~~~Lee~~~

Lee had seen Jake fight before this, but the smooth motions and almost casual killing of the ticks couldn't compare to the show the man was putting on now. The new bus-sized tick couldn't even touch him, no matter how hard it tried.

That's F-grade, Lee thought. Fuck waiting. I wanna rank up now.

"We should help," Alejandro said as he watched the fight move further away toward the back of the store.

"If he says it's his, then let him have it. Besides... I don't think he needs our help." Lee cut another of the disgusting eggs almost in half without touching it. His new enchanted machete was great and worked the way he'd hoped with an invisible cutting edge extending past the blade. Making it had almost got him killed... but it was still great. It was so great that he could no longer put it in a sheath...

The on-off switch hadn't worked as planned.

The tick egg didn't give up a core. None of them did... it was a total waste of time to even kill them. A better option might be to leave them and see if they would grow up to be core bearing ticks. He suggested as much.

The response was not positive. Just because it was absolutely disgusting to pull them out of your flesh, and the way they exploded in blood showers sometimes when they died, and how occasionally someone didn't notice when they were carrying one of the bloodsuckers... What did all that matter?

They were easy to kill otherwise, and it was extremely unlikely any of them would die to the 'relatively' little ticks.

Jake was kicking the big one's ass, and once it was gone, this place would be almost safe.

You have Defeated the Lair [Bloodless Den]

The queen is dead, but her eggs remain. A new queen will rise if they are not eliminated.

"Called it," Lee said. "We should totally not kill them all." No one agreed. "Guys, we got more cores in here than we ever would have outside. Even the frogs couldn't compare to this!"

Jake chose the moment to come sauntering back, a larger than usual core gleaming as he tossed it up and down. He was grinning. "I agree with Lee," he said to the group. "Though I don't really care either way. I'm betting these Lairs won't be rare. We can probably find more nearby... maybe even in the other stores around here."

"I..." Lee couldn't argue with that. If they really hated the ticks, then... "We don't know what monsters will be in the other Lairs. Could be worse..."

"Could be better," Larry said and smashed an egg with his hammer.

"I don't like these," Alejandro said. "They are too sneaky. Anyone alone will probably die to them without even noticing what happened."

Saira didn't weigh in. She looked exhausted... and ridiculous carrying around a small tree. Sandra was busy smacking eggs with her staff, while Lee could feel Mar skirting the edges of the whole mess.

"Fine. Kill em," Lee said, giving up on that idea in favor of a better one. He turned to Jake. "While they do that, you mind watching out for me while I grade up?"

"Didn't you want to do it inside your magic building?"

"I'm sick of being a punching bag for everything out here... and it doesn't take that long, does it?"

Jake laughed. "You do realize that getting to F-grade won't teach you how to fight, right?"

"I'll be stronger. Tougher. Have a better chance of surviving..." He really wanted to survive. He had to. That feeling of Stanley almost dying... it had felt like he would die, too. Which meant if he failed here, then Stanley was doomed. Lee wouldn't be the weak link. Not like he just was until Alejandro saved him...

"My best guess is that it took about an hour," Jake said. He glanced at the eggs. "This isn't going to take that long... but I don't mind a break." He looked at the others. "Up to the rest of you, though I suppose we could carry him if we need to leave."

"We still need to gather food and other supplies," Alejandro said. "I think we will have time, and I will kill Lee's share if you are willing to stay with him." He also looked tired, but still smiled at Lee.

"Great, I'll hook all of you up with an enchant after this," Lee said before anyone else could object. He dug his cores from the one intact pocket left in his pants and looked at Jake. "Anything else I should know?"

"Follow your dreams," Jake said. "Don't piss into the wind... always look on the bright..."

"Nevermind then." Lee sat down against one of the few shelves still standing and absorbed the first of his cores.

+0.1 Strength

Strength has reached the F-Grade Threshold.

Lee closed his eyes, bracing himself... and felt something wrong in the distance. "God damn it!" So much for his plan.

He stood up and pocketed the core. "Alejandro, something is attacking the building..."

"What? Are you sure? How do you know?" Alejandro looked ready to run back then and there.

"All I know is that something is draining the runes. They don't do that without an outside force..." Jake was eyeing him now. His gaze flicking between the various enchanted weapons and shields. Lee had told no one that they were runes before...

"Will it hold?" Alejandro asked.

"Not forever..." Lee focused on what he could feel. "Not very long either..." It was draining, but it wasn't steady. Rather, he could feel periodic bursts, as if something was hitting it intermittently. Like, say, giant frogs jumping around.

"I have to go!" Alejandro grabbed his weapon bag and looked around briefly. "I will come back..."

"We should not split up," Saira said. "We will go with you."

Jake picked up two huge duffels that contained every arrow in the building, as well as some extra blades. "Let's run." He was the only one who didn't look exhausted.

