Chapter 70
Wed paused at the elevator, leaving the disgusting and decidedly eerie boss chamber behind. No one wanted to wait to level up. Probably for the best, just in case anything happened on our way out.
Unable to help myself, Id pulled up the boons description again.
I had to read it a few times to make sure I was understanding correctly. Some miniscule part of me couldnt help but wonder what it would look like if Id received four boons, rather than one.
It was a considerable step forward.
In a solo encounter, Talia would likely make up the majority of the damage. Audrey was fantastic for sneak attacks and distractions. Having them both out was incredibly taxing on my mana, to the point where doing so for the boss had given me a terrible headache in only a few minutes.
And it was the solution to a hypothetical Id been puzzling over for a while: What would happen if a stealth situation with Audrey went sideways? It was likely impossible to summon Talia when my focus was split. Which left me at a massive disadvantage.
Or rather, it had.
Id have to test it, but if the mana drain reduction from having them both summoned and stored was significant enough, it made me far more flexible in any given encounter.
Nick was sitting across from me, one leg propping up his arm. He blew a strand of hair out of his face a bit too emphatically. Okay. Matt, help?
Youre going to have to be more specific.
There are too many perks, and Im a kid in a candy shop over here.
What are perks? I looked at him blankly.
Nick rolled his eyes. Feats, you pedant.
I ignored Saes, Ooooh, from where she sat next to Jinny. Guessing I cant talk you into taking Awareness?
Nope.
Considering how powerful it is, something specific to your class would probably be best. How many class-specific perks do you have to choose from?
Matt scrolled through what had to be three or four pages of class-specific perks before he gave up. A lot.
It was hard not to be jealous. Most of the Ordinator perks I had available were either locked, or of the leach-off-a-friendly-party-like-a-rat variety. Then again, I had a whole other class to tap from now.
Judging from this entire experience? Our biggest weakness is how small your shield is, I said.
Its average! Nick exclaimed.
I shook my head. Not what I mean. Though a slightly bigger shield would be better, when Strength and availability allows. What Im talking about is directionality. Its unlikely Im going the Strength route any time soon. Agility meshes much better with what Im comfortable with, which unfortunately makes you our only defense.
Youre talking about flanks. Nick realized.
Flanks, bad fights, moments where one or more of us overextends. Sae, Jinny, and I are pretty mobile, but in their case I imagine its difficult to cast while running away.
The two of them nodded from their corner of the elevator.
This trial was far more involved than anything weve dealt with so far. Nicks expression turned thoughtful.
Before, the monsters mostly just ran straight at us. These bugs were a lot more coordinated. Sae agreed.
It was the boss, I think. She was coordinating them. Complex mobs are probably going to get more common as we level. We need a way to hunker down. If you have anything that can buy us time when were flanked, or time to regroup, it could thoroughly change the tide of a battle.
Got it.
Nick scrolled through his screens, his expression intense. In all the time Id known him, Id never seen him look so serious about anything.
He was really taking his role as party leader in stride.
Helpline? Sae waved at me. I was leaning more towards poison than frost before this. But now Im not convinced. Without the frost buffs, I would have been mostly dead weight the entire trial.
I sighed. Are you really going to keep calling me Helpline?
Will it affect the quality of advice you give me? Sae asked.
No.
For someone whos only planning to be around some of the time, youre fitting in pretty well. Jinny said. The comment was more than a little transparent.
There are other things I need to do, but I want to at least make sure Nick lands okay.
And after? Do you see yourself staying with us long term? Jinny prompted.
It was surprising to realize that I did. Id looked down on them initially for being so naive and unprepared. Going through the trial had completely turned that impression around. They all had their quirks, yes, but they were all competent. I hadnt been able to spot any fatal flaws in their dynamic. For a group that had come together almost entirely by chance, they were solid.
It was strange to feel that confident in anyone, let alone an entire group.
After the silence had gone on far too long to be comfortable, I finally spoke. Ill make you a deal.
Yes? Jinny looked at me curiously.
You want to make a difference, right?
More than anything, She answered.
Ill do what I can to help you. Either we find you a heart, or a way to make that impactas powerful as youll end up, I really dont think the latter will be difficult. And Ill seriously consider staying with the group long term.
Jinny blinked. Generous. But Im still waiting to hear my end.
It was hard to find the words. Why was I so bad at this? A small bit of detritus caught my eye, and I kicked at it as we passed. Just dont throw your life away for something that doesnt matter. You havewhatthree, four months now? Thats more than some people. More than a lot of people, probably. Dont waste it. Make it count.
Her lips quirked in amusement. Inspirational, for a cynic.
Okay. I rolled my eyes.
Thought youd be one of those, everyone-is-shit and everything-we-do-is-meaningless types.
No. I have trust issues. I rubbed the back of my head. And maybe I dont like people, much. But anyone can be useful.
And thats the problem. You never know who will be.
I think Im starting to understand you, Matt. Jinny suddenly pivoted on her heel, facing me directly, and stuck out her hand. Deal.
I shook it, feeling more than a little sheepish.
A notification popped up.
Quest: Light in the Darkness
Primary Objective Help Jinny accomplish her goal with the time she has left.
Secondary Objective Find a solution to her physical malady.
Personal Objective Remain unidentified by other Users.
Threat Level: ???
EXP GAIN ???
Time Limit: ???
Reward: ???
I immediately scanned to the time limit before reading the rest in detail, hoping it would give more insight to how much time she actually had. Unfortunately, it seemed even more vague than many of the previous, already obtuse objectives had been.
Im happy youll be around, Jinny said. A blonde bang had fallen out of place, obscuring my view of her expression. I feel like the four of us are going to do great things together.
By the time we reached the front entrance, there was less than five minutes left. The door had been replaced with a permeable membrane. Talia went out first to scout aheadonly after did I realize how pointless that was. She probably couldnt return now that the trial was over. Nick exited, Jinny trailing behind him, then Sae.
Its okay to admit you like them.
Was that telling me to be more sentimental? Maybe it was just tired of me doing mental gymnastics to justify the choices I was making. Still, for the first time since this whole thing had startedpossibly since my late childhoodit felt like everything was going to be okay.
I stepped through the divider, darkness overtaking my senses during the transition.
And that was when the screaming started.
