~~~Bradley~~~

Bradley felt beyond drained after another terrifying lair run... Maybe going with Lee was bad luck? He'd done other lairs, but every run with Lee had turned into a fresh nightmare. This one wasn't that bad... No one had died or almost died. They'd won, and he even got a new skill out of it... so he shouldn't complain.

This was what he wanted. To get stronger. To not be afraid anymore.

But it was so hard.

Then he felt the footsteps coming his way across the ground and knew it was Mar following him again. Or at least, he was pretty sure those were her footsteps.

He forgot about his fatigue as his heart rate sped up. Was she still mad? Or would she hang out with him again? He'd missed her presence... silent as it had been. This time, maybe she would talk? Only... Oh shit! What the hell am I supposed to say!?

Bradley stopped next to Lee's building and touched his staff to the wall. He could feel the mana battery filling up while his mind raced in the sudden panic of having to actually talk to Mar...

He was just so tired... Plus, his head was killing him. After that day, he'd earned some rest.

Bradley looked at his bed. It looked so soft… He had fought many battles today and had been victorious; it was time to rest.

He heard a distant thunderclap and burrowed deeper into his bed. That isn't helping my head. Someone was shouting now. Screaming. Who is screaming? The voice was familiar. It doesn't matter. I just need to go to sleep.

Stinging pain shot through his head. Ow! He opened his eyes and saw a multi armed monstrosity flailing at a flickering Mar.

-1 All Base Attributes

Debuff Removed: [Dream Drain]

You have discovered a Hidden Invasion! Contributions Earned. Defeat the Invaders to Receive your Rewards.

What the… A severed arm was on the ground in front of him, lying in a pool of blue goop. Mar cut it off... He could see one of the monster's limbs ending in a stump as it struck at the girl with five more arms.

Bradley felt so weak; his arms and legs trembled with fatigue, and it was all he could do to remain standing as he leaned on his stone staff. His hands on the staff looked shriveled and old, like Lee's...

Mar dodged back a hair too slowly, and the monster's sweeping arms clipped her. She stumbled, and the monster capitalized on her mistake.

In a flash, it grabbed one of her arms, and a heartbeat later, it had immobilized every one of her limbs. Mar screamed and struggled, then the fifth and final hand grabbed her head.

She went limp.

It all happened so fast... Bradley took a staggering step toward her, his mind remembering how he had been in bed moments ago. It got in my head!

Now it was in Mar's head...

The monster's bleeding stump stopped bleeding as Bradley's stagger shifted into a sprint. Mar!

Its face turned to him. Two huge black eyes pointed at him from the otherwise featureless face, and it let go of Mar's legs to reach two long arms towards his head.

Bradley saw horrible maws in the palm of each hand, barbed and bloody tentacles reaching for his flesh. Hell no!

Mana burst out of him in a rush, and the earth under his feet slid backwards, away from the threat, as he activated his new skill.

Dirty Movement

The skill was better than he had originally thought. Yes, it let him move faster in dirt, but it synergized with all of his skills and his class in a way he hadn't expected.

Bradley used his mana to pull at the ground, and dirt rapidly climbed up his legs and crawled up his torso until it covered his whole body. Then he compacted it into stone.

It made him a lot heavier, but instead of slowing down, Bradley only moved faster.

His class was Earth Mover. If he covered himself in earth and combined it with Dirty Movement...

Bradley moved himself sideways past a grasping hand, Dirty Movement deciding that being covered in dirt counted for a lot and making the entire process easier.

The staff in his hands leapt up into a sweeping strike. It was also made of stone, or earth, and despite the runes that covered it and changed it into something less akin to earth, it was still close enough.

He moved that stone staff and himself with a blast of mana. His course reversed, and he shot towards the monster.

Bradley felt the impacts of those grasping limbs, but they didn't hurt beneath his armor.

He wanted to free Mar, but the monster held her up out of his reach, so Bradley swung low.

His staff blasted into and through what he hoped was a knee joint on one of the monster's legs. The blow, driven by his meager physical strength, now boosted and enhanced by his mana and skills, didn't even slow as he went through the leg.

Blue blood splashed from the shattered stump, and the monster screamed as it toppled, but then one of its long arms abandoned the chase and dropped to the ground to act as a new leg.

Another arm grabbed the amputated leg off the ground and held it up against the stump as it abandoned the pursuit and started backing away with Mar still in hand. He could see her exposed flesh shriveling up the way his hands had as the monster's leg healed back into place.

