There was comfort found in familiarity. The security in knowing what you were doing, where to go, and who you were with. Knowledge begets control and control is the ultimate comfort.

It is for this reason that Riza’s apparent employment in this infirmary did not aggrieve her as much as one may have suspected: she had a clearly defined role that she was uniquely suited for; was being paid in equipment, food, and a place to sleep; was able to extract information from a variety of people—although most were patients in varying states of delirium; and was accompanied by her colleague and supervisor, a pleasant, polite man called Sylan.

Overall, it could’ve been a lot worse.

These were only the factors that Riza consciously admitted to, however; the greatest one was that, without this imposed direction on her life, she would’ve been aimless.

But she wasn’t thinking about any of this at the moment; it was the second day she was here and she was currently chatting with Sylan.

Beds lined the walls but they weren’t the only furniture there. Tables on little wheels along with wheeled stools existed as well and it was sitting on a stool each that Sylan and Riza were located, resting their feet from standing and hopping from patient to patient.

Although, it wasn’t that busy in the hall today; much less than yesterday, in fact. Noticing this—how the beds were mostly empty—Riza decided to ask Sylan about what they do when there is nobody to aid.

“There’s always somebody what needs healing,” He replied, staring at a particularly unlucky sod, cocooned in bandages and missing more than a single limb.

When he was dragged in, half drenched in blood and screaming in pain, Riza had to steel her nerves at the sight as she helped to lift the guy onto a nearby bed.

Even after thoroughly cleansing herself, the smell was still thick in the air, the skill doing nothing to the aroma.

Though the man was now sleeping soundly, having been subjected to an unknown concoction mixed up by Sylan, he was by no means fully healed, limbs restored. Even for a full-time magic doctor, there was a limit to how much you could [Heal].

“Then why are we here?” Riza responded, gesturing towards the whole hall. We’re not even doing anything.

“We wait.” He replied succinctly, voice calm.

After a few seconds of silence, he spoke again. “There may not be many now but when there’s a storm...” He left the sentence hanging, the implication clear.

Memories of the farm. The piles upon piles of bodies, slumped over and lifeless right outside the fence. A whole team of heavily armoured and armed soldiers took them out—getting injured themselves, at that.

Imagine if the same thing happened here, with defenceless villagers.

Back during her first encounter with them, Riza barely escaped with her life, that memory sending a cold shiver through her as the visceral feeling of teeth sinking into her flesh re-emergering in her mind.

People who aren’t even level 1 would have no chance.

After a few minutes passed of anything but a suffocating silence, Sylan spoke again, his voice somber.

“There’s always a calm before the storm,” He said. There was no lightness to his words.

The rest of the day was equally lax. The injured were [Cleanse] and healed, Sylan’s replenished essence stores able to help those he was unable to yesterday. Not too many people were actually brought in during the day; Riza had a suspicion that they had just finished helping those who were initially hurt during the rainstorm.

By the time she left the building, heading for her dormitory, the sky was dark and cloudier. Foreboding.

Lefie was late that day, returning around half an hour after Riza had returned herself. She stayed awake, just in case, wanting to be reassured of her friend’s safety. They talked shortly, catching on what each other had done as well as Lefie giving Riza customary, albeit brief, language sessions.

And then, she slept. Her body sunk into the mattress, mind unravelling and leaping off into the realms of dreams.

A new day.

Riza awoke not to a dazzling morn but a foggy glow surrounding them. Once she was dressed and outside, it was even worse than she had thought; only a few metres in front of her was unoccluded. From there, a hazy mist permeated the air. Even the massive crater—something that’s impossible to miss— was barely visible until she arrived at the infirmary.

Even then, she couldn’t see the white fog floating at the bottom.

The day was slow to begin with. Sometime during the night, Sylan had let go some of the patients; they were left with only a handful still wrapped in their beds now.

They were the unlucky ones—the ones who were missing limbs or had damage so deep a simple day or two of magical healing was unable to restore them.

No one new arrived and when Riza say the empty state of the beds, she had to ask about them.

