Chapter 21 - Nightfall (Part 2)

Campfires were not something Dominic Jones was used to. Which was made obvious when he sat downwind of it and the smoke made him cough and choke for long seconds after a passing breeze. Now, sitting to the side of it, closer to Kurian, he wondered if he should have gone for more outdoorsy excursions back in his day.

He entertained the thought for just a second before scoffing at it. A high-30s Dominic, right past all that struggle with his own body, would never subject himself to anything but comfort – and despite what some of his friends said about enjoying life and all of that, he much preferred doing it without risking snake bites.

The [Death Doctor] turned to the ones accompanying him, watching as they ate. The sounds from the Choking Grove had died down slightly, giving some respite to their tired minds, and they waited for Merino to finish his meal – the [Apothecary] ended up being the slowest between them, but maybe that was just the exhaustion seen in his eyes – before Orieke cleared his throat.

The trio under the Elder adjusted their seating, straightening up as the [Perfumer] looked at each of them and returned to his stoking of the fire.

“I must congratulate you all on your success. You’ve managed to work through the tasks I gave you – in your own way – and the levels you’ve acquired are all the proof I need that you took this seriously. ”

Dominic’s smile faded a bit. The preamble sounded a lot like the caress before a blow. Suddenly, he didn’t feel as sure about how well he had done.

The [Perfumer] exhaled.

“I also need to congratulate you on finding solutions that I didn’t expect. I hope you’ve all learned more about your own abilities and what you can do. However…”

There it was. Dominic held onto his robe to stop himself from sneering in indignation. He was tired, sore and though that energy gifted by his ghostly constitution had not dwindled, it still felt like an over-abused muscle now that he was back to reality. Whatever he said, the [Death Doctor] knew it would be something he’d regret.

“Despite you three managing to overcome your hurdles, none of you even considered the fact that you were working in a group – even when there was a genuine threat to your safety. You took to your tasks with the selfishness of small children unable to share a toy, trying to improve without realizing that – once again – you need to be alive to level.”

He pressed the stick onto the packed soil in an attempt to drive in the point of his words. The trio remained silent, surprised, and ashamed as slowly they understood what Orieke was saying. Dominic traded a glance with the two and immediately disliked how his cheeks turned hot.

“But–but you said we had to be impressive to earn levels.”

That was Kurian. The boy looked genuinely exasperated at Orieke’s berating. The [Perfumer] half-turned towards him and stared gravely.

“And are we impressive only when alone? Kurian, you’re smarter than that. It’s in the very core of our kind to not fight by ourselves. We are weaker, slower and smaller than every other race I know of – if we could only improve in solitude then we’d be extinct for centuries already.”

Orieke’s face was calm as he gave his verdict, tending to the small bonfire with a long twig he had managed to get from the borders of the Pale Men's domain. Beside Kurian, sitting on the ground, Dominic Jones fumed.

Not at the man – not completely – but at himself. It was frustrating to be given the opportunities Orieke had granted him, especially at his age, and always end up screwing up in the end. He should have known working together was a great option – he should have moved to help Kurian with his shadow and Merino with his concoction.

There had to be something he could have done. But he didn’t – and that fact kept bothering him. The [Death Doctor] took a deep breath.

“What… should we have done differently?”

That was the question to be asked. Dominic had made a mistake – a succession of them, in fact – but now it was time to think carefully about what should have been done instead of wallowing in it. It ached, especially against his pride, but he fought through it.

Orieke sighed, placing the stick of wood across his lap.

“When you are out in a group – especially when you’re out of your depth like you three are – protecting the integrity of all is the same as keeping oneself safe. Losing a single person in such conditions diminishes odds that are already stacked purely against you. That’s why you should have first tackled the general threat, after deciding that the others were not fatal, instead of going through each task by yourself. You need to be alive to level up, after all.”

“There’s no ‘I’ in ‘team’, huh.”

Dominic whispered, taking Orieke’s words seriously. Had he really reverted so badly to his old habits? Not listening to others, prioritizing himself, ignoring their pleas…

My God. If Melissa discovered he was acting like a small tyrant again she’d slap him senseless. And the woman could pack a punch. The [Death Doctor] sighed, remembering his friend and almost sister, and decided he should try better next time.

Protect the youth. That was part of his oath – and Dominic felt like he had forgotten it to some degree if he was making such mistakes.