Everyone else grabbed what bags they'd collected. Not as much as any of them wanted, but all they'd had time for. None of them looked happy about the idea of running back, and Lee felt the same. It wasn't that far, and he didn't feel tired per se... but... "I need food," Lee said.

Jake stopped, picked something off the floor, and tossed it at him. Lee caught the bag of sugar. All natural, fine grain, brown sugar. It was... not a bad idea. He knew his lack of fatigue related to his hunger somehow. Like he was regenerating his muscles, so they never got tired and sore. If he could feed that machine with sugar... Well, it would be convenient if nothing else.

Alejandro was almost at the doors when Lee caught up, and Jake was in the lead, already heading outside. The backpack stuffed with knives and machetes bounced off his back with every step. It was heavy. The shield on his arm and machete in his hand were almost as heavy.

The bag of sugar was supremely hard to eat with only one free hand and while running.

Lee was in the process of simply pouring a mouthful of sugar down his throat as they emerged into the sunlight, and he closed his eyes against the glare.

Jake's sudden shout vanished behind an explosion against the side of Lee's head.

...

He may have lost a few seconds because when he opened his eyes, he saw a strange man lying on the asphalt in front of him. One of the stranger's eyes was wide open and staring, and the other a bloody gaping hole around the arrow embedded through it.

Lee screamed as he scrambled away, and sound rushed back in all around him. He looked up and saw another man go down with an arrow through his chest.

Following the trajectory of the arrow, he saw Jake backflip away from a lunging figure that moved as fast as the archer. The attacker's hands glowed with a crimson light in the shape of large claws.

His attack missed Jake by a hair, and then the archer fired completely wide of the man.

Lee followed that attack and saw the arrow stick right through the side of another man's head, dropping him like a rock. He dropped Lee's machete as he fell...

Hey... that's mine!

He'd been attacking Alejandro with three others, and one of them cursed and stepped back at the other man's death. Alejandro took advantage and slammed his shield into the second opponent while his machete took off the third's arm. Blood sprayed, and men screamed.

Behind him, Saira was on her hands and knees over another figure on the ground.

What the hell is happening!?

Lee had notifications waiting, and he checked them as he scrambled to his feet.

Debuff: [Concussed]

Debuff: [Extreme Burn]

Debuff: [Skull Fracture]

That stopped him for a second in shock. He'd survived all that...

Debuff Removed: [Skull Fracture]

Debuff Downgraded: [Burn]

Debuff Removed: [Concussed]

Debuff Upgraded: [Starving]

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It was then that he finally noticed how hot and painful his face felt... in fact, most of his upper body felt... seared. Lee spotted his bag of sugar on the ground next to him, still somewhat intact, though the paper was smoldering. He grabbed a fistful and shoved it into his mouth as he looked for his shield.

He found the shield a dozen feet away and scrambled after it. His backpack was still on his back, but clearly not doing well because he felt a few things fall out as he ran, almost tripping him.

Lee grabbed his shield, feeling slightly better about his odds, and headed for his machete. Only when he glanced back at Alejandro, he realized Larry had picked it up, and he was using it to help Alejandro defend Saira.

Their opponents were clearly wary of both men's blades, but more so of Larry's new addition. Given the three unmoving bodies around them that weren't sprouting arrows, they'd learned the hard way not to fuck with enchanted weapons.

Lee didn't even bother to worry about Jake and ran to help Alejandro. He was almost there when the asphalt next to Saira abruptly leaped up and wrapped around her.

"Stop or she dies!" a voice yelled, and Lee realized it was coming from the... asphalt. "Drop your weapons!"

Lee slid to a stop but didn't drop his shield as both Alejandro and Larry turned to the newcomer. Neither of them dropped their weapons, either, and they shifted warily to monitor the other attackers at the same time.

The black stone-like substance around her thinned as it lifted the woman upright. It covered her mouth but left her wide eyes exposed. A human face emerged next to Saira's as the color shifted into a more skin-like appearance. The fleshy looking wrap split open around her waist and an appendage plucked the knife from her belt. The... thing kept her mouth covered but exposed her throat to press the blade point first into her neck. "Drop everything!"

Jake and his opponent had stopped as well, and they faced off with a drawn bow versus glowing claw-hands.

Claw man spoke first. "We just wanted your stuff, but now that you've killed some of my men..." He grinned at Jake. "I think we'll be taking your healer as well."

"Not going to happen," Jake said, his bow trained unmoving on the other man.

"It's that, or she dies and I kill the rest of you. Leave now and you might still get out alive."

"I have another offer," Jake said. "All of you run away and I'll only attack this man in front of me. If he survives until you get out of sight, then you live. Otherwise, you all die. You have five seconds to choose."

