became enraged. Started firing off skills faster and moving more frantically to dodge our attacks.

After the second leg was removed it got even worse and before we could get the third, a wave of green exploded out of it. It splattered out in every direction and there was no way to dodge.

Austin and I got covered in it while Jonathan was far enough away to throw up some defenses. His earthen constructs were quickly melting.

The acid ate through the rest of my ice and started melting my skin. It brought a wave of pain that made me stifle a scream. Austin was worse off and he was rolling on the ground in pain trying to get it off.

I felt [Barbarian's Fury] activate and the pain quieted in my mind. My stats rose even higher.

[Heavy Blow] came down on the leg we managed to weaken and I crushed through the natural armor. The spider coated me in acid but I could hold out. My endurance and fortitude were enough to carry me through.

Now that I abandoned defense, I was on a timer.

I battered at the remaining legs and others did the same. Austin recovered with a potion from his belt and joined back into the fight. Fireballs came in and arrows penetrated weak spots.

All of its eyes were either burnt or pierced with arrows.

Without sight, it started to attack wildly trying to ward us off. There wasn't anything it could do against our relentless assault.

My hammer came down again and again on weakened limbs as my body steamed from the acid covering my skin.

Austin got under it and stabbed up through its underbelly. Jonathan hindered it with clumsily manipulated earth. He wasn't the best with [Earth Manipulation] but he was trying.

All of us worked to bring it down.

I wasn't sure who delivered the killing blow but a notification chimed and the boss fell still.

My body felt like it was dunked in a vat of acid and held there, but I was still standing.

The wave was over and there were only 8 more to go.