I had been doing my best to avoid any weavers while we traversed the jungle, but the cobwebs were still everywhere. And I could sense the distant presence of weavers. Somehow, they knew to move in our direction. There was some way in which they had a general idea of our location.

“We are going to have to fight,” I said “there are weavers enclosing on us, and the fastest way out is through the one just ahead. It’s close.” Of course, the other two seemed uneasy at my idea.

“I can’t tank and heal,” said Ajax, “and you are both casters.”

“Ajax, just keep me healed and Samantha, just do whatever damage you can. I’ll tank.”

I can do this!I assured myself. The hits from a weaver were heavy, but I wasn’t the same feeble mage as I had been before my new class. I spent 50% of my total MP and summoned Mana Scythe. The flame-like curve was a deep blue.

I had never summoned the weapon with so much MP, and was curious as to how different its effects would be. My head hurt with how many mana potions I was chugging, but I downed another anyway. I needed to be in top condition.

After another dozen seconds, we could see the weaver taking a meandering path towards us. Its eyes scanned the area, searching us out. That was at least good news, it only had a general location. Most likely the weavers were responding to the unavoidable movements we made upon the cobwebs that were everywhere.

“It’ll be alright.” I repeated again. We needed to strike while the weaver was unaware and get some damage done before melee began, so I cast a Fireball and threw it directly towards the weaver’s face. Despite my lack of regular practice, my aim was dead on.

The Fireball exploded on the monster’s face and flames rained down along the ground. A few of the cobwebs started to catch fire around it. By the time it could shake the flames away from its eyes I was right there to meet it.

My scythe came across the giant spider’s head and the four bottom eyes were completely cut through. They split open like balloons and disgusting juice poured from within. Half of its vision was gone, just like that.

I felt on top of my game and immediately jumped backwards. The weaver was furious and both front legs landed right hard where I had been standing. Ajax was already prepping heal and ended up canceling it.

No doubt the two of them were confused to see my actions, as I originally had told them I was a caster. My movements, however, were nothing like those that a caster could ever hope to achieve.

The weaver started to gurgle up its sticky, acidic spider web and shot it in my direction. The grey gunk barely touched the side of my robe, yet the hem began to melt and sizzle. Fortunately, it all dissolved before ever reaching my flesh.

Samantha had already finished channeling her first ability and threw it out. An ember of flame appeared under the weaver and started to grow inside. It was burning red hot and then suddenly exploded.

The resulting impact caused considerable damage to the weaver as it almost flopped over on its side. I rushed back in only to meet a hairy limb coming directly towards me. There was a split-second decision to be made.

I opted to take the blow without pausing in exchange for lopping off two of its front right legs. Mana Scythe was much sharper with almost twice the MP input. This time it cut through the leg joints like nothing.

Almost immediately after my scythe came down, I went flying. I’d been hit by a limb connecting full force with my ribs. The breath in my lungs was gone just like that. It was a full on hit with me pushing even harder into it. That had been a nearly suicidal move, but it had paid off tremendously.

“Joseph!” Samantha yelled. Ajax was incredibly worried as well and started showering me with heals.

I landed hard on the floor and gasped heavily to catch my breath. Cough after cough escaped my mouth and even a bit of blood speckled my hand. I glanced at the weaver, which was attempting to crawl back up off the floor.

Fortunately for us, the weaver couldn’t restore itself to its feet with only its two back legs and it struggled there. It began a cry out for help and that chilled my heart. I cast Cremation directly under the position of its head and that fiery pillar from hell raced into the air.

The screams only continued for a few brief seconds before nothing could be heard but the crackling of its burning head. I leaned up off the ground and rested my hand against my ribs. It was so fucking sore and a huge green and purple bruise rested there.

Samantha and Ajax rushed to my side and hoisted me up off the ground. We started to walk towards the weaver’s corpse and I was surprised to find a skill book floating there. I used the opportunity to hold out my hand and cast Harvest Soul. Another soul was added to my collection and 10 more HP and MP to my stats bringing them to 1768 and 694 respectively, with Harvest Soul at 195 HP and 118 MP.

I grasped the skill book in my hand and looked at the contents.

