Marathon - Part 2

"On your left. Don't block, go low!"

John worried that the words were coming out too quickly for Aclysia to parse, but the Artificial Spirit didn't miss a beat. She bent at the waist and the knees simultaneously, lowering herself under an arcing bolt of lightning that missed her back by just a few centimeters. In the time between the goblin evoker's casts, Aclysia closed the gap with three long strides, and then drove her blade into its sternum without hesitation.

"First one-"

"She's got this, Myaster," Maera purred, jabbing the air in front of her excitedly.

"She learns quick," Mithra agreed.

Aclysia pulled her blade free from the goblin's body with a wet "shlick" noise, then returned it to a ready pose while she whirled on the balls of her feet. The stouter goblin behind her had gotten back to its feet, swaying unsteadily toward her with blood trailing down the side of its head. The green-skinned warrior took an awkward swing, growling and gnashing its teeth the whole while. The swing was erratic and as meandering as the concussed goblin; the blow probably would've missed her even if she hadn't slammed her shield into the goblin's club.

The wooden weapon had barely clattered to the ground before the goblin's own limbs were joining it, an arm and a leg slapping the cave floor in rapid succession. What was left of the main body didn't quite touch down before the whole corpse vanished into dust, leaving behind a pile of low-level scraps that John eyed just long enough to Observe before pocketing.

"Nice work. The Nekos are right, you've already improved a lot. Your awareness is really impressive," John complimented. He strode up to join Aclysia, standing beside her as the rumbling in the background signaled the arrival of the dungeon's mini-boss. "And you're always so calm, no matter what kind of situation we end up in."

"Thank you, Creator John. Perhaps when it comes to emotions you speak of such as 'fear' and 'disgust', it is not so bad to be numbed to them," Aclysia responded.

"To an extent. As long as you remember to take care of yourself." John patted Aclysia's cheek affectionately, giving her shield arm a pointed look. The material of her body had healed, but the intent was clear.

"I will do as you ask, Creator John. I would be... most upset if I caused you such distress again," Aclysia murmured, nodding slowly.

"Everyone else, join up! The mini-boss should be here any second," John called out, eyeing the other three. Maera and Mithra happily bounded along the cave floor to join them; Vallya somewhat more reluctantly descended from above.

"I'd get ready to catch, if I were you," Vallya warned, heels clicking against the stone floor.

"Catch wha-"

A much louder rumble resounded for just a breath before it swelled into a cataclysmic burst of sound and debris. From above, a hulking hobgoblin descended, smashing its way through the ceiling and bringing with it a veritable avalanche.

A wave of John's arm was enough to handle the mundane rocks, numerous as they were. Elemental Infusion brought them to a halt well above the group's heads, then cast them further into the cave, leaving the area clear and battering the mini-boss a tad in the process. The hobgoblin, twice as large as the rest of the dungeon's inhabitants and yet still failing to match up to the tips of Aclysia's horns, shouted in a bloodlusted rage, seemingly unaffected by the display. It hefted quite possibly the crudest axe that John had ever seen, little more than a shard of rock the creature had probably broken with its own skull, and barreled toward Aclysia.

John's protectiveness had a half-dozen warnings at the tip of his tongue, but he subdued them easily enough. The dungeons had been climbing steadily in level since they’d started, but Aclysia had not yet failed to meet the occasion, even though she wasn't directly getting any stronger from the creatures. This time would surely be no different.

The sound of the axe connecting with the shield was abhorrently loud, enough that it might've been painful if John's ears—or any part of his body—could be considered mundane. Sparks and wretched screaming filled the air as the hobgoblin's blow was deflected onto the ground, the rudimentary weapon blunting itself against the cave floor.

Aclysia swung the blade in a wide slice, but whatever the hobgoblin lacked in anything resembling intelligence, it at least had agility on its side. It threw itself backward, turning what might've been a disemboweling slash into a minor flesh wound, a dark crimson line across its navel that blended in with the dingy orange hues of its skin.

Party Member: 31 DMG!

