Standing in the abandoned building, which had essentially just become the meeting place for all the players, tension coiled in Aura’s chest. Night has fallen and she had informed Kaelen of the intent to head out from here earlier in the day. And now, the two of them are having a slight standoff.

  “I think Ryse coming along is fine, he has shown that he can fight. But letting Violet come with us is dangerous Aura. She’s probably the least suited to combat of all of us. If she gets hit, she may not survive the attack. And while having someone to heal would be nice; From what she said her spell was back at the Awakening Day thing it can only close wounds. And unless they are biting, those Giant Spiders don’t tend to leave open wounds.”

  Much as she wanted to, Aura had no real arguments for Kaelen’s points. Everything he said was valid and she should not have given in on allowing Violet to come along. But the look in their eyes when the situation was explained was clear. Threat of charming aside, there was a very real chance that Violet would try to follow them secretly. So, having them come more openly was for the best.

  “Look, like I explained before Ryse and I spent yesterday teaching her some offensive magic. And before she went off to inform Ryse all about this, I made her promise that she’d try to get the spell down in her free time before we head out. Assuming she does, that would leave us with three people casting spells at the Spiders. Without Maul coming along, we will need the extra firepower. As for the other matter…”

  Not wanting to say more about the Maul situation, Aura instead raised her hand and accessed her inventory. While she had armored up on getting here, there were two pieces she did not equip. Instead, after they appeared, she would set the leather boots and gauntlets she had received as quest rewards on the table.

  “It won’t be much, but it should help at least a little bit. I told you about the [Lightly Armored Mastery] skill that I got before, so I don’t really need these. And I will be sticking close to Violet the whole time as well. Nobody else is going to be captured by those things. We are all going to get back here to rest, before heading out on our own.”

  While her statement doesn’t have the weight that Calen’s has, she does her best to let her resolve show. Kaelen looks a little unsure on the matter still but ultimately seems to concede the matter to her. Though, Violet would probably have his protection as well. While she is content to simply wait for the others to arrive, Kaelen seems to want to keep the conversation going.

  “We do need to figure out what kind of formation we will be in as well. Not only will there only be four of us. But after that last hunt I got—.”

  “What do you mean there will only be four of us? Unless you are saying that I am not welcome on these anymore.”

  What Kaelen was about to say is cut off then, as a familiar voice calls out from the doorway. Illuminated only by the light coming from that stone he had somehow gotten his hands on, is the familiar silhouette of Maul. He has a neutral expression on his face, and a small smile grows on her face at his appearance.

  “No, you are still welcomed. But after everything that happened last night, I guessed that you may not want to risk it.”

  Rather than answering, Maul simply chuckles a little before stepping into the building fully. Glancing toward Kaelen, Aura notices the relieved expression on his face. A part of her wonders if he was responsible for this surprise, but she’ll ask later. With Maul here now their rescue force will be stronger, and hopefully it will all be successful. The conversation about what kind of tactics they will adopt resumes from there. Explaining the full scope of who will be participating with Maul, it doesn’t take them long to come up with a plan.

  Because of her ability to fight in melee and with magic, Aura remained fighting in the front alongside Kaelen and Maul. They will essentially be a slightly spread-out wall, with Ryse and Violet behind them and attacking with magic through the gaps. It is a simple formation compared to the previous ones, with Kaelen going to be the one at the head. This was because of his higher AGI, meaning he would be free to switch between helping Aura or Maul if need be.

  Not long after the formation is settled on, both Ryse and Violet show up. While a little tired looking, they both have determined expressions on their faces. Laying out the strategy for how the fights would go, Aura also explains the reason they are heading out from this building rather than the barracks. It is a mixture of paranoia that Fortress may have someone watching the barracks, and a theory she has as well.

  “While Fortress did say that we had stirred the Giant Spiders to more action because of what we did, it may only be in that one area. From what I tried to listen in on over the day, none of the squads of older Soldiers that have gone out these past two days talked about anything strange. So, while it is possible that those stronger Spiders could only come out at night. They also may only show up at that specific location at night. So, if we go somewhere else, then not only can we avoid that stronger Spider, but we could possibly thin out their numbers some more.”

  Her suggestion gets a mixed reaction from everyone, though all of it is positive. From Violet’s relief to Ryse’s thoughtful expression, her words have landed well. Catching Kaelen’s gaze, she gives a questioning look. After a moment of silence, he nods slightly.

  “That could be something that works. I can use my skill to follow the tracks of one of the other groups of Soldiers that went out this morning. And then if we run into the Spiders and take them out, I can follow them back. The only issue is that I don’t know how far away the Spiders den or whatever it is called is from here. I doubt it is a full day’s travel, but we do run the risk of exhaustion and hunger at least.”

