[h3]Ash, Oberon, Reoth, Torrent[/h3]
[quote=System:Oberon]
CURRENT SKILLS:
Minor Heal III (3.0)
Lesser Flight II (2.6)
Shield IV (4.006125)
Magic Analysis IV (4.1875)
Mana Orb II (2.525)
Mana Shape II (2.7)
Lesser Status Heal (1.2)
Mana Dart I (1.5)
Alert I (1.55)
Monster Analysis II (2.45)
Meditation III (3.02625)
Light Ring I (1.25)
Gather Light I (1.65)
Fireball I (1.5)
Plant Analysis I (1.0)
Material Analysis I (1.0)
Sacred Ground I (1.0)
Mana Slice I (1.0)
Overwork I (1.75)
Keen Sight (1.05)
Minor Heal All I (1.0)
Spiritual Awareness I (1.0)
Minor Regeneration I (1.0)
Spell Chant I (1.1)
Focus I (1.0)
Mental Resistance II (2.25)
Sensory Resistance I (1.0)
<UNUSABLE>
Wall (0.1)
Faster (0.4)
Charisma (0.9)
Light Affinity (0.8)
Fire Resistance (0.2)
Spell Cancel (0.1)
Mana Puppet (0.5)
[/quote]

Ash would find that, though the depletion of her Stamina from earlier made it somewhat more tiring to exercise (even compared to her former life, where as a scientist she likely hadn't been fond of physical exertion), she was beginning to get a feel for her scorpion-like tail in this evolved form. As a Fanged Lizard her tail hadn't been that long, and had been positioned differently. This one still felt rather stiff, but for the basic up-and-down curling motion it seemed well suited. The stinger wasn't as flexible as the rest of the limb, however--it felt more like a long fingernail than a finger. Still, some results were better than nothing. [[Free to interact with Reoth and co. in between updates, points are adding up in the background but as of yet there wasn't a big breakthrough.]]
[hr]
[h3]Digbie[/h3]
[quote=System:Digbie]
You used Plant Analysis I! You used Magic Analysis I!
---Green Argep---
A sweet fruit that some would describe as a berry, since it is smaller and grows in bunches. Green Argeps are not ripe and the body of the fruit has not fully developed; it has a bitter, acidic taste that will turn sweet later on. The leaves of the Argep bush are sometimes used to brew tea and the fruit itself can be fermented even when unripe. It has no real magical properties that you can discern.
---[color=antiquewhite]Blessed[/color] White Yill Flower---
The White Yill is a species of yill flower, a common variety of blooming flowers that grow in many habitats. While often considered pleasing to look at, it doesn't have much use. It is perennial, and its seeds ripen towards the end of summer. It normally has no magical properties to speak of, but does have a higher capacity than other plants to absorb mana. Thus it can easily be made to conduct mana or take on magic properties, so Yill flowers sometimes change into other Magical Plants depending on their environments. [color=antiquewhite]This one has been Blessed. It may ward against misfortune or provide needed guidance to those in need of forgiveness.[/color]
---Analysis Complete!---
[/quote]

Digbie's analysis skills weren't very high rank yet, so they didn't tell him much. The Pixie that had been observing him now flew off into the forest, either to get away from a potential predator or simply to do its own thing. It had stopped to listen for a moment when Digbie spoke, but whether or not it really understood him was anyone's guess. His Earth Vein ability had fully restored his MP after several minutes--it seemed sitting down helped, as more of his body was in contact with the ground. Still, Rock Spire could only be cast three times before he ran out of MP at his current level--would he continue to use it to leave himself a trail to follow back, or was there a better way?

Following the mole run, Digbie would soon come to the edge of the woods. From here, the trees had thinned almost to nothing and the brushy forest floor gave way completely to rocks and packed earth. Before him, the slopes of the mountain rose to crags and cracked ledges--and he could see great mounds of dirt where the last vestiges of that avalanche had finally settled. The mole's tunnel went towards a break in the rocks, however--a narrow series of slopes, perhaps where some kind of wild goat or other skilled climber made its way up the walls where other creatures would have to find another way. Digbie could see a tall cleft between two great rocks...but nothing within it save darkness. Did he dare risk squeezing into such a space with no idea what might await him? Did he dare venture up into the mountains among that loose gravel? Did he dare leave the cover of the trees and expose himself to whatever other creatures might be lurking about?

Only he could decide.
[hr]
[h3]Ardur, Asura, Momma Slime[/h3]
Though he lost another chunk of HP to the drain, Asura Smashed into the Zombie Rat's head from behind. The undead rodent seemed pretty sturdy--certainly more so than a normal Dire Rat--but Asura had gotten stronger compared to his first battles in the cave. He managed to drive the creature's skull into the dirt, cracking it open like a melon. The rat spasmed once, then went still. 

