[Proofread by MarkThePotato]

[EDIT: Poll SHOULD be active now. Not sure how it didn't take the first time.]

Jonah worked at a feverish pace, stuffing as much worm materials as possible into the strange red bags. He'd be amazed by the things when Reggy had shown him how to use them. They reminded him of those dimensional bags you would often see in cultivator novels and the like.

Between the four bags the man had handed him, there was just enough space for worm materials and some other more useful equipment they had scavenged from the building. Reggy now carried two of them, while Gwen had the third. The final one, he would keep for himself.

He didn't particularity trust the Crafter with everything. If at some time the much stronger man decided that he wanted to just keep everything, then there was nothing Jonah could do about it. Once they escaped, while Jonah might not be able to merely outright demand everything back, he wouldn't let Reggy just take the rest, either.

While Jonah gathered everything they'd be taking with them, Gwen and Reggy stood at one end of the chamber, fiddling with the portal device. The device appeared as a flat metal ribbon inscribed with dozens of glowing, mystical symbols Jonah couldn't even begin to understand. The ribbon was unfolded and wrapped around three anchor points that came in the same package.

Once the portal ribbon was firmly secured to the anchor points, they formed a large triangle just tall enough for a single person to pass through.

Choosing where to set the portal detestation had been tricky. Without knowing exactly where the Níðhöggr had settled, it was a crapshoot. If it had buried itself, then anywhere but "up" would put them into stone or worse.

But if the Titan was resting on the surface, then going "up" would mean they had a long way to fall. After arguing for what seemed like hours, Gwen finally bit the bullet and purchased the skill equivalent of an altimeter, GPS, and a few other utility skills. Most would be next to worthless to her until she gained a flight skill or other similar situations, but they didn't have much of a choice at the moment.

It turned out it was the right thing to do, as Gwen's new skills pegged Níðhöggr roughly twenty miles off the coast of what was once the Gulf of Mexico. The Titan seemed to be resting just below the seafloor. On one hand, that slightly complicated their plans. If they went forward with their plan to 'knock out' the Titan like last time, they risked sending tsunamis towards the nearby coasts.

Thankfully, most coastal populations had either already evacuated further inland to avoid monsters, or were protected by strong contestants. There would be damage, but it would be minimal.

On the other hand, it was far better than the worst-case scenarios they had been planning for. Their options would have been far more limited if they'd been under a large population center or deeper underground.

As it was, the plan was to activate the portal and knock Níðhöggr out with Jonah's skill, before making a break. Jonah felt a smile spread across his face as he thought about it. He was getting out! After 6 months of torture and struggle, he was going to be free!

He'd finally have the chance to get stronger. To grow. And when he was strong enough, he'd have his revenge on this sick game. All he needed was time.

Packing up the last of the supplies, Jonah approached his two guests. He was no longer the scraggly, filth covered thing they'd first met. His head and beard had been neatly trimmed and washed for the first time in months, courtesy of a spell from Gwen. The ragged worm leather tunic had been replaced by proper leather armor, plated at the joints, and vitals with refined worm plate.

The armor had been 'payment' for Reggy's share of the worm materials. At first, he'd been reluctant, as his skills were top-end and very sought after. That is, till Gwen reminded him, that they'd still have to travel through the wilderness for a few weeks after escaping. Reggy had shivered at the thought of telling Billy they'd rescued his missing nephew, only to have the man mauled by some random beast on the way back.

Only then did he agree to craft Jonah his very first set of proper armor.

Of course, he took the time to reinforce his and Gwen's armor as well. Their own armor was top-end for the current state of the world, so he didn't need to modify much. But the quality of the Worm's materials were on a whole other level, and by adding a few plates here and there, he'd upgraded them to another tier.

This was the first time Jonah had seen proper "Crafted" gear, and he found the matter quite exciting. He pulled up the newly unlocked 'Equipment' menu and stared at the information one last time.

[Author Note: Trying something new with the table format here. Let me know if you notice anything funky or distorted about it. Not sure how it'll look on phone or anything, yet.]

