[h3]Monster Party[/h3]
As Digbie and Oberon made their way into the shelter, the Goblins couldn't hear what the Sprite said to Ash. They had, however, noticed her spear floating with Lesser Force before she grabbed it with her tail, and the two on the hilltop were muttering about it among themselves while the one with the sword just looked back and forth at Rags Nar nervously. When the Pygmy Drake spoke the group reacted with shock, Rags Nar taking a step back and putting one hand on his dagger. When Torrent once again tried to throw her voice from her hiding place, the greenies nearly jumped out of their skin.

"Da big demons again!?" Rags Nar said incredulously, now rubbing his ear with his other hand. Mahya moved behind the goblin with the rusty sword and looked around nervously. However, up on top of the hill, the goblin with the animal pelts had begun looking around...he lingered near Torrent's hiding place, but as of yet he wasn't looking directly at her. He did, however, seem quite suspicious...

"Oi, what...what is you?" The goblin with the sword spoke for the first time now, pointing at Ash with his weapon. "You's da Demigob's pet, right? Den how comes you talks! Speaks Gob, even! And what kinda magics youse got?"

With the "door" closed up, Digbie and Oberon hadn't seen or heard any of this take place except for the yelps when Torrent did her best evil spirit impression. They were left to sit and wait.

Meanwhile, Rags Nar gave Ash a sharp look before finally heading up the hill, back to his goat. As he approached the creature he pulled his knife from its sheath.

"Ain't no reason to let it go if'n's I's just gonna kill it!" he said, warily getting closer to the creature. It stamped its hooves and lowered its head, even though its horns were still blunted with pieces of soft wood. "And ain't no reason to kill it if he just wants to lets it go! Demigob ain't makin' no sense!" He turned and shouted to the air. "Big Demons! If yas can hear me, den tells me what I gots ta do! I wanna gets big powah like da Demigob! Tell me how ta make sense of all dis stuff he be doin'!"

Whether by divine providence, or simple weather patterns, at that moment a white, fluffy cloud happened to roll across the mountain tops and in front of the sun. The little campsite was cast in a gray hue...
[hr]
[h3]PixieSlime Party[/h3]
[quote=System:Asura]
[color=red]Yo! You have reached the Demon King's Prayer Hotline. Please hold, your prayers are NOT important to me.

I kindly request that you STOP IMMEDIATELY. Do not EVER pray to me again. Prayers are for deities and I don't want that kinda fuckin' responsibility. This is an automated response system, do not reply to it or I'll send somebody to fuck you up.

--Beep--

--No, no I wanna get this one, it doesn't count as a prayer. Shut the fuck up, he's on the two way now. No spoilers. Ahem.

Congratulations on being the first to attempt using the equivalent of the Help page without making a ceremony of it. You must be one of the ones who played the vidya and read the mangos. Unfortunately for you, I'm not one of those divine bitches that take the fun out of everything so their little boy toys can run around fucking everything up for whoever's not the first girl they see. You don't get Cheats, you aren't some kind of talented prodigy, and that's the way I want it. Unless circumstances get considerably more dire, don't ever expect me to bail you out.

Yes, I brought you here. Do I owe you help? Is it my responsibility to help? Do I need to help you in order to get you to pay me back by doing what I want? The answers to all of those questions are irrelevant. The only fact that matters is that I am, in all likelihood, not going to do a damn thing until you either get to my Palace or find a more direct way to contact me.

That said, I will at least point this out just cause you seem like the type to ragequit otherwise. Much like everything the "System" tells you, you'd figure this out on your own if you could stand "inconvenience." The skill's called Spiritual Awareness, not Rocket Science. Obviously ghosts are real here. So maybe you need to make a call.

Just don't call me again. From here on, you'll only get my automated responses until you...hit some milestones, let's say. If you trigger my anti-prayer measures, you will have the WORST time. Hopefully I'll be seeing you in person before the end of the next fuckin' decade.[/color]
[/quote]

"You...what?!" Even Zieglar's visor couldn't hide the shock in his voice when Asura explained that he had chosen from a handful of options to Transform. "But if...how...Does this mean...?" The knight loosened the strap around his helmet and shook his head as if he were getting a headache. Trent seemed bothered much the same, but only bit his lip.

