Chapter 15: Mission Absolutely Possible

The fire crackled softly in the hearth of their room at the Moonlit Tankard. Daniel, Izabelle, Jamie sat at the small, round table, reviewing the events of the past few days. Their children, Diana and Felix, were already tucked into bed, leaving the adults to discuss what had been on all their minds.

"So, this levelling up business," Daniel began, leaning back in his chair, “feels like I’ve gone from dad-bod to Superman in one day. No complaints, but it’s a lot to take in."

Izabelle chuckled softly, her fingers brushing a loose strand of hair behind her ear as she worked on a pet project. "It’s... overwhelming, for sure. But I can already feel the difference in my work. It’s as if the needle moves on its own now."

Daniel smirked, feeling the buzz of energy coursing through his veins. "Yeah, well, I just hope that this power boost translates into me being less of a klutz in combat." He glanced at the sword resting by the door, the weight of Elmstree's words still heavy on his mind. "We’ve got to figure this world out fast if we're going to survive or complete our holy mission or whatever it is."

Jamie snorted, shaking his head. "Little brother, you’ve got this. I mean, with all your—" He pretended to frown, causing Daniel to roll his eyes. "—hmm, maybe you don't. But you have me, the tech genius, we’ll be fine."

Izabelle smiled fondly at their banter but quickly sobered. "Just... be careful tomorrow, okay? I don’t want to lose you to some... plant-monster-demon thing."

Daniel reached out and squeezed her hand, reassuring her with his touch. "I’ll be fine. You know me. Always a step ahead. Except for the times I'm not, which is most times, actually, but still." He shrugged, pursing his lips.

As the fire dimmed, they finished their conversation and headed to bed, readying themselves for the next day.

The morning came too soon, the sun barely peeking over the treetops as Daniel arrived at the Spearman's Consortium. His steps were heavy with the weight of what awaited him today—his first field mission.

Captain Roderic Ironfang greeted him with a grunt. "Gailor," the Lycanys barked, crossing his arms. "Today’s the day. You and your squad will head out for some fieldwork. Nothing too dangerous, but I don’t expect any of you to screw it up."

Daniel saluted, swallowing his nerves. "Understood, Captain. What’s the mission?"

Roderic's eyes gleamed with a predatory focus. "Pest control. Some farmer's land has been overrun by carnivorous plants. You’ll be clearing them out. Faelar, Tristan, and Seraphina will be with you. Learn to work as a unit. I’ll be watching from the sidelines, so don’t think for a second that I’ll bail you out if you screw up."

"Understood, Captain," Daniel repeated, the words feeling heavier with each passing second.

The squad assembled outside the Consortium gates. Faelar, the haughty elf, stood with his spear in hand, an expression of barely-concealed contempt on his face as he glanced at Daniel.

“Don’t slow us down, Gailor,” Faelar drawled, his voice dripping with disdain. “I’d rather not babysit the humans today. I've spent too long cradling you instead of training for myself.”

Before Daniel could retort, Seraphina stepped in with a gentle smile. "Ignore him, Daniel. Let’s just focus on the task at hand."

Daniel shook his head and chuckled with exasperation. "It doesn't even make sense, I'm half decent now. It's like he has a little playbook of generic, racist insults that he gets paid to say every half-an-hour."

Tristan, the young and clumsy recruit, fidgeted beside them, looking a bit green around the edges. "I just hope I don’t lose my spear again…"

Daniel offered him a reassuring pat on the back. "Just stay close, this'll be a piece of cake."

With the squad in place, Roderic led them through the dense forest surrounding Sylvara. The path was rugged, overgrown with vines and thick foliage. The further they went, the quieter the forest became, as though even the wildlife was watching with anticipation.

They arrived at the farmstead just before noon. The scene was unsettling. Vines, as thick as a man’s arm, curled around trees and fences, pulsating with life. In the distance, Daniel could see the tops of the plants swaying unnaturally, their bulbous heads twitching as though sensing the newcomers.

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"Alright," Roderic grunted, motioning for them to halt. "These aren’t ordinary plants. They’re aether-infused. Use the phalanx formation, shields up, and spears steady. You’ll have the advantage if you stick together. One person absorbs the offence with their shield, and the person to their side strikes if the opening is there."

The group fell into formation. Daniel, alongside Tristan and Faelar, formed the front line while Seraphina covered the rear. They mostly worked on their spear craft, so being in the formation and holding the shield still felt a bit strange, but Daniel assumed this was a method of team-building to kick off the new training regime. They moved slowly toward the mass of plant creatures, their eyes scanning for movement.