  His words do not dampen the mood though, as Violet perks up a little bit. Their hands begin to move through the air, accessing and pulling things from their inventory. More specifically, they begin to pull food out. It mainly consists of something that looks like wheat, but Aura spots potatoes among it all as well. It is a good pile as well, and someone’s stomach growls at the sight of it all.

  “I know he said he didn’t plan to fight, but I did speak with Taryn about what was going on as well. He still refused to, even with the circumstances, but he did have this to give. It’s all food that was not of high enough quality or something, at least according to what he was told. It was supposed to be used to make some fertilizer, but he held onto it for us to use just in case.”

  While looking a little apprehensively at Maul, Violet explains the bounty of food. Aura is unclear what exactly they mean by saying the quality of the food not being good enough, as it looks to be so. And while eating it raw will not be the most appetizing, it should serve them well enough.

  “While that is one issue dealt with, there is the matter of us being gone for a while. It will probably be noticed, especially if we have to take some time to rest and recover. The sooner we get going, the better.”

  Having been silent since the others arrived, Maul finally speaks up on the matter. He is right that time is of the essence, not just because of the risk of being caught. Aura refuses to think on what Calen and Jackie are going through right now, but she is sure it is not good. With the stressor of time reestablished, and with her having essentially taken the lead on all of this, it was time to move out.

  The food is packed away quickly, each of them taking a portion for themselves. Violet also hands out the healing poultices that were received from exchanging essence crystals. On handing them to Maul, she and Aura exchange a small glance. Despite her not wanting it to be known, Violet seems to understand that Jackie had not handed over any essence crystals to be exchanged for healing poultice.

  After receiving her own poultices, Aura receives some push back from Violet at trying to insist on the leather boots and gauntlets being worn. Explaining that the VIT offered would not do much good for herself but could be the difference between a terrible injury or not to Violet works in the end though. Maul rolls his eyes at the argument, muttering something about that concern being why people with lower VIT do not fight. Meanwhile both Kaelen and Ryse seem amused by the small spat. Once it is done though, they extinguish the light stone and set off.

  While not necessary due to the slightly later time they set out, everyone moves as quietly as possible through the alleys between buildings. On reaching the main street, Kaelen takes the lead and sets course for where their squad had left for the second hunt only days ago. It just leads to them exiting Fortress at a slight angle, and nobody else is in sight as they do so. It is not until they are only a couple of minutes away from Fortress before the sound of a throat clearing sounds. All motion ceases as a pressure seems to fall on them and standing fully from where she seemed to have been crouched and concealing herself, is someone she has not seen since the first day in this world, the Matron.

  “Hmm, it seems that Fortress was both correct and not. He was sure that you would head out tonight girl. But for his own son to disobey him as well.”

  Stepping closer to them all, the Matron is dressed differently than that first day. Wearing dark clothing that looks thicker, she seems to move easily in it still. There is also what looks like flaps of cloth covering things on her waist, with something stark white visible beneath them. She also stands taller, the hunch from before nowhere to be seen. Much as she tries, Aura is unable to move due to this strange pressure she is feeling, simply watching as the Matron moves to stand in front of Maul and looks him in the eyes with a blank expression.

  “I know she didn’t seduce you as Fortress feared. I kept an eye on you under his orders. Oh, but you would have liked if she tried, wouldn’t you? I can see the desire in your eye’s boy, but there is something more as well. It is interesting to see just how much change can happen in a week, and with a little humility. I do hope that you continue to do so.”

  Breaking her gaze with Maul, the Matron glances over everyone else briefly. Neither Kaelen nor Ryse get more than a glance, though her gaze pauses on Violet. For a moment, her expression becomes pitying before eventually it is turned to her. She watches as the older woman moves closer. Locking eyes with her, Aura keeps her expression firm, and without any fear. This woman worked directly with Fortress and could bring this rescue to an end before it even began.

  “You are a brave one girl, defying Fortress as you are. But also, far more than he expected as well. As I said, he expected you to set out tonight alone. And while those you have gathered are from your former settlement, it is impressive that they are here all the same. And to convince Maul as well, there is something special about you. But, as brave and charismatic that you may be, you are also being foolish. Those you wish to save they may well be as good as dead when you reach them.”

  This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

  A chill to run down Aura’s spine at those words, and the sudden release of the pressure causes everyone to let out a collective gasp. Violet sways slightly, but that is the most extreme reaction otherwise. The Matron, meanwhile, steps back to look them all over.

  “Fortress only wished to know if you departed after seducing his son. Not, if he went along with you willingly. I will be reporting your departure girl but come morning he will realize that his son has left. And when that happens, he will come in pursuit. Unless you wish to suffer his wrath, then you’d best not end up captured by the monsters. Otherwise, you and your friends will suffer a fate worse than death.”

