Air whipped past Jade in a rushing stream as she flew across the battlefield, launched by Naomi's spell. Her back stung from the force of the blast, but it wasn't any worse than some of the falls she'd endured over the years. Jade gritted her teeth and focused, estimating where the arc of her flight path would take her. The enormous body of the restrained spider loomed large before her, gravity pulling her back towards the ground as her upward momentum was expended.

She was going to overshoot it. Not by much, but the margin for error was small in a maneuver like this. Which was part of the reason they'd stopped practicing it on the first day of their training. Worse, because the spider's back had been towards them when she'd blasted off, leapfrogging it would result in her smashing into the ground right in front of its gaping maw.

Jade wasn't about to let that happen. Just as she arced over the boss the succubus flared her wings wide, using them as an airbrake to bleed off speed. It worked. She dropped like a rock, slamming feet first into the creature's armored back. For a heart stopping moment Jade's momentum continued to drag her forward. She scrambled for purchase on the chitinous plates beneath her, dropping onto her backside and reaching for anything she could grasp before she tumbled down into the churning mass of trampling legs that were shattering the chains of her spell.

At the last moment Jade slid over a small gap in its armor. She lunged for it, twisting onto her belly and reaching out with both hands to seize the makeshift handhold. One of her daggers went spinning off into the gloom, clattering down to the platform of interwoven branches below as she arrested her fall.

She jerked to a halt dangling half off the monster, shoulders screaming in protest at the abuse. Gritting her teeth and curling her legs up to avoid them being caught in the chaotic windmill of stomping limbs below her, Jade managed to stab her remaining dagger deep into the gap between the armored plates. The spider shrieked in outrage, breaking free of the remnants of her binding spell just as she performed the world's most terrifying pull-up, hauling herself to the relative safety of the monster's slippery back.

"Naomi, Luis!" She yelled, hanging on for dear life while the monster's body rocked beneath her. It didn't seem to be a fan of having a passenger. "Nail it!"

Jade's world lurched and spun with the spider's wild movements. She braced her feet against a spiky protrusion of its armor, flattening her wings to hug the surface of the monster's shell. If her companions could distract it for just a moment…!

WHAM.

An arc of crackling force energy smashed into one of the spider's legs. It was followed closely by a searing bolt of fire that engulfed part of its belly in roiling flames. A wave of heat washed over Jade, banishing the chill that suffused the gloomy treetops. The monster stilled, hunkering down in a defensive crouch in response to the barrage.

That was exactly what Jade had been waiting for. She lurched into motion, crawling along the arachnid's sloping back as quickly as she could. A dull red glow shined from the spider's head, emanating from the shattered armor plate that Luis had cracked open with his sword earlier. She hadn't been able to score a hit on the spot her ‘Vital Sight’ talent had tagged as a vulnerability while contending with the creature's snapping mandibles and stabbing legs, but from up here…

Jade heaved herself forward, heedless of the sharp armored plates that sliced gashes into her arms and legs. A potent mixture of fear and adrenaline coursed through her veins, lending her strength. Just as the monster stirred, ready to resume its offensive, Jade reversed her grip on the dagger and plunged it into the crack in its armored head, burying the blade to the hilt.

* Talent: Vital Sight

* Rating: D level talent

* Cost: Very low mana

* Duration: 1 minute

* Cooldown: 20 seconds

* Effect: Weak points and vulnerabilities on a single creature you focus on within close range will glow, becoming visible to your eyes. Attacks that hit these points will deal moderate bonus damage. You may only see vulnerabilities on one creature at a time. Using this talent again ends the effect on the first creature.

The boss spasmed violently, letting out an unearthly shriek that clawed at Jade's ears. She clung to its back with all the strength she could muster while the spider staggered sideways, trying to twist the blade deeper. A gout of flame erupted from the wound, the secondary effect of Naomi's 'Pyrotechnics' spell triggering a blast that nearly engulfed Jade's head. She ducked back just in time to avoid the searing fire, looking up when she felt the spider slow to a halt.

For a moment, Jade thought they had slain it. Blood poured from numerous wounds all over its body, and at least two of its legs were now dragging uselessly behind it. Charred pieces of armor and scorched skin added to its beleaguered appearance, but it wasn't quite done yet. Chittering angrily, the spider reared up on its hind legs. Jade thought it was trying to launch a globule of webbing at her companions, who were rushing over to rejoin the fight with Luis in the lead. But no, it kept tilting its body further and further upright, until Jade was practically dangling from the dagger she'd stabbed into its head.

"Oh, fuck!" She grunted, eyes widening as she finally recognized the danger.

The spider had backed up to one of the trees at the edge of the platform that served as the arena for the battle. As it raised its body into the air, the tree trunk was rushing up behind her. It was trying to crush her!

Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.

Jade twisted to the side, aided by a sudden burst of music as Naomi resumed her movement enhancing melody. The spider's back crunched against the rough surface of the tree with tremendous force, peppering her with a hail of splinters and shattered bark. Her armor deflected the worst of it, but several pieces of wood sliced painfully across her face and arms. She clung to her dagger, which was still wedged firmly in its armored head, hanging a dozen feet in the air. How the hell was this thing still moving?!

Fury welled up inside Jade like a rising storm, washing away her fear and pain. This creature had murdered at least two people. Now it was trying to kill both her and her friends. She wasn't going to let that happen.

