---

---

After the bloodingfly – and really, that thing was a fly of all things? – was hit by her rock, Asteria stayed where she was, still, silent, crouched low to the ground as she had been. She observed the insect and Ed in turns, to find an opportunity where she could deal a better attack. Mother rat had leaped at it once, but was driven away by the stinger. So, either they’d have to break that off somehow or attack it in a way that prevented the bloodingfly from being able to sting them. There was also the alternative of risking a sting and killing it in that moment, but based on the insect’s description, that would be incredibly risky. Asteria kept watching as the insect dove at Ed, stinger pointed at him, while Ed called out to it. He was ready to keep its attention on him, then.

Asteria creeped closer, until she was within leaping distance of both the insect and Ed, and got ready for a jump. She crouched as low as she could, tensed all muscles, building power in every single fibre of her being, until the right moment. Then, when the insect was entirely focused on Ed, its trajectory set to attack him, Asteria released all the energy she’d been able to store, shooting off in a manner similar to a coiled spring, only she had more weight behind her, and had added some of her own force by pushing off the ground as she jumped. She flew at the insect, claws and teeth ready to grab onto any part of the insect, bring it down, and claw and bite into it, specifically targeting its wings.

@Guy0fV4lor@Zeroth

You used Source Crystal Shard!
---Ecto Slime ?V50Z---
You are slightly stronger and faster than this creature. It has slightly more MP than you. You currently cannot physically interact with it. You feel uneasy around it. It seems familiar…? It is unusual.
Possesses Spell Skill: Mana Drain
Possesses Other Skills: Spiritual Awareness, Transparency, Levitate, Guidance…
The uneasy feeling is caused by Other Skill: Taboo
---Charge Empty---

You have no MP remaining with which to charge the Source Crystal Shard.

Despite the uneasy feeling caused by the taboo Danny didn't need to be a rocket scientist to figure that the human face was probably Jason, given that the only other reincarnated Slime he knew was Asura. The whole not able to interact physically thing was a major downside because if it was Jason he wanted to learn Stone Shot from him.

When he saw the flash of light in the distance he decided that he had more urgent things to worry about, hoping that still being within hearing distance of Trent's work on the barrier he was far away enough that it wouldn't be taken as a sign of hostility he sat down on crossed legs. "I'm gonna take a break and recover my mana, please don't wander of." He said looking in what he hoped was the direction of the invisible Slime. As he had many times before he began meditating.

During his mediation he got an idea and as soon his MP was back to full he recharged the Source Crystal Shard and held it in front of his eyes. Unlike the last times though he tried to keep charging it as he used it to make sure it wouldn't run out of power while at the time trying to use his Monster Analysis II through it.

---

"That's a BIG SLIME!" Digbie commented as he staggered back a little. It looked like it easily dwarfed the entire party from that far away, and he hadn't seen what the orange slime could do compared to the other slimes that the group had come across. He was definitely afraid of what was in front of him, thats for sure, though he was pretty sure he had the ability to check it this time... oh wait, Monster Analysis!

Digbie squinted his eyes and looked at the monster, using {Monster Analysis}, {Material Analysis}, and {Magical Analysis} all at the same time to decipher what this slime in front of the party could do to hurt the group.

Before he knew what he was even going to do, he found his hands clenching shut. He wasn't going to let this thing hurt his friends, that's for dang sure. Torrent had almost died twice, it seemed, and he wasn't about to let anyone else come that close to dying again. The goblin stood straight up, outstretched his arms to his side in a perpendicular fashion, then slowly tipped backwards until he fell onto his back. From there, he used {Earth Vein} to start regenerating his magical supply. He had to be prepared for what the Slime had, and as it stood he was low on MP, so recovering some was pretty much a necessity at this point.

"Get ready guys! I'm pretty sure this isn't going to be easy!"

---

---

Thankfully it paid off learning Tremor Sense. Within moments it seemed like Digbie, Torrent, and Oberon had found her. Excellent. None of this food was going to go to waste and she could, perhaps, spend some time tinkering with these ingredients - but there was something else. Something not her own tremor sense or Digbie's vibrations that were there. Something moving towards them at fairly high speed. Turning her head in the direction of the tremors, she had to agree with Digbie.

That was indeed, a 'big' slime.

"Don't let it touch my stuff!" Ash shouted, doing the same as Digbie and using her Monster Analysis, Magical Analysis, and then tested out 'Mana Sense'. This thing wasn't likely magical, but it didn't hurt to be sure so they weren't on the receiving end of any nasty surprises. And what was Digbie doing? She hadn't a clue but she wasn't gonna let this Slime get anywhere near her loot.

Leaping between her loot and the orange slime, Ash lobbed several doses of Venom Shot towards the creature, trying to get out as many as fast as she could in as little amount of time as possible before dodging out of its path at the last second. If she could get it poisoned, that would make this just a bit easier.

After leaving the camp Oberon had been able to find the others simply enough, all of them in fact, looking a little worse for wear but otherwise unhurt and in one piece. Their reunion was interrupted however as a rather large orange Slime crested a rise and began to roll towards them; it took a moment for the sight to register, so unexpected was it in his mind to see a Slime outside of the setting of a cave that he couldn’t quite process it at first. When Digbie called out it snapped him out of his reverie and he took to the air again to prepare for combat.

It was larger than any he had seen back in the cave, which either meant it was stronger than any of the Slimes he had seen so far or it was a different kind of slime entirely; he used Monster and Magic Analysis on it to determine which of the two it was, then used Magic Analysis again to learn about its elemental weaknesses.

Ash attacked first, calling out something about not letting it touch her stuff before firing off a glob of something at the slime and dodging out of its way. “Your stuff?” Looking towards the area Ash seemed to be guarding, Oberon saw a collection of various parts and pieces of what might once have been one of the Rubber Frogs native to the area, at least judging by the long tongue and skin he could see with his Keen Sight.

Turning back to the Giant Slime, the Sprite considered how best to fight the creature. Blunt attacks likely wouldn’t work, since he didn’t expect surface level damage to do much to something like this; they would need to pierce its membrane to do any serious damage. However narrow, piercing attacks like his Mana Dart probably wouldn’t work either; any hole they made would heal too quickly and this thing didn’t exactly have internal organs that could be damaged.

Making his decision, Oberon flew off to the side, away from the others, and began to call and wave his arms to get the Slime’s attention. Whether or not it worked he would prepare and fire a Mana Slice at the creature, firing it directly at the Slime’s centre with the intention of slicing it open with the wide crescent blade of magic.



@Rune_Alchemist@Gardevoiran@Zeroth@Old Amsterdam

---

Torrent was looking at the stuff Ash had found (won? It almost looked like one of those frogs splayed open?), before the two with Tremor Sense turned and reacted.

In an instant, Torrent had activated Scale Shift to the forest floor beneath her, Muffle III, and used her Monster and Magic analysis skills as she moved in a bit of a half-circle on an interception path with the slime. She watched as Ash fired off some venom shots, asking them to keep it away from her stash, while Oberon attempted to distract the slime from the air. She moved in quietly, quickly, trying to remain hidden until she knew what this thing could do.

She didn't want a repeat of the Flak Beetle.

[[You'll each see these separately, just ignore whatever parts aren't part of the specific analysis you attempted.]]
Digbie and Torrent used Monster Analysis I! Ash and Oberon used Monster Analysis II!
Digbie used Material Analysis I!
Digbie and Torrent used Magic Analysis I!
Ash used Magic Analysis II!
Oberon used Magic Analysis IV!
Oberon used Magic Analysis IV!
---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. Their general abilities are also increased, making them more dangerous than they appear as a simple evolution of a plain slime. In fact, their resistance to physical damage has become such that even a proper sword or mace might not kill them easily. A Giant Slime's slime is difficult to harvest, as when they die the nervous and circulation systems keeping their membranes intact rapidly decay. If it can be extracted before the digestive fluids destroy it, however, it has some use as an adhesive or even a culinary gelatin. There might even be other uses...