Book of Phase Step*** LV. 1

Cast time: Instant

MP Cost: 35

A burst of speed allows the user to move incredibly fast for a brief moment.

I was blown away and incredibly excited. This sounded like a god-tier movement ability, even more so was the fact it had no cool down. The others saw the desire in my eyes immediately. “You’re not exactly a caster are you?” Ajax asked.

I coughed, “Not exactly…”

“You should take it.” Samantha said. It was probably clear to them now that my ‘caster’ persona was only a front.

“Are you sure?”

“You saved us both.” And they weren’t wrong. If I hadn’t gone back for them it was likely they would be spider food by now.

I nodded my head in appreciation and learned the ability on the spot. My MP was already incredibly low but I could still cast the ability. I gave it a shot and used it once.

As soon as I activated Phase Step my body felt light, the world around me seemed to slow down. I couldn’t be sure if I had become faster or time had slowed down. My feet moved only two steps before things turned back to normal.

“How was it?” I asked.

They both looked like they’d seen a ghost, “Well… you moved like a blur.”

My heart was beating in my chest from sheer excitement. I wanted to scream out loud in joy. Instead I opted for the more responsible statement. “We need to move.” And so we took off. I could only hobble with help of the other two as my body was incredibly sore.

Fortunate for us, the weaver I chose to dispatch was the only soul signature I felt in this direction. The ones behind us were still following, but it wasn’t easy for them to track us down. Presumably, they were working off the minute vibrations we were creating in the network of webs that were beneath our feet and unavoidable.

We trekked for over forty-five minutes before we noticed a break in the cobwebs. There were finally green trees ahead. There wasn’t a weaver in sight to worry about. The web-free trees alone brought me strength and we raced out.

The particular hell that had loomed over us was gone, but we were still lost in this humungous jungle. For now, I didn’t feel like moving and we set up camp after walking a couple hundred yards away from the webs. I had learned my lesson from the first time though.

We made sure to walk in single file and my rod constantly poked and prodded the floor. There was no fucking way in hell I was falling back into that hellhole ever again. Only when we couldn’t see a single cobweb anywhere did we breathe a sigh of relief.

“Hey Joseph,” Samantha looked at me.

“Yeah?”

“Why did you save me?” She looked at me in such a peculiar way, almost hopefull. I wasn’t her knight in shining armor; that’s what I wanted to say.

“You reminded me of someone I used to know.”

“Don’t you know you shouldn’t respond to a girl like that?” Samantha suddenly showed a cuter side, laughing at my lack of tact.

“Sorry, it’s just the truth though.”

“Was she as pretty as me?” she asked in almost a playful, taunting sort of way.

I suddenly took a hard look at Samantha, and that evidently made her feel uncomfortable. But I was honestly considering her question. “You two look alike, but she was prettier.”

“Wow… you really aren’t good with girls.” She gave a genuine laugh. “What was her name?”

“Isabelle.” And as soon as the words left my mouth, her demeanor changed completely. She looked at me with an expression of shock that was inexplicable. That was the moment I also had a sudden realization.

“I have a sister named Isabelle…” Samantha suddenly said. Was there really a coincidence as big as this? I almost refused it to be true.

“Can I talk to you in private for a moment?” and she after a glance at Ajax, she didn’t refuse. We walked twenty or thirty feet away from the camp. I wasn’t sure how to broach the subject so I just went with a direct question, “Does the word ‘Earth’ mean anything to you?”

“Yes…” She hesitated for a moment as it was hard to take in, “did you know my sister?” By now the resemblance was impossible to ignore as a coincidence.

“Can you tell me anything about her, before the apocalypse?” I asked.

“She had a sarcastic sense of humor. The kind that would make you go, ‘oh no, you really didn’t just say that!’ She was working in retail and because of that was really stingy with her money.” And just those two sentences were enough to describe her. “From the looks of it… she never told you she had a sister.”

How should I respond? How could I tell her that Isabelle was dead?

Misreading my hesitation, Samantha said, “It’s okay if you didn’t like her, things didn’t end on good terms between us. We got into a humungous argument and my mother kicked her out because of me. I actually hadn’t heard from her for weeks before… what you call the apocalypse.”

