“Inside! Inside!” Gad shouted.

“What’s happening?” Kur asked, as the others tripped and stumbled on their way into the room.

“Those things are outside!” Jul said. “They tried to grab Cen!”

Gad came in last, holding her shield up before her and walking backwards into the room. Nar ran up to join her.

She hid behind the wall, next to the door and flicked her shield. Nar, hiding opposite her, noticed it was full of wires, tangled up around it.

“Store it!” he shouted.

“I can’t!” she said. “It’s not working!”

One of the things poked its head inside, cautiously looking for them. Nar, faster than Gad, slashed down on it. His sword banged loudly against the thing and bounced back. The thing screeched at him, baring its mandibles at him, and retreated back out.

“Shit!” Nar said. “We need our aura!”

Aura against aether.

Damn. The Crystal was cruel.

Yet, Nar saw no other way.

A bunch of strings shot into the room, opening up and spreading in search of prey. But everyone was hiding, either besides Gad and Nar, or crouched behind the bed or the big table and chair. The strings fell empty on the floor, and just as quickly as they had shot in, they were reeled back out.

“How many are there?” Kur asked, aiming his question at Jul.

“I don’t know, I can’t sense them unless they’re attacking!” she said. “My senses aren’t picking up on them!”

“Same!” Nar said, before Kur could think of asking him the same question.

As soon as that thing had pulled its strings back, he had stopped [Hearing] it. It was like it had just disappeared into thin air.

“What do we do?” Gad asked.

“We need to make them visible,” Kur said. “Cen! Can you shoot a charged projectile into the corridor?”

“You think it's stable enough?” she asked back.

It was the first words Nar had heard from her in days, and even in the thick of it, he couldn’t help but feel a small sense of relief drip over his heart.

“It looked fine to me,” Kur said. “And I don’t see another way!”

“I could try!” Jul suddenly said. “I-I have my [Backstab]. I could do a surprise attack, if I’m invisible with my [Stealth] skill. But then, I will be visible…”

“Absolutely not!” Gad said.

“Maybe I could jump in when she attacked?” Nar asked. “With my [NPC], I might be able to move faster than they do.”

“That’s a lot of maybes!” Kur said.

However, he didn’t get a chance to decide. Someone else did it for them.

Viy ran out, her spear trailing sharp, chaotic looking aura behind her.

“What the…” Nar muttered, not sure he had seen what he thought he had.

“Viy! Get back here!” Gad shouted after her.

Wires sprung from all sides and Viy launched into a crazed, insanely fast dance. She almost blurred, and moved so fast that Nar had trouble keeping his eyes on her.

Her spear drew deadly arcs in the air, cutting mercilessly through their enemies.

For a stunned moment, Nar thought that Viy could actually single handedly take care of them all, but then, more of the things showed up from the shadows.

With a shout, Gad ran out after her, triggering her taunts.

Nar was on his feet immediately, and dashing after her.

Power coursed through his body and mind as his combat attributes flared to life, powered by both his stamina and his much stronger aura.

“Ah, Crystal damn it!” he heard Kur shout from behind. “Everyone out! Look out for each other! Don’t let those wires catch anyone!”

Things quickly descended into chaos.

There were wires flying everywhere, and more than once Nar had to pull someone out of the way. It was easier, now that it wasn’t a surprise anymore. The wires had a long and wide reach, yes, but once shot in one direction, they couldn’t steer away from it.

Maybe it would be easier than they had expected.

“Viy! Watch out!”

Nar turned in time to see Tuk get tangled, and disappear under a net of brilliant blue light. The light came through the wires, and once Nar saw it, he had no trouble associating it with the squiggly lines he had seen on some of the icons in the chapel back at home.

It was electricity.

Tuk’s figure, wrapped in electricity, dropped, convulsing amidst the debris.

Viy stared at the trugger, her mouth open in shock, her eyes wide with horror.

Then, the thing pulled its wires back, and Tuk with it.

“Tuk!” Nar shouted.

The things launched at them with an even greater ferocity, throwing electrical wires everywhere and at everyone, flashing and blinding the party.

“Grab him! Grab him!” Kur shouted.

Nar growled in frustration. The things were blocking him from doing anything!

“Tuk!” Viy suddenly shouted, her voice echoing louder and clearer than it had in months.

Her spear twirled in her hands and she cleared the space around her. Then, she jumped.

Nar followed her with his eyes, surprised even within the grip of his [NPC].

She aimed her spear down and the tip was coated in a hazy, gray, jagged aura.

She plunged towards the thing that held Tuk’s unconscious body, and Nar dared to hope. At the last second however, another enemy jumped in her path, taking the hit instead, and Viy went down with it, well away from Tuk and her intended target.

The thing holding Tuk hoisted his limp form up, above its body, with the help of one of its comrades. Together, they scuttled away, down the corridor and into the darkness.

