Scott skidded to a halt, probably lacerating his feet in the process, but he was more focused on responding to what Ash said. Tossing his gaze back and forth between the scrap she and Colchain were in, to where the presumed slime was presumably coming from. He wanted to help the two lizards, but there wasn't much denying that they could handle it. So he turned, and looked to where the others were. Ash had tossed (or spat, rather) her mana crystal towards Danny, and he could see Ardur and Naji in the air.

Panting, out of breath from his sprint, he nevertheless changed direction, wings beginning to shake as he attempted to fly. He had his qualms about being suspended above the ground, but it would be better in this situation; he had a plan forming in his head.

"You heard her! Ardur, Naji, I think I have an idea! Nobody's seen a slime fly yet, have they?"

---

"YOWCH!" Digbie yelped suddenly when he felt the sensation of a sharp pain fill his abdomen. After screwing around and doing what could be described as a feverish dance to end all dances, Digbie found himself with the rear end of his loincloth off his body and facing a bit towards the Dire Rat that tore his rear cloth off. The two didn't have a lot of room to move, but that didn't seem to bother Digbie directly. What did, however, was that this rat was in the way of Digbie's tunnel.

"You are in my path... you are nothing but more rubble!" Digbie quickly grabbed four of the rocks on the ground from the digging and began to hurl them at the rat in quick succession, putting every ounce of strength that he could muster into each throw, and further amplifying the force behind them by giving each rock thrown a bit of a boost from {Soil Manipulation}. He'd be spent on magic after these actions, but he still figured that he wouldn't be out.

After chucking each rock, Digbie rushed forward with his pickaxe in both hands and swung it towards his rodent foe, aiming to bring the pickaxe down right into the bones of the mighty beast and crack it open to kill it. Hopefully that'd at least send the rat fleeing, because if it didn't, then Digbie might be in more trouble than he is in right now!

---

Ardur The Pixie

Running is always an option >>>> My First Kill /// day 8 // Afternoon

Ardur felt a satisfying crack as his shielded fist seemed to have cracked the skull. The sheer force of it nearly toppled him off his flight path, but he soon recovered. The two lizards seemed to have made it their purpose to dispatch the other two rats while the others were tasked with distracting the slime rumbling toward them, “Copy that Ash” he spoke while beginning to move back toward the slime but paused. Moving back to where the lifeless rat was he stopped and stared at it for a moment.

“Cover me” he shouted as he dropped down to the rat. He only said this because he was still somewhat close to the other two rats. This rat was still somewhat small but sill large compared to him. It was also heavy and smelt very musty. Picking up the heavy creature Ardur began to fly slowly toward the impending slime.

He could hear the other pixie say something while the wisp complained about mana. “Let me go drop this rat off for the slime first and then talk to me.” He didn’t care if he sounded rude, this rat was a little heavier than he thought it was. The pixie was certain that without the physical conditioning perk he wouldn’t have been able to do this.

Carrying the rat a little ways longer and clearing a few more rocky outcroppings towards the slime. Finally, he was able to drop the carcass in an opening and only hopped that it would at least slow the slime down as it ate the rat and not them. Although seeing the slime a bit closer he could tell that it might just roll over the rat and keep going.

Ardur was quick to make his way back toward the others and figure out what their plan was. He did land for this too as he was a little winded after carrying the rat that far. Looking to the others there while taking deep breaths and holding his hands on top of his head to open up his chest, so he could take deeper breaths, “so… uhh… what, what is this plan of yours now?”

@Zeroth
@Rune_Alchemist
@CollectorOfMyst

39 Mana Crystals remain.
4 Flame Touched Crystals remain.

You have obtained a Source Crystal.
You Used the Source Crystal!
---Target: Mourningstar---
More magical manifestation than biological creatures, Wisps nonetheless possess physical bodies. Their ability to cast spells from range makes them a foe that should not be underestimated by the novice. Wisps are magically oriented monsters, normally possessing two spells. This Wisp possesses the skills Mana Orb (Rank II), Lesser Force (Rank II), Levitation, Magic Analysis (Rank II), Mana Shape, Mana Slice, Monster Analysis (Rank II), and is developing an unusual number of other skills. This Wisp is
Level 3, with average stats for its species. You have learned this Wisp's name is Mourningstar. This Creature's Source is Unrecognized. ERROR: ENCOUNTERED FOREIGN OBJECT.

As Jason felt the headache coming on, he would also notice something else. The mysterious green Source Crystal suddenly went a dark, cloudy gray. The pressure on his mind seemed to abate...but then one of the Mana Crystals in his inventory pulsed.

Source Crystal recharged.
You Used the Source Crystal!
---Target: Asteria---
Dire Rats are quite large and strong for rodents, with sharp senses. They are predator scavengers, and because their teeth constantly grow they forage and gnaw constantly. Their forepaws are somewhat capable of gripping and manipulating, but they aren’t very skilled. Rats often hunt in packs, composed of family units, but the mothers will often drive off the fathers as they will behave aggressively towards the young. This Dire Rat possesses the skills Beast Sense, Faster, Monster Analysis, and Dextrous, and is developing an unusual number of other skills. This Dire Rat is Level 2, but is rapidly gaining experience. You have learned this Dire Rat's name is Asteria. This Creature's Source is Unrecognized. ERROR: ENCOUNTERED FOREIGN OBJECT.

Source Crystal recharged.
You Used the Source Crystal!
---Target: Mother Rat---
Dire Rats are quite large and strong for rodents, with sharp senses. They are predator scavengers, and because their teeth constantly grow they forage and gnaw constantly. Their forepaws are somewhat capable of gripping and manipulating, but they aren’t very skilled. Rats often hunt in packs, composed of family units, but the mothers will often drive off the fathers as they will behave aggressively towards the young. This Dire Rat possesses the skill Beast Sense, and is developing the skill Poison Resistance. This Dire Rat is Level 6. This Dire Rat is called Mother Rat by others. Its HP and Base Stats have increased over time. Its Potential has increased after maturation.

Source Crystal recharged.
You Used the Source Crystal!
---Target: Hard Rock---
This is a Hard Rock. It is a solid aggregate of mineral substances. If used as a weapon it deals Blunt damage. It has very minor Earth Element properties. It is of Bad Quality.

Source Crystal recharged.
You Used the Source Crystal!
---Target: Flame Touched Mana Crystal---
Mana Crystals that have been exposed to a large amount of elemental Mana associated with Fire. Forcibly breaking this crystal produces a small-scale, fiery blast similar to many low-rank Fire Spells. It is of Low Quality. It has Low Sharpness, and is Brittle, Hard, and Crystalline in structure.

You have no Mana Crystals remaining.
Source Crystal requires a charge before further use.

The splitting pain in Jason's head was so bad that he couldn't even stop his wandering eye before the Source Crystal had used up all of his stash. That probably wouldn't be a big deal, given the loot they had stolen from the goblins, but it seemed this odd system wasn't quite done with the green slime just yet--!

