The Pressure returned to the same pattern the next day, and once again, days passed.

Would it be another two weeks before they faced their next enemy? Another two weeks of soul crushing Pressure and of that endless, straight corridor that never seemed to end?

All they could do was plod on. They were at the full mercy of the Crystal.

On the 18th day since they had left, four days after their second fight, they found themselves, once more, enduring the first Pressure wave of the day.

Nar balled his fists as the weight and heat threatened to reduce him to nothing but a smoking smear on the floor. His very body screeched, threatening to be flipped inside out, his organs pulled through his mouth by the merciless claws that dug ever deeper into him.

His eyes were closed, pressed shut to ensure they stayed where they belonged, and he took small, quick and shallow breaths.

Come on… Come on! he thought. Today was the day. He could do it!

After what felt like an eternity, his heart eased. The air did not burn so hot going down his throat anymore. Slowly, his bones relaxed back into their normal positions, his muscles rested, and his tendons eased.

His breathing slowed and so did his heartbeat.

The pain, once screaming and near to all consuming, scaled back down to a dull, echoing and raw soreness.

Nar opened his bloodshot eyes and looked down at his hands in stunned disbelief.

I did it…

He had been timing his recovery times at Cen’s behest, and it had been coming down dramatically over the last few days. All of theirs had, and they knew it was now only a matter of time till the day came when they would finally overcome it.

That day had felt so far, but now, here it was.

A smile spread over his bloodied, cracked lips and a low, half laugh, half sob, escaped him.

By the Crystal! I did it! I survived the Pressure!

He would not go mad!

One obstacle down in his Climb!

He just had to endure whatever was thrown at him and he would get there, and he would be rewarded for it.

He caught movement out of the corner of his eyes and saw Cen staring at him, from where she sat with her brother.

She frowned at the grin plastered over his face.

Then, she gasped. “You did it?”

Nar nodded, unable to do away with his smile. “I did it!”

“Oh, my Crystal! Nar, that’s amazing! That-That means we can do it! We can actually do it!” she said, tears shining in her eyes.

Nar nodded, grinning like a fool.

In quick succession, Mul, then Tuk and Jul woke up.

“Holy shit, man! That’s awesome!” Tuk said, when he heard. “So what, I’ve been down for two minutes? Ah! I’m almost there!”

“A few more days, and it will be done,” Mul said, frowning to himself.

“And taking less damage too,” Tuk said, his eyes unfocused, staring at his own UI.

“We should still grab the others and go,” Cen said.

“Ah, yeah. For sure!” Tuk agreed. “Let’s get going! La-la-la… We’re getting stronger!”

Nar stood up, ignoring the little grumble coming from Mul’s direction as he steadied himself against the wall for a moment. Nothing was going to dampen his mood today, and Tuk seemed to be thinking the same, humming his impromptu melody to himself

Nar had beat the Pressure and he was sure that he was going to continue to get stronger and stronger against it.

Maybe he would actually eat today, instead of just pretending as he had so far.

Have a little celebration! He thought, chuckling to himself.

Shaking his head at the thought he looked at the trugger.

“You ready?” he asked.

“Yep! Let’s do this!” Tuk said, getting into position.

With practiced ease, they got the three unconscious Climbers loaded and got underway.

Nar eyed his HP as he carried Gad from under the damage zone.

The difference wasn’t huge by any means, but it was still significant.

Where he had once lost an average of 20 HP per Pressure wave, the damage was now closer to 15 or 14 points. And being under the Pressure did not feel as threatening anymore. In fact, by the time he felt Gad stirring awake at his back, only about ten minutes into their trip, he hadn’t suffered a single HP loss.

“They’re waking up!” Nar shouted to the others.

They stopped and gathered round.

Mul divested himself of the weapons and helped Nar lower Gad to the floor. After that, Nar helped Tuk and Jul with Kur and Viy.

By the time they had lowered Viy to the floor, the other two were already fully awake.

“How long was that?” Kur asked. His eyes were still a little distant, but he was taking it much better those days.