NO! Bradley moved.

The only downside to his new skill and overpowered method of fighting was the high mana cost, and Bradley pulled the last of the reserves from his staff as he charged.

Luckily, there was another way.

Bradley called to the mana beneath his feet. To the mana filling the earth. It responded and flowed up from his feet.

Your Earth Aspect Saturation has reached your Affinity Limit of 67%. Continuing past this threshold may cause side effects.

He'd gotten greedy for a better class on that first day, and he'd gone down the list until he found one. He'd ignored the options with a higher affinity because he wanted to cast magic... and now he was paying the price.

It wasn't all bad. He'd seen that message before and always stopped until the saturation lowered. Which it would, given enough time.

Today, though, after that marathon in the lair, he didn't have the luxury to wait.

Mar had saved him from this monster, and he wouldn't let her die for it. Never!

The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

He pulled more power from the earth.

68% Earth Aspect Saturation

Bradley moved after the monster and Mar, still pulling in power but now with enough to spend along the way. His priority was to free Mar. So he ignored the blows that cracked his stone armor. He ignored the g-forces that tugged at his body with each empowered step.

His staff whirled and blasted through both of the monster's legs. Then it kept going, and he drove it through the limb holding onto Mar's head.

69%

The monster's arm shattered into blue paste under the blow, and Bradley blocked two more grasping arms that struck at him with stone cracking force. He pulled more mana in, shoved more earth into his armor, and threw himself forward at the monster. A Bradley-shaped stone missile.

Mar was free now, but limp on the ground. He wouldn't let it have another shot at her!

70%

His feet felt numb where the earth mana raged through them, but Bradley ignored it and kept attacking. He kept bashing through arms and legs as he tried to get at its face, but the thing only sacrificed its limbs instead of letting him pulp its head.

71%

Eventually, it ran out of options and limbs. Bradley raised his staff high to end its life...

Something latched onto his arms, around his torso, and onto his legs.

Another one!

It tried to lift him and drag him back, but Bradley refused to allow himself to leave the ground as he fought against its monstrous strength.

As they struggled in place, Bradley saw Mar wasn't where she had fallen. His heart sank.

He really hoped that she had escaped and hadn't just been killed by the second monster that he had failed to see coming. He really hoped for that. Desperately hoped. Please be okay, Mar!

Her knives were missing too...

72%

Bradley had an idea and moved himself and the monster holding him down into the ground. The earth welcomed them both beneath its surface like pebbles dropped into a pond.

He forced the earth tight around the monster and wrenched himself out of its grasp as he did so. Then he moved himself easily back above ground and found the first monster busy reattaching its limbs. "Oh no, you don't!"

Bradley pulled more power and moved.

73%

The monster's head shattered in an explosion of gore under his desperate blow, and Bradley stood over the limp body, chest heaving for breath, as he watched for signs of regeneration from the thing.

He saw the glowing core appear when the ground rumbled, and he spun around to see the other monster tearing its way free of the ground in an explosion of dirt and rock. They are too strong!

Bradley drew in great gasping breaths and reached for more earth mana. Mar was still missing, and he wouldn't let these things find her if he could help it. I will fight for what I want! I am not afraid!

His hands shook with fear and exhaustion as he lifted the staff and stepped forward to face the monster.

74%

Mar flickered into view behind the still half buried monster, her twin knives buried in its neck. She screamed, and blue gore sprayed across the ground as she sawed the creature's screaming head from its shoulders. Bradley continued his charge and brought the end of his staff down on the skull. Just to be sure.

"Gah!" Mar leapt back from the splatter and glared at him. The glare faded as Bradley dropped to all fours and barely held himself up with trembling arms while looking up at her now blue face with a wide smile.

"You're okay!" Stone crumbled off him as he ran out of mana once again.

Mar rubbed at the goo on her face, and Bradley could see her hands looked much like his own now.

"You..." she started to say, then Bradley saw her eyes widen and dart past him. "Mom!" She took off running and vanished mid stride.

Right, invasion… How many more are there? Bradley forced himself back up and saw that the stone hadn't fallen away from around his feet. In fact, he still couldn't feel his feet... Side effects.

Bradley didn't hesitate and poured what little mana had regenerated into Dirty Movement as he sprinted after Mar, following her pounding footsteps through the earth.

