130: Obstacles, Part Five

Obstacles, Part Five

"Um... Neve, be honest with me. Are you a thrill-seeker?"

"What?"

"I must ask because, between that one descent you took in the previous city and now this, I... I am beginning to be concerned that you have some tendencies you have not shared with me." 

Standing in front of Neve and her summon was a tall building that resembled the bell tower Lia had stabbed Neve inside of before. Only, this building had little bricks sticking out on its sides. 

Bricks that, if Neve was interpreting this correctly, were meant to be used to climb up to the top. 

"I-I'm not saying there *is* a key up there, I'm just saying there could be one." 

"I can't help but doubt that but, then again, this System of yours has proven itself to be quite cruel many times." She took her eyes off the tower and asked, "I don't suppose that I would be able to grab this object you seek, can I?" 

"Probably not," Neve answered, remembering how Erin had been unable to loot chests for her in the past. "You're welcome to give it a shot, though." 

"I suppose I should." 

On that note, as Neve hugged herself at the base of the tower, Erin began trying to make her way up. She did so on upper body strength alone, of course, as the steps leading to the top weren't designed to be used by people with snake-like lower bodies. 

Still, she managed her climb beautifully, climbing with ease. 

[... I wonder if part of why she's able to do this so effortlessly is because she's not afraid of falling. Since she knows she won't die if she does.] 

Whatever the reason was, Erin managed to slowly make her way to the top. Neve looked around, making sure no ghosts were popping up around her, as Erin disappeared from view. She reappeared a moment later, jumping off the top of the tower. 

[Wait, what!?] 

Neve watched, unsure of what to do as Erin landed head-first on the sleek road. 

Blood came out. Her body twitched twice. Erin disappeared. 

Quickly, Neve re-summoned her. 

"I found something up there," Erin said, as though nothing had happened. "Doesn't look like any key I've ever seen but there certainly is an object waiting. As we predicted, though, I was unable to grab it." 

"Erin," Neve finally said. 

"Yes?" Erin asked, batting her eyes. 

"E-Excuse me, what the fuck was that!?" 

"Ah, well," she slithered back, looking at the spot on the ground where her blood had come out. It was still there, though Erin had been re-summoned. "This 'floor' has been too easy." 

"So, you jumped off the top of the tower because you were bored?" 

"No," Erin shook her head. "I jumped to my death because I don't want to lose my edge." As Neve gawked at her like she had no clue what she was talking about, Erin sighed, saying, "Neve, once this floor is done I am fairly certain I can fully expect to begin dying in awful ways once more soon enough. By now, I have, unfortunately, gotten rather used to such things happening. To the point where being stabbed in the heart has become merely just irritating. If I forget what that feels like, however, then the full horror of my circumstances will begin to seep in *again* as it used to, and I do not want that." 

Neve couldn't say that made complete sense to her but, then again, the odd immortality that Erin possessed was a pretty unique kind of reality to have to live with. 

Maybe if she was in Erin's shoes, she'd do the same thing.

"Anyway," Erin said, "you're the one who goes on and on these days about not wasting time. Shouldn't you be making your way up?" 

"Uh... Right." 

Neve went to do just that. 

Putting away her staff and her sword, she prepared herself mentally for this. 

Arguably, having to descend a set of perilous steps and ledges like Neve had done on the 3rd Floor was worse, but this presented its own unique issues. 

Mainly, the fact that Neve's Strength was sitting at a worm-like, pathetic 5. And, she predicted that this would be the attribute that she'd mostly be using on this climb. 

[Let's just get it over with.]

"Don't worry," Erin said, giving her a thumbs-up. "I'll be giving you some advice as you make your way up. Be patient, and may you have the best of luck, o' dearest summoner of mine." 

Neve just blinked at her. 

Finally, she began by putting her hand on one of the bricks and pulling herself up. 

The climb had begun. 

Neve was doing it. 

And, already, Neve's arms were crying. 

"You know," Erin said, as Neve put quite a bit of effort into getting to the next brick, "I can't help but think that this physique of yours is going to work against you. Oh, be sure not to let that chest of yours catch on anything! You might fall!" 

"..." 

Honestly, aside from Neve's muscles suffering from the strain of this exercise, the first minute of this went by rather smoothly. 

Until something happened that Neve hadn't expected. 

It hadn't happened when Erin was climbing up the tower, but it did happen when Neve made her attempt. 

A ghost appeared just above the next ledge. 

"HUH!?" 

It manifested horizontally, poking its body out and moving to stab Neve in the head with a ghostly, transparent sword. 

Neve dodged out of the way but one of her hands slipped. 

"Neve!" Erin cried out. She put her claws forward and used {Dragon's Divine Breath} to produce flames from her weapons that she hoped would at least put some space between the ghost and Neve. 

