Cursed Explorer of the Arcana

“So are we doing it your way or my way?” I ask, fairly confident against a single rat, not so much against an army.

A shower of intense flames would clear them out though, just saying.

“Let’s not rush, there’s many of them and we don’t know what they might have up their sleeves.” Valka rolls her shoulder and takes a few slow and menacing steps toward the wall of fleshy tails, red eyes, and patchy fur.

The rats actually back away slightly, their instinct likely strong enough to recognize a beast far more powerful for whatever they’re hiding in their nonexistent sleeves.

What element should I use to massacre these rodents? Fire is lame and the stench would be straight-up friendly fire, while earth isn’t really an option. The magic in the walls is just too potent and I can’t do anything about it. It won’t just magically disappear because I touch… it…

“FUCK!” I yell full-throated and absolutely infuriated by my own stupidity.

“What? What happened?” Both the rats and Valka are equally surprised and frightened by my sudden outburst.

Instead of answering I just march over to one of the metal spikes still mostly intact and grab it hard enough to feel my fingers go numb. Chaotic Touch.

The material in my hand instantly revolts, almost boiling under my touch. The mana tries to obey the Skill that was once bound to the iron while simultaneously enduring being torn to shreds by my will. It’s a hard-fought battle but in the end, I come out victorious after just five seconds of devoting my entire mind to it.

“Fucking shitty ass… aaaaargh!” I continue raging like a needy child, smashing my new metal weapon wildly.

“Elyssia, calm down and focus.” Valka tries to reason with me but now is not the time.

We’ve wasted so much damn time because I forgot about something this basic. Plain stupidity is the most infuriating thing in the world and if the idiot is none other than me… it’s even worse. I’m supposed to be better.

Then my eyes land on the rats.

“Let's combine the pleasant with the useful, shall we?” I mutter, my whispered voice promising murder and a death unlikely to be painless.

Valka POV:

Why is she even pissed? Does she hate rats so much? I mean, they’re super disgusting in their own way but this is a bit excessive.

“Stay back!” Elyssia growls and walks past me with the metal rod still in her hand.

Despite her tiny size and feeble frame, her aura gives me chills similar to whenever Mom was livid and ready to fight even Dad till one of them could move no more. And Mom usually won.

And this tiny prickly Mage who is an elf at the same time now reminds me of her somehow…

Still more curious than intimidated, I lean against a wall and let her do her thing. Her skills are passable but I want to be around in case the rage clouds her judgment enough to cause problems.

Without halting her steps she continues marching toward the hesitant tide of rats and grabbing hold of the lank spike with both hands.

Those nasty metal things. They caused me enough trouble even with Manaforged able to stop the fangs of most beasts. How I would’ve escaped my predicament without Elyssia I still don’t know but I doubt that’s what she needed to hear back then. The hatchet has been buried and that’s all that matters.

To my astonishment, the metal bends in her grip curling up on itself before flattening out, morphing into blades, and splitting into three pieces. The three thin cross-shaped blades then begin to rotate with increasing speed until their shape is no longer recognizable and the air-tearing sound they make sends shivers down my back.

I’m pretty sure even my Blessing wouldn’t be able to completely stop those… And how come she can shape the metal now and not before?

My questions have to wait as the murderous blades finally swing into action, racing through the air like a sneeze in the dead of the night. My imagination did come up with scenarios of how this ruthless attack would play out but I clearly haven’t seen enough of this world yet.

Flesh, bone, organs and literally anything made out of rat is bisected in the path of the spinning weapons. Due to their sheer numbers and the size of the corridors, there is little room left for the rats to escape their fate and so every cut demands more lives than I’m willing to count.

And it still barely makes a dent.

Elyssia comes to the same conclusion and so do the rats both making their next move simultaneously. The wall mound of rodents finally shifts, rolling right at us and throwing bodies into the slaughterhouse just to overwhelm the furious mage with sheer numbers. The girl is a crafty one though, with sleeves likely wide enough to hold all the world’s tricks.

Said trick comes in the form of a blueish-white streak of energy jumping between the blades and Elyssia faster than the eye can track and making entire chunks of the vermin wall crumble whenever it lands.

She can even use lightning magic now. That makes it what, seven? No Mage should be able to do that. However, she seems… weak, maybe? I expected a bigger boom, more destruction... That colorful fire sure could make a dent in that horde but I’d rather fight a prolonged battle than endure their stench.

These creatures fall firmly in the swarm beast category, weak, stupid, and numerous but not without outliers. A few of the rats, smaller but no less deadly have chosen to sneak through the crack in the stone running across the walls and the ground probably trying to launch a sneak attack while their brethren are being slaughtered.

I despise creatures like these. Not just because they’re small and harder to hit but for the lack of honor and unity they display. No wonder fighting like a rat is considered an insult.

Just when I’m about to step in and save my lousy support she finally reacts, with precision and speed betraying her mental state. The flames rushing through the cracks leave no survivors.

She knew they were there. Even when acting like a raging bull she had enough presence of mind to be in full control of the field of battle. This has little to do with talent, not to mention luck… no, it’s experience and useful habits drilled into the body through many years.

