Nathan stood next to Ko’Nu still slightly shaken by his close encounter with a slime. “Are you okay Nathan?”

Nathan looked back at the pile of slime goo that Kira just killed. “Kinda. I didn't think those things would pounce like that. It reminded me of a wolf that attacked me is all.”

“It attacks like a wolf you say? Or did the wolf attack like a slime.” Ko’Nu paused to hurl another flame at a slime. “That makes five! This one does enjoy this game Parker always suggests. Anyways, what made it seem like the two attacked identically?”

“It leapt at me. It wasn’t the same honestly, it just felt like it. A bad memory associated with a friend getting hurt is all. I’m not a fighter, I’m a healer. If I can avoid fighting at all, I rather do it. But I know fighting helps increase my Experience.”

“You partake on the path of Pacifism? Interesting for one who is an Adventurer to take.” Ko’Nu commented. His gaze keeping an eye out for a slime he can attack while not hitting anyone else.

“Kinda? I understand the need to kill things, especially here. Survival of the fittest, but it’s more a personal dilemma.”

“So you are scared to harm another, due to the fact you also could be harmed. Fear is what holds you back” Ko’Nu commented.

Nathan watched Parker take three arrows and hit three different slimes at the same time. “Seven!”

“That counts as one you blue blooded freak!” Kira shouted, seemingly more covered in slime than anyone else. “That’s five and I just got six, you better catch up!”

“Maybe?” Nathan continued the conversation, not paying attention to the fighting. A week ago I helped fight something called an Alpha Wolf Pack. It was my first time killing anything for the purpose of killing. It felt...I don’t know how to describe it. But I would rather not do it again.”

“Hmm this one knows not the feeling you are talking about. Yet it is simple to imagine it could be linked to fear. In the homeland of Drake-Men, every youngling must learn to hunt after four years. If one was to fail , they are either killed for being weak, or exiled until one comes back with honor. Each family or clan does things differently.”

Nathan seemed shocked at what Ko’Nu was suggesting. Yet, he noticed how killing these slimes was apparently easy for him. Almost like an adult playing a game with a child. Too easy to put full focus on.

Nathan noticed everyone else was more or less the same. Only Brawn seemed to put the most effort into his attacks, doing everything with perfection.

“That’s...wow. My home has hunters, and sometimes kids go out and hunt with their family. However, we have humane ways to kill animals and grow them to eat. Wild animals are a rare commodity.”

“Then your people have grown soft, an example yourself has made. Perhaps Adventurering isn’t the best thing for you to follow.” Ko’Nu’s eyes flickers to a small pile of slimes that Brawn tossed to the side with his large sword. Ko’Nu’s face took on that of a predator on a hunt.

He cupped his hands together and started to chant. When it was finished a green flame the size of a human’s skull was created. He chucked it like a baseball and the ball grew three times in size before it made contact with the slimes.

The resounding booming sound caused everyone to look at Ko’Nu. “Twelve”

Brawn shook his head and called out to Nathan. “Got enough Mana for some healing?”

Nathan shot two Invigoration Ray’s at full power at Brawn who gave a thumbs up showing he was good. A glance at his Mana showed Nathan was well passed the halfway.

“Hey I am below half on Mana.” Three sets of nods or ‘okay’ was the only response Nathan had that everyone heard him.

“Ko’Nu, I would agree that I am weak in combat yes, but I didn’t grow up needing to fight. Others volunteered themselves to join armies to do that. I am just a man who wants to help people.”

“And plenty of others do that without fighting. Without becoming an Adventurer as well. So maybe you should find out why you did so. If it’s for coin, I understand, but apparently that isn’t enough motivation for you to fight properly.”

“I don’t have to fight, I can just stick to the back and heal.” Nathan replied. Getting a little annoyed that more people think he should fight.

“Of course, but this one thinks there is another reason you do this. You have yet to either fully accept it, or realized its entirety.”

“Well, when did you become my therapist.?” Nathan asked with a hint of sarcasm.

