Chương 482: B7—Chapter 58: Adapt, Retry, Succeed

I had already realized that the sequence of conflicts mentioned in the flavor text was the sequence of "wars" we would have to fight. I didn't exactly have ideas what the jumpers versus fliers section would be, but whatever my subconscious was thinking of, it was way off. The first unexpected part was the arena. The first two had been sand, so I expected this one to be sand as well. It wasn't. The moment I stepped through the door, I sank up to my knees in a liquid, squelching mud that sucked me right in.

Every time I lifted a leg, the mud fought back, and I had to wrench it free with a disgusting shllluup sound. The next surprise was the creatures. The jumpers were strange frogs. They were blue, with six legs. Four were jumping legs, and the last two were small, creepy hands they tried to grab things with. The fliers were a gnomish dungeon take on dragonflies. There was some resemblance, at least in shape, but that was all.

Metal armor plated their bodies, and when the first wave screamed overhead with a metallic buzz, I learned another horrible fact. A strafing run hammered down on us, thin metal needles raining from above like someone had dumped a sack of nails on my head. I hissed as they punched through armor and skin alike, the sharp clink and bite of metal piercing leather mixing with Mahya's curses and my hissing.

That was when it became painfully clear that the fuckers could pierce Mana Shield and our skin despite our high stats, leaving us looking like a seamstress's pincushion for daring to side with the frogs. That got Mahya mad, and she jumped after the attack formation, growling the whole time. Well, tried to jump. The first two attempts looked more like hops as the mud refused to let go of her boots, but once she finally tore herself free, she launched after them. Not that it helped much.

The other annoying problem was the quality of their armor. Despite Mahya's strength and the quality of her sword, when she swung at one of them, the only result was a loud clang. The target wavered in the air for a moment from the impact, then stabilized again without a scratch on its armor. I tried to electrocute the fliers with lightning, and the result was even worse.

Blue-white light webbed across the space as the bolts jumped from one flier to the next, snapping and crackling while the creatures lit up like beads on a wire. The current kept spreading, even linking fliers my lightning had never touched, until all of them were part of a single net. For half a second, it looked like it worked. Then the lightning plunged downward in a violent flash as the fliers redirected it straight into the mud. The result was ugly.

I fried over half the frogs on our side and also singed Mahya and Al. The only thing that saved the encounter was the new Range ability I'd gotten at level 20 in Healer. I cast Healing Touch on both of them simultaneously from afar until they stopped twitching, and Al's hair lay flat on his head again. Both of them glowered at me, but the healing did the job. They were fine and stopped giving me the stink eye. Rue was having a bad time, too.

He tried to bite a few of them, but his teeth clanged against their metal armor, and it hurt. He jumped back, whining and licking his teeth. Just in case, I cast a healing spell on him, but didn't feel it do anything. Despite that, he was the only one who had any measure of success. Once he realized he couldn't bite them, he blew them away with his breath. That didn't harm the fliers at all, but it did save Rue from getting a face full of needles. Al also had a small measure of success, but not much.

His freezing spell caught the front ranks of the fliers and slowed them midair, frost crawling over their metal plating. The moment that happened, the ones behind them peeled off and did a strafing run on him, filling him with needles. After that, he gave up on playing mage and pulled out his shield and sword. The sword did little against them, but once the shield was up, the needling stopped. By then, I was holding a Protective Shield in front of me as well, and leaking mana with every needle hit.

Mahya was the only one still having problems. She tried to Jump behind my shield or Al's, but the mud had a sucking superpower. Instead of clearing the distance, she managed a small hop and dropped straight back into the mud, this time landing on her butt and sinking up to her chest. Al and I had to grab her arms and pull her out of the mud, earning another strafing run of needles. I tried to attack, or at least slow them down, with water, but that didn't work either.

Water bullets and water spears bounced off their armor, and a wall of water I created for protection didn't hamper them at all. They just flew through it like it wasn't there. The worst part was that once I pulled the water out of the mud, it became thicker. Since we were knee-deep in it, it almost cost us the fight, as we struggled to pull ourselves free. That earned me stink eyes from everybody, along with some growling from Rue and Mahya. They even sounded similar when they growled.

By that point, only six frogs were still standing. Or, well, hopping. There were a few dead dragonflies lying around, but with all the needles and the rest of the chaos, none of us saw how the frogs did it. Mahya waved Rue toward me.

"Hide behind John." She slogged through the mud, boots tearing free with wet sounds, and tucked herself in behind Al's shield. She leaned out just enough to peer past the rim.

"We need to watch the frogs to see how to kill the fuckers. Don't do anything. Don't try to fight them. Just watch. We need to crack this thing." The dragonflies needled another two frogs to death, their metallic buzz cutting through the air. The third frog hopped high enough to latch onto one of them, its strange hands clamping around head and body before it tore the flier in half. Shards of metal and ichor splashed into the mud.