Giant Slimes have little to no magic to speak of; they have only slightly above the bare minimum of Magical Power for a Monster. They have no elemental affiliation by nature, though Slimes that live in environments rich with ambient mana sometimes take on properties better suited for their habitat. This Giant Slime possesses no Magical Skills or Spells. This Giant Slime is also not developing any Magical Skills or Spells. Despite having no real affinities or alignments, this Giant Slime is vulnerable to most forms of magic. It could be considered stronger against Earth and Wind magic, but they will still do more damage than most physical attacks. It would be weaker against Fire, Lightning, Ice, and Metal magic.
---Analysis Complete---

Digbie laying back on the ground and using Earth Vein quickly pumped his MP up, though not quite to full yet. Torrent almost immediately disappeared into the surroundings, and Oberon took flight to get some distance while he analyzed the oncoming enemy. Ash stood her ground protectively over her materials, but also analyzed the slime--in fact, everyone had attempted to use at least two analysis skills on the creature. And while they were standing there watching it, it rolled over Digbie while he lay flat on the ground. He stuck to its naturally gooey body for a single rotation before it slammed him into the earth again, and now made for the smaller target of Oberon trying to get its attention.

As it rumbled towards the smaller Sprite, three Venom Shots from Ash thup-thup-thup'd into its membrane. They left purple stains, but aside from a shiver of what seemed like pain the Giant Slime didn't react too much. When Oberon cast his Mana Slice, the creature's roll actually slowed down just before the crescent sliced into its body. Though the wound immediately suctioned back together, the Slime had recognized itself being hurt and let out a rumbling gurgle before it changed course. It was still heading towards Oberon, however, and from an angle it lashed out with a huge pseudopod to try and crush him...

---

As Asura and Ardur began to smother the flames with dirt--and in the slime's case, his own body--Steve seemed to pick up on their efforts and splattered a gooier form of her webbing onto Momma Slime's body, before Ardur ordered her to keep watch. Oxygen had ignited the substance from the Flak Beetle, but upon being deprived of it the flames died out instantly. The dirt that soaked up the bug's innard-juice grew somewhat hot to the touch, like rocks stacked around a campfire, but this soon cooled with the interesting side effect of turning the rocks a lime-white color. Momma Slime seemed slightly singed, but fine on the whole--which she expressed as a loud fart-sigh.

Now that they weren't in the middle of fighting, the big blue slime was able to wriggle and jiggle her way out of the Flak Beetle's burrow. While Momma Slime wouldn't be able to fit all the way in, it was big enough for Asura to scrunch himself up alongside Ardur and Steve. They could potentially dig it out deeper as well...but now, darkness was rapidly falling and they would soon be blind.

LEVEL UP! Your combined experiences have culminated in new power! You are now Level 7! Your Max Stamina has increased (this will not recover current Stamina levels)! You gain Skill Points to distribute as you please!

Unspent Skill Points: 10

Current Skills:
Physical Damage Resistance I (1.86) <CANNOT INCREASE WITH POINTS>
Overwork I (1.8)
Blunt Resistance I (1.7)
Limited Shapeshift III (3.725)
Smash II (2.15)
Pierce Resistance I (1.25)
Faster I (1.65)
Magic Resistance I (1.1)
Harder I (1.05)
Counter I (1.25)
Cling I (1.0)
Slime Whip I (1.25)
Throw Item I (1.0)
Rabid Fit I (1.0)
Iron Gullet I (1.2)
Monster Analysis I (1.1)
Stamina Furnace I (1.1)
<UNUSABLE>
Earth Resist (0.7)
Mental Resistance (0.9)
Slime Shell (0.5)
Charisma (0.5)
Dextrous (0.2)
Soil Manipulation (0.5)
Stone Shot (0.5)
Slime Coil (0.3)
Magic Analysis (0.5)
Bounce (0.5)
Muffle (0.3)
Poison Resistance (0.2)
Dash Attack (0.4)
Spiritual Awareness (0.2)
Intimidate (0.3)
Stronger (0.8)
Blood Drain (0.5)
First Aid (0.2)
Acid Spit (0.2)
Skewer (0.4)
Slash (0.1)
Fire Resistance (0.3)
Water Resistance (0.0125)
Focus (0.4)
Alert (0.3)

LEVEL UP! Your combined experiences have culminated in new power! You are now Level 6! Your Max Stamina has increased (this will not recover current Stamina levels)! You gain Skill Points to distribute as you please!

Unspent Skill Points: 10

Current Skills:
Shield II (2.175)
Lesser Flight III (2.24)
Minor Heal III (3.6125)
Physical Conditioning I (1.0) <CANNOT INCREASE WITH SKILL POINTS>
Fire Resistance I (1.35)
Taming I (1.35)
Fireball I (1.5)
Stronger II (2.15)
Crafting I (1.0)
Muffle I (1.3)
Inspire I (1.0)
Guidance I (1.0)
Spell Chant I (1.0)
Use Light Equipment (--)
<UNUSABLE>
Keen Sight (0.7)
Keen Ear (0.3)
Alchemy (0.5)
Faster (0.5)
Magic Analysis (0.55)
Mana Orb (0.15)
Focus (0.6)
Throw Voice (0.1)
Mana Strike (0.8)
Point Strike (0.8)
Charisma (0.2)
Soothe Song (0.6)
Harder (0.1)
Alert (0.8)
Reinforce (0.2)
Throw Item (0.5)
Meditate (0.2)
Stone Shot (0.5)
Iron Gullet (0.3)
Soil Manipulation (0.3)
Material Analysis (0.2)
Rabid Fit (0.5)
Lesser Cleanse (0.7)
Fire Fist (0.2)
Magic Resistance (0.2)
Minor Regeneration (0.1)
Flame Aura (0.1)
Warcry (0.1)
Immolation (0.05)
Spiritual Awareness (0.3)
Overwork (0.1)
Monster Analysis (0.3)

Your Tamed Creature has Leveled Up! Steve is now Level 2!
Your Tamed Creature has Leveled Up! Steve is now Level 3!

Oculus Spider [Steve], Level 3
Steve's Unspent Skill Points: 11

Steve's Current Skills:
Web Spit I (1.5)
Doze I (1.0)
<UNUSABLE>
Muffle (0.5)
Poison Fang (0.4)
Blunt Resistance (0.1)
Thread Control (0.5)
Alert (0.3)
Fire Resistance (0.1)

Steve's intelligence, ability, and physical stats are not high enough to enable Skill Teaching. Do you wish to distribute your Tamed Creature's Skill Points?

With the fire put out on Momma Slime, a new shelter against the rapidly falling night, and some new skill points to play with, what would the party's next move be? Despite having recovered enough for that short brawl, they were still quite low on Stamina...

---

The Bloodingfly accelerated as Ed acted like he was going to attack, but when the Ratman pulled off his feint the insect had too much momentum to stop. Though its wings flared out like sails, its needle-probiscus pierced into the ground rather than any furry flesh. It barely kept itself from crashing, slamming its spindly legs into the dirt with a deep buzz. The next moment Asteria was on its back, ripping and tearing at its wings and the fuzzy body underneath them. The bug thrashed, its buzz growing to a shrill creen as it tried to buck her off. A large section of one wing came off in Asteria's jaws just as Mother Rat tackled the creature from below, tearing into its side--the same side Ed had already injured. Unnaturally colored blood splattered the ground once more, and the bug pushed off to jump away. Its damaged wings couldn't lift its weight, however, and it tumbled on top of Asteria. With its belly exposed, either Ed or Mother Rat would be able to deliver a finishing blow--and it was highly doubtful either of them would pass up the opportunity.

