Chapter 50, Spire

Continuing to follow Julie’s directions we head deeper into the fungi forest, leaving the gold ranked adventurers far behind as we push through the increasing numbers of parasites and amalgams. There’s even a horror but a singly punch from Howard has it coating the environment like a gruesome blanket.

“Zel, the curse is getting strong enough that it’s starting to noticeably affect our regeneration.”

I check our reserves again, having had a few minutes to regenerate it now.

Mana: [12,650 / 12,650]

Capacitor: [26,756 / 60,087]

Mana regen: [6014] / Minute

Shit. We seriously need a lot more mana regeneration and capacity. There’s no way I’m taking my focus off the current situation to look through class evolutions here though, that would be insanity. Hopefully the delay in evolution might cause some improvement to it, one can only hope.

I start using more of the skills from [Arcane Telekineticist] to increase my chances of getting a better evolution. It slows down my regeneration even further but I’m sure I’ll be able to run from anything even if I’m unable to fight it. I keep activating and deactivating skills like [Kinetic Lock] and [Telekinetic Blade] whenever they’re off cooldown, halting parasites before slicing their heads in two and deactivating the skills. It helps keep the cost down as low as possible while still leveling them.

[Defensive Ripple] is too expensive to be used like that, having a minimum cost of 5000 mana. It will just have to lag behind for now, unfortunate but unavoidable. This might not be the best place to grind skill levels for me but it’s an excellent place for polishing my combat techniques against sapient monsters. They’re often the rarest and most dangerous after all.

Eventually we step out into a clearing in the fungus forest, Howard coming to a halt in front of Julie and I as we take in the scene. The very tiny and slim fungus grass covers the ground everywhere like usual and there’s no tracks to be seen, even if eight fungus-men are standing in the center surrounding the odd mushroom thing. I’m not sure what else to call it.

It’s 6 meters wide at the base, tapering off into a slimmer stalk the higher it goes until eventually becoming a translucent looking mushroom cap with veins of power throbbing inside the gills. Through the translucent cap I can clearly see the warped and broken piece of rhodolite, held fast by thick bands of white mycelia that snakes itself up around the stalk from the ground. The bands of mycelia pulse with purplish and vile power, feeding it into the whole mushroom, only some of it going to the rhodolite at the top.

Why is only some of it being transferred into the rhodolite? Didn’t Julie say that the crystal acted like an amplifier? If that is true then why is most of it being fed into the mushroom itself? It makes no sense. Or am I missing something important? I’ll have to ask Julie and Howard about it later. Now is the time to fight these fuckers and break down the mushroom and I identify all eight of them.

[Pholvoith’s Fungablazer (Fire Mage) - Level 362]

[Pholvoith’s Corruptive Carrier (Warrior) - Level 344]

[Pholvoith’s Despair Dagger (Rogue) - Level 338]

[Warrior - Level ?]

[Curse Mage - Level ??]

[Pholvoith’s Shroomic Spearman (Warrior) - Level 357]

[Warrior - Level ???]

[Archer - Level ???]

I feel myself being identified in turn before chaos ensues. Julie steps to the side of Howard, firing an enormous beam of eyesearing brightness at the monsters and the thing they’re protecting, moving it swiftly horizontally as the very air seems to fry itself from whatever power they contain. Every mushroom 50 meters behind the target gets cleaved in two by it but is effortlessly blocked by the combined power of a barrier from the [Curse Mage], [Archer] and [Warrior] with the highest levels. Some sort of skill combination?

Howard rushes in immediately after Julie’s skill ends, going straight for the highest leveled [Archer] and [Warrior]. The [Archer] fires some sort of white projectile it had grown on its body, impacting the ground as Howard dodges and sprouting thin acidic mushrooms where he’d stood, reminiscent of the fungus grass but twice as tall and looking even more cursed somehow.

Julie continues blasting them with other types of beams and rays, throwing balls of light that detonate in their midst and ripping layers from their surface, eliciting horrifying, gurgling screeches of agony. I’m undecided on where to go myself but finally settle on the [Pholvoith’s Despair Dagger (Rogue)] as it rushes towards me, the [Pholvoith’s Corruptive Carrier (Warrior)] running after it.

The rogue is thinner and really fast, probably as fast as I am at my fastest and even its mushroom cap looks sleeker and pointier. It holds two sharp dagger-looking things of a red-violet material, each one only a decimeter in length but undulating and wriggling as if alive while still looking solid as steel. I have no idea what they’re supposed to do but I don’t want them anywhere near me.

I don’t get much say in the matter though as I meet its charge, the ring blade placed to decapitate it before its image flickers and multiplies, suddenly becoming three identical copies that look exactly the same to my eyes. I smile slightly though as [Sensors] pick up on the minute differences, the middle and right one containing a little less mana compared to the left. It could be a trick of the skill, I suppose, but I doubt it.

