Krayli's teal arrow served as the opening salvo for the true battle to begin. Classers leapt onto the bridge and beyond creating a large spacious battleground that allowed them to use their full abilites without the press of jobbies.

Gi rolled back behind the pillar he'd been using as his primary spot, but a quick glance back had another arrow firing towards him while Krayli sprinted across the water, stepping on floating bodies or even Pikes that had jumped out to bite her. She'd obviously leveled up into the new stage as well.

He was in no state to fight her.

Despite the exhaustion of his internal energy, his body still felt stable if hollow. He wasn't sure what effect that would have on his ability to run, but he really didn't have a choice. He darted towards the water, but was forced to stop as Krayli shot a couple arrows ahead of him.

Once she killed his momentum, it was all he could do to dodge rather than run away. Krayli was a master with her weapon. The years she'd spent in the Child Stage under Hillin was not something that he could overcome in the short time he'd been alive. Each shot she fired was just far enough away that he could definitely dodge it, but just a little closer to the water so he couldn't dodge the direction he wanted.

He kept moving backwards until he'd made it back to the pillar, but he couldn't stay there. Krayli had followed in the wake of a charging boar and found herself on the mainland. If he aimed for the water again, she'd kill him before he could make it. Maybe his new Constitution could help him survive a shot long enough to dive in, but he wasn't confident.

That only left one way.

Gi attempted a roll out from behind the pillar, but the shallows had turned into a murky swamp from the battle and he more slid awkwardly than rolled. One of the teal arrows smashed into his hip and his robe stopped it from penetrating, but at the cost of a giant hole being blasted into it.

Gi scrambled to his feet and rushed behind the fighting blue goblins. Most of Jalx's jobbies were standing back while he used his rock to protect them from a flurry of shadow spears by one of the Slendermen Classers. One of the deflected spears landed where Gi had lain a moment before. He kept running.

One of the armored ferrets shot a blast of wind that caught Gi up in it and slammed him into one of the Mushroom Folk that no longer seemed like a simple wizard and instead looked more like a roided out Shiitake with a giant battleaxe. Thankfully, Gi's body was little more than an annoyance and the giant mushroom person slapped him away. He slammed into the ground only partially protected by the bloody mud. His back still hurt from his battle with the Dragon Pyke Progenitor and this only made it worse.

As quick as he could, he dragged himself to his feet again and another arrow slammed into his back, driving him back down and making him groan in pain. The slight mist from the rain and fire earlier that drifted into his fur told him that he had another hole in his robe.

Like breaking a near empty jar of jam, Gi scraped up what little internal energy that he'd recovered and sent just enough to pop an albino otter into existence behind him. His internal energy started to die as soon as it came to be, but it was just enough time for two arrows to catch in his summon and allowed Gi to start running again.

He had to circle back around and make it to the lake. If his energy wasn't spent, it would be easy in the bright light of the braziers with [Concealing Light], but it took a lot of energy to kick off and he doubted he even had enough for the maintenance of the skill. Frankly, he didn't have any resources left. Without energy, he only had a rock, a dagger, and a single good arm.

He'd ran through the now loose lines and the cliff face was approaching. There was no way he could climb it without dying especially without two good arms. His best plan was to cut hard to the right and try to put some of the Classers in the way.

Looking over the array of terrifying Classers, he decided on the explosive wolves. Most of them were actually sprinting through the enemy, but a few were held back watching over the exhausted jobbies, showing more care for their youth than many of the other clans. They were also big and that made for a better meat shield.

Ruthless, Gi thought to himself before leaping up to the cliff face and kicking off at a right angle. Two arrows followed his jump, but they hit the ground and cliff just after him. Another struck him as he landed, ripping apart the shoulder of his robe. He stumbled from the blow, but managed to keep his feet despite his entire body aching.

He jumped over a small black mouse that he hadn't noticed and then dove towards the wolves. As he leapt, the wolves spread out away from him with just one of their Classers staring down at him. Pain blossomed in his back where his robe had already been destroyed.

With no better options, he crawled underneath the giant wolf in front of him who just stared at him then back at Krayli. Gi's back arced as the sharp pain seemed to deepen. Reaching his paw around, he felt slick blood pouring from his wound. As he felt it, another arrow struck his paw and he screamed as it was pinned to his back for a brief moment before the conjured arrow dissolved.

The wolf growled. Through the haze of pain, Gi wasn't sure whether that was at him or Krayli, but to shoot though the legs of a Classer, Krayli had to either have a death wish or was very confident in her shooting ability. Perhaps both.

A gentle, warm sensation spread over Gi's back and the pain suddenly lessened. Not just the arrows to his back, but all the aches across his entire body were suddenly lightened. Gi turned to look and saw the mouse he'd hopped over before kneeling over him. An arrow pinged off some forcefield that had been put over them. The wolf above still ignoring them.

"Thanks," the mouse said and Gi wondered why the hell the mouse was thanking him instead of the other way around. He didn't have to wonder long though.

Angelic Mouse Skill [Services Rendered] has been used.

Itemized List of Services

Health Scan - 1

Protection - 10

Moderate Wound - 10 + 10 Unique Constitution modifier

Minor Wounds x3 - 3 + 15 Unique Constitution modifier

Severe Mind Damage (Arm) - Inoperable

Minor Aether Restoration - 15

Total Cost: 64 Soul Orbs

Current Soul Orbs: 667

This mouse had just stolen his Soul Orbs! Gi popped up and slid his rock into his paw ready to beat the absolute Mario coins out of this monster. However, the state of his body made him stop. He was completely healed. The bleeding wound from his back and paw along with the ache in his back, shoulder, and hip were all gone. In fact, he'd even had some of his internal energy restored. Gi gaped at the small mouse. He saved my life.

