(TPOR) Chapter 103: Greater Problems (Patreon)

Zed heaved, sucking in deep breaths. He stumbling away from a tree he was resting on as a creature spat at him. Its spittle was a large blob as fat as his face and he barely escaped it. The green goop smacked into the tree and let out a sizzling sound. He’d been struck by it once before and it had cost him what was left of his shirt.

His response to it was a quickly cast rune. A bright orange rune lit up and a rune-spell consumed the creature in sparks of fire.

· You have cast basic rune [Fire].

· Basic rune [Fire] has applied effect [Flame] on [Walking eel].

· Effect [Flame] has afflicted [Walking eel] with [Burn].

Zed stumbled away from the burning creature with enough knowledge to know it would not die from the rune so for good measure, he flicked another rune at it as he staggered away.

· You have cast basic rune [Force].

· Basic rune [Force] has applied effect [Knockback] on [Walking eel].

The impact sent the creature flying through the trees with so much force that when its flight ended against one of the trees, a notification followed it.

· You have defeated [Walking eel (Beta, category 2)].

· You have gained +21 [Exp].

· Exp to category 3: 2961/3400.

“Useless,” Zed muttered, exhausted.

He turned and moved on to the next monster he could leave an impact on. It staggered onto his path, a dwarfish rendition of a spider that stood only as high as his waist. Its arachnid legs were already wobbly and it spotted a wide garish cut along its head. Zed didn’t need to study it to know it had experienced the displeasure of getting in Abed’s way.

Zed spared no rune for the creature. Him, Ash, Abed and Chris had already been fighting for well over twenty minutes and in a bid to conserve his mana by reducing how many runes he used, he had been reminded of something he’d almost forgotten.

He struck the spider with a downward punch, putting his weight behind the blow. His fist smashed into its head and he winced as he shattered it.

His body was far sturdier than he gave it credit.

The spider twitched once and fell, dislodging his hand from its head.

· You have defeated [Arachnia (Beta, category 1)]

· You have gained +12 [Exp].

· Exp to category 3: 2973/3400.

· Defeat Beta rank [Mana beast] 9/9.

Quest: [The Beginning After The End].

· Bonus objective complete: Defeat nine [Mana beasts (Beta)] 9/9.

· You have gained +200 [Exp].

· Exp to category 3: 3173/3400.

Zed scowled at the notification. He was so close, yet so far. There were still enough monsters to go through but he was getting tired, his mental strength spent.

He looked down at his arm, stained in the blood of the spider whose head he’d crushed. Its blood was viscous and uncomfortable, but he couldn’t worry about such things right now. The presence of its blood posed a greater worry than just discomfort.

“Zed!” Ash bellowed a warning. “Shanine!”

Zed turned at her words. Since the beginning of the fight Shanine had been lying motionless in front of the hedge. She still let off an aura weaker than what a normal person should, but it was enough assurance that no matter what state the attacks that had flattened them had left her in, she was still alive.

Alive and in trouble.

A monster had slipped past them and was making its way for her. It looked like an imp on a very bad day, limping poorly after her.

In a moment Zed hesitated to cast a rune, his mind gauging how quickly he could get to the creature before it got to Shanine. His mind made the calculation faster than it took him to blink and he cast his force rune with a wince, knowing the notification that would appear.

· You have cast basic rune [Force].

· Basic rune [Force] has applied effect [Knockback] on [Wobble imp].

I guess it wasn’t wounded, Zed mused, rushing after it as the rune-spell threw the beast past Shanine’s body and into the hedge.

The next notification came to him in all its ominous glory.

Skill: [Bloodwrath (Mana, blood, passive)].

· [Blood mana] required to activation: 1002/1200.

He frowned as he got to the imp and came down on it. The creature tried to struggle against his hold but he was the stronger adversary. His fists came down on it in a brutal display of power and only when its face was a bloody mess and its body twitched with barely present life force did he release it.

He found himself straddling the creature, at least what was left of it, anger and violence pumping in his veins. He didn’t know if it was the effect of his connection to The Berserker or if [Bloodwrath] had already begun influencing him.