I disassemble the ring blade as it nears into two halves, one half moon cutting straight through the middle one while the other veers off to the left, cutting into a physical body. The resistance from its body as the blade sections penetrate through it is most satisfying and I grin as the two halves separate, being thrown backwards by the impact of the less than clean cut, its copies flickering out of existence as the skill cancels.

Ding! You have slain [Pholvoith’s Despair Dagger (Rogue) - Level 338]. Experience withheld until class has been evolved.

Turning my attention to the following opponent, the [Warrior] holding what looks like a giant rotten mushroom over one shoulder, body a little wider than the average fungi-man warrior I’d seen so far, I’m about to meet its charge when I feel my back being pierced. I’m confused for a split second before I pick up on the fungus-man somehow standing behind me, looking practically like a clone of the [Rogue] I’d just killed.

It’s strange, wriggling and undulating red-violet daggers are burrowing into me, splitting into smaller parts like mycelia spreads through the parasites, cursed energy flowing through them. Not giving it another thought I use [Kinetic Lock] and [Point Compression], freezing and crushing the fungi-man’s head without issue, the tearing sound of its flesh a relief.

Ding! You have slain [Pholvoith’s Despair Dagger (Rogue) - Level 343]. Experience withheld until class has been evolved.

“Can you get it out, Ari?”

“Not without removing large parts of our midsection!”

Shit.

I force 5000 mana worth of telekinetic force into my own stomach as I watch the [Warrior] closing the distance towards me, using the familiarity with my own mana structures to guide the power all the way until it surrounds all of the cursed mana and strange, parasitic daggers. The velocity is set backwards and I double over as the mass gets torn out of me with enough force to lift me off my feet, inadvertently moving me out of the way of the descending rotten mushroom club of the [Warrior].

I cough and gag, spitting some golden blood onto the ground as I feel my ruptured and torn lungs and other viscera getting regenerated, my uncovered spine leaking celestial blood, the drops dripping down each vertebrae. I think I see Julie’s head snapping in my direction but I haven’t got the time to check if she’d seen me get torn open like this as the rotten mushroom club is descending towards my hunched form once again.

I roll through the disgustingly squishy fungi grass to dodge the club, my reassembled ring blade coming to my rescue as it cleaves one of the arms holding the club cleanly off. Eliciting gurgling howls of agony from the creature. I’ve just managed to stand, my body now almost completely whole, when it happens again.

My eyes widen in disbelief as I feel another pair of those fucking red-violet daggers in my side, the presence of the fungus-man only noticeable a split second later, trying to back off quickly as it’s round mouth curls strangely, wrinkling like an anus and its blank and glowing eyes tilting slightly as if amused. Is it smiling? Oh, no you don’t.

With two seconds left until [Kinetic Lock] becomes available I grab its head manually with [Telekinetic Force Manipulation] and activate [Defensive Ripple], my ring blade simultaneously zooming past again, cleaving a leg from the dodging [Warrior] as it splits into all eight parts. At the same time I forcefully pull the new cursed tendrils of parasitic daggers from my side, removing half of my stomach and my right lung with it.

Julie

I fire another [Purification Beam] at the [Archer] while casting two instances of [Blast of Banishment], the balls of exploding light, at the spearman trying to pincer Howard before returning my eyes to Zelaria. She’d just gotten most of her stomach torn out from her back after those weird daggers had pierced her. I had only gotten a short glance but what came out looked wrong. Really wrong. It’s not the anatomy of a human, I’m sure of it. I’ve seen enough injuries over the years to know every part of the human body, where and how they are placed and connected.

She’s standing again? How the fuck? I know she said she could regenerate but this is absurd.

I watch for a few more seconds, absently aiding Howard with his battles while keeping an eye on her. I’m not sure what my feelings are towards Zelaria any longer. Well, I wasn’t sure before either but they were much more negatively charged before the fiasco in the tent. Listening to Howard and getting my burden off my chest had helped me get a grip in the moment at least. It might also have been the sympathy in Zelaria’s gaze that got to me. She looked horrified during my retelling and there had been understanding conveyed out of those celestial eyes of hers.

I almost fumble my aim as another [Rogue] appears at Zelaria’s right side out of nowhere, the strange daggers already burrowing into her body as it scampers backwards. She freezes for a split second before a sudden distortion ripples out from her, the [Rogue]’s head stopping dead in place as her strange weapon splits into eight parts and cuts down the [Warrior] in front of her.

The distortion of power ripple across the trapped fungus, ripping its body to shreds while keeping the head steady, only pushed slightly backwards. Zelaria’s side also gets torn to shreds in tandem with the [Rogue] and I pause in confusion. How do those daggers work? Or… is she doing that to herself? No, that would be insane.

I almost forget about Howard, most of my concentration on Zelaria as she slumps to her knees, her stomach regenerating at visible speeds as she orbits the eight blades around herself quickly, no doubt trying to prevent another sneak attack. The regeneration looks fascinating through [Mana Sight] but I don’t understand how it works. It almost looks like her body is rebuilding itself, the golden bloodflow sealing itself off as each part is manifested back into being with the most critical parts being prioritized. Not even I have that amount of control when restoring my own body.

