Level 8++

(Nature Essence)

Health 52%

The large torn-off section trembled and took form, a wobbling mass easily half the size of Greg’s body.

Level 8+

(Essence Slime)

Health 100%

The large slime immediately entered a spitting match with Slayer v2—one which Peter’s new minion promptly lost. There’d been no time between taming him and this fight beginning for him to recover to full health, so it was more impressive he’d even survived this long.

Out of the corner of his eye, Levi saw Peter reflexively take a half step forward, then check himself and consciously refrain from jumping to his minion's aid, returning to holding his side of the triangle against the inundation of Essence creatures.

Good man.

The three of them stood amid a field of pure chaos. The plant-covered floor was barely visible beneath the ongoing wave of Essence creatures rushing to the fight—green-glowing spiky rabbits and foxes with multiple tails of whipping vines predominant, but plenty of projectiles flew from spitting slimes of varying sizes throughout the room.

Their minions continued to diminish the Essence, but not fast enough. The Essence enclosed Bolt's head, horns, and front paws, rendering his most desperate thrashing sluggish and useless, but his back legs remained free. The kalvex kicked and clawed at the gelatinous substance, hurling tiny pieces in all directions in his desperate efforts to tear himself free.

Having finished off Slayer, the giant slime began firing at the defenders indiscriminately, adding yet more chaos to the room.

Their collective health and other system resources were dangerously low. With Bolt incapacitated, the fight had begun looking significantly less hopeful.

Centi had well under half his health, and Skarm had barely a third of his. Tu still held on at 56%, making him the least injured of anyone.

Tink was down, Levi wasn't even sure when. Firelord hadn't even lasted to the halfway point.

Centi ran up the wall and dropped from the ceiling overtop of where Bolt struggled with the Essence, his many bladed legs flashing in a blur as he sliced and sliced.

Diego, who until now had been racing around the outer circumference of the Essence’s ring to clear any of the smaller creatures there, ran to join the rescue effort.

The Essence trembled as dozens more vine foxes took shape from its divided substance. Between Centi’s barrage and Bolt’s initial attack, its thickness had finally begun to noticeably thin. No longer was it a solid doughnut, but an uneven ring with bigger globs and connecting strands narrow enough to be jumped over.

Centi’s speed at decimating the Essence’s substance, and neglecting the management of the smaller Essence creatures, left the rapidly increasing population of foxes, hares, and slimes to grow out of control.

Lash, no longer able to keep up with the crowd and health already low, flailed through the creatures around the edges of the room, spending his last moments taking out as many of the slimes as possible.

Iris, being the more sensible of the Soul-Seeker duo, took advantage of her fellow giant-eye’s very large distraction to fly down to Irene for healing. Minions had been cycling in and out, mitigating the loss of health somewhat, but that wasn't going to last forever.

Leaving only an arm-thin thread to maintain the far end of its loop, the Essence bunched up more and more of its substance over Bolt’s thrashing body, unwilling to give up what it captured. The kalvex's health continued to drop despite his struggling; struggles that slowed as the remainder of his body was fully enclosed within the Essence.

Centi was forced to retreat from his attempts to save Bolt lest he too be enveloped by the rapidly upswelling bubble of Essence. Though he’d done substantial damage, it wasn’t nearly enough.

Level 8++

(Nature Essence)

Health 43%

Furiously, the giant centipede whirled on the large Essence Slime, tearing into it with unmatched ferocity as though to punish it for its progenitor's sins.

The slime didn’t last long. It may have been a level 8+, but Centi was no longer an ordinary Stone Centipede. His plating was stronger, his blades sharper, and he put his abilities to good use. There followed a brief, violent clash, after which Centi emerged with several more poisoned-looking holes scattered across his plating, missing another quarter of his health, but triumphant.

They were down to under half their minions by now. Crackle—except the copies out with other teams— and Crimson had fallen at some point in the chaos. Bolt still hung on, occupying the Essence’s attention and giving the others some breathing room, though he himself was unable to do any damage from within the viscous Essence.

Seeing how strongly it was able to hold Bolt despite the kalvex being over twice its level made the danger all too clear.

If not for the Essence’s inability to fully condense itself into the center of its shape, Levi was sure they’d all be dead by now. That tiny eye in the storm provided a safe haven—temporary and constantly moving though it may be—and the Essence’s restricted movements due to its shape allowed them to survive.

Level 8++

(Nature Essence)

Health 39%

The bulging loop shifted directions and slammed right into Diego, continuing its pattern of targeting the strongest minions.

Levi had his work cut out dealing with the Essence creatures as they formed and had no way to come to his minion’s rescue. The room had grown crowded, hardly room for a single footstep without encountering some monster.

He wanted to take advantage of the Essence’s temporary vulnerability, slice that thinner back section up into chunks before it could move back toward him, but there were too many of its creatures in between.

He couldn’t simply run over to it and start slashing. He stood in a tight triangle with Irene and Peter. They shifted along with the safe zone within the Essence's ring, fighting off anything that came close but largely staying on the defencive. His minions were the ones doing the bulk of the damage, and he couldn't do much to change that dynamic without risking more injuries to his family.

Bladefin zipped about, doing his best to mitigate that. Having several copies back in play, the swarm was able to take out the smaller slimes and essence hares en-masse, though he was losing health rapidly.

Considering the recovered fish’s effectiveness, Levi may have to reconsider his priorities for the future. He'd usually save consumables for emergencies, or for healing between battles, but it was starting to look like giving them out to minions might be a far more effective use then holding them for later.

Even those who hadn't been captured by the Essence had their health dropping in regular fits. Though they jumped aside and over, moving around the room to avoid the shifts of the donut-shaped Essence goo as it twisted and slapped its loop-shaped body at anyone within reach, they were going to have to change something if they were to triumph. Attrition wouldn’t play out in their favor, even with the addition of Irene and her consumables.

Irene poured a health restorative carefully over Skarm’s body, the gremlin scrubbing the liquid across his chest and arms as though in a shower, tail twitching happily. It was a rather ridiculous image, an island of brief calm among the hopping and flapping and glowing green missiles shooting in all directions around him.

The rest of the room was not so peaceful. Having finished with Diego, the Essence twisted itself around and, with one of its flattening slashes, snagged Irene around the ankles.

"Levi!" Her frantic scream drew his attention.

The Essence began condensing itself again, drawing her in further as its donut shape expanded on her side.

Every other thought went out of Levi's head.

With an inarticulate roar, he threw himself into the Essence blade first.