Your experiences have culminated in new skills!
Skill Gain: Material Analysis I!
You may now analyze physical materials to learn their most basic physical characteristics.

Skill Gain: Magic Analysis I!
You may now analyze magical energies or objects to learn their most basic magical characteristics. Less effective on Materials and Monsters unless they are magical in nature.

Skill Gain: Monster Analysis I!
You may now analyze Monsters and other living creatures to learn their most basic characteristics.

LEVEL UP!
Your battles have culminated in new power! You are now Level 4! You gain Skill Points to distribute as you please!

LEVEL UP!
Your experiences have culminated in new power! You are now Level 5! You gain Skill Points to distribute as you please!

Unspent Skill Points:
10

Current Skills:
Physical Damage Resistance I (1.0)
Warcry I (1.5)
Stone Shot II (2.05)
Rock Spire I (1.4)
Tremor Sense II (2.1)
Soil Manipulation (1.0)
Telepathy I (1.5)
Material Analysis I (1.0)
Magic Analysis I (1.0)
Monster Analysis I (1.0)
<UNUSABLE SKILLS>
Faster (0.3)
Wave Shock (0.1)
Swift Swimmer (0.1)
Aqua Sphere (0.7)
Alert (0.1)
Limited Shapeshift (0.8)
Smash (0.4)
Cleave (0.3) <CURRENTLY INCOMPATIBLE>
Blood Drain (0.6)
Taboo (0.3)
Muffle (0.1)
Crafting (0.1)
Mental Resistance (0.7)
Magic Resistance (0.3)
Agriculture (0.2)
Plant Analysis (0.1)
Acid Spit (0.5)
Bounce (0.1)
Charisma (0.75)
Focus (0.7)
Fire Resistance (0.3)
Fortify (0.2)
Sensory Resistance (0.1)

YOUR BODY IS BEGINNING TO CHANGE
You are undergoing Transformation! Based on your life experiences, your ability to survive, and the strength of your will, new paths have appeared! Choose carefully--there is no going back! WARNING. THIS PROCESS WILL LEAVE YOU TEMPORARILY VULNERABLE.

OPTIONS (* Indicates Suitability):
(Adult) Slime (High Variance Chance) - Slimes are amorphous creatures more similar to undeveloped egg yolks, yet they are able to move on their own and digest prey. Their bodies are highly resistant to physical damage and malleable.

• Slight increase to all base stats.
• Increase HP.
• Increase Potential.

(Immature) Giant Slime - Giant Slimes have simply grown bigger, and their membranes have increased in strength so as to hold more mass without causing their bodies to split. Their digestive fluids also become stronger, but as a result of these advantages they require more food.

• Increase Rank: Physical Damage Resistance.
• Increase HP (Reduced).
• Increase all base defensive stats (Reduced).
• Very Slightly increase non-defensive base stats.

**(Immature) Slime Mage (Low Variance Chance) - Slimes are normally of limited intelligence, but every so often one somehow learns magic. With its poor magic stats its casts are limited in number, but few expect a Slime to have such abilities. Keep studying, slimy student!

• Very slightly increase all base stats.
• Slight Increase MP
• Increase Rank: Mana Orb (Reduced)
• Increase Rank: Shield (Reduced)

*(Immature) Block Slime - An elemental variation of a Slime aligned with the Earth. Their bodies become much more rigid, and take on a hard, geometric shape. It becomes much more difficult for them to use any shapeshifting or movement based skills, but their durability is comparable to Giant or Metal Slimes and they sometimes develop Earth based magics.

• Increase all base defensive stats.
• Increase Rank: Earth Affinity
• Increase Rank: Stone Shot (Reduced)

---

Oberon's treatment of Asteria helped boost her HP back to full, but she soon received another System message that she was taking minor damage from the poison--which she didn't really need, considering the spasming cramps and pain that told her the same thing. As of yet, it didn't look like either the rat's focus on her mana, or the pixie's treatment could cure her. For right now, however, it seemed that they would be able to manage the symptoms. His Shield spell would serve to protect her from further damage, but other than that he couldn't quite achieve the result he was going for.

As the dirt settled from the battle, however...

Your practice has increased your skill!
Rank Up: Shield II > Shield III!
MP usage remains the same as Rank II. The Target's defenses are further increased.

LEVEL UP
Your battles and experiences have culminated in new power! You are now Level 4! You gain Skill Points to distribute as you please!

Unspent Skill Points:
10

Current Skills:
Minor Heal I (1.6)
Lesser Flight II (2.15)
Shield III (3.0)
Magic Analysis III (3.25)
Mana Orb I (1.2)
Mana Shape I (1.0)
<UNUSABLE SKILLS>
Meditation (0.3)
Focus (0.5)
Lesser Status Heal (0.4)
Monster Analysis (0.5)
Material Analysis (0.1)
Plant Analysis (0.1)
Mental Resistance (0.2)
Wall (0.1)
Faster (0.2)
Mana Dart (0.3)
Alert (0.1)
Minor Regeneration (0.1)

LEVEL UP!
Your battles have culminated in new power! You are now Level 3! You gain Skill Points to distribute as you please!

Unspent Skill Points:
10

Current Skills:
Beast Sense I (1.8)
Faster I (1.85)
Monster Analysis I (1.7)
Dextrous I (1.05)
<UNUSABLE SKILLS>
Poison Resistance (0.2)
Muffle (0.2)
Use Light Equipment (0.4)
Crafting (0.5)
Charisma (0.7)
Magic Analysis (0.55)
Mana Sense (0.25)
Telepathy (0.15)
Mental Resistance (0.1)
Stronger (0.2)
Soil Manipulation (0.25)
Overwork (0.1)
Minor Cure (0.025)

---

As Ed eviscerated the Fanged Lizard for the sake of making an impromptu waterskin, he managed to accidentally get some of the stomach's acids on his paws. It didn't burn nearly as much as the lizard's venom tended to, but it certainly wasn't pleasant. Despite this he persevered and dragged it all the way to the pool. Once filled with water, the stomach's tissues didn't exactly seem water-tight. All the digging and pulling and dragging Ed had to do to get the thing in the first place had probably ripped it in some places. However, it held at least a little bit, perhaps a cup's worth, long enough for him to get it back to Asteria as Oberon tended to her.

But he soon felt his strength diminishing more and more rapidly.

You have no Stamina remaining. You are experiencing HP Drain from continued activity. Some Skills may become unusable.

LEVEL UP!
Your battles and struggles have culminated in new power! You are now Level 3! You gain Skill Points to distribute as you please! Total SP increased! (You do not recover SP by leveling up.)