The Bloodingfly would die with one last, drawn out buzz that turned to a whine. Its legs, however, continued to twitch for some time after its death. But just as they finished with this creature, the three rats wouldn't be able to help but notice three white flashes of light.

It came from back towards the forest. At this distance, it was little more than something like a momentary signal flare. It didn't rise very high above the ground--rather, it arced through the air, then traveled along the land. To them it seemed to only go a short distance, but if they were up close it might have been several meters.

And following it, the earth spat dust and debris. Soil was hurled upward as if by some giant plough, and the flames those goblins had started sputtered and died. By the time each light finished--they seemed to be going in different directions, but every one was followed by a wave of earth--the smoke that seemed to threaten to consume the entire plain had dwindled to a wispy cloud.

But now the rats could hear something else. From the direction of the village, it sounded like...shouts. Cries of alarm and of awe. Several figures were bustling around the different houses now...but they were watching the skies, for any other signs of the lights.

The sun had set and the grasslands, too, were falling under the cover of night. With the villagers occupied by the sight far away, maybe the rats could sneak around the long way and enter that shed Ed had spied without being seen...

LEVEL UP! Your combined experiences have culminated in new power! You are now Level 6! You gain Skill Points to distribute as you please!

Unspent Skill Points: 22 ((12 unspent from before Transformation, 10 from current level up))

Current Skills:
Beast Sense II (2.625)
Rabid Fit I (1.55)
Stronger I (1.35)
Muffle II (2.025)
Use Light Equipment (--)
Alert I (1.0)
<UNUSABLE>
Material Analysis (0.4)
Magic Analysis (0.65)
Monster Analysis (0.9)
Faster (0.7)
Warcry (0.4)
Dextrous (0.8)
Tremor Sense (0.025)
Mental Resistance (0.9)
Telepathy (0.075)
Mana Shape (0.7)
Focus (0.8)
Shield (0.5)
Mana Shell (0.4)
Soil Manipulation (0.7)
Overwork (0.9)
Harder (0.3)
Crafting (0.25)
First Aid (0.1)
Meditate (0.4)
People Sense (0.2)
Plant Analysis (0.1)
Swift Swimmer (0.4)
Charm (0.025)
Repel (0.025)
Stealth Kill (0.3)
Blunt Resistance (0.1)
Prehensile Tail (0.3)
Smash (0.7)
Mana Strike (0.2)
Minor Heal (0.05)
Dynamic Eye (0.3)

LEVEL UP! Your combined experiences have culminated in new power! You are now Level 6! You gain Skill Points to distribute as you please! Note: You are very close to another Level Up!

Unspent Skill Points: 10

Current Skills:
Beast Sense II (2.875)
Faster II (2.15)
Monster Analysis II (2.325)
Dextrous I (1.9)
Poison Resistance I (1.0)
Crafting I (1.625)
Muffle I (1.65)
Mana Sense I (1.8)
Mana Drain I (1.4)
Magic Analysis I (1.1)
Stronger I (1.2)
Prehensile Tail (--)
Alert I (1.15)
<UNUSABLE>
Use Light Equipment (0.6)
Charisma (0.9)
Telepathy (0.35)
Mental Resistance (0.1)
Soil Manipulation (0.9)
Overwork (0.2)
Lesser Status Heal (0.05)
Minor Heal (0.05)
Meditate (0.4)
Smash (0.6)
Mana Flex (0.1)
Scribe (0.1)
Spell Chant (0.15)
Lesser Force (0.1)
Stone Shot (0.3)
Lucid Dream (0.3)
Spiritual Awareness (0.2)
Swift Swimmer (0.1)
Suppress Presence (0.2)
Plant Analysis (0.7)
Alchemy (0.05)
Tremor Sense (0.1)
Throw Item (0.3)
Stealth Kill (0.1)

---

"Correct, these are spells, special attacks, and so much more... Honestly Bonie, I don't belong in this world, especially not as a monster.... So I think, that in a way, the rules and limitations of species, and usage of the system don't fully apply to me."

"If ya really be human and not a slime, Ja-Soon, den da world be different to ya. Skeelz, powahs, everyting different for humans and mobs. But if ya bes a slime too...I tink tings be even more not da same."

As Jason read the Skill list out loud to the two goblin spirits, their windows continued to move around for a moment. Then Bonie's stopped, and Jason's began moving again instead. It really was like someone was clicking on a computer's browser and dragging it around the screen.

"Bonie, tell me a bit about these dreams you had, and what you prayed to while you were alive."

"Gobs in da cave not be like dat. No big temples, no sack-fices. Maybe would if dere were Big Demons, but da cave tribe stay near da cave. Udda gob tribes force us here when even Bonie was youngling. Neva prayed. Told stories. Stories bout da Old Gobs, da ones come before. How dey hunts, how dey makes tings. Gotta make sure everything member'd for long time after we gones. Dat keeps Old Gobs around, and Old Gobs makes good magic for gobs still alive."

Skill Activated: Meditate I!
By concentrating and calming oneself, increase the regeneration of Magic Power and Stamina. This skill cannot be used in battle. Any distractions in the environment will drastically decrease the effectiveness of this skill. This skill cannot be used in conjunction with other skills.

Your MP is recovering...

Even with using Mana Drain to reabsorb his attempts to cast Mana Orb, Jason's efficiency or lack thereof caused his MP to continue dropping with each attempt. What was more, ever since he had become a spirit, his MP would steadily decrease over time. It seemed to serve as both as his stamina and his HP in this form--this was probably the primary reason being an undead, spiritual creature seemed so uncommon. After all, the Dungeon was constantly creating Undead, yet besides Jason only Ghost Wisps seemed to be of the spirit class. But now that he had meditate, if he could maintain concentration without being interrupted then he could stabilize his existence...at least as long as there was ambient mana around him. Even without this skill, in the cave there had been times he was able to sense the concentration of energy. The fact that Mana Crystals grew in the cave was evidence that its magical atmosphere was thicker. Out here, in the open wilderness, the power was significantly less concentrated. He could still recover his MP...but it was a slow process. If he wasn't careful with his magical experimentation, he might end up in the same desperate struggle he had been to maintain his MP right after his original revival...

"Hey Bonie, I need you to say 'System: Describe (Better) Spiritual Awareness V, and how it was gained.' That'll give us even more information on how we can bring ourselves more fully into the real world."

"Before dat, Ja-Soon--how do I be makin' da Skeelz betta? All my Skeelz, and Teef's too, got different numbahs you was readin'. Tell me dats, and I tells ya bout da dreams, and den we figures out dat udda Skeel."

Teef was strangely quiet, but her system window was moving more erratically. It even rotated in slow circles and spun around in three dimensional space, as she were looking it over, up and down, and all around.

Meanwhile, Danny meditated calmly for several minutes. He could hear the sound of wood being chopped, but only distantly. More clearly, he heard one more rumbling sound, and there was another flash of light in the distance...The smoke coming from the grasslands grew thinner, and looked less foreboding. Whatever Zieglar was doing, it seemed to be controlling the fire if not putting it out entirely. And after that third flash, nothing else happened...would the Knight return to his apprentice?