  Saying that, the Matron turns on her heel and begins to make her way back towards Fortress. The air is thick with tension at the parting words, though Aura steps towards her retreating form and speaks up.

  “Why are you warning us? You could have just lay in wait and we would have walked past you without seeing you. We’d have no idea that Fortress would come after us. And, if he wanted you to make sure Maul didn’t come along then why are you not telling him?”

  The Matron pauses, staring up at the night sky thoughtfully. A few moments pass before some slight chuckling comes from her.

  “You truly are the kind of person Fortress hates the most girl. My reasons for what I am doing are my own though. I advise that you not waste any more time and just get moving.”

  With that, she resumes her walk back towards Fortress. As much as Aura wanted to watch to make sure that nobody else was laying in wait, there was not time for that. The worries of the consequences of doing all this aside, the mention of Calen and Jackie’s fate is enough to push them aside. It takes everyone a short while to recover, but soon enough they are setting out into the wilds at last.

  Unlike the previous nights, there is no extra illumination from the moon being reflected off the river. Combine that with this path seeming to have more hills, and patches of darkness are more prevalent. And while silence reigns for a while, eventually conversation happens. Or rather, one last push to make the coming fights easier as both Ryse and Aura work with Violet to get a chant down for Mana Bolt.

  With Maul here, they do have to watch exactly how they phrase things. They all had just had the ability to cast the spells on arriving in this world, and as such must come up with lies about how they were ‘taught.’ In the end, they do agree that the nature of the person should match exactly how their chant should be. Where Ryse commands and his mana with force, Aura calls upon it like it is a partner. In the end, with Violet’s less aggressive nature, something between a plea and a prayer is agreed upon to be the best. Especially so when she reveals that her Wound Closure spell follows that theme.

  “Mana within, hear my call. Flow forth to protect myself and others. Mana Bolt.”

  Having been gathering the mana in preparation, they all bear witness to the soft light of mana gathering in Violet’s palm. As the chant is completed, the bolt flies forth and strikes the ground nearby. The attack is not as vibrant as even her first one she had casted. Thinking back, Violet should only have 20 ATU. While the difference that will make in damage is unknown, hopefully it will be enough. And given the smile growing on their face, bringing that point up would just be rude.

  While the spell was cast successfully once, Violet still needs to cast it another two times before announcing the notification of the spell being obtained. Though it is good that they worked on this early in the journey out, as it gives time to regain mana, the silence that follows slowly starts to bring the tension of the situation back. And so onward they continue their journey.

  After going for what is probably a couple of hours, Kaelen silently brings their journey to a stop. Standing on the upwards slant of a hill, the sounds of scuttling in the night are still audible. Crouching low and creeping forwards, Aura and everyone else sees what lay beyond. Much like the previous nights, a horde of Giant Spiders is roaming around. They are not silent as they do so, with some of them even seeming to hiss at one another on getting close. Doing the best she can, Aura mentally begins to count them. While, at the same time, muttering “Scan” beneath her breath to make sure she doesn’t miscount. The glowing 100 appearing above each of their heads is a relief.

  Back to there being only twenty of them. And none of them are stronger than the others either. It seems like this gamble paid off.

  Briefly, she notices a greyed-out notification symbol appearing in the corner of her vision. Ignoring it for now, she gestures for everyone else to fall back down the hill for a moment before speaking in a whisper.

  “It all looks good. From my count there are only twenty like that first night. So, we should be able to take them out easily enough. Unless anybody thinks we should go around them or something.”

  None of the others seem to protest her suggestion to take them out, though before they get into formation Maul speaks up.

  “I know the reason we are out here is to rescue those… other two that were captured. However, the chance to get stronger here is not something that should be ignored. My only suggestion here is that we do not hold back from killing one of these monsters if we see an opening. Sure, it will mean that XP is distributed unevenly. But it could prevent us from being hurt when it could be avoided.”

  Listening to his suggestion, Aura catches the subtext to it as well. While it has merit, doing as he says will benefit him and Kaelen the most. Violet has a limited mana pool and is unlikely to take out more than three on her own. And in the chaos of battle Ryse and herself will have to hold back their magic to wait for openings. Which meant that those who do not need to hold back due to being totally melee focused are probably going to get more kills.

  “I have something to say as well. I meant to bring this up earlier, but I do have another weapon that I… made. It’s a simple one, but it could help us deal with the first wave of enemies at least. That way, we shouldn’t have to worry about being overwhelmed and hurt as much.”

  Kaelen speaks up then, getting a raised eyebrow from Maul. Quickly accessing his inventory, Aura watches as what looks like a sling appears in his hands. The pouch seems to be made from a dark leather, while the cords are a sturdy rope. A handful of rocks of different shapes and sizes appear in his free hand as well, and he answers shortly after.