“A little over fourteen minutes,” Cen said. “And Nar stayed awake through the whole thing today!”

“By the Crystal, really?” Kur asked, beaming at him.

Nar nodded. Pride welled within him and he awkwardly hoped it wasn’t showing.

“We’re doing it,” Gad said. “It’s slow, but we’re beating the Pressure, bit by bit. Perhaps in another few weeks, we’ll all be able to withstand it.”

“Doubt it…” Mul muttered under his breath.

“Stay positive, guys!” Tuk said, ignoring the brawler. “We’ll get there! And who knows, maybe once we beat it, we’ll be let out of this corridor.”

“Maybe we will,” Kur said, smiling. “Alright, I think I’m good to go.”

Tuk offered him his hands and pulled the big altei to his feet. Kur looked a little unsteady and worse for wear, but he stood on his own, which was a far cry to how they had started their Climb.

Nar did the same for Gad, then helped load the still unconscious Viy once more unto Jul’s back.

He had offered to carry the spearwoman, and so had Tuk, but Jul insisted on doing it with a silent but unflinching glare that neither of them had managed to challenge. It was her way of contributing, being a non-combat class and all, and Nar didn’t challenge her.

With everyone ready, they resumed their walk with a spring on their step, eager to exit the Pressure.

It felt as though things were finally starting to look up and calm down a little.

“Maybe that was it,” Tuk whispered to Cen at some point. “It really doesn’t feel as bad anymore, so maybe we’re through the hard bit.”

It was an echo of Nar’s own, earlier thoughts, and he nodded in quiet agreement from the back of the party.

The endless, yellow lit, warm walls and ceiling were still not ideal though.

Nar still found himself waking up from a sort of strange, walking but sort of sleeping state every once in a while. However, it happened less now, and the mood was definitely lighter over the party.

The others talked and joked in hushed tones, and even Mul didn’t seem as much of an ass. Either that or Nar was simply less bothered by the brawler's antics.

Even the days seemed to go by quicker from then onwards, the Pressure not as heavy, and their steps lighter in that new sense of hope that Nar’s victory over the Pressure had given them.

One by one, Nar watched them overcome the Pressure, and in time, almost a full month had passed since they had left the cubeplant.

Nar now leaned against the wall as the Pressure hit them. What had once crushed him to the floor was now but a mere irritation against his skin and a dull pressure on his ears and eyes. It was nothing to him now.

Instead, relaxed, he wondered how the Crystal, or the System, did it.

Maybe there’s a machine built into the walls? he wondered, scanning the ever-blank yellow walls around him.

He stared down at his hands and rubbed his fingers together, searching for anything at all. But as before, there was nothing he could discern.

His fingers felt only the sensation of skin rubbing against skin and nothing else. And around him, there was no discernible change in the air that could indicate the presence of the Pressure.

Meanwhile, the others waited for it to end in various states of discomfort. Viy, unfortunately, still suffered the worst, but she was about to finally breakthrough.

Gad and Cen knelt next to the spearwoman, holding her hands as she endured the pain, whispering words of encouragement.

Slowly, Nar felt the Pressure ease off of him, and glanced up in time to catch Viy’s sudden look of confusion, as if not believing that it was over.

“Well done!” Gad said, smiling down at her. “You did it!”

Viy, breathing hard, her face and hair coated with sweat, looked up at the tank, her expression still unfocused. “I… Did?”

“‘Bout time,” Mul muttered.

Just about everyone glared at him, but the lengos refused to make any eye contact.

“Can you walk?” Kur asked Viy.

She nodded slowly. “Yeah. I… I think so.”

Gad offered her both of her hands and gently lifted Viy up to her feet. The spear woman swayed, but Gad held her firmly in place until she was stable.

“I’m okay,” Viy said, smiling at Gad. “I did it!”

“Yes. Yes, you did,” Gad nodded.

“Whoop-whoop!” Tuk celebrated, in a very toned-down voice. “We’ve done it! We’ve…”

He glanced at Jul, to make sure that his volume was appropriate, and to make sure he hadn’t elicited her wrath. Jul, however, stood stiffly at attention, facing the darkness in front of them.

