It had taken some convincing to get Gwyneth to buy a weapon. She wanted to exclusively use her spirit since it had metal bits and floated. The redhead didn't understand the benefit of learning a weapon form. She was right in one aspect unless they invested in Core upgraded weapons, they'd be useless pretty soon. Bunty wanted her to sharpen her battle instincts and learn to defend herself when spells weren't an option.

While they walked across the hills, valleys and fields, Bunty guided Gwyneth through different forms and stances. He didn’t expect her to slay her opponents but evade and defend. Not every target would be immobile like the slime lord, after all. She needed to throw her opponents off balance before striking with her spirit. If that failed, Gwyneth would need to buy time until Bunty could help her.

"Walk me through your spells," Bunty said when they took a break to find their bearings.

“Well, much like your inkwell, the lamp has a basic power.” Gwyneth summoned her spirit to accompany the explanation. “The light never runs out and makes the spirit float. I have a link to the light, can control its brightness, and push or pull it away from me. The movement is fairly slow and gets slower the further it gets from my body.”

“Which is why you’d like a telekinesis spell?”

She nodded. “I don’t know whether it will manifest as a spell or not, but I want to enhance my ability to push and pull the light. It will enable me to use the lantern for close-range defence and offence, making spearplay moot.”

“It’s silly not to carry a weapon at all, though,” Bunty told her. “If your spirit doesn’t require you to use your hands, there is no point in leaving them empty and inactive. You might as well put them to use and prepare for every contingency.”

“I guess.” Gwyneth sighed. “You’re familiar with the lightning enchantment. It works on all metals.”

“I see why you want a telekinesis boost then. An electrified shield or bludgeoning tool is a formidable threat against most opponents.”

“As for the attack spell, Lightning Bolt, it lets me draw on the lamp’s light to fire lightning. The more power I pour into it, the more draining it is to aim it. The slime lord wasn’t that big of a challenge since his body acted as a lightning rod. It won’t be as easy against mobile foes.”

Bunty watched the spirit thoughtfully. It made sense why Gwyneth needed telekinesis and metal manipulation. Tagging a target with a small metallic projectile would make it easier to hit. “Perhaps next time I’m in town, I’ll pick up a bandolier of throwing knives. In the long run, though, it might be for the best if we and anyone else that joins, weed out metal weapons altogether.”

“Did you have someone in mind?” Gwyneth asked.

“I do.” Bunty nodded. “I’ve got a friend with a rather unconventional plant spirit. They’re dandelion fluff and let’s alter the weight of whatever they cling to.”

“That’s an interesting ability,” Gwyneth commented. “We’ll need more if you intend to get past the fourth interval, though. A vanguard is a must. Not someone mobile with hit-and-run tactics like yours, but a person that can stand in the frontlines and hold the opponent’s attention while we do our thing. You reckon your friend can do that?”

“Depends on how she nurtures the spirit, but I’m not sure. Let’s just put that on hold for now and find something to fight. I want to get a feel of my spirit in a fight, and you need to practise the spear.”

“In combat?” Gwyneth asked, eyes wide. “Isn’t it a bit too soon for that? I thought we’d spar a bit and—”

“We won’t go up against anything too powerful,” Bunty said, flicking through the guidebook. “Besides, you’ve got me for support. Consider it a test of your instincts.”

Gwyneth wasn’t convinced, but Bunty offered reassurances as they walked. She’d already been in fights before but been stuck at the backlines. On a couple of occasions, she claimed to have used her bow as a staff too. Bunty believed a push would get her where she needed. Besides, Baba claimed that one didn’t need an upgraded spirit to slay an average beast in the first interval. Gaia intended it as a hunting ground for starter Cores.

After heading north from a DeLawney fort, the pair found a stretch devoid of Climbers. The uneven terrain required a lot of climbing, making it difficult to traverse. Bunty soon discovered that not carrying a hook or clamp had been a big mistake. Whipping the tentacle to latch onto a branch or ledge was easy. When it was a matter of scaling a tall rockface using a rope, he’d have to throw it a long distance. The stretched out Slimeskin tentacle was much too light for that purpose. Hopefully, Eirkh’s Core would give him a weighty summon to counter the shortcoming.

Refusing to climb freehand all the way to the top, Bunty used a mixture of whip slinging and hunting for handholds. He found himself loving the Stick command. The more he used it, the better he got at localising the part of the Slimeskin he wanted to make adhesive. When he got thirsty, Bunty wrapped the tentacle around his waist and stuck either end of it to the stone. It held him in place following the Stiffen command, letting him use his hands freely.

Once at the top, Bunty extended a long rope from the pen and attached it to a nearby boulder. Gwyneth wrapped it around her waist, and Bunty sucked the ink back into its home. The rope retracted, pulling his companion to the top. They were both all-smiles after the little manoeuvre. Traversal had just gotten a whole lot easier.

