Cen gave out a strangled cry as she got entangled with a particularly gnarly bush and almost slipped on the dark, muddy floor to boot.

"You okay?" Lim asked, bending down to help untangle the hapless caster.

"Thanks, and sorry!" the caster said, making a face under her hood.

"No worries!" Lim said.

Nar glanced up from them, and scanned the blurry jungle.

According to Sarke, they were almost to their destination, and around them, the jungle undergrowth had grown even denser, and it was covered in thick, gnarly, and thorny bushes. There was not a single part of them that glowed, and Nar was sure that was due to some nasty reason, but since Sarke hadn't warned them about the bushes, he figured that as the saying went, ignorance was bliss.

"Are you sure you don't want some of our jungle suits?" Lim asked, wincing as Calli checked a cut on her wrist.

"We are taught to wear our gear through any environment," Leon said, shaking his helmeted head from up ahead. It was a wonder he could see or hear anything through it. "No matter what's before us or around us, our armor needs to stay on."

"Which sucks given all these fucking ticks and bugs," Calli muttered.

"Besides, in these, we're always combat ready," the paladin said, and threw them a wince. "Though I guess for you guys it's harder. You're still using that starter, aura armor they give out in auramancer apprenticeships, aren't you? The ones that use your actual aura as armor?"

"We are," Cen said.

Leon sighed. "It's not great. It consumes your aura and it depletes easily from just touching a leaf, and under this rain, that armor is basically useless. You would be depleted in minutes."

That we would, Nar thought, making a face. Makes me wonder if they really gave to us as training, or just as another cost cutting measure… Crystal, it's always for fucking XP. And even those deaths during that confluence were caused because they were trying to save money on aether to power the ship.

He sighed, shaking his head. The workings of a gigantic guild, the size of 27 billion people… In the end, even us elite apprentices are probably nothing more than just numbers on one of those spreadsheets Kur showed us.

"Trust me, once you move on to solid armor, you'll never look back," Leon was saying. "We had to use a similar armor, but for aether of course, on our first while in the academy, and it fucking sucked…"

Tell me about it, Nar thought bitterly.

"Cheers," Lim grumbled.

"Sorry!"

"What about Eum, though?" Nar asked instead. "Does he not wear anything?"

Leon stifled his laughter.

"That's part just him, and in part due to his path. Because he transforms his body, he'd rather not have anything in the way of it," Leon explained. "Plus, he prefers it like that. Says its more honorable to go bare against the enemy. Fucking nutter…"

"Fair enough…" Nar conceded.

Kinda impressive to be honest, he thought. He's basically running around naked. And in this jungle no less.

"Ugh," he mumbled, suppressing a shiver at the thought of all the creepy crawlies that like to make it inside people.

"We're here," Leon whispered, a few minutes later.

Weapons were already drawn and primed for action, and silence descended upon the team.

"Anything?" Sarke asked, switching to internal chat.

"I… Hold on," Jul whispered, closing her eyes.

Waiting in tense silence, Nar scanned the large pond before him. It snaked out of sight around several tree trunks and roots, and bright white flowers, the asretar they'd come for, glowed in the murky, purply water that rippled under the rain. The sound of croaking frogs hung heavy in the dense, humid air, even through the deafening roar of the rain.

Nar eyed at the pond with a sneer of wariness. He did not want to get that stuff on his skin, or, Crystal forbid, inside him, and there was definitely going to be something nasty living within its dark and impenetrable depths.

"Four… No five," Jul whispered. "I think they're groan'ors!"

Giant, armored boars, Nar thought with a grimace. Isn't that great?

"Where?" Leon asked, squinting at the dark, purple waters.

From the rippling surface, there was no indication of anything within the pond, much less of such giant beasts as the groan'ors.

"Two young ones dead ahead of us, about thirty feet in," she said, pointing out the location in the waters with one of her wakizashi. "Another, but older young one behind that tree there, with the much larger mother beside it to the left. And then the father is right in the middle of pond."

"Big?"

"Very," Jul said, her eyes wide. "At least 32 feet long!"

"Crystal…" Jaz whispered, from where he waited in camp with Kur's team.

"Jaz, zip it!" Row warned, from where she gathered with her own team.

"That would put it about 18 feet tall, shoulder height, and almost 10 feet wide," Sarke said, considering the rippling pond. "It's a proper patriarch poison tusk boar."

"Skills?" Calli asked. "We didn't really study much about these poison ponds."

Oh right, Nar thought. From level 40 upwards, beasts and monsters are going to start having skills. Though we already faced that in that corrupted dungeon…

He shook his head. Maybe it's a good thing we fought them… Makes me a lot less nervous about these boars.

He glanced between Leon and Calli.

And they don't look worried about it either. Time to test out these aethermancers.

