115: Knives in the Dark, Part Four

Knives in the Dark, Part Four

{Neve}

Back at the safe zone, while Ahlakan investigated the two Wolves' Tongues that Neve had brought back for her, the healer paced around the strange laboratory, pondering what the next move was. 

[... I haven't heard back from Charlotte in a while. They were pretty persistent this whole time, but now... Nothing. Did something happen?] 

Shaking her head, she pushed that matter aside for the time being and focused on the present situation. The 4th Floor, and how she planned to get through it. 

"Neve, you don't seriously believe she's going to wait for us to make it all the way to the center of this weird town before she attacks us again, right?" Erin asked, raising a brow. "I hope you're not expecting her, a murderer, to value her own word much." 

"I don't, but the System says that she won't fight us until we make it there," Neve replied. "The, ehm, rules say she won't fight us until then." 

For some reason, this seemed to annoy Erin. 

"The rules... And, these rules can govern how people feel? How they act? Is she only acting in accordance with them?" 

"Uh... Something like that." It wasn't that Neve didn't want to explain this to Erin, she simply didn't know how. She made an effort to, however, as she found Erin's brows pulling together with dissatisfaction. "People like Lia, the people we meet here, the System decides certain things about them, like her being unable to fight us outside of where she said she would, but not stuff like personalities. Lia is like that without the System's influence, I guess is what I'm trying to say." 

"Hm... I won't pretend as though I fully understand what you just said, but the point appears to be that she will in fact wait for us at the center of this town, is that right?" 

"Yeah." 

"Well then, would you like to head straight there, or no?"

That question was one Neve could answer with more confidence. 

"No," she replied. "Let's look around first. We might find some valuable stuff." 

Erin perked up. 

"Like another set of powerful claws, perhaps?" Erin asked, as a grin slowly pulled on her lips. 

"Maybe," Neve shrugged. 

"Ah, my dear summoner, that is all you had to say!" 

---

Venturing back out onto those bloody, cobblestone streets made shivers spread throughout Neve's body. The crimson moon up above had only gotten brighter as a result of their brief break. 

Ominous sounds crept in from all directions. Distant wailing, nearby scurrying, a haunting cry from the roof of one of the buildings. If each one of these sounds represented an enemy, or perhaps an opportunity of some sort, then Neve felt it was overwhelming. 

[... Just focus on what's right in front of you.] 

And that happened to be one singular enemy stumbling in from around the corner. 

A humanoid creature that looked like it had just walked out of a hospital mid-surgery appeared before them. Its glowing, red eyes were fixed on the ground directly in front of its feet. 

Level 53

MP: 100/100

"This thing probably has at least a few friends around here," Neve whispered to her summon. "Don't let your guard down." 

"Oh, I guessed as much. We could be flanked from a number of different positions where we currently stand. The alleys, the rooftops, the path we just walked from. I would prefer to push into this opponent and face it and its friends over there," she pointed ahead. "Past the point where it currently stands." 

"Okay," Neve nodded. "Go for it." 

"Gladly." 

Upon being given the go-ahead, Erin closed the distance between herself and the enemy in the blink of an eye. Neve ran up at the same time. Her eyes were set on the spot Erin had pointed out. It looked like it may have been a park of some sort in the past, but had replaced its trees with crosses bearing people nailed onto them. 

The enemy Erin had engaged put up no fight at all. Erin went in, slashed across its neck, and its head was severed from its body, falling to the ground like a crumpled-up tissue that one failed to toss into the garbage bin. 

EXP Gained: 40

EXP: 480/560

WST Gained: 80

WST: 15396

While it lay there, though, confirmed to be dead by the fact that Neve had gotten that EXP message, the color in its glowing eyes intensified and the creature opened its mouth. 

"...aaaaEEERRRHHHH!" 

A ghostly screech came out of its mouth. 

Birds that had been spectating from the rooftops flew away. Neve felt a gust of wind hit her, so strong it almost pushed her back. 

Standing at the center of that old park, holding her sword with a tight grip as she prepared for a battle, Neve heard animalistic growls, roars, and howls surround them. 

[... Shit.] 