What is she?

Feeling an intruder in my [Purification Field] I return my focus to my own fight, slightly alarmed at the damage Howard has sustained in my distraction but not overly worried. He’s the toughest man I’ve ever known after all. I blast the level 515 [Warrior] with all my available skills as I make my way towards Howard, starting the restoration on him when I’m only 10 meters away. I have to keep dodging opportunistic attacks from more fungi but I can manage it.

It continues like this for another minute with Howard smashing the fungi into pulp, abandoning defense for offense with me there to heal him. I also take care of the [Warrior] by whittling him down and dodging his frenzied attacks with the strange looking ball and chain equivalent in mushroom-people standards.

Blasting the remaining fungus in the face as Howard cracks it back in two and stomping on the skull I breathe out in relief. These had been quite tough and annoying in their combos. They were either extremely familiar with each other’s fighting styles or had some sort of mental synergy skill that helped them coordinate, a lesser variant of whatever the parasites have if I had to guess. No idea honestly.

Suddenly remembering Zelaria I turn around and blink in surprise at the additional corpses and gore splattered in a circle around her. She sits in the middle of it all, her blades still orbiting around her, maybe even faster now, as she scowls down at her missing… well, missing body.

I look at Howard and he returns my gaze. His eyes are wide and look horrified and they turn back towards Zelaria almost immediately. I don’t even have time to say anything before he grabs my arm and rushes towards her, me trailing behind like a ragdoll.

Zelaria

“Zelaria! Zelaria! Are you alright?!”

I look up at the mountain of flesh bounding towards me, Julie hanging in his grasp looking exasperated but also slightly worried. That has me reeling. Does it really look that bad?

Looking down once again and really taking it in I can see why this might be disturbing. It is quite gruesome as a matter of fact. I’d just started growing used to seeing myself like this and didn’t think too much of it except for in practical terms. What it meant for my mobility, ability and so forth. The only thing keeping me going at the moment is my mana regeneration and Ari’s pushing everything straight into regenerating flesh, tendons organs and everything else.

My midsection is mostly just a ribcage and spine, everything else having been torn out again and again as the fungus fuckers with the daggers just kept coming at me, my orbiting blade sections barely doing more than announcing some of the less agile ones a second before they struck. The ones that missed my midsection got my thighs and arms instead as I tried blocking my neck and head. Now there’s barely any flesh there either, most of it hanging in tatters and one hand being mostly skeletal.

I still have no lungs and can’t speak, instead opting to raise the skeletal hand in a thumbs up with help of telekinesis. Howard stares and Julie looks a bit green at the display. I smile to reassure them but that might have just made things worse, half my jaw having been broken and torn by one of them kneeing me in the face.

“I don’t know how we’ll explain this one, Zel.”

“Yeah… They’re definitely not going to drop the subject of my body now that they’ve seen this, will they? Fuck.”

I honestly have no idea what to tell them and I continue regenerating as Howard and Julie stand watching, probably using skills to study the procedure more closely. I have no idea if they’re going to figure anything out by doing so but it’s not as if I can stop them, or even should. If they figure it out on their own I’ll be spared from explaining myself at least.

Ari starts prioritizing regenerating the heart, throat, vocal cords, lungs and resetting the jaw with a nasty pop, making me able to talk while still looking like a skeleton in under 20 seconds. My lungs are still wholly visible, the manaflesh constituting the diaphragm contracting and expanding as I start breathing.

“Phew. That was difficult. How did it go for you at the end? I was too focused on sensing the sneaky fuckers to pay any attention to you.”

Both Howard and Julie stare at me in both revulsion and disbelief. I roll my eyes at them.

“If it’s that disgusting why are you staring?”

Howard coughs embarrassedly and looks away but Julie just keeps staring, her disgust turning more and more into a frown, obviously trying to understand what she’s seeing. She’s also the one to answer.

“What are you?”

Howard turns back to me at that question. There’s more curiosity there than anything else. I have to say something and telling them a little of the truth is probably the way to go. I can avoid the subject later all I like but they need to be focused on the here and now, not my physical makeup.

“I didn’t tell Howard everything that happened to me in the dungeon. I don’t feel like going into detail but my old body got destroyed and this is my new one. It has its advantages and limitations but living without internals is one of the advantages. It still fucking hurts though. Now can you two explain to me why the fuck you haven’t destroyed the mushroom? Wasn’t that the entire point of this fight?”

They both blink at me before turning around, seemingly remembering why we’re here.

“Shit, she’s right, Julie. How did we forget?”

Howard takes off sprinting towards the mushroom, pulling back his arm before launching himself in a ferocious lunge towards it, putting all his momentum into the strike. It almost looks a bit like my own telekinetic force amplified impacts as more than a third of the whole mushroom goes flying instead of only a small piece.

