A few people in the group keep giving me strange glances but looking away when I go to make eye contact. Eventually, I question it.

“We saw your skin melting, but you look perfectly fine now! How?” A blonde woman steps out of the crowd, giving me a questioning look that everyone else agrees with.

“Oh, right, I should change these clothes too, they’re a mess.” Looking down, I realize I was wearing my favorite green shirt too. “Damnit, I loved this shirt.”

Equipping a different shirt and pants, I’m freshly clothed once more. Everyone is giving me even stranger stares now.

“Okay so the skin thing, right. With The Construct, you can heal from any wound, I’m sure you’ve noticed. I just have a perk that speeds that process up. I’m not sure how many of you have experimented, but the equip menu lets you put things on as a perfect fit.”

One man immediately brings up the menu and his hands swipe across the screen. His clothes disappear immediately, leaving him in just his underwear, causing a few people to gape.

“Been there, done that, buddy.” Chuckling to myself, I turn away as he quickly reequips everything.

In the distance, I spot a group of 3 volley stags once I turn around. One of them compacts crystal dust and hurls it at us. It slows down too much from the distance, stopping short of us.

The deer continue toward us, trotting along. The brunette with the whistle tries to tame them before they approach, but it only serves to make them stop for a moment before continuing at us again, gathering up crystal into compressed spheres.

“Alright everyone, these are volley stags. They throw balls of compacted earth, or in this case crystal, I guess. The second thing I ever killed was a volley stag, so you guys should be able to handle yourselves on this one. I’ll watch and make sure you don’t get too badly hurt.”

Considering for a moment, I turn to a part of the group. “Some of you should try to find more survivors. Either have them gather into our group to fight or return to the Shop. If we’re clearing from this direction, it should be safe enough for them to run back.”

A few people nod to me and start calling out into the distance. Some panicked individuals who have been running around come to join us. Some appear to have already been doing so as soon as they spotted such a large group.

Turning back, the fight against the volley stags has begun. Gabe raises his axe high, its head glittering with a blade of water coating it, making it razor sharp.

He manages to sidestep one of the launched projectiles and land a hit of his own, the water slicing into the stag’s hide. It rears and he takes a hoof to the chest, sending him tumbling backward.

He coughs amid a cloud of crystal dust and staggers back to his feet. Others in the group are engaging the volley stags as well. Arrows fly and a few bolts of magic are sent forward. The mage I taught Pyrokinesis to is already flinging Fireballs, causing the stags to panic.

The animal tamer steps forward, pointing a finger toward one of the monstrous deer. “Pikachuhuahua! Shock him!”

Surprising me, I see a -1 in my peripherals as the pun apparently causes damage to me, the same as Colt’s pun so long ago.

You have gained the resistance: Pun Resistance (1/100)!

‘That’s a thing?’

The chihuahua zips forward, sparking violently as it latches on to the volley stag’s leg, immobilizing it in an effect akin to a taser.

Turning to the woman, I raise an eyebrow. “Really? Pikachuhuahua?”

She gives me a cheesy grin. “What? Don’t like Pokemon?”

“No, it’s just that it doesn’t feel particularly serious and- URGHK!” Midsentence I’m sent to the ground as a volley stag lands a stray projectile directly into a particularly sensitive region.

Curling up in pain, my eyes water. “Why… Me…”

As much as the animal tamer seems to want to help me, she’s too busy laughing at my misfortune. A crystal orb whizzing by her head sobers her up, however, making her refocus on combat.

She sends the great dane into combat next. “Go! Houndane!”

“God fucking-” -1

The dog unleashes tendrils of darkness which spear into the volley stag, ending its life quickly. The rest of the group make simple work of the other volley stags, the numbers overwhelming them easily.

Only a few people seem to even be drinking a healing potion.

Restoring my body to normal with Promethean, I stand up and dust myself off. Some people give me strange looks, having seen me awkwardly clamber upright from a fetal position.

Blushing, I wave them off.

The next few hours of our rescue efforts continue in the same vein. Everyone is getting stronger after every fight.

The borzoi, lovingly named Bortoy after apparently a “baltoy”, and Mamosaint the St. Bernard, named after a “mamoswine”, prove to be just as formidable as the other dogs in this timeframe.

Apparently, Sydney, the animal tamer, is also able to pull from these dog’s elemental abilities and use them to a lesser effect herself. Anything they kill she gains a portion of the experience too.

Our group grows in size, but some natural leaders have shown through so we’ve become several micro-groups working in concert. It’s a relief to me, as leading the groups was becoming stressful.