“Pretty much that. The three of you need to learn how to work together – not because of this little quest of ours, but because you all are new to this. The way of Imps has always relied on numbers, in cooperation, and that’s the only way to survive the Fear-Full Woods. Courage builds itself with others.”

Ah. Now Dominic understood how they had done it, these little demons. It had been said before, and he did feel stupid for only now understanding, but the elderly man finally knew what allowed the smallest and weakest of species to nest in the middle of the Fear-Full Woods.

Things were not so scary when someone was by your side – and it only took one person laughing in the face of danger to make the others calm down. Dominic wondered if that was how they died, these Nightmares, and turned to ask Orieke while the other two struggled with the compliments and warnings the [Perfumer] gave out.

“The Nightmares… do they get weaker if we stop – I don’t know, believing in them?”

Orieke tilted his head, as if trying to parse the meaning of the question, and nodded slowly.

“The short answer would be ‘no’. Nightmares are a product of The Ground Below’s terror – they are bodies granted to each phobia it could conceive in its last moments. The long answer, however, is – maybe? There are Classes suited for slaughtering Nightmares that focus on eliminating the fear they can feed upon. Our Rangers used to have them, but…”

There was no need for him to complete the sentence. Dominic Jones had learned to understand what that waning voice meant from every Imp. The [Death Doctor], however, contemplated Orieke’s words and remembered Biakis’s explanation.

Meaning. There was power in belief – in the significance you gave to something.

A clap broke him out of his quick stupor, and Dominic turned to see Orieke lowering his hands, the unshed dark tears in his eyes drying out of pure force of will.

“We will talk more tomorrow. I will take the first watch and we will switch every two hours. Dominic, you are next – then Merino and Kurian. All clear?”

The trio of students nodded, each one lost in their own thoughts. Dominic got ready for an uncomfortable night of sleep, only stopping to reapply Biakis’s candle of relief before he fell into the cold embrace of oblivion.

***

Dominic Jones tested his new skill with a thoughtful expression. He had woken up a few minutes earlier than they had agreed, probably due to how uncomfortable the dirt made his sleep, and traded places with Orieke. The [Death Doctor] was sitting on the ground, desperately craving a pillow for his sore butt, and had been enjoying the sight of the moving grass before remembering his new level.

He had his [Spectral Scalpel] in hand, twirling the sharp blade between his fingers with a dexterity he had never once had. The sharp medical instrument flew between his knuckles in a blur, following barely made requests from his brain.

He’d never have to worry about party tricks again. The elderly man looked around, spotting a few small rocks on the ground around the campfire. Maybe he could even juggle now.

He scoffed lightly, letting the blade rest above two fingers, perfectly balanced. [Nimble Hands] seemed to be one of those interesting Skills where it didn’t really need his consent to work, constantly affecting his movements.

It made him wonder – what were the limits? How much change can the System cause before he is no longer the one from before the Tutorial?

The [Death Doctor] hummed, keeping to his watch, and couldn’t find an answer amidst the barely illuminated blades of grass. Some wild ikriats were growing low, their green shine making the area more eerie instead of safe.

What an odd world he was in. Dominic Jones took the silence as a small respite and breathed deeply, smelling the night air. Some of Orieke’s words still echoed within his mind, and the elderly man knew now was the greatest moment to do what was necessary – which was not what he wanted.

Introspection. Dominic Jones didn’t like thinking about himself. He was old and had lived through much – if not as long as some people – and age, to Dominic, brought regrets and experience in equal measure.

Instead, he preferred fun memories. Those in which he was wild and free or lazy and safe. Those were the good ones. Thinking about his father earlier today had already been too close to things he didn’t want to remember.

Did he really need to do it? Dominic Jones bit his bottom lip hard. Orieke’s words about teamwork still echoed within his mind, and his short-sightedness when solving the [Perfumer]’s tasks stung far greater now that he was aware of it.

“Mother wouldn’t be so proud, would she?”

He wondered, thinking about the kind, social butterfly that she had been – and yet still deflecting. He didn’t want to think about things. It was easier not to – to shift his perspective and believe he was a youngling, living through the change of times that was the Tutorial without a thought – but he had risked more than himself today.

Dominic lowered his head, letting his white hair fall in front of his eyes like a veil. The thin, straight strands had been squashed flat by the lack of combing and hair gel.