"Neve, dear," Erin said, "it sounds as though the number of enemies we'll be dealing with is quite substantial. Stay close, and if we don't finish them all off in time, please, resummon me as soon as I disappear." 

"I was planning on it." 

With those words thrown out hastily, monsters soon began to pour out all around them. 

On the one hand, their levels were surprisingly low. Level 45, level 46. None seemed to be over that mark, likely an attempt at balancing the scenario out on behalf of the Forces That Be to account for their numbers. 

On the other hand, well... Their numbers were quite staggering. 

Werewolves ran in. Humanoids like the creature who started this accompanied them. Oversized, one-eyed lizards ran down the sides of buildings from above, falling into the park. 

[6, 7... 8 in total? Even if they're all a lower level than us, that's kind of a fuck-ton of opponents to be taking on all at once.]

Some anxiety wrapped its hands around Neve's heart, but she didn't let it get to her too badly. 

Mainly, because she knew for a fact they had the equipment to make it through this. The Angel Set, Erin's new claws, Sayran's Holy Blade. Their gear was top-notch. 

[Okay, let's see what these toys of ours can do. First of all...] 

Neve kicked the fight off by casting {Field of Brilliance} under herself and then throwing out as many {Fireballs} as she could. 

MP: 995/1100

Out of the four {Fireballs} she cast, two hit their mark. Those flaming spheres crashed into one of the werewolves and one of the humanoids, dealing moderate damage but distracting them long enough for this to be a battle of two against six. 

Which quickly became two-on-five as Erin clawed straight through a humanoid's neck. 

An EXP message popped up but Neve ignored it, seeing as she was about to get plenty more of them. 

Neve then cast {Sacred Ground} under Erin, just as several enemies swarmed her. She dodged two attacks but failed to dodge a claw swipe from one of the giant lizards behind her. 

Neve used {Great Healing Dart} on her just two times, and the claw marks disappeared from her body. 

MP:  925/1100

Erin countered the aggression by pulling back and using {Dragon's Divine Breath}, covering both the enemy that had the audacity to hurt her and one of its partners in flames, burning them both to crisps.  1

That quickly, three enemies were dead, leaving them just five to fight. 

[We're strong...] Neve had a moment of realization, then. [We're really strong!]

Having to contend with enemies that were either just as powerful as her or outright stronger had made this fact hard to remember. Faced with opponents that were, clearly, quite outmatched, though, injected some confidence into Neve. 

Confidence that made it so Neve missed the werewolf lurking behind her that bit down on her neck. 

"MMH!" Neve was lifted off her feet by the creature's teeth. 

Erin heard her struggle and moved as fast as Neve had ever seen, lunging at the enemy, reaching into its chest, and tearing its heart out. 

Neve fell to the floor. 

Casting {Great Healing Dart} on herself, Neve's body was repaired, but she laid there for a moment while Erin finished off the other enemies.

She was reminded of another fact. 

[Right... What was it that one game said? Overconfidence, something something, insidious killer?] 

She sighed. 

[We're strong, obviously. But, one thing to remember about the Unity Trials is that, unless you're an actual tank with good armor and lots of Endurance, one bad hit is all it takes to die. Don't get cocky, Neve. You can't afford it.] 

Neve got up and Erin disappeared, with just one more enemy left standing. 

One of those werewolves growled as it moved forward. Neve cast {Great Healing Dart} a few times to awaken Sayran's Holy Blade. 

The werewolf went in and Neve ducked under a quick biting attack, as it tried to recreate what the other werewolf had managed to do. 

Instead, Neve then pushed in with a move Erin taught her, and stabbed through her opponent's chest with one practiced motion. 

With this enemy being of such a lower level and Sayran's Holy Blade already being so powerful, that was all it took to finish the fight. 

Neve's shoulders dropped as the werewolf hit the floor. 

[Holy shit, that was-] 

"Impressive," a voice said behind her, "to an extent."

Neve flinched, snapping her head toward it. 

Lia was there, casually sitting on a bloody bench, clapping slowly, with a polite smile on her face. 

"Y-You!" 

"M-Me," she replied mockingly before cackling, crossing one leg over the other. "Why are you so surprised? I did say I would be watching you, no? I want to savor this meal, after all." 

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