Available Outfits Equipment pieces Resonance Set Effects: Skin of the World Eater

(Crafted by Reginald Northrid)

Leviathan Brigandine (D+ rank) A simple brigandine crafted from Kamaitachi leather and Leviathan Worm plate. Offers mild protection against slashing and piercing damage. Worm Leather Gorget (D rank) Basic gorget crafted from poorly processed Leviathan Worm leather. Protects the shoulders, throat and upper chest from piercing damage. World Eater's Tassets (C- rank) High-quality tassets forged from processed Leviathan Worm plate. Incredibly sturdy, they resist all forms of piercing, slashing and crushing damage. Lighter weight than they appear, but still heavy. Leviathan Greaves (D+ rank) Sturdy Kamaitachi leather greaves and boot set, studded with processed Leviathan Worm plate. Offers mild protection against slashing and piercing damage.

Parasite's Tenacity (2/4): Greatly increased resistance to acids and toxic environments.

[Locked]

Symbiosis (4/4): Drains the wearer's Mana to repair itself over time.

[Locked]

Lightforged (enchantment): Crafted by the Lightforge Smith and infused with "Hard Light". Forms a protective barrier around the vitals when struck with an attack that would normally be fatal. (recharges 1 charge per day). 2/2

The Equipment menu was another system in place for the Contestant's convenience. According to Reggy, it would categorize and catalog any equipment and items that he had used, as well as list any kind of synergies and 'Equipment Resonance' effects.

It wouldn't do something like automatically equip the items for you (though, according to Gwen, there were skills that would do that). But it did give the Contestants who were still learning about things like cultivation and magic, an advantage they desperately needed.

Even still, he was grateful to have some proper protection now.

It would take some time to get used to, but he was confident that he would at least not die as soon as he stepped out into the wild.

As for a weapon, that had been the tricky part, he didn't have any formal training with any kind of melee weapon. Nor did he have any skill tokens or other way to purchase a weapon proficiency skill. He wasn't a front line fighter anyway, not with his expertise. Eventually, they'd come up with a solution;

Leviathan's Reach (D+ Rank)

A slingshot designed for hunting, crafted from Hard Light reinforced Leviathan Worm plate. Uses a tentacle from a Leviathan Worm as the draw, granting it powerful penetration and range for a sling of its size.

(crafted by Reginald Northrid)

Taking inspiration from Jonah's crudely crafted sling platforms, they had gone with a simply wrist-braced Slingshot. Being one of the first ranged weapons Jonah had any proficiency with, he was quite familiar with the design. He'd always enjoyed those hunting trips with his mother.

People tend to underestimate the humble slingshot, seeing it as just a kids' toy. But with modern materials and engineering, they could easily see their power reach levels rivaling small-caliber handguns.

Of course, this came at the price of accuracy and range. Even the best slinger couldn't match a bowman when it came to range. But at medium range, it could be argued the slingshot ruled. Its smaller size, faster projectile speed, and ability to perform 'shotgun' like bursts, made it particularly effective against smaller, more agile targets.

In fact, this made them quite popular for small game hunters, and several US states required a permit to own hunting grade slingshots. Between the crossbow, slingbow, and slingshot, Alice had branded her own passion for hunting into her son. Ironic for a veterinarian.

The marble-sized shots used were a combination of worm plates wrapped around Titan flesh to give them both the weight and punch to be more than lethal to any lower-level threats they might find. In fact, when Jonah had tested them against his old target plate, he had to dig them out of the sturdy shell.

While the combination of new armor and weapon might not have made him a contender for the world's strongest, at the very least, he wouldn’t be an escort target either.

Before they made their escape, the last stop of the day was dismantling the camp and sling platforms Jonah had constructed. He admitted that he kind of regretted not getting to use the darn things, but they were valuable parts that could be recycled. Jonah's platform was only a short distance from the portal itself and was the last one to be taken down.

The portal had been charging for roughly ten minutes at this point. The runes on the portal ribbon were steadily growing brighter as they pulled in the ambient mana from the air. Just 20 more minutes, and he'd be free.