He had to do more. Those few plans made in the Grey House were not enough. He had to get stronger, be smarter, and bring back that wisdom that came with age that he had begun to forget with the grimness of these new times.

The threats circling his companions were deadly – and would not think twice before slaughtering them all. Be it the Queen of Skeletons or the Cult, to which Sybillus was the greatest proof of their ruthless methods, they knew no mercy. And neither should he–

No. “Bring Hope”. The first of his vows. Dominic couldn’t become like them, for that was where tyrants and old, friendless versions of him lived. There had to be kindness. There had to be safety and protection and empathy – otherwise, all of this was worthless. But being good, or trying to, demanded effort.

And he refused to shy away from it anymore. Not when the price of failure was so steep.

So he had to put on his big boy pants and stop acting like a child with a new toy. Dominic Jones wasn’t the young boss of the Astral Conglomerate anymore, gobbling businesses like a starving lion.

Nor was he the husk of a body, betrayed by his innards. He was both and more.

So he thought, quietly, as time went by – and knew he had to set his goals straight.

His Paths were the most obvious solution. This Tutorial had an ending, and he had seen what one could get if they completed the Paths – juicy rewards that could help him act beyond his Class-given gifts.

Also, some of them needed so little to be completed that Dominic couldn’t help but feel a little ashamed at the thought of his own complacency. [Path of The Elder], for example, needed only one single story from him – and he had tales by the dozen from his world, stories that someone like Kurian or even Merino would surely enjoy listening to.

But he wanted more – and now that he truly felt he had explored much of his skills both through combat and other uses, Dominic stopped thinking of learning more about them and began to consider how to use them efficiently.

And the first thing that came to his mind was this: he was not a [Warrior]. A [Death Doctor], as he had learned, was both supposed to save lives and fight – within its limitations of course – but that didn’t mean he had to get so close to the Nightmares.

Dominic stared at the [Spectral Scalpel] in his hand and wondered why he had never thought of throwing it. He knew it was a skill that took time to learn back home, but with [Nimble Hands] working so well, maybe…

A small glow traveled through the air, the blade aiming straight into a tree’s bark on the other side of the camp. It didn’t hit it, but it was a perfect parabola that – if it had struck – would definitely cause some harm. Maybe even kill.

Dominic regretted the throw immediately, half expecting some manner of Nightmare to be attracted to the moving glow, and sighed in relief when nothing came to devour them.

In the end, the [Doctor] simply waved his hand and the [Spectral Scalpel] appeared back on it. He’d have to train his accuracy, but there was largely no need to worry about things like wrist placement or technique when the skill covered it all.

That was the first skill Dominic thought over, taking his time to do the same with the others and his spells – but, especially, considering how his new biology could make them even better.

The [Death Doctor] continued for most of his shift, testing the combinations he could, and only stopped when he felt something new in the air.

Comforting and sweet. It fell upon his shoulders like a fluffy blanket, asking him to relax like a siren’s call. Dominic felt his eyelids turn heavy, a light smile playing on his lips as the [Spectral Scalpel] fell from between his fingers and he almost turned back towards his spot around the fire.

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Then he remembered it. Truly remembered it – and the comfort felt like a Nightmare’s body. It hadn’t changed, but Dominic tasted the stagnation wanting to settle on his bones, and feared it.

He rose, as quickly as he could, and kicked Orieke awake. The [Perfumer] gave a grunt of pain, but the sight of the wide-eyed [Death Doctor] made the sleepiness drizzle down his face like rainwater.

“Something’s here! You need to check the wards. I’ll wake the others.”

Orieke hissed, struggled for a second with wide eyes, a vial already in his hands, and got up in a hurry. Dominic woke the other boys as quickly as possible, but something was wrong with them.

Their eyes had snapped open in fright, and the emotion refused to die down. Merino shook like a leaf, pale – and Kurian stood frozen in his place, breathing so hard and so quickly Dominic worried he’d suffocate.

“Kurian? Merino? What’s wrong? You need to get up, c’mon.”

The [Death Doctor] placed both hands beneath his armpits and tried to get Kurian to his feet, but the boys’ legs behaved like jelly. On the other side, Merino responded finally, and his grip on Dominic’s clothes turned white. The [Apothecary] buried his face on Dominic’s robe as if trying to hide away.

The [Death Doctor] didn’t have time to understand.

“Orieke! There’s something wrong with them!”