“It’s a dark day,” Sylan explained. “Stay here.” He grew laconic as his voice became heavy.

Diligently, Riza helped to clean and rebandage wounds like she was told to, helping out wherever possible.

All throughout the door, she had a sinking feeling in her stomach as she danced about the room. Her head span with the words Sylan had begun the day with, unable to get them out of her mind.

And then it happened. Lunch time.

Stomach rumbling, Riza stepped back from the bedside she was hovering at, prepared to ask Sylan about going to get lunch again, stopped in her tracks as her feet were misplaced, a far off rumbling shaking the floor underfoot, trickling stones cascading off the walls and the beds rattling all around the room.

A raucous racket. She steadied herself against the wall, crouching down as a panic began to surge within her. Sweeping her eyes, she found Sylan, scurrying over to his little office attached to this hall.

The door was always closed, locked, and Riza had never been inside before.

Sparing a glance at the bandage patient, mind fuzzy and probably unable to fully comprehend the situation, she quickly followed after Sylan, catching him donning a mail shirt over his tunic. His apron was off and thrown to the wayside.

Turning around, he held a helmet under his arm and grabbed a crossbow from the side, along with a quiver of bolts.

“12 bolts,” He said, as if talking to himself.

He looked up as he was putting on his helmet, making eye contact with Riza. Never before had she seen his eyes so hardened and focused.

“Grab yourself a something,” He gestured off towards a small room attached to this hall, filled with chests and shelves where they stored the patients' items.

Understanding flashed through Riza as she quickly found what she was looking for.

Not once did she have a conscientious ask her if this was fine; her resounding heartbeat, heavy atmosphere, and memory-plagued mind made the decision easy for her.

Wasting little time herself, she shucked off her apron, grabbed a large mail shirt, and picked out the sharpest weapon she could find—a short sword, as it happened.

Another shake, accompanied by the residual flash of light seeping in through the high windows and the cracking of thunder not long later. Closer this time.

The pounding of rain was easy to hear, only growing more intense as time passed.

It was like the storm snuck up on them; in no more than a few minutes, to shifted from an overcast day to a downpour.

Sweat was already soaking Riza’s clothes as the reality of the situation settled.

It’s happening again.

Breathing in, holding, and breathing out, she steadied her breath even as her nerves threatened to go haywire.

Panicking will not help, She disciplined herself.

Already moving, Sylan was urging the last four remaining patients up and out of their beds, gathering them closer to the supply closet where Riza was.

Suddenly, the ground reverberated under their feet, shaking them to the ground as intense vibrations overtook the whole building.

Rather than the clap of thunder, a mad pounding of feet echoed from the doorway to the corridor, followed by large thuds, shouted grunts, and the clattering of metal.

Riza trained her eyes on the door, Sylan gathering the injured behind them and pulling up next to her, crossbow at the ready.

Even though he seemed prepared for this, his stance suggested anything but. Weapon pointed down, the armour sitting awkwardly on him, and his less than confident stance did little to reassure Riza as to their safety.

Don’t assume we’re safe. There’s danger all about. Be vigilant. Keep an eye on the skies.

A quick glance at the windows confirmed their emptiness.

“You don’t have to stay,” Sylan called out to her over the ambient din of rain.

She froze on the spot, muscles not moving, as the prospect shot through her.

Do I run?

She had done it before. It was the cowardly thing to do but brave men die while cowards survive.

She was stronger, as well. More essence, more regeneration, more armour.

What felt like minutes of agony resolved itself in a matter of seconds.

Sylan stood tall, though inelegantly, ready to fight. His posture told her all she needed to know about his intentions.

And like a coward, she ran. Breaking into a sprint, Riza shot forwards towards the doorway, aiming to get out of there.

Not to the farm but further North, away from everything. Away from the monsters and away from people who knew her.

There was no time to feel bad about her decision, she thought, as she was about to cross through the threshold.

She was sent flying. The ceiling of the room passed overhead as her body tumbled and rolled against the ground, hand letting go of her weapon as she relaxed her muscles.

