As we stared at the monster, our eyes struggled to make sense of it. We saw that the space where its body should be seemed warped, distorted, as if the world itself was rejecting its presence.
Then the ground trembled, a heavy, rhythmic pulse that sent shivers through my legs. The monster lurched toward us.
Fast.
It tore through the trees in its path with brute force, splinters flying like shrapnel as entire trunks snapped and crumbled under its charge. This wasn’t magic or some enchanted tool carving its way forward—just pure, unrelenting strength.
Katherine reacted first, stepping forward with surprising grace to meet the almost-invisible foe. Her pained cry soon joined its growl, but the beast’s roar shook the air and the impact of the air itself sent her staggering back.
I barely had time to react before she crashed into me. Her warmth might have been a comfort in another moment, but now it was nothing more than a grim reminder of the danger we were in. She gritted her teeth and, with my support, sprang forward again, her resolve determined. Just like streams.
Mana surged around us like a storm as Tramar and I both began drawing runes in the air.
“Fire floor!” Tramar’s voice rang out just as his spell completed. Flames erupted beneath the monster, spreading outward in a circle of searing heat. The ground hissed and cracked under the intense fire, but the monster barely flinched. The flames licked at its distorted form, the air shimmering around it strangely—the heat seemed to steady the warped space instead of intensifying it.
Now it was my turn.
I raised my hands, the movements shaky as I started forming the runes without the system’s help. Mana swirled chaotically around me, thick and rigid, resisting my control like a wild beast. Easy now, Charlie. Focus.
I was on the sixth rune when I felt it—a subtle vibration in the mana surrounding us. Tramar was casting again. Normally, I wouldn’t have noticed it, but now, with every fiber of my being focused, the surge of his magic pulled at mine, destabilizing the fragile balance I was holding.
The feedback forced me to juggle mana across three runes at once, a task so delicate my breathing turned shallow, and beads of sweat formed on my brow. My fingers cramped, sharp pains shooting through them. It reminded me of the time a three-hundred-pound Italian guy had sat on my hand during a bet. That pain was still seared into my memory.
No, focus! Stay with it. Next time, I’ll let the system help. Promise.
With a last surge of effort, I locked the runes into place; the mana spiraling inwards.
“Princess’ grace!” I shouted, releasing the spell.
The runes glowed brilliantly, mana bursting outward in a wave of radiant energy.
<table style="background-image: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: rgba(0, 75, 122, 0.93); margin: 10px auto; width: 90%; border: none; border-collapse: separate; border-spacing: 2px; padding: 0">
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[Player Tramar68 intelligence increased by 15!]</td>
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Yes!” I bounced up and pumped my fist in the air, beaming with joy. Victory was in sight—until I turned and saw Katherine. Bloodied and battered, three deep wounds on her shoulder gushed crimson, pouring like a broken bottle tipped upside down.
“Shatt! Sorry, Kit!” Panic surged through me as I grabbed an agility potion from my belt. The glass clinked against my shaking hands as I downed it in one go.
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[Agility increased by 50]</td>
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Before I could act, Katherine let out a scream that sent chills down my spine. “Chyort!” she roared as an invisible slash ripped across her thigh. The attack came out of nowhere, and she stumbled to the side, swinging her sword wildly into the empty air.
Compared to my ultimate skill, healing runes were a breeze—second nature by now. My fingers danced through the air, leaving shimmering trails as the mana flowed effortlessly.
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The soft, golden glow of my healing spell descended on Katherine, wrapping her in its embrace. The light seeped into her wounds, greedily consumed by her battered body. Thankfully, the bleeding slowed, her strength visibly returning, and though not entirely healed, she flashed a fierce grin toward where she thought the enemy was lurking.
“Die!” she shouted, slashing again—only to carve through empty air.
Beside me, the temperature spiked. “Fireball!” Tramar yelled, a massive ball of flame forming at his fingertips. With a quick flick of his wrist, it sailed toward the invisible threat.You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.
The fire struck something. The sound of sizzling flesh filled the air, and the putrid stench of burning meat hit me like a punch to the gut. My stomach turned, bile rising in my throat.
The smell was too familiar, triggering memories I’d rather forget. My heart sank. A Blobrg.
“Katherine, retreat!” I screamed, my voice cracking with panic. “We can’t win!”
My mind raced back to my imperial training. One lesson stood out like a glaring neon sign: Never engage a Blobrg without being fully prepared. The memory of trying to take down a level fifty Blobrg at level one hundred resurfaced—a humiliating minute-long fight that ended in my death.
Without exploits, these things were practically invincible.
Katherine stumbled again as another invisible attack tore through her armor, ripping into her back. Blood poured freely from the fresh wound, and she spun around defensively, her breathing ragged.
“Wut? Show yarself!” she roared, her voice filled with both pain and fury.
“Retreat! Now!” I yelled again, desperation creeping into my tone.
Tramar had already conjured another fireball, but his aim faltered under the pressure. The spell whizzed past Katherine, setting nearby trees ablaze instead of hitting its target. Flames crackled in the distance, the fire casting shadows against the foliage.
As Katherine fought to hold her ground, her strength waning, I knew the burden of keeping her alive fell squarely on my shoulders. This is bad. Really bad.
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<td style="text-align: center; margin: 3px; padding: 5px; color: rgba(218, 213, 206, 1) !important; border: 1px solid rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.25) !important; background-image: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1)">[Perfect Runecraft! Healing x2 - 37HP]</td>
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“Kit, you’re at level ten, right?” I asked, still thrashing through bushes, desperately trying to keep pace while retreating. My voice barely carried over the rustling leaves and the distant crackle of flames.