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“Noooooo! Viy shouted.

She got up and made to follow them, but things jumped at her and fired on her from every direction. Her spear became a whistling blur in her hand, forming solid arcs of aura around her, destroying anything that touched it.

But there were too many, and they held her back.

With a gut-wrenching feeling, Nar stopped sensing Tuk.

“Cen!” Kur shouted. “We need you!”

Cen raised her staff high above her head, and the corridor glowed with her aura. Then she moved it horizontally, leaving spots of light in its wake.

Three semi-charged [Aura Projectile 4] shot in different directions, clearing walls, ceiling and floor. The explosions blinded Nar for a split-second, leaving after images in its wake and confusing his [Sight] in between light and dark.

“After them!” Kur shouted.

The enemy was in full retreat, and the party gave chase.

Cen, who had gotten atop Kur’s shoulders, spread explosive destruction before them, clearing the way for the party.

“Viy, wait for us!”

Gad had to physically prevent Viy from running on her own after Tuk.

“It’s my fault! It’s my fault!” Viy shouted. “I need to get him back!”

“We all will!” Gad said.

“Nar, to the front!” Kur shouted, his expression like that of a madman.

This can’t be happening! This can’t be happening! We are so close! Nar thought, dread threatening to overwhelm him.

Nar ran forward, passing Gad struggling to hold Viy.

His own sword was bright with a sharp, swirling aura. He cut right and left, slicing through the things with fear and despair giving him more energy than stamina or aura ever could.

The whole tunnel teemed with the things. Wires flew at them, but Cen’s rage and grief filled [Aura Projectile 4] had the enemy on the retreat.

Under their feet, the gray arrows lead in the same direction their enemies fled towards.

“There's a bigger room up ahead!” Jul shouted. “They’re all gathering there! And there’s something else in there too!”

It was probably what had killed all those Climbers. Maybe even all those people they had encountered.

Nar sped up.

He couldn’t allow that to be Tuk’s end. Not smiling, joking, supportive and caring Tuk. He wouldn’t allow those jokes to be extinguished. Not now, not when they were so close to the end.

There was no separation between corridor and room. One moment he was chasing the things down the debris filled corridor, and the next, he came to a screeching halt inside somewhere else entirely.

Wires dangled from the ceiling, covering it completely. And everywhere he looked, he saw bulges and limbs poking out from within the tangled mess.

Crystal Almighty…

“Be careful!” Kur shouted. “They’re everywhere! And they can still be…”

A massive leg struck down at him, and Gad only just barely managed to get her shield in between them.

She had had no time to fortify her shield, and Nar watched, as though it were a nightmare, their tank be flung away like she was nothing.

Her, Gad, their mighty tank, crashed against a wall filled with the things and collapsed.

“No!” Kur shouted.

Rel grabbed her arrows and began firing in quick succession, her hands moving like a blur, dispensing [Aura Arrow]s as fast as a blink, destroying everything around Gad’s slumped form.

“Nar take care of that thing!” Kur shouted. “Jul, find Tuk! Everyone, do everything you can! If we’re dying here, we’re taking all of these things with us!”

Mul roared and raised his fists. His weapons and hands were encased in aura, and he jumped into the fray, smashing things with abandon and fury.

Nar focused on his senses, trying to find their enemy. The big one.

The little ones tried to distract him, and Nar sliced at them with such ferocity that they quickly turned in search of easier prey.

He flared his aura onto his skin, hoping to draw the enemy's attention.

From above, a quick, silent shadow moved, heading his way.

He saw it coming with his [NPC] and fear raked across his brain. The thing was much bigger than he had expected. He had no shield to block something like that. It was even bigger than the Sentry had been!

No. No shield!

Like Gad had told him at the beginning of his new path, he would never hide behind a shield. Dodge, parry, and deflect, yes, that he would do. And what he couldn’t avoid, he would simply cut down.

[Aura Strike]. 100 points.

Aura roared out of his sword, doubling it in size.

Nar swung it at the incoming leg, and aura met metal. His aura shot up the leg, slicing into it, crawling up it like crackling electricity.

Above them, something screeched and the ceiling exploded in a sudden blindness of light blue electricity, wires coming to life with deadly aether.

“Watch out!” he shouted, sensing the danger.

Wires snapped down towards him and the others.

Nar could feel the heat off of the wires as he dodged them. That was definitely what had melted those Climbers.

“There’s a way out!” Rel suddenly shouted.

“Not without Tuk!” Kur shouted back from where he was, helping Gad back to her feet. “Jul! Where is he?”

“I’m looking!”

It was pure madness.

The sharp legs pierced down from above, intent on skewering Nar from head to stomach, and from the corner of his eyes, he caught sight of his party unleashing the plethora of new and upgraded aura skills that they had. In opposition, the small enemies rushed from all sides, shooting electricity covered wires in every direction.

