Each step propelled Nar forward, and he quickly devoured the distance between him and Kur and Rel.

He passed by Gad, who carried Mul, and Cen, and Gad and Cen watched him go, their mouths dropped open.

Next, he passed by Tuk and Viy.

Tuk had his back turned to him and Viy in his arms.

Finally, there was only Kur and Rel left.

Kur, the leader who had accepted him into the party. Who had supported his crazy path of a hybrid class. Who had led him all the way to the exit and to freedom.

And Rel, who had gone lost and had found herself again. She had beaten her sickness at the very last, choosing to sacrifice herself for him, their party and for all of those Climbers.

Gad, Mul, Cen, Tuk, Viy, Kur, Jul and Rel.

None of them deserved to die, and he would not let that happen.

The spiders were almost upon Kur and Rel.

The Raid Boss, broken and janky, stepped forward towards them, its electrical magic towering all the way to the broken ceiling.

You against me! Aether against aura! Let’s see who wins!

He reached deep within, ignoring his aura bar.

The window had told him to reach within, not without, and that could only mean one thing.

In a moment, he was there.

His aura was ablaze, raging with tendrils and spikes, hazy smokiness swirling in gray, black and white patterns.

It had been waiting for him.

I’m sorry I took so long. I’m here now. I’m ready for you!

He raised his hand to his aura, and it latched onto him, climbing up his arm.

Nar allowed himself to be dragged into it, and the ball of light expanded to take him in.

Now, they were one.

Nar pushed his aura into his sword, and the blade grew and grew and grew, till it was almost 16-feet long, and several inches wider. A bar of roaring grays.

He pulled it back, gripping it with both hands.

He dashed by Kur, who stared at him wide eyed.

He stomped his foot down, cracking the bridge under his strength, and he spun in a full circle, drawing the sword in a mighty horizontal slash.

[Strike of the Champion].

A line of gray cut out from the light that was his sword.

For a split second, in his boosted [NPC], it seemed to simply stay there, hanging in the air, slashing the very Nexus in two.

Then the whole bridge in front of him disappeared in a roaring explosion of aura.

It started low, where he was, but soon rose in height till it engulfed even the massive Raid Boss.

Skill [Mantle of the Champion] single use, spent. Skill removed.

Skill [Strike of the Champion] single use, spent. Skill removed.

Nar fell to his knees, suddenly weak.

He leaned on his sword to stay upright and stared at the violent aura that had come from him. It raged and tore and burned, consuming his enemies.

“And stay down this time,” Nar whispered.

“Nar! Nar!” a voice called out.

Nar stumbled up and wobbled towards Kur, dropping heavily next to him.

Kur grabbed his shoulder and shook him weakly.

This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

“Crystal, man! What was that?”

Laughter bubbled out of Nar.

“I earned my path! Can you believe it! The Path of the Champion!”

Kur leaned back, confusion evident across his face. “What’s a champion?”

Nar laughed again. “I have no idea!”

Kur stared at him, and then, he too burst out laughing.

“You destroyed the Raid Boss. All by yourself!” he shouted.

Nar shook his head. “Nah. It was already all broken. I have no idea what happened there.”

“Hey! Heeeeeeeeeey!”

Nar looked up.

Tuk was waving at them.

“Heeeeeeeey!” Nar shouted back.

“Heeeeeeeeeeeey!” Tuk screamed.

Nar was sure the ring tosser was bawling his eyes out.

He inhaled deeply, ready to shout again, when a shadow fell upon him.

“What the fuck are you doing!” Jul shouted. “There’s more coming! Get up! Get up!”

“I-I can’t move!” Kur said.

“Nar, you carry him and I’ll carry her!”

Nar looked around.

Spiders of all sizes were closing in on them from the sides of the bridge, and from behind them, his burning aura was starting to dwindle. More would come from there as well. The damned things were endless!

“Hurry!” Jul shouted, slapping his arm.

“Ow!”

Nar grunted, and pulling on every attribute within him, he got up once more, then he hoisted Kur onto his shoulder.

“Ugh…” the party leader groaned.

“Sorry! This is the best I can do!”

“Just run!” Jul shouted at him.

The two of them sprinted for the exit. The gate seemed to have stopped closing with the final destruction of the Raid Boss. Now, they just had to outrun hundreds of thousands of spiders. At least the blue projectiles had stopped bombarding them.