"Jake, no!" Alejandro exclaimed and tossed his machete to the ground. "Let her go!"

Larry looked less ready to disarm, which meant he was smarter than Alejandro. Lee didn't have a weapon... but he could feel one moving up behind Saira and her captor.

Mar was still alive.

"Tick Tock," the face said from the flesh prison around Saira. "Oh no, my hand is slipping!" Saira squirmed as a bead of red appeared beneath the knifepoint on her throat.

"Will you just let her die? He'll really do it." the clawed man laughed.

"No," Jake said, "he won't." and Lee felt his runes on Mar's blade leap forward right as Jake abruptly turned and fired his arrow toward Saira.

The grinning face stiffened, the knife falling slightly from Saira's neck, and then an arrow sprouted in his eye.

Chaos erupted from the temporary calm. Alejandro dove in to grab Saira, while Larry cut one lunging attacker with a wild swing that didn't physically touch him. Lee's new enchant was really paying off.

Mar was screaming as she flickered in and out of view while stabbing at the flailing... thing. The thing that condensed back into a human man as its struggles ended...

Jake sacrificed his bow when the clawed man immediately pounced after his attack. He blocked the glowing claws with it, and the bow snapped with a loud twang as the pieces flew. He took the next swipe in his side, and in exchange, plunged his own runed knife up into the bottom of the man's jaw, straight into his brain.

They froze in that position for a second, then Jake twisted the knife and ripped it out. The glowing claws vanished, and the man fell limp.

The two men facing off with Larry saw what happened, and they both took off running. Larry didn't give chase, but Jake walked calmly to one of his duffels and pulled out a new bow. It only took a single deft movement for him to place the string. Then two arrows snapped out in less than two seconds, and it was over.

Lee felt a little useless as he stood there in the aftermath. He'd done nothing to help. Though his enchants had probably done some good... He turned back when it was clear the fight was over and grabbed his charred bag of sugar. He tried very hard not to look at the dead body next to it.

He was shoving fistfuls into his mouth and funneling mana into his shield when he arrived with the others. The lost charge on the shield runes meant it had probably blocked some of that explosion that almost killed him. Lee just hoped the experience hadn't fucked with Stanley... and he lifted the heavy shield a bit higher to block his head better.

Lee didn't bother to ask what had happened; it was obvious. All he could do to help was add mana to people's runed gear. They weren't too low, and Alejandro's shield was the worst. Likely from blocking against an equally enchanted machete.

"Lee," Alejandro said, wide-eyed but smiling. "Jake told Saira to leave you and that you would be fine... I am very glad he was right!"

Lee shot a dubious look at the archer, but when he finally caught sight of Sandra, he understood. The woman looked bad. One side of her entire body was burnt and raw; a few spots even looked charred.

Saira had one arm around an invisible Mar while the other was resting lightly on Sandra's unburnt side. The small tree next to her was dying at a visible rate.

"Good call," Lee said, swallowing back his nausea when he caught a whiff of cooked meat... and his stomach growled. He turned away and started pouring the sugar into his mouth while refusing to acknowledge what his stomach thought.

Debuff Downgraded: [Famished]

Jake had been right about the sugar. But Lee needed more... and there was still one problem. "The building is still under attack..." It felt wrong, but they needed to get moving. Was saving Sandra really worth potentially losing Alejandro's family and everyone else in the building?

"Another tree! Hurry!" Saira said, and Jake leaped thirty feet to the nearest one, ripped it up by the roots, and bounded back to her side.

"Jake," Alejandro said, "you can go save them. Please! You are faster than any of us. Please save my family!"

"I guess." Jake let Saira touch his bloodied side briefly as he took one last look around, then picked up his bags and sprinted away faster than any human could pre-system.

Lee could see Sandra getting better already, and since he couldn't pull up trees to assist and was too hungry to go sprinting home, he headed back into the store. He picked up the cores from the dead men on his way, eyes going wide and mind spinning at what he found. He didn't absorb them, though; they weren't his kills.

He didn't go far inside, just to the checkout area. Where he promptly started eating every candy bar he found, melting plastic and all. At this point, he didn't care about eating some plastic, and he doubted it could do anything bad to him anyway.

They were delicious. Partly because it was candy, but mostly he suspected because of his hunger.

Still, the experience waned as it went on. He found both glass bottles and cans of coffee in the dead coolers, and that helped to wash more of it down.

Buff Gained: [Caffeinated]

"Huh." Lee looked at the buff, feeling a sudden pang of loneliness for a small dog named after the beverage. He really hoped the pug was okay... Stanley would take care of him... if he could. Please be okay. Both of you.

[Caffeinated](59:58)

Effects:

+5% Effectiveness of All Base Attributes

-5% Effectiveness of All Base Attributes for Equal duration after Buff expires.

