Chapter 356 - It's just that easy (Patreon)

As soon as they arrived at the house where the Sleep Sprite was supposed to be, they noticed the mist coming from the bedroom downstairs. Tiger and Leo were outside since climbing inside those houses was an issue for the now giant frog. It was clear that the size of the pet would be something Leo had to consider in the future. Problems like that never happened during his time with the coalition. All the dungeons and training drills he was a part of happened in wide-open areas since his battalion wasn't one specialized in urban combat or infiltration missions. Being in a tamer group they would only work in advantageous terrain. Not to say that there wasn't any training against what they were weak too, but to start off, the coalition wanted to improve their strengths and get them all familiar with the strategy involved with fighting alongside a pet. Hera and others were the ones inside the house. They carefully went down the spiral staircase not to scare the sprite and found the spirit lying in the wooden bed. It seemed wounded with some of the blue light leaking from its leg.

"Hey there, little guy… girl… spirit thing," Blue smiled and waved to the creature, trying to be friendly.

The spirit jerked back when it noticed the group, but it didn't seem afraid. It was more a spook for seeing something unexpected and not a fear of humans. Seeing that, Hera walked over and tried to use her healing to help the sprite. However, just as her spell started, the creature slapped her hand away. A vision of pain flashed on Hera's mind. It didn't actually hurt her, but it was how the Sleep Sprite was communicating.

"No healing. Got it," Hera nodded.

"Yeah, that wasn't the best idea. Elemental spirits get hurt when they are around mana from a different element, don't they?" Alex asked.

"Right, I forgot about that. I just saw it was injured."

"Can you move?" Blue looked around before getting close to the spirit. The room had a layer of thick mist on the floor that seemed to be coming out of the sprite. In response, the sprite shook its head and gestured to its leg, then it showed its back. The wings it had were torn to pieces. It was almost like looking at a kite that was attacked by a dog.

"Can we carry you then?" Alex asked.

"Are you sure? What if there are more of those things around?" Blue asked.

"We can let them ride Tiger. I'm sure Leo would rather have us fighting than carrying them," Alex suggested.

"Would that be OK? Do you want to ride a giant rain frog?" Hera turned to the sprite, who nodded in response.

Blue picked the creature up and carried it outside. The sprite kept looking around, searching for the invaders. It seemed very scared, and given its current state, it was understandable. After seeing how injured the spirit was, Leo agreed to let it ride Tiger. As much as he believed in his pet, he understood that a human companion was much more capable than the frog. With everyone gathered, they started to think about where they should go. Since there was no notification about completing the quest, just finding the sprite wasn't enough to finish the dungeon. In response to their inquiry, the Sleep Sprite pointed at them and sent another set of visions. This time, it was a path through the forest heading to their home. Their destination was a large tree with several thick branches that housed the spirits. However, that wasn't all. Among the visions, there was also a creature much like the dream invaders, only several times bigger. It lumbered through the forest, ripping trees from the ground while searching for the home of the sprites.

There was a long pause where the group just stared at each other, "We don't have to fight that thing, do we?" Alex asked.

"I mean… I kind of want to. It doesn't feel like this is a thing that we just have to avoid," Blue replied.

"I'm with her. I think we should attack it. It might give us better rewards," Leo nodded.

"It's risky, isn't it? Those dream invaders are not weak, and we are already having trouble dealing with them," Hera said.

"Yeah, I want to kill that thing too. It might even give us a way to enter the hard mode. But I don't intend to die because of a quest. So my vote is to avoid it," Alex added.

"That's a fair point. How about this? We try to be stealthy, but if that thing finds us, we try to kill it. If things go south, then we run," Blue suggested.

No one had any complaints about that plan, and the group started their journey to the sprite's home. Even if they never went there, the visions had given them the route they had to take. Traveling with the sprite was interesting. It seems like they had an effect on the forest. The mist was thicker, and the trees seemed to vibrate as they walked by. Another weird thing was that, despite the thick fog, it was easier to see the ground, and the environment seemed more vivid. It felt almost like that moment in a dream where you become aware that you are dreaming.

They walked for half an hour when they finally arrived at the massive tree that seemed to be the center of the forest. It was similar to the others in a way. A tall trunk and the branches only appeared near the top, but the scale was completely different. It was like comparing a giant sequoia with a blade of grass. While looking up, Hera felt like climbing that tree would bring her to another world. Maybe one with giants and a goose that laid golden eggs. Unfortunately, she wasn't the only one thinking about that possibility. Before they could even approach, everyone noticed a Dream Invader trying to climb the tree. It was larger than the others, and its fur was a shade of deep green and not the grayish-blue of its brethren. Another thing that was different was its claws. It was still that one solid block of keratin, but the invader seemed to be able to move it like an actual hand and not just a weapon. Just as they saw the creature, a notification appeared in front of everyone.

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Dungeon quest update

The sprite's home is under attack. You are unable to bring the Sleep Sprite to safety as long as its home is being attacked.

Defeat or drive off the invader to complete the quest. Do not let the sprite be further injured.
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"Well, there goes the plan of being stealthy," Alex sighed.

"Oh no. We are going to have to fight it now. What a shame," Blue couldn't even pretend to be sad about it.

"We still have to be careful with the sprite. Should we keep it with Tiger or find a place for it to hide?" Hera asked.

"I'd rather just have it hiding somewhere. Tiger would be a big help to fight that thing," Leo patted his pet's back.