“Quick, quick!” Jul said, as they approached Tuk.

“Put her on my back!” Tuk shouted.

Nar leaned down, roaring through gritted teeth and one handedly lifted the unconscious spear woman onto the trugger’s back.

“Come on! Let’s go!” Jul shouted.

They ran, powered by whatever energy they had left in them and despair and fear and hope all mixed in together.

The gate was right there! They couldn’t fall now!

“Hurry! Hurry!” Jul shouted, as they reached the last three.

Gad and Cen had already started running as soon as they realized that the others were making their way over.

“I’m going as fast as I can!” Gad shouted.

“Then go faster!” Jul yelled at her.

Damn… Nar thought. He liked this new Jul. Maybe one day she would be the one calling the shots.

Nar started to feel the first touches of his [Instinct]. It was starting to get nervous.

Nar peered behind him.

The rush of spiders covered the entire bridge in black. And they were almost on top of them.

“Run! Run faster!” he shouted.

“I’m trying! You go ahead!” Gad said.

“Never!” Tuk replied. “Never ever! Together, always!”

Nar looked behind him again.

They weren’t going to make it.

Then aura exploded against the spiders, right behind them.

“Come on Kur’s party! Get your asses over here!”

It can’t be!

He looked ahead and the blinding light went blurry.

There, by the gate, bathed in the bright light of the outside, Row waved at them.

With her, was her entire party.

“Spread out!” Nar shouted. “Let them fire!”

Jaz, Lim and Cor fired upon the spiders.

A surge of emotion welled within Nar.

We’re going to make it! We’re going to make it!

Row’s party bought them the time they needed, then they disappeared into the light.

Nar slowed down.

Jul went first with Rel.

Then Tuk and Viy.

Finally, Gad, Mul and Cen were swallowed by that blinding light.

Smiling, Nar followed after them with Kur on his back.

They had made it.

Together.

*********

He could hear noise.

The sounds of a crowd.

Softness brushed against his face and he panicked, trying to push it away.

However, he found that he could not move.

A window appeared before him.

Have no fear.

You are safe now.

The Ceremony of Final Atonement is complete.

You are forgiven.

You are free.

Welcome to the Outside-Nexus.

More things fluttered against his skin. They were soft, and he caught a hint of a delicate smell.

It was nice. It was very nice. He wanted to fill his lungs with it.

Hidden Quest, The Climb of the Sinner, completed.

Rewards and gains will be calculated.

You were born in the darkness.

You have suffered in the darkness.

You have Climbed in the darkness.

Now you are in the light.

You may now open your eyes.

Behold, the light, Child of the Crystal!

Nar opened his eyes and regained control over his body.

At first, the light was blinding, and he was forced to look away.

“What’s happening?” Tuk shouted.

“I don’t know, I can’t see!” Lim cried out in panic.

“Nar, put me down,” Kur said. “Relax everyone! We’re out! We’re safe!”

“But I’ve gone blind!” Jaz cried.

“Everybody shut up!” Row shouted. “Just wait. You’ll be able to see soon enough.”

Nar blinked, and slowly, an image began to form.

He knelt down and slowly deposited Kur on a floor that felt cool and smooth to his touch.

Whatever it was made of, it shone in the bright light.

He felt softness too, there, underneath his fingertips, as he let go of Kur.

He grabbed a handful of it and brought it close to his eyes.

The smell hit him stronger.

And he saw color.

Red.

Blue.

Purple.

Yellow.

Green.

Orange.

Indigo.

He learned the meaning of indigo just there and then.

A smile began to form on his face.

And as more and more sight returned to him, the more he smiled.

Until he stood up, grinning, and looking around him, at a floor that was as colorful as it was majestic. He had never seen anything so beautiful in his entire life!

Color!

Color like he had never seen before!

Color like he had never imagined to be possible, not even in his craziest of dreams.

Then he looked up, and froze.

His face was up there, high in the air, across hundreds, thousands, of translucent squares.

He finally saw where he stood.

Around him, surrounding a massive colorful floor, walls of white rose. Atop them, high, high, high above them, where rows and rows of cheering people.

Thousands.

Hundreds of thousands.

Maybe even more. A lot, a lot more he realized, as the rows stretched and grew high above his head.

The squares showed his confused face, as well as that of the other’s.

“What in the pile is going on here?” Kur whispered. “Where are we?”

Nar could only shake his head in stunned reply. "I have no idea."