The [Perfumer] turned, finishing dousing the area in the scent of fog and early dawn instead of the foul concoction made of Nightmare blood, and his eyes widened.

“Blazes! It’s an aura!”

“What? What should I do?”

“Just hold them still for a second – Damn it, I don’t have a skill like that! You need to break the hold, Dominic. [Fixate Scent], [Cage of Perfume]!”

The bottle’s liquid perfume flew upwards and fell onto the ground, forming a perfect perimeter around the linking points where Orieke had previously doused some of it as scent wards. The smell was undetectable for those within, but the [Death Doctor] was certain the Nightmares would reel at the odor.

Dominic, meanwhile, did what he could. If this was some kind of mental spell, then he could only think of a couple of ways of breaking it – and only one way to do it quickly – so he pinched Merino as hard as he could until the young man stopped shaking and began screaming as Dominic threatened to rip a chunk of his skin.

Kurian was harder. The boy was catatonic, unresponsive, and Dominic could literally see the veins on his neck pulsing as fear clutched his heart. No amount of pinching woke the boy up, so the [Death Doctor] turned towards Merino and slapped the [Apothecary].

“Enough!”

The blow rang in both of their ears, and Dominic could see the shape of his fingers on the Imp’s cheek. It was nasty, but the [Apothecary] blinked the fear away from his eyes, overcoming the effect. Merino hissed and took stock of the situation.

“What – What’s going on?”

He had a hard time swallowing. His throat felt dry and the cold sweat that clung to his skin made his robes uncomfortably humid. Dominic was succinct in his report.

“Some kind of aura. Fear, like a Nightmare. Do you have something for Kurian?”

The young man’s hiss of assent was enough for the [Doctor]. He nodded and went towards Orieke, seeing the [Perfumer] with a vial in hand and a wand on the other.

“Do you see anything?”

He asked as soon as Dominic arrived, facing the Choking Grove, and the [Death Doctor] squinted to look between the vines. It was impossible.

“Nothing. Do you think it’s coming from there?”

“It’s the only place. None of the Devourer Dogs would run north, and the Pale Men… no, not them. Something is coming from the Grove.”

He was right. The aura was intensifying with every second, as if the source was edging closer, and Dominic could feel the wary desire to stop in his very core. It was more difficult to fight it now, but he managed to prevail once again. The [Death Doctor] just couldn’t understand why he wasn’t afraid.

Merino had been. Kurian had been terrified to the point of immobility. Orieke didn’t show, but his lack of a counter to whatever Skill this aura came from did seem to leave him bare to its effects, only keeping his wits due to the levels he had.

Dominic Jones had no explanation. He was suffering its effects, but differently, and he couldn’t tell why. Was it his Class? His Type? His Race–

…Oh. Ghost. That’s what he was. A Race with Affinities. And one of them was Fear.

So that’s it, right? Dominic’s eyes shone brightly as he understood more about his new reality. That’s why the Nightmare's body felt so good. It wasn’t a quirk of the creatures – it was a response to his own affinities!

How… obvious. The man’s excitement at the discovery soured with the thought. He should have known earlier. Should have made the connection. Should have–

Wrong thoughts. Bad thoughts. Dominic Jones forced himself to reel in disgust. That way were sad days and lonely times. So he changed the picture – or, more accurately, retrieved it.

He was happy. He was proud. He was discovering new things about himself. He was, also, surprised at the speed an arrow flew beside his ear and struck the figure coming from the Grove.

Wait. What?! The [Death Doctor] shook his head and saw the monster arrive at the crossroads they had set up camp, already scrambling backward as Orieke shouted at him to move.

It was tall. Heads taller than Dominic, and that made it the largest beast he had seen ever since arriving in this new world. Its head was bald, a warped horn growing painfully from one of the sides, so large and heavy that the head was always leaning forward due to the weight.

Its face was low and Dominic couldn’t see what its expression was, but the rest of the figure made it horrifying enough. Three arms grew from its torso, one white and black, long enough to drag over the ground and so thin it was almost a twig – though the claws at the tip shone dangerously. The other two grew both from the right shoulder, one childlike, pink, and small, while the other was as thick as a tree trunk and ended in a meaty paw.

Its legs were thin and twisted. Its torso? An inverted triangle of chiseled muscle. A long tail was dragged behind it, ending in a spade-like shape – and that was all Dominic Jones managed to see before another arrow whistled through the air, striking the creature on the shoulder.