Bolstered by Naomi's spell and fueled by a rage whose source Jade wasn't consciously aware of, she shifted to brace her legs against the trunk of the tree and kicked off hard, letting go of the dagger and launching herself out into open air. One of the spider's massive forelegs was splayed out in front of her, the creature just beginning to tip back forward towards the ground. Grasping the leg with both hands as she passed under it, she swung from the limb like it was a gymnasium's high bar. She timed her release perfectly, redirecting her momentum to send her arcing across the monster's fleshy underside.

Jade had let go of her dagger, she didn't have a weapon. She didn't need one. Her body knew what to do. Acting on instincts that were somehow both familiar and foreign, Jade let the magic of her shapechange feature ripple through her body. Her hands shifted, fingers extending into vicious claws just in time for her to rake them across the entire width of the spider's unarmored belly, which it had exposed when it reared upright to crush her. Below, Luis struck it at the same time with a heavy slash that completely severed one of its remaining good legs.

It was enough. The boss screeched in pain, limbs going limp as its body finally gave out. The spider slumped, beginning to topple over. Jade wasn't out of danger yet. She had jumped from a height of at least ten feet and the wooden platform was approaching with frightening speed. Striking the boss had left her off kilter, and Jade twisted in the air to bring her feet back under her just in time. She landed hard, the impact sending a jolt of white-hot pain searing through her legs even as the former gymnast tucked into a roll, distributing the force of the fall across a larger area of her body.

Unfortunately, she wasn't yet used to having wings while performing this type of maneuver. They fouled up her roll, sending Jade into an uncontrolled tumble towards the edge of the arena. Disoriented by the chaotic motion and many sharp pains assaulting her body from all sides, she barely managed to get a grip on the edge of the last branch. Her claws dug into the wood, Jade struggling to keep herself from plummeting to the ground far below. The fear returned in a rush, her grip beginning to slip-!

And then Luis was there, dashing up to her in a magically enhanced blur of motion.

* Talent: Guardian Dash

* Rating: D level talent

* Cost: Medium stamina

* Duration: 5 seconds.

* Cooldown: 30 seconds.

* Effect: Gain increased movement speed for the duration. Has an increased effect if you are moving towards an ally.

"Hang on!"

He dove for her, one hand back to brace himself, his other arm outstretched. His hand clenched around Jade's forearm just as she lost her grip. She clung to him tightly, unintentionally digging into his arm with her newfound claws. Luis winced in pain, heaving upward with all his strength. A moment later, one of Juniper's vines emerged from a nearby branch, wrapping itself around Jade's waist and helping lift her back to the safety of the platform.

Jade let go of Luis, collapsing to a heap and gasping for breath. Everything hurt. Her legs ached from the fall, and she was bleeding from numerous cuts and scrapes. Jade groaned, rolling onto her back. A short distance away, the armored spider's corpse finally crashed to the ground in a messy heap of blood and viscera. She didn't even look at it, focusing on deep breaths to calm her racing heart.

Naomi arrived a few seconds later, followed closely by Juniper and Siora. The bard stretched out her hand and cast her healing spell, a warm light enveloping Jade. The worst of the pain began to ebb away, with more receding as she channeled the spell.

"Thanks." Jade moaned, feeling more like herself again. She sat up, the motion making her a little dizzy.

"Well?" she asked Luis.

"What?" he replied, pausing with a healing potion halfway to his mouth.

"My score?" Jade prompted, gesturing towards the spider's remains. The reckless insanity of her most recent stunt was beginning to dawn on her, and the fact that she'd survived it left her feeling oddly giddy.

"Ha!" Luis laughed. He winced, clutching at his chest where his blood splattered armor had cracked. "Ahh… Eight point five out of ten." He grunted, shaking his head with a bemused grin. "You didn't stick the landing."

"Fair." Jade lay back on the ground, wings splayed out to her sides. "I'll get it right next time."

"There had better not be a next time!" Naomi huffed, finishing her spell. "That was your plan? You're crazy, Jade."

"Yeah… Let's make that plan C, going forward. Maybe D."

"You're impossible." Naomi sighed, but Jade saw a hint of a smile cross her face.

"Thanks for the catch." Jade said to Luis. "I owe you one. You too, Juniper."

"No problem." Luis said, drinking one of Siora's newly made healing potions. He sighed with relief as he finished it. "Damn chica, this is the good stuff."

"I'm glad you like it." She said, and then cocked her head. "Is this what being a wayfarer is like? It's a little much…"

"You get used to it…" Jade grunted.

Naomi gave her a skeptical look.

"Jade, we've only been here for, like, four days."

"Yeah." She agreed. "And if I keep telling myself that, maybe it'll come true."

Juniper, who had been serenely observing the conversation, finally spoke up.

"Thank you for your help. Because of you, my home will be safe from this creature."

She smiled at all of them. High above, the thick canopy shifted slightly, allowing a single ray of sunshine to bathe the platform in a pleasant, warm light. The dryad's gaze lingered on Jade for a long moment, and she belatedly realized that she'd never explained to the nature spirit what her true race was. Either she had somehow already known, or she simply didn't care, because Juniper turned away a moment later.

"You are always welcome here." She continued. "If ever you need shelter or refuge, you know where to find me."

Without another word, she dissolved into a flurry of autumn leaves. They fluttered away on a light breeze, vanishing into the jungle.

"She's really not the social type, is she…" Naomi said, crossing her arms.

"Bye!" Siora called after her, waving. "I'll visit soon!"

Jade lay back, closing her eyes. The notification icon pulsed in the corner of her vision. She'd check them in a moment. First, she needed to catch her breath.

"We did it." She said to everyone. "One down, and who the hell knows how many to go."