The cursed energy crackles between the separate pieces and one tendril of power even hits Howard on the arm, making him grunt in pain and quickly back off as the large cap and piece of rhodolite falls from on high, landing a few meters away from him. Julie immediately leaves me and sprints towards him, laying a hand on his arm as she starts casting skill after skill, obviously concerned.

Not having been ambushed by another fungus-sneak, I reassemble the ring blade before urging Ari to finish the last of the regeneration, standing up when able and walking towards them and manifesting clothes back on.

“What’s wrong?”

Julie looks away from Howard’s arm, now visible as he’s stored away the black and crimson armor previously covering it. It looks purplish and blistered, small white worm-looking things crawling beneath his skin. Mycelia, I realize in disgust.

“We’ve taken down five of these mushrooms before but it has never backfired like this. I’ll be able to restore the damage but if this wasn’t treated in time even someone like Howard would probably die from it.”

I turn to Howard who looks a bit taken aback at this. Understandable considering his most likely insane constitution.

“Should we head back then? To the camp? We haven’t done much but killing a couple groups of invaders is better than nothing and I don’t imagine Howard continuing to fight being a good idea.”

“I can still fight.”

He sounds sure of himself but Julie is obviously leaning towards my suggestion. She eventually answers after a few tense seconds of staring at his arm.

“We’ll return to camp. We can get back to fighting after the curse has been removed. It will go faster if I can purify it in one long session instead of intermittently treating it while we fight anyway. You’ll still have to smash the rhodolite though.”

Howard grunts before walking over to the rhodolite still crackling with cursed mana, punching it hard and breaking it into tiny pieces before returning back to us. There is no backlash this time and his other arm seems perfectly fine.

“Alright, let’s go.”

We dash towards the east, twilight casting the world into darkness as the sun completely disappears behind the horizon to the west. Julie manifests a plethora of white balls of light that automatically swirl and move all around us, seemingly trying to cast every nook and cranny into relief, banishing the shadows. I still opt to raise the luminosity of my golden irises, drawing curious looks from both of them but no comments. They’d already seen enough strangeness with me in a few hours as it was, glowing eyes can hardly compare.

Howard punches parasites and amalgams with his unscathed hand as Julie fires off a few beams of radiance. I take to only using skills related to [Arcane Telekineticist] to kill off a few here and there, punching one or two without any enhancements to kill those attacking me in between cooldowns. My [Passive Power] and overhauled [Manabody] gives me sufficient strength to kill them off with a single punch if I hit them in their weak spots.

I keep the carnage moderate so as to regain my mana as quickly as possible and only grind the relevant skills to my second class, needing both to increase fast. I’m not sure if I should evolve my second class when we get back to camp or not, feeling that I could probably increase my evolution options if I just took the time necessary. I’m getting impatient though as I’ve already hit my bottle neck. Should I evolve [Mana Machine v. 2.3] instead?

We continue killing the parasites as I contemplate and eventually reach the edge of the mushroomline. The gold ranks cheer as they see Julie and Howard, obviously emboldened by their presence. Both Howard and Julie wave at them as they continue killing the parasites, saving a few adventurers and soldiers from being pierced or cut by their long limbs. I also help in moderation, trying to use my skills to best effect to both aid others and swiftly kill them at low expense.

“Are people usually this happy to see you?

I can’t help but ask Julie and Howard, sprinting up between them as we cross the battlezone. Julie is the one to answer.

“Yes. There’s usually a ruckus when we move about.”

“Isn’t it annoying?”

“Not really.”

“It is.”

Both of them answer, Julie first and Howard after with his slow cadence. They both look at each other before shrugging, Julie continuing.

“Well, I don’t mind it. It feels good to be able to raise the morale of people around me by just being in their presence, you know? Howard thinks it a bit more bothersome. He’s seldom able to hide his identity with his massive frame, drawing the attention of everyone just by being in their midst.”

I can understand that. He’s massive.

Reaching the tents and structures making up the now moved army camp, Julie asks for Helmer’s whereabouts from one of the more decoratively clad army men, an officer of sorts if I had to guess, and gets pointed in a general direction. We have to get new directions three times but eventually find him in a large tent covered with magical protection, a command tent Howard tells me.

I step after Howard and Julie into the command tent, brushing off the entry guards looking unsure of my station but seemingly not too keen on tangling with someone of my level or company. They don’t bother announcing themselves, being adventurers and not military, as the second flap of cloth gets moved out of the way and the enchantment keeping the sound contained flickers off for a second.

The cacophony of voices die down fast though as Howard’s massive bulk squeeze through the entrance, Julie and I trailing behind. Helmer is standing at one end of a large round table, a detailed map in its center and several other officers and even a few adventurers surrounding him. I look curiously at all of them, taking in their somewhat impressive equipment before turning my focus to the map. I’m no real expert on geography and only remember glimpses of the maps I’ve seen in the past but I’m sure the map covers the whole Riverflow kingdom and its neighboring regions.

Helmer stops leaning on his hands on the table and stands up straight. Speaking to Julie and Howard.

“Julie, Howard. Back already?”

Julie steps forward, speaking to all of them.

