”Galerose, have you unlocked any new Skills since our first encounter?”

We stood in the city on the outskirts of the Mid Tier Zone where we’d fought Henrietta. According to Ciz’s minimap and my Quest marker, the 4-Star Titan mobs congregated in the middle of the forest bordering the High Tier Zone. We’d gotten there in no time thanks to all of our Stamina Stats.

“I have unlocked a new Skill named ‘Megido’!” Cerus proclaimed, a proud expression falling over her face. “It is a magical bomb stronger than my Big Ice Attack!”

“I got something called Mediarama,” Opix announced. “It heals us and might remove a debuff. Says it’s a 33% chance.”

Following that new information, Ciz went over her idea once again. Using her Stat Negation ability, she would negate the Strength of the two 4-Star Titan Mobs in the forest. According to her, the 4-Star Titan mobs didn’t use any magical abilities like the 3 and 5-Star mobs did. Because of this, they wouldn’t be able to harm us while we’d be able to cause as much damage as we wanted on them – given we were smart about where we targeted them. Cerus had badgered Ciz to see if she could negate their Health Stats instead, but Ciz insisted that doing so cost too much mana to maintain for longer than a few short seconds.

As we headed into the forest, I checked the Battle Network to see where the 5-Star Titan mob’s Quest radius was, and I felt a bit of relief to find it was on the north end of the High Tier Zone – closer to the “Master Zone”. We’d have to go there either way to cash in our Battle Points, but we still needed to move fast so that the 5-Star didn’t interrupt our battle.

***

The two Titan mobs stood in a clearing in the forest, eerily motionless. They stared north, in the direction of the High Tier Zone. We’d been hopping from tree branch to tree branch again, and from above them I couldn’t help but notice how creepy they looked. Their skin was the color of sandy clay, their hair flowed like spindly needles, and their open mouths unhinged to an unnatural degree as drool dripped from their gaping maws. I scanned the closer one.

Wild Man

4-Star Mob

The myth of the “Wild Man” has many fascinating interpretations throughout the multiverse, but nearly all of them are about the same thing: the unpredictability of the wilderness. Given the nature of the Ellalara Belt, I can’t tell you exactly what this interpretation of the Wild Man is based on. Well, I can, but I don’t wanna! It’s embarrassing. Anyway, all you need to know is that these guys prefer forests and green spaces. Once they enter a forest, they won’t leave it!

P.S. - Try to keep forest destruction to a minimum!

At the same time as I read that last part of the analysis, Cerus giggled like a madwoman. I felt my heartbeat quicken.

“Look at them, grouped together like mating dogs! They are practically begging to be blasted by Megido!”

“Cerus, let’s hold off! My System said these guys love the forest, and if Jane was any indication–” I tried, but I was too late.

Eight portals appeared out of nowhere, surrounding the Titans in a ring of white light. As quickly as they appeared, they shot beams of light at the Titans, each shot coalescing into a massive white explosion. The force brought us all crashing down to the forest floor, and I was forced to use a Hot Shower to clear the Dazed debuff that’d affected me. Opix used his new Mediarama Skill which only removed Ciz’s Dazed debuff. He and Cerus needed to wait it out.

Ciz: I do not want to be rude, but I would appreciate a warning next time. Please.

Cerus: i do what i want

Grim: Now isn’t the time to–

Both Wild Men dashed through the smoke, faster than I could even register and launched themselves at me. They both cocked their fists back and punched me before I could raise my fist to dodge. The speed of it all took me back to the “fight” with Dogtooth, though this time I felt more like Dogtooth than a Draconic Gangleader.

Despite the two Wild Men being 4-Stars, that punch literally felt like nothing. I’d even waited for some sort of delayed effect, but none came. They kicked me, punched me, and even tried to hammer me into the ground, but again… nothing. Reading my confusion, Ciz spoke with a proud look to her.

“‘Stat Negation’ truly does mean Stat negation. These monsters cannot physically harm us on their own.”