  “I’ve been picking up some ammo for this while tracking and have been practicing with it. I am pretty sure it can hit as hard as my club, so I should be able to help thin out their numbers initially. Is everyone fine with that?”

  His offer gets no protests, though Aura notices a small frown form on Maul’s face. The weapon Kaelen has is to new looking to really be something he just put together, but there is no real proof that he did not make it. The same cannot be said for the weapons he had received, that Bronze Mace. Much as she wants to break it out for a test, doing it right now would be a poor decision.

  Nobody else has anything to say after that, and they begin to get into the previously discussed position. Aura sends a tight smile towards Violet on seeing them looking nervous and gets a firm nod back in return. With them all ready, as one they move to and then stand atop of the hill they were hiding behind. Aura, Ryse, and Violet thrust forwards an arm, while Kaelen begins to swing his loaded sling.

  “Mana within me rise. Be unleashed upon those before me as I call your name. Mana Bolt!”

  “Mana, bend to my will! Strike down what I unleash you upon. Mana Bolt!”

  “Mana within, hear my call. Flow forth to protect myself and others. Mana Bolt.”

  At their calls, mana briefly lights up the night before streaking towards the monsters. They are more eye catching than the fist sized rock that flies alongside them, but even then, not noticed until impact. A series shrieks are let out as the Giant Spiders realize they are under assault from something, but before they act a second salvo is sent out. As they collide, the Spiders finally find the source of the attacks and begin to surge forth. But at that point it is too late for most of them. As the attacks strike their targets, three of them fall dead.

  While Ryse lets out a slight cheer, Aura hears a whimper from Violet. Without turning to face them, instead shifting to prepare for the wave of monsters about to strike, she calls out.

  “Don’t worry if you didn’t kill them at the same time Violet! Just take down as many as you can.”

  After saying that, the fainter bolt of mana that belongs to them flies forth and strikes the Spider dead. Though, Aura’s focus is soon pulled away from that as the monsters are leaping towards them. Thanks to their elevation advantage, it is not so much of them leaping over everyone as it is leaping at them.

  While a fight like this is not the best time to try something new, it is better to do so now rather than when the stakes are higher. Thinking back to when she had fought Maul and he had used a skill with his weapon, she grips her club in both hands before speaking aloud.

  “Heavy Strike!”

  As she speaks, the familiar feeling of mana flowing through her body hits her. It flows to her hands, and she watches as her club begins to glow faintly. At the same time her body seems to move on its own somewhat. She envisioned how this attack would land, that being a heavy downwards slam of her club, and without her input she seems to be doing just that. It is timed well enough, and her club cracks onto the head of the Spider that hand landed right in front of her.

  [42 Damage Dealt]

  As soon as the blow lands, the brief loss of control returns to her. The monster itself is shrieking in pain, though it has a gurgling tone to it as well. Knowing that she would have time to figure out the exact math later, she focuses back in on the battle at hand and brings her club down once more.

  The battle is different compared to previous ones, for multiple reasons. The first being the constant flow of magic coming from the backlines, courtesy of Ryse and Violet. Ryse seems to be taking shots at the Spiders further back, with Violet imitating as best she can. In the flurry of it all, Aura barely notices when the stronger bolts stop flying out. At one point, a single bolt strikes one of the Spiders she was fighting, helping hasten its death.

  As for herself, the fight is a lot cleaner than previous ones. The latest increase to her DEX lets her body move a little bit better, allowing her to dodge some of the Spiders blows. As well as pull off the dual weapon and magic attack she had attempted without stumbling. Unfortunately, she is still too slow to fully avoid the attacks and combined with wanting to stay in the formation she ends up taking some damage still. But she is striking down the monsters with a good deal of speed.

  It is after she has taken down her third one, not counting the assist from Violet, that a Spider jumps over the corpses of the fallen and lands on top of her. Maul intervenes at that, his club smashing into the side of the monster and throwing it off her. Whether done to keep her safe or to gain extra XP she doesn’t know or care. Instead, focusing on taking the monster out before it gets back up.

  The battle goes more quickly but is just as intense and Aura is panting with exertion by the end of it. The greyed-out notification regained color once more, and she activates it to see the results.

  After looking at the notifications, she checks her Character Sheet as well. From looking at it, she took a little more damage during the fight than she would have liked. Sitting at [88/140] HP and [6/20] mana the fight was a hard one. But, between the vast number of Giant Spider corpses before them and the good condition of everyone else, the fight was easier as well. Taking a deep breath of warm air, she stands tall before speaking.

  “Okay, good job everyone. I don’t know how far out we are from the nest of these things, but I’m sure we have enough time to wait for these corpses to disappear so we can get whatever they drop. We should all have poultices, so we should use this time to apply them. Violet, come with me so that we can get that done with a bit of privacy.”