“Jul?” Tuk asked.

She raised her hands for silence.

Nar felt a fresh wave of sweat spread over his body, and quickly grabbed his weapon.

“Weapons!” Kur hissed.

The party scrambled to arm themselves and to get into formation.

Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.

Jul didn’t move as they positioned themselves around her, and now, they waited in a heart thumping silence.

Nar barely dared to breathe, lest he disturb the scout.

“Jul?” Kur whispered.

Once more, she motioned for silence.

Nar licked his lips, tasting the tang of sweat from them.

Why is it so hot all of a sudden? he thought idly.

The seconds ticked by.

Nar shifted from one foot to the other. The familiar numbness of standing in the same spot for too long started to spread, inching its way up his calves from the soles of his feet.

He swapped the sword to his left hand, to give his right arm some respite. Surprised, he had the sudden insight that if pressed, he could fight left-handed, though not as well as with his dominant hand.

And then, suddenly, the numbness was gone.

Nar blinked in confusion and stared down at his own body.

What just happened?

He felt lighter. He waved his arms, quietly, and discreetly, at the back of the party, and marveled at how smooth everything suddenly felt. It was almost as if it were a different body.

Wait. Different body?

It was not the exact same feeling, but the similarities were more than enough. The sudden strangeness reminded him of the external knowledge that filtered into his mind from time to time from the data package. It was the same sort of strange it’s mine/me that at the same time wasn’t really his/him feeling.

Did I just… Activated? Is that the right word? Activated my attributes?

It was the likeliest answer to him.

He had known he was using his [Strength] to lift Kur and carry Gad. He had most definitely used it during their two fights as well. But like the System had told him, it was meant to happen naturally. Automatically. This was the first time he had noticed it so obviously.

Is something happening? he wondered, gazing at his right arm.

It was both a startling feeling and a hopeful promise of what he would one day grow into.

As long as he stayed the path, of course, and made the right gains.

“Jul? What’s happening?” Kur asked again, more insistent this time.

“I-I’m not sure,” she finally answered. “I think it's just there…”

“What do you mean?”

“It's… It’s walking. Back and forth. But it never comes close.”

“What is it?” Gad asked.

“It’s a guardian.”

“Are you sure?” Kur asked.

Jul nodded.

“Oh, it's going back again…”

“Let’s go get it!” Mul said.

“Really?” Tuk said, shooting the lengos a perplexed look. “That’s your idea? What if it's just tricking us?”

“Whether it is or not, I’m not sure we have a choice,” Kur said, holding his chin. “Some of us still take damage under the Pressure. We can’t just stay here forever.”

Tuk groaned, but he couldn’t contradict Kur.

“We’ll move,” Kur decided. “Gad, slowly. And everyone in formation.”

The party leader stared back at Nar.

“Keep an eye on our backs. This could really be a trap.”

Nar nodded, a shiver running down his spine.

A second one? From behind? He gulped. So far, they had barely managed to survive one of them. And how long could he hold off a second guardian by himself?

And more worryingly, at what cost to his HP? Without a shield…

I need to remember my [Strong Defense]. It’s the best I can do right now.

He had to hope that, if it came down to it, the skill would prove enough.

Gad led them forward, and the darkness in front of them was slowly peeled back by the yellow arrows.

Nar kept his eyes on the dark mouth behind them.

He walked sideways, to ensure that he never looked away. He probably looked ridiculous, but the thought of it never even occurred to him.

They walked for a tense few minutes, following the guardian that remained in the darkness ahead of them.

Where in the pile is it taking us? Nar wondered.

“Are you sure you’re not just imagining it?” Mul asked.

“It’s there… I swear,” Jul said, with a slight tremor in her voice.

“Just keep going,” Kur said, before the brawler could open his mouth again.

Crystal, man… How hard is it to just keep your mouth shut?

Nar barely talked unless he had to. It was an easy thing to do.

From his spot at the back, he noticed Mul getting more and more restless. He was bound to say something stupid again and just thinking about it, expecting it at any moment, made Nar more and more irritated.