“Yes, somethings off about the infestation. We got ambushed, which might not be strange in itself but with everything else… I’m not sure.”

“Ambushed? I can hardly call that strange. It’s strange that they didn’t try ambushing you sooner I’d say. It was obvious that their tactic of only surrounding the rhodolite amplifiers with a few of their soldiers wasn't enough.”

Helmer sounds even more confused, taking the unexpected change as nothing more than a natural development. Julie continues however.

“I agree, but there were ten of them in that single ambush. About twice as many as we usually saw in their protective formations, that isn’t all though. The rhodolite amplifier we went towards was a lot more protected as well, sporting a defensive line of eight high level fungi and… How many did you get ambushed by?”

The question was directed at me and I blink stupidly for a second as all eyes turn to me, eventually answering.

“I killed two of those eight you mentioned, with the addition of five more [Rogue] type fungus-men sneak attacking me. They all had the same class, [Pholvoith’s Despair Dagger] between level 341 and 362. No idea what ‘Pholvoith’ stands for but I’m sure you’ve discussed that already.”

I feel a few identifications wash over me, impressed murmurs spreading from the identifiers as they no doubt realize my status as a diamond ranked adventurer… wait. I’m diamond ranked? I’d forgotten about that at the moment. I can’t help my lips curling up slightly at the thought, eyes twinkling at the onlookers as I shift my pose slightly to accentuate my curves. Julie, no doubt realizing the attention I’d drawn coughs before continuing, answering my question for good measure.

“That makes thirteen invaders protecting the rhodolite then. As for ‘Pholvoith’ none of us are sure but we suspect it might either be the name of their deity, leader, race, dominion or whatever else that ties them all together. All classes we’ve seen from the invaders start with that word. Anyway, we killed them all as you might have surmised. The real problem is with the backlash from Howard destroying the strange mushroom holding the rhodolite.”

She gestures at Howard’s arm. Drawing the attention of the assembly and making Howard store his armor covering the damage. There’s a collective intake of breath as the disgusting injury gets cast into stark relief, Helmer speaking up first.

“What happened? For Howard to sustain an injury like this… A curse?”

“A very strong curse.”

Julie confirms.

Whispers break out between the officers and higher leveled adventurers as Helmer paces back and forth on the other end of the table, clearly thinking hard.

“I agree with you, Julie. This is most strange. Either one of these things happening separately could be brushed off as a fluke or small change on the battlefield but this might be something else entirely. I have no idea what though.”

He stops and turns to us once more.

“Point it out on the map, we might need to make more surveys into the area with squads of high leveled adventurers soon.”

We all step forwards and I watch curiously as Julie points towards a spot in the area marked as the conquered territory, barely half a centimeter away from the drawn border. We’d probably spend half an hour to get that deep but it was barely any distance on the map, giving me a scale to judge the infestation’s area with. There’s really a lot of territory already under the enemy’s control, that’s for sure.

“Alright, I take it you will be able to heal Howard?”

“Of course but we’ll probably have to spend an hour or two to treat it. Tell us if you’ve come to a decision regarding further actions.”

Julie turns and begins walking out after she finishes speaking, Howard following. I cast one last glance at the map before following, trying to memorize all the information but not succeeding in remembering much. I’d need at least a few minutes of memorization to be able to remember anything useful.

Stepping out from the tent I follow Julie and Howard back to their own tent, walking in with them and plopping down on their bed as Howard sits himself on one of the stools. Julie raises an eyebrow at me but doesn’t comment, opting instead to use the other stool next to Howard, placing her hands against his forearm resting on the table and starting the treatment.

Ari had freshened me up somewhat on our last run towards the camp but my hair is still a mess. Seating myself upright I untie the hair tie, shaking out the long white and soft locks before combing my hair with a brush I manifest out of nowhere on impulse, feeling like brushing my hair the traditional way for once.

“Do you have any plans for how to combat this situation?”

I ask, honestly curious how these seasoned protectors of the kingdom are going to respond to my query.

Julie considers it a moment but Howard is the one to speak first.

“We’ll just have to kill everything that keeps coming. Nothing else to do really.”

I raise an eyebrow at that.

“Haven’t you tried, I don’t know. Maybe purifying large swaths of the infestation with light magic or something? That is what you’re using to kill with, isn’t it, Julie?”

“It is. And we have. We tried using alchemic concoctions to halt the spread, using [Light Mages] and [Fire Mages] to purify or burn anything and everything. It didn’t work though. We’d need a hundred times as many participants to keep even a small section of the spread back and it isn’t efficient. We figured that killing as many invaders as possible is a more viable route, hoping that the fungus curse will stop spreading when they do.”

I chuckle at that, dispersing my brush and tying up my hair while giving Julie a look that conveys my doubt. She sighs.

“Yeah, I know. It’s barely even halting their progress. There’s too many of those rhodolite amplifiers and not enough adventurers able to take them down. The only thing actually slowing the spread down is the constant battle with the parasites who try spreading the [Crystalized Fungi Curse] far and wide to speed it up. Howard and I mostly contribute by raising morale if I’m being honest.”