A roar that was more spit than anything else reverberated through the cave as the hobgoblin launched an overhead swing, one so overly telegraphed it may as well have been rehearsed. Aclysia planted her left foot out and pivoted on the heel, letting the primitive axe swish by her to strike the floor once again. The muscle-brained mini-boss hissed as a swift stab from Aclysia pierced all the way through its upper shoulder, her slender blade slipping between ribs and shoulder blade to emerge on the other side.

Ignorant or uncaring toward the fact its weapon was rapidly losing anything resembling an edge, and enraged by its fresh wound, the hobgoblin continued to strike viciously at Aclysia. The few blows that weren't trivial to read were within Aclysia's ability to block, rendering the mini-boss' offense as ineffective as its minions had been.

"I remember nearly dying in half the dungeons I used to run when I first got my powers," John mused, watching the battle play out as damage notifications rolled in with each swing of Aclysia's blade. "And those were lower level than what she's already worked up to. Was I really that bad at fighting?"

"You were inexperienced in fighting, magic, dungeons, and—as you yourself pointed out—armed with a 'shitty baseball bat'," Vallya noted, not taking her eyes off the duel. "She has you acting as teacher, quartermaster, and guide. Oh, and I wasn't there, but I'm guessing you didn't walk into your first few dungeons nearly as fearlessly as she has."

"Mmm. That is definitely a bright side to the lack of self-preservation. Maybe the only one," John said with a wry snort.

"Nyaa. Is it break time after this, Myaster?" Maera asked, tugging on John's sleeve as she cozied up to him from behind. "Gettin' kinda hungry."

"We can stop after this one, Maera."

"Already?" Vallya furrowed her brow and gave an unamused 'harrumph' sound. "It's only been five hours. Besides, I've barely gotten to contribute to these dungeons. A few scraps and the occasional straggler is hardly worth my time.”

“Well, at least the company’s good, when we’re not participating?” John offered, wrapping an arm around the Kitsune and settling his fingers over her hip.

“...I suppose,” Vallya allowed, though she made a point of huffing and turning her head away from him.

"Tonight is all about getting Aclysia adjusted, and I'm not worried about pushing for the full eight on the very first go at it." The words didn't seem to offer the Kitsune much consolation; he'd been worried about the Nekos getting bored, but Vallya turned out to be the one getting impatient. Whether it was idle boredom or jealousy, John wasn't quite sure, but both were growing more dangerous each time Aclysia took a leading role.

"I was really hoping the training week would be more training than babysitting." Vallya rolled her eyes when John gave her a withering look, though her irritation softened a bit when she looked back to Aclysia's ongoing fight. "Sorry, that wasn't very fair. It's not exactly her fault, but I can only stand on the sidelines for so long, John."

"Don't worry, Vallya. I promise when we start up tomorrow, we'll push things a little harder than we did tonight. We won't prioritize letting Aclysia fight solo as much, either. This is about getting us all strong, I just want to be sure Aclysia can handle herself."

"Oh, I'd say she's more than proven that tonight." Vallya's words came as the hobgoblin finally started to crumple. Its lumpy body slowly collapsed as the damage and blood loss finally took its toll, bringing the beast to a groaning end. It twitched once, then started to disintegrate, along with the dungeon, just as the completion message popped up for John.

Mini-Boss defeated, Dungeon complete [Level 14]!
+1750 EXP [+50 EXP from Perks]
+$7000 ($3500 + 100% from Perks)
+11 Slowgrass
+7 Rancid Gruel
+1 Shiny Scrap

"Alright, everybody. Break time. It's almost five-thirty, so some people are going to start waking up soon. Still, be good girls and try to be quiet in case anyone didn't lock their doors, alright?"

"Nyaa, but we-"

"If you do, I'll make a huge breakfast when we get back, and you can eat as much as you want."

Maera's eyes lit up, her mouth breaking open in what would've surely been a triumphant yell, save that she caught herself at the last moment. Nodding silently but furiously, Maera turned around and put one arm around her twin's waist. Mithra gave John a wave and a much gentler smile as they went.

"Do they think that they're going to wake the whole neighborhood up from all the way out here?" Vallya's voice was torn between amusement and disbelief.

"I think when it comes to food, they don't take any chances."