Unspent Skill Points:
5

Current Skills:
Beast Sense I (1.5)
<UNUSABLE SKILLS>
Muffle (0.5)
Material Analysis (0.2)
Magic Analysis (0.6)
Monster Analysis (0.6)
Faster (0.3)
Rabid Fit (1.0) <REQUIREMENT UNMET>
Warcry (0.1)
Alert (0.3)
Dextrous (0.2)
Tremor Sense (0.025)
Mental Resistance (0.7)
Telepathy (0.075)
Mana Shape (0.6)
Focus (0.6)
Shield (0.5)
Mana Shell (0.3)
Stronger (0.6)
Soil Manipulation (0.4)
Overwork (0.4)
Harder (0.2)
Crafting (0.1)
First Aid (0.1)

---

Asura managed to grab both Dire Rats, but while he finished off the injured one the second managed to tear off his pesudopod with its fangs and escape the Slime's grip. As it tried to regroup, however, Digbie grabbed a handful of stones. Not only did the goblin throw them, but he attempted to use his Soil Manipulation to accelerate them. The spell didn't work properly on non-soils, as the rocks were too large and too hard to count compared to something like dirt or sand--but something about using this particular skill just seemed to "click." The four stones took on a golden glow as they left Digbie's hand, suddenly seeming to accelerate in midair. They punched into the Rat's body like darts, sending blood and a chipped tooth spraying across the wall of the tunnel.

LEVEL UP!
Your battles and experiences have culminated in new power! You are now Level 3! You gain Skill Points to distribute as you please! Base power stats have slightly increased!

Unspent Skill Points:
5

Current Skills:
Physical Damage Resistance I (1.86)
Overwork I (1.0)
Blunt Resistance I (1.05)
Limited Shapeshift II (2.1)
Smash I (1.25)
Pierce Resistance I (1.05)
Magic Resistance I (1.0)
<UNUSABLE SKILLS>
Earth Resist (0.6)
Mental Resistance (0.3)
Monster Analysis (0.2)
Slime Shell (0.3)
Faster (0.6)
Cling (0.4)
Charisma (0.3)
Counter (0.4)
Slime Whip (0.3)
Dextrous (0.1)
Soil Manipulation (0.2)
Stone Shot (0.1)
Slime Coil (0.1)

Your experiences have enabled a new skill!
Skill Gain: Stone Shot I!
You have learned to charge a piece of stone with your energy before hurling it at your opponent. This attack does blunt, piercing, and Earth-elemental magic damage. It consumes less MP than most spells, but requires ammunition.

---

"...But where you learn from?" the curious goblin persisted. Yet when Orchid ordered him to go gather materials, he shrugged and wandered off towards the woodpile to argue with other goblins over branches and saplings that might make good spearshafts. Orchid gave the third goblin the Bowhorn with an order to find more, but as he snapped out of his daze he shook his head.

"Dun think I could find no more! I only got this cause Ventures forgot to take it. I dun think I could catch one of them deers by meself!" He shoved it back at Orchid, then headed for the trees. "I knows lots of trees like dat though! I getcha the stretchy stuff!"

When they returned with what Orchid had asked, they didn't seem to have as much as before. In addition to plain, dry wooden sticks and a few crackly strips of bark, however, they did bring back a few things of value. Or at least the first two did. The first goblin handed Orchid another Antidote Fern, and the second one who asked all the questions also gave her...a dried grape? No, it wasn't exactly a dried up grape...it looked like the eyeball of some creature! And rather than becoming wrinkly or leathery after drying in the sun for who knew how long, it had instead hardened to a texture much like a pebble. It reminded Orchid of child's marbles, particularly the ones called catseyes, but the eye's sclera was a dark black.

With her materials in place, Orchid began teaching her prospective disciples. Oddly enough, while trying to explain it to someone else, the female goblin would find doing so helped her to solidify her own ideas and put her focus on the fundamentals of her newfound crafting abilities.

You are experiencing a Fast Rate of Skill Progression.
You made an item!
Cracked Bark (Bad Quality) + Cracked Bark (Low Quality)
Your Crafting III skill increases the quality of your item. Bad > Low Quality
You have made this item before. Your experience helps increase the quality of your item.
Your crafting method is more effective compared to your raw materials. It helps increase the quality of your item.
Your item quality has been increased. Low Quality > Average

You made Fiber Cord (Average!)

You made an item!
Fiber Cord (Average) + Cane Wood (Low Quality) + Small Stick (Bad Quality)(Multiple) + Stiff Stick (Low Quality)
Your Crafting III skill increases the quality of your item. Low Quality > Average.
You have made this item before. Your experience helps increase the quality of your item.
Your method of crafting is more effective compared to your raw materials. It helps increase the quality of your item.
Your item quality has been increased. Average > Good.

You made a Wicker Shield (Good)!

You made an item!
Sharp Stick (Low Quality) + Sharp Stone (Well Formed Quality) + Fiber Cord (Good)
You have processed these items.
Sharp Stick + Hard Rock = Smoothed Sharp Stick (Low Quality > Average)
Smoothed Sharp Stick + Fire = Smooth Fire Hardened Stick (Average > Good)
Sharp Stone + Hard Rock = Stone Blade (Well Formed > Well Made)
Your Crafting III skill increases the quality of your item. Well Made > Excellent.
Your method of crafting is more effective compared to your raw materials. It helps to increase the quality of your item.

You created: Stone Spear (Excellent)! You feel stronger and faster when equipping this piece of equipment! This weapon can deal Slash or Piercing damage. This weapon can be thrown. It is slightly vulnerable to Fire.

Your constant practice has increased your skill!
Rank Up: Crafting III > Crafting IV!
You can now craft more complex objects with multiple moving parts, though the more parts there are the more difficult maintaining quality becomes. The quality of your created items is slightly increased. Stamina depletion is the same as Rank III. Sub-Stat Enchancements are the same as Rank III.

After handing the three stooges the rest of her cordage, the high quality spear she had just created, and leaving them to their bundle of sticks, Orchid sat down near Crispy and began to cook. The Flame Touched Goblin stoked the flames as he watched her--it looked like his eye had been healed up by this point thanks to a few more Herbs. He seemed to be thinking about something...but if Orchid ever noticed, he would look away and return to sharpening another Stone Knife in his hands.

You made an item!
Blood Snare Vine (Excellent) + Broken Goblin Teeth (Bad Quality) + Tree Sap (Low Quality) + Short Stick (x2) (Low Quality)
Your Crafting IV skill increases the quality of your item. Good > Well Made
The Special Quality of this item makes it more efficient. Special Quality: Blood Drain I

You created: Bloody Garrote (Well Made)! This weapon's damage is increased by Stealth! This weapon has the effect Blood Drain I--if the weapon draws blood, the enemy will suffer very minor damage over time.

As Orchid set off from the fire into the forest looking for that other female, Crispy watched her go. Then he looked over towards the three goblins that were now attempting to imitate her. His gaze then drifted towards Rattleskull, who had now begun whittling the less-sturdy pieces of wood from the rapidly-diminishing pile. The bigger boss simply tapered their handles and smoothed them out, so as to make them easier to hold and give more leverage to their swings. The wood was often too dried, too rotten, or otherwise unable to withstand the more complex bits of crafting like inserting stone blades or making notches. So they were simple wooden clubs, but slightly better, and much easier to produce.

