So many things happened, so many things there were happening, that not even the joy of leveling up was absent. He moved in a daze, following Kara’s meticulous instructions.

Now that the enemy was outnumbered 6 to 4 and flanked, it was only a matter of time they fell or escaped. Kara didn’t bother chasing them.

Let’s hurry up. The boss is waking up, she prompted as Nilbog moved forward. It was an enormous Ent, rising higher than any tree in the forest. It was higher than Dlar’s walls and larger than anything he’d seen before. It was as if someone took over thirty Ents and just mashed them together. A hundred meters? A hundred fifty? It was so large that Nilbog couldn’t even judge.

“How the hell are we going to take down that thing? It’s like a mountain,” Nilbog said, shaking his head.

“Through teamwork and the power of friendship,” someone behind him said.

Nilbog turned to the side, staring at the tiny man. He was the first black-skinned human Nilbog had seen. The head of a green turtle was itched on top of his bald head with its hands extending up to his cheeks. He had no facial hair.

This is called sarcasm, Kara whispered.

Oh really? Thanks, I didn’t notice.

“Good work,” the man said. “I am Caldain.”

“I am Nilbog, and this makes us even for the favor you have done me,” Kara said, using his mouth. Hearing himself talk without him felt viciously uncomfortable.

Caldain stared at him intently for a few seconds before nodding. “Very well. Let’s leave, everyone. Most of our STM and Life Force should recover by the time we join the party,” he said, taking everyone with him after a roll-call.

He didn’t ask how I recovered?

He is a man of a certain authenticity. This makes him predictable but trustworthy.

The storm field was nearing dangerously close. Nilbog could feel the coldness radiating from its edges. Lightning spewed within its core erratically, some even escaping the boundary line and striking ahead, turning the ground into a crisp.

You better get their Souls quickly, Kara said. For now, we need to use your stat points. Add 6 to Constitution and 12 to Soul.

Nilbog had a thousand things he wanted to ask. How can she use both Life Force and Mana? How did she move that sword like that? How did she move like that? So many questions that he did not even know where to begin.

We did this to give us something to play with for the boss fight. We won’t need Strength since we’re mainly using mana and Life Force to deal damage. Do you understand why we're doing this?

He didn't, but he did as he was told to move things along. Hopefully, there would be time to get everything out.

Nilbog took a breather and checked his character screen.

For once, it was different than how it first looked since he was officially born.

General

Base Stats & Total Stat

Level

26

Strength

8 (8)

Species

Human (Shape-Shifting)

Agility

17 (17)

Class

Sentient Killer

Endurance

14 (14)

Profession

Life Dancer

Constitution

20 (20)

Age

1

Soul

23 (23)

HP

194/200 (+20.2/Hour)

Life Force

174/230 (+2.3/Minute)

STM

128/140 (+1.4/Second)

Mana

175/230 (+2.3/Minute)

Overall STM

252/700 (+336/Day)

Danger Rank

Wolf

He expected his body to become dense with the Constitution upgrade, or for his Soul to suddenly feel stronger, but nothing really happened. All he felt was a little bit better.

You seem surprised, Kara said.

"I thought I would...feel better. Stronger. But I still feel like shit." Nilbog said. What was he expecting anyway?

The Game removes desynchronization caused by changing stats.

Nilbog nodded slowly. That probably translated to "The Game takes care of it."

All other parties had already made their way ahead, making Nilbog one of the last ones to stick around. Fortunately, this made taking their Souls easier. Three had died, while the two others escaped. The warm and squishy texture of the white blobs he yanked out made him shiver, but he held it down.

Kara was watching him. She had existed his body, obviously not desiring to taste what Nilbog taste.

If only she knew. How could something so horrible taste so perfect?

Souls: 0/5 > 3/5

Nilbog began joging towards the Ent, pushing back on his conflicted emotions. He changed his attention towards the Ent.

The parties that fought ahead barely managed to stay on their feet, and Nilbog was sure he saw a couple of bodies soaring through the air, walloped like a ball with all their limbs pointing in the wrong direction.

The boss used its branches like whips, and some of them were the size of the colossal trees Nilbog had passed. There didn’t seem to be a blind spot; just like a tree, it had branches on all sides. Most moved independently of each other, though some, Nilbog noticed, were inactive.

They simply stopped moving for a period. Or was it that the Ent could only focus on a limited number of branches to move? Did that mean everyone had to rush it?

Even so, what then? As Nilbog neared, he could see a pile of bodies littered at the base of the Ent. There was little space to dodge there.

“Fire?” Nilbog asked.

No, Kara replied. Too large with an enormous amount of Life Force. It’s a weakness, yes, but it's too simple. Look deeper.

“You talk as if you--” Of course she already figured it out. “Give me a hint?” He asked, though he kept his hopes down. She didn’t seem to be the person to just give an answer.

I already did.

Fuck, Nilbog said, giving up. If she knew then there was no reason for him to wrestle for the solution. She'll tell him eventually.

Don’t give up. I won’t always be there to think for you.

I wasn’t going to give up! Nilbog was about to ask her for another hint, but a part of him feared her answer. She probably would not be satisfied until we’re in the...center of the danger. Deep into it.

A nervous smile crept on Nilbog’s face. Cold sweat began to drizzle down his spine as his blood went cold.

Ew. Can you stop that? Was Kara’s only response to the overwhelming apprehension budding within him.