“Ah, that makes sense.” It had seemed to me that there had always been something holding Isabelle back from opening up about her family, now it seemed like that was shame? Or maybe even guilt?

“So, did you know her from Earth or did you meet here? Where is she now?” And this was the hardest part to answer. I couldn’t just say it in one word, so instead I started to tell a story. I thought it would only be a few minutes, but before I knew it I was going over our adventure from start to finish.

Tears started to form in my eyes as I described our encounter with the rainbow vulture. It was only then that Samantha really understood. Her sister had died a month ago, right here in this very jungle. And I felt renewed guilt that I didn’t save her, or even try.

That was the reason why I had gone out of my way to protect Samantha: it was guilt, and for my own self-fulfillment. I never once considered myself a good person.

Samantha remained silent for a long time, deep in thought. “It’s not your fault you know.” She suddenly said. For some reason that only made me feel more miserable, more angry. I knew it wasn’t my fault. I knew whose fault it was.

She was trying to remain stoic, but tears started to fill her eyes. “You know, this is really hard to hear…” And before long she was bawling. “I said some really nasty things to her when she left… I wish I never said them.”

I was there but silent as she cried. There were no words I could say to make the situation better. She would hold that regret for a long time. It would either eat her up, or she would grow stronger as a person because of it. Hesitantly, I reached across and touched her shoulder. She held my hand for a moment, blinking at me through her tears.

Eventually she let out a little laugh, “You know we didn’t have to come all the way out here to talk.”

“Is Ajax from Earth as well?”

“No, but it seems you can’t tell people you’re from Earth anyway.”

This was a surprise. “What do you mean?”

“Well, I tried to tell someone I was from Earth and it’s like they didn’t hear me. It just went in one ear and out the other. All I could think about that was why? What was the purpose of that ‘rule’?”

“What are your plans now?” I asked.

“Well, I guess me and Ajax will head back to Arturii and try to reform our party. What about you?”

“To be honest, I didn’t come with a party. I was planning on leveling more but I don’t feel confident letting you and Ajax wander back alone.”

“No party? Somehow, I’m not surprised to hear it, and thank you. I’d love to say we’ll be fine and don’t worry about us, but I’m not that confident.”

“This is how it should be.” It was a self-inflicted debt I was sure to repay.

When we returned to camp Ajax took a good look at Samantha, “Why is your face so red?”

“Shhh, idiot, I’ll tell you later.”

Ajax immediately looked upset. He was only showing concern. Regardless, he didn’t retort.

Thinking it would help to start our journey, I actually couldn’t be sure where in the jungle we were and said so, but Ajax taught us both something remarkable. “See the direction the leaves are facing?”

“Oh, that’s interesting.” They were all tipped in the same direction: towards the sun. Like on Earth, the sun rose in the east and crossed the sky to the west.

“Right,” said Ajax, when he saw we got the point, “it’s afternoon, so we need to go the opposite direction and that’s our way out.”

There was something pleasant about walking with these two people. I enjoyed a brief feeling of companionship without the responsibility of striving to progress a group. In part, it was a feeling derived from a tacit understanding that once we made it back to Arturii we would go our separate ways.

Also, the journey back was surprisingly uneventful and we encountered almost no monsters on the way. What we did see were several groups leaving the Hidden Jungle and none going in.

“What’s going on?” I wondered aloud.

“No idea…” Samantha shrugged.

Was the lack of monsters in the Hidden Jungle leading to groups returning in order to go to different, more productive regions?

We made it to the east gate of Arturii and I tried to question a guard there but was shooed away, “Ask about it at the Adventurer’s Hall.” Something big was going on.

It was time to separate, but I knew I’d always have a soft spot for Samantha. “If you need me you know how to find me,” I said. That was easy enough actually, just looking for my class would only return one result, me. I shook Ajax’s hand and left them to find a new group.

As I walked towards the Adventurer’s Hall I realized the entire city of Arturii was in a downcast mood. People were standing around on the streets with no purpose and dozens of shops were shuttered with “closed” signs on their door. Whatever the issue was with Hidden Jungle, it seemed there was a bigger, and possibly worse, development than I expected.