He was distracted again, wasn’t he? Nar thought, as Kur chastised the ring tosser. Crystal, maybe it’s time that we approached him to talk about it, before anything serious happens.

  He glanced towards Cor, but her momentum affinity wasn’t likely to cause any issues in a battle where all she needed to do was concentrate and focus on her [Gathering Tides].

  It’s grown stronger, Nar thought, eying the [Gathering Tides] status effects under his status bars. It’s at six, and already I’m feeling a difference.

  That [Aura Blade] he had just unleashed had almost felt as though it had been pushed from behind, like a gust had propelled it that tiny bit faster and easier towards where it needed to be.

  As for Tun, the other potential problematic affinity user, for the moment, he seemed in control of himself and of his mighty, aura towershields skill. But as more and more of the party succumbed and fell to the depredations of the shroomlings’ spores, the more likely it was for Tun’s other side of his affinity, vengeance, to manifest. Plus, it was only recently that the morsvar tank had unlocked the aptly called [Blade of Vengeance], a skill that allowed him to gather up counters accrued through the damage taken by his party members, and unleash a devastating slash of dark, golden aura that was somewhat reminiscent of Nar’s own [Aura Blade], minus the explosive effects.

  Still, nobody wants to take one of those to the face, Nar thought, recalling the line of light that Tun unleashed, horizontally, during their time in the Hungry Jungle. Given enough [Vengeance] counters, it could slice through even the thickest of armor.

  Problem is, the more of those counters he gets, the more out of control he becomes, Nar thought, with a sigh. Looks like Row jinxed it when she said there would be no problem with affinities amongst her party… Still, I wonder if that means Tun’s path is also a resource management one, like Leon’s good deeds and Mul’s rage. His skills will probably continue to develop around his [Vengeance] counters. Actually, I wonder if Cor and Eum’s paths also count as resource ones, with her [Gathering Tides] and his bloodlust core mechanics…

  Kur dropped Jul at Leta’s feet, and Nar grit his teeth as the green haired quam contorted on the ground in the grips of [Raking Pain].

  As expected the status effects were nasty, and it was easy to see how a line of fighters could easily fall without a well established and prepared cleansing plan in action to counter it. Thankfully, their cleansing strategy was working, and Viy was already rising to her feet, if somewhat unsteady, and eyeing the frontline with dark fury brimming in her ashen eyes.

  But with this, the healers have made themselves targets, Nar thought, and scanned the darkness around him. Those things must be coming now.

  Just as the thought came to him, Sej, who stood in front of the healers with a strangely blank expression on her features, raised her gun and shot at the empty air to their left. A startled grunt reached Nar’s ears, and he watched, in stunned fascination, as a shroomling, indeed built taller and more limber than its companions, materialized from thin air. Sej wasted no time and pumped the creature full of bullets, eventually pushing it off the side of the passage.

  Crystal, I didn’t notice anything! Nar thought, clenching his jaw. Meanwhile, Sej, who could fight unburned due to Sarke having stayed behind on the safety of the lake’s shore, raised her weapon again and shot in his direction.

  Twin shots, twin flares of bright grey aura, and two of the roguelings materialized just a few paces from him.

  The hunter didn’t bother to finish them, and instead, shifted her attention elsewhere. But Nar was already on the move. Even without any vocal or visual cues, he knew his duty. His bright blade slashed towards the rogueling to his left before the beast could even recover from the shock of having been found from under the protection of its [Stealth].

  [Sword Aura], 200 points! Nar thought, aiming to slay the beast in one go and jump at the other before it could make it to the healers and the wounded.

  The rogueling managed to just about turn its eyeless, fungal face to him, before Nar’s bright sword slashed through its fungi-like flesh, filling the air with the scent of burning, cloying dampness. Nar was already thrusting his blade at the other rogueling before the other dropped to the rocky floor, in two charred halves.

  The second rogueling had already recovered from its shock, and it was prepared for Nar, which is why he plunged straight through a cloud of neon, shimmering blue spores.

  “Ugh!” Nar thought, as his nerves caught on fire.