As the weight of those words finally dawned on me, I couldn’t help but laugh. For the first time, or perhaps second given my battle with Ciz’s Presence, I imagined that I was feeling a lot like Cerus. She found pleasure in fighting, specifically in overpowering her enemies. I wasn’t as bloodthirst as she was, but there was something to be said about the joy of being the stronger party in a fight.

“Alright, guys. Focus on vital areas. Behind the knees, the neck, the stomach, the eyes, and in the ears.” Opix said. “Even if they can’t kill us, their Health Stats are relatively high. We need to prioritize achieving the instakill condition.”

“In the ears?” I asked tentatively.

“...Yeah?” He said, as though it were the most obvious thing ever. “You have a crossbow, right? Shoot into its earhole to get to its brain. Enough of those and it’ll be dead.”

“Mmhhh, gross! I like that idea. Thrall, use the spear and stab them in the earholes!”

“I think I’ll do my own thing…”

Just like that, my battle high came crashing down. I still cast Taunt, though, swapping to the Cheap Boxing Gloves to improve my mobility. While we had the time, I used this opportunity to try and train my battle reflexes. Cerus said that combat was the best place to train, and my one-sided fight against Ysnik’s friends proved the validity of her words.

The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

The Wild Man punched faster than any opponent I’d faced up to this point, and I got grazed by most of its attacks, but I’d begun to fall into a rhythm the more I analyzed it. The mob prioritized straight punches and sweeping kicks when you got too close, so I’d swapped to the Sabertooth Splitblade to dance around its attacks like Cerus with her spear. Remembering my newfound strength, I cast Essence of Aura and Boost as soon as I’d gotten close to the Wild Man and shot myself at its eye like a bullet. I slammed my Splitblade into the creature’s left eye just like I did against Ciz’s Presence, and once again its health took a noticeable hit.

“You are not flashy enough, Grim Hearts!” Cerus called. She’d been dancing around the other Wild Man with Opix, who’d been using his new electric skill on it. The Wild Mob did not look like it was having a good time. “You have used that move in the past. Be better! I do not want a predictable thrall!”

“We can be flashy when we aren’t in a time crunch! Focus on taking it out!” Opix shouted as he blasted lightning into its earhole.

I gave her an incredulous look. “What do you expect me to–”

A massive hand wrapped around my entire body, and it’d taken me too long to realize it was the hand of the Wild Man I’d just stabbed. Ciz, who’d been monitoring the battle from the tree, shot lasers from her eyes like she was fucking Superman into the eyes of the Wild Man carrying me.

“That should help!” Ciz shouted from above.

It didn’t. On the contrary, the Wild Man squeezed harder as I struggled against its grip. The sensation was odd. Despite not feeling pain, I still struggled to breathe from the force. Cerus shot a weak Big Ice Attack into the creature’s back as Opix shot it with a small Fire Burst. The Wild Man roared, cocking the arm back with me in it and throwing me full speed like a baseball into the tree Ciz was perched on. My health bar appeared and went down by 40%, once again hitting me with a Dazed debuff. I removed it with a Hot Shower and turned to Ciz, who was still suffering its effects.

Ciz: Givmee a minutebeenf. Dizzyyhbm,....in1!

Cerus: if she is distracted does that mean she cannot focus on the stat negation

Opix: Oh…

Ah, shit.

The monster seemed to ask itself the same question – and was pleased by its findings. Once again the two Wild Men focused on me, except this time their attacks were easier to read. I swapped to my Cheap Boxing Gloves and dodged a flurry of punches like my life depended on it… because it did depend on it. Opix cast Mediarama on me as Cerus hit them both with Pollination, which healed me any time I got grazed by their attacks. Thankfully, they continued to be easier and easier to dodge. That didn’t mean they were impossible to dodge, though. I still got grazed by a fair amount of them, and when I did get hit it hurt. Thanks to Opix’s quick heals and Cerus’ Pollination, though, I managed to stay topped up.