"The protection will only last another twenty seconds or so. Please use the Angelic Clan for all your healing needs in the future." Then the little black mouse scampered off to assumingly go benevolently rob someone else.

The force field dropped, forcing Gi's mind into gear. He had a chance now. He sprinted towards the wolf's tail and another arrow smashed into his backside, destroying another part of his robe, but he'd gotten where he needed. He ducked behind the wolf's tail to break line of sight and activated [Concealing Light].

His internal energy bottomed out again and was still sluggish to recharge, but he had enough to break for the lake. From the lack of arrows in his back as he dove into the water, he assumed he'd made it, but he didn't stop swimming as fast as he could go until he reached his new encampment.

Once he did, he collapsed on his back, laying on the red stones that were lit by the blue light from the Encampment crystal. Despite being healed, he felt exhausted. He'd done so much fighting, running, and churning of his internal energy that even as it restored it didn't seem to stop the shakiness of his limbs or spirit.

And he'd lost... again.

No wanting to dwell on that thought, he took out his notebook instead. First taking notes of all of the monsters that he'd seen using parenthesis for any assumed names.

Igna

Angelic Mice

(explosive wolves)

(burning undead)

(black and white goblins)

(multi-headed worms)

(fire elementals)

(blue goblins)

Myshk

Magic Mushrooms

(magic moths)

Ligneous Slendermen

(water boar)

Leaf Elemental

Then he spent some time describing all of their abilities that he'd witnessed. Though some like the black and white goblins he didn't have anything for. Without his intention, his mind returned to Krayli again. He'd never gotten along with her as she'd been very demanding under Hillin's command unlike Hillin himself.

She clearly hated him for him having killed Hillin. As she'd been frozen, there was no way for her to know that the elderly golem had asked him to kill him... and his god. How the hell did Hillin expect him to kill a god when he couldn't even take down Krayli?

Gi sighed, but figured he should take notes on that as well. What had Hillin's god's name been? Noctua something? Maybe if he simply explained to Krayli, she'd understand. Hillin had been dying anyways.

He chucked darkly. "Not with my luck..."

Still, Krayli was a problem that needed to be dealt with. He'd never be able to fight all out with the constant threat of her over his shoulder. He probably wouldn't be able to keep his promise to Hillin about keeping her alive. That bothered him as his word was important to him, but he tried to ignore it. He had to be ruthless after all.

He flicked his pencil against his notebook. A solution for Krayli wasn't forthcoming, but she wasn't the only surpise from the battle. Seeing Siht and who Gi assumed was the Myshkin leader doing battle had been terrifying and awe inspiring. What grade were they? B? A? What opportunities had given them that much power?

He set his notebook down for a moment and rubbed his cheek. No use dwelling on that other than as a target to aim at. They weren't his contemporaries. Krayli was.

He sighed, picking his notebook back up and restoring his last notification from the Angelic Mouse's skill. He didn't even know there could be skills like that. At the time, he hadn't noticed anything unusual about it, but now two things stood out to him.

One, the Severe Mind Damage (Arm) part he assumed referred to his arm that had been ruined by the rampant eldritch energies in the Child Stage. If so, what did the "Mind" part refer to? Shouldn't it be Severe Arm Damage?

No matter how much he thought about it. He just didn't have a good answer so he turned to the second part - Minor Aether Restoration. This wasn't anything groundbreaking, but if he was right then what he'd been referring to as "internal energy" was actually called Aether.

There was something between Aether, the Divine Reflection that Elizabeth had mentioned, and his Unique Constitution. He knew it, but he just didn't know what the connection was. His current funds felt pretty substantial, but if he got everything answered at the Library, he'd be broke and lose his one advantage.

Speaking of spending money, he desperately needed a Body Orb or two to up his Vitality. He didn't need to be a tank, but if he and Krayli got into a true fight. It would be a slug fest and improved Vitality might win it for him.

He sighed again. There was so much to do if he ever wanted to be worth anything to Danna. Moving to a seated position with crossed legs and then closing his eyes, he churned the tiniest amount of internal energy, or rather his Aether, into [Danna's Conduit] and started to pray.

"Danna, thank you for guiding me when the rewards from the Unique Opportunity sought to drown me. I'm stronger for having you as my goddess. Praise be to your light." Gi took a deep breath, but he wasn't done. He just needed to get a lot off his chest so he started talking about everything that had happened since he'd arrived. The attacks by the other jobbies, hunting them down, Jalx, even Hazz, the creepy goblin kid. He talked about them all.

At first, concrete facts were all he talked about, but soon he started praying about his concerns. About being too weak or not good enough for her. About not being a good leader with Poe. About feeling scared so much since he'd lost his baby teeth as Felix had called it.

As he prayed, it felt like a restriction that had been looped around his entire body slowly unraveled. His breathing came easier and even his muscles felt more relaxed despite their overuse. His worries were a poison that was seeping out as he gave every single one of them to a higher power.

She was in control. She would guide him. All he had to do was listen.

As his long prayer came to an end and he took a deep, full breath for what felt like the first time since he arrived, he finally opened his eyes to see another otter sitting their with him wearing a simple grey robe.

This wasn't a summon from his [Bishop] skill. This was a real blood and fur otter.

His Subgenitor.