My question caught her off guard, her sword hand freezing mid-swing. Not like it would’ve hit anything anyway—the Blobrg had vanished again.
“Yea, why?” she huffed, her breathing labored as blood dripped from another wound.
“I know a prestige class that’s perfect for you,” I said quickly, the words spilling out as my mind raced. “I can summon an angel and unlock it, but we need to keep the Blobrg off us for at least five seconds…” My voice trailed off as another slash found Katherine, forcing a painful moan from her lips.
“Which is impossible,” I muttered under my breath.
“I have fire sacrifice,” Tramar cut in, a grin spreading across his face as we reached a rocky clearing. The forest thinned here, the open terrain allowing the Blobrg to maneuver more freely. Not good.
Katherine stayed ahead, still backpedaling, her shield up and her movements growing sluggish. The relentless assault of the invisible enemy was taking its toll.
“Are you sure?” I asked Tramar, biting my lip as I caught another glimpse of Katherine wincing from yet another unseen strike. Watching her take this kind of beating wasn’t just painful—it was infuriating. On her stream, it was different. There was always a sense of safety, even in failure. But now? Now it was real.
“What’s one small sacrifice for a new friendship with you two?” Tramar’s voice carried a teasing edge, but his tone was steady. My puzzled expression must have been obvious, because he quickly added, “You want to call an angel, right? She’s a ranker. Besides, I only lose an hour of playtime if this fails.”
“I’ll make it up to you,” I said, my voice firm, carrying a rare note of determination. It wasn’t every day someone offered to take a fall for me. Actually, it was the first time.
“Kit!” I shouted, my voice cutting through the chaos. “Stay there! We’ll fall back a hundred feet, and then he’ll swap!”
Tramar’s mouth opened slightly, his eyes shimmering with a mix of surprise and curiosity. “How do you know?” he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.
“No time! Now!” My scream jolted him into action.
With a single swift motion, he created a small, intricate rune—so fast it was as if he’d rehearsed it a thousand times. As the rune activated, it greedily devoured an enormous amount of mana, leaving me momentarily unable to cast anything. It felt almost like being hit with a silence spell; the sudden disruption was disorienting.
From the glowing rune, a line of fire shot forward, connecting with Katherine.
In an instant, the world seemed to blur, and they swapped places. Katherine appeared beside me, her expression a mix of confusion and relief, while Tramar took her place on the front lines, facing the invisible terror head-on.
“I call the God of War, according to Agreement Seventy-Four!” I yelled to no one in particular, my voice rising.
A fireball consumed Tramar, and an explosion followed, clearing at least fifteen feet of the battlefield. The sudden burst of flames faintly revealed the Blobrg’s monstrous form, its warped outline flickering in the light. But it wasn’t enough to cause serious harm.
At any other time, I would’ve laughed at the utterly baffled expression on Katherine’s face, but there was no time for that now. The Blobrg screeched, a sound that seemed to pierce the very air, its burning fur releasing a putrid, oily stench that clawed at my nostrils.
The breeze from its cry brushed against my skin, sending an involuntary shiver down my spine. Still, there was no answer from the heavens.
“You called, I answered,” came a voice behind me, soft and melodic, with an edge of authority that commanded attention.
I turned and fell to one knee, bowing my head with haste. “My friend Katherine seeks the path of the Glory Seeker,” I said, my words tumbling out. “Please, erect a holy barrier around us during her consideration.”
The Blobrg, still engulfed in flames and now visible, let out another ear-splitting scream and barreled toward us. Its every step shook the ground, and time felt like it was slipping away.
“You are a confirmed hero,” the voice responded, calm and unhurried. “Do you guarantee Katherine’s character?”
“I—I do!” I stammered, panic edging my voice. “Please—fast!”
“Very well.”
As soon as the words left her lips, the surrounding ground erupted with a hundred glowing runes. Their ethereal light bathed the area in a warm glow, and with a flash, a red barrier shimmered into existence, encircling us completely.
The sight brought back a rush of memories. Back when I was exploiting army quests, my squad had stumbled upon a random acolyte. Simple enough, right? Wrong. We had no idea he was under the God of War’s protection until we found ourselves helpless against one of these very barriers. Unbreakable. No weapon, no spell, no exploit could bring it down.
I smirked as I saw the Blobrg pawing uselessly at the barrier’s edge. The beast tried to slam against it with brute force, but the glowing wall didn’t even flicker. Tough luck, blob.
“Wut? Charlie?” Katherine dove away from the barrier, her wide eyes darting between me and the angel. “Wat’s a Glory Seeker?”
The angel stepped forward, and I couldn’t help but stare. She was stunning—a young woman clad in heavy, intricately crafted armor. The silver-red plating gleamed with divine energy, and the enormous sword strapped to her back radiated power.
Her black, curly hair spilled out from beneath her helmet in defiant strands, framing almond-shaped eyes as dark as a starless sky. Her skin, a deep brown, reflected the light of the runes, giving her an otherworldly glow.
Definitely a southerner, I thought. Before her ascension, she was likely born and raised there—one of the rare humans from the region. Traders aside, southerners weren’t exactly known for their hospitality to outsiders. Most of my attempts to exploit their quirks had failed miserably.
“Present your case,” the angel said, her voice soothing yet firm. No wonder the God of War chose her—his very obvious interest in beautiful women made this choice unsurprising. Still, she’s perfect for this role.
“Katherine here has reached a pivotal point in her life,” I began, gesturing toward my friend, who still looked half-confused, half-awestruck. “She can now decide her future. I nominate her as one of the eight Glory Seekers—specifically, Juggernaut.”