A line of tall, matte blue shields pushed through the ranks of the psaelis, matching short, straight, blue blades thrusting through the gaps in between said shields. Blue, flaming projectiles and arrows streaked from the dust, trailing dense blue smoke behind them, and laying havoc amidst the beasts.

  “By the Crystal! Who are those people?” Cen asked.

  “They-They’re the Navy!” Nar said.

  The blues in their matte armor and weapons was a perfect match to each other, and the archer he had met hours past, so there was nothing else they could be.

  “How do you know?” Teb asked him.

  “I met one of them,” Nar said. “His armor was also blue!”

  “Aethermancers!” Row shouted, as the second line of Navy apprentices stepped out of the dust, this time with long blue spears held in their hands, which they used to stab through the gaps in the shields of the first line. “We’ll need to stay away from them! Our skills will clash!”

  “We need to angle to the left!” Kur said. “But Row, it’s not that bad! As long as we keep control of our aura and they of their aether, there will be no reaction!”

  “What? How do you know that?”

  Kur quickly relayed what had transpired between Nar and the navy archer to her, just as the Navy's song came to a crescendo and a halt, a flash of blue sinking into their armors and weapons.

  Was that a buff? Nar wondered. With singing?

  “But how do we know they’re keeping control of all of that?” she asked, shifting a thumb to point at the veritable storm of arrows and aether cerulean projectiles of all kinds that streaked from the dust.

  “Uh… I think they’re going to get there first!” Tuk said, dragging the leaders’ attentions. “They’re going to take the boss’ head!”

  “What?” Mul roared.

  His voice was so loud, that even in the deafness of battle, Nar still startled at it. And he realized, it was the first time he had heard in a long, long while.

  “Mul, what’s wrong?” Gad asked.

  The brawler’s breath was a roar, a cloud of steam pillowing around him.

  What in the Pile? Nar thought, staring wide eyed at it. That can’t be good…

  “Ugh… I… I don’t know!” Mul said, his voice low and distorted, his breathing coming out harder and heavier. “I just… I feel… They can’t… They’re not… They’re not going to take our kill!”

  “Mul!” Gad shouted.

  A wave of heat erupted from his side, and Nar turned his head just in time to catch the sight of Mul plowing into the psaelis, his fists blazing with roaring flames that were much brighter and bigger than the ones of his armor, and he no issues in realizing that those were the real deal.

  “What the fuck are you doing?” Tuk shouted in a demented, high-pitched voice.

  “My Crystal…” Nar whispered, momentarily losing track of the battle.

  “He’s [Enraged]!” Kur shouted, his voice distorted by shock.

  “He’s what?” Rel shouted.

  “[Enraged]! Look at his status! He’s been overwhelmed by his anger!” Kur explained. “It’s a brawler thing! It makes him stronger!”

  “He looks crazy!” Tuk shouted.

  “Shit! It wasn’t supposed to happen so soon!” Kur said, watching powerless as Mul continued to kill and burn his way through the horde that blocked their path to the Den Boss.

  “Mul!” Cen screamed after her brother. “Mul!”

  Explosions rang out every time Mul’s fists made contact with the psaelis, engulfing them in flames. Beasts fled before the onslaught, and the hungry flames seemed to eagerly latch onto the creatures’ dirty furs.

  “He can’t hear us! He's under his rage now, and he’ll just keep going until he runs out of aura!” Kur said. “Damn it! Why now of all times! We need to go after him!”

  “We do?” Tuk asked. “He’s heading straight for the boss and he’s doing great!”

  “He’ll never make it!” Kur said. “He’s running out of aura and stamina! Come on, before he passes out! Row!”

  “I heard you! We're with you!” Row shouted from their side. “Come on, party! The end is here! Through the gap Mul made! Let’s go get that den boss!”

  “Nar, you go after him while I rally the other parties!” Kur shouted at him. “Keep that damned brawler alive, but stay out of his way! In that state, he can’t tell between you and the beasts!”

  “G-got it!” Nar stammered, glancing back to where the brawler was even now plunging deeper into the enemy.

  It’s just like that time with Viy, Nar realized. It was just his fate to be the only one capable of handling those kinds of situations, and this time, he reacted with only a brief split second of hesitation, and launched after the [Enraged] brawler, rushing deep into the horde before they closed ranks behind the flaming brawler.

  He recalled that day he had chased after Viy, wading into the ravenous horde of purple eyed cannibals assaulting a cubeplant. However, he quickly realized that this was a very different situation. He was a lot stronger than back then, and even with his aura barely above a quarter full, and his stamina faring just a bit better as he got more tired and consumed more of it, the psaelis by themselves weren't as much as a danger to him as the cannibals had been that day.

  Unless another one of those bigger, psychic beasts attacked him with a pack of the smaller ones, or two or more of the psaelis leaders ganged up on him, he should be alright… And the real danger came from Mul himself this time around.

  Nar jumped and hopped around the burning corpses left in the wake of Mul’s devastation, and eyed the panicking psaelis on either side of them.

  Stray embers were flying everywhere, flickering in the shimmering dust, and were latching on easily to the greasy, dirty and densely packed fur. Not only that, but the battlefield was strewn with debris from aetherships, and some of them were proving to be quite flammable. The whole thing had the makings of turning into a huge, out of control furnace.

  But what do I do? Nar thought. Do I try to knock him out?

  SCREEEEEEEEEEEEE!

  A wave of sound made him misstep, and tumble onto the smoldering corpses.

  “Ouch!” he grunted, as he was forced to sacrifice his left hand to keep his body from landing on a flaming, dead psaelis.

  He snarled and shook his hand. That’s real fire, alright! He thought.

  Part of him had still doubted whether their aura and affinities truly were a match to aether and its elements, what he had incorrectly thought of as magic for so long, but that flash of pain had been very clarifying and settling in that matter. Luckily, his armor seemed to have prevented any real damage to his flesh underneath.

  SCREEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

  This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

  Nar glanced up.

  The Den Boss was waving its arms about, its long, nasty yellow aether coated claws outstretched into the air. From its eye, visible waves of sickly yellow light pulsed out in quick succession, stretching far around them, and the panicking psaelis went dead still. Even the ones on fire.

  A shiver ran down Nar’s spine. This can’t be good…

  SCREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

  The entire psaelis horde deafened the battlefield with their war cry, and as one, the tide surged forward once more.

  “Shit!” Nar swore, seeing the gap closing before his eyes.

  [Aura Quickening]!

  Whatever happened, he couldn’t let Mul disappear in that mob of teeth and claws!

  He pushed forward, his sword once again snapping and snarling with an angry, out of control aura as he pushed against the restraints of his [Mastery]. The psaelis however, couldn’t care less. They threw themselves at him, sometimes directly at his hungry blade, their eyes solid orbs of yellow now, all single will and intent wiped clear from them.

  Nar hacked and chopped, all gracefulness, stances and steps, and TSA teachings gone from his mind, leaning fully on his [Awareness] enhanced senses and [Instinct], even as the effects from his [Aura Quickening] faded in the blink of an eye, leaving him mired in fur and claws.

  The psaelis tumbled against him and tripped him at his ankles, and claws raked against his aura armor and metal teeth gleamed in the yellow air, as dust slowly gathered again in violent swirls. All he could sense were the beasts pressing in on him from all sides, and the brief flames from Mul’s punches, still erupting angrily from up ahead.

  Come on! Come on! He urged himself.

  SCREEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

  Now what?

  At the Den Boss’ scream, the psaelis were thrown into confusion, and Nar found his way forward.

  Now! Nar thought, pushing through them and quickly gaining on Mul.

  He glanced up, and saw that two arrows had finally reached the massive psaelis atop the carcass. One must have been Lim’s, but the other one was clearly Rel’s.

  What is that?

  Rel’s arrow was still gleaming red, and from the puncture wound, green blood mixed with crimson aura was overflowing in a torrent down the beast's shining coat of white fur.

  SCRRREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

  The psaelis around them burst into a frenzy. They leaped over each other, forming walls of ravenous beasts, screaming for death and flesh.

  It’s using them as a shield! Nar realized aghast, watching as the beasts pushed back against the parties behind him.

  Damn it! I’m going to lose him!

  And without a moment to even consider it, Nar cycled his aura harder, pushing against his limits, and triggered his [Aura Quickening] once more! He had to at least reach Mul before those walls of fur fell upon them, as ahead, Mul seemed to be finally running out of steam. His fists didn’t rage with fire anymore, and Nar didn’t hear or catch any more explosions coming from their impacts. In fact, Mul’s very armor was flickering in warning.

  He's running out of aura! Damn it! He’s going to lose his armor!

  Nar reached him just as Mul’s aura armor went out, reverting back to its black soft, and unprotected state, and the brawler came down on one knee with a confused, empty gaze upon his eyes.

  Shit!

  The psaelis fell on him, ready to tear into Mul’s flesh and shred him limb from limb, and feeling as though the whole battle slowed down before him, Nar triggered his [Aura Quickening] once again.

  Pain lanced across his body, and blood jetted down his nostrils, ears and mouth. He had reached his limit, the warning that came with the skill, but he wasn’t going to lose Mul. His snarling blade circled around the brawler, splitting flesh, bone and fur, and covering the now passed out brawler in green goo.

  Nar’s sword almost seemed to sing in his hands, hungrily devouring blood and flesh, taking life after life, as Nar madly swung around the two of them.

  More… MORE! NOT ONE WILL TOUCH HIM!

  He fell to a frenzy, a whirlwind of death amidst a mindless, unending horde. Bodies piled, gore spilled, and blood flew, aether infused material burning against his aura armor, and Nar’s sight dimmed, growing darker as he spun faster and faster. As he killed more and more…

  Suddenly, his [Instinct] screamed at him so loudly, Nar winced in pain and was jolted from his trance.

  What the…

  Nar looked up and his eyes widened in horror. A wall of fur, 40-feet high, came collapsing down on them.

  He triggered his [Aura Quickening] one more time, risking whatever damage that would do to him, but even as he cut upwards, fighting against the pain of his breaking mind and body, he knew that it wasn’t going to be enough.

  His sword got stuck in the mass of bodies coming down to crush them…

  Damn… Nar thought, as darkness fell.

  A beam of pure, raging gray pierced through the living mass of psaelis, obliterating everything in a 7-feet diameter. Then, came the low, deafening hum, followed by a sharp crack.

  Nar followed the beam of light back to its origin, stunned, as the wall collapsed around them, bodies falling in slow motion as his [NPC] was still being boosted by his [Aura Quickening], and he saw a straight, clear line carved through the psaelis, leading back to his party.

  Cen, atop Kur’s shoulders, with a silent scream etched onto her tear-streaked face, had her left hand outstretched as though to reach for her brother, her armor looking shattered in her arm. Then, his [Aura Quickening] ran out, and both she and Kur were blown backwards by the force of the sheer raw aura Cen had just unleashed.

  What. Was. That… Nar thought, too stunned to move.

  Another red arrow flew overhead, through the gap that Cen had opened, and Nar heard the Den Boss scream in pain again.

  The psaelis around them came crashing down on each other, squealing in panic and confusion, and Nar looked back in time to see the white psaelis jump down from its commanding position atop the carcass, seeking shelter from Rel’s crimson arrows.

  It's so close… Nar thought, raising his sword. And it can’t keep up its concentration!

  The Den Boss coughed green, and had its hands to his chest, where Rel’s second arrow had caused a second rupture of overflowing green blood and red aura.

  It has to be almost dead, Nar thought, and he glanced down at Mul. If I kill it, this all ends here. The Scimitar wins. We get the prize… I get those gains!

  He took a step forward.

  Wait! No! I need to cover Mul!

  The fight wasn’t over yet! Any of those psaelis could easily attack the passed-out brawler!