"A Kilm Blossom is a flower with sour smelling buds, and colorful flowers. A Cushiwog mushroom is red, with green spots that look slimy. Both of them have healing properties an alchemist or magic user can use to make potions and things."

As Asura tried to "sense" something beyond his physical sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch, he became aware of two other senses that normally weren't taken into consideration--the sense of one's own bodily positions in relation to oneself, and the sense of one's orientation in space. But aside from a Zen-like mindfulness, being aware of these senses didn't really seem to change anything. Would he need to do some kind of meditation to unlock Spiritual Awareness? Maybe once he entered the cave he would be able to grind it on the undead creatures somehow.

When he suggested a torch, Trent nodded a retrieved one from his pack--it looked like he had at least three in there, along with various other things needed for a short camping trip or scouting excursion.

[quote=System:Ardur]
You used Lesser Cleanse on the Bone Breastplate!
...
The Bone Breastplate has been Cleansed. The lingering energies of Death were already beginning to fade, and now they are gone. The Bone Breastplate has also been slightly sterilized.
[/quote]

There was no notice about a Purified item or the completion of the Quest for Ardur. What other method might he try? But, it would probably have to wait for a bit--now that Trent was lighting the torch, it was time to go.

As the little group stepped forth into the darkness, they could see that the Cave had not changed too much from the last time they had been in it. The holes in the ceiling were all plugged up, so the darkness was much deeper. That oppressive aura had gotten worse. But...

Everything was silent.

Every so often, there were lights...or were there? Were they Wisps, or just tricks of the eye in the halo from their torch? The temperature, too, had chilled.

[quote=SYSTEM]
[center][h3][color=purple]𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝕆𝕥𝕙𝕖𝕣𝕨𝕠𝕣𝕝𝕕𝕝𝕪 ℂ𝕒𝕧𝕖𝕣𝕟[/color][/h3]
YOU HAVE ENTERED A HOSTILE DUNGEON.[/center]
[/quote]

"The World Echo's a little stronger than it was before." Trent whispered, as they made their way further from the entrance. The walls seemed so much more oppressive in the darkness, somehow. If Asura and Ardur could remember the general layout of the cave, they would know that they were heading, roughly, towards the Goblin Bonfire now...

Suddenly, two eerie green flashes buzzed from near the ceiling--as if they were spotlights watching the entrance. When the Ghost Wisps came zooming down, at the party's feet something in the darkness hissed and came lunging at them!

[quote=SYSTEM]
Encounter!
Ghost Wisp A appeared!
Ghost Wisp B appeared!
Zombie Rat appeared!
[/quote]
[hr]
[h3]Rat Party[/h3]
The Kobold's skull gave way with a crunch as Ed finished it off. As he ran towards the other side of the cart where that Hobgoblin had just been slain by the swordsman, said adventurer was coming out into the middle of the road. He raised his weapon as Ed approached, but before he could swing the seemingly deranged Ratman just bolted past him. Turning back to the fray, he saw that the fatter human bandit had just reached the road and was heading towards the dueling spearman and helmeted attacker. The tall swordsman cast one more glance back at the Ratman--who now appeared to be savaging the Hobgoblin's body and stealing its weapons--and then took off towards this newest opponent.

The cart driver had recovered his injury, reloaded his sling, and taken aim at this point. The fat bandit ducked down as a stone whistled over his head, and now saw the swordsman coming. He held his big knife in both hands out in front of him, arms shaking.

The spearman deflected a slash from the sword, leveraging his own weapon against its edge. With a circling motion he tried to disarm the armored bandit, but the man slammed his shield against the spear and backed away. Now Ed came screaming across the dirt road once again, his roars attracting the attention of both humans.

[quote=System:Ed]
Skill Gain: Warcry I (0.8>1.0)!
Unleash a loud, violent roar that causes enemies to shift their focus to you.
[/quote]

With the Ratman's greater brute strength, and the power of his Rabid Fit, he swung the jawbone sword hard enough to knock the human off balance. The next hit forced the man to move his shield off center to deflect it. The third shattered Ed's newly pilfered weapon, the bone splintering into several fragments though it did leave him with the stick handle. The spearman immediately took advantage of this opening, thrusting hard at his opponent's chest. The bandit managed to move at the last moment, but the spear still took him lower in the side. It had a hard time piercing the layered gambeson he wore, though dark red blossomed through the garment. The bandit screamed and drew back, taking a more conservative stance.