I fix my breasts more comfortably in the croptop, drawing the two sets of eyes as I lay down on the bed sideways. An elbow propping my head up. Julie gets back to her treatment but Howard keeps shooting me glances, intermittently looking me in the eyes and being obvious in his attempts not to stare.

Manifesting my pipe in front of me and summoning the glass jar of the ‘Fuschia Grove’ strain, I use my telekinesis as usual to fill my pipe before lighting it and sending the jar back into storage. It’s one of the other grasses I’d bought in the capital and it tastes of fresh pine and roses. It’s the closest comparison I have at least. It’s good though and excellent when outdoors. This counts as outdoors, doesn’t it?

I glance down at the damp and trampled grass the tent is perched upon as I take a pull. Moving the pipe away with telekinesis before trying my luck with a smoke ring, failing yet again as it breaks apart after barely half a meter of traversal, I look at Howard with a raised eyebrow. He’s staring at my pipe in slight confusion.

“Zelaria, what is that pipe made of? It looked to have come into being like your weapon did but you can’t have a skill for creating a pipe, can you?”

This also draws Julie's attention and I see no point in denying them an answer. It’s not really anything I keep as a secret, seeing no way the information could be used against me.

“It’s a mana construct, just like my weapon.”

Julie gapes at me, seemingly not caring of her unlady-like mannerisms. Time really does change people, huh?

“But how?? It’s not an earth construct, or wood, or metal. It’s not like anything I’ve seen before…”

Julie blabbers before understanding dawns on her and she pauses.

“Arcane.”

I confirm. Feeling like boasting a little more I continue.

“Even my clothes are mana constructs, as you should have realized by now.”

My boots, socks and pants disperse as I rub my legs against each other, enjoying the feeling of the soft bedding and skin against skin, the high from the pipeweed making it so much more pleasant.

Now both of them are looking my half naked form up and down. Ari separates her lips from mine, sending a mental scowl at them that only I can feel. She’s obviously feeling a little protective.

“Don’t worry, darling.”

I jank the bedding out from under me with telekinesis and smoothly place it over my lower half, meeting their gaze as both stop staring, Julie actually blushing as she goes back to healing Howard. He doesn’t say anything but the slight bulk in his pants tells me enough.

“That’s right! She’s all mine.”

Ari makes the equivalent of sticking out her tongue, childish but cute and I can’t help but grab on to it, guiding her mouth back to mine. She seems pleased by my actions though and she sends me strong feelings of love and desire. I wish we’d been alone in a comfortable apartment right now so I could fuck Ari’s brains out. I can’t activate [Mental Space] now though and just have to enjoy her in this more limited fashion.

Finishing the bowl of pipeweed I disperse the pipe over the grass, the ash falling to the ground as I stretch out in the bed on my back, feeling all fuzzy from the drugs, bedding and Ari.

“What are you smiling so contentedly over?”

Lazily looking back at Howard and Julie I shrug at her question.

“I feel great is all.”

“Even after having been barely more than a skeleton just an hour or so ago?”

I sigh.

“Yes?”

My answer is said in a warning tone, indicating that I don’t want to speak about it but Julie keeps badgering me. She doesn’t let up no matter how I answer that I’m not going to tell her, that we all have some secrets and how her sharing the story of her life doesn’t make me owe her anything. She’d shared that information as much for her own sake as mine, after all. I’d get nothing out of giving away too much about my body.

My high has disappeared, leaving me lying in bed just thinking and talking with Ari when Julie finally stands up and proclaims Howard completely restored. I groan in relief, having started to get bored, as I stand up and letting the cover fall off. I don’t give them time to look as I suanter towards the exit, almost immediately manifesting back all my clothes.

“Shall we get back to it then?”

Howard and Julie don't answer but follow me out of the tent all the same, doing their greetings with adventurers and soldiers immediately after stepping through the entrance as we make our way back to the forest. Lanterns are now lit all around the camp, some soldiers patrolling with torches or magical devices casting light of various hues. Night has completely fallen and the world is dark, heavy clouds obscuring the stars and moon.

The only thing visible outside of the light of the army camp are the flashes of skills being used on parasites in the distance, briefly illuminating monsters, humans, elves or dwarves posed in various stances, combat no doubt never stopping even during the night as they work in shifts to keep the monsters at bay.

A sudden tremble goes through the ground and I look around with my sensors, guessing a heavy wagon or the like is moving towards us but seeing nothing. Then an ever greater rumble hits, shaking both people and objects all around. Weapons clattering against armor, drinks spilling from tables and shouts of alarm mixing into the disorder of noise.

It suddenly dies down as quickly as it had started, a bright purple flash accompanying the stillness, its luminosity bright enough to sting the eyes when looking out towards the invader territory. Even if Ari’s simulating the pain from damaged optic nerves I don’t look away, not being at risk of getting blind or anything of the sort. It’s difficult to make out the source of the light but I’m sure its epicenter is at least twenty times further inward than we went before, most likely placed around where Birch had once stood if my estimation is correct.