Once the system informed him his MP was full, he recharged the Source Crystal. Doing so drained a decent chunk of his MP again, about as much as one of his spells would have. But now, as he held it up to his eye and looked at Jason through it again, when the green light began to form words and numbers he also activated his Monster Analysis. The effort of keeping Mana flowing into the Crystal was like trying to force yourself to exhale longer while not blinking at the same time--Danny felt his MP rapidly dwindling after only a few seconds, but the information he was gaining definitely increased.

You used Monster Analysis II! You used Source Crystal Shard!
---Jason (???, ???)---
Ecto Slime: An extremely rare undead monster. Spirit-class Undead are formed when a soul is unable to leave the corpse or reenter the natural cycle of life and death; composed entirely of the energies left within the body at the time of death, Spirits without Will cannot maintain a form for long. When they lose cohesion, they are returned to the world in another way that cannot be undone. Slimes do not normally have enough intelligence or magic power to revive as undead, and even when affected by outside sources they are usually extremely unstable. Like all undead, they seem to harbor an instinctive need to consume the living. Like many Spirit-class Undead, they are driven to feast on other souls even to the point of losing themselves. You know this Ecto Slime as Jason, a Reincarnator like yourself. Jason has committed a Taboo against the world by denying the cycle of life and death.

There are two other souls Jason has consumed, but they have not been completely devoured. Spirit-class monsters sometimes attempt to absorb other souls strong enough to maintain their own sense of self--as these spirits intermingle, their memories and personalities often begin to mix as well. Yet an individual can only maintain one sense of self...even a legion must move as one...

Jason currently can't interact through normal physical means with the world, but some of his skills can cause physical reactions. Due to this a direct comparison isn't available through normal means. However, your stats are currently higher than his. He currently has more MP than you; Spirit-class creatures do not possess an upper cap on the amount of magical power they can hold. In order for them to grow and maintain themselves, they must continue to amass magic. Using too many of their own spells can cut their only remaining tether to this world short.

Jason possesses the Spell Skill Mana Drain, allowing him to drain magical power from other creatures and objects. This is common among Undead creatures, as their own vitality is no longer enough to allow their existence.

Jason possesses other skills like Meditate, Spiritual Awareness, Transparency, Levitate, and Guidance. Because of his death, many of his old Skills are locked away or unusable due to his lack of a physical body.
---Analysis Complete---

The Source Crystal Shard has no charge remaining. Restoring the charge will consume the remainder of your MP. Do you wish to recharge it?

With everything that had happened today, now that the two were finally out on their own, the forest seemed very quiet. Maybe it was the large number of goblins that had passed in this direction earlier, wielding weapons and fire. Maybe it was the presence of two humans in the area. Maybe it was the nearby fires that belched acrid smoke into the air. Or maybe, now that night was falling, other creatures were also turning in to their dens. Whatever the case, Danny and Jason seemed to be alone out here in the wilderness...They had escaped the cave, the Dungeon Core, and all of the Undead. They were completely left to their own devices...but the sun had dipped below the mountains, and the stars were beginning to peek out between the branches up above...

---

@Zeroth@Duthguy

"Before dat, Ja-Soon--how do I be makin' da Skeelz betta? All my Skeelz, and Teef's too, got different numbahs you was readin'. Tell me dats, and I tells ya bout da dreams, and den we figures out dat udda Skeel."

Jason sighed. He knew where this was going, and he wasn't going to have it.

Turns out that finding a goblin that had risen above their base instincts was too good to be true after all.

"Look Bonie, I appreciate the guidance and direction you have given me... But I know the cruel nature of goblinkind. There is nothing for you to go back to. You've been dead too long. I wish you best of luck in your next life"

Placing a pseudopod on the ground, Jason activated [Guidence], "Oh great spirit of earth, I humbly ask that you guide this old soul back to the world, that they be born anew." he prayed with a touch of sorrow. As the mana traveled into the depths of the earth, Jason concentrated all his will, and ejected what he felt was Bonie with the mana, that the earth could help her, where he could not. He spent a few minutes meditating, dwelling on what he had just done. It tugged at his conscience like a wild dog at the meat of a rotting carcass.

As the stars came into view, Jason knew that he and Danny needed to keep on moving and began to trudge east, brushing Danny as he passed so that his companion knew it was time to keep moving. Staying low to the ground, Jason would occasionally activate [Mana Drain] on the earth, as well as any plants, bugs, and other such things before meditating for a few seconds, and continuing on his path.

Ardur The Mighty Hipixie

Woo points /// Adventuring day 4 // Evening / Location - Edge of the forest > Small burrow

Ardur breathed heavily while he rested. The fire had been smothered and it did not look like Mother Slime was hurt too bad. Everything seemed to calm down and get quiet again. He noticed the colors in the sky start to change as well, darkness would be set upon them soon and they still needed to dig the hole out a little more. “Oh cool level 6.” He said aloud.

He seemed to think about his decision for a little while before deciding, “System allocate 8 points into meditate and 2 points into Point Strike.” The hipixie seemed satisfied with himself as he rested his hands on his hips and smiled. Looking to his friend Steve the Spider he thought about hers for a few moments before continuing, “System, for Steve put 5 points into Web Spit I, 5 points into Thread Control, and 1 point into poison bite.” He was quiet proud of his little friend as well, they had both come a long way from hanging out in that small hole in the cave.

Turning his attention back to the beetle, Ardur began to pull chunks of cooked bug meat from the inside of the beetle and handing it out to everyone. He was trying to be as carful as he could while he was doing this to attempt to both see how the bugs internal organs worked and to try and save as much of the exoskeleton and mandibles as he could. The chitin on this one looked tough enough to make some good armor for him; at the very least, it was better than nothing.

After eating his share of the kill, Ardur began to dig out the entrance a little more and pull the loose dirt further down the hill. “So we stay here tonight then tomorrow what do you want to do? We could look for a better place to make a more permanent shelter or base in the woods or keep exploring to find something more suitable. Right now I don’t really care; I’m just trying to focus on getting this place situated.”

@Zeroth
@Kazemitsu

Thankfully whatever that chemical was that caught fire wasn't strong. It was doused quickly enough by the dirt and Asura's own liquid body. Mother Slime looked a bit singed, but she'd recover soon enough with some sleep. She let out a sigh, which sounded like someone poking into silly putty, she'd never get the full english language...

The System chimed in and let Asura know he leveled up again. Ardur seemed to say what he wanted his points in, Asura was a bit more private than that. Two points into Overwork, one point into Mental Resistance, two points into Stronger. He thought, using only half of the points he had for the moment. "System, Analyze Unusable Skill Slime Shell." He said aloud, he was going to see if the damn thing would explain exactly what certain Skills were. He could figure out things if he had some sort of description.

Ardur began messing with the Beetles body, seemingly divvying out the food it'd provide. While he was doing that Asura slithered into the Flak Beetles 'nest' and began to tunnel. He absorbed rocks into himself to act as teeth to tunnel more effectively. He pulled the loose dirt into himself, filling his 'inventory' before going out and discharging the dirt around the opening to make the hole more difficult to see. Ardur soon joined in in the digging though.

" Relax and Meditate, if you can, see if you can get rid of your Mana Burn. Even if my Stamina runs out I have more health to work with. Maybe forcing everything to get so low will make my 'pool' bigger." He said before going back in to dig out the 'Nest' further. Widening the 'room' but using what he could to reinforce the sides and top. It was only dirt after all and it could collapse. "If your spider friend could uh...spread some webbing on the 'ceiling, that'd be nice though. To make a catch net just in case it decides it wants to cave in." He called out. He remembered that spider silk had a stupidly high tensile strength for what it was and Steve was massive compared to human world spiders.

