183: Reach for the Stars, Part Nine

Reach for the Stars, Part Nine

Neve and Erin moved ahead with a hurry in their step. Mainly, because they were both painfully aware of the fact that a horde of monsters that could materialize out of thin air was unlikely to have been permanently defeated by the chasm Neve had placed between herself and them. 

No, it was far more likely that the System had accepted this outcome as a temporary setback and was now giving the two of them a few minutes of grace before it would materialize that horde once again. 

There was also the matter of oxygen, which Neve hadn't forgotten. 

Oxygen: 88%

88% was a number that felt good and reassuring to see, but if Neve didn't find a way back to the Safe Zone, it would not stay that way for too long. 

[... When you think about it, the fact that I've already lost 12% of oxygen even though I haven't made much real progress is actually kind of scary.] 

The corridor Neve walked through led her and her summon to a single room helpfully labeled "Clinic", placed right next to an ascending staircase. 

[This was one of the locations I saw on that computer, earlier. Something important might be in here.] 

The lights flickered once again as the two of them walked in. 

Like the rest of the station so far, this place seemed oddly untainted, as though the people who may have worked here or been lying in the soft-looking, white beds placed all throughout simply disappeared rather than being devoured by anything. 

For Neve, that wasn't likely to be how things ended for her, though, so she began to look around in a hurry so she could move on to the next place. 

There was one desk nearby with a computer on it, and at the back were some metal shelves. Nothing else. Just these objects and the beds. That was all. 

[Hm. The computer won't turn on.] 

Neve tapped it again and again, like a caveman trying to figure out how to turn on a stove. The computer wasn't quite in the mood, it seemed, and so Neve walked over to where Erin stood, right in front of the shelves. 

"I don't see anything, but you might," Erin noted. "We should hurry, though. If that pack of beasts ends up appearing again, well, this is likely the single worst place we could be in." 

In total agreement, Neve quietly searched through those shelves. 

[Nothing, nothing... Huh?] 

One item appeared that quickly stood out. It wasn't a keycard, as Neve had been hoping to find, but rather, a letter. 

Neve picked it up. 

"Hm..." 

"Neve!" 

Erin yelled behind her. 

Neve turned around, worried that what Erin had just warned her about had come to pass, but, no. 

Two enemies stood before them. One was a similar type of creature to the one they'd been seeing so far, with sleek, leathery, onyx flesh, that odd antenna, and a mouth on its chest. The other was new. 

Hovering in the air was what could only be described as a massive eyeball being held up by two wings. 

Level 67

MP: 700/700

Level 65

MP: 250/250

Neve placed that letter in her Inventory and brought out her weapons. Erin was already moving to engage them. 

Instinctively, Neve cast {Encourage} and {Bolstering Presence}, and then added {Hard Target} and {Sacred Ground} to her usual starting rotation of spells. 

MP: 1125/1300

The reason for that was because of the arena this skirmish was set to take place in. The clinic was simply too cramped, so Neve assumed the chances she and her summon had of making it through this fight unscathed were small. 

Erin clashed with the onyx monster in the middle of the clinic. The eyeball began to charge up some sort of spell, but Neve cut it off, launching a series of {Fireballs} at it. 

One of them landed, but the others missed as the eyeball, now covered in flames, began flying wildly around the room. 

[Hm...] 

Neve stopped her offense, figuring that with the enemy moving like this and her Precision still only being 38, it wasn't worth it to spend more mana. 

Finally, the eyeball stopped and charged up a spell. 

Neve looked down, making sure she was within {Sacred Ground's} rune. Then, she marked herself and then marked the eyeball. 

The flying enemy fired off a beam of light that crashed into Neve's chest. 

The attack burned so badly. Neve felt her back turn hot as well and wondered if the laser had gone straight through her. Immediately, though, she activated {Equivalent Exchange}. 

The hole in her chest was then replicated in the enemy. 