Some more RPG-savvy individuals have made sure our groups are well balanced in terms of ranged and melee individuals. A few people, namely those with healthcare professions beforehand, have found that they have some healing abilities.

Testing it, I injured myself but was unable to use the healing they gave me to convert to MP with Spellbound Physique. It seems that the life energy healing provides needs to be processed for a while inside me before I can utilize it for that purpose. “There goes my exploit…”

After receiving some rare drops, people have upgraded equipment as well. The drops seem to guide themselves towards the weapon choice the individual made. One archer got an ornate antler-shaped bow which compresses earth into arrows to fire after she defeated a royal guard volley stag.

Seeing me guard everyone, as there have been instances where I have to step in and block attacks, has improved the general mood about me in general. More people are coming to understand that I just tried to help.

Alongside one of the micro-groups, we encounter a group of slimes, tinged the same amber orange as the crystals they’re currently absorbing.

‘Inspect’

Smoky Quartz Slime

Traits: Amorphous, Crystal Growth

Description: This slime has absorbed a sufficient amount of smoky quartz crystal and its bodily makeup has shifted. It can now produce crystals of smoky quartz in a more refined form. Its dietary preference has shifted to eating earth.

Turning to the group that’s with me, I hold up a hand to stop them. “I have a bit of a personal vendetta here, if you’d let me take care of these I’d appreciate it.”

Some shrug and give me the okay while others claim I’m hoarding experience. They don’t move to fight though.

Bursting toward the slimes, I smash the first with a Devastating Impact. Its body is strangely crystalline yet gelatinous. In the end, that doesn’t matter. It’s body splatters across the ground and I shift Argo in my grip.

Swapping equipment loadouts, I throw Argo high into the sky. ‘I’ve been wanting to try this…’

Quickly swapping out the water runes in Crashing Wake with Runic Matrix, I replace them with a different element that I practiced with earlier.

Argo ignites in the sky, rocketing back down toward a slime as I pull on the chain. “Searing Wake!”

Fire plumes around the anchor as it crashes down on a slime, destroying it instantly. Most of the monsters kept inside the city were lower level, only a few stronger ones have been found.

Meeting up with Colt earlier, he told me that he had fought a massive squirrel called a slipsquirrel. It apparently jumps through dimensional holes and has massive claws.

For the most part, the monsters have been weaker variants that we found weeks ago. Most monsters outside the city are much stronger at this point.

Swinging into the last slime, blades of water around Argo tear it apart. They make good practice for new Skill ideas at least.

Slimes defeated (x3)! 163 XP awarded!

Slime dropped: 14 Sparks, 2 Neutral Slime Eggs

Level up! You have achieved level 21, you are awarded 5 unallocated stat points, +80 MP, +0.8 HP regen, +2.7 MP regen, +32 Strength, +49 Endurance, +12 Dexterity, +29 Intelligence, +41 Attunement, +17 Willpower, +3 Charisma, and +19 Insight. 5/6973 remaining until level 22.

‘I really wish I didn’t always have to pick up everything. Picking up coins on the ground takes too long.’ While I could use Metallomancy to pick them up, I’m just feeling complainy after a long day.

Internal Storage Perk present: Enable Auto-Loot?

“What the fuck? Why didn’t I know about this earlier? Yes!”

Auto-Loot enabled. Drops that are your claim will now be looted into your Personal Hold.

‘Well that’s gonna be a lot more convenient.’

Grumbling, I still pick up the Sparks and eggs, those weren’t a part of the auto-loot I guess because they’re already on the ground.

‘Wait, eggs? I’m a bit on the fence, slimes are awful after all, but if they can grow crystals, what other useful things could I make them grow?’

Storing them away, for now, I have other priorities, like saving a disintegrated city. The work there seems to be handling itself now though.

After some fights and levels in Talents, people are becoming a lot stronger.

Warning: Due to the vast numbers of enemies being slain in one area, a boss monster is spawning.

Around us, the carcasses of the different monsters we’ve been killing start disintegrating. The particles convert to energy and settle over the vast amounts of crystal dust laying around.

People scream as the dust lifts into the air, swarming into shape and forming larger crystal constructs.

As it begins to take form, it’s vaguely humanoid in shape. Thinking quickly, I launch a ball of water into the air and shoot a stream of fire into it.

Steam plumes out from me doing this. Hopefully, Colt, Becky, and Adreanell spot it and come to me.

The humanoid crystal takes shape finally, forming into armor with a large sword. My jaw drops as I fully take in this boss monster. It’s absolutely massive. As tall as some skyscrapers in larger cities. Its eyes glow a piercing blue.