The one broad shouldered goblin now carried a Wooden Spear. Some random goblin Rattleskull had picked out got the Stone Hammer the boss had made. Crispy had two Stone Knives made, along with several torches, and Orchid had shown the other three how to make shields and spears. That left about ten of the goblins out of the group still using their simplified sticks and stones...but the day was beginning to grow late, the sun headed towards the horizon as the sky turned redder by the moment.

Orchid's bitch-hunt didn't take long. She soon came across the other female sitting on a tree limb up above what looked like a game trail, sawing on branches with her one Sharp Stone. It was taking quite a while, as her stone was dulled and the trees were still green with life.

---

Rain's recently upgraded Stun Fang seemed to be doing the job much more efficiently--the second goblin went down much the same way as the first. But now more green heads began to poke through the entrance of the cave, and there was much chattering among them.

"What da heck happenin' over dere?!"

"Dey both just fell over!"

"Somethin' must be over there! Boss! Hey Boss! Come see this!"

Two of them kept watch while the third ran off, most likely to get Rattleskull. One of the two lookouts picked up a hefty rock and got ready to throw it at the first thing that moved. For now Rain was hidden behind the bodies, but how would she get away...?

---

Rain's recently upgraded Stun Fang seemed to be doing the job much more efficiently--the second goblin went down much the same way as the first. But now more green heads began to poke through the entrance of the cave, and there was much chattering among them.

"What da heck happenin' over dere?!"

"Dey both just fell over!"

"Somethin' must be over there! Boss! Hey Boss! Come see this!"

Two of them kept watch while the third ran off, most likely to get Rattleskull. One of the two lookouts picked up a hefty rock and got ready to throw it at the first thing that moved. For now Rain was hidden behind the bodies, but how would she get away...?

Rain was breathing heavily under the cover of the bodies. She was positively drenched in blood now, and she's chewed absent mindedly on the meat of the second goblin to die to her. Ripped out throats were so quick to kill, after all.

But she was in a jam now. That big guy was coming, the hairy one. She was sure of it. There'd been a lot of Goblins, too, over a dozen. She'd counted something like 18 originally before the first bastard spotted her.

Oh, this was bad. Very bad.

Even coated in blood she was visible. But.. Wait. Her idea! She needed to be quick, she didn't have much time before they started investigating.

Using her claws she scratched up loose dirt and began rolling in it, looking to coat her entire body in a layer of dirt mixed into the stickiness of the blood on her.

Theoretically she'd be a very dark brown if the work. At this distance, as little as it was, she should be able to evade and get stealthed and back to the group. Right?

Oh, this shit better work.

Firmly coated, hopefully, Rain tested the waters by darting towards a nearby large rock that was still roughly the same distance from the goblins. She needed to see their reactions. If they noticed her and started moving for her, she'd likely need to run back to the bonfire group.

Stupid goblin. She was trying to saw away at a thick tree branch with just a single stone. It would dull before she'd even get through bark. Orchid knew this goblin was as stupid as all the rest, but arrogant to boot. She needed to quell such rebellion before it got out of hand. But question was, how would Orchid get to this girl? She was elevated, if a bit distracted. Orchid could climb a tree easily, but that would put her at a disadvantage if she wanted to throttle the goblin girl. "Wait. Why should I try to go to the girl? I can easily make the girl come to me." If there was one thing Orchid regrets since coming here, it was the fact she didn't have a gun. She had to always risk herself in a fight by getting up close and personal. And while she might've won so far, there was no telling what other sort of nasty beasts were here. Or just other people. She needed a weapon. A range weapon.

"Reaching into his bag and taking out a stone, he slung it and struck the Philistine on the forehead. The stone sank into his forehead, and he fell facedown on the ground."

Orchid was not a religious girl. Sure her parents attended church and her father was rather important in that community, but she simply attended because she was the eldest daughter. But there was one story that she always held close to her heart: the tale of David and Goliath. What wasn't to love; a humble farmer boy taking down a hulking barbaric warrior bristling with weapons and armor, with naught but a stone and a sling. Orchid even tried to use a sling before. Once, and never picked it up since then. But now she would need to use it again. With the cordage she had made from the goblins, Orchid would create a sling. It would take up all of the cordage she'd have but it would be worth it.

Stabbing the tip of her club into the ground, first thing Orchid did was measured out her cordage. It was just a few inches taller than Orchid herself, probably around 40 inches or so. Near the center she made a small basket; she folded the cordage until it had three layers, with the basket length about three inches or so. At the ends she knotted them up. She would tear off a bit of the cordage and undo the fibers a bit to weave a pouch. Once the pouch was solidly built she would make a simple knot on one end, and a simple ring at the other like she would for a yo-yo. Her current stones would be too big for her to use, but she could make due with some acorns on the forest floor. She just needed to test her accuracy first. And who was a better target than this goblin bitch?

Taking a sturdy acorn into the sling's pouch, Orchid tried to remember how she was suppose to do this. Two, three spins only, flick her wrist out, let go of the knot. She tried to do it much like how she'd throw any stone; using her thumb to guide while using her index finger to launch, the rest simply there to ensure the projectile was stable before it was released. "You got this. Show them what you're mage of/" Orchid began to spin the sling around her head. By the time she finished her first rotation she had the target in her sight; the back of the goblin girl's head. When the second swing was starting Orchid's eyes narrowed to focus, her mind thinking about her anger. How even in this life, she has to deal with basic bitches who just cop and attitude with her. Probably other girls too who dismiss Orchid's skill and appearance for shallow reasons. But this wasn't the human world anymore. Orchid didn't have to take that sort of talk with her head down.

No, if they want to talk shit, they're going to get hit. And Orchid would glad smash their faces in with a smile. Right after the second rotation, Orchid flicked her wrist towards the goblin girl in the tree, letting go of the knot to send the projectile flying. An audible snap was heard right after the missile was released. Afterwards, Orchid loaded another acorn.

Naji couldn’t help but letting out a small, mischievous chuckle as the rat flailed about like...well, something that was just hit with a disembodied eyeball to be fair. Atleast Colchain seemed to be having fun as the lizard dived to the newly stunned rat. Good lizard, you kill that thing. He was...tempted to intervene when the second rat coiled around, turning on the currently preoccupied lizard. Thankfully, his new boss seemed to be the proactive type, deftly vomiting (Ew, he noted for later) something at Danny before moving to back up her new pet. She also screamed at everyone else to keep the slime busy while she did her thing.

Scott then decided, that 'everyone’, was to consist of the three least combat oriented members of the party and not the glowy glowy murder bubble that was Danny. He sighs but gently floats down to Scott as the third pixie (Who he didn’t exactly remember meeting or getting the name of at the moment) hefted the dead rat into the path of the slime before zipping back over to them, huffing hard from the apparent effort.

