“Nar? Wake up, Nar.”

He returned from afar, to the sensation of light fingers gently shaking him.

“Whaaaaat?”

“It’s time to go,” Jul said.

Nar opened his eyes and frowned at her.

“Already?” he asked.

She grimaced. “Yes. It’s been six hours. Kur says we need to get going.”

Nar stared at her, blinking slowly.

“I slept for six hours?”

Jul nodded.

Nar groaned and sat up straighter.

He had forgotten his pillow, and his head hurt from sleeping against the wall.

A vague memory slipped in and out of focus, too fast for him to do more than catch a glimpse of it

“Did we get hit again?” he asked.

“Yes, two times, I think,” she said, avoiding his eyes.

That probably explained why he felt like he had been dragged across the pile.

“The others?” he asked.

“All good,” she said, looking down, her voice dropping.

“What’s wrong?”

“Mul isn’t happy with me…”

Nar swallowed his rising anger. “Because you ran?”

She nodded.

He sighed, forcing himself to remain calm. He didn’t need this, first thing in the morning.

“Ignore him. But don’t do it again, you hear me? Or I won’t be happy with you either. It's too dangerous.”

She looked at him with very big eyes. “I won’t. I promise.”

“Good. Now help me up, please. I feel like I didn’t even sleep.”

Jul stood up and offered him all four hands, Nar reached up and she pulled him easily to his feet. She was strong. She had to have some [Strength] in her. Or who knows, maybe she worked the pile and was stronger than her stature promised.

“I… I can carry you.”

Nar was taken aback by the sudden offer.

“Uhm… Thank you. I’m okay though.”

She nodded, her expression very serious. “If you need, tell me.”

“Uh… Sure. I will. Thank you.”

“Also, maybe you should change.”

“What?”

She pointed at his chest and Nar looked down at himself.

His chest showed through the gaping holes of his shirt. A dangerous rip, coming down his left shoulder where he had been stabbed, threatened to have the whole thing come undone. All the blood stains and myriad other cuts, tears and holes, completed the look. He was actually surprised the shirt was still held in place.

“Uh… Yeah, I think I will.”

“Are you going to take the whole morning?”

Jul flinched and Nar glared over her shoulder.

Mul looked like a dangerous slope of aetherium, ready to turn into a catastrophic pileslide at any moment. Next to him, his sister was a startling opposite. She stared at the floor, her expression blanched of any and all emotion. Her eyes were puffy and dark from too much rubbing or too much crying. Probably both.

Something tickled his memory again, but this time he got nothing.

“You ready?” Kur asked.

Nar nodded. “Thanks for letting me sleep.”

“No worries, you needed it. I’m sorry it wasn’t for longer.”

Nar waved his apology away.

“Alright, let’s go!” Kur said.

“Hey, how’s the shoulder?” Tuk asked, looking back at Nar.

“Hurts. But it's not bleeding anymore.”

“Nice!” Tuk said, giving him a thumbs up. “This HP thing is amazing. But watch your back next time, man. That was horrible to see. I don’t want anything to happen to you.”

Nar smiled. “I will, Tuk.”

Tuk nodded at him and faced forward, walking into formation.

With Jul gone, walking next to Kur, Nar was, once again, left alone at the back of the party.

Watch my back. Eh! Easier said than done.

However, he couldn’t deny that there was something to Tuk’s words. As a shieldless tank, and even if he did have a shield, he was a melee, meant to fight up close to the enemy. He needed to pay more attention.

He had some [Speed] and [Agility]. More than Gad, he assumed. That meant he could move better and faster. And the sword was more versatile in his hands than her bulky, albeit safeguarding shield. But how was he meant to pay attention to so many attacks coming at him all at once? And how could he defend himself from the ones coming from behind him, or his blind spots?

The only way that occurred to him, where doing so could even become remotely possible, was to pay such a degree of attention, basically look and even hear the enemy so closely, that he could catch all the hints and precursors of an attack.

But that’s impossible.

Even with [Speed] and [Agility] attributes, there had to be limits to what he could do. However, maybe that was exactly what he should try.

I mean, not like I have any other choice. I have to fight with what I got.

Besides, the gnawing thought from the previous night had returned. And he could not deny it.

The more he thought about it, the more he came to the realization that he should've stepped in when Gad fell. He would've at least distracted the guardian, preventing it from taking hold of Viy and Mul. In turn, that would’ve kept them both in the fight, dishing out DPS, and since Mul would’ve been safe, Cen wouldn’t have lost it either.

He had been crucial as the secondary tank, and he had fumbled it. More than that, his lack of action had almost resulted in their complete wipe.

He may not care for them, but as a tank, he had the responsibility to keep them safe. Shield or no shield, he had made the choice, and that was the promise he had made to Kur. Twice, now.

Adding to that, the Crystal was always watching. Cowards weren’t rewarded, and he had acted just as Jul had. He had balked from the challenge. Had he stepped up to it, who knows what gains he would’ve made.