Five percent didn't matter either way, and Lee kept eating and drinking. Until, finally...

Debuff Removed: [Thirsty]

Debuff Removed: [Hungry]

Despite his new and growing distaste for all things sweet, Lee still wanted to stock up. His brand new backpack was ruined by whatever that explosion had been, and all the shopping bags were a melted mess. Running all the way back there to get another one in the dark store was... not appealing. Luckily, the clothing department was right behind the registers.

Lee quickly changed out of his rags and dressed in sweats and a t-shirt. He grabbed a few extras of each, and then a few more that he tied into makeshift sacks.

He kept hearing noises from deeper in the store the whole time and was more than ready to leave once he'd stolen enough candy for twenty people. He would've felt slightly better with his sword and shield, but Larry still had his machete, and he'd left the shield outside. That was the only reason he was nervous. He didn't fear the monsters.

Larry saw him eyeing the blade as he returned to the others, and the man reluctantly offered it back. "You dropped it."

"Keep it," Lee said. The man had earned it, even if he refused to ask earlier. Larry had fought and risked his life as much as anyone. He should use something better than a plain hammer... "Or do you want me to enchant the hammer?"

"I'll... keep it," Larry said. "But... what could you do for the hammer?"

Lee wasn't sure. He'd been rather focused on bladed technology of late. "I'll have to think about it. Just bring it with you and I'll see what I can come up with."

The group had moved away from the dead bodies by now, though it was only to reach another tree in the parking lot. Sandra was looking fantastic compared to earlier, and she opened her eyes at his approach. "You... you're alive, too?"

Her voice was scratchy, and Lee offered her one of the stolen coffees. "All I found that wasn't melted."

She took it and drank greedily with shaking hands. Lee handed out more to the others and then offered an extra t-shirt and pair of sweatpants to Sandra. She was rather exposed after having half of her clothes burned to ash.

Lee couldn't help it when his eyes flicked downward. He quickly looked back up... and found her eyes on his. He turned away even faster...

Sandra caught his hand as she sat up. "Thank you."

Lee didn't look back at her. It wasn't her nakedness that bothered him. He'd just remembered her burned flesh from earlier... and remembered that was probably what he'd looked like as well. How bad must he have looked last night that Jake thought he'd be fine here? "It's nothing. Glad you're okay."

Saira helped her get dressed while Larry and Alejandro kept a lookout. Lee just stared into space as his hands clenched and unclenched. I'll be F-grade soon... I will survive this.

"I can't believe you healed from that without her," Larry said beside him. "Thought Jake had written you off... or he had a thing for the girl."

"I have some really good..." Lee closed his eyes and took deep breaths. "I heal. If I ever go down, just try to get some food into me..." His secret was out big time now. He might as well trust them all with the hunger part, too. "We should go. The building is still getting hit..."

"How can you tell?" Larry asked.

"Who knows? Just how my class works, I guess."

They didn't have everything they'd come for, but it was time to leave anyway. Everyone was tired, though Lee felt more mentally and emotionally drained than physically.

Mar only appeared a few times, and each time her eyes were wide and staring at nothing while her hands twisted against each other. Her hands, which were still stained with blood.

Saira tried to talk with her, but the girl was even more withdrawn than before. Lee offering her the core from the man or creature that attacked her mother didn't help. He figured Jake wouldn't mind giving her credit for that one... but Mar vanished, and Saira glared at him.

Sandra leaned on her staff with each step while Larry and Alejandro seemed the least down. In fact, Alejandro was so eager to get back he set a grueling pace the others couldn't match. He repeatedly asked Lee about the building, and if it was still holding.

Lee was somewhat surprised because it was indeed still holding. Sure, it was losing power every dozen seconds or so, but it wasn't drained yet. It had been a really big rune... maybe that was why? Of course, it was still losing power. Which meant that Jake hadn't killed whatever was attacking them... or something else was going on.

Lee didn't want to meet whatever that man couldn't kill. But he had no choice when they were only halfway home. "I have to run ahead."

"We should stick together..." Saira started.

"I don't plan to fight anything, but I can recharge the runes if I get inside. Once I'm in there, I'll be safe. I'll make sure your family is safe," Lee said the last bit to Alejandro. He really hoped they weren't dead already... they should be okay if they stayed inside, but he hadn't enchanted his neighbor's windows...

Maybe Alejandro saw something on his face, or he was just too worried about his family, because he insisted on coming along.

Saira didn't like it, but wouldn't leave Sandra. Larry stood straighter next to the women. "I'll protect them." He hefted the machete and nodded at Lee.

Lee started running. He didn't have time to argue.

Alejandro ran with him for a while, but started slowing after the first block. Lee didn't slow. He sprinted flat out and his muscles just... never got tired.

Debuff: [Hungry]