Ardur The Mighty Hipixie

Woo points > Time for a break /// Adventuring day 4 // Evening / Location - Edge of the forest > Small burrow

Ardur paused for a moment and looked at his slime friend while he just sat in the dirt. The slime had a point he was more useful when he had the ability to use magic, hell he could not even fly without mana. Taking his friend’s advice Ardur found a nice spot near the wall and tried to stay the furthest he could from where he was tunneling. “Yeah that’s a good idea. Oh and by the way the spiders name is Steve and she is level 3 now.”

Looking back to the spider while he began to get comfortable, “Steve, go ahead and do what Asura said. Your webbing will hopefully keep the dirt on the ceiling stable at least for the night.” Finding a comfortable position and closing his eyes the high pixie began to breathe in slowly through his nose and out through his mouth concentrating on his breathing, while trying to activate Meditation I. He was having some issues with slowing his mind and just focusing on the movements of his body. To help him with this, he began to sing.

“Another day in this carnival of souls, another nights ends end as quickly as it goes, the memories of shadows ink on the page, and I can’t seem to find my way home.” He began to hum the rest of the song before being able to simply focus on his breathing and then opening his mind up to the sounds around him. Never focusing on simply one sound just listening to everything while trying to feel the ambient mana in the world around him. He would continue to do this, trying to absorb the mana around him with his new skill.

@Zeroth
@Kazemitsu

Perhaps out of surprising teamwork, or maybe it was just because her goblins are slightly more competent than they used to be, while Orchid was able to cause the badger to hesitate the other goblins managed to get a few good hits in. A stone struck the badger in the head, dizzying it for just a moment before it charged at Bigs and Wejs. Sure Wejs was just about as scared as Bigs, but he stood his ground. That was better than how they'd usually react. Only Crispy somewhat made things more difficult by throwing a fireball at the badger when it was close to the two knobs, catching them in the crossfire. Orchid quickly turned towards the others who were either cowering or staying out of the way. "Oi you lot! Go help Bigs and Wejs put themselves out! Throw some dirt on em!" Sure Bigs and Wejs would probably be okay, but the faster they recovered means the faster they get to fight.

As Orchid shouted her orders Clod had came at the badger and hacked at it with his stone sword. Despite expectations it held up fairly well and did some considerable damage to the beast, causing it to stagger forward like some lumbering creature. A few days ago such a creature would have made Orchid flee; she was lucky that day that she had a shield that could defend herself from such a monster. But today she was a different goblin. More powerful. More vicious. She was the chief. And she would not run or let this badger escape her a second time. She took a deep breath as the badger winded up it's claw to slash her.

"Haaaah... THIS HAND OF MINE GLOWS WITH AN AWESOME POWEEEEEEEEEEER!!!" Dropping the torch betwen herself and the badger Orchid gripped her sharp club with both hands to deflect the Badger's claw. She was trying to go for a cut, but she simply needed to hold it in place so that it could not retract and dodge back, the stone teeth digging into it's fur and plates. As she roared, her hand indeed did seem to glow red, the sparks of flame appearing around her gauntlet hand. "ITS BURNING GRIP TELLS ME TO DEFEAT YOU!!!" Holding the Badger's claw up to expose it's face, she let one hand free as she SMASHED her fist into the badger, at the same time shooting a fireball as well. What should happen, at least as Orchid imagined it, was a classic flaming punch right into the badger's mouth. She intended to catch it while it was roaring, not caring if it's teeth dug into her rope gauntlet or if she shattered any useful teeth in the process. This beast was going to be her next meal.

---

---

Asteria's attack was successful! She’d landed on the fly and tore into its wing and back forcefully, ripping off a part of its wing. Mother rat’s attack injured it even more, and though it attempted to escape, the fly only managed to destabilize Asteria and throw her off with its trashing. The insect managed to tumble onto Asteria, exposing its belly in the process. One of her other companions took the opportunity to deliver the killing blow, and Asteria wriggled out from underneath the dying creature. Its legs continued twitching a while after, as was common with insect. Asteria inspected herself for injuries thoroughly, just in case the tumble had caused some sort of sprain or break. It was also possible she’d got scratched while under the insect, which could be a danger if the bloodingfly was venomous.

Just then, her attention was redirected to a blinding flash which was shortly followed by two others, all originating from the forest. Asteria closely observed the lights, wondering as to its purpose and effects. It disturbed the soil and put out the fire, and this made it all the more apparent this was some sort of magic rather than the product of technology. Who could have cast such a thing? More importantly, she had to get information on the spell itself! It was perhaps a larger scale one than she’d ever witnessed before, so there was merit in trying to figure it out. Mana analysis! Mana sense! She activated her skills, but beyond that, she focused intently on the lights, observing them carefully and trying to actively feel the residual magic that was surely present.

When the spell was done, the fire put out, and the plains saved, Asteria blinked, regaining awareness of the rest of her environment. In the distance, villagers were shouting, the sight of such grand magic awing them as much as it had her, and it seemed they were now on the lookout for more magic. The sun had also set, and their night-time vision was better than the humans’, so if there was any sneaking and stealing to be done, now would be the time. However, Asteria had some things to do before that.

Firstly, there were her skills to consider. She was almost tempted to not invest them into anything yet, but according to the system, she was close to another level up. I should get something I’m not likely to level up by myself…One of those heal skills could be useful, but we do have leftover herbs and the unknown plants. For now, then…7 points into Telepathy, 3 points into Plant Analysis. She tested one of her skills right away, still remembering how Jason had used and trained it. Not only could she and Ed communicate unobtrusively with it, perhaps even Mother Rat could be taught, just as she’d seen Mother Slime had been.

With that in mind, she approached Ed first, touching him with a paw. She closed her eyes and focused on transmitting her thoughts, getting a feel for the spell. “Got telepathy. Will train. Could help. With Mother. And stealing,” she sent the five short thoughts in intervals, though doing so felt embarrassingly similar to a senior unused to technology trying to use a phone for sending messages. When she was done, she removed the paw from Ed, and opened her eyes. “I hope that worked. I’d like to get it to level 2 soon, maybe even before we get near the humans, but I don’t know if I have enough mana for that. Let me just try this with Mother rat, to see how she responds,” she trailed off, and approached her Mother. She nuzzled up to her, so they were touching, but this time, instead of transmitting words, she used the telepathy to send her feelings of affection, calm, soothing, and slight concern. She hoped the other dire’s rat reaction would be positive rather than bewildered.

When she was done testing her new spell, she went over to the bloodingfly, examining its parts. There were two things she wanted from it currently; its stinger, the hollow needle-esque end to its proboscis, and the wings. Asteria took her time to carefully dislodge the stinger, the needle, and the remaining wing from the corpse. If her claws and teeth proved futile, she’d sharpen a small piece of rock to help with the removal. She also closely inspected the fly’s antennae and claws. Examining one corpse this reminded Asteria there was still the dead ant to consider. The most obvious part she might be able to use were its antennae, and she plucked them off carefully. It had a hard, tough chitinous exoskeleton, but Asteria wasn’t confident she could harvest, or more difficult yet, use it to craft anything yet. Just in case there was something she’d missed about the ant, she used Monster Analysis on it as well.

Lastly, to prevent further incidents, she stored all the plants (and monster parts) she’d gathered deep into the hole they’d dug, making a small niche for them. “When we get all the parts that we could use from these two,” she indicated the insect corpses with a nod, “We should either eat, store, or burry them. Just so no other monsters are drawn to us because of the smell,” she noted. "Then...we can rest a bit and wait till the humans are asleep, or try do the heist right away," she added, curious for Ed's opinion on the matter.

Oberon was concerned as he saw the Slime roll over Digbie, the Goblin likely unaware of the enemies approach as he was focused on meditating, but luckily it looked like the malleable nature of the Slime’s body protected him from being crushed entirely. His Mana Slice and Ash’s poisonous attacks struck the Slime’s mass, neither having much effect but the former at least managing to draw the Slime’s attention along with his shouts.