"The father boar will have three," Cen whispered, recalling their prep material. "[Absorbent Hide] reduces all damage by 50%. [Poison Breath] is self-explanatory, and it also has [Vicious Charge]."

"A thing of that size, charging at us," Lim said, grimacing. "And everything about that thing is poisonous, from the hide, to the tusks, to the blood and saliva…"

"Nice," Leon muttered.

"Will it also have the [Goring Tusk] skill?" Jasphaer asked the guide. "If it's that big…"

"It probably will," Sarke said. "How big are the rest of them? You can just tell me their length, Jul."

"The young ones in front of us are the smallest at no more than six and a half feet long, and the other young boar is about 16-feet, while the matriarch's at 23-feet long," the quam revealed.

"So the two younger ones will have no skills. The older one will have [Vicious Charge] at least, and the matriarch will have all three that Cen mentioned. Don't think she'll have [Goring Tusk], though," Sarke said.

"HP?" Leon asked.

"Around 750ish for the smaller ones and 1200 for the older one," Sarke said without hesitation. "The matriarch will have at least five thousand and the patriarch at least ten."

"Damn…" Lim muttered. "That's a lot of HP!"

"Shame we can't eat them," Calli said. "All that meat would last us for weeks."

Hmm, guess not everything out here is edible for them, Nar thought. Then he shook his head. Of course it wouldn't be. What kind of dumb thought was that? Just because they're aethermancers it doesn't mean they can just eat whatever. Still…

He scanned the bright pops of white light that emanated from the hundred or so flowers that they needed in order to fulfill their gathering requirements.

"We can't fight them in that," Nar said. "Not only is that water poisonous, we would also destroy the flowers. We would need to let them reset, and some other beats would respawn with them too."

He glanced at Sarke as he spoke, but the guide only shrugged at him.

Right, we need to figure things out by ourselves.

"We'll need to pull them out of there," Calli said, and she glanced at their surroundings. "A place that is dense with tree trunks, so they can't just charge any way they please is what we need, and we need someplace where we can keep Jasphaer and Sarke covered as well. And the narrower it is, the easier it will be to defend and for Lim and Cen to shoot them down."

"A fire lane," Lim said, rubbing his chin. "It would definitely make it easier for me to shoot them, but won't they be able to charge in that case?"

The author's content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

"Not if it's short enough," Calli said. "We should look for someplace like that to lure them to."

There were nods all around. However, while Nar nodded in agreement, he couldn't help but wonder how their first aura and aether joined battle was about to play out.

Especially with an unfamiliar tank, he thought. He looks confident enough, so I guess we'll just see how it goes. The others are close enough anyways…

*********

"Kur, we're going to get started," Calli said through their party chat.

Just as Leon had told them, she had indeed taken the role of the party leader, and meanwhile, Leon looked ready to fully dedicate himself to his tank role.

"Got it. Good luck. We'll be on standby to rush over," Kur replied from camp.

"So, whenever you're ready, Nar," Calli said.

"Alright, let's get this rolling then," Nar replied.

He glanced down at the jagged rock in his hand and then confirmed his target, waiting for a small bubble to form on the surface of the lake, only to be immediately destroyed by the rain.

Jul had helped them make out the beasts' location, thanks to their leaking gas as the groan'ors digested their meal. Further into the lake, he could now easily spot where the boar patriarch lay in hiding, thanks to the much larger bubbles given away his position, and to the left, the oldest of the hogs and the matriarch. However, they were not his target.

It feels bad to go for the young beasts, Nar thought, eyeing the spot where the smaller bubbles burst lazily. Even if they just respawn again and again…

He shook his head.

Let's get focused, now, he thought, tossing and catching the rock a few times. Right, let's see how this goes! Hopefully, I have enough [Accuracy] for this.

He heaved the rock towards the two young boars' flatulent, hidden spot, and the heavy projectile went in with a loud, heavy thlunk that echoed around the pond, large, frothy ripples forming across the surface of the dark, purple water.

Nar quickly switched the other rock to his right hand, in case he needed a second throw to get the beasts' attention, but he quickly dropped it as the young hogs raised their heads above the murky waters to let out dual, panicked and high-pitched squeals.

Well, I guess that did…

Thick, poisonous water exploded from the middle of the pond, and with a guttural below that drowned out the rain and the frogs, the massive bulk of the patriarch rose from the waters.

"I guess that means it worked?" Leon asked, his tone filled with mirth.

"Not yet…" Nar replied.

The patriarch rose from the deepest part of the pond, thick liquid streams running down its coarse, dark motley brown fur. Its eyes glowed an eerie, dark green as it scanned its surroundings, searching for what had spooked its offspring, his breathing coming out as loud grunts through his parted jaws.