"Creator John, are we going to be resuming the training after a meal?" Aclysia glanced at her new armaments. "Or should I find a place to store these for the day?"

"If you'd like, I can just throw them back in my inventory," John offered. "They need a little repair work anyway, and if I have the time, I can see about throwing an insulating enchantment on the shield."

"Thank you, Creator John. For everything."

"Of course. Now, head on home, Aclysia. I'll be along in a little while; after I make everyone breakfast I'll sort out the materials we gathered and give you everything that we don't have an immediate use for. It should be enough to get you quite a few levels."

"What of you and the others?" Aclysia's even tone did an admirable job of concealing the slight glimmer of hope in her eyes. "Was our training today beneficial for you all as well?"

"I mean, even the materials alone make it worthwhile. Besides, normally I wouldn't do overnight training like this unless I just Reincarnated; it's not as efficient for me to do dungeons alone, and most everyone else needs sleep." John gave Aclysia a warm smile and patted her head gently, stroking between her elegant horns. "Even Orria can only go for so long without at least a little nap, no matter how much energy she's been able to draw on. You did a great job, Aclysia."

"You flatter me," Aclysia bubbled. The smile that broadened over her features seemed more natural than most, and it only grew stronger as she handed him her equipment. She didn't linger long after he had stashed it away, turning to follow in the Nekos' unusually tempered footsteps.

"So did you actually get much out of this, or...?" Vallya half-whispered, hovering near his ear.

"A whole level," John said, trying not to make it sound like a pittance.

"Well, you made her feel good about it, at least." The Kitsune's voice vibrated with amusement, one untouched by malice.

"I meant what I said. There are some materials I can Refine into potion ingredients here. Besides, I was never that worried about the first eight hours, especially while training her. This was... a nice way to start things off."

"Mmm. I suppose I'll see you here tomorrow night, then?" Vallya mewled, tapping her fingers against her cheek. "Woe is me. Lonely again, cursed to this-"

Vallya must have seen the tightening of John's lips, the guilt on his features. She remained quiet for a moment, floating a little closer to him, her tails drooping over the tall grass as she closed the distance and slid her fingers over his forearm tenderly.

"Sorry. I was just being dramatic again. It's not so bad out here. And it's not like I don't deserve it anyway."

"It wasn't your fault. No more than it was mine, at the very least." John took Vallya’s hand, blanketing her fingers with his own. The sensation wasn’t quite as intense as the way their last training session had ended, but it was just as intimate, and it brought more of a flush to Vallya’s cheeks. "And you seem to be doing better. I didn't notice any issues at all today."

"I'd hardly call what we were in today a high-stakes scenario," Vallya drolled, giving a bemused scoff.

"You could say the same thing about... other causes," John countered, avoiding the actual trigger of her first real incident. The crumpling of Vallya's amused expression told him the consideration hadn't softened the blow by much.

"Maybe you're right. Guess I'd rather be optimistic in low-stakes than overconfident and end up hurting someone again." Vallya shuddered against John with the **** of a long exhale, fingers tightening slightly around his arm, the tips of her nails pressing into his arm as she sought stability in his flesh.

"Vallya, did something happen today?"

"No. If anything, I'd say it was better than ever. But I also wasn't doing much, and you were there, and I just..." Vallya gave an exasperated sigh, wrapping her other arm around herself to cradle herself. "Instead of feeling more secure, I just feel like I'm always on edge. Like it's been too long since I took it out on someone, and I'm due to snap at any minute."

"I'm sorry." The words were inadequate, to say the least, but they escaped John when his mind fumbled for anything else. "It's not easy being worried about lashing out at any moment."

"No, it isn't. Especially when your anger-buddy gets all zen and leaves you in the dust," Vallya teased. Her tails gingerly moved to slide around John, caressing his waist.

"We'll get things figured out, Vallya, I promise." One of John's hands teased its fingers along the blonde tail dancing its way up his thigh, while the other clenched onto Vallya's outstretched hand a little more tightly, holding it to his chest protectively. "Tomorrow we'll put you through your paces, and you'll see it's just like all the times before. You've got this."

Vallya squeezed her fingers around John's, nodding. "I'll... try to believe that, Master."