“It stopped!” Jul said.

They too stopped, staring at each other in confusion.

“What’s it do…”

“It’s coming!” Jul warned.

The familiar sound of limbs rolling across hard floor reached Nar’s ears, and not three seconds later, the guardian came into the light.

As before, Gad stopped it in its tracks. The sound of their clash was muted compared to the previous two, and Gad did not concede even a single inch to the guardian’s charge. Their enemy probably hadn’t had enough momentum this time around.

“It’s taunted!” Gad shouted.

“Melee first, then ranged!” Kur shouted. “And Gad, remember to let us know with more time!”

Gad grunted in reply, too busy under the assault of the guardian.

Nar turned his back on the fight. He held his sword in front of him and scanned the darkness.

Would something come at them from behind?

Yes?

No?

He wiped the sweat from his forehead and eyes, blinking against the sting.

It still felt warmer than usual, but was he just imagining it?

“Stop!” he heard Gad’s warning.

“Stop!” Kur repeated.

The cacophony of the fight was reduced to just the guardian’s limps scratching and slamming onto Gad’s shield, as well as the occasional counter from her mace.

“Gad, how long?” Kur asked.

“Another thirty seconds!”

“Crystal,” Tuk murmured. “That’s insane…”

Nar risked a glance behind him.

The guardian was a blur beyond Gad’s shield, and the occasional spark erupted from where blade and limb raked against shield.

And Gad? She was amazing. She cut an imposing, impressive figure, blocking the guardian with her might. She looked unbeatable.

It was something Nar couldn’t do.

If only I had a shield…

The seconds went by surprisingly quick, and soon, Gad had the guardian taunted again, and the DPS piled onto the enemy once more.

Nar turned back around, to his own role in the fight. He itched to be there, ducking it out with the guardian. He needed those gains.

Speaking of which, what would happen if nothing came?

The thought stunned him.

If nothing came at him, and he didn’t fight, if he just stood there, useless at the back, would he still level up?

And as Gad got better, and he no longer needed to intercept any stray guardians, did that mean that he would always be relegated to the back? Away from the fray? Doing nothing?

No… That can’t… I…

No. Just no! He couldn’t allow that.

He would have to speak to Kur about it. Maybe he and Gad could take turns tanking.

However, could he do what she so effortlessly seemed to accomplish? He didn’t even have a taunt ability. How was he supposed to tank like her?

“Mul, not so fast!” Kur shouted from behind him. “Watch your stamina!”

“Why. Is it. Not. Dead yet?” Mul shouted.

Nar risked another look.

The guardian showed no signs of slowing down, or that the DPS was having any effect on it.

“Maybe it just has more HP,” Kur said. “Just keep fighting. Nobody uses any skills from now on until I say so!”

Punches, spear thrusts and slashes, the rings and Cen’s air puffs. They all seemed to simply bounce off the guardian's black, metallic body and raging limbs. Inevitably, Gad called for them to stop again.

Breathing hard, Viy and Mul pulled back, and Tuk and Cen held back their next attacks.

“What’s happening?” Tuk asked, staring at Kur with a frightened look. “Why is it not going down?”

“Maybe guardians can get stronger?” Cen said. “Maybe it's because we managed to beat the Pressure?”

“Or because we’re still inside it?” Tuk ventured.

“So, we’re being punished for winning?” Mul asked.

“Climbing is not supposed to be easy,” Kur said. “You beat one thing, and another one is thrown at you. That’s the way it's going to be. Else, everyone would just Climb.”

Nar tried to focus back on his task. He hated the thought of being excluded from the action. Even more than that, he feared the consequences of doing so. However, he had been tasked with keeping their backs safe, and he would carry it out. He could chat with Kur afterwards.

“Now!” Gad called.

Crystal… She’s amazing! How can she last this long?

That the shield played a big part in it was undeniable. However, he wondered if there was something else at play.