"Hunter! Fucking shoot them, you green idiot!" he yelled, glancing over towards the barrow. But the only projectile he saw was the next Mana Orb the mage finished casting from the wagon--he got his shield up just in time, but he couldn't defend from three attackers at once, could he...?

Meanwhile, Asteria manage to claw the Hobgoblin's hand as it reached for her, then grabbed onto the hand with the arrow using both forepaws. Though she might have been a match in terms of pure muscular strength, the Hobgoblin had the advantage of leverage...closer and closer the arrowhead came, and then the greenskin added his other arm to the first. But, just as its point scraped Asteria's cheek, drawing a long line of blood down her snout, she thrust her tail forward! The needle-like probiscus in its muscular grip stabbed into the greenskin's throat and pushed deep--it coughed and choked and stumbled backwards, scrabbling at the improvised weapon now piercing both its windpipe and jugular. It actually managed to break the needle off and pull it out--which only increased the speed of blood jettisoning out of its neck. With a gurgle, the creature fell to the stained grass. Mother Rat leaped onto the body, savaging it a bit more just for good measure, before she rushed back to Asteria and licked at the wound on her face. Now, how was Ed getting along out there...?
[hr]
[h3]Deep Forest[/h3]
While staying very aware of the huge tribe of goblins down below, Nira and Femus made their way among the treetops. They traveled from branch to branch, hiding among the leaves and attempting to keep all noise to a minimum. On the occasion they glanced back at the horde of greenskins to be sure they weren't being followed, they began to observe that all of the combatants of the tribe had been divvied up. That one with the longer hair and the sword seemed to be leading several more Goblins who were also on the scrawny or slouchy side--knives and what may have been throwing darts seemed to feature in a lot of their weaponry, and as they took off into the woods at a different angle to all the other groups, they were much stealthier. The big hairy goblin who looked like he might be as likely to attack his own allies as anything else had been placed in charge of other goblins who mostly just carried simple weapons like clubs or big rocks, without nearly as much variety in his group as there had been in the others. The goblin that wore armor and had another type of wooden sword had been placed in charge of a tight-knit group of greenies holding long, sharpened sticks. They looked like an imitation of some kind of actual military formation, but they had none of the associated discipline and, when they tried to march out ahead of the other groups, almost stabbed their fellows with their own weapons due to how out of sync, clumsy, and belligerent they were. Both the Hobgoblin and the Redcap had picked out the most experienced and well armed members they could find, although it almost seemed like they had been picked out to counter each other's weaknesses as much as any enemy's. Maybe that just meant they were going to cover for each other's weak spots, but given the usual relationship those two had it didn't seem likely.

Soon the goblins were marching off through the woods, to the west. Were they heading towards the place where that explosion had come from yesterday?

Nira and Femus made it to that big tree in the center of the clearing without encountering any other creatures. It seemed the gathering of goblins had probably kept many critters in their hidey holes this morning. As they drew close, a pastoral fragrance filled their nostrils. The air itself simply felt cleaner and richer. It was almost like they were walking out from under a cloud, as the grass around the tree's roots seemed greener, the flowers sprouting in its shade brighter. Moss grew all over the tree's surface, but it didn't seem to be parasitic in nature or damaging the great plant at all. It was incredibly broad and tall, reaching far above the other trees in this part of the forest.

And yet, despite all of this wondrous beauty, there was also a sense of looming danger. As if they were walking next to a sleeping giant...

[quote=System:Femus]
Skill Gain: Alert I (0.9 > 1.0)!
Though this skill is limited by the strength of your senses, and does not sharpen your senses on its own, it allows you to become more aware of your surroundings. Without conscious effort, you will pick up on signs in your environment more easily, especially if they present some form of danger to you. Essentially this is an anti-ambush skill.