"Damn… Those are some tusks," Nar said, eyeing the double pair of curved tusks jutting from the beast's mouth. "The bigger pair has to be at least 8 feet long!"

"Crystal," Lim whispered.

"We can take it. Don't worry," Leon said, his tone easy. "You pulling him over?"

"Starting now," Nar said.

Alright, [Aura Infused Strikes], do your thing, Nar thought. [Aura Blade], 20 points!

He kept himself to using the skill he had thus far, as this morning's findings were still unproven and not within his control, and the edge of bright aura leaped the distance to smash against the boar's thick hide.

The beast irate roar crashed into the rain, its sound potentially traveling through miles of jungle as purple began to glow from within its body. The patriarch's fur started to stand on edge as well, its tips gaining a bright, violent red glow.

Wait! Is that…

Red aether pooled around the beast, emanating from its fur, and a large concentration of it coated the beast's tusks, forming into large, sharp spear heads. Then the creature predictably lowered its head and bared its lips at Nar.

Here it comes! [Aura Quicking]! He thought, even as his [Instinct] shouted at him to get moving. Oh, no! The flowers!

But there was nothing Nar could do except leap out of the way as the boar came crashing through. Shrubs, small trees, rocks, fallen logs… The boar's [Vicious Charge] shattered through everything in its path until the beast crashed against one of the giant, and seemingly impervious tree trunks that held the distant canopy above the jungle.

The boom of that collision echoed throughout the jungle, and a torrent of displaced rain fell from the disturbed leaves almost 300-feet high above them in the shadowy canopy.

What in the Pile? Nar thought, staring wide eyed. How is something that big moving so fast?

The groan'or patriarch's charge had been a blur that had required Nar's [Sight] to get work in order to keep track of the speeding, massive beast as it blew out of the waters, and the violence of that disturbed air had been such that Nar had actually felt its tug dragging him forward behind the beast's passage.

"What was that?" Calli asked.

"It just charged at me! Straight from the water!" Nar said. "I'm sorry, the flowers might have been hit!"

"Don't worry about that for now! Just safely guide them to us!" Calli replied.

His blade blazed with aura as he readied another [Aura Blade], and he lashed it at the boar's enormous read. Again, he used little aura, aiming more to gain the creatures attention rather than to do damage, but already he was realizing that he had seriously underestimated the combination of the groan'or's massive HP pool and armored hide.

And this thing's a common? He thought. Crystal!

Before him, past a trail of mud and destruction, the boar shook his head and ponderously turned around. It bellowed into the rain again, seemingly ignoring the puny sapient that had disturbed its family, and from behind Nar came the answering call of the matriarch.

"They're all coming out of the water," Nar said, after a quick glance behind him.

However, before he could turn to attack them as well, the patriarch, perhaps sensing his intentions, grunted and charged at him again, though this time his fur didn't glow, and his speed was quite a lot more manageable.

So the skill boosts the speed as well, Nar thought, as he threw himself aside at the last moment, twisting his body to push his glowing blade into the beast as it ran past him. However, his sword was bounced against the hide, leaving little else than a charred mark where his aura had come into contact with the boar's fur.

That's some hide, eh? Nar thought, grinning as his heart beat the slow, steady rhythm of combat. We're about to make a lot of XP!

Behind him, the matriarch grunted and the panicked, squealing youths finally ceased their loud complaining. Nar glanced over, and noticed that the matriarch, who also had rapidly pulsing and glowing purple marks alongside the sides of her mouth, was now leading her offspring in his direction, ready to join the fight.

The patriarch bellowed again, its sound a physical wall of air that slammed against Nar's chest, but Nar didn't wait around to see what the beast was going to do next. He turned around, and fled towards the others.

The patriarch cried out in outrage when it saw him fleeing, and lowered its tusks to give chase after the nimble sapient.

Nar charged another [Aura Blade], and flicked behind him. The blade of aura sliced through raindrops, and sailed right past the patriarch, instead exploding amongst the two young boars. The "little" guys squealed in fright and pain and their mother let out a piercing cry of rage, leading her offspring in the chase as well. And the patriarch only sped up behind him, his green eyes blazing with bloodlust.

These things eat meat too, don't they? Nar suddenly remembered, after a glimpse at the jagged fangs within the beast's mouth. Still, this [Aura Blade] really is useful in almost every situation…

The skill was quickly becoming the one he used the most amongst his small toolkit of active skills, and he was beginning to fully appreciate the reason why the Master of Blades had insisted that he mastered it so early on in his path. Having a ranged option for short and medium distances, even long ones if he poured enough aura into it was able to control the skill that far, really increased his capabilities on the battlefield, and once he was able to fire them off one after the other, and figured out a solution to the skill's current shortcomings, he would have a really powerful, and, arguably quite nasty, skill to rely on for almost any situation.