”...Also I’ve been trapped in a cave. I’ve literally not seen anything.” Naji thought, deciding it was probably better to save whatever snark he was accumulating for later. “so… uhh… what, what is this plan of yours now?” the as of yet named pixie gasped inbetween breaths. "I think we can deal with this thing. There's three of us, isn't there? Between us we could try and lift that slime off the ground and- " His breath caught, and for a moment, the light went out of his eyes. Naji chalked this up to ‘your brain is currently dying. Please hold'. A buffer for hallucinations of sorts. Given the complexity of this little mind show, he was not about to call out its need to occasionally buffer. "...Well, I was thinking we lift it into the air and, well... drop it. Maybe onto something sharp, I don't know." He added finally, voice softening.

Naji examined the area around the slime and it made its slow trudge towards them, trying to find a nice place to deposit evil snot. With no readily available tissues in sight, he settled on a broken crop of stalagmites (or...were they stalactites?), hefted into the air at a slight angle by a pair of rocks. Well...it LOOKED easier to ram it into that than lift it high enough to drop it on a stable one.

”...Yeah ok. That could work. Follow my lead and go straight once you get a hold of the gooy thing.” He blurts suddenly, taking flight again, angled slightly away from the slime for a few second before charging the entity. Hopefully with the other two pixies behind him, arms outstretch ready to grab hold of the first available inch of slime that came in reach. Hopefully. If they were lucky they might even actually slam it into the waiting spike of the stala....the pointy rock that he wasn't sure the name of.

@CollectorOfMyst@ReusableSword@Zeroth

---

@Zeroth@floodtalon@Gardevoiran@King Cosmos@Kazemitsu@SilverPaw@Searat

Two whole levels, three new skills, and the option to tranform??? DAMN. Can't argue with results like that!!! As far as evolution, there were so many options! Who knew transformation could be such a hard decision??? However, since there were skill points to spend, could another evolution be opened up? Even possibly  increase his chance of becoming a variant with the other choices? There was only one way to find out! Putting five points into Telepathy, three points into mental resistance, and the last two into charisma, Jason carefully watched the evolution choices for any sort of change. Before making his decision, pocketed the source crystal, as well as three more mana crystals before calling out to his comrades, "Hey guys?  I've got a bit of a dilemma here...  I don't know how long it's going to be, but I'm going to be completely vulnerable once this starts, and I'm pretty sure I can't put this off like spending skill points... I'm gonna need everyone to protect me while I evolve."

As Jason waited for his companions, he gave the evolution choices one more glance, just to make sure nothing had changed...

@Guy0fV4lor @King Cosmos @SilverPaw

You have no Stamina remaining. You are experiencing HP Drain from continued activity. Some Skills may become unusable.

LEVEL UP!
Your battles and struggles have culminated in new power! You are now Level 3! You gain Skill Points to distribute as you please! Total SP increased! (You do not recover SP by leveling up.)

Unspent Skill Points:
5

Current Skills:
Beast Sense I (1.5)
<UNUSABLE SKILLS>
Muffle (0.5)
Material Analysis (0.2)
Magic Analysis (0.6)
Monster Analysis (0.6)
Faster (0.3)
Rabid Fit (1.0) <REQUIREMENT UNMET>
Warcry (0.1)
Alert (0.3)
Dextrous (0.2)
Tremor Sense (0.025)
Mental Resistance (0.7)
Telepathy (0.075)
Mana Shape (0.6)
Focus (0.6)
Shield (0.5)
Mana Shell (0.3)
Stronger (0.6)
Soil Manipulation (0.4)
Overwork (0.4)
Harder (0.2)
Crafting (0.1)
First Aid (0.1)

The system message popped up in Ed's mind. Alerting him of the fruits of his labor and the repercussion of his actions and decisions. 'Hp drain? Damn...' Ed could already feel his body forcing itself to move at a slower pace due to the exhaustion. His sight went blurry and his breaths were quick and shallow as he finally made his way back to Asteria. It seemed that one of the pixies had helped stabilize her somewhat when Ed left to gather water. He looks to the impromptu water sack and sees that barely a cup of water was left in the makeshift water skin. He looks to the pixie and wheezes out a response. "T-th-thanks for...helping her." Ed spoke to the pixie with barely above a whisper. He then moves closer to Asteria and reassures her with a gentle pat on her side before wheezing out words to speak to her. "So-sorry if...it feels...strange."

Ed then pours the water collected from the pool over her acid burn. Hoping to God, or whoever was listening, that it would help his ally. He knew the pain of the acid was a terrible pain, his hind leg was a testament to that fact. If put into words it would be akin to a ravenous fire that cannot be put out so easily. He worries for her as her burns were more severe than his. If the water would be insufficient to help aid her, he would march back to the pool and get some more water. If the water skin tore, he would cut open another lizard and make another. He refused to let her suffer if he could do something about it.

He heard Jason call out to the others. If Jason were to evolve, Ed would do his damnedest to protect him if he was able...though sadly, this was not the case. Ed could easily surmise that his body was soon to collapse out of exhaustion. He could barely walk to and fro the pool and the camp, let alone fight something. Though given the chance he would.

Asura blinked when the rat assaulted his pseudopod and actually tore it off. But Digby took care of the fuzzy fuck just as the slime leveled up. That could wait, instead he tested to see if he could reabsorb the limb that had been torn off. Not that he really needed to but he just wanted to see if he actually could. After that little experiment he looked over the skills he had available to put points into.

I wish I could like...hover over these to see what they actually fucking do. He thought, some he could tell what they did just by their name. Others were a little vague on that front. "Four points into Faster. One point into Counter." He said as he pressed a pseudopod to Mother Slime and conveying he was alright and she could move out of the way. "Come on goblin, you need to get a healing herb on that before it gets infected. Then you can go back to digging." Asura stated as he moved out of the tunnel they had been digging.

While he moved he acted as a plow, shoving dirt out ahead of him. Small stones and pebbles were sucked up until he couldn't carry any more. He was seeing if items could 'stack' so he could consolidate inventory space.

---

---

Asteria remained lying curled into herself on one side, trying to wait out the shaking and cramps. As the pixie cast some magic on her, she felt getting slightly stronger for a while, but the poison stubbornly persisted. “That helps a bit,” she croaked to Oberon, then asked confusedly “Open what? Still poisoned if that’s what you mean,” she whispered, panting harshly for a while to regain strength after talking so much while in pain. Suddenly, a system message informed her of a level up. Asteria looked at the message blearily and suddenly shouted “8 points to poison resistance!” She weakly waited to see what the effect was, though she didn’t believe that she’d be miraculously healed, but the poison might wear off after a while at least.

Jason was blathering on about something terribly inconsequential some distance away, while Edward had returned from his trip and poured some water on her acid burned stomach. Asteria groaned quietly in relief. “Thanks, Ed,” she muttered, her voice still weak. She then lifted her gaze to the pixie in a request. “Can you try the healing or whatever you used just at the burned area?”