  It had to be the [Raking Pain] one, of course! Nar thought. Crystal, no wonder Jul’s screaming on the floor. This shit hurts!

  His newest skill, the passive [Enduring Stand], triggered seamlessly. It pushed back the howling, screeching clawing reach of agony from his mind, aiding Nar in remaining in control of himself. Nar plowed through the blue spore cloud without even a moment’s hesitation, and skewered the rogueling.

  Pulling his sword back, he stabbed the creature three more times, allowing his [Lingering Aura] to take over and wreak havoc within the beast. Within moments, it was shivering at his feet, its life draining as Nar’s aura consumed it from within.

  Now that’s what I call a status effect! You don’t like pain so much anymore, uh? Nar thought, unable to hold back a smirk as the rogueling stilled at his feet. Then he winced, biting back a groan. Ouch. Fuck! I wish this skill actually took away the damned pain. This isn’t what Tys promised.

  This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

  Then again, what had she promised? Pain resistance had been vague enough and he was able to better resist pain now, and by quite a significant margin. So Tys had promised and the skill had delivered, it was just that he had hoped to be rid of pain all together.

  Guess we’re stuck together forever, Nar grunted, unsure to whom.

  Sighing, he sent a flood of aura cycling through his pathways to clear away the spores within him.

  “You okay?” Leta shouted at him, her needles glowing bright as she cleansed Jul. Thankfully, the rogue was now just panting hard, having been freed from the jail of agony that was [Racking Pain].

  “Yeah,” Nar said with a sigh, as the pain within him vanished. “How is she?”

  “I’m okay too,” Jul grunted. “I-I can go back to—”

  “Hold on! If I don’t remove the spores completely, the status effect will just return,” Leta said, pushing Jul’s head back down. “Genahu! What nasty shit. Nar, make sure you clean yourself properly!”

  “It’s already gone,” Nar informed her as he scanned the battlefield.

  “Radiants! I wish I had your aura,” Leta said, frowning as she pushed even more of hers into Jul.

  The sound of Sej’s rifle alerted him to the presence of more enemies coming from behind, and he tensed, preparing to end them well before their clawed fingers and noxious spore clouds could reach the healers.

  “Help! Shit!”

  He glanced back in time to catch Raf flinging Kur away from him, a line of drool running down his parted lips.

  “Ah, shit…” Nar muttered.

  “Grab him! Quick!” Sej shouted, firing at the roguelings. “I’ll handle them!”

  Nar didn’t wait to be told twice and storing his sword, he blurred towards the big altei. Raf rasped at him, his eyeballs turning red. Nar ducked under the big man’s massive two handed axe.

  Crystal, Nar thought, as the air disturbed by the blow smacked the back of his head. He’s going full out, isn’t he?

  But then, he crashed into Raf, lifting him off his feet, and slammed him against the floor.

  “Hold him!” Jasphaer said, abandoning helping Leta with Jul in favor of dealing with Raf’s [Rabid Blindness].

  “I’m… trying,” Nar grunted. “Crystal! He’s fucking going all out!”

  Indeed, Raf bared his teeth at Nar, trying to bite his neck, and his muscles bulged as the spores drove the two-handed axe wielder into a blind rage. There was no friend nor foe, his brain taken over by the spores.

  “Hold on! I’m here!” Kur said, jumping on top of Raf’s left side. “Hurry, Jasphaer!”

  “What do you think I’m doing?” the furry healer said, his long ears laying completely flat against the sides of his head as he struggled to keep his glowing hands on Raf’s head.

  “Watch his teeth! Watch his teeth!” Nar called.

  “Genahu!” Jasphaer yelped, pulling back his left hand just a split-moment before he lost fingers.

  “I knew this was going to be the worst one,” Kur muttered, his head rocking back and forth like a doll as he struggled to hold onto Raf.

  Is he even holding him down? Nar wondered, glancing at Kur.

  His arms were growing heavy, his muscles screaming at him. Nar had always known that despite the huge boost from his [The Aspiring Apprentice], that is [Strength] was not the greatest in the party. Far from it. The two true [Strength] beasts were Mul and Raf, with the big altei pulling ahead. And now that Nar was being forced to hold down the rabid man, he was truly beginning to understand the difference between them.