People continue to panic all around us but I turn to Julie who is also looking at the source of the now fading luminance, posing my question.

“Um. What the actual fuck? That must have come from Birch or somewhere near that area. Any ideas?”

Julie shakes her head and I look at Howard who also responds in the negative. Something was going on, we had suspected as much but we still have no idea what. I feel Julie casting some sort of skill, the same skill she used before pointing us in the direction towards the closest source of rhodolite if I’m guessing correctly. She frowns, puzzlement evident on her face.

“It’s very difficult to pick up on from this distance, being faint enough to be harmless, but the few specs of cursed mana making it this far is quickly disappearing…”

She cuts off before her frown deepens.

“No, that’s not entirely correct either. The miniscule amounts of cursed energy here is being drawn towards the invaders’ conquered territory.”

I try sensing for what she’s seeing but can’t make anything of the sort out. It might be a very specific skill allowing Julie to make note of that small difference. I hadn’t even noticed the ‘miniscule amounts’ of cursed mana before now and can certainly not track their behavior and movements.

We move to the edge of the army camp to not stand in the panicking crowds' way as they scramble for weapons or what not, no doubt fearing the worst. What even is the worst? The birth of some enormous monster perhaps?

It takes no more than 30 seconds of looking out into the night before something eventually does come into view. Far, far away into the forest of mushrooms, at the epicenter of the bright light and most likely source of the earthquake, rises a tangled mass of rhodolite and mycelia, no doubt a hundred meters in width if not more. It keeps going higher and higher, supported on a spiraling mushroom stem at the same width and growing ever wider. Pulsing veins of mycelia curl around the spiraling, white stem, the veins glowing with a soft sickly purple with every beat of an unseen heart.

Other types of mushrooms sprout from the spiraling stem and they look positively tiny in comparison to the mass supporting them. They grow outwards before bending and reorienting their slightly translucent caps to stay horizontal. It’s the same type of mushroom Howard had hit earlier that day and glancing at both Julie and Howard I can see their own growing apprehension.

People keep shouting and running around, some trying to calm the others and restore a semblance of order but not succeeding.

“I’m not sure if we should be running or not, Zel. Whatever that may be, whatever its function is, it's too much for anyone in this kingdom to handle.”

“I’m afraid you’re probably correct.”

I look back towards the spire of fungi rising steadily towards the heavens, the 50 meter tall mushrooms on the ground already looking tiny in comparison. I can’t see the mountain peaks in the distance but I’m sure it’s going to surpass them in height within minutes of growing at this rate. Turning towards Howard and Julie again I hesitate, unsure of how to start. Fuck it. They’ll surely see sense? Right?

“Howard, Julie-

I begin, both of them turning towards me, faces grim.

“-I think it’s time to run.”

There’s no way to sugarcoat it. It’s cowardly, sure, but what am I or anyone else here supposed to do?

“Are you serious?”

Julie looks at me with surprise and unconcealed disgust. Howard also looks disappointed, his eyes seeming to sharpen out of their usually dull expression to convey his disapproval.

“You want to abandon all these people?”

He gestures broadly around us, the people clearly terrified and unsure of what to do.

I almost start pulling my hair out in exasperation. Sure they’re diamond ranks above level 500 but have their fame gone to their heads or something? Taking a deep breath and casting another glance at the ever rising fungus-spire I meet both of their piercing gazes.

“What the fuck are we going to do?”

They both stare at me, not answering. I press on.

“Exactly! Even if we had a hundred diamond ranks ready to storm towards whatever that is, it's not even certain we’ll be able to reach it in time. That’s not even to consider the amount of invaders surely patrolling all over their conquered territory by now. Was that ambush really planned beforehand or just a patrol seeing us and deciding to take out any possible threats? What the fuck are we supposed to do about it?!”

I almost shout the last sentence, both to be heard over the ruckus all around but also out of frustration. How can they act high and mighty without the ability to do anything about it? Howard finally speaks though, sounding even more disappointed as if he was seeing me in a whole new light.

“We wait and plan an attack. No abandoning our countrymen at the slightest sign of resistance. They have me and Julie, not to mention Charles and a few other reclusive powerhouses in the capital that will surely come to our aid now that the situation calls for it. With our leadership and cooperation we’ll be able to stop this just as we stopped the undead invasion 50 years ago.”

I stare in disbelief. Even Julie’s disgusted look lessens slightly as she’s obviously not that confident in their chances to do anything about the current situation, even if all those ‘reclusive’ powerhouses come to our aid. They probably had more sense and have already left.

“Fine! Stay here and try protecting these people risking everything to sate their greed. It won’t matter in the end as we’re all too weak. I’m out of here.”

I turn around to start walking westwards towards the camp, thinking of stocking up on some supplies in the capital before hightailing it out of the kingdom. I don’t make it more than 10 steps before a giant hand grips my shoulder firmly, Howard having stopped me.