Of course, life is never that easy. And 'The Game' was never that merciful.

As the portal grew stronger, the ambient mana suddenly skyrocketed, and the chamber pulsed. Jonah looked up from his work and caught the other's attention,

"Uhhhh, Guys?"

Reggy had already drawn his light whip, while Gwen crouched low, eyes scanning the darkness around them, her voice soft and cautious.

"You felt that too?"

Reggy nodded his head.

"Ya. Jonah, any idea what that was? Have you noticed anything like it before?"

Jonah stood on the sling platform, hand on his sling, as he thought,

"Not a clue. The only time I felt anything like that was when... crap..."

Like fireflies at night, dozens of tiny pinpoints of mana began to gather at random points of the chamber. The gathering motes then started to swirl and twist around each other, each group forming tiny whirlwinds of mana strong enough to light the chamber on their own.

Gwen's panicked voice called out,

"Son of a ..... Something's spawning! Get ready for a fight!"

Suddenly, a voice echoed through the chamber. It sounded like crackling tender and rumbling thunder all at once, dry and hissing, but youthful, like a child who hadn't come into their voice yet. It seemed to shake the chamber itself, and echo in their mind at the same time.

"ᖻOᑘ... ᘺᓰᒪᒪ... ᘉOᖶ... ᘿSᑢᗩᕵᘿ!"

Jonah swore and then moved to the back of the platform, grabbing several of the platform shots they'd not stored already. Just as he got the sling platform loaded, something shot out of one of the whirlwinds of mana with an audible pop.

Jonah thought the Worm had been bad, with its sickly blue glow and death tentacles, but the eldritch nightmare that popped into existence made the Worm look like a cute puppy in comparison. It was a quadrupedal figure, standing roughly 4 feet in height from 'paw' to shoulder, and nearly twice that in length.

Its ill and twisted body looked like someone had tried to cram a lizard, and dog and a human into the same physical space then turned the whole thing inside out. It's rotting, warped flesh was covered in random patches of fur and skin, while its fanged, dog-shaped head and thick tail were covered in hard scales. Its hands and feet were human-shaped but ended in wickedly curved claws that looked like they could slice through bone with ease.

As the three stared in horror and disgust, the thing crawled forward. It moved like a crocodile, swinging its head and tail back and forth, seemingly immune to pain even as its 'hands' hissed and bubbled in the acid below it.

It gave a cackling laugh that sounded eerily human, before charging mindlessly at them with surprising speed. More on instinct that anything intentional, Jonah let lose the shot he had been preparing.

The fist-sized projectile screeched through the air, going wide, but still managing to strike the creature at the base of its tail. It gave a dog-like yelp, and the shot gouged a hole out out the thing's flesh. It didn't do any kind of fatal damage, but it stopped the creature's charge long enough for a whip of light to wrap around its neck.

With a quick flick of his wrist, Reggy pulled on his whip, and it went taut, as a sickening crack sounded and the creature went limp.

Party has slain "Malformed Titanspawn"[Level 14] x1

Contribution: 20%

Wide-eyed, Jonah looked over to see Reggy with a frown and Gwen grinning like a madwoman. As if sensing his gaze, she turned and gave Jonah a thumbs up.

At that moment, the flood gates opened, and more of the creatures shot out of the whirlpools.

"Just great...."

The next 18 minutes were the longest in Jonah's life. The 'Titanspawns' had started pouring from the spawn points in droves, at least one spawning every 15 seconds from the dozen or so mana whirlpools scattered around the chamber.

After missing his first few shots, Jonah had switched up tactics, instead aiming at the spawn points themselves, thinning the creature's numbers as they spawned.

The fist-sized projectiles were just too slow and the creatures too fast for him to reliably hit. He had to catch them in the brief moment of confusion as they first appeared.

He's tried pegging a few with [Leviathan's Reach], but the smaller shots didn't do anything to slow down their mindless charge.

Luckily, they had the habit of charging blindly forward. It was like dodging wasn't something their broken, half-formed minds could understand. The result was the creatures hitting the meatgrinder, despite their otherwise high levels.