He could still feel the ground under his rock-covered feet and didn't have any trouble running, but it felt odd. He pulled more earth mana up when his own ran out. I will fight for what I want!

75%

He rounded the building and saw Saira in her garden.

Unfortunately, another of the monsters was already on her, and Bradley could hear Mar screaming as she charged ahead of him. He wanted to scream too, but didn't have the breath for it. Instead, mana raged in him, and the earth moved with his feet, propelling him in great strides across the distance.

Saira looked like a mummified corpse as she dangled from the creature's hands. The field of green that used to cover the area was gone, and nothing but dust remained. Her healing had likely consumed everything.

Blood ran from her in steady lines of... No, it wasn't blood. It was a mass of vines!

As he approached, Bradley could finally see the blood-red vine that was sprouting from beneath Saira. It wove and threaded around her and... into her! He could see where the vines had gone through her flesh, with many continuing on to wrap around the monster and dig into its flesh as well.

Mar kicked off the ground in a puff of dust and then appeared on the monster with both blades stabbed to the hilt into the thing's head.

Bradley wished he had better ranged attacks as he ran with all he had and lifted his staff high.

Saira suddenly screamed out in a deafening roar of pain and anger. The glowing red vines all around her pulsed and flashed brighter for a split second.

Then the monster exploded in a shower of blue gore and flying body parts amidst a whirling storm of lashing red vines.

Saira's flesh regained color and life as Mar threw herself into her mother's arms with a sobbing cry. Then healing warmth washed over Bradley as he slid to a stop next to the two women.

He let the earth mana go and collapsed to the ground, closing his eyes and focusing on feeling footsteps just in case more were around. He'd been doing a terrible job of that lately...

Bradley detected no motion on the ground within his range other than the two women next to him. Mar was crying and saying something in another language, while Saira responded in kind.

I did it! They're okay! He rolled onto his back and closed his eyes in relief, trying to let his racing thoughts and rapid breathing calm.

"Bradley!" Mar’s voice was anxious, and Bradley opened his eyes to see her leaning over him. "Are you okay? Do you need healing?"

I will fight for what I want! Bradley sat up in a spur-of-the-moment decision and kissed Mar.

Her eyes went wide, and she vanished.

Bradley's heart sank. Idiot! Why did I do that? He scrambled to his feet. "Sorry Mar! I..." He cut off when Mar flickered into sight for an instant, blushing furiously as her hand slipped into his own. Oh. She isn't mad?

Bradley then noticed Saira standing wearily but watching him with a smile of her own. His face felt like it was on fire, and he thought his heart might explode with how hard it was pounding in his chest. I kissed her!

He was glad for the distraction when something appeared in his head.

Emergency Quest Issued by (General Alejandro Morales): [Defend the Fort]

We are under attack! Invisible Monsters are inside the walls! Barricade inside if possible. Building 3 is a safe place to go if you are outside!

"A quest..." Bradley murmured in surprise as he looked at the message.

"We should get to Three," Mar said.

"Yes," Saira agreed. "Go!" She was looking around at her destroyed garden with angry eyes. "I will make these things pay!"

Bradley felt Mar's hand tighten around his own.

"We're coming with you." Mar appeared as she spoke, and her voice held a hint of a challenge.

"Good." Saira smiled widely at her daughter, and the bloody vines uprooted from the ground and retreated into her flesh.

Bradley shuddered at the sight and felt Mar squeeze his hand again. But who was he to judge? His feet might be made of rocks now...

[Emergency Quest Update] Move in groups! Monsters can get in your head and kill you if you are alone!

"Not again, they won't!" Saira growled. "Let's find and kill them all!" Vines sprouted anew from her flesh, stretching out from her hands and lashing at the air like angry whips.

"Who are you?" Mar whispered, still invisible next to Bradley. "And what have you done with my mother?"

"Incoming!" Bradley felt three pairs of thumping feet approaching from around the building and pointed with his staff for the others.

Mar let go of his hand and drew her knives in a flickering stop motion. Bradley missed her touch already... I will fight for what I want and to keep what I care about!

Bradley wrapped both of his hands around the staff and prepared to fight, drawing more mana to bolster his reserves.

A heartbeat later, the footsteps came around the corner, and Bradley breathed out in relief when Alejandro called out to them. He approached at a jog with his wife and the blacksmith flanking him.

His relief was short-lived when he felt more footsteps. Heavy ones. From invisible feet.

We will survive this. Whatever it takes!

76% Earth Aspect Saturation