Trying to attract the monsters attention may not have been the smartest idea however, as the Slime lashed out at him with a long pseudopod; the attack was well telegraphed, the appendage being used having to grow from the Slime’s body before it could be used to strike, but it moved with surprising speed aided by the Slime’s rotation as it continued to rush towards him. Oberon flew to the side, barely dodging the attack due to his small size and aerial manoeuvrability, feeling the air disturbed by its passing buffet him.

A little dazed by the near miss, the Sprite shook his head before rising higher above the Slime, hoping to make it a little more difficult for those pseudopods to reach him if not impossible. Looking for the others and finding only ash and the still stunned Digbie before him he called out what he had learned from his analysis before going back on the attack. “It’s weak to magic, fire especially! It’s too tough to damage normally.”

Putting his own advice to use, he formed a Fireball in his hand and flung it down at the Giant Slime. Other spells could have been as effective, any element other than Earth or Wind would work, but fire was the only element that he was sure almost everyone in the party had access to due to their training the previous night.



@Zeroth@Gardevoiran@Rune_Alchemist@Old Amsterdam

---

Ineffective, though perhaps not entirely without use. The orange slime rolled right over Digbie, in a rather comical sight that would have earned a chuckle from her if it wasn't a mildly life threatening situation. Inhaling, Ash took a quick glance at others, taking note of Oberon's words and her own observations. It was easy to assume slimes were strong against physical attacks - cutting through jelly didn't typically do much damage.

Turning her attention back to Oberon as he cast 'fireball', Ash quickly activated her Mana Vision, trying to see its magical makeup. Having the baseline for magic was good, but observing someone else using an elementally aligned magic would give her a better idea of how to go about doing it. Lacking any sort of fire magic, she decided to settle herself into a more support role for now, using 'Shield I' on Oberon, hoping to lessen the impact that pseudopod would have.

---

Torrent heard Oberon speak up, glad that someone could get some useful information on the creature while she stalked ever closer from the sidelines.

Fire. Perfect.

She had an idea on what to do, based on what she had seen of the slimes back in the cave, and attacking the outside was the long way. The insides were weak. No defenses from the inside, right? Why would you have them? No one ever expected something like that, just like how no one ever looked up on the streets unless you gave them a reason to.

As Oberon's attack was sent flying, Torrent move forward from the side of the slime quickly. As the spell landed, whether it hit or missed, she would strike, diving forward as quickly as she could into the side of the slime while she released a combined Fire Breath and Poison Breath directly into the creature's side while she tried to force her way into the creature through brute force with her teeth and claws.

If she was able to get it to absorb her, or break in through brute force, she'd prepare to release another explosion like she had on the blood plant from inside the slime.

@Guy0fV4lor@Zeroth

You used Monster Analysis II! You used Source Crystal Shard!

The Source Crystal Shard has no charge remaining. Restoring the charge will consume the remainder of your MP. Do you wish to recharge it?

Danny decided not to recharge the source crystal again, in case he might his remaining mana for an attack, sure he could easily recharge himself but what if he got attacked while meditating.Realizing how low his mana reserves were he decided that he would need to develop another way to recharge as well some physical skills, though just having a potential limitless amount would be great as well. Speaking of which "Hey, did you know you could technically have unlimited mana but that it also acts as your stamina and health?"

Since he hadn't gotten up yet and he doubted Jason would him behind he meditated again. During that quiet time spent thinking he got an idea that might let him see his partner without relying on the crystal, even though he knew it was a long shot.

While walking to the East he occasionally looked at where he though the Slime was and tried using Magic Analysis I, something he repeated until they were either attacked, he got a positive result , he got another warning about being low on mana or it got dark.

"I think we should settle for the night, you?" While he and Jason couldn't talk to each other Danny had no doubt tat the Slime would have some way to let him know if he agreed or not or at the very least not abandon him. Feeling something cold move past him several times eventually convinced him that Jason wanted to keep moving. "Not a fan of moving in the dark but sleeping in the open might not be smart either." Since he somewhat agreed and wasn't willing to argue he just kept walking.

Skill Gain: Meditate I (1.0)!
By concentrating and calming oneself, increase the regeneration of Magic Power and Stamina. This skill cannot be used in battle. Any distractions in the environment will drastically decrease the effectiveness of this skill. This skill cannot be used in conjunction with other skills.

Skill Gain: Point Strike I (1.0)!
With a discerning eye, take aim at an oppenent's weak point and concentrate your own power into a single point of attack. Slightly increase the power of any attack, and gain an increased chance for a Critical Hit. Using this Skill in conjunction with other attack Skills, however, may cause it to lose effectiveness.

Steve learned Web Spit II (2.0)!
Stamina Consumption of this skill has decreased. Range of this skill has increased.

Steve learned Thread Control I (1.0)!
Manipulate threads, wires, hair, etc with unnatural skill by channeling power through it. At this rank, only one simple manipulation can be passed through a single medium, for instance causing a strand of web to change direction once. Depending on the quality of the material, this skill may cause it to break or degrade.

Skill Rank Up: Overwork I (1.8) > Overwork II (2.0)!
Stamina consumption increased. Self-Buff increased. When Stamina is fully consumed, this Skill can be kept active by sacrificing HP. This skill will automatically de-activate when HP reaches dangerously low levels.

Skill Gain: Mental Resistance I (1.0)!
Take less damage from Psychic type spells or skills, and have a better chance of resisting mind alterting affects such as confusion or hypnosis. This counts as an Elemental Resistance for the purposes of Magic Resistance.

Skill Gain: Stronger I (1.0)!
You have grown physically stronger, increasing your base power stats!

Developing Skill: Slime Shell
This Skill appears to progress when you enter the corpse of another monster, though it may possibly have an effect when you attempt to use a hollow object as a container or shelter.

With Asura's digging and Steve's webs spread over the ceiling of the burrow, they were able to progress quite fast without worrying about collapsing the earth up above them. Momma Slime couldn't fit inside the entrance at first, but began to gather up the loose dirt the others were shoveling out and deposited it somewhere else before shuffling back to the burrow. Ardur meditated until his MP was finally restored, feeling the unique sensation of Mana in the atmosphere entering his body. It felt like fresh blood pumping into his veins, like the exhiliration of working out but without the increase in heart rate and the soreness of a muscle. It was short lived, but once he had his magical power restored he could tell a definite difference. Like breathing fresh air after emerging from the cave. Once he rejoined the digging effort things went even faster, and soon the burrow had been enlarged enough that Momma, once she used her own Limited Shapeshift skill to compress herself, was able to get in. It was still a tight fit--but maybe sleeping this close together would help ward off some of the chill from outside, as night fell deep and black. Back towards the cave, it sounded like someone was...chopping wood? Nonetheless, the quartet soon drifted off...

[[PixieSlime Party now enters Day 5]]

Asura
Your Stamina is Full.
Your HP is Full.
Your MP is Full.
You are Peckish.
You are Thirsty.

Ardur
Your Stamina is Full.
Your MP is Full.
Your Mana Burn has subsided. Natural Mana Regeneration returns to normal levels.
Your HP is Full.
You are Peckish.
You are Parched.
Your Tamed Creature is Hungry.
Your Tamed Creature is Thirsty.

The next morning, they could hear the chirp of birds as they awakened. The rising sun had yet to fully emerge over the horizon, but a few rays of its golden glow spilled around the tree trunks. The air smelled clean and clear--being outdoors seemed like it certainly beat the heck out of the cave, when it came to simple pleasantries like this. As dew dripped somewhere, Momma Slime trembled lightly and then split her "mouth" wide open with a burbling yawn.