  “Ah!” Kur shouted, almost letting go of Raf's arm, and the big man clawed for Jasphaer’s face.

  A streak of dark blood leaked down the healer’s cheek.

  “Shit! Are you okay?” Nar called.

  “I’m fine!” Jasphaer said, sweat pouring down his face and mingling with his dark blood. “Keep him still.”

  Nar groaned as he tried to do so, but his mind wavered at the sound of Sej’s gunshots. The hunter was good, and potentially fifteen levels above those roguelings, but it sounded as though more and more of them were popping out of the green-purple shimmering twilight, drawn by Jasphaer and Leta’s healing efforts.

  Damn it! We don’t have time for this. Sorry, big guy! Nar thought. Just as Raf was about to push himself free Nar slammed down on him with all his [Strength]. Cracks snapped in the air, and Nar almost let go of the axe-man in fright.

  “It was the floor,” Jasphaer informed him. “Don’t worry.”

  The floor? Really? Nar thought, stunned. But it's solid rock!

  Maybe he had underestimated just how much [Strength] he too, now had at his disposal.

  “Just be careful you don’t break the whole… Augh!” Kur screamed.

  Looking over to Kur’s side of the struggle, Nar found that Raf had managed to get a hold of Kur’s ankle somehow, and the big man was obviously squeezing it hard, making Kur howl in agony.

  Ah, for fuck’s…

  Nar leaped over, using his body to keep Raf pinned down and tried to pry his fingers from Kur’s ankle.

  “Careful!” Jasphaer shouted. He had nearly been sent flying by Nar’s sudden movement. “And don’t break his fingers. We don’t have time to heal them!”

  “Hurry up! There’s loads of them!” Sej warned them.

  “I’m trying!” Jasphaer hissed. “The spores keep spreading back to the cleansed areas… damn it! I’m sorry, Raf!”

  Jasphaer’s hands turned blinding, and it was Raf’s turn to howl in pain.

  “Sorry, man. A headache is better than this, anyways,” Jasphaer said, flooding Raf’s skull and brain with his aura.

  Within moments, Raf’s hold over Kur’s ankle slackened, and Kur crawled away, nursing his injury.

  Raf gasped awake.

  “Oh, no!” he said, his last memory kicking in. “I’m so sorry! I—”

  “I leave them both to you, Jasphaer!” Nar shouted, leaping to his feat.

  “Go! Go!” Jasphaer said, already reaching over to heal Kur’s ankle. “Raf, that was crazy! I don’t think you should go back to…”

  Nar’s [Awareness] filtered out the healer’s words as unimportant. Gun shots exploded from behind him, bullets whistling angrily through the air as he unleashed a wide [Aura Blade] as the roguelings advanced.

  “Deal with those!” Sej shouted. “I’ll handle the sides!”

  His [Aura Blade] cut through a few of the roguelings, but most of them managed to duck under it, and there were taller and even longer limbed varieties amongst them now as well. The glow of red, blue, yellow and purple spores clashed in an almost dizzying manner.

  Crystal… This is really going to be a mess, Nar thought as he channeled more aura into his blade. And why are you being so obedient today? You don’t like mushrooms?

  The pillar of rock shook under his feet, followed by the heavy sounds of a mighty advance. However, Nar didn’t have time to take his eyes off the back of the party. A bright orange glow was now lighting up the rock wall and the flowing water to their left.

  “Watch out! There were traps after all!” Sej cried into their party chat.

  Nar caught sight of thin, long legs reaching up over the edge of the pillar, and then a giant, pulsing pustule of fungi, bright in its sickly orange, climbed onto the bridge, with more following behind it.

  Nar heaved a sigh. Now, he was faced with not just a growing number of roguelings, but also the living traps that the fungal nightmare had somehow kept hidden from their guide.

  For some reason, Nar’s mind picked that exact moment to remember Kur’s earlier talk about statistics, just as the very pillar of rock upon which they stood shook under his feet again.