Whether the new poison resistance skill would be helpful and in what way, she’d prefer to be fully healed. She also wanted to help the process along and so she breathed as calmly as she could, trying to relax from the way the pain managed to get her all tensed up and cramping. Then, when Oberon directed the healing and/or shield spell at her abdomen, she would focus on how it felt on her fur and skin and try to feel and draw his magic inside of her body. She wanted to try mixing his magic, which already obviously worked with some sort of intent with her so-far unshaped and uncontrollable energy. Maybe she could heal herself from the inside that way. Though this process required intense concentration in the face of her current suffering, she persisted. She just had to survive and when she was rid of the poison, maybe she could rest for a few minutes. But now was the time to struggle and get through this.

The battle was over it seemed, all people involved safe (aside from Digbie's torn ass), and things were back to the usual. Jason grabbed the Source Crystal to experiment with it, Mourningstar wanted to stop him but at the same time... she just didn't have it in her to care. She had done her best to try and lead everyone, but nobody seemed to care. Nobody listened to her, Ardur had vanished, Rain was gone, everyone was abandoning her. She did everything right though didn't she? She took suggestions, she gave second chances, she tried to protect everyone around her even at the cost of her own life. So why did everyone just ignore her? Was she not being assertive enough? Was it because she was weak? Did she just radiate an aura of unreliability, so nobody wanted to be around her? This experiment had been a complete failure, she should've expected it.

Nobody would listen to a weak willed loser, doubly so if they were as pathetic as she. So she needed to become stronger somehow, somehow. It was because she was forced to share EXP with the people she tried to lead, she needed to be alone if she wanted to be strong enough. But that's okay, she was used to being alone. She floated past Asura and Digbie, picking up the torn cloth that lay in the cave and floating over to the stash of Mana Crystals that Jason was messing with. She quickly tied up the cloth as best she could, forming it into a kind of satchel for carrying as she picked up three Mana Crystals and a Flame Touched Mana Crystal, putting them all in the bag. Mourningstar nodded as she floated past Oberon with her haul, going deeper into the cave. "Yeah. It's time to get stronger."

And of course, the best way to grow stronger was to find someone stronger. Learn, grow, advance. The slimes had the Mother Slime, the rats had the Mother Rat, the Goblins had Crispy and Rattleskull, it only stood to reason that there must be someone like that for both the other species as well. So Mourningstar would find the biggest Wisp in the cave. She would either learn from them. Or she would kill them. "Yeah. Yeah. That will work." She muttered to herself as she got further and further away from the group. She stopped for a moment and pondered. 'Is this really the right choice? Am I being hasty, should I go back to the safety of the group? Sure I'll stagnate, I would never be respected, but I would be safe.'

'Safe until they realize how useless you are.' The voice cut through her hesitance like a hot knife through butter. 'Yeah, they'll toss me aside once the Goblins are taken care of. This is the better path. The only path.' And with that in mind, she went to search for her teacher.

As Ash sank her venom soaked claws into the rat trying to attack Colchain, it squealed in pain and the familiar sizzling sound of acid upon flesh was music to Ash's earholes. It quickly abandoned its tussle with the other Lizard, and as it turned it snapped at Ash's foreleg, breaking through her scales and drawing blood. This allowed it to break the scuffle and get some distance between them just before Ash's Venom Shot--but it wasn't enough, and the poisonous pellet hit the Dire Rat square in the snout. It fell with piteous cries and began thrashing about...but a final convulsion left it limp upon the rocky ground.

Colchain looked up at the other lizard with a chunk of furry hide in his mouth, chewing contemplatively with one claw still on top of his own slain adversary.

Meanwhile, Ardur grabbed the first rat they had killed and somehow--probably because of his newfound buff-ness--managed to haul it into the air with jerky starts and flaps of his wings. But this struggle paid off in more ways than one. He successfully managed to toss the corpse down right in the path of the oncoming slime, which was now close enough for everyone to see...and then--

Rank Up: Lesser Flight II > Lesser Flight III
Stamina consumption decreased. Flight speed increased. Carrying capacity increased.

The Big Slime, its three colors swirling inside it, stopped for a moment to observe the food that had fallen out of the sky. Then it promptly enveloped this meal without even a wobble of thanks, and began digesting it. Just then, however, three other multicolored beings fluttered around it and began grabbing big handfuls of its rubbery membrane. It made a gulping sound that might have been surprise.

However, such a large creature was no lightweight. The three pixies struggled, even with one of them being buffer than your usual fairy and having just become capable of carrying larger weights while flying. They were able to get the creature off the ground, but then it began to struggle, its mass surging back and forth. They still managed to carry it a short distance...then, a meaty pseudopod emerged and took aim at Naji! With an angry squelch, the big slime swung--and missed, as the three flyers let go.

It was only a couple of feet, however the sharp stone spikes still managed to pierce the Big Slime's membrane. It gave some kind of creen that likely indicated pain, but after a few moments it didn't seem all that worse for wear. It was still digesting the rat--chewing its cud in thought, so to speak--as its mass shifted around the stalagmites. But even though they hadn't killed it, Naji, Scott, and Ardur had certainly impeded it. It was stuck between these tightly wedged spikes, and stuck on them, even though it soon began trying to pull itself off. Who knew how long that would take, though...?

---

36 Mana Crystals remain.
3 Flame Touched Crystals remain.

Rank Up: Telepathy I > Telepathy II
MP consumption slightly increased. More complex thoughts and stronger emotions can be sent. One-way messages can be sent to a creature you have made contact with before as long as they are within 5 feet. When making physical contact with a creature, if they are willing they can send you a single return message.

Skill Gain: Mental Resistance I
Take less damage from Psychic-type spells or skills, and have a better chance of resisting mind-altering effects such as Confusion or Hypnosis. This counts as an Elemental resistance for the purposes of Magic Resistance.

Skill Gaink: Focus I
By spending at least 30 seconds focusing before using an offensive Skill or Spell, you can increase its damage. At this rank it is comparable to increasing the power by one rank (eg Mana Orb I to Mana Orb II) while also increasing the MP cost by half again (spend 1.5x Mana Orb I's cost).

Skill Gain: Faster I
Your base physical speed is increased! By gaining the skills Harder, Better, and Stronger, Skill Synergy will occur and you will gain one rank of Physical Conditioning.

Your HP is still draining. You are still out of Stamina.

Skill Gain: Poison Resistance I
Take less damage from Poisonous spells or skills, and have a better chance to resist this particular status infliction. By gaining at least one rank of all other status resistances, Skill Synergy will occur and grant you one rank of Status Resistance. By gaining further ranks in this specific skill, you will gain a choice of Branch Skills related to it.

Asteria would notice that the next time she took damage from the poison--it seemed to occur roughly every minute or so--that it didn't seem quite so bad as before. It was almost negligible, even, thanks to Oberon topping her off before.

Ed didn't say anything to Jason, but it seemed like he was, so far, the only one who wanted to protect the evolving slime. But would he be able to do that with his body in this exhausted and battered condition? Jason, meanwhile, had distributed all of his points and gained a few new skills...but just a few moments after he asked the others to help protect him--

Skill Gain: Charisma I
Your force of personality is almost magical unto itself. You have a better chance of convincing others during negotiations, unless their Will is sufficiently strong.