I’m a bit jealous honestly. And bored by now.

Thankfully it seems the gang of rats is finally running out of their most expendable members, as nasty rodents much larger than the average begin to waddle through the piles of bodies. This is a common tactic among beasts relying on numbers actually. The stronger ones force the bottomfeeders to basically march into their death only to weaken the enemy even if just a little.

“Dibs!” I claim the first rat big enough to be worth punching.

If Elyssia wants to continue throwing a temper tantrum then she needs to grow up honestly. The forest was teeming with danger in every corner and I highly doubt this place is any more welcoming. Especially after getting a taste of the spike trap and being met with a welcoming party this unsightly.

Ignoring Elyssia’s previous demand I begin to accelerate toward the mass of rats, keeping my eyes on the big ones but otherwise rushing at them without much caution. The rats are small, weak, and hardly threatening with their tiny claws and crooked teeth. Same goes for the big ones, except… well, bigger and possibly some actually dangerous Skills in their arsenal.

The dumber the beast the less likely it is to wield magic the way the prick behind me does.

Not that magic defines intellect, no no no. My knife-eared idiot isn’t any wittier than me only because she can make some pieces of metal dance around the air. And quite a few other things.

“There!” I grin wickedly when a rat far larger than the rest dives back into the sea of rodents.

Power Burst

It’s a slaughter. My fists carve craters in the mass of bodies, crushing bones en masse and thinning the enemy numbers or so one would think. Despite all the notifications tingling at the back of my head the swarm keeps on coming and the rats soon begin to scale me like a tree.

Their claws and teeth do no harm but the way they crawl up my legs and back…

“Stop messing around and exterminate them already!” I shriek after one of them bites my inner thigh.

No matter how many of them I smash until they turn fluid they just keep coming and it’s fucking disgusting. Fire would’ve already taken care of it all…

“I told you to stand aside.” I hear the reply, sounding a bit too amused for my taste. “Just keep killing, I want to try something-”

Then something tugs on my hair and I feel something snap inside me. Almost subconsciously my hand reaches out guided by instincts and catches one of Elyssia’s flying blades.

The weapon has had quite some momentum, plenty of rotation, and edges razor sharp yet a small trickle of blood running down my forearm is all the damage I receive. It’s still impressive considering no Skills were involved but a few seconds is all it’ll need to heal.

“Now!” I sound just like my captors did and right now I don’t really mind it. I’ll drag her right into the thick of it if that is what it takes for Elyssia to stop fucking around.

“Fine.” She huffs with another metal spike already in hand. “You’re in the way though so stick to the right.”

In the wa- In the way, huh?

Oh, I’d love to hear her say that the next time we stumble into something massive, because there’s guaranteed to be a next time. I’ll be sure to let her have a clear line of sight then.

For now, I shut up though and get back to trying to get the rodents off me. It’s like kicking in the snow or trying to swat flies during the summer… there’s nothing enjoyable to it.

The explosion rocking the other side of the corridor does a much more impressive job at mass murder than my fists, reaping tens of lives without burning too much of the filth. The first radiant sphere of fire is soon followed by two more, both larger and more destructive than the previous ones.

This finally does it and the rat tide begins to recede. I’d already call this a win and retreat to hopefully check my hair and clothes just in case one of them decided to stick around but the knife-eared seems to have a different idea.

The frequency of the explosions increases and so does their impact, not to mention…

“Aim properly you idiot, that almost hit me!” I complain and rightfully so. Her searing spheres of big boom have been inching closer and closer and I’m really not comfortable with weathering those.

“You didn’t see it?” She ignores my warning because of course she does. “Time your attacks with me, we need to make a dent.”

And tells me to run willfully into her line of fire… Ah, fuck it.

One, two boom, three! I dash across the corridor and deliver a devastating kick right where the explosion just wreaked havoc before sliding to a stop.

One, two BOOM, three…

This time I almost need to dive into the wall of rats to hit my target but after landing the kick I finally catch a glimpse of what Elyssia might’ve talked about. A lump of scarlet red fur, completely pristine unlike the rats surrounding it.

Sadly my momentum carries me away before I can catch whatever that thing is. The rats are also quick to swarm back around the red thing, covering it before I can land an Identify. Thankfully my support is fairly competent.

The metal spike she’s been messing around with whistles through the air and impales everything in its path before getting stuck in something. Something screeching in pain.

“Grab that-” The stupid elf acts like I was born yesterday but I’m faster than her.

Wrapping my finger around the rod, I widen my stance and heave with all my might. The leverage is shit, the weight is considerable and the mass of rats is as irritating as ever but my Might proves just enough for the task.

“HNNNGHAA!” I really throw my back into it, happy to destroy whatever these disgusting creatures care about so much.

Just like pulling things out of mud, it gets easier and easier to lift the red thing at the end of my spear until finally the sea of rats parts and a massive one, easily the size of a chunky adult emerges.

[Rat lvl 109]

A massive horn on its head, a serrated tail, a morbidly massive belly, and an ugly teeth-filled maw that just won't stop screaming. The other rats go into a frenzy and surge after this red-colored one acting as one.

This behavior can only mean one thing…

I slam the spear into the ground driving its tip through my prey before stomping on its throat to silence it finally. Despite the damage the beast still doesn't stop squirming, already mostly enveloped by its brethren and fighting in frenzy like their life depends on it.

I still refuse to admit fire was the right tool all along.

Despite stomping repeatedly the struggle continues and movement becomes increasingly difficult as I’m already standing in rats up to the knee. That’s when a second spear arrives. This one isn’t metal though but made of glistening ice shining like the stars under the light of the fire keeping the corridor lit. Then a second one. And a third.

This last spear does it as the body beneath my foot finally goes limp causing another unexpected change on the battlefield. The army of rats freezes and the corridor descends into silence.

It’s weird, it’s disturbing and coupled with the fact that there are still about thirty rats clinging to me extremely irritating.

Then as if awoken from a dream they begin to move as one again, except not to fight but to flee in every direction. Big and small, wounded or emerging from their hiding spot, they all scatter in panic like… well, rats.

“What the hell was that?” I ask the smug elf approaching me leisurely.

“Swarm behavior.” Elyssia answers matter-of-factly, explaining things properly only after my frown can’t grow any deeper. “Swarm-type beasts behave either erratically, thinking about only growth and survival, or as one massive organism, just like the rats. The difference between the two is the presence of a leader, or a parent in our case.” She points at the big red dead rat at my feet.

[Your group has triumphed over the enemy [Tomb Vermin - Dark lvl 66].]

No.

[Your group has triumphed over the enemy [Tomb Vermin - Dark lvl 66].]

[Your group has triumphed over the enemy [Tomb Vermin - Dark lvl 43].]

Not this one.

[Your group has triumphed over the enemy [Tomb Vermin - Dark lvl 27].]

No.

…

[Your group has triumphed over the enemy [Tomb Vermin - Dark lvl 70].]

By the Gods, just how many of them did we kill?

[Your group has triumphed over the enemy [Flesh Furnace Broodmother - Fire lvl 101] - [Blood Pupeteer - Life lvl 56].]

[Your Class [Battle Maiden - Life] has reached lvl 75, +4 Free Points, +15 Might, +13 Speed, +15 Endurance, +8 Dexterity, +6 Mana, +4 Willpower, +2 Intelligence, +4 Focus, +4 Fortitude.]

[The Class Skill [Brawling] has reached lvl 71.]

[The Class Skill [Power Burst] has reached lvl 63.]

[The Class Skill [Budding Strength] has reached lvl 37.]

[The Class Skill [Beastly Perception] has reached lvl 40.]

[The general Skill [Manaforged] has reached lvl 69.]

[The general Skill [Relentless Advance] has reached lvl 52.]

[The general Skill [Sharpened Instincts] has reached lvl 47.]

[The general Skill [Intimidate] has reached lvl 32]

“Huh, so this thing basically birthed a whole army for itself.” I back away from the mass grave we made now that my fighting spirit has receded and my sense of disgust returned.

My arms and limbs are covered in rat blood, guts, and pieces of shattered bone, and trying to shake those off just doesn’t seem to do the trick.

“Can I get some help?” Asking this from a Mage and a knife-eared at that does hurt my pride but only a tiny bit.

“You’d waste my precious mana on something this trivial?” She gasps, displaying the acting skills of a dead moth. “I never expected you to be this picky, much less forget the magic word.”

I give her a flat look and cook up an answer that would make even the Gods fold. “You’d waste that mana in the blink of an eye on yourself and there are no magic words needed.” I spread my arms wide and step closer. “Want a hug instead?”

Without another word, a ball of water materializes next to the sassy mage, growing larger and larger just like the grin on her face. I realize a little too late what she’s up to. The blob of water slams me into the ground, soaking me top to bottom but at least accomplishing what I asked for.

“Hehe, don’t look at me like that.” The perpetrator walks past me with a shit-eating grin. “Believe me when I say you needed that bath really bad.”

“Uhuh?” Is all I mutter while getting up with only vengeance on my mind.

By the time I turn around, Elyssia is already sprinting down the corridor at breakneck speed. She knows very well what’s coming for her if, no, when I catch up and she’s not wrong.

“Run little mouse!” I yell after her and begin the chase.

Despite being a Mage Elyssia is faster than I expected but even then all I need is seconds to be on her heel. She uses the winds to accelerate and take turns but she’ll need a lot more than that to escape from me.

It’s fun, being the hunter that is. The position of power, the smell of fear oozing from the prey, the possible consequences of every move and-

“STOP!” The girl yells again, coming to a grinding halt and almost making me stumble over her. Almost.

I’ve seen this before and suffered the consequences of not listening. Actually, that’s why we’re here in the first place.

Even though her voice sounded quite distressed I see nothing wrong with the corridor stretching into the darkness both in front of us and behind. How long have we been running anyway?

“Can’t you smell that?” She asks and we both sniff the air vigorously.

“It’s like,” I fill my lungs again. “Rotten eggs?”

“And ash.” She adds just as I see a spark ignite from the corner of my eye.

A spark growing rapidly.