· You have defeated [Wobble imp (Beta, category 2)].

· You have gained +30 [Exp].

· Exp to category 3: 3203/3400.

As much good news as it was to see his Exp rise, dread filled him at the sight of how much blood he had on his hands and his body.

The single action had stained him greatly and he feared his next rune-spell. After all, using mana was all it took for him to absorb blood mana.

I wouldn’t complain so much if my Exp went up as much as my Bloodwrath, he complained, staggering off the dead monster.

He returned to the fight, the forest now littered with the corpse of burning monsters and beasts frozen or impaled with spears of ice. There were monsters with electricity still crackling through their skins, spasms raking their already dead bodies courtesy of one or more spells from Chris as she assisted her spells with the power of blunt force trauma.

Abed continued to fight, a boulder in battle. Each time he swung his massive cleaver, aiming for the monsters of Rukh rank while clearing Betas that made the mistake of being in his path, the earth gathered closer to him in solid form.

Right now he looked like an abominable amalgamation of man and earth. The soil gathered to him like stones of a half-broken armor, plated against one leg or one arm. He had a half shattered helmet of stone that already covered most of his face. Zed could see the brown wisps of earth mana constantly drawing to Abed from everything and everywhere, rebuilding his cleaver with every damage it took and covering him in ever growing armor.

He wasn’t sure what that was about but since it kept the mage going, he didn’t care.

As for Ash, she was beginning to seem hollow, her endurance petering out. Her movements were becoming more sluggish, her injuries taking a toll on her. Zed feared she might not last much longer without backup.

Chris was going through something similar but was faring far better than Ash. Her use of spells was growing nonexistent and she was falling back to the chaos of swinging her club like a blood crazed warrior princess. Her clothes were a mess and she was stained in as much blood of her enemies as her own.

Zed didn’t need to think on who needed his support. He rushed to Ash’s side as a monster got too close, arms held up as he braced himself for the blow he was about to take for her.

The beast was as tall as him with hands the size of a person and Zed caught its swinging blow against his raised arms. The force pushed him back and he felt his balance realign itself where he should’ve stumbled. Or most likely been thrown back.

The creature paused for a moment as if stunned to find him still standing.

Zed smirked at it, pain lancing through his arms as he felt his mana surge to heal what was bruised and broken.

“I know,” he said in pain. “Baffles me, too.”

The creature ignored Ash and roared at him. In a moment of uncharacteristic rage, Zed roared back.

Something snapped inside him and he felt his aura flare out.

· You have used skill [Bloodlust].

· [Bloodlust] has applied effect [Fear] on multiple enemies.

· [Fear] has inflicted [Terror], [Slow] and [Mind Haze] on [Growing Titan].

· Affliction [Terror], [Slow] and [Mind Haze] take effect.

· Multiple enemies have been stunned.

Around Zed and Ash six monsters seized as if bound in chains, trembling in fear. In front of him the Growing Titan dropped to his knees, massive hands harmless on its sides. It had come down to Zed’s height now and it stared at him with an empty gaze, hollowed out in fear.

Zed conjured up a rune as he stepped up to it, his building rage far from satiated and shoved the rune in its mouth.

He activated the rune.

· You have cast basic rune [Force].

· Basic rune [Force] has applied effect [Knockback] on [Growing Titan].

· Effect [Knockback] has been applied in an enclosed space.

· [Knockback] has applied fatal effect [Mutilate] on [Growing Titan].

The monster’s head exploded in a spray of meat and blood.

Not too far from Zed, Ash stared in unhidden worry and barely concealed disgust, but he paid her no attention.

He had greater problems to worry about. Problems he found it difficult to worry about. He could already feel his mind falling into a haze as a notification informed him of his victory and more as steam rose from his skin.

· You have defeated [Growing Titan (Beta, category 3)].

· You have gained +49 [Exp].

· Exp to category 3: 3252/3400.

· You have absorbed [Blood mana] 82.

Skill: [Bloodwrath (Mana, blood, passive)].

· [Blood mana] required to activation: 1084/1200.