Momma Slime, having almost finally managed to squeeze into the tunnel, now let out something akin to a bubbly sigh and started to reverse herself. With a pop she rolled free of the tunnels and let Asura and Digbie out. As Asura rolled by, a big blue pseudopod patted him on the head.

"Blrblrblayay."

Though the Red Slime seemed to be able to shove more matter into himself and hold it more easily than before (perhaps something to do with that "base strength increase" he'd gotten notice of) he couldn't make the items "stack" they way they would in a videogame. Whatever physical space they seemed to take up, that was what he was stuck with.

As Mourningstar gathered up her tiny makeshift satchel with Lesser Force, she would notice that carrying it while it had items in it seemed to burn through her MP faster than normal. Since Lesser Force had ranked up recently it didn't seem quite so bad as it might have been, but she still wouldn't be able to carry this little pack indefinitely, and doing so for too long might encumber her other spells. She had, however, gained an interesting new skill in Focus. As she began to float away from the group, she would probably notice that once more the cave seemed to be growing darker, and the shafts of sunlight coming through the cracks in the earth were getting dimmer...

---

You made an item!
Fiber Cord (Average)
Your Crafting IV skill keeps this item from degrading despite a lack of materials.
You created: Plant Fiber Sling! This item will allow you to attack from range with Small projectiles. It isn't very durable. It's very vulnerable to fire.

As Orchid let an acorn fly, it whistled through the air as her sling snapped like a whip...and went right past the female goblin's head. It cracked against the tree she was in, causing her to yelp in surprise and almost fall off her branch, but the acorn had already ricocheted into the bushes...and it apparently struck something else, as evidenced by a soft thump not too far away.

Followed by a growl.

"What you do dat for!? You tryin' ta hit me, you dum!?" yelled the other goblin, before she too heard the threatening noise and clung tighter to her branch. Mere seconds later, something burst through the undergrowth.

It looked like a badger. A rather large badger--probably 80 pounds if it was an ounce and at least a foot and a half tall even though it was on all fours--with foreclaws that looked like they should have belonged to a velociraptor. And it also had some kind of shell on its back, like that of an armadillo, made of grayish-pink, scaly hide. There was a scuff mark on its forehead where Orchid's acorn had struck it.

But the Armor Badger didn't care. Armor Badger was PISSED.

---

While Rain was covering herself with dirt and hiding the blue gleam of her scales, the goblin that had run to Rattleskull managed to get his attention. The boss listened to its excited gibbering but then turned towards the two lookouts.

"Oi! Whaddya see!?" he barked, and the two of them jumped at his shout. And like the fools they were, they both turned away from actually looking to tell the boss what they were looking at. Rain managed to dart towards her rock, and now she had a much better angle from which to escape, or to observe. However, if any of the goblins approached the corpses, she could be in big trouble. Should she continue to press her luck like this...?

Asura grew annoyed at the vagueness of the skills provided. Even getting a new skill showed more that had no descriptions available! Still Mother Slime, who had worked herself in quite well, popped free to let him and the goblin out. She even, strangely, patted him on the head and burbled out what seemed like a...yay? Still he gave her a reassuring pet before sitting still for a little think.

System describe skills? Analyze skills available and unavailable? He thought, trying to get a bead on what the skills actually did. He had no way of hovering over them like a game...that he was aware of. While he thought and tried to examine his skills he noticed that the area was starting to grow dark. He doubted any of the monsters here had night vision...and no thumbs to make a fire. Nor fire materials.

If the goblins came back the monsters would be blinded by the inevitable torches due to their eyes adjusting to the dark. "I'd advise moving into a more ambush type position and keep your eyes a little shielded. Just in case the goblins return and just blind us with the torches they're undoubtedly making." He said while shifting into a little alcove that he could observe from. Or charge out from if necessary. The goblins would either attack in the night or in the morning, either way he'd be keeping his senses up. Wouldn't be the first time in his life he had pulled an all nighter.

"Yeah I am, you cunt." Before Orchid could try and shoot again, a rather vicious looking badger arrived. It wasn't like a badger she's ever seen; it was bigger, with strange looking claws and armor on it. It was pissed off. But Orchid didn't care. She's dealt with rabid dogs and angry horses when she was still alive. A souped up badger meant nothing to her. "Tch. I'll show you how it's done." Orchid put her sling away inside of her bag, knowing that a mere acorn wasn't going to do much to it. She picked up her trench club and glared down at the badger. Despite being a goblin she stood up straight, her face stony but her glare burning. She didn't act openly hostile, but she didn't let her guard down either as she stared down the badger. She remembered that she had a skill called Pacify Animal. She wasn't sure if it would work on this creature, but she may as well give it a try. She also used her Monster Analysis on it to see if that would give her any additional insight.

"Down. You try anything, and you're going to regret it." Orchid had two theories about how this might pan out; either this works really well and she can tame this badger, or it just charges at her. Either way she wasn't afraid of it; if it charges she'd be ready for it. She held her trench club at the center of the shaft so she could slam one end of it into the ground and brace it against it's charge. She'd hide behind her shield too in order to help avoid the claws. The only problem would be the weight of the beast just going right at her. But at this point? She wasn't going to let this thing get the better of her. Not this badger, not the goblin bitch, no one.

---

@Zeroth@floodtalon@SilverPaw@Gardevoiran@Kazemitsu@Searat@King Cosmos

Skill Gain: Charisma I
Your force of personality is almost magical unto itself. You have a better chance of convincing others during negotiations, unless their Will is sufficiently strong.

"MOURNINGSTAR!!! WHERE THE FUCK ARE YOU GOING??? WE NEED YOU!!!" Jason angrily cried as the other group's self proclaimed 'leader' suddenly ran off with valuable ordinance. Some fucking leader indeed, abandoning their allies in the final hours before battle. He had seen their type before, and hated them with a passion. Hopefully he misunderstood her intentions, because right now; it didn't look good.

As the cave grew darker, Jason knew time was running out. He had to do it now. "Alright guys! I'm starting! I'm gonna need you all to cover me!" he hollered to his allies, hoping his new [Charisma I] skill would prove useful, and prompt his allies to take note of the situation he was about to be in.

What to choose? Defense would be nice, but mobility was currently a high priority. Gaining a Variance was HEAVILY tempting, however, gaining more magical aptitude would most likely be best for him right now. Even though the option he settled on didn't offer a high chance of a variance, it was currently the best all-around option. Fortune favors the bold right?

Moving close to mama slime, and taking a deep breath, Jason selected Slime Mage, hoping that he hadn't just completely fucked himself, and the others.... Feeling his body start to change, the soon-to-be (official) mage quickly used [Monster Analysis I] and [Magic Analysis I] on himself before the process could incapacitate him.