“What, Howard?! You can’t think I’ll be able to do anything about this?”

He looks down at me, a frown on his face.

“I don’t know about that. Charles told us to keep you close though and he hasn’t given any new orders.”

I’m too stunned to argue, letting him pull me back to Julie. Are they for real? Why are they going this far for strangers in a kingdom they weren’t even born in? Taking orders from people below their level that aren’t even here fighting with them? Julie is looking around at the crowds, obviously a bit dismayed at the large swaths of people abandoning the posts to run west like I’d planned to do. They can’t stop them all though and Howard’s expression is set as he looks out towards the fungi-spire far, far in the distance.

I stand with them in silence for a few minutes, watching the pillar of doom rise ever higher, its base ever wider. Julie and Howard are trading suggestions next to me but I don’t pay them any more attention, instead thinking hard about all the things I’ve seen so far on my short stay at the frontlines.

Where had this monstrous construct even come from? They must have hauled the rhodolite to Birch or wherever it is located but the rest? It’s obviously an organic structure of mycelia, mushrooms growing out of it seemingly at random all along its length. Is it growing this fast or is it rising from below the earth? Was it already fully grown in the days, weeks or maybe even months before today, only rising when ready?

And those translucent mushroom caps, flickering with cursed power… Howard had gotten a backlash from destroying one of them but isn’t the reason obvious? Most of the power was being forced into the mushroom itself and not the rhodolite. It isn’t strange that breaking it would result in the curse lashing out. Had they perhaps fed more power into the rhodolite before today, switching it up in preparation for the rise of the spire?

But if those hundreds, or maybe even thousands by this point, mushrooms along its length are the same type and filled with the same amount of power… What would that even be used for? A giant cursed explosion? No, that doesn’t seem likely. I can’t think of this being a single use construction…

Another tremble runs through the ground as the fungus-spire abruptly stops growing, or rising. Almost all noise in the whole army camp goes out at once, everyone on edge, waiting for something, anything.

We don’t have to wait long.

Mere seconds later the base of the spire lits up, the veins coiling up its length rapidly filling with power as one layer after another of the translucent mushrooms light up, their own inner glow making them look like purplish glass lanterns in the darkness.

First comes the hushed whispers, then hurried conversations and finally total pandemonium. I stare around at the people running for their lives as more and more of them realize the purpose of the spire now activating. I just look at them with pity, knowing that nothing is going to save most of them. Hell, I don’t even know if I’ll survive.

“Well, good luck to you two and don’t you dare run away. Your misplaced pride in being bitches of weaklings won’t allow it.”

They look at me with wide eyes but I ignore them, Howard actually summoning his helmet as I disassemble my ring blade. Does he think I'm an idiot? Why would I attack him? Julie doesn’t react in any way, merely staring at me.

I use every blade section to start digging a deep hole next to me, quickly spinning them around as I burn through thousands of mana per second, using as much telekinetic force as I’m able without losing control. I rip out rocks in the way using telekinesis and build a tall mound of earth and stone next to the hole. Then I jump into the hole without another word, falling 10 meters before landing, my blades and a little aid of telekinesis scooping the mound of earth and rocks down upon me.

“Ugrh. This feels disgusting.”

“Yes. It’s a good idea though, Zel. No idea if it will work but it’s better than no protection at all.

When I’m completely covered in earth I use the blades to pack it tightly together before dispersing them, not having any use of weapons to battle this threat. I’m probably going to need every drop of mana regeneration I have though and even go as far as to disperse all my clothes.

It feels weird but oddly nostalgic being buried in the earth like this and I’m temporarily distracted by the horrible thought of what it would be like if I got trapped like this, maybe hundreds of kilometers below ground. I wouldn’t die, not needing oxygen but I’d probably go insane over time.

I’m not sure how my mentality was affected by staying in a core for sixty years but that was a short time all things considered. I shouldn’t be too different from back then, I hope. Ari’s convinced that our craving for stimuli isn’t normal but it’s hard to know without sufficient memories of the time before.

It’s funny how things tend to speed through one's mind when the possibility of death is looming ever closer without anything to do about it. I wouldn’t say that my life flashes before my eyes but it’s certainly similar. I think of the adventures I’ve had, the people I’ve met, the monsters I’ve killed and so on and so forth. I mostly think of Ari though.

Her soft and soothing voice, prone to contain a hint of mischief or pleading desire. Her lips, hips, breasts, waist, thighs, all of it. Her raven black hair, lush and soft, smelling pleasantly unique. Her silver eyes that so often burn with hunger and love, peering deeper into me than my soul, our soul. Into my very mind, loving and treasuring what she sees there, both the good and the bad. What did I do to earn someone like her?

“Zel…?”

She sounds a bit concerned about my silence, probably having been so focused on nothing and everything for a while now.

“Nothing to worry about, darling. I was just thinking of how much I love you.”

“Aww, Zel. I lov-

The world goes purple, black, purplish black?

My mind disconnects from reality.