“Holy fuck we’re doomed.” A man in the group behind me looks pale as he steps backward, stumbling a bit.

“You guys need to get out of here immediately. Gather everyone and RUN!”

Everyone stands there as I stare at them, they’re frozen in shock. “Fucking RUN!”

They snap out of their shock momentarily and as a collective, begin to run away. Turning back, I see the massive crystal sword swinging down at me.

Ebbing to the side, I dodge out of the way just in time. A massive wind current blows me back further and the ground under the sword is destroyed.

Firing several Mana Darts at the giant’s face, I try to keep its attention on me instead of the running crowds.

Inspecting it quickly, I hope for any helpful information.

Grandis - Crystal Knight

Traits: High Endurance, Sword Mastery

Description: This crystal knight is formed from the remains of a crystal city. It is a boss class enemy created by the essence of defeated monsters. While slow due to its stature, every hit contains massive destructive force.

“Oh fuck, it has a name. Named enemies are never good.”

While Grandis heaves its sword up, I swing out Argo, wrapping the chain around its wrist. With the use of Mooring, I lock Argo into place and pull myself up.

The knight’s other hand comes toward me while I’m standing on its wrist. Quickly unlatching Argo, I leap off its hand before I can be crushed.

Swinging Argo out once more, his arm sticks into the shoulder of the giant and I pull myself to him. Leaping off his shoulder, I heft Argo up.

“Devastating Impact!” My hit connects with the giant’s helmet-head, smashing it to the side. A giant hand swats me out of the air after my hit connects.

Rocketing toward the ground, I brace myself, only to be caught softly before I hit the ground. Looking down, Colt is grinning at me, a green glow emanating from his hand.

“Looks like you could use a hand.”

-1

Smiling back at him, I wince in pain. While I didn’t smash into the ground, the hit from the hand still packed a lot of force.

Drinking a healing potion, I bring my HP back to safe levels and top it off by converting some MP into HP.

Becky is standing next to Colt, looking intently at the knight as Colt slowly lowers me to the ground.

“Thanks for catching me. Guess I’ve fallen for you twice now.” Winking at him, he blushes.

Becky gags and glares at me.

Turning back to the knight, he’s swinging down at us again, faster than before. Realizing we don’t have time to dodge, I leap back into the air and slam a Devastating Impact into the flat of the blade, redirecting it just enough to the side to miss us.

Becky yelps as the wind billows out from the sword and sends her tumbling. She stabs some scissors into the ground to stop herself short. Colt simply redirects the wind around himself with Aeromancy.

The knight lifts a foot to stomp on us, causing us all to have to sprint out of the way. Becky seems to be using her Magical Locks to speed herself along on the ground.

“This thing is really tough guys, it took a direct hit to the head from me and I barely see any damage at all.”

“Sounds like you need a power-up then!”

Turning around, Adreanell and her red-headed friend Cassandra are here. Cassandra is wearing a full witch outfit, pointy hat and all. Adreanell is just wearing a graphic tee and some jeans.

Cassandra tosses something to me and I catch it. ‘Inspect.’

Berserker Chew

Quality: Medium

Traits: Physical Empowerment

Description: This piece of chewy caramel has been formulated with certain gathered herbs inside it to give the consumer a boost of physical strength. The effect lasts for 5 minutes and begins upon chewing.

Raising my eyebrows in surprise, I pop the caramel into my mouth. It’s delicious! Strength floods my body while I chew.

Another sword swing comes down at us, forcing everyone to dodge once more.

Leaping on to the knight’s wrist again, it lifts its arm up more rapidly before stopping abruptly. This action flings me high into the air. A giant hand comes to grab me, but vines wrap around the arm, pulling it backward.

Activating Crashing Wake, my body bursts forward. Landing another Devastating Impact with my anchor, I add additional knots and ballast my weight into this hit while pumping mana into Argo.

A small hairline fracture forms in the giant’s face from my hit, but this only seems to bother it. The vines break and I take a crystalline punch across my entire body. Gasping, the air is knocked out of me and I feel cracks throughout my body.

Promethean tells me that I have fractures in large portions of my body. My focus wavers due to the pain, but I attempt to push through it and force my body to heal.

As I’m flying through the air, I note the knight’s sword swinging toward me. Battening Down, I close my eyes and hope for the best.

A loud thunk sounds out next to me, but I don’t feel the impact on my shield. Looking down, Colt’s expression is strained but the sword is caught on an invisible barrier.

The barrier also softly caught me once more, but Colt loses his ability to hold it any further and I drop to the ground. Landing painfully, I struggle to my feet and down a healing potion as well as a mana potion.