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I won’t do it again. I promise, Crystal. I will do my best.

It was not his responsibility to keep anyone alive if they did something stupid, but in a fight, the DPS counted on him to concentrate on their role. And Kur, as their party leader, could only focus on the flow of the fight if he could trust that the tanks had him covered.

Next time, I’ll do better. Not for them, but for the path, for the Crystal, and for my dad.

Staring at the party that he had let down, he couldn’t help but notice Cen.

She looked so miserable. And Mul’s repeated backward glances at his sister were starting to affect him.

Maybe things weren’t going well for Cen. They were level 5 now, and the promised magic was nowhere to be found. He doubted that Cen had secretly unlocked [Aether] without telling them. Why would she? It would’ve been something to celebrate in that downright miserable Pressure.

No, the fact that she hadn't said anything meant that she still didn’t have any magic.

Maybe her gains aren’t going well, then. Or her path, Nar thought.

To be honest, he had been wondering about the usefulness of her little air puffs. And of Tuk’s rings too, though to a lesser degree.

He had watched the whole of the second fight, and it looked like Viy and Mul had been the ones responsible for the destruction of that guardian.

Even in their previous fight, Tuk’s rings had zipped in and out of his focus, seemingly doing nothing but bouncing off the guardian.

He could be wrong though. Now that he had stepped into the Nexus, a sentient’s life, and, evidently, a guardian’s too, was dictated by their HP instead of the rules he had been used to all his life. Maybe Tuk and Cen were doing much more than he noticed to whittle away at the enemy’s protective HP…

Still, he felt for Cen.

He couldn’t wait to get magic either.

Fire. Electricity. Wind. Ice. Or something else entirely.

It was hard to make out what all the options were from the faded squiggles in the icons. He had to trust the priest’s interpretation and passed down knowledge for it.

It didn’t matter what he got, however, he was happy to take anything, as long as it led him to power, and back to his dad.

I wonder what it will be. Wind or electricity. Yeah… One of those would be amazing, oh Crystal All Benevolent.

Soon, the monotony and the Pressure reduced him to his usual blank state of pushing one foot in front of the other. His hip healed, and a couple of days later, his shoulder wound was gone, not even a scar left in its place. It was astounding.

The waves hit, again and again, and he grit his teeth, and clenched his fists, holding on with all he had.

Walk, watch and sleep. Sometimes, eat and drink.

Days and days of it.

On their eighth day following the attack that had almost ended them, Jul warned them of another incoming attack.

Fortunately for them, this time they were well prepared for it. Gad took its charge with nary a grunt, clearly having had received some pretty good gains from their previous fight, and both Mul and Viy moved in for the kill.

Tuk and Cen fired upon the enemy from the back, and Kur coordinated them flawlessly, calling them back or sending them in, and calling the skills in the best order.

Eventually, Mul, the insufferable brawler, put the guardian out of its misery.

Surprisingly, however, he was not happy.

“What the fuck is this?” the brawler shouted. “Where’s my level up?”

Nar re-read the single sentence in front of him.

You have defeated one Guardian Defender 1. 131 experience points have been awarded.

No level up. No gains.

“No one leveled up?” Kur asked.

“Nothing here,” Gad replied.

“Did we do something wrong?” Tuk asked.

“Something wrong?” Kur repeated, staring at the broken guardian. “What could we have done wrong? And how?”

“There was nothing wrong!” Mul shouted, shaking a fist at the ceiling. “We killed it, fair and square!”

Who’s he shouting at? The Crystal? Nar thought. Has he lost it? Shouting at the Crystal…

Nar shook his head

“Maybe we just didn’t get enough experience,” Gad said. “It did say that we would need more of it as we leveled up.”

“Ah, I remember that,” Kur said, nodding. “Yes, it’s got to be that!”

That seemed about right to Nar, they were at level 5 now. He couldn’t expect to continue leveling up after each fight forever. That would’ve been too easy.

Easy? He caught himself.

It had been anything but!

Although, I really didn’t do anything this time around. Again.

However, he was willing to trust Kur. The party leader had proved himself exemplary thus far, especially by joining the fray when things looked sure to end badly. He had earned Nar's trust and patience, so Nar swallowed the meager experience points he had gained and said nothing of it.

After a longer two-hour break, they got underway again.

Not even an hour later, Jul sounded the alarm once more. “Incoming!”

“What?” Kur asked, perplexed.

Gad, amazing as she was, was ready for it. However, the guardian’s rolling charge managed to push her back this time.

“Nar, be ready to swap out with her,” Kur said, after all the DPS had begun their assault.

“Got it!” Nar said.

He licked his lips and gripped his sword tighter.

This time he was ready for it. He was scared, yes, but he wasn’t going to let that stop him again.

“Gad, we’ll go through one more taunt, then you swap with Nar.”

“Ok!”