Did she have tank attributes he was unaware of? He expected her to have, at least, double that of his [Constitution], not to mention whatever insane [Strength] was required to hold that massive shield single handedly. But maybe there was more to it…

Nar swallowed his worry and frustration. He had to be patient. He had to stay on the path.

He had to keep praying and praising the Almighty Crystal.

Endure and have faith. That was the only way.

Still, that guardian was taking forever. Just how much HP did that thing have?

“How many of those taunts can she do?” Tuk asked Kur, without interrupting his attacks.

“Three more…” Kur said.

Then she runs out of stamina… Nar added internally. Crystal, he did not want to think about that happening.

As they endured the Pressure better, the party leader had made the rounds, getting a feel for what each of them could do, and at what cost.

Gad had her two tank skills, [Warrior’s Stand] and [Warrior’s Presence]. Viy and Mul both had a [Strong Attack] like Nar did, though theirs actually meant something and was worth the stamina expenditure.

Cen had no skills, which had been surprising, while Tuk had a [Focused Fire] skill, which allowed him to toss his rings faster for 3 seconds and to do more damage with them.

Jul also had no skills, which was a bit less surprising than Cen, but still had Nar scratching his head. How was it possible to have no skills at all? Even him, with his weak ass class, had two of them.

Still, it had guiltily made him feel slightly better for his own weak skills. However, that had only lasted until it was his turn to divulge them.

Mul had burst out laughing.

“How pathetic is that?”

Kur had rolled his eyes. “Ignore him. They’ll get better. Just hang in there, alright?”

Nar had simply nodded at him, refusing to look up from the floor. His cheeks and neck had burned furiously.

Just thinking of it now made him flush all over again.

Thinking about it, though… What skills does Kur have?

He had been so ashamed, and the others so intent on shutting Mul up, that no one had asked Kur about his own skills.

He has to have them though. Right?

Party leaders were supposed to boost their party. To strengthen them somehow.

Maybe Kur was saving it for an emergency, or maybe, he just hadn’t unlocked any skills yet. He found it unlikely that three amongst them had no skills at all, but who knew what was and wasn’t possible out there? And Nar was not the only one who had to earn his atonement and path.

For example, perhaps Cen, as a caster, was being tested with no skills and low DPS, before her supposedly much stronger magic skills were finally unlocked.

And Nar waited for that day just as anxiously as Cen did. As a caster class, he fully expected her to get her magic well ahead of any of them. That was more than fine by him. All he wanted was to see it. To be sure that magic was real. And once Cen got it, he was sure it would only be a matter of time before he himself unlocked it as well.

“Stop!” Gad shouted again.

Crystal…

She was starting to tire. Her breath was coming out more ragged, and the shield was no longer held as upright.

“Nar,” Kur called.

“Yes?”

“Be ready. I might need you to swap with her.”

Nar blanked in surprise.

“Is that okay?” Kur asked him.

“I… Yes, of course!”

“Thank you.”

Kur turned back to the fight.

Nar stared at the clash. He, go and do that?

Could he even do it?

A small something gnawed at his stomach, nibbling him insidiously from the inside.

With a sudden inhale, Nar squashed it down.

He couldn’t be a coward. Not of thought and not of action.

Perhaps not having a shield was also part of his test. He was, after all, asking for much more than the others with his hybrid class.

Yes, that had to be it.

“DPS, in the next round, we are going to use some skills,” Kur said. “Wait for me to call you out!”

The others muttered their yeses. Even the ranged DPS were starting to show signs of tiring.

“Now!” Gad shouted.

“Go, go, go!” Kur ordered. “Tuk, we’re starting with you. On my command… Now!”

Still feeling shaken at the prospect of what awaited him, Nar watched Tuk activate his skill.

His already fast rings speed up to the point it was almost impossible for him to keep track of them. The rings impacted with much more audible thunks, and Tuk shot them in a blur of fingers and sleights of hand and elbows, almost dancing in place.

Soon, too soon, however, it was over, and the guardian still stood.

“Mul, you next! Just one hit! Now!”

Mul brought his left fist back to add some momentum to his [Strong Attack]. Nar had a split second to be jealous of the lengos’ species inherent ambidexterity, before the punch connected.