But, of course, since the monster was literally an eyeball, the wound's placement ended up being a killing blow, as a hole appeared right in the center of it. 

The eyeball flew from one side of the room to another, firing off lasers randomly and crashing into the walls, until it finally landed on one of the beds, dead. 

EXP Gained: 140

EXP: 390/670

WST Gained: 400

WST: 2200

Instantly, Neve placed her attention on the enemy Erin was facing. 

Thanks to Sacred Ground, the damage the lamia had received could not be compared to the damage she'd dished out. The onyx monster was limping, one of its legs being broken as it still tried to bite down on the lamia. 

Erin ended its ambitions, though, by using {Dragon's Divine Breath}, covering her opponent in flames. 

The enemy was reduced to ashes. 

This fight came to a quick end. 

EXP Gained: 120

EXP: 510/670

WST Gained: 300

WST: 2500

Neve walked up as Erin let out a deep breath. She exited the clinic and resummoned Erin before her timer could run out. 

Neve didn't even bother looting the bodies. 

Mainly, because she feared that the horde of monsters would return soon. 

[We still don't have a way back to the Safe Zone. At least, not without jumping through that platforming section again. We have to stay on the move. Once we're back at camp, I'll read that letter.]  2

In a hurry, she and Erin moved up the staircase that had been waiting for them outside. 

As Neve saw what awaited them, she quickly realized something. 

[Hm... I guess this is a bit more than just a "space station".] 

They'd stumbled upon a type of marketplace. One with various kiosks and tables set up. Faded signs in an alien language were placed atop them, giving everything a more homely atmosphere. That said, it was still all barren, as though everyone here had simply disappeared in the blink of an eye. 

More importantly, though, Neve saw a pathway to the left. 

"Let's head through there," Neve told Erin. "With any luck, that might lead back to the camp." 

[It would be pretty fucked if that platforming section path we just took was the only way back to the Safe Zone.] 

They began inspecting that hall and, thankfully, the corridor bent to the left, taking them south. 

Neve kept looking over her shoulder every couple of seconds, just in case those monsters were nearby. The corridor wound and twisted, but did not take them anywhere of note. At least, not for a while. 

Eventually, they ended up at a dead end. Upon further inspection, though, there was a hole in the ground. 

It opened up automatically as they drew near it. Neve nodded at Erin and the lamia went in first. 

"Ah, it seems we've come full circle," Erin said. 

[Huh?] 

Neve went down and quickly understood what she meant. 

This opening, which was now permanently open it seemed, took them back to the door just in front of the Legendary chest. 

The door was still closed, of course, but still. They were practically right next to the camp. 

[Good. A shortcut.] 

"Let's head back to the camp."

"Ah, wonderful. To be honest, I had enough of..." 

The door leading outside opened on its own. 

Erin stopped. Neve saw her reaction and instantly pulled her weapons up. Something was clearly off. 

[Don't tell me...] 

Neve suspected that the horde had materialized once again, perhaps to stop them from making it back to safety. 

Instead, however, something else was apparently the problem. 

"What's up?" Neve asked, as nothing came in through the door. 

"I don't..." Erin murmured, trailing off as she kept her eyes on the door. Finally, she turned toward Neve. "My mistake," she said, a lot more loudly. "I didn't-" 

She stopped talking suddenly and slashed at the air. 

Neve flinched, wondering why she did that. 

Then, she saw that Erin's right claws had just been stained with fresh blood. 

A creature appeared, then. Something so small that Neve could probably cover it with her hands. 

It looked like a flying lizard, with no legs. The creature was wounded, not dead, as it then got back into the air and flew away before Erin could finish it off. 

"That was odd," Erin said. "I felt a presence near us but I expected something deadlier. What do you make of it?" 

"Uh... I dunno, I have a guess as to what that was just now. But, let's just hurry back to the camp. Before anything 'deadlier' shows up." 

"Agreed." 

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