The first vine snapped toward them with terrifying speed. Seraphina reacted instantly, her shield absorbing the blow, while Tristan stumbled, but managed to hold his ground.

Daniel’s heart raced as another vine lashed out toward him, but he reacted on instinct, bringing his spear down to pin the writhing appendage to the ground. His muscles, empowered by his recent level-up, flexed with newfound strength.

"We’re doing it!" Tristan gasped, his eyes wide with a mixture of fear and excitement.

“Don’t get cocky,” Faelar spat, slashing at a vine that had managed to wrap around his ankle. “We’re far from done.”

Daniel nearly keeled over and died on the spot as the sheer irony of Faelar advising someone against being cocky smashed him like a hammer.

Another plant lunged at them, its bulbous head splitting open to reveal rows of needle-like teeth. It lunged for Tristan, who froze in terror, his spear trembling in his hands.

"Tristan, shield!" Daniel shouted, thrusting his spear into the creature’s gaping maw. The force of the impact sent a shockwave up his arm, but he held steady, twisting the weapon and slashing to sever the plant’s head. Its body convulsed before falling limp at his feet.

“Thanks…” Tristan breathed, his face pale.

Faelar, however, was less than impressed. "Pathetic," he sneered, his eyes narrowing as he glared at Tristan. "How you’ve survived this long is beyond me."

"Hey!" Daniel snapped, stepping between Faelar and Tristan. "Lay off him. He’s doing his best. Not everyone was handed everything, unlike some."

Faelar’s lips curled into a disdainful smirk. "Is this the part where you give an inspirational speech, Gailor? Spare me."

Before Daniel could respond, Seraphina’s voice cut through the tension. "Focus! More incoming!"

The group whirled around as a wave of smaller, faster plants surged toward them. The phalanx faltered as Tristan stumbled, leaving a gap in their defence. Daniel reacted quickly, shifting to cover the breach, but not before a vine lashed across his arm, leaving a deep gash.

"Hold the line!" Roderic’s voice thundered from the sidelines.

With a growl of frustration, Daniel thrust his spear into the nearest plant, watching as it shrivelled and died, his movements felt so fast due to the added agility. It was as if he had taken off weighted bracelets and finally been allowed to fight free.

"Stick together!" Daniel shouted, glancing at Tristan. "We can’t let them break our formation! Up you get, focus on blocking."

Daniel could feel Faelar examine him intensely, clearly he was making an impression on the Elf with his development, but he wasn't exactly feeling like it was a good one.

The battle raged on for what felt like hours, though it was likely only minutes. The group’s movements became more fluid, each of them falling into a rhythm. Even Tristan, despite his initial stumbles, found his footing and began to fight back with a newfound confidence.

Finally, the last of the carnivorous plants fell, its lifeless body joining the growing pile of defeated creatures at their feet. The squad stood panting, blood and sap staining their armour and weapons. The influx of Life Aether from the creatures was exhilarating, Daniel could definitely see the thirst for growth becoming a dangerous addiction. A foreign sensation of focused power began to form inside Daniel's system, but he wasn't entirely sure what it entailed. Without an obvious cause, Daniel shelved the feeling until he was certain the group members were out of harm's way.

Roderic approached, his face impassive as he surveyed the battlefield. "Not bad for your first mission," he said gruffly. "You’ve got a long way to go, but you didn’t die, and that’s something."

Daniel wiped the sweat from his brow, glancing at Tristan, who was still catching his breath. "You did good, man," Daniel said, offering a small smile. "Just remember, we’re in this together."

Tristan looked up, his expression a mixture of gratitude and exhaustion. "Thanks, Daniel. I’ll do better next time."

Faelar snorted, rolling his eyes. "If there even is a next time for some of you."

Daniel ignored the elf’s remark, turning to Roderic. "So... what now?"

Roderic’s eyes gleamed with something close to approval. "Now? Now you rest, regroup, and get ready for the next one. Missions are what make you stronger. Battle earns you experience and lots of aether. The more you fight, the faster you’ll grow. Not to mention a healthy reward, financially."

Daniel nodded, his muscles aching but his spirit alive with the thrill of battle. As the group began their trek back to the Consortium, he couldn’t help but feel a spark of hope and wanted to explore the sensation that occurred in the aftermath of battle.