Despite achieving victory in the face of adversity, there was a somber tone in the air. In the course of the battle, a few Nulzan Hunters were killed or injured by the Sufferers - far more than they had anticipated. The Aarthriin Sufferers’ combination of unique bodily makeup and abilities caused them to be extremely deadly. A number of their comrades had been caught unaware by Life Is Suffering, and their hesitation in the face of the sudden pain that it inflicted had cost them dearly.

Given breathing room by the defeat of the surrounding Aarthriin, the Nulzan gathered the soulseeds of their defeated comrades. Dharen waited respectfully as they did so. Despite their own agency in the matter, he had been the one to bring them here. Though they chose to follow him in a bid to gain strength, he knew that their deaths were partly his responsibility. So, he waited as the dead hunters’ companions collected the fallen Seeds.

It was interesting, he thought, that the Nulzan treated the soulseeds of their defeated brethren in the way that they did. Perhaps it was due to the majority of humanity being Unawakened, but humans were far more focused on the body itself. Meanwhile, the Nulzan treated the soulseeds as almost sacred. To them, as creatures fully capable of Awakening naturally, a soulseed of one of their own was ascribed deep meaning. It was a seed of what those who had been lost were, a reminder.

That did not stop them from absorbing the soulseeds, of course. To do otherwise would be wasteful. Yet, it did mean that the soulseeds traditionally went to those closest to them, that they might carry a piece of those who were lost forevermore. In this case, however, the dangerous nature of battle took precedence. Still, there were efforts made to ensure that, of the hunters gathered, the Seeds went to those closest to them in honor of this tradition.

Meanwhile, as the one who defeated them, Dharen took two of the Sufferer’s soulseeds for his own. He gave the third to Ekzel, in return for his efforts. The young Nulzan’s apparitions had served well in distracting the beast, resulting in it tearing through its own allies rather than their own. Ekzel was haggard, barely able to stand up under the strain inflicted by his Boon. Yet, when he received Dharen’s approval and the soulseed, the young Nulzan lit up with pride and straightened his back once more.

That done, Dharen pressed his will upon the two soulseeds that he had taken for his own. The energy burst forth within his left hand, and he corralled it with a practiced ease towards the Seed of Fear that was embedded in his shoulder. The energy was great enough that he managed to increase his Seed of Fear to level 13, pushing his Agility and Endurance attributes even higher.

Name:

Dharen

Race:

Faceless Human

Affiliation:

The Faceless One

Spirit:

61

Strength:

98

Agility:

125

Vitality:

66

Endurance:

84 (88.2)

Wisdom:

1

Charisma:

1

Luck:

1

⥫⥬⥫⥬⥫⥬

⥫⥬⥫⥬⥫⥬

⥫⥬⥫⥬⥫⥬

Tower Tokens:

⥫⥬⥫⥬⥫⥬

⥫⥬⥫⥬⥫⥬

7,500

⥫⥬⥫⥬⥫⥬

Seeing the increase in his attributes, he couldn’t help but feel satisfied. He had increased his overall power in leaps and bounds recently, ever since allying himself with the Nulzan. Dharen knew that he was far more powerful than he had been when he fled from the City. And now was not the end of his growth.

He retrieved Restraint from where it had been dropped onto the cavern floor, and they headed out once more. First, they backtracked to check on the tunnel that had collapsed behind them.

Rubble was strewn across the passageway, a mixture of stones and dirt that sealed off the way behind them. Massive boulders intertwined with clods of heavy dirt, blocking the light that attempted to make its way through. After a short period investigating the cave-in, they came to a conclusion. Though they could dig themselves out eventually should they wish to, the effort involved meant that it would be preferable to find an easier way out. Knowing that there are other Aarthriin tunnel exits within the jungle, along with the potential exits that could be found due to the appearance of the natural cave system, they pushed forward instead of returning to the surface. In addition, they had come to the home of the Aarthriin in order to increase their strength. Seeing the increases that they had managed so far, they were determined to continue doing so.

They returned to the enormous cavern in which they had encountered the Aarthriin Sufferers, deciding to leave precise markings on the wall to aid them in returning should they find the need to do so. The cave system that they had found themselves in was complex, with many tunnels branching off in various directions.

In the end, they chose to travel through a tunnel that lay on the right side of the large cavern. There was very little to justify their decision; after all, there were almost innumerable tunnels that seemed to branch off from this. For all they knew, they each led to the same place. Yet, they could just as easily lead nowhere. However, a sizable number of Aarthriin had emerged from the area, making it unlikely that it was a dead end.

The chosen tunnel did have one very important facet: it was far too thin and winding for an Aarthriin Sufferer to travel through. It was a narrow crevice, only providing enough room for two individuals to travel abreast. Though this had the decided disadvantage of being a poor option for a quick retreat, it was an effective protection against the wide-bodied Sufferers. Despite their victory, even Dharen would have preferred to not battle them once more. Three of the creatures had been difficult enough to deal with, and it was difficult to say how many they might encounter if they moved recklessly.

Of course, that did not prevent them from exiting the crevice only to enter a new cave and encounter new Sufferers, but it was a relatively effective safety measure. Though he had confidence that he could defeat another Sufferer once more if needed, he knew that encountering multiple would exact a heavy toll that they did not wish to part with. He, along with his Nulzan allies, was eager to increase his strength. But they each had to remain alive to do so effectively.

Dharen took the lead, as the most powerful and hardy member of the troupe. Unlike the others, he had confidence that he could survive the odd unexpected stabbing. Not that he looked forward to experiencing something like that, but it was certainly assuring to have his Vitality as a safety net to fall back on. Just in case they encountered more enemies, he prepped Restraint’s enchant while they walked, smashing a few bodies as they passed.

They pushed past the corpses of Aarthriin drones that had been dashed against the side of the crevice, working their way through the narrow passage. Only a few minutes later, the crevice spilled out into a secondary cavern.

It was far more cramped in comparison to the previous cavern that they had found themselves in, yet Dharen could already see that they were not alone. A line of Aarthriin drones were moving down another tunnel to their left, carrying various organic material - likely intended for consumption by the Aarthriin colony. Perhaps even their Queen.

Yet, roaming about the cavern were a number of aberrant-type Aarthriin. Three Wrath-type Aarthriin stalked the cavern, lashing out at any drones that foolishly came too close. However, having dealt with them before, Dharen knew that they were far less dangerous than the Sufferers.

In addition, he could see four smaller Aarthriin clinging to the walls of the cavern. He almost missed them, given their decreased stature and location. They were oddly shaped, an amalgamation of limbs and colors that was somehow overwhelmingly chaotic, yet entirely uniform among themselves. The soulseeds emblazoned upon their backs were the same: a swirling mess of colors that was difficult to focus on properly.

Unwilling to let himself be caught off-guard again, Dharen cautiously activated Miasmic Cloak to be safe. Fortunately, each type of Awakened Aarthriin appeared to have the same ability set - possibly a result of their identical bodies and focused emotions - so once he discovered what they could do, there would be no surprises.

He stepped out of his hiding place, his allies behind him.