CHAPTER 8

More footsteps. Louder. More people. Is there an army walking in here? Wait a minute…

I see someone! One person with a black robe. I can’t see their face. Whoever this is, they haven’t noticed me yet. Both of my subclasses are on. Even if I hide, they’ll find me if they are as many as I think. There’s no use hiding myself.

“Who’s there?!”

Bring it!

The spotter is coming to me! More black robed figure comes out of the forest. All of them are carrying knives. Good! I can try how good my steam is!

I breathe steam out of my mouth. Everyone inside it coughs. That doesn’t deter those outside it. I try to create steam out of my hands. Good! It can be used even if my hands are covered with my metals!

I run into one of the steam. Ok, this is unexpected! I also can’t see in the steam! This subclass doesn’t allow me to see inside it! Why?!

I get out of the steam. Since it’s useless, I still have my hands!

The black robed people are weak. That’s good for me. However, there are many of them. Some of them are also running out of my steam. I need a way to separate them. I wish that the steam can block them! At least that way I can narrow their pathways!

Wait what?! One of the black robed figure got hurt for trying to move through my steam! My steam can be a wall if I intend it to! I can make them as a wall or smoke! That’s how it’s multi-purpose!

I fire steams from my exhausts to create a wall behind me. That way, I don’t have to worry about someone backstabbing me. With my hands, I create a wall of steam on my left and right. The only way to get to me is from the front!

This is way too easy! They are also minions to someone. One punch is enough to beat them. The amount of bodies is piling up. It is getting too high that no one can enter it anymore. Can I turn a steam wall into a normal steam?

I can!

The black robed figure can move through the steam on my right. This is good for me but I still can’t see clearly. Can I just remove the steam with one thought?

Yes! The steam is gone just like that! They keep coming and I keep punching.

Wait. Can I make steam out of my feet?

Of course I can! Next test. I jump while intending the steam under me to be hard.

It works! I can stand on top of it! Next. I create more step from my feet while intending to create a construct.

It works! The new steam can stack on top of the old steam as long as they’re both solid! I can make a pillar out of steam! I’m so high that I can see all of the black robed figures!

Next test! I jump forward while creating solid steam under my legs.

Oh no! The steam can’t be floating platform! The solid steam under me crashes a few of my enemies into paste. Okay. I won’t try that again.

In fiction, robed figures are usually wizards or cultists. Since they don’t cast any spell, then they must be a cult. They must be looking for victims to sacrifice in a dark ritual. If I let them live, they might try to turn me into a sacrifice. That is, assuming that they can. If they can’t, then they might summon something that’ll destroy me. That’s bad. I should stop that. If I let them run, they’ll lead me to their lair. That sounds like a plan!

I keep beating them up. They keep coming to me. Aren’t they afraid?!

Apparently not. Their status as cultist might come with some sort of spell that destroyed their self-preservation. If that’s how they are, then I have to end them all. They are the one that instigated this attack first.

All of my attackers are dead. Good. They should’ve at least be more strategic when trying to attack someone. Stupid cult.

I know that I won’t get any answer, but let’s give it a try. At least I’ll have plausible deniability to myself later. Floating words, tell me everything about my attackers.

DETAIL CHECK
Check failed.

How about where they could be coming from?

DETAIL CHECK
Check failed.

I tried.

My only hint right now is where they came from. I have two subclasses. If the rest are as weak as this, I can handle them just fine.

DETAIL CHECK
Initializing boss fight.

WHAT?!