The wood was smooth, and she slid for a metre or two, as the pain coursed through her.

Pushing through the aches in her muscles, she raised herself to her knees as fast she could, barely able to see a white figure dashing towards her.

The silhouette was lean, quadrupedal, and distinctly lupine.

Riza could spare no more thoughts towards it as she instinctively raised her hands, her mind going into overdrive as it processed the sudden surge of information.

It crossed a metre, then another, and her mind kicked into gear. The mental click resounded in her head, the connection established. With no hesitation, she unleashed a maximised [Leech] on the foe.

It’s body dropped suddenly, legs falling out from under it. The momentum of its large, powerful form carrying it across the floor, sliding, until it stopped right in front of Riza.

[Level up]

You have gained 5 stat points and 1 skill point

What just happened?

Her mind was dizzy, just beginning to put the pieces together.

She was running, and then flying, and then the thing charged her. Was she hit? Her health points were at full, unable to confirm any prior damage, after the [Leech].

Sylan was certainly looking on in shock, crossbow raised at the ready and pointed towards her.

It should’ve been a disconcerting sight but Riza could barely muster the energy to care about that at the moment, her brain in disarray.

“It’s dead?” He shouted, voice louder than necessary and full of emotion.

I...guess it is. I levelled up, after all. Focus was returning to her, making her open up her stat block and assigning the points straight into spirit.

Follow the plan. There was no time to think about the future; just do what she told herself to do.

Name Riza Level 8 Health 100/100 Stamina 85/100 Essence

250/300 Power 5 (5) Constitution 5 (5) Endurance 5 (5) Vim 6 (6) Essence

5 (15) Spirit

35 (175) Stat Points 0

Likewise, she purchased [Knowable Essence]. I need all the essence I can get, She thought, considering the situation they were in. There’ll be no time for [Meditate].

[Knowable Essence] (1/10) -Learned

2% of Essence contributes to Spirit. 2% of Spirit contributes to Essence

Requirements: [Well of Essence] (5/10), [Well of Spirit] (5/10)

Name Riza Level 8 Health 100/100 Stamina 85/100 Essence

250/342 Power 5 (5) Constitution 5 (5) Endurance 5 (5) Vim 6 (6) Essence

5 (17) Spirit

35 (175) Stat Points 0

An increase of 2 in my essence stat results in 42 more points of essence? It accounts for decimals, just doesn't show them.

Unfortunately, this deeper pool of essence did little to ease her nerves, the effect unable to be felt physical.

Recuperating, Riza got back to her feet, picking up her sword and hurrying back over to Sylan.

“No running,” She asserted, as much to herself as it was to him.

They were inside in a stone building that had stood the test of time unlike most other buildings here. This place was fortifiable but, more importantly, it should be safe. It was, at least, predictable; there was only one door, after all.

Taking deep breaths in and deep breaths out, Riza stood resolutely and looked at how much essence she had.

No matter how much she didn’t want to, she knew she had; the threat was all too imminent, too sporadic, and too dangerous.

Gingerly, she placed her palm on Sylan’s arm, holding firmly as he looked at her curiously, before entering [Meditate] for five seconds.

By the time it was up, her eyes shot open, her breathing was hurried, and her heart beat was faster than it was before.

But she had 3 more points of essence than she had before.

Like jumping into a pool of water without seeing the bottom. The fear was nearly paralysing when she entered the senseless abyss.

And she’d have to do it again.

Riza didn’t even realise her legs were shaking when she closed her eyes again.

Five more seconds. An eternity later, her eyes opened.

Nothing had happened and Sylan was now only looking at her out of the corner of his eye.

“[Meditate],” She explained, giving a timid smile.

She didn’t [Meditate] right away again, taking a few seconds to compose herself.

It wasn’t any easier—she was practically gasping for breath as it let up, even though it didn’t stop her airflow.

Terrifying. There was no experience like it. She could die and not even know it; the prospect was petrifying by itself.