“This one is no such thing, just a powerful Pyromancer.”

Kira laid on the ground breathing heavily. “Sixty Two. Fucking Sixty Two slimes. I am going to kill every person who was too lazy to complete this quest the past week. Making me do more work than needed.”

Parker was the only one who seemed just as tired. Brawn had several red patches of skin and a hair missing from his body, but didn’t seem tired.

Ko’Nu looked normal, and Nathan was perfectly fine as well, his mana on the other hand was well below the safe point. A single rouge slime almost got him, if not for the fire elemental Ko’Nu had, he would be worse for health as well.

“Good work team. Rest. Ko’Nu, get started on collecting the slime. Show Nathan how to do it safely and get him to help.”

“Wait!” Kira shouted sitting up. “Nathan, can you please [Cleanse] me? I need it so badly. There is slime everywhere!”

Nathan glanced at Brawn who nodded. “Sure” Nathan placed a hand on the cleanest part of her body and casted the spell. Everything fell to the ground around her and her eyes glowed with joy.

“Nathan, if you leave this party, I will make you regret it. Such a useful spell, and it’s all mine!” She stopped when she realized what she said. Trying to hide her guilt with laughter. “I mean...ours?”

Nathan shook his head with a smirk knowing how she felt. He followed Ko’Nu to the piles of slime. He showed Nathan how to dip the glass bottles and scoop slime without getting too much on his hands. Soon the group had two dozen bottles full. They would have more, but didn’t have any more bottles to spare.

“We are going to get a nice bonus from all the extra effort.” Brawn said looking at how many bottles were collected. “We rest for three hours then head back.”

Once Nathan laid down, he noticed a blinking light. He almost forgot what it meant and was happy to see it.

Combat Summary

Slimes Killed: 0

Participation - 12%

Experience Gained: 372

Level Up!

He ignored the skill increases for now, and decided to play around with everything later. Nobody else seemed to be looking at a menu or anything, so he decided to not gloat.

“So, when can we expect to work with Thu?” Nathan asked.

“Whatever our next mission will be. Thu’s Guild business should be done by then.” Brawn replied. He was currently cleaning his giant sword.

“Oh, okay. What do we do till then?”

“Whatever you want. You will have a week-long break. Use that time to train yourself, shop, take a mental break, and to reflect on how to improve yourself based on the mistakes you made today.”

“Well that last one is easy. Just don’t get into fights with slime, and I should be okay.” Nathan laughed at his own expense, but everyone else looked at him awkwardly.

“Great, our Healer doesn't know where he messed up.” Parker said, looking annoyed.

“Nathan, let me ask you something.” Brawn stopped cleaning off his sword while talking “Was there anything you could have done to help make killing all the slimes more efficient. Other than your blunder with the slime Kira saved you from.

“All I was there for is to heal you when you ask. I made idle chatter with Ko’Nu, but unless you count maybe distracting him, he didn’t seem distracted at all.

Brawn shook his head. “Yes and no on that last one. Why do you think Ko’Nu wasn’t distracted?”

“Because he was still searching for slimes to blow up. Or the fact he never seemed to focus on me physically. He rarely looked at me to answer.”

“Exactly, why do you think that?”

Nathan thought about it, then felt embarrassed. “Because that’s why we were here. To kill slimes?”

“Think a little more than that. What did everyone here do, that you didn’t?” Kira asked. “Take Ko’Nu for example, what was he doing? Not just killing slimes or talking to you, think about how he fought. Every action and it’s result.”

Nathan took a breath and actually thought about it. “He was blowing up slimes for the most part.”

Parker signed in annoyance, but Kira rotated her hand to encourage Nathan to keep going. “Right, but which ones?”

“It was all the ones in groups, he rarely targeted one alone. That was mostly Parker.”

Ko’Nu had a sly grin on his face, doing his best not to give any clues. Brawn meanwhile listening closely. Kira nodded slowly. “Okay, but why do you think that? What about the fight made it so he only attacked those slimes?”