[quote=System:Asura]
Developing Skill: Focus (0.2)
[/quote]

Ardur stomped the helpless Zombie Pixie to a pulp, then seemed dazed for a moment as the talking sword saved them. When Asura applied a healing herb to his arm, some of the pain simply radiating through him seemed to subside--but he hadn't eaten the Herb, and thus it didn't seem he was getting the full effect from it yet. If he did so, however, it would fully restore his HP as told by the System. Regardless, he listened to both Asura and the sword and took flight. On his way over the pool, he reached out to try and grab the sword--but an invisible force pushed him back and urged him on his way.

[color=lightblue][i]"You have no Mana, and though you are strong I am not a weapon you can wield. Go."[/i][/color] spoke that soft voice. [i][color=lightblue]"But...if you must return...bring a Hero with you!"[/color][/i]

Momma Slime whopped another Skeleblin head over heels, then bundled herself up into a tight ball and rolled quickly after the others. Behind them, bones rattled angrily and a few Mana Orbs shot overhead, missing them by a fair margin. But the pursuit of the undead didn't last long. The sword rose up above the pool, and floated under its own power much like a Wisp. Though it didn't summon any more waves, a thin stream of water wrapped around its edges before it spun in place. As if an invisble hand held it, the blade lashed out, and the water followed along its trail like a whip. In one long arc, it sliced a Skeleblin and a Zombie Pixie in two--the skeleton at the base of its spine, and the Pixie right below the shoulders. The Undead drew back, wary of this more powerful opponent, and the sword began to sink back into the water. It stopped before the tip of its blade could disappear beneath the surface...but every time a monster dared to approach or try to pursue, the sword rose up a little higher. When they retreated, so too did it delve deeper. An uneasy standoff bought Asura, Ardur, and Momma Slime enough time to head towards the exit... 
[hr]
[h3]Asteria, Ed, Mother Rat[/h3]
As the Rat Party elected to ignore the tracks and continue moving south, even choosing to ignore the various flowers and plants they had found, they found their path unimpeded for some time. Moving through the grassy plains for Asteria and Mother Rat was an experience akin to pushing their way through the Amazon Jungle--these stalks of grass blocked their vision entirely, and the way forward could only be found by ducking under or squeezing between the various shades of greenery. For Ed it was a little easier, but as he tried to follow the lead of the other two and keep himself unseen, he too was quite limited in his perception of their true surroundings. Only the walls of vegetation in front of them could be seen.

Asteria could feel her Mana slowly returning, however her Mana Drain seemed less and less effective the more she split her focus between searching for danger and finding an effective route across the terrain. At the same time, trying to keep her Mana Drain active meant she didn't have her fullest focus on paying attention to their surroundings--maybe that was why she only felt an Alert at the very last moment.

From under their very feet a large, reddish body burst out of the earth, tossing dirt and pebbles about! It slammed into Mother Rat from the underside, knocking her over into the grass--its snapping mandibles and flailing legs immediately reminded the other two rats of that eternal pest from their own world, the fire ant. But this one was easily as tall as the Dire Rats, and twice as long. As it pulled itself from the ground, lunging at Mother Rat, the bulbous stinger at the end of its body twitched...!
[hr]
[h3]Danny[/h3]
Danny settled onto a ledge just over the cave's entrance, giving him a clear view at the back of anything that might come through the "doorway" from above. He made the decisions regarding his skill points, then settled down to rest as he pondered his evolution.

"I'm going with the Poltergeist."

As soon as he spoke the words, sleep fell on him like a physical blow. No one else saw the little Wisp hiding among the nooks and crannies as he fell unconscious. But Danny...Danny could see EVERYTHING.

Not in crystal clarity, of course. But he drifted upwards, out of his body, rising high enough that he could look out across the cave. He could see the pool where Asura, Ardur, and Momma Slime fled the undead hordes the core was gathering, and the strange floating sword that fought those same hordes. He could see the Core itself, nestled inside Jason's Cave in the enormous Source Crystal--the green surface which had now become spiderwebbed by pulsing lines of blood red. In the distance, he could even see...something misty white, taking the form of a spherical creature with a pointy, almost hat-like projection atop it. It almost looked like Jason. 

He suddenly felt the Core pulling at him, like a strong ocean current. But this was not the same pull Jason must have felt--this was the inevitable slide of the fish down the whale's gaping maw. This was the pull of annihalation. The only, instinctual, deeply driven response to this pull was to flee--and Danny was close to the exit of the cave. His spirit had only inches to go before he felt something give way, a barrier within the dungeon...

Now he saw a deep forest, and gently rising cliffs growing ever steeper until they became mountains to the immediate west. Down below him, atop the hill and rocky outcrops that formed the roof of the cave, he saw something shining...Steel. He saw steel, reflecting the glint of the sun. And wearing that steel, two humans--actual, living, real humans! They were crouched behind a large stone, one larger and one smaller, a child. Both carried weapons, and the adult wore full armor like a gallant knight. This one suddenly seemed to become aware of something, looking all around him...then right at Danny. 