The potions remind me of another type I have in my hold, which I take out and drink now. It has a metallic aftertaste, but instantly I feel my entire body reinforce as I swallow the ironskin elixir.

Taking out some vegetables Colt seared with Pyromancy quick to pull out the magical properties, I eat several slices of what appears to be a blue bell pepper. It’s strangely minty and leaves a chilling sensation inside my lungs.

Refocusing, everyone is keeping the knight busy while I recover. Becky has managed to Trim several slices into the knight’s body. It appears only her crystal scissors are sharp enough to do so. Due to this, she has to get in close for every slice, dodging hits from the knight.

Colt is slowly entangling the knight in more vines, restricting its movements. His face is stuck in a look of sheer concentration and I can tell holding this much force is a huge drain on him.

The chill inside me is building, almost painfully so. Plotting a Course, I dash toward the knight once more and unleash the cold. Somehow the ice breath doesn’t seem to affect me as I blow it out, but frost and ice gather on the knight’s right foot, freezing it in place for a second.

Using this opportunity, I slam Argo into the foot, heavily empowered. Large cracks break through, the cold temperature making the crystal more fragile.

Several coins land inside the cracks of the foot, Adreanell smiles with glee. “Jackpot!”

The coins explode outward inside the cracks, causing the foot to shatter. The knight flails in pain, its movement becoming more erratic.

The crystals on the surface spike out, breaking off Colt’s vines and releasing it from the ensnarement in an instant.

A side swing is coming at all of us, sweeping in from above. “Colt! Earth pillars! Throw everything you have at this!”

Dashing toward the blade before it can gather any more momentum, I leap into the air as pillars of earth spring up in front of me. The sword cleaves through them, but it slows down enough.

Argo thrums with power in my hands, my mana vessels scream as I pour point after point of MP into this hit. ‘I’m sorry in advance, arms.’

Like a bomb going off, our weapons connect with explosive force. A loud SNAP echoes out as the sword blade breaks off where I hit it. The concussive wave sends me flying backward, only to be caught quickly by tendrils of hair. Becky lowers me down and lays me on the ground.

She immediately brings one of the healing potions I gave her to my lips and dumps in every dose. She has to turn back to the fight soon after, leaving me to work on further repairs for my body.

Cassandra rushes over to me and pops several red candies into my mouth. Instantly my HP jumps back up to safe levels. She checks me over and helps me stand back up.

She smiles at me and slips another candy into my mouth. “Sorry, Lucas, you’re gonna have to push yourself a little harder right now. This should help restore your mana vessels.”

Feeling with my tongue, she gave me a star-shaped candy. Eating it, the screaming pain throughout my body settles down to tolerable levels.

“Fair warning, they help repair, but there will be a kickback later. I don’t have any more of these either so this is our only chance.” Thanking her quickly, I run back to the fight.

Grandis, now weaponless, swings down at Colt and Becky with renewed fervor. Becky is clearly spent, dashing to and fro, her resources are depleting quickly.

Adreanell is constantly using her coins to slow down attacks and chip away at the crystal, especially within the gashes Becky has made.

Colt is looking pale, reaching the point of translucence. Stepping in, everyone takes a moment to restore resources with candies or potions. Some strength leaves my limbs, unfortunately. The berserker chew must have run out.

Checking my hold, my own stock is low as well, seems I shared too much for injured people earlier.

Another fist flies toward me as the knight squats down to reach us. Leaping up, the fist smashes into the ground below me, sending out a shockwave.

With the use of Crashing Wake, I burst toward the giant knight’s face once more. Grandis backs away, leaving me hurtling towards its chest instead.

Becky flies high into the air toward the chest before me, leaving a gash across the crystalline armor. Colt appears next to me, reaching my speed with heavy use of Aeromancy if the winds around him are any indication.

His feet land against mine as he flips over in the air. He kicks off, a blast of wind sending me ever faster toward the knight. A golden glow of energy settles around me as Adreanell calls out “Accelerate!”

My body boosts forwards, the landscape around me blurring with speed. Argo glows blue with the might of Devastating Impact.

CRASH!

Argo slams into the gash Becky made, causing huge cracks to split through the body of the knight. It makes a strange screeching noise as it crashes to the ground.

Finding myself on the other side of the knight, I realize I smashed directly through its body with all of the speed I had. My arms are screaming in pain once more as I plummet to the ground.

“Search and Rescue!” Arms wrap around me before I land on the ground, somehow depleting all the force I had from falling.

After being set down, I look up to see Gabe smiling at me, his axe leaned against his shoulder.

Dust billows out from behind him as the pieces of Grandis land, quaking the earth.