The elderly man held his breath, expecting some retribution, but the creature… didn’t seem to notice it. Its shoulders still spasmed, head low.

Merino was the first of them to find his words as he stopped giving some manner of tonic to Kurian.

“What is that?”

“Star Above.”

Orieke mumbled, wide eyes at the thing in front of them – and Dominic saw the tight grip of the [Perfumer] on his wand. White-knuckled. The [Death Doctor] turned around and Merino was struggling to breathe, hunching forwards, and Kurian came to be only to freeze again at the sight.

Dominic tasted the air. He… didn’t feel as bad as he expected. The siren’s song of stillness was still there, but it had stopped growing after a while – as if there was a limit to how much he could be influenced. Another arrow flew through the air, and a voice shouted as the [Death Doctor] turned to find out where all these shots were coming from.

“[My Courage, Threefold]. [Brave Whistle]!”

The [Doctor] had only a moment to take in the blue skin and long hair of Akkiria before the [Ranger] put two fingers on her mouth and whistled.

Like a general’s cry. Like a war drum. The high-pitched sound made Dominic’s heart beat faster in his chest, courage he had never felt before running through his veins like magma. The Skill of a Nightmare Slayer, like Orieke had said.

The others also seemed to break away from the aura’s effects, Akkiria’s power making all of them stand straight and find their grounding incredibly quick. As one, the group turned towards the creature – and the [Perfumer] of Kiringar took his first shot.

“[Firebolt]!”

A small missile of pure flames flew across the air, weightless, and burst against the immobile creature's chest, making it take a step back. The blow charred flesh, though Dominic watched aghast as the burned skin fell off and regrew.

It also made the creature focus on them, finally, and raise its head.

Dominic Jones had believed he had seen enough of the monstrosity. It surely couldn’t be that bad. He had, of course, been wrong.

Two mismatched eyes grew above a scarred snout, both black but misaligned and one larger than the other, black trails flowing from both. Parched lips gave way to broken tusks and yellowed teeth, sharpened until deadly.

It was the third eye, however, that sent shivers down the [Death Doctor]’s spine, making even Akkiria’s Skill falter for a moment. Vertically placed in the middle of its forehead, the eye was half-open and rheumy, green muck crusting its corners, and its entirety was the same color as dirty snow.

Blind – and flickering. It moved without stopping, trying to see without success, until it focused on one of them, and bloomed.

“Eyes down!”

Akkiria’s order came quickly, Dominic obeying without thinking – but one of them was not so fast.

Merino had protected Kurian, forcing the frozen boy’s head down, but was not so quick as to save himself – and the young man's eyes rolled back as he fell like a log. That blind eye had done something to the [Apothecary], growing and pulsing beyond the confines of its eyelids, only to close after its effects ended. Kurian moved towards the young man, checking his pulse, but the sound of snoring broke the worst of their fears.

“A [Sleep] spell.”

Orieke commented briefly, shooting more [Firebolts] at the creature, but it was moving now – and it was fast. The [Perfumer] was biting his lower lip, focused as he seemed to test the creature with different timings for his spells while simultaneously keeping it away. Dominic asked, exasperated, as Kurian tried to shake Merino awake.

“From that eye?”

“Yes. Now. [Nature’s Scents: Stone]. [Imbue Scent]. Stay back, everyone. [Noxious Bomb].”

The [Perfumer] called for Skills and spells, combining the two until a small ball of dark gray smoke appeared at the tip of his wand. Orieke flickered his wrist, and the condensed haze flew across the air – and missed. The creature stopped moving, surprised at the mistake, and looked at the little ball rolling on the dirt.

Dominic turned towards the [Perfumer] and the Imp’s smile was… well, impish. Orieke lowered a hand the [Death Doctor] hadn’t seen him raising – and an arrow struck the powered [Noxious Bomb].

Akkiria’s shot broke the little stability of the spell, and the compressed smoke expanded like a striking snake towards the aberrant creature, which had no time to react before it doused it entirely, leaving a stone statue in place.

Petrifying perfume. Orieke’s small scoff did little to assuage Dominic’s shock. The elderly man half expected the Imp to blow on the tip of his wand like a cowboy from a Western movie, a self-satisfied grin on his face. He turned towards the [Doctor] and winked.

“Still got it, apparently. Now, let’s see to Mer–”

The creaking sound of breaking branches made them all turn around again – and this time, it wasn’t only one creature leaving the Choking Grove. A shadow appeared, crawling on the ground, then two – then six.

