Screw it, no time to worry about anything else!

Holding Wailing Hunt out, I rip Phantomcleave from its sheath, sprinting up the “steps” as I do so, gaining as much distance as I can manage before the bombardment starts hitting me.

Ignore the ground ignore the ground ignore the ground ignore the ground

Each time my boots are planted into the stone, dust no doubt long having collected bursts into the air, but I pay it no heed. My focus is on what’s above, and solely those things.

IGNORE. THE. GROUND.

Whoosh

I cleanly avoid the first of the incoming birds, jumping past it in mid air as I make way to the next step. Unfortunately, I don’t have the luxury for doing that for each of them, given that even doing that once was already a mildly risky gamble.

So, for the next one, I meet it head on and swing with all my might!

17!

Holding the blade with one arm, I very nearly lose in the clash of might against the attacker. Despite this being, you know, a bladed implement? The Ascenter simply bounces off of the weapon like they did with my staff.

Barely shrugging off its weight in the moment before the third arrived, I ready myself to swing with my other arm. Even though I can already tell this is a losing battle, there’s simply nothing else for me to do other than to fight till the bitter end in this grave I've dug myself.

“Screech, start charging that updraft!”

“Right now?”

“NO SHIT!”

CLANG

I nearly bite my own lip as the crushing force of the dive bombing bird rockets into my off-hand, and this time I truly do buckle under the strain.

“Gh!”

I simply can’t help it, and my staff is knocked out of my hand. At the very least, I don’t get thrown off of my platform with it, stepping inwards as I push the Ascenter away with the last of my strength. Unlike the rest so far, I don’t manage to damage or disorient it, but either way it still falls away flailing. Though, it takes my staff with it for the moment.

I’d just re-equip it, given I’m fairly sure that’s a thing I can do, but the next assailant is already hot in pursuit. I could try to jump out of its direct path, but it could always just adjust and strike me down in the moment. Sooooooo…

Screech has only had a second or so to charge, but it’ll have to be enough. I know she’s capable of building up a lot of power in a short amount of time, so I’ll just have to hope she’s got enough juice in the tank for this.

“Now!”

Immediately, a massive gust of wind rises from below, sending my hair even more straight up than it already is, but more importantly, it hits the encroaching monster like a brick wall!

Its speed is greatly impaired by the air resistance, but that doesn’t stop me from preparing to swing at it. In fact, I’d say I’m quite gleefully about to take this freebie. Grasping my sword with both hands, I reel back like I’m about to take the nastiest baseball swing of my life, but give up on that a moment later and simply slash.

89!

Gahdahmn! Actually dealt some good damage to that one!

Letting out a guttural, yet weak cry, the Ascenter follows its brethren in its path down to the bottom. Whilst a few of them are already flying up and therefore past me, I doubt that one’s going to be getting up any time s-

+29 exp!

…And it died to fall damage! Huh, sucks to be them, dying to fall damage, hah… what a nerd.

Can’t breathe in, can’t breathe out. The wind around me is a potent barrier. Not gonna lie, definitely didn’t expect this updraft to be lasting any longer than a moment, but despite my short term demands, Screech appears to have gone above and beyond my expectations here. So uhm, good job, a good job that both is amazing, and also sucks for me.

Guess I’ll just hyperventilate or something. Though, that doesn’t change the fact that there are still two more high power missiles approaching me.

Taking another swing, this time with the force behind my blow elevated by the rising wind around me, I time yet another slash to the approaching of the Ascenter.

75!

And yet another SMASH HIT! Honestly, no clue what the difference is between these last two and the three before them, but I will so take just being able to swipe them out of the air as opposed to needing to deal with the nightmare scenario that I was in before.

As the sixth and final of the current entourage approaches, it actually slows down as it approaches the field of wind, rising with the updraft and soaring back up to the other half dozen birds still near the top. Though, notably, I’m now much closer to all of them than I was before. There’s still a fair distance, but still.

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But hold on, they’re really just gonna try to wipe me out like that but then DIP? Well? Come on then, you little buggers! Come down here, I dare you! Give me some more experience like…

Like…

Did the fifth one, er, not die? Or, am I just a loon here or like-

+29 exp!

Like those two bumbling idiots you idiot!

As I continue to spout my own mental gibberish, the wind around me finally dissipates with what feels like an audible gasp from Screech. Despite her, currently lacking a mouth, or beak, or any orifice at all.

“Uhm… sorry to… ask… but could I get… a little… stamina… please…?”

“Hm?”

5/120

…Wow.

“Uh, sure.”

Can’t afford to give her too much, given I’m on…

120/140

Okay, not actually doing that bad for myself right now, but I can’t just dump her all my stamina. I've got things to do. Namely climbing up this massive staircase. So, for now, I just need her to be capable of doing one more thing similar to that while I make my way up, and I need at least… forty or so more stamina.

Doink-Oh god why did I do that.

Even if negative sensation isn’t as intense as in real life, I kind of forgot just how miserable being short of breath beyond a surface level really is. I can only imagine how Screech just felt on a mere five stamina, but hey… now she’s on sixty five…! And I’m on… sixty one. Heh, that may have been a mistake. Perhaps even, a major one.

But, we’re in too deep at this point, or rather, up too high. So, forward is the only way. Taking in a breath, despite my lungs protesting as to the contrary, I zip through my menu as quickly as I can and re-equip Wailing Hunt, pulling the staff out of thin air once more. With Phantomcleave in one hand, and The Staff in the other, I'm, ready!

I’m not even going to announce that to the world, because I feel that, if I were to shout as of this moment, my lungs may end up collapsing, but still I am INDEED ready to go! I’m not sure how I’ll feel about running, but, only one way to find that out!

Hup, two… three... Oh God, no more! WHY ARE YOU DAMN BIRDS SOARING UP AGAIN %*@!%& @%*!&@%!@%( *@!&%)@!$()!@* $&@!^T%@!*%(*!@&%!*($* !@$*

—

“Auh.”

Is all that escapes my lips as I finally touch down on some solid ground, before promptly collapsing face first.

“E-ethan?”

“HRmgmgmhmgrhmhgjhgjhgjhjghhh.”

25/140

I’m… gonna fucking… die…

Just like… eight… out of thirteen… of those… damn… birds…

URghhhhhhhhhh…

“Are you alright?”

“No. No, I’m… not.”

“Do you need help?”

“No, Screech. Just-just give… me... a moment…”

[Summon!!!]

“Would… you three… please… keep… an eye… out?”

“Mhm,” Jasper elects to collectively speak for the group before either of the other two have a chance to speak up, strutting further inward to whatever part of the cave we’re in.

“Mm-mm, mmh. MmmMm, mm,” she grunts, collectively commanding both Jerry and Screech at once. Having the former come with her, and the latter… stay with me. I mean, technically… we are… still near the… birds of doom, they… just haven’t… showcased… any form… of attack… besides… DEAR, GOD, AHEM… High speed ramming.

“Look… Screech, to be honest… if I die, I die. I'm not... gonna be... moving for a bit, if I get got, I get got, but... I'd appreciate it... if you don't... let me get got, thanks."

“Wait-what?”

"I'll just... be here... dying..."

Ohhhhhhhhhh... why did I decide to even do this dungeon? I have like... a dozen other options... Urghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh