Ardur The Mighty Hipixie

Hungry Hungry Hippo > What was that? /// Adventuring day 5 // Morning / Location - Forests edge

He was quite pleased with himself, being able to possess even just these two legs with the rough blade was difficult yet rewarding. Continuing to eat the meat by taking bites out of the chunks that were left, the high pixie tossed the meat that came off the front leg near where Steve had the other leg wrapped up. Picking up one of the leg bones and realizing how heavy it was, he knew right away that he would need some training with this weapon to make it effective. Looking at what was left of the beetle and the two bone plates he was sure he could at least make a chest piece or tunic of sorts out of it… hopefully.

Ardur started right away processing the strands of tendons. He remembered something about Native Americans using it for cordage because it was strong and its strength only improved once it dried into place. He also remembered something about keeping it dry so it did not come loose again. Using what he had available to him he took the mandible and with the blunt side began to roll the tendons in between the blunt mandible and one of the leg bones so he could get to the individual strands and loosen the tendons up enough to be workable.

Once he had completed this, he set out the flat bones and the pieces of flack beetle exoskeleton. The exoskeleton felt lighter but more brittle than the bone and the bones themselves still needed to be strapped together. Ardur figured he could use two sections of tendons to strap the bones together, and then use the other four to connect the pieces of beetle shell together with room for his wings and still have enough to have two straps for his shoulders and two straps to connect under his arms. All he would need to do after this was let everything dry and then find something to waterproof it.

He had the pieces laid out before him in a neat diagram he figured would fit but he would only know once he put it together. Ardur was about to begin when he froze, the sound of thunder in the distance made him freeze. It wasn’t just the thunder that made him freeze. Something about the area changed, everything seemed to grow darker, more menacing. It made the small hairs on his arms and legs stand up and sent a shiver through his body. Watching the clouds closely he saw a shimmer of blue fly from the dark clouds and nearly vaporizing a mountain on the horizon. “What the fuck?” was all he could mutter seeming to agree with the big slime nearby.

Seemingly frozen in place the high pixie hesitated as his friend began to roll away towards the forest. "W-wait, my stuff." He finally stammered out as he picked up the armor bits, tendons, and meat. At this rate he wouldn't be able to carry the heavy bones instead choosing to carry the meat. Something to come back too at some point maybe. The mighty high pixie followed slowly behind the red slime into the forest, once they stopped he would set forth into crafting the armor for himself. He would have to settle for making a small fire to attempt to dry the tendons quicker once they were set in place.

@Zeroth
@Kazemitsu

POST #1: OH DEER
Mentions: @Zeroth

---

Sunlight crept into the crevices of Sato's crust-laden eyelids, marking the start of yet another day in his new primitive fantasy-like world. Honestly though, what was approximately 12 days felt like years to Sato, but regardless of how long it had actually been, during this period of time, Sato has learned of certain absolutes. Might makes right; at least as far as goblins go. And Sato was getting migthier as the day went by. Unfortunately, the mightiest of the bunch, the hurdles that stood in his way, were made up of five individuals.

• Boss-sama,
• Red-san,
• and the three captains, Burley-kun, Tai-kun, and Chou-kun

By the way, what Sato lacked in name recalling, he made up for in strength and nickname creation. You know, if it wasn't that obvious.

Aside from the playful disputes, immature bickering, and rowdy rumbles Sato frequently got himself into, a habit that he developed long before his days as a goblin, was still present. Everyday Sato woke up ahead of most of the goblins, just before dawn, and the time he had while waiting on the others to get up was spent on exercise. From stretching, basic callisthenics, and running, to strength training using rocks and stones as weights while tree branches and vines were utilized as ropes and pull up bars. You could say that a good portion of Sato's physical capabilities stem from the rigorous training he goes through every morning.

After an hour of working out, Sato spent the rest of his morning munching on a piece of rotting dire rat meat, that he took from one of his unfortunate brethren, while watching his leaders spar. However, before he could finish his meal and find a fight of his own, a massive explosion shook the forest, causing mass panic from most of it's inhabitants.

Various creatures of all sizes came out of hiding as they ran for their lives. Sadly, they made the mistakes of crossing paths with the forest's resident goblins.

The moment the bushes started to rumble, Sato had immediately grabbed unto his trusty tree branch; thick and sturdy with the right amount of heft. Adrenaline began to build up inside the young goblin and as soon as the unsuspecting Bowhorn Deer leaped forward over the Hobgoblin, Sato had rushed forward, hoping to meet it half way as it landed.

By meeting it half way, I meant a sideward swing, hoping to smash into the herbivores front legs. Once crippled, everything else that follows becomes way easier.

@Guy0fV4lor

You attempted to use Magic Analysis I and Mana Vision I!
The target is too far away!
The target is using extremely powerful magic, you can almost sense it from here...
---V_r__l W__e---
Hi_g_l_ _dv_n_ed sp__l us_d by ch_n_e_li__ m_gic th_ou__ a w__p__. Req_ir_s ex__e__ raw p_we_ but a___ pr_c___ c_n__ol, a__ is _ore _i__i__l_ to _s_ w___o__ a b_a__d _d__. At _h__ lev__, it m_st __ __ t__ hi__e__ of __nks or su__a__ed the __m__.

Okay that wasn't as helpful as Danny had hoped, he wondered why the system's message was so messed up. Still he could make part of it out and as a result was pretty sure the mountain had been destroyed by a spell channeled through a weapon, he would have to remember to try that himself some time.

Despite his desire for armor the poltergeist decided to stop messing with the beetle's corpse for now, after all it would be a shame if he got distracted while working on it or got so engrossed in removing parts from it that he missed an attack.

Still he wasn't gonna leave it out on the open and began dragging the flak beetle into the hollow tree, planning to grab the flak shells and sacks once the corpse was safe. He also tried to feel the vibrations of the ground in hopes of being able to tell if something big came.

While Danny focused on that a black Slime began gorging itself on the Tailed Frog. His first instinct was to attack it for the exp since at the moment he felt he could use everything that made him stronger. He held back though in case it would out turn to be Jason and used his Monster Analysis II to find out for certain.

---

The rage had consumed him, that was a sure enough fact about the situation. The blind animalistic fury was already long flowing throughout his body with vigor and intensity. Like an inferno consuming and destroying everything it came into contact with...though one thing made a difference compared to the previous times he was completely engulfed by it.

He was still 'awake.'

Even when the madness overtook him, he was still present in his own mind.

He didn't know if it were by a stroke of luck or simply him getting used to being in this state of madness, but he was still in control of his body. It was not full control and it would be likely that his body's animal instincts would wrest that privilege away from Ed, but it didn't matter. As of now HE was still calling the shots and nothing else...and he was going to make the most of this opportunity.

Seeing the large Myrminor stand back up was a challenge against him. Seeing it desperately charge at him, was an outright insult. Ed gave the charging bug a manic grin and dug deep as he prepared to meet his chitinous foe. 'NOT RUNNING AWAY ARE WE?!' Ed thought as he activated [Dynamic Eye I] in conjunction with [Beast Sense II] that heightened his vision, along with the myriad of skills the System had activated prior. The System then promptly warned him.

WARNING!
MANA HAS BEEN DEPLETED.
STAMINA IS CRITICALLY LOW.

INSUFFICIENT STAMINA DETECTED.
STAMINA BASED SKILLS MAY NOT ACTIVATE!

[OVERWORK I] SKILL DETECTED...SKILL WILL BE AUTOMATICALLY DEACTIVATED UPON STAMINA DEPLETION.
STAMINA DEPLETION IMMINENT!

COMBAT HAS NOT ENDED...OVERRIDE SAFETY PROTOCOL? YES/NO

It was obvious to what Ed chose.

STAMINA DEPLETED!
SAFETY PROTOCOL HAS BEEN OVERRIDDEN BY USER: ED.
[OVERWORK I] HAS BEEN ACTIVATED!

WARNING!
HP IS BEING DRAINED!

DANGER!!!
HP IS BEING DEPLETED AT A RAPID RATE!!!

Ed was risking his life on this gambit...but if it meant saving those he cared for?

It was well worth the risk and the consequence it entailed.

If the charging Myrminor worker was the unstoppable force of chitinous armor and pain, then Ed would simply just have to deliver a punch so hard that will not only stop that force, but also break through said force. 'THEN COME AS CLOSE AS YOU WANT!' Ed thought as he let loose by far the strongest uppercut he could have possibly thrown at the bug. Possibly one of the strongest he would ever throw in his lifetime...

@Zeroth @Stabby

Femus Loncut awoke as the pattern of movement in the forest began to settle into the pre-dawn stillness. That stillness was a brief period of precious time for him. He settled himself and began to meditate, focusing on rapidly circulating the mana through his body as well as increasing his capacity further. In addition, he began to try to increase its density and his ability to manipulate it. His desire in these meditations was to lay the groundwork for more rapidly casting spells and also to gather mana ahead of time such that he could cast dissimilar spells in rapid succession. His body was still frail and so he needed speed, accuracy, power, and tricks. This place could only shelter him for so long.

This particular tree was old and had many holes. In fact, unless this greenish wisp was very wrong indeed, it was dying. That had made it an excellent place for him to train. He didn’t consider his chosen hole in a tree to be his home. He was still too weak to have such a luxury. Still, he had found a small enough hole that only wisps, pixies, and slimes would be able to enter it. It was also deep enough that he could conceal his ambient glow inside it. The smell of ozone still drifted about at the entrance. But, those outside would not be able to tell much about the strength of the wisp that lived there. Uncertainty was an effective deterrent in a world of savagery where a single reckless move could mean death.

Even more valuable than the concealment offered by the hole was the fact that this old tree was home to several vines and a certain number of blue flowers, the same blue flowers that had been part of his earliest memories in this body.

He changed his meditation as the time of stillness passed and the subtle noises of the forest day began. No longer completely focused inward, he began to analyze his surroundings. He examined the blue flowers, the tree, the vines and tried to sense the flow of mana around him. He also used Monster Analysis on the pixies that were beginning to fly about near other trees, the other wisps, and every form of self mobile life he could see from the opening of his hole.

He maintained this state, meditating as needed to maintain his energies, until he noticed that he was beginning to become aware of the sound of combat from the goblins. At this time he slowly and cautiously emerged from his hole, doing his best to continue the accelerated circulation of his mana while in motion and being prepared to fire a Mana Orb 2 at anything that tried to ambush him. But, nothing did.

Rather, at the moment he emerged from the hole in the tree the whole forest was stunned to silence by the sudden destruction of a significant portion of a distant mountain. Unfortunately the cause had escaped his notice so he did not have an accurate idea of where the event started. But, he knew that anything on that level would be so powerful as to make comparing himself with it… utterly pointless.

The casual burp of such an existence would be enough to instantly kill him.

But, its actions could also be beneficial. The whole forest had been shaken and much would change as a result. Femus took up a position close enough to the ground to strike accurately with Mana Orb but made sure to drift around in the manner of a common wisp. He didn’t want to stand out as he waited for the inevitable. Such an event would displace many creatures and they in turn would force others to move or act. This was not a time to hide in a hole. This was a time to be predator, not prey.

Creatures of many kinds suddenly rushed from the forest into the open, recklessly rushing across the goblin territory. Femus took a moment to choose a target. He needed practice and training. So, he would choose a target that was already likely to be consumed by something else in short order. He could always simply withdraw after achieving the kill.

It was then that he spotted a female pixie attacking a dire rat. It was a typical form of attack for a pixie. The only odd part was the timing. The pixie struck before shielding itself. That… wasn’t usual. A dire rat could kill an unshielded pixie with a single bite. For the shield to come second would mean that the pixie was planning ahead for a possible counter attack.

Pixies don’t plan ahead.

Femus used Monster Analysis on the pixie even as he fired a Mana Orb 1 at the same dire rat that she had attacked. There was a small chance that he might have found someone interesting, perhaps another fish caught in the Demon King’s net. By using only a first level Mana Orb he was concealing his real strength as well as hiding his own intelligence for the time being. He needed to know more before he could decide whether or not to kill this pixie as well.

---

---

Asteria successfully eliminated the Scout, though the sense that she’d interrupted its connection with what she assumed was a connection to its colony, possibly a direct one to the Queen. Hopefully, the other side didn’t find anything odd about the network having been disrupted. Seeing as these three Myrminor had followed the trail left behind by their dead companion, it was quite likely more would come regardless of her telepathic attack however, so worrying about the latter was pointless. Instead, Asteria attempted dislodging the stinger from the Scout’s neck, though if it took to long, she’d leave it be for now.

Then, she hurried to the felled Mother rat, inspecting her injuries. They were bad, and worse, she was poisoned. For a start, Asteria grabbed one of the healing herbs the trio still had, tore it in half – because she didn’t want the poisoned wound closing; that’s where she’d apply the Antidotal Salve once she made it – and enticed Mother rat to eat the half, holding it to her snout, urging her on with a mix of chitters and squeals. Briefly establishing a telepathing contact with her, Asteria sent along a soothing, calming sensation, though it was laced heavily with her concern for the other’s well-being.

After Mother rat ate the healing herb, Asteria glanced at the fight and judged Ed had it in hand for now, though that whole berserking deal he had going on was obviously risky in more ways than one. If she had the opportunity, she’d hit the Worker with a telepathic attack, but helping MR was the priority. In any case, she trusted Ed would win, but even so, he’d end up as another of her patients. In preparation for that, and also to help the still poisoned Mother rat. She swiftly surveyed the plan, then used her full speed to dart from plant to plant, collecting the necessary ingredients, picking up a bunch of Bugward, Kilm, and Nullven plants. She took the nearest ones and stacked them in a pile next to her Indented rock.

Asteria then fervently mashed the ingredients together with a Rough Stone to create the Antidotal salve, working her little paws of as swiftly, but accurately, as she managed. She didn’t worry about a container for now; as soon as the first batch of the Antidotal Salve was made, she applied it to Mother rat’s flank. She used the newly ranked up Mana sense on the Salve, then attempting to match her own mana to its natural healing mana, actively directed part of her mana to flow into Mother rat’s injury. Whether this succeeded or not, she would proceed to make another batch of Antidotal salve for Ed, simply leaving it on the rock for now. However, she kept an eye out on the fight, and if it seemed at any point that the worker had advantage, she’d dart over there to attack it telepathically and chip in.

---

Torrent, excited now, considered how to proceed. She wasn't the greatest at making things, and making new spells she normally brute forced if it seemed to work at all.

And while she was pretty sure her first attempt had started to work, she didn't think it was the best way to go about it. It felt like it was lacking, perhaps.

This time when she put water in her mouth, she left room for air. She could feel the water, so she focused on the empty space in her mouth. Taking that energy like she did with her explosions, she instead sat there calmly. Instead of the heat, she focused on the sound of the water and what she thought water was. A flowing force, ever moving, both rough and calm at the same time. And she tried to mimic this in her, pushing that energy into her mouth to swirl in with the water and air in her mouth.

When she felt she'd done the best she could, she pushed like how she pushed out her other spells.

As she did, a thought came to mind and she used Magic Analysis on the result before Meditating to consider how to proceed.

As Torrent continued her experimentation, collecting water from the stream in her mouth and firing it forward, Oberon watched her from a safe distance as he gave some consideration to the information he had just gained. The ability the Lesser Wurm had just used was called Wurm Breath, something apparently created by combining two or more abilities into a single, hybrid skill; judging by its description it was likely a combination of the fire breath Torrent had used earlier and one of the poison abilities both Torrent and Ash had learned from their starting point of being Fanged Lizards.

There were Hybrid Skills which combined multiple elements or attributes into one and could be either magical or physical in nature, and True Hybrid Skills which were the same but also combined magic and physical together. The existence of such skills was interesting and opened up yet more possibilities when it came to creating new skills or expanding on existing ones; it probably helped if the skills in question were already similar in nature, such as the two breath attacks Torrent had combined. He would have to consider this more later.

For now he was more interested in the last part of his analysis, namely the idea that the Wurm Breath would be best countered or blocked by an Earth or Water spell. While creatures that were aligned with a certain element, such as Digbie or the Stone Slime back in the cave, were resistant or weak to attacks of certain elements because of that alignment, the Sprite had never considered that the same would be true of spells.

It made perfect sense however, so much so that he was annoyed at himself for never thinking of it. The Wall spell he had been working on earlier was elementally neutral and as such was neither strong nor weak against anything that he knew of, but the Earth Wall that Digbie used would naturally be better at blocking some kinds of attack and weak against others. This meant that not only would he need to learn as many offensive skills as possible, covering as many elements as he could, he would also need to learn the equivalent defensive ability to allow him to counter as many abilities as possible.

Before he could work on that however, he wanted to complete the Aqua Sphere he had been working on; he didn’t want to leave another project unfinished before moving on to the next one and learning a Water spell would be the basis for his water defence later on anyway. Torrent was also working on a water ability of her own, presumably trying to learn how to shoot water the same way she could breathe fire or poison by using the water from the stream as a starting point; she seemed to have taken his theorising before into consideration.

Oberon used Magic Analysis on the stream of water leaving Torrent’s mouth, hoping to pick up on something even if it was an incomplete skill at the moment. With that done the Sprite turned away from the Lesser Wurm and went back to the small pool of swirling water to continue his experiment. He had seemed to be making some progress earlier but the Aqua Sphere still felt too diffuse, too light to hold the water for long. If he tried to use it as an attack it would mostly likely pop like a water balloon on impact or burst before it even made it more than a couple feet rather than do any damage. In a way it was similar to his first few attempts at Mana Dart; even though it was the right shape it was too flimsy to work the way he wanted it to.

So, why not try the same solution?

If he compressed the Mana Orb down, with the water inside it, would it become solid enough for him to use as an attack? Creating another Mana Orb and lowering it into the water was a familiar act at this point, as was attempting to draw water and therefore water-aligned Mana into the Orb, but this time he went a step further and began to compress the water and the Mana the way he had done with his Mana Dart and with the Flame Lance earlier.

He squeezed the water-aligned Mana and the Mana-infused water into as small of a sphere as he could without destroying the cohesiveness of the spell, as far as he could before the tightly compressed ball offered too much resistance, and pulled it from the water. Assuming the shape held, he would then fling the Aqua Sphere at the nearest tree he could see, firing it forward in much the same way as the Mana Orbs and Fireballs he was used to dealing with.



@Zeroth

---

Digbie stepped near the bodies, his Yill still on his body as he examined its weakened state. It wasn't going to last a ton longer unless Digbie learned how to keep it alive in his head. Hopefully he could figure out how Nature Magic worked soon, or else it might as well be left here with these bodies as a sort of offering. Eh, he'd worry about that in a minute, right now he needed to figure out what he was going to do about these bodies.

He raised his hand up to his chin, scratching it as he thought about what he could do. For a moment, he really didn't want to take anything, but as he thought more and more about it, he realized that these bodies weren't going to use anything they had on them. They were dead, and Digbie was alive. For the sake of the survival of him and his friends, it was most likely for the best that he took at least some of the items and gear here for himself and them.

He put down his Ratskin Pack, opening it up so he could begin to store things within it's space. It was about time he filled it up with what he could grab, as well as grabbing the discarded Satchel to the side. He could probably use that for carrying things, too.

First things first, he grabbed hold of the leather bound book held by the older man. He figured that if anything, Oberon and Ash could get some use out of it, if not himself as well. There was no telling what these pages had in store.

Next, he looked at the mushrooms and flowers. Both were things he could hopefully use to learn Nature Magic, since that was a goal he was trying to accomplish. How else would he learn how to save his Yill and these new blue flowers?

Moving on, Digbie figured that he himself could definitely use some gear. He was running around with only a grass skirt on, and that couldn't fly for much longer. It was especially evident with the new animals that he's seen being gravely injured, like that pangolin-like beast back there.

He reached down and gently took the older man's straw-woven sandals off, placing them on his own feet. It wasn't much, but they were certainly better than wandering around without shoes on. Digbie also took a chunk of glass from the broken bottles and cut out the bottom of the robe the old man was wearing, making one long sheet of simple brown fabric. It'd certainly make for good clothes when crafted, but for now Digbie took the long fabric and wrapped it around his shoulders, torso, and legs, making himself a nice little makeshift robe. It'd be fine for now, but he could probably get Ash to make him some proper clothes later. While he was still looking, he also went over to the very mangled body, grabbing the wooden shield off it and carefully yanking out the tomahawk head. It might not've been in the best shape, but it'd certainly work well as a shield for now.

<EQUIPPED - FEET> Woven Sandals <?>
<EQUIPPED - TORSO> Makeshift Robe <?>
<EQUIPPED - ARMS> Battle-Scarred Shield <?>

He also kept the Tomahawk Head. Maybe he could make a hatchet.

Digbie reached down to grab hold of the Wooden Carving the older man was reaching for. He wasn't sure if it had any magical properties, but maybe it could be bound to have some? Oberon was probably the best to ask about that.

There... really wasn't much else Digbie could take. He didn't have a strong feeling that the bottles were going to be able to be traveled with, so trying to carry them would more likely cut open his bags then prove any worth. He did grab the coins he saw, though, as those might be handy.

For the last thing he'd take, he lifted the sword off the ground. It was bent, and it'd certainly make for a terrible weapon to anyone else, but for Digbie it'd certainly do. The worst blades he'd seen so far in this place were daggers and knives, so a sword would certainly help weigh the odds in his favor, even if this one had seen much better days.

Digbie continued eastward, looking back towards the bodies one last time. "Thank you for the gear you've left behind for me."

With that, he continued forth towards his goal, still keeping tabs on the sun and where base was.

---

Skill Rank Up: Mana Orb I > Mana Orb II (1.9 > 2.05)!
Magic Damage Increased. MP Cost Increased.

Your Skill Progression is slightly faster than normal.

The "dense" Mana Orb as Ash had designated it, shot into the wall with about the same amount of speed and the same pseudo-lightning glow. But it seemed to dig just a little deeper than usual, and left a more concentrated char mark.

When she attempted the same process a second time, there was a slight change. The System had informed her that her Mana Orb had ranked up, and before she even had to alter it, when the new Mana Orb took shape it already had the single nucleus. This time, the other square particles had stopped their expansion on their own, and none of them had taken on any colors at all. So a second ranked Mana Orb seemed to naturally have more energy, and concentrated that energy in a denser fashion? And once it had a nucleus, these other...magic atoms? Whatever they where, they formed a cloud of sorts like electrons. So what caused the color changes? Was it related to the colored particles she had seen when scanning other spells?

Meanwhile, Torrent continued to practice her new project. Compared to the grinding she had done to get Poison Breath and how long it had taken, she took this much more slowly and tried to actively think about each step and visualize the results she wanted.

You are experiencing a Fast Rate of Skill Progression.
You are experiencing a Fast Rate of Skill Progression.

You used Magic Analysis I!
---???---
You seem to be developing a water spell that concentrates water into a pressurized stream...
---??? Breath---
You seem to be developing a breath skill that disperses the element of water in a cloud of vapor...
---Analysis Complete!---

Her first attempt in this second set seemed like a...mana charged spit? A stream of water simply arced out of her mouth about five feet across the stream. The second time, when she pushed harder and swirled water and air, it all came out at once. Like filling your cheeks, then slapping both hands over them. The spray came out in a thick cloud, though it only traveled a short distance.

But she could feel the different ways in which Mana flowed, and combined with her Analysis it gave her an idea of what was happening. The next question would be, how could she use it, and how much more would it take to fully activate these abilities? It seemed like Oberon was doing a Water-related spell as well, could she learn anything from him or mimic it?

Oberon concentrated, and condensed the Mana as water was drawn around it. The water followed the flow that was created, the space left by the shrinking Mana Orb was rapidly filled, and once Oberon had it within his "grasp" he applied even more pressure. When he pulled it from the water, it maintained its shape--a glowing ball of blue, like a bubble that had solidified, a snowglobe without any scenery inside it. He hurled it at a tree...and was rewarded with an explosive splash that tore off a chunk of the trunk's bark covering.

You used Magic Analysis IV!
---???---
Torrent seems to be developing a water spell that concentrates water into a pressurized stream. It actually seems like a variant of the Aqua Sphere spell you're trying to use. Her Mana serves to pressurize and propel the water, but the level of control is more important than the power output. It also requires a larger amount of water.
---??? Breath---
Torrent seems to be developing a breath skill that disperses the element of water in a cloud of vapor. Mana is solely used to propel the moisture, with hardly any condensation. It doesn't seem to have enough charge to do damage, so its purpose at this point is unclear.
---Analysis Complete!---

Skill Gain: Aqua Sphere I (0.8 > 1.0)!
By charging a small amount of water with mana, create a sphere of pressurized liquid to be launched at the target. While it does not require ammunition so to speak, this spell works better if there is water in the environment or in heavy humidity. Its range, damage, and MP cost are virtually identical to Mana Orb, but its nature as a Water spell varies its power based on elemental properties of the target.

---

Obtained Item: Leather Satchel (Average, Slightly Damaged)
Can contain 10 Small Items, or Medium/Large Items equating that capacity.
-Organic, Processed, Hydroproof, Durable, Inedible

Obtained Item: Common Prayers to Jehanne (Poor, Heavily Damaged)
A book containing standardized prayers and some liturgy as relates to the Forgiving Maiden...
-Organic, Processed, Absorbant, Fragile, Bloodstained, Enchanted
--This is a religious text, soaked in the unique magic of faith yet tempered in fire.

Obtained Item: ??? Mushroom x5
-Organic, Fungi, Sporific, Nutrient Rich, Edible, Partially Toxic, Toxin level High.
--Cushiwog Mushroom. This mushroom grows in areas with many impurities or toxins, but has adapted to use them for nourishment. In the process, it "sweats" a slime-like substance that collects into the green spots on its red cap. This gel is an effective pain inhibitor and very nutritious to most other creatures that don't share the Cushiwog's unique ability to thrive off poison. It is often combined with other plants to produce medicines. The lower end of the stalk, where toxins are still being refined, is highly poisonous.

Obtained Item: ??? Flower x3
-Organic, Flowering Plant, Seed Bearing, Magically Charged, Restorative, Reactive
--Blue Yill Flower. The Yill species of flowering plants are adaptable and conducive to magic, so depending on where they grow and what kind of ambient energy is present they often change forms. The Blue Yill has absorbed a great deal of raw mana, and thus is an excellent restorative source. It is often combined with other plants to magically enhance their properties, or to make mixtures that restore Magic Power.
---This plant is filled with magic, rather than nutrients made through photosynthesis. It could even thrive without light if there were enough Mana in the surroundings. The Magic is non-elemental in nature.

Obtained Item: Woven Sandals (Above Average, Slightly Damaged)
-Organic, Fibrous, Slightly Durable, Water Absorbant, Flammable
--These sandals were woven from straw and plant fibers wound together and threaded in a pattern. They're a little coarse on bare feet, but with their protection one can walk freely over rough ground. They will fray fairly easily, however, and don't provide much in the way of armor or environmental resistance. They also burn quickly. You feel you can move faster now that you have something protecting your feet.

You Crafted an Item!
Your lack of Crafting Skill has degraded your Item.
Obtained Item: Makeshift Robe (Below Average)
-Fibrous, Processed, Slightly Durable, Water Absorbant, Flammable, Insulating
--This scrap of cloth is big enough to make a shoddy robe for your scrawny gobbo frame. It doesn't provide much padding against blades and isn't particularly magic resistant, but it'll hold up well enough against the weather. Just not feeling naked makes you feel a little tougher.

Obtained Item: Wooden Shield (Average, BROKEN)
-Organic, Processed, Durability Reduced, Fragile, Flammable
--This shield has basically been shattered by repeated impact, it's little good for anything but scrap and kindling. Maybe it makes you feel just a smidgeon tougher?

Obtained Item: Stone Axe Head (Below Average, Dull)
-Inorganic, Mineral, High Hardness, Low Brittleness, Durable, Earthen, Heavy
--This stone has been chiseled and knapped into a shape that can hold a decent edge. It's been broken away from its wooden handle, but was clearly used as a tool or weapon.

Obtained Item: Maiden's Effigy
-Organic, Semi-Fibrous, Flammable, Blessed, Enchanted, Restorative
--A wooden carving in the image of the Maiden Jehanne, the Spirit Saint of Forgiveness. It is blessed to act as a ward against misfortune, and often used in rituals and prayers to Jehanne. The effigies are always made of wood, as one common method of using them is to burn them in an act representative of sacrificial renewal related to Jehanne's history. It is plain and unpainted, untouched by other influences...

Obtained Item: Assorted Coins.
Copp x8, Sil x2, Gol x3
-Inorganic, Mineral, High Hardness, Very Low Brittleness, Malleable (Heat, Pressure), Alloyed, Durable, Heavy, Semi-toxic (Ingestion), Inedible, Varied Mana Conductivity
--Coins used as currency across Viskard, commonly accepted in other nations. Viskard stamps them with distinctive processes that aren't easily emulated, and in treaty with other kingdoms uses this to trade back for their own currency so as to prevent the flow of their own wealth.

Obtained Item: Iron Shortsword (Well-Made, BROKEN)
-Inorganic, Mineral, High Hardness, Low Brittleness (Increased), Low Malleability (Heat, Pressure), Below Average Flexibility, Alloyed, Durable (Decreased), Very Low Mana Conductivity
--A Type XIV model sword, originating smith currently unknown. Seems to be wrought iron mixed with lower quantities of low-carbon steel to form a serviceable alloy, thus likely of low monetary value relative to other swords. This one's edge has been chipped in several places and the blade has bent and warped badly. It is very Fragile and will likely not hold up in battle. Its guard seems to be of hardened brass and its grip is hardwood with a leather wrap. Due to its materials, it has a very low level of Mana Conductivity. Unless it is in direct contact with a caster, enchantments on this weapon will be reduced in effectiveness and require more Magic Power to charge. The only Element it synergizes easily with is Metal.

Non-Equipped Items: 12
Storage: Ratskin Pack 7/7 FULL, Leather Satchel 7/10

As Digbie gathered the different things, the wind suddenly died down. The sun seemed to shine a little brighter through the canopy of the trees. In the quiet left behind by the breeze's departure, the Demiblin heard another noise--something big, coming through the bushes.

Into the peaceful clearing on either side of the eastward stream, a large creature stepped out. It was the same kind of deer Digbie and the rest of his party had seen, the one whose ass-hair Mourningstar had made a temporary hat out of. This one was obviously a different specimen, however, as it was larger and thicker of body. An older male, it would seem. Its horns, reminescent of bow limbs, still didn't have many points but were much thicker and darker in color. It saw Digbie, and stopped dead in its tracks...but did not immediately turn and run. It eyed him with a gaze that was not afraid. One of its forelegs shivered. Embedded in its shoulder was a dart--a stone arrowhead set into a small wooden shaft, and fletched with a few brightly colored red and black feathers. The creature's broad chest rose and fell for several breaths...then, slowly, it put its head down and started to walk towards the stream, keeping one eye on Digbie the whole time...

---

Asura did not have the Material Analysis skill, so his observation of his own work on the bones was limited solely to what his physical senses and his active mind could deduce. Obviously, bone was a little harder to work with when it came to building weapons or armor due to its brittle nature and its inability to hold an edge on impact. Primitive cultures didn't use the best material available, they used what was most convenient. Any ancient society that made tools out of bone and stone never had truly "good" weaponry, just the best they could manage with what they had. However, if the bones were breaking down when he held and worked on them inside his body...maybe it would be better to hold them "with" his body? What if he were to use Limited Shapeshift to create a limb of some sort, and try to manipulate the tools that way?

When the mountain exploded, he and Ardur bolted for the treeline, somewhat to the north and east of their current location. The direction didn't matter, only that they had some tree cover from flying rocks. Before the Hipixie ran, he looked out over the distance and tried to take it all in, figure out just what was happening. The thunder, the dark clouds, the tension in the air, the blue light...and the blast itself. What in the name of any gods was that!?

Skill Gain: Keen Sight I (0.9 > 1.0)!
Expend stamina to increase the range and clarity of physical sight. At this rank it is only barely superhuman but not above that of say, an animal. If all Keen Senses are acquired, they raise the rank of Beast Senses.

Asura rolled into the woods at top speed, his new shell throwing him off course slightly as he hadn't adjusted to spinning around with it attached to him yet. There were a few rough bounces before he came to a stop in the shelter of a tree with a thick canopy. Ardur trailed behind, carrying the meat he had harvested from the Bowhorn Deer, and Steve seemed to sense his distress at leaving the rest behind. Sticking a bundle of web to the bones and tendons, she scuttled after her master with the objects trailing in tow--though it seemed quite hard on her to drag all of that.

Momma Slime lumbered behind, even more slowly due to dragging the corpse of the deer. For now, however, it seemed Asura's fear of shrapnel wouldn't be so urgent as he thought--they could hear dust and small pieces of rock settling all over the forest around them, but so far no huge, meteor-esque chunks had threatened to fall on their head. They could, however, hear the distant rumble of the avalanche...and the chaotic stampede erupting from deeper in the forest.

All around them and even above, shadows and sounds moved through the trees and brush. Twigs underfoot snapped, leaves rustled, creatures squealed or cried out. Such a huge event had stirred the whole woodland into a frenzy.

Your Stamina is Full.

Just as the Hipixie, Amorphous Slime, and their partymates had settled into the roots around their shelter, three creatures emerged from a bush and began hopping straight towards them. It was three large, green and melon-sized frogs with bulbous eyes. They croaked loudly, and upon seeing the group they opened their mouths wide. As they sucked in air, they began to inflate over ten times their normal size! They continued to charge forward in this threatening display--were they going to attack, or just barrel through the group?

---

Asteria rushed to help Mother Rat, using half of a Healing Herb. Ed rushed after the Myrminor Worker, eyes blazing as froth began to drip from his snout. Mother Rat's breathing was shallow and rapid as Asteria force fed her the medicinal plant, but she seemed to understand the other Dire Rat's Telepathy and chewed without protest. As Asteria dashed away to try and find the necessary plants for a cure, Ed met the charge of the Worker head on--!

Ed's Dynamic Eye sharpened his pupils to arrow-head slits, and time seemed to slow around him. He could see the creature in front of him raising its head, mandibles ready to snap. The System's warning blared in his head. His Stamina was Low. Overwork had stopped working. He felt his muscle straining, screaming.

He forced himself to go on, demanded that his Overwork Skill keep going. At three-quarters the normal speed, he saw himself use that extra bit of time to get out of the way of the Worker's snapping jaws by the barest of margins--the mandibles actually snipped off the tips of fur along his arm. His HP was Draining. His other arm swelled, veins and sinew standing out beneath his pelt. He felt his knuckles pop as he clenched his fist. He felt his Mana flowing. He felt his blood pumping. He felt his rage boiling over. All of it, into this blow.

Before its head could withdraw from the piston motion, before it had recovered from its attempt to bite the Rat Man, like a boxer who couldn't pull his right straight back fast enough, the Worker was left wide open. Ed had already clocked it in the head once, and now a second impact struck directly under its chin.

With a force that almost lifted his own body off the ground, Ed's blazing red Smash drove the insect into the air. One of its mandibles snapped in half. Its neck stretched out with a pop. The exoskeleton helm cracked and split. Dark blood issued from its mouth. Compound eyes bulged. It flipped once in the air, then came down on the flat of its back with a heavy thud.

Ed suddenly felt very weak. His Rabid Fit, his Dynamic Eye, his Overwork, everything seemed to shut down at once. He no longer had any Stamina at all to keep it going, and his HP Drain was progressing faster than usual due to how far he had pushed himself. Even if he tried to force it now, he couldn't--and the blood pouring from his wounded haunch was making him lightheaded.

The Worker kicked its legs, rocking back and forth before it righted itself. It was clearly on its last legs, but still in the fight--and without his boosts, could Ed get through its armor again? The creature rushed him again, this time raising those barbed claws--!

Meanwhile, Asteria had searched for three of the various flowers she found earlier. She soon spotted two of the bright colored Bugward flowers, and three of the sour-smelling Kilm blossoms...but she couldn't find any Nullven! Those huge cones would have stood out easily among the grasses, but she couldn't see any in the immediate surroundings. There wasn't time to go further! With one of each plant she had found thus far she was able to create the Medicinal Salve, and applying it to Mother Rat's wound added onto the Healing Herb. The elder rat's breathing had calmed somewhat, and her bleeding didn't seem so bad anymore--but she still looked sickly and in pain, and was having trouble moving. Was that an effect of the poison, or the injury to her leg? Or maybe she was running low on Stamina too?

There were two and a half Healing Herbs left, one Bugward flower, and two Kilm blossoms. At this point, could Asteria be sure that she had restored enough of Mother Rat's HP to hold the elder over until Nullven could be found? Should she just use the Herbs to buy more time and hope the poison ran its course, or that she could make more of the Salve? And what about Ed and the Worker?

---

---Ghost Touch---
This skill seems to be an attack of some sort. It began to develop in your recent battles, and has some relationship to Transparency.
---Wave Shock---
This skill may be a spell of some sort. It has been a long time since it began developing, when you were near the pool in the cave. It is likely related to water.

EXP: 85%

Jason quickly began to devour the Tailed Frog, dragging its large corpse back to the hollow of the tree. Getting it inside was difficult, and only managed after he had already eaten a large chunk of it and spent a great deal of stamina hauling it up. Only after he had consumed the entire body, holding it inside his acidic membrane and breaking down skin, flesh, and even bone, did he get another message from the system. His "Ravenous" state had now been replaced by "Starving," but his HP Drain had only slowed--it hadn't completely stopped! The frog corpse would be digested down to the bone soon, he would need more food as soon as he could find it. Danny had cut several pieces of shell off that Beetle, maybe he could eat it too? Or maybe Danny could cut off just a piece of himself, or let Jason drink some of his blood...

Speaking of Danny, the Poltergeist put his butchering aside for the moment and focused on listening to what was going on. It seemed like that explosion had set off a flurry of activity around the forest, as various animals and monsters ran from the source of the noise and light. The black slime Danny and Jason had killed before now seemed to have revived somehow.

You used Monster Analysis II!
---Necroslime:Jason---
Roughly the same in all categories as a normal slime, a Necroslime is a rare form of Undead. It does not usually form naturally because of a Slime's lack of intelligence and will. It is of limited use to any intelligent necromancer, save perhaps as a trap on the ceiling or fodder. Its body swells with the gases of decay and its internal acids become even stronger as bacteria and rot fester inside it. Like other Corporeal-class Undead, they require enormous amounts of food or life force to sustain themselves. Combined with a slime's normal level of appetite, they are quite resource consuming. You have analyzed Jason before, his spirit seems to have possessed this body. It does not feel safe around him.

Just then, something slammed into the tree from outside. Something fairly big, compared to most of the other monsters they had seen. If either of the two looked, they would see a large goat with grayish fur covered in purple splotches. It had apparently been running, like many other creatures in the forest, but had either been too panicked to see or in too much of a rush to care about the tree. Its purple horns, branching out into four vicious points, had left large scratches across the dry rotted bark that dripped something purple...

---

As @StabbyNira stealthily positioned herself above the Dire Rat and then dove down, she put all of her negligible weight behind a punch. Thanks to gravity and momentum, as well as the element of surprise, despite the Pixie's lack of physical prowess she was able to drive a heavy impact into the creature's spine. The rat let out a shrill squeak as it was knocked over, but before it could kick back to its feet and snarl at her Nira had risen up again. She cast her Shield spell, and was immediately covered in its glittering aura.

And as she cast that spell, the blue flower she had grabbed suddenly began to wilt. Its petals lost their luster and had soon grown dull and lifeless.

Your MP is Full.

But though she had flown up in the air, she wasn't quite out of danger--with rodent agility, the Dire Rat leaped up the side of the tree! In just a step, it bounded off at an angle, and now soared at the Pixie with its jaws opened wide--!

Your MP is Full. You have Temporary Extra MP.

---

You used Monster Analysis I!
---Pixie---
Pixies are a tiny humanoid Fey-type Monster. While somewhat intelligent, they lack empathy towards one another even compared to beasts like Goblins. Capable of flight and healing magic, but not physically strong or skilled enough to fight or use weapons well. This one is unusual.

Before the Dire Rat could clamp down on Nira, a crackling orb of energy slammed into its side! The varmint was blasted back into the tree, and tumbled down the ground with a squeak. It seemed somewhat dazed, but was still alive and in the fight...but now, Nira seemed to have a competitor. Who was that @HaeoWisp that had attacked the Dire Rat? Was it just trying to steal her kill?

Meanwhile, @RC3Sato was one of the first goblins to react as the various monsters charged through the area. Despite the fact that the Bowhorn Deer was clearly much larger than him, and in fact he had probably never seen that type of monster before, he immediately seized the opportunity where he saw it. It had charged through the brush and simply leaped over the Boss, but Sato immediately grabbed up his club and swung for the fences. A crackling red light erupted from his weapon--and as the deer came down, unable to change course in mid-air, he landed a powerful blow on one of its front legs! He heard a bone pop, but it didn't sound quite like a break. Still, the creature bellowed in pain, and the impact kept it from making a clean landing. It stumbled and fell--right on top of Sato. Its huge bulk drove him to the ground, knocking the air from his lungs.

As it struggled to get up, the deer kicked wildly. The Boss and the Redcap were already busy with their own kills. A sharp hoof barely missed Sato's face--

"RRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH!"

Goblins normally stood at about three and a half feet, or shorter. The Boss and Redcap were both bigger than that, at about four and a half feet and about four feet and three inches, respectively. This goblin, however, was at least three-foot-eight, and even more brawnily built than Sato. On his chest and forearms, bristly black fur stood out against the green skin. And unlike the vast majority of goblins, he had a full head of black hair like stiff, spiky dreadlocks cascading down to his shoulders. He also had a large chunk of tree bark strapped around his chest with vines, and a loincloth made of ragged Dire Rat hide. This was the one goblin that, despite all his training to become stronger, Sato had never been able to defeat in a contest of brute strength. Sato had nicknamed him Burley-kun, since he wasn't really familiar with the thick and unintelligent accent the goblins used yet, but that wasn't his name.

"BALLZ SMASH!"

The brawny greenskin swung a two handed club over his head, but even calling it that was a bit of a misnomer. It wasn't just a tree branch broken off the trunk or picked up from the ground. This huge, dried out, gnarled and knotted piece of wood was at least two feet long and had a tapering width. It was skinny enough to grip at the bottom, but its top was almost a foot in diameter. And like Sato's earlier blow, it crackled with red energy--only much brighter.

This time Sato did hear a bone break, as one of the Bowhorn Deer's ribs gave way. The creature thrashed with a agonized bleat, but Ballz began to froth at the mouth as his eyes went so bloodshot it was like his sclera had turned red. Unheeding of Sato's position under the herbivore, he continued to Smash it while screaming a bloody rampage.

A hand suddenly gripped Sato's shoulder, and he was yanked out from under the deer just as another goblin joined Ballz in trying to end the creature. The other two captains had joined the fray! Sato's savior was a normal sized, and almost slender goblin with what could almost be called handsome features...if one were to lower their standards from 7s and 8s to, like, 3s and 4s. Like Ballz he actually had a full head of hair, though his was more maintained and tied back in a pony tail. He held a carved piece of wood in one hand--Sato actually recognized its shape immediately, given his country of origin. Of all things, this goblin seemed to be holding a bokken, a wooden sword used in martial arts practice. It was roughly shaped and splintered in places, and didn't have quite the right curve, but that was clearly what it was, and the thing actually had a decent edge.

The other captain that had joined Ballz took a direct hit from the Bowhorn Deer's swinging horns--but the goblin didn't instantly die. Like the burlier goblin, this one had some kind of hastily cobbled together armor made from tree bark and vines. Three pieces of bark had been threaded into a kind of loop, with another piece on top, and a fourth piece cut in half to create a sort of bucket shaped helmet that covered the captain's upper facial features. A piece of armor for the torso had been created in much the same way as one of those advertising signs employees had to wear while they stood out on a street corner. Even a pair of bracers had been crafted by wrapping bark and vines around the goblin's arms. Like Sato's rescuer, they also had a wooden sword, but it had been made in the typical double edged fashion. Somehow, it too had been sanded smooth enough to have an actual edge, and even seemed to have been polished.

Shrugging off the blow that cracked against its armor, the third captain raised its sword and let out a gutteral cry before thrusting the weapon straight down. Its tapered point staked the Bowhorn Deer right in the eyesocket, and drove in deep. Ballz gave another roar of his own and slammed his club into its ribs a few more times with heavy, meaty crunches.

"Did gud, Sore-Toe." With just that whisper, Sato's rescuer moved silently behind a tree--for a goblin, he was quite sneaky it seemed.

"Oi, Lansa!"

The Redcap called out to the Hobgoblin as they piled up more kills. The original Pixie and Dire Rat had now been joined by a Fanged Lizard, and a second Pixie that the Redcap had killed. But by this point the stampede was starting to die down, and any creatures still running were giving the obviously bloodthirsty goblin tribe a wide berth. A few of the other goblins, those who served as soldiers under the command of the higher ranks, had managed to bring down a few prey. One unlucky fool had been trampled to death.

"Make 'im stop afore he ruins da meat! Can't eat it wid all da little bone chunks errywhar!"

The Hobgoblin--Lansa--walked right up to the snarling, rabid mass of muscle and poked the goblin in the forehead with his spear-butt.

"Ballz! Ballz Acker!" The brute stopped, but was still breathing so hard it was like steam came out of his nostrils. He slowly turned to the Boss. As the two stared each other down for several moments, the armored captain looked around to find Sato.

"Oi! Help me drag dis overe dere!"

"Get da cooks to cut it up, Say-Bah." Lansa didn't take his eyes off of the raging goblin, but slowly Ballz began to back off.

"Ya Boss." The other goblin's armor clanked, and though Sato couldn't see any eyes through the helmet he would probably feel like the captain was giving him a good look-over. "Hmph. Ass Slashin done poofed ag'in. He never round when we does heavy werk."

"ERRYGOB, C'MERE!" The Redcap left the Boss staring down the madgob, while he jumped on top of the pile of monster corpses. "TONITE, WE'S GONNA HAVE FEAST! EAT UP BIG, SO'S TOMORRER WE GONNA GO GET DOSE BROKED TOWER GOBS--"

"Ahcha! Shut it!" The Hobgoblin shoved his rival off the hill, and Ballz grabbed the second-in-command by both shoulders before another fight could break out--though the thuggish goblin and the Redcap engaged in another staring contest of their own.

"LISTEN GUD, GOBBOS!" Lansa raised his spear to a scattering of cheers. "DIS, DIS A SIGN FROM DA BIG DEMONS! DEY SENDS US ALL DA FUDS, SO WE'S GET STRONG! SO CUTS IT UP, COOKS IT GOOD! BUT NOBODY EATS TIL I SAYS SO--OR ELSE!"

While the rest of the tribe erupted into commotion, Sato and Say-Bah finished hauling the Bowhorn to the elders in charge of dressing and cooking the animals. Before the reborn Goblin could do anything else, he found himself approached by none other than the boss.

"Oi. You's Sore-Toe, right?" Lansa asked. He had his arms crossed, and though he was still cradling the spear in the crook of his elbow he didn't seem like he was going to use it. His eyes were sharp as he looked Sato up and down.

---

---

Asteria hadn’t anticipated not finding any Nullven, and was all the more frustrated. With narrowed eyes, she turned towards the worked, who still wasn’t fucking dead. Gritting her teeth, she fed Mother rat half of the healing herb, now only two in total remaining. Mother rat was nowhere near safe, and now even Ed was in danger of being killed, meaning there was only one thing for her to do. First, get rid of the Worker. Second, get them all to safety, because their current location was surely compromised. Since she’d be going in Ed’s direction, she might as well bring one healing herb to him, so she grabbed one tightly with her tail. Then, focusing intently on her self-assigned mission, and nothing else, Asteria ran to the Worker at full speed, charging it in a tackle. “HEY, YOU DIPSHIT,” she shouted at the Worker to distract it from impaling Ed.

All she had to do was get physical contact with it, and it would be done. She was now close enough that even if it noticed her, she could easily leap at it, and grab hold of it, even if only briefly. The moment she had physical contact with it, she launched her emotions at it with telepathy, letting her stream-of-conscience thoughts transfer through the link in an incoherent telepathic message to it. And while attacking it telepathically, hopefully disrupting its connection the same way she’d done to the scout, she latched onto its exposed flesh with her teeth and proceeded to tear out chunks of flesh quickly but methodically, digging in, worming as deep a path into its body as possible, relishing in the gory massacre. The worker had to get down before anyone died on her, and if at this point the insect fought back, she’d have to do anything and everything to bring it down. However, she could use help, and so chucked the healing herb in Ed’s direction, hoping he would be able to get to it on his own while she was still preoccupied with finishing off the insect.

---

Well that was...slightly underwhelming.

It seemed instead of powering it up, all she did was expedite its growth into a rank 2 skill. It already had a single nucleus, and the other parts had stopped expanding, remaining entirely neutral in color. Ash frowned, her tail slowly dragging itself along the ground in thought. Useful to note at least, that she could forcibly power up lower rank skills through a little manipulation...but in the end It left her with very little answers, and more and more questions about how everything worked. Without something else to compare it with, it was of course, going to be difficult.

So she'd need to make something to compare it too. She could try making fire from nothing - but that would be easier if she could gain a better understanding of how these colors affected the property of the spell.

Creating a new spell from nothing and watching it form would give her valuable information as to how elements interacted with such a thing. Bringing her tail as close to her claw as she can, she placed her stinger close to the Mana Orb as she could, letting a few slow drops of Venom be excreted from her stinger, attempting to coat the Mana Orb in poison, still keeping Mana Vision and Mana Sense active long enough to see how the Mana reacted with the venom as she tried to fuse the Mana and Venom together.

@Guy0fV4lor

You used Monster Analysis II!
---Necroslime:Jason---
Roughly the same in all categories as a normal slime, a Necroslime is a rare form of Undead. It does not usually form naturally because of a Slime's lack of intelligence and will. It is of limited use to any intelligent necromancer, save perhaps as a trap on the ceiling or fodder. Its body swells with the gases of decay and its internal acids become even stronger as bacteria and rot fester inside it. Like other Corporeal-class Undead, they require enormous amounts of food or life force to sustain themselves. Combined with a slime's normal level of appetite, they are quite resource consuming. You have analyzed Jason before, his spirit seems to have possessed this body. It does not feel safe around him.

Well that wasn't good but it did explain why Jason was devouring the frog that voraciously. Danny trusted Jason and didn't consider him evil but the Slime had always been dangerous so he made sure to keep the corpse of the beetle between them as much as possible.

Once they were back in the tree he was about to try and pull the Beetle's legs of with Lesser Force when something ran into their shelter. Wanting to know what it was Danny looked outside and saw some kinda of monster goat, since it was clearly panicking and the purple stuff was probably poison he got ready to fight it. Still even though Jason could use all the food he could get the Poltergeist felt bad about killing a creature that was simply scared.

Hoping to end it's life as quickly and painlessly as possible he formed a Mana Dart and tried to Focus before throwing it at the goat. "A simple variant of Mana Orb but holding the promise of more to come. Superior Mana Dart!"

---

@Zeroth@Duthguy

The moment Jason felt something hit the dry rotted log, he immediately reacted, spitting out frog-- but not before sucking all the blood he could out of the frog's empty eyesocket with a quick, loud SLUUUUUUURP. For but a moment as he sped out and began to round the log; almost instinctually, [Spiritual Awareness II] actived, showing him both the creature, and it's soul.

Without hesitation, he spat a wad of his necrotic acid directly into the eyes of the creature, aiming to blind it. His followup was to immediately launch himself at its neck, wrapping himself around tightly like a boa constrictor. Now it was time to see what this new body could do. Activating [Transparency], Jason attempted to extend the circuit-like formations that animated this body into this strange purple-horned goat. He wanted them to reach deep, like otherworldly roots leeching violently into a fleshy soil. Only then, would Jason activate [Mana Drain] as if he was attempting to devour it's soul. With each passing moment, Jason would work to wrap himself even tighter around this damn thing's neck!

Whether it would start to seize or not-- all Jason was doing, was creating an opening!

"DANNY SHOOT IT!!!"

Asura kept an eye on the sky as he rolled along. His shell wasn't cooperating very well, but he'd have to keep it to get the Bond up. He tried to balance himself better before pulling up next to a tree for some form of shelter. Ardur was following behind, carrying what he could with Steve close behind. Mother Slime was furthest behind, lugging the rest of the deer carcass. Strangely for an explosion of that size most of the debris was wiped out. It sounded like only pebbles and smaller stones had flown. Damn magic... He thought.

"Well I over-reacted if that's all that flew... He muttered to the group. "But we're back in the forest, so might as well start looking for a new place that has more access to necessities..." He said as he looked at the others. "After you finish your project of course. My own didn't pan out too well." Asura continued just as three gigantic bug-eyed frogs hopped into the scene.

The inhaled and made themselves even larger as they approached. So Asura surged forward, trying to move his limbs as fast as he could to puncture the bloated frogs. Balloons popped easily, but that was latex, not living tissue. Would they pop if they got punctured? Or whizz around like a balloon let get instead of tied off?

@Stabby @Zeroth

Your MP is Full. You have Temporary Extra MP.

---

You used Monster Analysis I!
---Pixie---
Pixies are a tiny humanoid Fey-type Monster. While somewhat intelligent, they lack empathy towards one another even compared to beasts like Goblins. Capable of flight and healing magic, but not physically strong or skilled enough to fight or use weapons well. This one is unusual.

Unusual. Such an unassuming word... but it meant everything. The rat was still alive. There were still other creatures rushing about.

They were no longer important. Femus had been resigned to solitude in a world of half-wits and monsters. Now, there was a chance that he might not be the only one snatched by the Demon King who was in this area. Countless possibilities rushed into his mind before he could drive them out and restore his concentration. An ally, a friend, perhaps the start of what he would protect later? Too many possibilities all depended on two tests. Was she also a human soul? Were their personalities compatible enough to travel together?

In the shadows beneath these practical thoughts lurked a single question laced with bitterness and longing. Would he have someone to talk to again?

The reality of the moment was that if that dire rat killed her, all other questions were dust in the wind. It had to die and the first practical question had to be answered. Two birds and one stone. Yes.

For the first time in his new life, Femus tried to limber up his vocal chords. "Get me a clean shot and we'll both eat well." He tried to sound like a mature man of 25 or so and projected his voice far enough to be heard by her but not by the goblins. The last thing he needed was their attention. Unfortunately... his new body produced a voice that made him sound... younger. It was likely from disuse, or so he reassured himself, but his voice cracked like he was at the misbegotten dawn of puberty.

If she took action to cooperate, or even understood him, he would pursue more... civilized interaction. If not... then he would let the dire rat kill her if it could... or he would finish her off himself. If that 'unusual' aspect simply indicated abnormal abilities and not a human soul then this pixie could well be too dangerous to allow to live.

But, if she did show intelligence... then he would hit the rat with a Mana Orb 2 the moment it committed to a move that would restrict its ability to dodge. Even if she was a human soul, that didn't mean that he could trust her. It just meant that there might be a chance. For the sake of that chance he was willing to share a meal... and even a hiding place.

---

DANGER!!!
MANA HAS BEEN DEPLETED!
STAMINA HAS BEEN DEPLETED!
HEALTH CRITICALLY LOW!

FAIL-SAFE ACTIVATED...ALL ACTIVE SKILLS HAVE BEEN DEACTIVATED.

COMBAT HAS NOT ENDED...DEMISE IMMINENT!!!

The System alert echoed in his mind as Ed realized one thing.

He pushed his body too hard and reached his physical limit.

Ed had never pushed his body this hard before in his life; both in this life and his previous.

But now he's done it.

Ed's slumped down onto his knees. His breath, ragged and shallow, were the only thing he could barely hear through the incessant ringing in his ears. His temples throbbed and ached as the mental fatigue of using up his mana had finally caught up to him as his consciousness felt like it was floating. His whole body, drenched in a mix of his own blood and sweat, cried out in protest at the slightest movement. Then the Myrminor Worker got up again and was yet again going for him. Through the confusion and floating feeling, the thoughts in Ed's mind could be summarized into one coherent thought. 'Fuck...' Ed tried to stand up once again, but the sheer amount of pain only caused him to fall down onto his bloodied hands to prevent falling flat on the ground. He could go no further. His body simply refused to. This was it. After a only a few days into his second life, it would seem that he would die once again.

So much for him being chosen as a candidate by the Demon King.

'I'm so sorry everyone...' Ed accepted his fate and waited for the inevitable end. It was then he saw Asteria tackle the Myrminor while taunting their insectoid foe as she begins her assault. The sight alone inspired Ed. If she hadn't given up on him, then why should he give up on himself? The realization turned what little embers remained from his determination to keep going, into a roaring flame once more. The ratman then noticed the herb Asteria had thrown towards him and saw his chance. He reached out for the herb and crammed it down his mouth and felt the plant's effect and shut up his body's cries of protest and pain. With his body no longer demanding him to stop moving, Ed gets his short cudgel from his vine belt and charges straight at the Myrminor Worker. Intending to deliver a flurry of blows to help Asteria to finally put an end to this thing.

Like a slugger aiming for a homerun, Sato swung the wooden branch he held with both hands and smashed it against the fleeing deer's front legs. Although hitting his mark, Sato felt that his blow was lacking in a way; it needed more heft. The absence of the familiar sound of bones snapping into two made this evident.

Sato had aimed to main, but despite his shortcomings, he couldn't help but laugh as his prey bellowed in pain; his impish nature was showing. However, Sato's little celebration was short-lived as he was soon knocked to the ground by the crashing deer. Its weight pressed against Sato's body, being too heavy for him to push off. The best solution he could think off given his situation was forcing it to get off him.

"Stupid deer!" He scowled and roared in annoyance as he tried his best to catch his breath. With the veins on his arms bulging and his muscles tensed, he dug his fingers as deep into the deer's flesh as he could before going in for a bite. As thick as it's hide was, Sato continued to drive his teeth into the deer's neck.

It was strange.

Over the course of what was almost two weeks, Sato had convinced himself of the reality he was in. He knew not the exact means of how it happened, but he was certain that he had died and was brought back to life through the powers of a Demon Lord. To him, he was but a human trapped inside a monster's body; in a way, a victim of circumstance. However, based on the way he was acting, his humanity had become less apparent as the days passed. It could have been the primitive instincts if his goblin body or the surroundings he spent most of his accelerated growth in. It wasn't wrong to assume that it might have been a little bit of both. The only thing the Sato was certain of was that he needed to survive and the easiest way he could achieve this was become stronger. Whatever concerns he'd later have, he'd deal with down the road.

Exerting as much force as he could, both through his arms and jaw, Sato only managed to injure the deer further, but did little to move its massive body. Fortunately, although not called for by him, the three goblin captains intervened, getting him out of harm's way and wreaking havoc upon the defenseless deer.

In a way, they were all better versions of Sato. Taller, stronger, louder, well equipped, and better looking (this was questionable; probably one of three at best); let’s not forget that they also have actual hair. It was difficult to notice given his bland facial features and expression, but Sato was jealous of the captains for what they were. But at the same time, he respected them for the same reasons.

They were what he could become, and along with their two leaders, what he had to surpass. Well aware of his inability to overpower them given his current strength, the best thing he could do for now was learn from them.

The first to enter the fray was the one Sato was most familiar with. It wasn't because they were particularly close though; he was just the goblin who Sato challenged and lost to the most. Standing near a foot taller than Sato and probably second in muscle bulk only to their boss was Ballz Acker, but Sato called him Burly-kun given that he was the hairiest among the goblins. The clothes he donned did little to impress Sato; what always caught his attention though, was his brutality, sheer physical strength, and the gnarled piece of wood he used to bludgeon anything and everything that got in his way. In this instance, the deer was in his way along with its ribs - and probably majority of its organs - all of which caved under the force of the goblin captain's violent swings. Sato knew that channeling such a savagery could be useful in the future, but right now, he was only capable of tapping into a fraction of his own.

Sato had the luxury of observing Ballz from a safe distance and this was due to the efforts of another of the three goblin captains. Not quite as tall as their Boss, Red, or Ballz, but definitely better looking than any of them. To be fair though, all the goblins were pretty ugly to begin with. He went by the name Ass Slashin, but Sato just called him Ike-kun. He was the calm, collected, and aloof captain that most respected more than feared. Aside from his innate coolness, the bokken-like piece of wood that he carried around was also something that caught Sato's eye. Under normal circumstances, Sato would’ve thanked Ass for pulling him out of trouble. However, the situation they were in just happened to fall into a something that Sato could consider unusual. Although he has spoken to each of the captains individually, this was the first time he saw them up close during a hunt. If Ballz was known for his strength, and Ass for his cunning, Say-Bah, the third captain, was known to his fortitude. Hearing about how tough Say-Bah was and witnessing it firsthand were two different things. Wailing horns welcomed him as Say-Bah made his presence known. Any other goblin would’ve died in an instant after receiving the full brunt of an attack by a Bowhorn Deer but Say-Bah wasn’t your typical goblin. Although covered near head to toe with some form of armor, what one wore could only do so much to protect oneself from damage. Say-Bah, despite the blow he was just dealt, merely shrugged it off before letting out a loud cry and driving is wooden sword into the deer’s eye.

After the massacre that had taken place, it was obvious that the number of carcasses that was left behind amounted to more than a day’s worth of hunting. Rallied by their boss, Lansa, the entire tribe jeered and cheered at the thought of eating the night away. While everyone else was absorbed in the excitement, Sato was left under the watchful gaze of Say-Bah. They were tasked to heave the slain deer back to their elders in preparation for their upcoming feast. Luckily, menial labor was one thing Sato excelled in; having it being food-related was just another bonus.

As he was about to attempt to drag the Bowhorn Deer across the murky ground, an unlikely encounter had taken place.

"Oi. You's Sore-Toe, right?"

Honestly, Sato was intimidated by their leader; aside from his massive stature, he had an air of bravado to his demeanor. It wasn’t fear that he demanded, it was respect. Unfortunately, what Sato gave him in return was cluelessness in the form of a raised eyebrow and his left hand scratching the side of his head.

”Sore Toe?” He thought to himself before realizing that most goblins had really horrible and thick accents.

"Ah. Ya, boss. I’m Sore Toe." I guess he decided to just go with it.

”Watcha need, boss?” Sato grinned while both his hands rested atop his waist as he awaited the goblin boss’ reply.

@Zeroth

Seeing the damage caused to the surface of the tree he had fired at, and the resultant system message about his new skill, the corners of Oberon’s mouth lifted up into a grin at his success. It might not have been much in the grand scheme of things, but as the first elemental skill he had intentionally created from nothing and after a day of unsuccessful experiments he was happy with even a small victory.

He couldn’t stop there however; he still had the Wind Break and Wall spells to complete and then he wanted to start work on creating some more defensive abilities to go alongside his new offensive spells. Whether they would take the form of elemental variations on his Shield or Wall spell he didn’t know; one would likely grant resistance to the element in question while the other would form a barrier of that element. Both would be useful to have.

Ideally he wanted to finish at least one defensive ability before nightfall, at which point he and the others would likely retreat to their makeshift cave where they could discuss what to do about the Goblin tribe that was to return tomorrow morning and decide on their course of action. It was going to be a busy, tiring day followed by a potentially dangerous one.

Allowing himself to bask in his success for a moment longer, Oberon turned his mind back to the Wind Break spell he had started earlier. Creating a spell from air would probably be a more difficult prospect than creating a spell from water or even light. Air was ethereal, insubstantial and difficult to work with; water by contrast was easy because it had a physical presence to it and light was possible to work with because of his nature as a Sprite and the fact he already had Gather Light as a skill. That being said, all he could really do was try and see what happened. He had had some success earlier, before he had lost his concentration, so it wasn’t impossible by any means.

Moving away from the stream, Oberon started by raising his arm and holding his hand out with palm upraised and forming a Mana Orb above it. He then closed his eyes and tried to do what he had done with the stream, drawing the surrounding air into the Orb as he had done with the water and trying to hold it together. If it wanted to change shape like the Light Ring had he would let, only restricting it if it felt like the Orb was about to fall apart. If it felt too dense he would attempt to loosen his hold on the Orb, allowing the diffuse nature of air express itself without letting it go entirely. It was a process driven more by feeling and following the flow than anything else, guided by an awareness of the mistakes he had made while creating his previous spells.

Whatever the result, after his first few attempts had fallen apart Oberon would open his eyes and take the time to restore his Mana. Strangely even though he had been experimenting most of the morning, then used a few spells against the Giant Slime followed by more experimentation, after he had recovered from the Mana Burn this morning he had not received a single warning about his MP running low.

Even though he had evolved and levelled up several times in the past few days, he didn’t think his Mana reserves had risen that much, had they? Unfortunately he didn’t know what his total MP was nor how much his spells cost; even though he had system messages and skills points, it seemed this video game-like existence didn’t come with a HUD. “System: Show current HP and MP status.”

It had been a while since he had messed around with the system functions available to him. He knew he could view his skills at any time, as well as his status and inventory, but what else could it do? He’d tried opening his character tab once, and while it had been successful he remembered the migraine that came with it; an influx of too much information at once or the result of seeing something his mind couldn’t handle? What else could he see that would be useful to him?

“System: Show current experience or level progress. And show… show my evolution tree.”



@Zeroth