But he did not seem to see the Wisp, not truly. He kept looking about--like a person who knows something is there, but cannot see it.

Danny rose higher, drifting through clouds that stretched over the cave and further beyond, over curling smoke trails and unnaturally shaped structures of wood and stone that could only be civilization. Somewhere to the east, a large body of water sat glimmering with the last rays of the setting sun.

He rose higher. To the south, deserts and canyons, windstorms sweeping over the dunes. Further to the east, a bright light cutting a path to safety for those in need of guidance. Over the mountains, to the southwest, a grand city stretching for miles. Still in the west, but far further north, a tower like a mighty tree reaching up to the heavens with roots stretching deep, deep into the earth. So far to the east that it became west again, a lonely, cold, desolate island where red lightning split the sky. Further beyond that, marshlands and mountains and untamed, wild lands.

He rose higher. A world, a planet, rotated thousands of miles an hour, yet from this distance appeared as no more than a soap bubble, as if it would pop if he but brushed a fingertip against it. The city lured him, cried out for him. The island's red skies held him in sway.

Then he began to plummet earthward...
[hr]
[h3]Jason[/h3]
When Jason attempted to phase into the Dire Rat, it felt like trying to shove a fist through gelatin. But nonetheless his etheral body pushed through the flesh of the creature, leaving no wound and drawing no blood. When he deactivated the skill, however, both he and the rat were repelled from each other like powerful magnets of the same polarity. Jason, being an African Warlord, probably would not be familiar with the comparison--but such a sensation might be best described as "a Bethesda glitch IRL." He heard the rat screech in pain and saw its body writhing for a moment. Though there was still no blood, the creature moved in a drunken fashion that implied a severe blow to the head. It would take it some time to recover--but instead of chasing after it, Jason had another priority.

Trying to "sweep up" the remains of his former bile and ooze back into the membrane was...less than effective. He simply passed through the majority of the material, and what little he could "touch" would soon fall through him as well. Unlike a Wisp, he didn't seem to have the ability to physically move things yet. When he entered the deflated membrane of his own corpse, the sensation was different from entering the rat. Instead of pushing through jello, this was more akin to...pudding, perhaps. Or such a thing as "thick" water.

But as he tried to move his body again, to bind again the spirit and the flesh...nothing. No spark, no return to sensation, not even an error message from the System.

[quote=System:?as0n]
[color=red]WARNING! YOUR MP IS LOW![/color]
[/quote]

Oh, there it was.

The Dire Rat managed to get to its feet, shaking its head. Once more it turned its nose back towards the Core...If Jason hurried he might catch it, but did using more Stamina in this form mean using MP as well? Could he find more Lizard eggs or some other easier targets for soul-snacking here in the nesting area? Could he reach the exit of the cave before his MP ran out?

[i]"Eating soul, same as eating flesh and bone! When yas eat meat, it stops bein' meat, but it don't stop BEIN'! An' whens ya die, or poop, everyting still dere! Aminals, Monstahs, Gobs and everyting else--moves like watah! Dries up, rains down, over and over! NOW EAT BEFORE YAS STOPS BEIN' YOU!"[/i]
[hr]
[h3]Orchid's Tribe[/h3]
[quote=System:Orchid]
You used Monster Analysis I!
---Hex Cat---
A cat of dark hues, with stiff fur atop its head that comes to a point. This fur, and the shape of its ears, give it the impression of wearing a witch's hat. It's known as an unlucky omen among most races.
---Analysis Complete!---
[/quote]

As Orchid shouted orders, Bigs lowered himself behind his shield and jabbed with his spear. He wasn't fast enough to hit the cat, but it had to stay light on its feet to dodge and couldn't find an opening to attack. Just as it landed after evading a thrust, a Fireball arched over Bigs from behind and came down on top of the creature--Crispy had timed it well, and the Rank II spell exploded like a small firework on impact. The Hex Cat yowled in pain as the flames consumed its furry body, and it hurled itself to the ground and began rolling--but now the grass around it was catching fire as well...

"I ain'ts a-scared!" Sqwal protested, lunging at the cat and swinging his club again. It easily dodged him, and its other eye started to glimmer as it raised one paw to bat him. But with a crackle of red energy at the tip of her weapon, Orchid shot forward and jabbed the cat hard in the side. It screeched and turned a side-flip in mid-air as she knocked it away, once more landing gingerly. It turned that eye on her now--and Orchid felt a sudden drowsiness come over her. Her limbs felt heavy--but it was only for a moment, then she seemed to be able to shake it off. In that moment of daze, however, the cat had lunged at Sqwal again. This time it ducked his club and pounced, putting its forefeet on his shoulders and driving him down. It was posed atop him, ready to tear out his throat with its teeth--