The hall was silent, with the only sound that could be heard the irregular breathing of the six individuals huddled in one corner. No one moved—not a floorboard creaked nor a mouse shuffled.

Even the dead body of the monster was as still as a statue.

After multiple times meditating in the dead silence, it was becoming ever so slightly easier.

In eerie quietness, she’d mentally descend into nothingness, then ascend back into the subdued sound of rain.

Quietness. Rain. Quietness. Rain. Quietness. Ra—

The floor. The twanging of string slingshotting itself forwards. The shouts of a frenzied man.

The floorboards were there to meet Riza’s gaze. Her body groaned as she picked herself up off the floor.

Two of them. One large, the other small. One lupine, the other more fox-like. Both dangerous.

In an instant, her crystal-clear mind took in the scene—[Meditate] preventing any brain fog from clouding her cognition. Her sword was still in her hand.

Sylan was fighting but they were up close. One bolt was buried in the side of the foxes head while the lupine one was further back. They were both lunging for Sylan and, in that moment, Riza came to a decision.

She leapt forwards, arm outstretched as the fox closed its large maw around it, razor-sharp teeth crunching down and piercing through the flesh, wrenching her arm in agony.

Her mind connected, essence flowing out of her as the health from the wolf flooded into her, restoring her health points and physically reconstructing the skin around the teeth, the muscle twining itself together.

You have joined Sylan's Party

The wolf was down and not wanting to waste more essence, Riza stabbed her sword down into the foxes head as it tried to drew away, pushing the blade deeper into its skull and collapsing alongside its body.

She could feel her health draining away as she shouted “Heal me!” At Sylan.

The man obeyed, dropping his crossbow and hurrying to the ground beside her, placing both hands on her back as she felt the energy returning to her.

Control. There’s no danger if I’m in control. The hand gripping the handle of the sword was shaking.

She dismisses the party notification almost naturally, rejecting the idea much like she had done before. It was an unknown.

“No, no. Don’t do that,” Sylan promptly said after she did so, ushering the words out quickly. “I could use the something. Let me level up and I can help you; my something has something!” His excited voice fell flat at Riza’s reactionless visage.

As it became clear nothing was going to change, Sylan receded into himself a little, the excitement and enthusiasm and adrenaline leaving him. Not that Riza noticed much.

She focused herself back into meditation. Her initial few attempts failed, the recent experience all too harrowing, but she managed to get a firm clamp around her heart and succumbed to the void.

And how scary that void was. Coming back after only five seconds, her eyes were frantically looking about. Everyone’s still here. I’m still here. Good. She exhaled a large sigh, sweat pouring down her arms in worry.

For the next few minutes, nothing happened. It seems the invasion of three was all the action they’d be seeing today, letting Riza regenerate her essence in peace.

Not actual peace, of course; she was far too neurotic for that at the moment.

The essence ticking up slowly was welcomed. [Leech] was a large drain on her reserves currently but it dealt with the enemies fast and efficient; if she could take advantage of having an actual healer nearby and kept to only using cold weapons to fight, all it’d cost would be enduring the pain and that’s it; she could keep her essence full.

And so, she [Meditate]d. Again. And Again. And Again.

Nothing arrived, even as she blinked from one moment to the next.

Is this-is this everything? Just three of them? She blinked hard at the corpses incredulously.

The situation was as reality was presenting it but she just couldn’t accept it; not after the deluge of monsters she had seen at the farm. They were right by a fog hole this time; it had to have been worse than this.

The universe was going to show her just how right she was.

As she was recuperating, Sylan looking over the patients to make sure they were all right, a thunderous explosion blasted out, the shockwave of air knocking Riza off her feet as a dust cloud blew up suddenly.

Debris and stonework went flying as she coughed out what must’ve been half a lung, rubbing her eyes to clear them of detritus.

And there it was; the largest monster she had ever seen. Light was pouring in through a giant, gaping hole in the wall. The stone was crushed and crumpled, bricks strewn about, and on a pile of rubble stonework was a hulking, white monster. Like a bear, its limbs were girthy and powerful. Larger than an elephant and heavier too, the whole building shook as it lumbered to its feet, standing taller than the ceiling itself.