The guidebook spoke of little goblinoid creatures that threw rocks at people early in the morning. They’d occasionally roll boulders down at them as well. If they killed a target, the creatures would climb down and carry the carcass away. The guidebook claimed that they travelled in small groups and were a moderate threat to the unaware. Bunty expected a tribal society similar to the lizardmen. When they spotted a pair in loincloths carrying clubs, his hypothesis proved correct.

White, red and yellow paints covered their faces, torsos and arms. The rest of them—including their backs—was covered in thick-matted hair. The green, brown and grey colouration would make it easy for them to blend in with the bushy, rock-covered terrain that they called their home. During their approach, Bunty especially worried about the critters’ long, pointed ears. He hoped they didn’t come with a heightened sense of hearing. It would ruin the element of surprise.

If he were with Alexander and company, Bunty would’ve had them split up. He favoured pincer attacks as they always made the targets panic. However, he didn’t trust Gwyneth to hold her own in case there were more of them hiding nearby. So, they took a different approach. First, she used her utility spell to add lightning to her spearhead. As expected, the sound of the spell activating, alerted the little monsters. So, Bunty burst out of the bushes and threw his staff at them. It spun at the surprised pair, and one of them leapt out of the way.

“Relax,” Bunty whispered just before the five-foot length of ink made contact with the target. It went slack and curved under the centrifugal force, wrapping itself around the monster. “Stick.” And just like that, the creature was trapped. He couldn’t be happier. Not all beasts would be that easy, but it was good to know that his experiment succeeded. “Your turn, Gwyn.”

When Gwyneth charged out of the bushes, the other hairy critter turned tail and ran. Bunty summoned Explorer’s Fountain Pen into his right hand and whipped the Slimeskin tentacle at it. He missed the neck but managed to catch it around the wrist. Bunty tugged it backwards and ran past the monster to block its escape path. The hairy little hairball’s apple-sized eyes widened as it looked up at him. After judging him as an impossible target, it ran in the opposite direction straight at Gwyneth, the club raised over its head.

It came as no surprise when the first spear thrust missed. Her arm muscles weren’t accustomed to the weight and form. Gwyneth used the move Bunty had taught her earlier and shifted her weight to her back leg before sweeping the spear towards it. The swing caught the beast in the side and threw it off balance. Gwyneth surprised Bunty then, by moving the lamp in front of the creature and having it fall on top of it. Lightning arced from the spirit’s metallic surfaces, making the beast spasm. Gwyneth finished it off by planting her electrified spearhead in its neck.

Before she could relax, Bunty ran at the trapped monster—he named it a gremlin for convenience—and stabbed the sticky tentacle with his pen. Once it had absorbed the ink, freeing the creature, he kicked it towards Gwyneth.

“You arsehole,” she hissed, before thrusting her staff at the gremlin. The creature blocked the attack using its club, surprising both of them with its strength. It lunged at Gwyneth, but she danced backwards, putting the lamp between her and her hairy opponent.

“Very good!” Bunty exclaimed. “It’s shorter than you. Use your reach to keep it at a distance and look for an opening.”

When the gremlin tried to escape, Bunty blocked its path. After the third attempt, it gave up and focused on Gwyneth. She proved to have better stamina than the little monster and didn’t slow down as the fight dragged out. In the end, she managed to land a glancing blow on the creature’s right arm. The electrified spearhead stunned it momentarily, and Gwyneth jumped on the opening, planting her weapon in the creature’s stomach.

“You’re an arsehole,” she repeated, falling onto her bottom and breathing heavily.

“How do you feel about the spear now?” Bunty asked.

Gwyneth glared at him, her brows furrowed. “Better,” she replied. “But you said we’d take one each. That was a dick move.”

“Fights are often like that, though,” Bunty said. “You don’t have a trained Climbing party with upgraded spirits defending you anymore. It’s just the two of us. We might run into large groups, and I might not be able to hold off all of them at once. You might end up facing multiple opponents at once or one after another. Trust me, Gwyn, this is good practise.”

“Since when are you shortening my name?” Gwyneth asked, raising an eyebrow. She used the staff to push herself back onto her feet.

“It’s less of a mouthful. I feel like a dick saying Gwyneth every time. Is it going to be a problem?”

She shook her head. “No one’s done that before. I’m just surprised more than anything. Do I have to call you, Bun?”

“If you want.” Bunty laughed, taking a sip from his waterskin. “Hydrate if you want to. We’re going to fight more of these critters and see if there is a village near here. Maybe we’ll stumble into a hidden gate.”

Gwyneth sighed, rolled her eyes, and had a drink. Bunty couldn’t help but feel amused by her disdain. He wondered whether Baba had felt the same when training and pushing him. It was a good thing she didn’t argue or resist his instruction. He’d been a much worse student than her.