The amount of damage being thrown around was staggering. Were they even the same people that had left the cubeplant, barely five months ago?

“Nar!” Rel shouted across the chaos.

“Fight it, Rel! It’s Tuk! Do you want to leave him to die?” he shouted back.

He looked at the sword in his hands. A hundred points had poured so much aura into his blade that it had basically doubled it in size. And it had clearly had an effect on the thing above them, still hidden within its wires.

If I pour more into it… Everything, can I hit it?

It was a dangerous gamble. As big as the thing was, it was silent and odorless in that deafening racket. He would never be able to find it. And even if he destroyed its legs, there was no telling if it would bring down the enemy or not.

If I miss, I’ll have nothing… But if I don’t use enough, I won’t have another chance! I’ll just slowly use up my aura!

“I found him!” Jul shouted. “Help!”

“I’m coming!” Rel replied.

For a brief moment, Nar smiled, proud of Rel for having triumphed and won the control over her own mind. But the smile died quickly. The thing had moved on from him, and sharp legs were coming down all over the room.

“Watch out!” he shouted.

“I can’t taunt it!”

Nar whirled around. Their tank was up and standing, weapons in hand. Blood ran down her face, forcing her to close her right eye, but she was ready to fight.

“I’m half blind, here!” she said, when she saw him looking at her. “You need to tank! We just need time!”

Nar nodded.

He ran towards the closest leg.

[Aura Strike]. 50 points.

He drove the blade into it, sinking it all the way down to the hilt, piercing out the other side.

The thing above them cried again, in pain and outrage. The wires came alive with blazing blue electricity again, and the air filled with smoke, and a stench that he couldn’t identify.

“We got him!” Jul said.

She and Rel appeared out of nowhere, carrying the still unconscious ring tosser.

“Out! Everyone out!” Kur ordered.

Nar looked around him and found the little gray arrow. It glowed by a short set of wide steps he hadn’t noticed, which led to a pair of broken-down doors.

The way out.

“Go!” Kur shouted. “Nar, Gad, hold our backs!”

The party came together, still throwing skills and aura in every direction. Kur took Tuk into his arms, and ushered them all towards the exit.

“Go! Don’t stop!” he shouted again.

Wires leaped after them, promising excruciating death, but they reached the stairs, not in short part thanks to Viy’s unhinged fighting.

If he hadn’t been running for his life, Nar would’ve stopped to stare, jaw dropped.

She was amazing. He knew that she was a good fighter. They all were. But that was something else.

The big enemy chased them, and Nar was forced to look away from Viy.

The party was going up the steps, and two legs dived through the wires at once.

This time, however, Gad was ready. Her glowing shield blocked the two legs and she grit her teeth to keep them from the party.

Nar looked behind him.

Mul, then Cen, then Jul, and Kur with Tuk, and not far behind them, Rel dragged Viy by the back of her neck, towards the doors.

“Go!” Gad said.

“Not without you!” Nar shouted.

[Aura Strike]. 50 points!

He slammed his sword against the tips of the two legs, which were still trying to push past Gad. The thing screeched and pulled back.

“Go! Go!” Nar shouted, pushing her in front of him.

They ran up towards the exit, and the world behind them shone bright blue.

[Instinct] told him where to step, and he pushed Gad this and that away, keeping them both safe. Fortunately, they were so close, that his [Instinct] indirectly covered her as well.

“Come on!” Rel shouted, from the doors. “Faster!”

The last few steps seemed to go on for an eternity, and he kept expecting to be pierced from behind or snatched up by one of the wires.

One of them thin, electrical things clipped Gad’s shoulder and she screamed, but Nar pushed her with all his [Strength], not allowing her to go down.

There were the doors, and then, in a blink, they were beyond them, and they were through.

“Keep going!” Nar shouted, still pushing Gad forward.

The tank muttered something, gasping in pain, but Nar didn’t hear it, nor did he care to. The big guy might not be able to chase after them, but the little ones surely were.

A loud crash shook the corridor and Nar looked behind him.

A grotesque thing had smashed its way out of that big room, and the doors were now crushed under the rubble of the walls and ceiling.

Massive mandibles opened, letting out a piercing scream. Dozens of red eyes shifted, and turned on its enormous head.

They brushed past Nar’s terrified face and landed on the small figure, crumbled and crawling on the floor, far from the safety of the party.

Nar stopped, letting Gad run ahead of him.

“Rel?” he whispered, stunned.

What was she doing all the way back there?

As he watched, stuck in place, unable to move, he saw the giant thing drag itself towards the small archer, its long extended, and curved mandibles reaching out to her.

Why isn’t she running? Why is she just staring at it?

“Rel!”

His voice was lost under the predator screech of their enemy as it reached forward to take its prey.