The Chair Grows

The swamp cooled as the suns set below the horizon. More beasts attacked while the rainstorm lessened from a heavy downpour to a moderate shower. The party wanted to move as far as possible before ‘creating some lodging for the night’, in their words. I wasn’t sure how they planned on doing that, but it sounded like Ai had a few more cards up her sleeves.

My current focus was on Aster. Her form slipped as her exhaustion grew. Her needles missed their mark; her stance broke; even her expressionless mask showed a bit of frustration. Compared to her C-rank status, she seemed more like a child playing adventurer.

Another beast snuck past her needle, gouging out part of her side. She killed the beast immediately after, but her movements slowed once again. Her body was riddled with holes, claws, and bite marks. The rags she wore were torn to shreds. She managed to protect her heart and head so far, but it wouldn’t be long before those were hit too. I could tell she was trying to regenerate her body, but her wounds piled up too quickly. She resorted to chugging down healing potions, like Rufus, to make up for the deficit. Her body had even morphed back to her androgynous form, likely to consume less energy.

From what I’d observed, this party’s techniques were too self-destructive for their own good. However, they were getting better every minute. Rufus and Aster’s coordination had improved substantially over the last six hours. Ai, meanwhile, was moving us towards the Dragon’s Sigh with the same consistent speed. Emma was also chipping in, blocking the attacks of incoming beasts with her rain cover. She usually fell backwards onto the vines, but she got up again, ready to intercept the next one. She was beginning to coordinate with Rufus and Aster as well, which reduced the amount of beasts that slipped past. Rufus’s fire crystals were also growing in strength due to the increasing mana density.

We soon ran into another meadow no different from the previous one. There were plenty of others littered around the forest, which made them great rest stops for adventurers. However, what set this one apart was the view. Just beyond them, I could see a large mound poking above the tree line. It was the perfect height, short enough that you couldn’t see it from a distance, but tall enough that once closer, you could see its massive size. That was our destination, the Dragon’s Sigh, only a half-day away, assuming they survived.

“Ai! Now!” Rufus yelled, limply punching another few beasts away. His strength was feeble after releasing so many full swings. I would describe his depleted state more, but I was more interested in the amount of mana Ai was trying to control.

Ai had gathered all the mana in her body, swirling it around until it became a super dense ball. She looked sick to her stomach; her eyes glazed over. If her concentration broke, the mana would expel from her body and cause a catastrophe, similar to a crystal when broken. At that point, I would need to step in to contain the outbreak. However, through sheer willpower alone, she was able to keep the mana in check.

Ai released the mana within her body above her hands. The density of the mana caused the surrounding atmosphere to crackle. Aster’s face grew pale, likely observing the ball through mana sense. The surrounding beasts turned around and ran. If the beasts were to attack, they would surely be obliterated in the aftermath. The falling rain curved around, avoiding the ball of mana altogether. Ai muttered a single word as she slammed her hand onto the vines below.

“[Grow].”