I duck aside just before it's claws would have hit me and as it is landing I swing Blitz hard at its neck. Unfortunately, it is moving fast enough that I only get a shallow cut before it moves out of range. I can see its movements but I still didn't time my swing well enough.

As it moves away from me I turn to face the other two, one at my back is better than two. They are almost on top of me by the time I turn around, one leaps while the other stays low. Just my luck they are working together and using tactics.

I jump up and back so the one passes under me and I meet the other mid air. I mistime my swing again and only cut it shallowly across the chest. But the hit is enough to redirect it so it passes by me instead of hitting me. I land and quickly look for the third one which should have circled around for another attack by now.

It is in the air when I spot it so with no other option I drop and roll under it before jumping back to my feet. I am glad I made this new armor, I wouldn't be able to dodge as easily in my old armor. I dodge the next couple of attacks, not trying to hit them, just getting their timing down.

*DING*

Congratulations! Skill Dodge has progressed to level 4!

Dodge

Level 4

Defense +4

Your nimbleness allows you to evade attacks.

The next time one leaps at me I change tactics, I dive under it and roll to my feet and charge at the one behind it. I manage to surprise it and with a hard swing of Blitz I cut its head off. Even as I swing I can feel the last one closing in behind me so I throw myself sideways as soon as I complete my swing.

As I roll away I feel the claws pass inches from my side, and as I regain my feet I see the last one charging at me. I am already moving towards it so as it jumps I baseball slide under it while holding Blitz straight up. It guts itself on Blitz as it passes over me, and as I stop and start to stand I spot the last one out of the corner of my eye.

With no time to bring up Blitz I lean away from it and side-kick it in the chest. The kick stops its momentum and the rebound propels me away from it. I let myself fall into a roll and come back to my feet facing it with Blitz up in front of me.

Surprisingly it hasn't come after me, it is still standing where it was, but it is bent over and panting like it is having trouble breathing. Not wanting to miss this chance I leap at it, I bring Blitz down as I land and slice through its head. As it drops I look around then walk over and finish off the gutted one.

As quiet returns to the cavern I check myself over and am surprised to find no wounds. I managed to dodge every attack, considering how fast those things are I am fairly impressed. Especially with how much the first one I killed managed to hurt me, maybe this demon thing isn't all bad after all.

I quickly set to butchering the three bodies, with how delicious they are I don't plan to leave any meat behind. Once all the meat is stored in my bag I take a look at the three beast cores.

*ITEM*

Beast Core

Quality: Average

'Wait? No option to absorb it?'

Does that mean I can only absorb demon cores now? If that is the case it just became a lot harder to get stronger. I put the cores in my bag, I have four now but I will probably give two to Ruby if she can still absorb them.

"Hey Drog, did those things give you anything?"

Drog says "They didn't have souls but I did eat some energy from them."

"If I need you in a fight is there any way you can manifest faster?"

Drog says "The more time I spend manifested the easier it gets."

"Well, then get out here!"

While I wait for Drog to manifest I keep an eye out just in case there are any more of the bird things. I want to just continue down river but I will probably never come back in here once I am out so it's better to explore now.

"Ruby, do you want to come out and explore with us?"

Ruby comes out of the amulet and takes human form, she looks around and when she spots what is left of the bird things she turns and looks me over.

Ruby says "You fought without us?"

"Yeah, I didn't really have time to summon you."

Ruby says "Were you hurt?"

"Nope, not a scratch."

Ruby says "Okay, good. So where are we?"

"We are a couple of miles downriver from where our camp was."

Ruby says "More exploring then? I thought you were in a rush to get outside?"

"I am, but I don't want to have to come back later to explore."

Ruby says "I guess that makes sense."

"In fact once I am out of here I don't think I will ever want to go into another cave."

Ruby says "Yeah, I am fairly sick of caves myself."

Drog says "I don't mind them."

"Yeah, but I bet you won't go near any ice."

Ruby laughs as Drog shudders and gives me a pained look. With the two of them to watch my back I walk over to start examining the ruins. There isn't much left but it looks like at one point there were three or four buildings in this cave.

The first interesting thing I come across is carved into the floor of the middle building. It is only a single word but it is not in the language of the ancient empire. I pull out the diary and start flipping through the pages.

As soon as I think that I want a blank page the book automatically opens to a new page and a pen appears in the binding. That is really convenient, I can tell the archmage thought things through when he made it.

I pick up the pen and carefully copy the carving, I can't decipher the word but if I can find enough examples maybe I can start to figure it out. As I am working in the buildings Ruby is searching the rest of the cave, Drog is nowhere to be seen. In the second building I find more writing carved into the stone, this time it looks like a sentence, so I copy it into the diary.

"Ruby, keep an eye out for writing carved into the stone, also look for any unusual stones."

Ruby says "Okay, but they all just look like rocks to me."

Drog says "I found the nest of those things, can you make something tasty from eggs?"

Hearing a pained yelp I look up to see Drog standing in the nearest tunnel mouth. Another bird thing is leaning down over him with its mouth on Drog's neck. As I draw Blitz and run towards them the bird thing lifts Drog by the neck and shakes him around like a ragdoll.