Another frog went down, and my Protective Shield flickered as it absorbed needle after needle. My mana was getting dangerously low, and I was feeling lightheaded.

"We need to retreat," I said. Mahya stayed focused on the fight, eyes locked on the last frogs.

"Not yet. Only a few frogs left." It took the dragonflies another minute to mop things up. The frogs tore another two fliers to shreds, but with those numbers, it didn't do them much good. The final two frogs died like the rest, hammered in under a rain of needles. Nothing happened when they fell. No motes of mana, or any hint of loot. Mahya let loose a stream of curses and waved us back toward the door, trudging through the mud as we retreated. She didn't stop muttering and growling for even a second.

Thankfully, this dungeon didn't have the "don't go back" restriction. Otherwise, we'd have been in deep trouble. Once we were back in the metal room, we collapsed on the floor and just breathed. Mahya kept muttering between breaths, still going on about the lack of loot, until Al finally pushed himself upright and cleared his throat.

"It is reasonable that we did not receive any loot. We aligned ourselves with the frogs, and John was responsible for the deaths of approximately half of them." That earned a growl from Mahya. After a moment, she sighed, sat up, and nodded.

"Yeah. We really messed up this time." I rubbed my face and leaned back against the wall.

"I don't know about messed up. We didn't have enough information. Now we do. It didn't look like the frogs had trouble tearing them apart. We just need to protect ourselves from the needles, and we're golden."

"Ideas?" Mahya asked. I shrugged.

"Motorcycle helmets? The needles don't sink that deep, so we can take it. The real problem's the eyes and face." Al shook his head.

"It is not feasible. If the needles can puncture metal plates in our armor, they would be able to puncture helmets as well." If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. Mahya's expression changed.

"Not necessarily." Now Al gave her the look. She laughed softly and waved a hand.

"You're right, they'd puncture the helmets, but most of the inertia would bleed out. The real issue is the eyes, and I've got a solution for that." She took out two pairs of protective goggles, the kind she used for smithing, and held them up. I looked at the goggles.

"You think those will work?" Mahya shook them in the air.

"I know they will. I got them in Tatob from the guild. They're meant for working with high-grade metal." I frowned, not quite following, and judging by Al's expression, he wasn't either. Mahya pointed at the goggles.

"Flying fragments?"

"Oh." Al nodded once and hummed in agreement. I pushed myself off the wall and let out a tired breath.

"But not today. We need a break, and I'm pretty dry." Mahya slumped back against the wall.

"Me too. The flamethrower for the ice took almost all of my mana." The next day, we were all bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, but there was a problem. Mahya had only two goggles. After a bit of humming, Al pointed between Mahya and me.

"You should go." Rue growled. Al reached out and scratched him behind the ear. That was a surprise. It wasn't the first time he'd done it, but it was rare. Very rare. He usually treated Rue as another person, not like a dog who could talk, but still enjoyed all the doggy things.

"John can fly, and Mahya can jump. In this endeavor, speed is of the essence, and they are most suited to it." Rue sighed in defeat and slumped onto the floor like a starfish.

"I actually think we should fly out the door," I said.

"Definitely," Mahya said.

"I was about to suggest the same thing." For a minute, it looked like Al was about to suggest joining us again, but he stayed quiet, giving only a small shake of his head. We put on our armor and goggles and tried to fit the helmets over them, but that didn't work. Still, the eyes were the most important part, and the goggles solved that. With my ranged healing, the needles weren't that bad. Mahya and I flew out the door and the monsters burst out of the mud. Both sides were there again.

For some reason, I'd expected to face only the armored dragonflies, but the frogs were back in the "war" as if nothing had happened the previous day. Yeah, dungeon logic. Or dungeon illogic, if I was being accurate. We took the frog side again, but this time without touching the ground. I stayed airborne, keeping my boots well clear of the mud. I was not getting sucked into that again. Both of us went after the dragonflies like avenging angels, diving through the air with purpose.

Today, it was their turn to suffer. We got hit by needles. I plucked mine out with one hand and cast healing spells on Mahya with the other. Once I was freed from the needles, I healed myself as well. By the time I was done, Mahya had already torn three dragonflies in half, pieces still falling when I glanced her way. Not to be outdone, I went after my share of the revenge. Turns out dungeon dragonflies do not shoot needles when fleeing for their lives.

The only problems we ran into were their speed and maneuverability. They darted and veered through the air, forcing us to adjust constantly.

"Let's do a pincer attack," Mahya called as she banked hard, her sword flashing as she shifted position.

"How?" I called back, angling away to keep them in sight.

"Come at them from both sides and catch them in the middle," she called, already committing to her arc. I switched to telepathy.

"One of us will get needled." She picked up speed.