"We're coming," Nar said as he neared their chosen location.

"We hear you…" Lim replied. "Crystal, it sounds like you're dragging the whole Pile behind you!"

"Pretty much…" Nar said, eyeing the charging beats chasing him. "These things are really big."

"Don't worry. I'm ready," Leon assured them all.

"And remember, no aura until I say so," Calli warned them. "And pay attention to your assigned tags. We're going grayscale for now, so trust that other people are handling other targets and you focus on yours!"

Nar, Jul, Lim, Cen and even Leon gave her a mental affirmative, while Jasphaer and Sarke remained silent. And suddenly, Nar was there, running past Leon.

He had no idea what expression the paladin wore underneath his white metal helmet, but for some reason, he felt like Leon had just given him a smile of reassurance. It just seemed like that the sort of thing the paladin would do too.

Nar quickly took position besides Jul, and readied himself for whatever was about to happen. Meanwhile Leon raised his medium-sized shield in front of him, and undaunted, held his ground in the face of the rushing, giant boars.

Not even a tower shield, Nar thought, growing nervous. Is he going to use that skill?

Leon raised his shield above his head and cried out in defiance, and golden rainbow light erupted from the shield, spreading in a 50-feet wide radius around him that sliced even through the thick, impervious tree trunk at his side.

"Wow…" Lim whispered.

Nar's skin prickled with the loosened aether that flooded him, but he paid it no mind, instead gaping at the sphere of solid light that had encased Leon, obscuring him to just a blurred figure.

A barrier… Nar realized, remembering how the corrupted goblin healer had used the same kind of skill to protect himself. But can it really stop those boars?

"Don't worry," Calli said, her face too, gone under a light brown and white helmet. "He's the best tank in our academy, and that's no small feat. Watch!"

Nar gripped his sword tighter, clenching his jaw as the patriarch changed its focus from Nar to the golden sphere of light blocking its path. His fur glowed red once more, and the beast blurred forward with his [Vicious Charge].

Damn! Nar thought, bending his knees and readying himself to leap to the paladin's defense in case his barrier crumpled. He watched, with grim fascination, as the boar thundered forward, its steps shaking the very jungle itself around them, its left tusks lowered to skewer right through the light and the squishy human hiding within it…

A second mighty boom echoed, and it was followed by a crack that snapped through the heavy rain.

Nar's mouth dropped as he craned his neck upwards, eyeing as the bulk of the beast was almost fully raised in the air due to his momentum!

Its charge had been halted by the sphere of light alright, and that crack had been the sound of its large, left tusk snapping right off at its middle! And unable to halt either its momentum or skill, the beast had crashed right against the immovable sphere of light, his hind quarters rising up from the muddy ground.

"Holy Crystal!" Cen gasped, covering her mouth, as the beast came crashing back down.

"[Divinity of the Faithful Protector]. It blocks out all damage for ten seconds, though Leon can't move while it's active," Calli said, even though they had all read the aethermancers' status and skills.

Nar didn't begrudge her for it, this [Divinity of the Faithful Protector] was worth repeating!

Is that the power of an aethermancer skill? Or is it just because it's an epic skill? Nar wondered, still in the grips of awe.

The aethermancer party was peppered with rare and epic skills, which should've been a dead giveaway that they were strong, but given that they were wealthy kids there had still been the possibility that they had just bought their way up with donations and dungeon boosting, but now, it looked as though they could all lay those doubts to rest.

"My Crystal! All damage?" Lim breathed. "That's insane!"

"That's the power of a paladin, said to be the strongest class in the Nexus," Calli said.

Oh, because of all that faith and sacrifice stuff? Nar wondered. But then, isn't a paladin part of those Church order thingies? He even said it himself, a Paladin of the Order of the Great Winged One… So, what's he doing in an academy? Crystal… The Nexus is a mess.

"How many times can he use it?" Jasphaer asked, even as the boar toppled to its knees, clearly dazed by that hit.

Not even the mud gets through, Nar noticed with wide eyes, as the brown specks the boar had flung, sizzled and burned to nothing against the shield of light golden, rainbow light.

"As many times as needed!" Calli announced, her tone proud. "Leon's a paladin bonded with a mighty spirit of protection and valor, one of the Winged Host of the Holy Azzin. That means his path is built for protection, and all of his protection skills are strong and cheap… But, on the flipside, while his smaller number of offensive skills are also strong, they are also very expensive. Almost prohibitively so! Thus, we need to be very sure of when we use them…"

Strongest class in the Nexus? Crystal, Nar thought. How strong is this guy?

He was starting to wonder if maybe they hadn't underestimated these people a tad too much.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.