Ardur The Pixie

My First Kill >>>> A Hope and A Prayer /// day 8 // Afternoon > Evening

After catching his breath and listening to the others Ardur smiled and quickly followed after the other pixie. Another chance to possibly earn some Levels and get new skills. Following the others lead He picked up a side of the rubbery membrane that seemed intent on simply devouring the rat it held. With most of his strength he began to lift the creature who was many sizes larger than all of them until it was several feet off the ground.

Having moved it this far and it was already trying to swing at the others. The trio dropped the large membrane on the rock spikes below. The ooze seemed damaged but not dead. Part of it still held onto the rat while the rest began to slowly make its way out of the jumble of stone. Looking to the other two for a moment Ardur gave them a smile, “Ooo lesser flight level 3” before looking around the cave again.

It was beginning to get darker the small holes of light in the ceiling was growing dim and the activity of the other monsters in the cave was beginning to wind down again. “The goblins will be back soon” he spoke to both of them. “Quickly grab some stones to drop on it or get your wisp friend to shoot the slime if you’re out to kill it.” He ordered as the pale pixie turned back towards the other two. “When they come fly high out of their reach if you must run. Hide in the crevasses. Stay safe and survive and hopefully we will meet again.”

Ardur began to look around again for some larger stones that he could dive bomb onto the slime and get some practice in before regrouping at the bonfire. “O and my name is Ardur” he forgot about introductions earlier. Swooping down to the ground he was quick to pick up a large stone. The stone was oval and a little heavy but nothing he couldn’t carry. Quickly he flew up towards the ceiling above the slime and swooped down toward it drop the stone above the slime but still out of what he hoped was its reach.

Ardur only did this once the other two times he dropped the rock from high up to practice his aim. He only hoped the others hadn’t used all the flame touched crystals because he was hoping to be going on a bombing run with them. Stopping for a moment on top of a nearby tall rock formation to rest. The pixie again found himself looking around, “I wish you all good luck in the fight to come, I’m sure we will all need it.” His voice seemed a bit more brooding as he slowly began to meditate for a few more moments, focusing on his breathing and then all the small sounds around him.

Just for a moment he sensed a slice of peace in the cave. Perhaps it was the calm before the storm, maybe even a sign of things to come once the goblins were dead and gone. Either way he continued to meditate for a few moments longer letting his stamina recharge. “I’m not entirely sure if anyone is listening but for whoever might be watching or listening I pray to you.” He was whispering now, his words intended for some higher unseen power who he might relate too.

“I pray that you may witness our plight and give us luck on what comes next. That you would fill our hearts with courage and give us the opportunity to be great, to be mighty.” He wasn’t entirely sure why he was doing this but anything would help at this point. “I pray that you would see through our faults and the wrongs we may have committed in our past lives. That you would see us for the creatures we are and not see monsters but beings who are doing what they believe to be right. To protect each other and grow strong together to tip the scales of balance and just maybe throw a bit more light into this world.”

Ardur was a pagan believer in his past life, worshiping old gods of thunder and wisdom from the Viking era. He was taught to treat the gods like friends or companions, to talk to them like he would family. But here he felt that if there were gods they might just be a bit more regal than what he is used to considering them. Standing tall from his bout of meditation and feeling rested he took one more glance at the slime and the others before taking off toward the bonfire.

@Zeroth
@Rune_Alchemist
@CollectorOfMyst
@ghastlyInc

@Guy0fV4lor @King Cosmos @SilverPaw @Zeroth

The system notification had alerted him that any further task would have a physical toll on him. He looks to Asteria and the Pixie and sees that her status had stabilized, or at the very least gotten better. Though just to be sure, he kept pouring the refreshing water inside of the makeshift water skin on Asteria's acid burn; attempting to wash away the remnants of the acid with what little water there was left. With that comforting his tired mind, he collapses onto his belly and finally gets some well deserved rest. His body thankful to finally get a break after such a tiring experience. He then thought to the level up he had. He allotted four points to [Stronger] and one point to [Overwork]. Letting out a tired sigh, he thinks about the new skills he had attained. He let out a weak but satisfied smirk at the sight of the skill [Rabid Fit] no longer having the word 'unusable' at the start and end of the skill.

With that over with, Ed then promptly passed out out of overexerting himself.

---

Rain houses in relief and agitation as the goblins turned their backs at the perfect time for her movement. How would she know if her camo worked if they weren't even going to pay attention?

This was...a mess. The big guy was there, she could see them doing their thing. She could.... She should....

Fuck.

This wasn't an easy choice. Continue thinning the odds and taking risks or go back to the group to warn them? There was more goblins than their group, unless their group had grew more...

But the goblins were dumb, minutes Crispy and the hairy one. Plus that human birth one....

Looking though.... Rain knew they needed to kill the big guy. They could work with the Goblins if he was dead, she was sure of it. A joint operation?

Fuck.

Rain turned and ran. She needed to give the others warning. She couldn't just be selfish and keep whittling down the numbers.

When she got back she'd announce herself for their benefit.

"Guys.... I killed two of them but.... There's still at least 16. And they're arming for war."

---

Taking a deep breath of relief, Digbie ran back towards the group when Jason called. He caught a glimpse of Mourningstar running off, which... he felt unsure about. On one hand, he believed Mourningstar was capable of being a serious fighter, but as for a leader of the group, that was a bit more questionable. This only cemented that idea more. Regardless of what would happen, Digbie made it back and stood beside the evolving slime, giving a thumbs-up to the rest of the party (Earth-born monsters and normal monsters included) before he paid attention to a new character. Rain was back!

"Guys.... I killed two of them but.... There's still at least 16. And they're arming for war."

That... that wasn't good. The whole group seemed like they had a minute or two to recover and get their composure back, since the hostile environment was calmed down. Time to think.

"A-alright, I'm not good at b-being a leader, but I'm gonna give it a shot!" Digbie spoke up and addressed the party as a whole. He knew a lot of them were really angry at goblins, but they all needed to face the bigger situation here. "Pixies! We have Mana Crystals by the dozens! Please use them to our aid and heal us all up! It might even reward you with experience and get you all a level up that might be really good to our cause!" Digbie attempted to continue his commands, but quickly found himself at a loss for words. "That's... that's all I've got actually. I think everyone else needs to rest for a moment and get your stamina back, we'll need it for the fight ahead. I'm gonna try and get myself ready! Jason, I'll need your help after this."

Digbie grabbed his <Curved Rock^TM> and used it to carve out his <Some Kind of Rat Sack^TM> a little bit, trying to increase the amount of things he can carry. It'd be a burden lifted off his shoulders if he could do it. After that was done, he went over to the pile of Mana Crystals and took one, clenching it in his hand as he tried to recover his magical abilities. With his newfound skill of {Stone Shot}, he had an idea. A stupid idea, but with tremendous payout.

As soon as his mana was replenished, Digbie used {Tremor Sense II} to locate a weakness in the caverns around the group. If they could cause a collapse on the goblins that were rushing in soon, maybe they could take a few out? There was obviously risk involved, but that's why Digbie wanted Jason's opinion to make sure that what might happen wouldn't be a complete and utter crap fest.

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