At last, the ground caved in – and a circular maw slithered from the hole. And it was not the only one. The wind howled as if a herald.

A horde of Nightmares advanced against them in a frenzy, and Orieke cursed the Scarlet Star as Dominic Jones paled in genuine fear.

***

Dominic palmed his [Scalpel] and checked on his reserves of… God, he needed a name for it. Ghastly Energy? Ghost Force?

That would do. His Ghost Force was full, whirling within his veins like a second set of plasma. It was a bit stilted though, sore from the effort of an entire day spent possessing something, but Dominic was past the time to hesitate due to a little pain.

He would push it to the brink if necessary. The [Death Doctor] swallowed the worst of his dread and watched as Orieke advanced, a new bottle in hand.

“We will have to kill them. Akkiria! Full force. Dominic… do your best.”

Dominic Jones’s mouth opened like a fish’s. He pointed at the incoming beasts, noticing their rising numbers.

“Can’t you hide us?”

“The Burial Worms will feel our weight on the ground. Unless you have a way to make us fly - no. [Fireball].”

A globe of flames, the size of Dominic’s head, was launched towards the first approaching Nightmares, their blue bodies recoiling at the heat as they screeched in pain. Dominic saw the things they carried on their backs – these dark, semi-transparent spheres – pop like jello under the massive flames, smothering them a bit.

Dominic tried not to acknowledge the small shapes falling from the spheres and into the fire – e em with their high-pitched wails.

Orieke took a moment to explain, prompted by the ugly sight.

“Deepcrawlers. Drowning. C’mon, where are those damned – there!”

He pointed at a small mound on the ground, the soil opening to reveal another of the Burial Worms – their brown bodies looking almost cartoonish were it not for the sharp teeth in their circular maws and the green saliva dripping from it. The goo sizzled as it touched the ground.

Great. Just great. Dominic shivered and threw his blade without a preamble, aiming for a kill. Acid Worms.

The blue [Scalpel] flew towards the Nightmare, and blind as it was, it couldn’t see the blade approaching and missing it entirely. Not even [Nimble Hands] could make a success without aim – but that didn’t mean the creature dove back without being harmed.

From Dominic’s side, Akkiria released an arrow from her bow and struck the Burial Worm. The projectile seemed to hurt, as the Nightmare wiggled in pain, releasing the gurgling sound of tumbling rocks before diving back into the earth.

“Don’t use fire, Elder – I can’t see shit with all the smoke.”

The [Ranger] spoke as cool as a cucumber, another arrow already placed and ready to be unleashed. Orieke blinked, a hiss on his tongue.

“Oh, blazes! Alright. Frost it is.”

From behind them, still tending to Merino, Kurian finally seemed to snap back to reality.

“Akky? What are you doing here?”

The blue-skinned demon spoke through a clenched jaw, focused on the moving shadows.

“Not the time, Kurian. Is Merino alright?”

The boy bit back a retort and hissed once.

“Fine. He’s not waking up, though.”

The group took a breath, watching as more of the Nightmares crawled forward, through the flames even. Akkiria shot at another Burial Worm edging closer to them. Dominic tried to strike one, but he missed again and spoke.

“Take his crossbow, Kurian. We’ll keep him safe, alright? But we gotta survive this. Orieke, do you have anything like the [Noxious Bomb]?”

The [Perfumer]’s face scrunched in concentration, hurling an [Ice Shard] at the approaching Nightmares. The sound of flesh being pierced was gruesome to Dominic’s ears, but the elderly man swallowed the rising bile. Orieke was watching the ground for more of the subterranean Nightmares.

“I’m saving it. Deepcrawlers can have a leader too – Aha! [Risen Earth]!”

The [Perfumer], once a [Mage], waved his wand and the soil in front of them turned within itself in the shape of a floating boulder – four Burrow Worms hanging from the half-made tunnels they had created, too slow to leave the spell's area of effect. The Elder Imp’s chest swelled with pride,

Dominic and Akkiria struck silently in what was the weirdest rendition of whack-a-mole, but with scalpels and arrows instead of sledgehammers. The [Death Doctor] managed to finally slice the first enemy with a throw of his blade, leaving a bleeding gash on one of the Nightmares before he recalled the [Spectral Scalpel] back to his hand and threw it again. He missed, but Akkiria took care of it with a Skill.