"I agree. The more people we have, the better," Alex nodded.

With the Dream Invader already a few meters up the tree, they didn't have much time to find a nice hiding spot. Instead, Hera just found a place that would be mostly far away from where they intended to fight and used the remaining mana in her bracelet to cast the selective memory filter on the sprite itself. She told it not to move since it would break the spell, but at least it should last for long enough.  Hera had made some tests with the skill. It wouldn't be permanent, and if enough time was given, the effect would run out. Thanks to that, she wasn't worried about forgetting the sprite existed. Not to mention that she knew how to circumvent the memory loss. After placing the spirit on the ground, Hera quickly carved some markings above them and took a few steps back before activating the spell. However, as soon as she turned around, she could still remember the sprite. She had no idea where it was, but she didn't forget everything about them. This wasn't how the spell was supposed to work. It was almost like a virus infecting the memories of what was affected by it so you would forget everything about how the subject ended up there. That included removing memories of travel and even of making plans. Yet the only thing Hera forgot was the sprite's current location, even the decision of hiding it was still there.

There was no time to focus on that as the rest of the group got ready to attack. Blue prepared a cloud that would appear in front of the invader, charging it with lightning to create a loud thunder. Her intention wasn't to hurt but scare the monster and make it drop from the tree. It was already about 10 meters high, and even a creature that size should hurt itself on the landing. By the tree line, Alex was hidden, already preparing a sneak attack with her scabbard. Instead of using her wind blade, this time, she wanted to deal a more direct blow. Leo and Tiger were also getting ready to attack. They would strike just as the creature fell to the ground. Before thinking of a plan, Hera wanted to ensure there weren't any obvious issues with the monster.

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Alpha Dream Invader - Level 17 (Strength affinity)
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That didn't help as much, but since the names were similar, she assumed most of the same spells would be effective, "Blue, I'll toss a spore field on it. Do your cloud after it."

Blue nodded, and the spells went off. First, the densest cloud of spores Hera could make covered the alpha's face. The monster tried to wave the particles off, but the spell didn't let them move. What followed was a resounding thunder right on its head. The sound was so loud that even the sprites on top of the tree had to cover their ears. That made the monster put both hands in its ears, trying to shield itself from the noise and start falling. However, it managed to hold on using its foot claws, almost like a monkey. Seeing that, Leo and Hera tossed some spells at its heels. Wind feathers and spectral spears of fire repeatedly impacted the alpha. It tried to pull back up, but before its claws managed to reach the trunk, the invader sneezed, causing it to lose its grip and fall to the ground.

Blue quickly created another cloud on its head, setting up her lightning storm while Alex dashed out of the forest, preparing to use her quick movement skill and trigger a powered up sneak attack. Unbeknownst to the group, a swarm of sprites was coming down the tree. They all saw the Alpha Dream Invader fall and the people who were attacking it. Without making a sound, the elemental spirits cast a spell on the humans. A spell given only for those who would protect them.

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Blessing of sleep in effect.

Damage increased by 500% while inside the forest of dreams.

Defenses increased by 700% while inside the forest of dreams.
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A light blue glow covered the entire party just as the buff took effect. This happened before Alex reached the alpha. What was supposed to be a strong opener was ready to become something deadly. When she pulled out her dagger from the scabbard, it was almost like there was another thunder. The attack missed the monster's head but reached its neck, and it didn't stop there. Using a dagger that wasn't even 30 centimeters long, a single slash was enough to cut open the beast halfway through its belly. However, it was still moving. Alex jumped back, and another thunder roared from the cloud. Even though that one was several times louder, it didn't hurt anyone from the party.

On the other hand, the monster was in bad shape already. Blood was pouring out of its ears, eyes, and nose. With a dash, Leo aimed an attack at the monster's head. With a last burst of strength, the creature tried to claw at the hunter, but Tiger intercepted the attack with a body slam, protecting his partner. With the impact, Leo's attack missed the target, but it was still enough to hit the invader's beak, shattering it. Hera didn't want to be left behind, and it was the first time she got such a strong buff. Excited with the idea, she rose her Victorious handaxe and brought it down with all her might.

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[All In] effects deactivated, the cooldown will now start
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Using her skill wasn't intentional, but it was something she liked. A large part of her wanted to see how strong a full-powered strike would be right now. Her attack slashed the invader's mouth open, separating the top half of its head from the rest of its body. It also created a sizable gash on the ground that was about three meters long. However, the creature wasn't the only casualty of the attack. Her handaxe, which was already battered and burned since it stayed inside the house that they had set on fire, broke apart. The blade was in four pieces and the handle in two. There was a moment of shock following her attack. Hera just stared into the air looking at the notifications that appeared.

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Skill Acquired: Weapon Break

By ensuring your weapon is destroyed with the attack, you can deliver a blow that will deal increased damage. There is a small chance that the weapon won't break.

The increase in damage is based on the rarity of the weapon.

Common: 200% increase, 1% chance of not breaking.

Uncommon: 500% increase, 0.001% chance of not breaking.

Rare: 900% increase, 0.000001% chance of not breaking.

Very rare: 1500% increase  0.0000000001% chance of not breaking.
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Dungeon quest complete

You have rescued the sleep sprite and brought it to a safe location.

First completion rewards 60 000 gold, waking salts.
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You have leveled up - Current level 19
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##### Author's Note ####

Personally, I wouldn't use that skill ever. Then again, I'm a bit of a hoarder.

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