A small itch in Nathan’s mind gave him the answer. “The explosions affected an area. So if he did it near you or Brawn then you would have gotten hurt.”

Kira smiled. “Exactly. Now, you probably didn’t see this, but what was I doing? Outside of saving your magical ass.”

Nathan knew the answer to this. “You just poked them once or twice, and ran to Brawn so he could kill them.”

“Yes, but I was enchanting them as well. Slimes are mindless creatures. Dumber than a rock in some cases, so my spells work flawlessly on them. I was doing something called ‘baiting’ or ‘pulling’. The proper term doesn't matter right now.” Kira waved a hand at her own rambling.

Brawn chose that moment to speak up. “What does matter is everyone in this party has a role to fill. You have a role as well Nathan. That is to heal. Today was easy, granted more slimes than I expected. It was because of our teamwork.” Brawn gestured at everyone in the party. “You need to work on increasing that teamwork as well.”

Nathan nodded understanding. “You all have attack patterns you already know and agree upon for certain combat. Am I understanding that right?”

Brawn waved his hand side to side. “Kinda. We have been fighting together for not even a year. Most of us were solo or bounced between parties. Over time we learned our limitations and where we excel. Thu is the only exception to that as their ability to adapt is powerful.”

“Okay, I think I understand.” Nathan said thinking over some more. The flashing light in his lower vision flashed brightly for a moment, but he didn’t take the time to look at it right now.

“Good, let us head back everyone.” Brawn said standing up. “I want everyone to check their participation percent and report it back to me. I will have your payment by tomorrow evening at the latest.”

Nathan cleared his throat. “Um, what if I already know mine?”

Parker gasped. “No, I refuse to believe you can already will your menu open.”

Brawn looked at Nathan with doubt on his face. “How do you already know Nathan? It's not nice to lie about such a technique.”

“Yea, someone taught me how to do it. It was hard to understand, but I did it my first try actually. She was really impressed.” Nathan thought about visiting El and talking to her for advice on his mistakes.

“Nathan, that’s a skill people in the Gold Ranks learn, or people above Level thirty. Who was your teacher?” Brawn asked.

Nathan realized he made a mistake. “Uh, someone from where I come from, nobody you know. I don’t think she was above Level thirty though. Unless she lied about her level, in which case I have no clue.”

Brawn and Parker shared a look. “Nathan, can you do anything else? Outside your normal skills and abilities.”

Nathan shook his head. “I have medical knowledge that wasn’t given to me by a kill, just through practice and hardships. Does that count?”

“No, but good to know. It isn’t exactly wrong to know how to open your menu, but whoever taught you took a risk. If you messed up, you wouldn’t be able to view your Menu properly, and would take even longer on how to reshape your essence to a proper shape to be viewed correctly.”

Nathan was a bit surprised El took such a risk with him. “Thanks, if I meet her again, I will ask about it.”

“So, what was your participation? When we get back to the Guild, I can go ahead and give you the money when I pick up the payments.”

“Ah, I was 12%.” Nathan said.

Brawn scratched at his face. “I see, you will need to do better next time. I always wondered how a support role’s percent would look when they killed nothing. For only healing, 12% is more than I expect honestly.”

“Wait” Kira asked. “Did you look at that before or after cleaning me off with your spell?”

“After” Nathan said, curious as to what she meant.

Kira snapped her fingers. “That’s why. He prevented a lot of damage to my fur and clothes as well to himself. If he cleaned you off as well Brawn I imagine it would be more. Preventive damage counts if I remember.”

Brawn looked impressed at Kira. “I didn’t know that, more to ask Thu and my father.”

“Why would Thu know about that?” Nathan asked.

“Because Thu is a Jack. And his or her position in the Librarian Guild has access to important information. Sometimes we are told a few bits on how things work with the Menu System. Like the participation percentage for fights and other tasks.” Brawn answered.