Gwen was their front line attacker, meeting each creature as they approached and proceeding to pound them into an eldritch paste. The woman's fighting style was brutal and savage. Her blood covered form danced from opponent to opponent, leaving bodies in her wake.

The sheer variety of skills and weapons she employed painted a vivid picture of why she got the name "Queen of Slaughter."

In contrast, Reggy's fighting style was much more calculated and targeted. Any Titanspawn that managed to avoid Jonah's shot and slip pasted Gwen, soon found itself assaulted by an array of flying weapons, sheathed in a glowing light. Hammers, axes, swords, spears, dozens of weapons of various styles and types flew through the air and stuck with coordinated precision. Their flight paths created an inescapable net of death and destruction.

As time went on, the ambient mana in the air began to drop, and the Titanspawns began spawning less frequently. With two minutes left until the portal was finally charged, the creatures finally stopped coming. The spawn points didn't collapse, but he could tell that they were drained. Their glow had dimmed by half, and their swirling vortex had visibly slowed.

His [Mana Sight] told him they were still drawing in mana, probably in an attempt to recharge and spawn more of the abominations, but he could tell that they wouldn’t make it in time. The portal only needed a short while more, and then they'd be free. After that, they could either escape or camp on the other side and clear out any Titanspawns that pushed through the portal before it collapsed.

He was going home.

Jonah felt light like a weight had been lifted from his shoulders. Grabbing the dimensional bag, he quickly abandoned the platform. He joined the other two at the portal—no time to finish scavenging the last platform, unfortunately.

Gwen walked out about the same time, looking clean and refreshed as she used the same spell she had before, to clean herself of the gore. Reggy himself was spotless, having let his weapons do the fighting, while he attacked from the rear with his whip. As she approached, Gwen gave Jonah a grin and slapped him on his back and laughed,

"I'm impressed! Not many hold their own so well during their first fight. You'd be surprised how many grown men collapse into a puddle when they first fight a real monster. Though I guess it's not really your first time either, is it?"

Even Reggy nodded his head, a small mote of approval in his eye.

"Yes, quite so. Well done, boy."

Jonah wanted to snap back that he wasn't much younger than him when the portal device flashed, and the scene changed from the back of the wall it was attached to, to a sprawling open field. Jonah simply stared wide-eyed at the scene, unspeakable feelings welling up within him.

He stood there for a moment before feeling a nudge on his shoulder? he turned to see Gwen staring at him, she raised an eyebrow before saying in a half-laugh;

"Well, ladies first."

Then pushed Jonah through.

There was a moment of resistance, then a cold chill, like plunging into a frigid pool. Then the sweltering, moist heat of the Titan's stomach shifted and turned into the dry, fresh air of early autumn. Jonah stumbled as his feet made contact with the firm ground for the first time in months. His eyes blinked rapidly, trying to adjust to the glaring sunlight, as he felt the fresh breeze play across his skin.

He stood there for a moment, listening to the sound of insects and birds, feeling the springy grass under his boots, watching the wind play between the trees as it rustled their leaves, just starting to turn for the season.

He turned around and saw the other two making their way out of the portal. Jonah stared back through the portal into what had been his prison for months now, then looked around the field he stood in now.

Unashamed, Jonah fell to his knees and openly sobbed into his near armor, a grin that felt like it would be permanent, stretching across his face.

Gwen and Reggy looked over at the emotional man, giving him a pitied look, before moving to secure the area. They'd have to guard the portal until it collapsed—no telling what would happen if one of those things got out.

Finally calming down, Jonah stood, before taking in his first real breath in months.

Then he froze.

Jonah scrunched his eyebrows in confusion and exhaled, this time drawing in a deep and powerful breath.

And coughed.

Wide-eyed, Jonah began violently coughing, gasping for breath even as he sucked in lungs full of air.

He couldn't breathe.

No, he COULD breathe. It just wasn't doing anything for him. No matter how much he breathed in, it felt like he was suffocating. Drowning in the open air.

Jonah's face began to turn pale, as he fell back to his knees, wheezing.