  What am I doing?

  And yet, he felt compelled to head forward, and to end the Den Boss.

  He needed it.

  His path needed it.

  His dad needed it!

  Mul would be fine for a few seconds…

  No… No! Nar thought, horrified, and in that moment of clarity he realized what was happening.

  It’s you… he thought, lifting the sword, still encased in raging aura, to his face.

  The sword’s hunger affinity was calling out to him, urging him to claim victory! The gains!

  You can do it! It said, The boss is right there! Go! Take its head! Finish this!

  However, Nar shook his head and lowered the sword back down. Cycling his aura out from it, he revealed its gossamer predominantly purple, malformed shine.

  It’s not really you, though, is it? Nar thought, with a heavy heart. It’s me…

  The sword was just amplifying what he already felt and thought… And he, he took a deep breath, and suddenly, he felt very tired.

  Pros and cons, he thought, staring at the blade. The HP recovery. The strength to push through where many would fall and give up… But on the flip side, the danger of his own, amplified need and desire to burst free from his control. Unleashed…

  Is it a mistake to hold on to you? Nar wondered. Or are you the way to climb to where I need to?

  Blue burst through the chaos of psaelis to Nar’s right, bringing him back out from his thoughts, and he found blue armored, tall apprentices banging on their blue shields with their blue swords. The Den Boss looked up, forgetting his wounds, and screeched at the new enemy, before leaping towards them.

  A mass taunt, Nar realized. Are those all tanks?

  The frontline apprentices, all tall and buff and of gender unknown, locked shields together, a second row of shields appearing behind the first one, and covering the heads of the first line of apprentices.

  The white psaelis towered over them and crashed into the shields with a deafening bang, but the line held, and a section of the shield wall detached from the formation to encircle the Den Boss. Then, groups of spear-wielding apprentices dashed forward to surround the boss and spear into it mercilessly from behind the safety of the shields.

  The boss screeched for help in despair, but the other shield bearing apprentices quickly formed lines around the death circle, keeping the panicked hordes at bay, while more blue projectiles came whistling from the dust clouds, creating a death zone around the two lines of shields.

  Crystal… Nar thought, shocked by the efficiency of their unified formations. Rather than as single parties, the Navy apprentices seemed to be trained to move as though they were all one single unit. Like an army.

  SCREEEEE…

  Cut off from help, surrounded and trapped, the Den Boss was quickly brought down by the savage blue spears.

  The moment it died was obvious. All the bright yellow eyes around Nar suddenly lost their glare, and the entire horde exploded into panicked chaos once more.

  “The boss is down, apprentices. The Navy got the kill,” Tys’ voice sounded from a wasp that appeared above their heads. “Don’t feel too bad about it, and just focus on finishing the job. With the Den Boss killed, this is just a cleanup OP now. COO, out!”

  Before Nar’s still shocked eyes, the Navy spread out from the boss, and proceeded to carve into the confused beasts, filling the air with their dying and panicked cries.

  Unstoppable…

  The Navy apprentices had made them look like amateurs. While Nar hacked and chopped with abandon, the Navy apprentices moved in effortless efficiency, in steps and stances that never broke, and which carried them through with professional efficiency.

  Nar had seen his master move… Crystal, even instructors Koh, Mes and Tob. but that synchronized machine of death before him, was when it finally sunk in. More than knowing that what he was being taught was crucial, he saw it, in brutal, bare efficiency before his wide eyes.

  I need to do better, Nar thought, clenching his jaw. I will do better.

  “Nar! Are you guys okay?” Gad shouted, as their party finally managed to reach him and Mul.

  “Yeah… We’re fine,” he said, his voice low and raspy.

  “Come on. I’ll take Mul,” Kur said. “Let’s just get out of here!”

  As they cut their way back to the ships, Nar couldn’t help but cringe from his every move.

  He felt like a child who had gotten its hands on an adult's tool, and was just waving it around…

  I’ll do better, he told himself once more, as the shame of their loss burned at him.