"We can take it." It took us three pincer attacks to clear all the fliers, with some healing in between. She was right. We could take it. Next, three lightning bolts from me finished off the frogs. The fight felt strange. Not the retreat and retry with better information, but the way we fought them this time. It was my first time tearing monsters apart with my bare hands. Yes, it was the only way to defeat them with that crazy armor, but it still felt too primal. Too violent.

I hovered there and tried to figure out how I felt about it. Mahya whooped. I flew down to her, but still hovered over the mud. I had no intention of sinking into it ever again. She was cradling a rolled scroll like a baby.

"What's that?" She waved the scroll under my nose. Irrevocable Mandate of Structural Compliance Upon casting this spell, the target metal is very firmly informed that its current internal arrangement is unacceptable and will no longer be tolerated. Mana is forcibly introduced into every tiny part of it, squeezing, bracing, nudging, and locking things into place until the metal understands what "stable" really means.

Once convinced, the metal becomes harder to bend, harder to tire out, and much harder to crack, split, or decide that today is the day it fails catastrophically. This condition is permanent. The metal remembers the lesson and does not require additional mana reminders afterward. No reshaping occurs. The object does not get heavier, shinier, uglier, prettier, or more magical in any interesting way. It is simply better at being metal.

All existing forging work, alloys, and sensible enchantments remain valid and cooperative. Applying this process again to the same object is allowed, but the metal grows increasingly stubborn and learns less each time.

"So Al is getting the egg?" I asked. Mahya froze. Her face twisted into a conflicted expression.

"We did clear this part alone…" she said, her tone leading. Now it was my turn to give her the look. She sighed and slumped, then perked up a second later.

"Maybe this dungeon has some other good loot for him." I shook my head with a chuckle. Mahya was Mahya in all that it entailed. The frog section also had a scroll lying above the mud. Since Mahya was still busy cradling the first scroll, I flew to the other. Momentum Redistribution Protocol This is a movement skill. Obviously. It tells the body to GO UP, but politely, and with only a little screaming.

Mana is applied in short, enthusiastic shoves, launching the user in a direction that was agreed upon moments earlier. At first, this results in higher or longer leaps, and fewer embarrassing landings where ankles complain loudly. As skill competence improves, solid ground becomes optional. Loose dirt? Acceptable. Walls? Probably fine. Tiny ledges? Yes, yes, those count. Moving things? If they exist, they are surfaces now.

With sufficient expertise and confidence bordering on irresponsibility, even things that are currently falling may be used as temporary agreements with gravity. Flying debris, drifting rubble, and objects that really wish they were not involved can be stepped on briefly, allowing leap after leap after leap until the user is no longer sure whether this is leaping or something suspiciously similar to flying. This is not flight. This is arguing with physics repeatedly until it gives up.

Mana cost remains low, sensible, and surprisingly well-behaved, increasing only when distance, direction changes, or extremely poor directional choices are involved. It sounded familiar for some reason. I was sure I'd never read this description, but something about it tickled my memory. The problem was that I couldn't place it. I floated over to Mahya, who was still cradling the other scroll.

"Does this sound familiar to you?" She made a face.

"It sounds like the Jump skill in gnomish translation." Jump A movement skill that enhances the user's ability to launch themselves with controlled bursts of force. At low levels, it allows higher, farther, and more precise jumps, improving takeoff control, balance, and landings. As the skill levels, the user can launch from unstable or unconventional surfaces such as walls, narrow ledges, and moving objects.

At higher levels, even airborne debris can serve as temporary footholds, enabling chained jumps through open space. At mastery, sustained sequences of launches allow near-flight movement. This skill has a low mana cost that scales gently with distance and complexity. Yeah, she was right.

"Any idea what we should do with it? All of us have the skill," I asked, turning the scroll in my hand. She shrugged.

"Sell it." She lifted a finger.

"But only to gnomes. No sane adventurer would pay for this description." I chuckled and shook my head.

"No kidding." We headed back to the metal room and then into my house to look for the rest of the gang. We found them near the pool. Al was stretched out on a lounger with Rue's head in his lap, one hand resting on Rue's neck. When he spotted us, he sat up straight, pushed Rue's head off his lap, and cleared his throat. Somehow, he managed to look half dignified and half sheepish. He had skills.

"Did you finish the battle?" he asked.

"Yeah," I said.

"Good loot, too." He straightened a bit more at that. Mahya shot me a death glare and held out both scrolls. Al glanced at the gnomish Jump scroll first, his expression turning bemused, then his mouth curved into a wide smile when he looked at the metal-enhancing spell.

"So does this mean that I can claim the egg?" he asked. Now she shot him a death glare.

"This dungeon so far has had excellent loot. Let's see first what else we'll get." He was about to open his mouth, but I stopped him telepathically, " Let it go for now. She's really focused on her ship and in a feisty mood. We'll distribute loot after we finish the dungeon." He paused, then gave me a slight nod. I headed off to cook lunch before we braved the next battle.