Then something big stuffed its face into the hole.

A long snout, tipped by a big black nose, poked into the burrow. Moments later a large foot, toes tipped with a hard, black covering, pushed through the dirt and began to paw and dig. Was it reaching for one of the group? The creature huffed and snuffled with the purpose of something looking for food--!

---

"Oi, wat you be talkin' bout, Ja-Soo--"

Jason offered a prayer to the earth spirits, and focused his will. He wanted Bonie to leave--he wanted to split them apart. He wanted the earth to take her--he wanted to seal her up. He wanted to force her to pass on. He wanted her gone.

Sudden cold swept through Jason's being. The churning, nauseous sensation he felt during those moments after his death, the flash of memory as he had been tossed about between the mists of fading souls in that black and white void...it now returned with a sudden vengeance, a lightning bolt of ice splitting him in half.

The Ecto Slime's body ruptured, and from within it spilled two masses of gray, swirling vapor. Just like the forms he had seen in that realm of the dead, the forms within the fog struggled to take their own shape. An old, wrinkled arm, spattered with paint and carved with tattoos, pulled another form from the mass.

WARNING! YOUR MP IS LOW!

Jason drifted down against the ground, feeling as if the breath had been driven from his lungs. As if from a hundred miles away, he heard a shrill scream.

Their flesh was translucent, constantly shifting between leering skeletons and twisted imprints of their former selves. They were blurry, indistinct, and losing cohesion. Bonie held Teef by the top of her head, long nails digging into the other goblin's eyes.

"Sorry youngling, but it Ja-Soon's fault. Let's both curse him."

And she tore out the other spirit's throat with her teeth. Like taking a deep breath, Bonie devoured the wispy remains of Teef's incorporeal body, and her own form became more concrete. She had no lower body, and the details of her form were nowhere near as clear to the eye as before, when Jason met her in the cave. To describe her as a shadow would have been accurate, though her form was still silver-gray in color just like Jason's.

"Ya think ya so smart, it make ya dum, Ja-Soon." The spirit hag grinned, her eyes glinting red as she drifted backwards, away from the Ecto Slime who only now began to regain his senses. "But even old Gob like me lern a few tings. Gud luks to yas!"

And she raced off through the forest--passing through Danny as she did so.

The Poltergeist had been meditating while Jason inadvertently released the other spirits he had amalgamated into himself. He had fully recovered his MP, and looked towards the last direction he had seen Jason. Using his Magic Analysis repeatedly, he tried to detect something from the Undead without using the Source Crystal Shard...

You used Magic Analysis I!
---No Target---
You only pick up the ambient magic in the area. There are few sources of raw magic here. Most of it is concentrated within living matter.

You used Magic Analysis I!
---No Target---
You can only pick up the ambient magic in the area. There are few sources of raw magic here. Most of it is concentrated within living matter. You can sense a subtle shift in Mana somewhere...

You used Magic Analysis I!
---No Target---
You can only pick up the ambient magic in the area. There are few sources of raw magic here. Most of it is concentrated within living matter. You can sense a subtle shift in Mana. Something you can't see is happening, there is a change in ambient Mana levels...

Though he couldn't see him, he could tell from different spots that felt cold that Jason was at least around. He asked whether the spirit wanted to stay here for the night, or if they should keep moving. He had just started walking towards the East.

And then a cold gust of wind suddenly whirled around him. It felt like someone had just grabbed hold of his heart and squeezed. His body reacted instinctively, moving away from...whatever this was. Was it Jason? Was Jason attacking him? Whatever it was, it followed him--and then it was gone.

Some of your MP has been Drained.
Your MP is Low.

By this time Jason had gotten "back to his feet" and used Mana Drain on his surroundings--once again, it seemed like it was slow going to get back his MP, considering that just the act of existing as a spirit ever so subtly expended it. He saw the last flicker of Bonie's spirit disappear towards the West...

---

At Orchid's shout, Jezee and Tiddies rushed to help Bigs and Wej put out the fire on their bodies. It wasn't too bad since Crispy's explosion didn't have the kind of raw heat to make things flash-ignite, and they weren't wearing a great deal of clothing or equipment that would catch from the flames. Unfortunately it looked like Wej would finally lose that scrap of shield he had left, but other than that the two were quickly brought back to their feet.

Meanwhile, Orchid met the Armored Badger's claw with a two handed swing of her club. The creature's plated forearm clashed with the weapon, stone shards digging into the scaly hide and drawing blood. It roared as it pressed forward with its greater weight, almost overcoming Orchid's enhanced strength--

The Sigil of the Hellish Fiend lit up like a beacon, and Orchid felt its burn spreading throughout her hand. She pushed back, and the badger's stubby legs began to lose their balance. It snarled, snapping at the air in front of the demiblin's face. When she drew back her fist, it was able to press harder against her one remaining arm, and it lunged to try and tear out her throat with its fangs--

Her fist burst into flames that seemed to trail up her entire arm. Orchid's punch seemed to grow larger and brighter as it exploded forward. She thrust almost half her forearm into the beast's jaws, and even as she felt teeth scrape her arm protector and tear it, she felt the intense heat reach her own skin even through her Fiend's Protection and the thud of flesh against flesh. The Armored Badger fell back, still on two legs. It screeched and writhed in agony, front paws swiping the empty air. Flames shot out of its mouth and smoke singed its nostrils. It thrashed from side to side, but its eyes were still bright and full of rage--

"Slaaaaaash!"

Yoona darted in from the side with his Stone Knife, and its edge glinted with crimson light as he ran past the Armored Badger's back. He cut another furrow across its hide where Clod had originally scarred it, drawing a deeper spray of blood! Sqwal leaped at the badger's legs, slamming his wooden club into its knees with both hands. The creature turned to try and swipe at him, but it was too blinded by the flames still scorching its face and now spreading to its chest. It fell over, and Clod actually rushed forward and jumped on top of it, driving the breath from its belly with both feet.

"SLASH!"

He brought his stone sword down with a berserk gleam in his eyes, right down on the badger's snout. The bright red flash intensified the puff of embers coming out of its fur. The badger's last roar was cut off by a wet gurgle, and as Clod wrenched his sword free of its face and throat the blood spattered across his chest.

"WE KILLED IT! KILLED DA BADGER!" Crispy crowed, throwing up his good arm with a cackle.

"KILLED DA BADGER! KILLED DA BADGER!" The cry was soon taken up by the whole tribe. Clod held his sword by each end and pumped it up and down over his head, stomping on the corpse and screaming. Yoona jumped in circles around the fallen beast and whooped, slashing with his knife at the air. Sqwal began to beat on a tree trunk, the thumps echoing loudly into the night. Tiddies and Jezee were chanting from around the burning bush Orchid had set alight, tearing other nearby plants out of the ground and tossing them into the blaze to make a proper campfire. Bigs and Wej high fived each other with both hands in a game that soon turned into a slapfight when one of them missed.

"KILLED DA BADGER! KILLED DA BADGER! KILLED DA--"

LEVEL UP! Your combined experiences have culminated in new power! You are now Level 6! You gain Skill Points to distribute as you please!

Unspent Skill Points: 10

Current Skills:
Use Light Equipment (--)
Pacify Animal I (1.3)
Stronger II (2.025)
Crafting V (MAX)
Material Analysis II (2.1)
Monster Analysis I (1.3)
Smash I (1.6)
Charisma I (1.6)
Taboo (0.3) <REQUIRES RESTORATION>
Faster I (1.0)
Fireball I (1.3)
<UNUSABLE>
Muffle (0.9)
Deception (0.7)
Charm (0.3)
Alert (0.6)
Stone Shot (0.4)
Throw Item (0.4)
Slash (0.8)
Warcry (0.9)
Pierce Resistance (0.7)
Blunt Resistance (0.3)
Slash Resistance (0.1)
Blood Drain (0.4)
Skewer (0.4)
Mental Resistance (0.4)
Mana Orb (0.2)
Focus (0.2)
Magic Analysis (0.2)
Overwork (0.4)
Intercept (0.3)
Defender (0.7)
Rabid Fit (0.5)
First Aid (0.3)
Intimidate (0.7)
Counter (0.5)
Shield Slam (0.6)
Poison Resistance (0.1)
Fire Resistance (0.8)
Dust Blow (0.1)
Magic Resistance (0.3)
Spell Chant (0.3)
Fire Fist (0.3)

"Oi!" Bigs called out. "Any udda gob just ding!?" Affirmation followed from most of the others--Clod grew strangely quiet very quickly, looking straight up at the sky and blinking rapidly. The goblins looked among each other in slight confusion for a bit--and then went right back to screaming and dancing.

"WE DINGED! WE DINGED!"

---

The plan was a success. Asteria not only managed to land the attack, but she also managed to maim the giant bug enough to keep it grounded for good. Mother Rat came in to help her offspring and ravaged the wound Ed caused to a more severe extent, spilling forth copious amounts of blood onto the ground. But before Asteria could land the blow, she was knocked off and the bloodingfly was on top of her in seconds. To a lesser extent, [Rabid Fit I] activated for a moment and Ed let go of the gnarled stick and grasped onto the bug with both hands. "GET AWAY FROM HER!" Ed let out a powerful roar and practically tore the severely wounded fly in two. Splattering his arms and some portions of his chest in the unnaturally colored blood as he ripped the damaged thorax from the rest of its body. With that, the bug died within seconds. Only the sounds of the calm winds blowing through the darkening fields and Ed's ragged breathing was heard. Gradually calming down and deactivating [Rabid Fit I].

Then, a sudden burst of light appeared in the forest, catching the interest of all the individuals present. Ed didn't know if this was something to be afraid of, but the fact that it put out the fire that was beginning to consume the fields meant that it at least didn't want all of nature to suffer over such a petty action of one group. Though there was something more interesting that caught his attention more than the dancing lights. The cries of awe and voices of the villagers in the distance. The night was near but Ed's sense of sight was sharper than any normal human's. In the dim light of the fading sunlight, he saw the silhouettes of the humans in the village. Seemingly waiting for more of the lights they both witnessed a few moments earlier. It was in the calm that the System notified him of the level up.

LEVEL UP! Your combined experiences have culminated in new power! You are now Level 6! You gain Skill Points to distribute as you please!

Unspent Skill Points: 22 ((12 unspent from before Transformation, 10 from current level up))

Current Skills:
Beast Sense II (2.625)
Rabid Fit I (1.55)
Stronger I (1.35)
Muffle II (2.025)
Use Light Equipment (--)
Alert I (1.0)
<UNUSABLE>
Material Analysis (0.4)
Magic Analysis (0.65)
Monster Analysis (0.9)
Faster (0.7)
Warcry (0.4)
Dextrous (0.8)
Tremor Sense (0.025)
Mental Resistance (0.9)
Telepathy (0.075)
Mana Shape (0.7)
Focus (0.8)
Shield (0.5)
Mana Shell (0.4)
Soil Manipulation (0.7)
Overwork (0.9)
Harder (0.3)
Crafting (0.25)
First Aid (0.1)
Meditate (0.4)
People Sense (0.2)
Plant Analysis (0.1)
Swift Swimmer (0.4)
Charm (0.025)
Repel (0.025)
Stealth Kill (0.3)
Blunt Resistance (0.1)
Prehensile Tail (0.3)
Smash (0.7)
Mana Strike (0.2)
Minor Heal (0.05)
Dynamic Eye (0.3)

"Woah...so many skills." The young ratman muttered to himself as he read through the available skills, unintentionally failing to notice Asteria approach him and laid a paw on his leg. The sudden, and admittedly unexpected, voice of Asteria rang throughout his mind. Causing poor Ed to jump in surprise. With a masterful and graceful display of his finesse and agility, the young ratman fell flat on his ass with the grace of a break-dancing hippopotamus. Seeing as Asteria was there, he realized that she may have developed a telepathy like Jason did. Casually, he stood up and dusted himself of dirt and debris and spoke to her as if she hadn't caught him by surprise at all. Attempting to save some of his bruised pride. "That's amazing. That telepathy, or whatever, will really come in handy in the future." Ed gave her a thumbs up as she left to attempt to communicate with Mother Rat.

Ed took that time to assess and choose the skills he needed. He had kept this waiting long enough and it was time he decided what skills he needed. 'System, allocate 3 points to [Faster], 7 points to [Harder], 7 points to [Dynamic Eye], 3 points to [Smash] and 2 points to [Dexterous]...uhh...please?' Ed thought to himself. He never really interacted with the system this direct and who knows? Maybe the System likes polite folk. With all the points allocated, the notification disappeared and he waited for the System to notify him of his 5 new skills. It was then he saw, Asteria hiding the bodies of the bugs inside of their little burrow. She tells him that after harvesting them for parts, they ought to either bury them to hide the smell from other monsters or they could eat them. Either way, they would be resting until the later part of the night when most, if not all, of the villagers were asleep. "Yeah. I agree, lets take whatever parts we can carve off the bugs. Maybe we can even make some bits of armor and weapons from them." Ed chuckles slightly. This was really starting to feel like a game he and his sister played before where they hunt and kill monsters for parts to use in their armor and weapons...what was it's name again? Monster Slayer? Beast Hunter? or was it Beast Slayer: Sovereign Amalgamate? Ed couldn't remember. It'd been a while since he played that with Audrey. "Now in regards to weather to eat or bury the bugs. I suppose it would be wise to bur-" His stomach chose to speak for itself and let out an audible grumble. Thoroughly embarrassing himself in front of Asteria. A familiar blush rose to his cheeks, but he kept his composure this time. The last time was more severe, this was a molehill in comparison. "-eat the bugs as we burned a lot of energy in that fight and trek from the cave." Rather than waiting for Asteria to laugh or anything, he went inside of the burrow and began carving off pieces of bug. Using his sharp claws as a makeshift carving knife to pry and cut off useful pieces of the bug off while leaving the meat behind for consumption.

@Guy0fV4lor@Zeroth

You used Magic Analysis I!
---No Target---
You can only pick up the ambient magic in the area. There are few sources of raw magic here. Most of it is concentrated within living matter. You can sense a subtle shift in Mana. Something you can't see is happening, there is a change in ambient Mana levels...

Well that didn't exactly work as planned but it still told Danny several useful things, mainly that there were raw sources of magic, that he could sense the presence of it in even in living being, as well as the fact that he could that he could sense shifts and mana itself and the ambient levels. Compared to that the knowledge that something he couldn't see was happening was almost unimportant. Still he was curious and had an easy way to find out what was going on. He raised the source crystal up and got another message just as he was about to use it.

Some of your MP has been Drained.
Your MP is Low.

His first instinct was to simply meditate and thus recharge his MP, but he quickly realized that with an undead enemy he couldn't see or hear around that would be a bad idea. He doubted Jason was the one who drained him since he knew something was happening, something he probably couldn't help with so that left only one option. He looked for anything that looked a safe spot to hide from regular monsters and hoped Jason could handle whatever was going on while he hid. "I am no help in this situation, so you'l have to handle it on your own."