Opix: Grim, if you can, try to direct them towards the High Tier Zone. We need to weaken them to make the instakill easier to achieve. Cerus, use your Claymore and start bleeding them. Ciz, I’m gonna keep healing you with Mediarama. Either way, when you’re up I need you to negate their Stamina instead of their Strength. I have an idea to win.

Grim: Got it.

Cerus: do not order me around, chaff

Ciz: kk

I sidestepped towards the north, using the minimap to dodge trees as I backstepped towards the High Tier Zone. I cast Taunt on them to distract them from Cerus’ bloody slashes to the backs of their knees while Opix shot electricity into the open wounds. Their movements began to slow, so I cast Hidden Fist to throw them off even more.

Ciz: Sorry about that. I’m up! Stamina Negation, right?

Opix: Yeah! Once you do, call your Presence and take out the strongest Sword you have.

Ciz: The strongest sword I have is a 7-Star collector’s item from Trapcoven. I wanted to give it to Vri for her birthday.

Opix: Alright, well… Take out the strongest 3 or 4-Star Weapon you have.

Ciz: I have a longsword like the one Cerus won. Will that work?

Cerus: you were watching that?

Opix: That’s perfect! Grim, head over to Ciz once she negates the Wild Men’s Stamina. I’m gonna tell her my idea and you need to follow her lead, okay?

Grim: Why can’t you say it over chat?

Opix: You might not like it and we don’t have time to deliberate.

Unlike the Strength Negation, it was easy to tell she’d negated Stamina based on how sluggish the Wild Men were. I’d have to try to get hit by their attacks now, and when I moved to Ciz’s position they made no effort to chase after me. Their health bars were both firmly in the yellow, and they heaved like dogs as they stared after me.

“Essence, Boost?” Ciz confusedly shouted to me as I approached her. To my right, Opix and Cerus ran for the Titan Mobs, emulating my eye-stabbing technique to bring their health down to the red.

“Got it,” I said, casting Essence of Aura and Boost. Once I did, she handed me a 3-Star Weapon that took considerable effort to carry. My entire body leaned as I held it, and I had to take off the Blood Amulet just for it to be slightly more manageable.

Ciz cast her Presence and scooped me up into its hand which was much larger than normal. It looked into me with milky red eyes and spoke in its androgynous tone. “Pitiful weakling. You have a single task. Hold a sword and decapitate our enemies. I’m not sure why Opix recommended someone as worthless as you for a task as simple as this.”

“Who the hell do you think you’re talking to?!” I barked. Unlike the last time, I knew I was being Taunted among other things, but I still couldn’t ignore it.

Does this mean I’ve been coerced?

Regardless, new strength filled me as I carried the Sword’s hilt in both hands. It launched me between the Wild Men, who’d both been sent down to a knee by Opix and Cerus’ onslaught. I spun in the air like a top and cackled like a madman as I cut the monsters’ heads off. They tumbled to the ground with an unceremonious plop. The moment I landed, I cast Hot Shower on myself, though it cost more MP than normal due to how many debuffs I was under.

”You see? Is it not euphoric to kill with style?” Cerus began, walking towards me. “There is no surprise that the thrall of a Rose would come to find enjoyment with oh my days!”

“What?” Opix said, giving me a confused look. “Did something… damn!”

“If I were not Level 99 in Satyrsong, I would be jealous,” Ciz said.

“Grim Hearts! Describe your new Skill to me or you will most certainly draw my ire!”

“New Skill?”

I assumed you had to wait for the After Action Report for Level Ups to take effect. Tentatively, I opened my Stat menu to see what it said.

So that’s why they were shocked.

LEVEL UP!

You are now Level 82.

Current Stats:

Health: 75

Strength: 80

Stamina: 94

Intelligence: 74

Mana: 92

Dexterity: 80

New Skill: Meteor Strike - An unblockable, aura-charged attack. Decent MP Cost.