“[Power Shot].”

The arrow traveled in a flash, slicing the air with a whistle, and impacted the worm with such force that the creature exploded. Gore fell from the hole in the pillar with a disgusting squelch.

And meanwhile, Orieke and Kurian hunted down the Deepcrawlers. The twing of a released bolt from a crossbow and the [Perfumer]’s spells filled the air, alongside the grunts of pain from the humanoid-ish amphibious Nightmares, until a deep gurgle rumbled from one of them.

All of them turned to see, and Orieke’s eyes widened as he recognized one of the Nightmares.

“Oh–”

His exclamation was cut short by a wave of stagnant, foul-smelling water that struck all four. Dominic lost his footing, tumbling away due to the surprising impact, and opened his eyes to see Kurian and Orieke coughing liquid out of their lungs, weapons far away.

Merino’s body had been washed away, soaking wet, and only Akkiria managed to stand her ground by kneeling on the dirt.

The [Ranger] pulled an arrow back and struck something out of the air. A popping sound followed by a wet squelch, as Dominic Jones finally understood what was going on.

The Deepcrawlers were throwing their eggs. Malformed Nightmares thrown like grenades towards them only to explode in a shower of amniotic fluid and Nightmare blood. The undeveloped creatures, tasting air for the first time, also moved – and one of them took a bite out of Orieke’s arm as he was struck.

“Fuck! Take them down! Take them down!”

The [Perfumer] punched the little Nightmare until it stopped moving. Dominic cast a round of [False Life] over himself and Kurian, draining half of his mana, and the boy hissed in thanks before scrambling for the crossbow.

In front of them, the Deepcrawlers continued to throw the eggs at the groups and drag their bodies over the dirt, scratching themselves raw as they advanced. The pain didn’t stop them, and neither did the attacks that didn’t outright kill them. The Nightmare that had called for the wave was only a bit different from the others, larger by half and wearing a makeshift tiara made of thorny twigs on its brow – and as it crawled, its leading voice rumbled again.

The [Death Doctor] had the twisted privilege of seeing the attack form. The Deepcrawler’s leader vomited stale water and gathered it all into a sphere above its head. A wave of its claw saw it launching towards them, losing shape and becoming the same wall of liquid that had first struck, and Dominic crossed his arms in front of his chest as the wave dragged him back again.

Thank God for his new sandals. The Vriako-made pair managed to stick to the wet soil with a grip hard enough that Dominic bent back due to the water’s force but didn’t fall or move. When the [Death Doctor] managed to clear his sight, he blinked in surprise.

The Nightmares, those starving monsters all too willing to eat anyone and anything they could reach, weren’t running at them.

The monsters were crawling beyond their position, still frenzied – but prioritizing their escape rather than staying back and attacking them. And that sent shivers down Dominic’s spine.

“Orieke. Orieke! What the hell is coming now?”

The [Perfumer] spat more water.

“I don’t know! Akkiria?”

“Can’t see it, Elder. Whatever it is… we should probably run.”

Orieke bit his lower lip as the Deepcrawlers seemed to stop paying attention to them and continued their run west – many even entering the domain of the Pale Men and disappearing within. Dominic managed to see a white hand grab one of the Nightmares by the back of its neck and drag it into the rolling fog.

Terrifying. There was no sound or further movement, and the [Death Doctor] had to make the conscious decision of ungluing his eyes before agreeing with the conversation.

“We need to go. Something is very wrong with the Grove. How long until we reach the Frozen Gates? Kurian?”

“Another day of walking. But the Grove will be beside us all the time – we could be caught by something worse!”

“We’ll have to risk it. Right, Orieke?”

Dominic asked their guide, but even the [Perfumer] seemed anxious now. The [Death Doctor] watched the Imp elder gather his courage and sigh heavily, clearing his lungs.

“Yes. For a cure.”

He spoke, almost as if wanting to remind himself of the reason they were going through all this effort. Dominic nodded.

“For a cure.”

The Imps hissed once, painfully aware of who they left behind – and even their newest member seemed to take their decision with the needed importance. This was training, yes, but they were here in search of hope – that there was a way to help those with the Ashen Lungs.

Together, they began to gather their things, wasting not a second – and Orieke even summoned a [Shadow Servant] to carry Merino’s still sleeping form.

And then, as if testing their will, the wind stopped.