The guardian shifted to the right, and for a moment, its attacks faltered. But then, it recovered and was right back at it.

“It’s working!” Kur said. “Viy, you’re going next!”

Viy dropped out of the fight and ran back. She panted hard as she lowered her spear, taking aim.

“Now!”

She sprung forward, leading momentum to her charge. Nar wondered if that was part of the skill, or if she was just trying to add extra damage to it. The System had mentioned that DPS was affected by different variables, and momentum definitely looked like it could be one of them.

Viy shouted with all her might, rushing forward with the sharp tip of the spear held straight in front of her.

The spear tip touched the guardian’s main body, and went through.

Not expecting it, Viy tumbled forward, taken by the momentum of her attack.

Nar winced, remembering himself suffering just the same fate in a previous fight.

DING!

You have defeated one Guardian Defender 1. 79 experience points have been awarded.

You have leveled up!

You have gained:

Aura 25 -> 28

Nar almost dropped his sword.

Again?

How much longer and how far would the Crystal test him for? Right till he was at risk of losing his first modifier? To test his faith to the fullest, and ensure that Nar had properly repented his Unclean ways?

“It was a guardian defender this time!” Tuk said. “Maybe that’s why it was stronger!”

“Crystal…” Kur muttered. “Just how much HP did that thing have?”

Nar ignored them.

He could care less. He had even gained less experience from the encounter this time. That had to be because he had not been part of the fight.

The System would not reward him if he didn’t earn it, and his gains, or lack of, reflected that.

Nar glared at the back of Kur’s head.

He knew the party leader had been right. The enemy’s movements had been suspicious, and they had to be on guard against an ambush. However, at that moment, all he could think about was the unfairness of it. And the fear of not gaining what he needed, and of never improving.

What if Kur didn’t let him swap with Gad? Worse. What if he did, and Nar failed?

He clenched his jaw.

It didn’t matter, he still had to try. He still had to do it. For his dad. For both of their futures.

Suddenly, the Pressure evaporated, and a scratching noise interrupted their celebration. Mul, in particular, and ignoring Jul’s glares, had been grating on his nerves with his loud boisterous shouting.

Now, stunned silent, they watched a rectangular hole slowly appear on the wall on their left. Beyond it, Nar could just glimpse what appeared to be an empty room, with the same blank walls as the corridor.

“What in the pile…” Tuk said, in a hushed tone, when the door was fully revealed.

“Jul?” Kur asked.

Jul stared at the room and a few seconds went by.

“I-I think it’s okay,” she said.

“You think, or you know?” Mul asked.

Nar gnashed his teeth. He was not in the mood to suffer him. The damn Clean better keep his mouth shut.

“Let me try,” Gad said. “We won’t know until we go inside. Could be a safe room.”

A safe room! Nar thought. That tiny kindling of hope made him forget all about Mul.

A place to sleep. To get more food! Perhaps even to go to the toilet!

He had eaten little, even less than usual, so he wasn’t entirely surprised at his lack of need. He had gone long periods of time without a trip to the toilet before, whenever the Clean decided they hadn’t worked hard enough for their sustenance, but it was a relief to know that there might be one at last.

“Be careful,” Kur said. “Everyone, form around the door. Mul and Viy on one side. Nar on the other. Keep your eyes open and be ready for anything.”

They moved to fulfill his orders, facing out from the door to keep the corridor under watch, while Gad stood before the door.

Still breathing hard from the fight, she adjusted her shield, holding her mace under the other arm.

Then she looked for Kur’s go ahead.

“Go.”

She stepped forward, and they all held their breath.

Gad stood in the middle of the room, unmoving.

“Gad?” Kur asked.

“It’s a safe room,” she said. “Hurry inside! We have a timer!”

“We… What?”

“We only have eight hours. Hurry!”

“Oh. Oooh! Everyone in, now!” Kur shouted.

They rushed through the narrow opening, with Nar coming in last.

Behind him, the door scratched shut, closing them inside.