It’s skin glistened, its hide wounded but bloodless. Slashes and tears stuck out but its large hands, claws the length of swords, grabbed Riza’s eyes.

With only a flick of its wrist, it could probably rend a man in half.

The sight of it turned Riza’s legs into jelly. Her breathing hitched and then suddenly escalated, heart rate a thousand beats per minute. Her hands clenched and unclenched, with the sword even dropping out of her hand as she struggled to process what she was seeing and her fingers feeling extraordinarily weak.

It’s...impossible. Nothing can be that big. The monster betrayed rationality.

And yet, there it was. Standing tall. Standing strong.

It craned its head, the overly long neck turning to the side, staring right at their little group.

No eyes. An animal-like head but with no eyes at all.

In all respects of the word, this thing was well and truly a monster like no other.

With a singular step, Riza’s body crumpled as her legs lost their strength. A icy hand clutched at her heart as the building rumbled.

She stared wide-eyed at it, unable to move.

Another step. She could make out the sounds of scampering feet behind her but that was it.

Another step prompted her to finally use [Meditate]—fuck the situation.

Her thoughts coalesced, independent from her physiology, flowing incredibly fast.

I’m not going to die. Fuck that. I’m living. I’m living. She repeated the phrase to herself.

Another step and she opened her eyes.

The monster was strange. Slow, surprisingly passive--completely unlike the aggression every other white monster had displayed. Why?

It was closer than ever, and the world moved in slow motion. With all the essence in her body, she imagined the monolithic pool that must’ve made this thing up.

And then it struck. At an unbelievable speed, betraying its previous lumbering locomotion, it swung its giant, mace-like paw towards her, too fast to track with the naked eye.

Like a dam overflowing, the essence poured out of her in droves, dealing thousands of points of damage in only a few seconds as the enervation began to set in. She was giving it all she had.

The next thing she knew, her back had collided with the wall, knocking all the air out of her lungs as she fell and flopped unceremoniously on the hard ground, jutting debris cutting into her.

Her lungs ached, each breath a chore, and she coughed up blood as she tried to take in breaths. She felt both literally and figuratively crushed; her bones would surely be broken by now.

She could only see the blurry white figure by nature of her head resting against the wall, not because her own neck could hold it up.

A sudden, vitalising burst of energy shot through her, originating from her arm. Unable to turn her neck, she could feel it rushing through her body, permeating every pore, every muscle--even into her shattered, frail bones.

The feeling of fragility lessened as a cloudy strength burgeoned within her. Her muscles felt stronger, bigger, healthier. The skin knitted itself back together as muscles repaired themselves impossibly fast, bones setting themselves back into place.

Her health ticked up in conjunction with the feeling. Eventually, even her neck regained its range of movement.

Sylan. He was by her side, kneeling down, hands on her, and looking thoroughly exhausted. Sweat lined his brow as his hands slipped off her slick arm--her clothes were torn to shit, and she had only just gotten them, too.

You have joined Adewyn's Party

As Riza’s eyes began to refocus, the giant form in front of her just...vanished. One moment, it was in front of her, the next, shoved against the wall and tearing that down with it as another, thunderous shockwave boomed out from the impact as it collapsed.

It’s lumbering body deformed, bones broken, and lying like a discarded toy against the wall, the visage of unstoppable power it seemed to be was utterly destroyed by that single attack.

Eyes blurry, she could just make out the form of a woman standing on the monsters chest. Her helmet obscured her face, her long, black hair billowing out from underneath.

In her hands was a large sword the length of Riza’s body, half stuck in the chest of the beast.

With superhuman strength and ease, the sword was withdrawn only for the woman to suddenly drive it back into the monster, the force itself denting its rib cage and shaking the remaining stones like a disastrous earthquake.

There was no flourish, no additional effects to the strike; it was pure, unadulterated power.

The blade sunk to the hilt, piercing all the way through as the monster became limp.

[Level Cap] increased to 15