Gad soon shouted for the end of the current taunt, and the DPS moved back before Kur had to say anything. When she gave the all clear again, half a minute later, Kur sent them back in, and Nar approached the middle of the party, ready for his chance, while still keeping an eye behind him.

His heart beat fast and anxious. Gad was impressive. Stunning even, in how she kept the thing away from them. He could only hope that he could perform at least half as good as her.

“Losing it!” Gad shouted.

“Back! Everyone back! Nar, go!” Kur shouted.

Nar dashed forward before any doubts could stop him again.

He was past Kur, Jul, Tuk and Cen in a flash, and in another blink, he was past Viy and Mul.

Gad moved slightly to the right, giving him an opening.

Nar lent his momentum to a downward strike and hit the guardian full on its body.

“You can do it!” Gad shouted, retreating.

The guardian seemed almost dazed by Nar’s sudden attack, but soon, it was lashing at him with its usual ferocity.

Pay attention. Pay. Attention.

The strikes came from everywhere, and Nar did what he could. The sword was still clumsy in his hands, and he was forced to take a lot of damage on his left arm, using it as a makeshift shield. However, somehow, he seemed to be doing it.

“Ranged first!” Kur shouted from the back.

The distraction caused by following one of Tuk’s rings almost got him run through. He only managed to get his sword in the way of that blade at the last split-second.

Focus, Nar! Focus!

The hits and blades blurred into one, long, continuous assault. The guardian never seemed to tire.

At some point, he became aware of Viy’s spear darting in and out of the corner of his left eye, and caught Mul trying to get under the guardian, to attack him from below.

Crystal!

Annoying shit that he was, the brawler sure was brave! He couldn’t deny that.

Nar did his best to keep up, receiving bruises and cuts all over him.

However, he did not let up, nor did he cry for Gad to come and replace him.

It was just like the machine. The shift either ended, or he passed out. The quota was unforgiving, and so was the guardian.

Thankfully, it seemed happy to focus on him, with only the occasional attack aimed at Viy or Mul.

“Nar, what's your HP?” Kur shouted.

Nar woke up from the trance he had fallen into, and risked a quick glance at his health bar.

“87!” he shouted.

“Alright. Looks good! Everyone, let’s finish it! Mul, skill!”

Now that he was looking again, he noticed that the guardian was bleeding goo from multiple wounds. It was also going at him at a much more sedated pace. It wasn’t easy. Not in any way, but it was more manageable.

Mul’s punch rocked the guardian, and for a split second, Nar saw an opening.

However, before he could take it, Viy’s spear plunged into it, piercing through the remainder of the guardian’s HP.

The spear went in, and out, spraying light brown in its wake.

A last feeble swipe at Nar, which he parried with ease, and the guardian dropped, and moved no more.

Holy Crystal. I did it! Nar thought, staring at the destroyed machine at his feet with wide eyes. I did it! Even without a shield!

He had managed to parry and weave himself around most of the damage. Ignoring the window in front of him, he checked his HP.

The final count stood at 71/120 HP, meaning 49 points of damage taken. That couldn’t be too bad right? He still relied too much on his left arm to act as a shield though. That was something he needed to work on.

From his left, Mul exhaled in an exasperated, dramatic way.

“No level. Again!” he shouted, kicking the dead guardian.

“What?” Nar said.

Confused, he read the window. Again, a single sentence awaited him.

You have defeated one Guardian Assailant 1. 367 experience points have been awarded.

367?

That was the highest he had received so far!

And yet, no level up?

Together with his previous 120 something experience points, that should have been enough, no? More than enough, if calculations and memory served him right.

He closed off the window, his victory and success forgotten, and looked at Kur for answers.

“I didn’t get anything either,” the party leader said.

“Do we just need even more?” Gad asked. However, she didn’t sound very confident in that theory.

“I think it should’ve been enough,” Tuk said.

“Fuck’s sake…” Mul muttered.

The brawler stomped off to go check on his sister, who still remained quiet. As he approached, she offered him a weak smile, and they had a hushed conversation.

Nar was starting to get worried about her. And Viy was another who had started down the silent route.

What in the Nexus was wrong with them? Was it just their gains? The lack of magic? The unyielding Pressure? Something else entirely?

Viy had her nightmares, probably caused by something from back in the cubeplant. But Cen though? He couldn’t even begin to guess at what was bothering her. But there had to be something. That was not the Cen he had first met, all those weeks ago.

“Let’s just take a break for now,” Kur said. “More important than the lack of levels, is that we were attacked twice in the same day, and we don’t know if this is the last of it. So, everyone, rest for now. Gad and Nar, you take priority, just in case.”

Nar scanned the darkness ahead of him, past the broken guardian sprawled at his feet.

Victory had felt good, a validation of sorts, that he was capable of tanking. Even without a shield, a tank’s [Constitution] or their skills.

However, that sensation was quickly replaced by one of rising unease.

What else was about to be thrown at them? And where was the end of that damned corridor?