But, the ghost did not react at all. 

It disappeared soon after. 

[What the fuck was that?] 

As Neve quickly grabbed onto the ledge again, she stopped for a bit. 

The position she was in, with both hands on the ledge above and her feet on the bricks that had gotten her here, allowed her to rest for a few seconds, planting her head against the tower. 

[Well, that's just great.] 

She assumed that because Erin wasn't a player, aspects of this climb had been hidden from her. This meant that the climb could end up being infinitely more complicated for Neve than it had been for the lamia. 

"... Whatever," she murmured. "Let's just keep going." 

As Neve pulled herself up to the ledge, she waited a bit for her arms to stop weeping, and kept going. 

The ghost did not come back right away. 

And, interestingly, Erin did not disappear even though a minute passed since the ghost had popped up. 

[Wait... So, this isn't actual combat?] Neve thought. [There was no level over it too. Either, this is an illusion, which I'm not gonna risk betting on, or that ghost is being counted as an environmental hazard.]2

That meant two things. 

One, if Neve was to try to do this climb with only one hand and pull out her staff to kill this ghost, it would not work. This wasn't an actual "fight". 

Second, she wouldn't have to resummon Erin, so the lamia could actually help. 

"Erin, get over here!" 

Upon hearing that order, the lamia reached Neve's position in less than 10 seconds, managing each step of the climb as well as a woman built like her should have been able to, with abs that Neve could probably grate cheese on and arms that would put professional athletes to shame.

As she reached her, Erin said: 

"If it's moral support you're asking for, I'll do my best, but I don't believe I'll be able to help with this ghost problem. My attacks don't work on them." 

"I know, that's not why I called you, though." 

"Oh?" 

"Change of plans," Neve said. "Fuck doing this the intended way. I'm out of shape, my tits are too fat, and my arms are basically just toothpicks," she said, as she looked at Erin. "I want you to carry me up there." 

Erin blinked. 

Upon internalizing Neve's plan, the lamia grinned. 

"Smart," Erin said. "Let's do it." 

The way in which Erin would accomplish this was simple. She would go about this climb the exact same way that she had before, only with her tail wrapped around Neve's body this time, carrying her with it. 

[Aren't snakes supposed to be cold or something? Why does Erin's tail feel so hot?]

"Neve, what was that thing you said called a reference before? 'Hold on tight, something, something?' Well, you know how this goes."

With no other warning, Erin began her climb once again. 

It was, admittedly, far from comfortable. Neve bounced off the tower a few times, as Erin's hectic speed sacrificed a little bit of safety. But, the problems really began as Erin made it halfway. 

To put it simply, each step carried an environmental hazard ghost. Which meant that, because of the progress she was making, the tower became filled with them. 

Ghosts slashed out at them, all around the pair. 

Neve wasn't the screaming type. 

She'd been in many, many terrible situations so far, and could count the amount of times she'd shrieked like a helpless damsel on one hand. 

And yet, the combination of the height they were at, the fact that Neve was genuinely powerless right now with her fate being entirely in Erin's hands, or tail, and the swords coming in and slashing at her, all missing just by a hair, managed to get a screech out of her. 

"AAAAAH!" 

It was over just as her lungs had let loose, though. 

Erin reached the top and deposited Neve on the ground next to her, gently. 

And then, the lamia burst into laughter. 

"AH! Hahahaha," she cackled. "N-Neve," she said, in between fits, "you should have seen your face! Was your faith in me truly that low? You were hysterical just now!" 

"I-I think it's justified," Neve replied with red cheeks, as she stood up, dusting herself off. "That was awful." 

"On your end, maybe. On mine, well, that was one of the highlights of this entire journey of ours, so far."

She gave Neve a warm smile as a message appeared over her head. 

Erin Leynall

Mood: 70%

Mood breakthrough! 

{Friends} 

{Player "Neve Stephens" has bonded with this NPC. This NPC has gained 5% proficiency with all Techniques, increasing their damage.}

{Note: Negatively impacting this NPCs mood can remove this new trait.}

{Trait is removed if NPC "Erin Leynall's" mood drops to 50%. NPC will return to "Neutral" state.}

Neve just shook her head. 

[I don't know what to make about the fact that seeing me in distress is what pushed her mood over the top like this. What the fuck?] 

The warmth that Neve saw on Erin's face made her stop. 

It was... Odd. Not in an unnerving way, but in that Neve hadn't known that Erin could make such an unguarded expression. 

This view of Erin had an unexpected effect on the healer. 

She felt like she'd just been punched in the heart. 

[... Whatever. Let's just-] 

Upon turning away, Neve saw the object Erin had described earlier. 

Along with a ghostly child standing behind it. 

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