Current Skills:
Monster Analysis I (1.4)
Mana Orb II (2.4)
Lesser Force I (1.4)
Levitation (--)
Meditate I (1.7)
Magic Analysis I (1.95)
Shock Round I (1.0)
Mana Shape I (1.0)
Shield I (1.0)
Mana Control I (1.0)
Alert I (1.0)
<UNUSABLE>
Suppress Presence (0.8)
Faster (0.3)
Harder (0.1)
Soil Manipulation(0.1)
Muffle (0.3)
Stealth Kill (0.1)
Charisma (0.3)
Mana Drain (0.8)
Iron Gullet (0.1)
Mana Sense (0.5)
Keen Smell (0.1)
Mana Dart (0.1)
Mana Burst (0.1)
Fireball (0.1)
Plant Analysis (0.4)
Crafting (0.9)
Keen Sight (0.1)
Wisp Flash (0.1)
Focus (0.3)
Spell Chant (0.3)
Growth (0.8)
Mental Resistance (0.1)

TRANSFORMATION OPTIONS (* Indicates Suitability):
***(Adult) Wisp - More magical manifestation than biological creatures, Wisps nonetheless possess physical bodies. Their ability to cast spells from range makes them a foe that should not be underestimated by the novice. Wisps are magically oriented monsters, normally possessing two spells.[list]
[*]Slight increase to all Base Stats
[*]Increase HP
[*]Increase Potential[/list]

*(Immature) Poltergeist - This monster is still fueled by Magic, but its hold on the physical world has become stronger. Though its chubby, infantile body isn't particularly large, its grasping limbs, levitation ability, and its manipulation magic make it quite the prankster. However, its defensive abilities don't grow as fast as some other species. For the already physically frail mage-types, this can be a dangerous weakness.[list]
[*][color=blue]Gain Arms w/Hands, Legs w/Feet, Head w/Eyes and Mouth[/color]
[*]Increase base power-stats (reduced)
[*]Increase Lesser Force (reduced)[/list]

***(Immature) Mana Spirit - A straightforward transformation for the Wisp, increasing their mastery over the fundamental spells that they use for their base interactions. At the same time, their physical body becomes more unstable. Rather than saying the body is weaker, it is more like...the fundamental self becomes more subject to change. Many mistake these creatures for true Spirit-type Undead, or Ghosts, due to their appearance.[list]
[*]Increase base Magic stats.
[*]Increase Lesser Force (reduced)
[*]Increase Mana Orb (reduced)[/list]

(Immature) Slime Mage - An unusual transformation for a Wisp. Their spherical body swells almost grotesquely, and they develop a slimy membrane as their former body dissolves. Slimes are normally of limited intelligence, but every so often one somehow learns magic. With its poor magic stats its casts are limited in number, but few expect a Slime to have such abilities. Having transformed from a Wisp instead, however, a Slime Mage's magic might be much more effective.[list]
[*]Increase all base Defense Stats
[*]Increase Mana Orb (reduced)
[*]Increase Shield (reduced)[/list]

NEW! **(Immature) Sparklight - A Wisp-like Monster that has adapted to Lightning elemental energies. Though its magical stats do not change much at all, its entire being becomes electrically charged. In the way that moths are attracted to flames, Sparklights often find themselves drawn to metal or other sources of magnetic interaction. They are often more aggressive than regular Wisps.[list]
[*]Increase base movement stats.
[*]Increase Shock Round (reduced)
[*]Increase Lightning Affinity (reduced)[/list]
[/quote]
[hr]
[h3]Farmstead[/h3]
"Ah..." Gwyn still seemed a little wary, but a flicker of amusement passed over her face as well while Scott stammered and fidgeted. "Well, you're definitely not the same as any other Monster, are you? Even Miiba doesn't talk that much." While the Pixie caught his breath she answered his first question. "As to where we are...This forest is usually just called the Westwood by the locals. I think the Dwarves had a name for it, as did some others, but to most of us Humans it's just a regular place full of trees." She shifted the baby to the other side and adjusted her gown. "The kingdom we live in is called Viskard. There are a few villages, down south in the Alpin grasslands or further north along the rivers, but the closest real town here is Westlake--which is to our east, actually. We're considered to be sort of, on the frontier."

When Scott talked about bleeding out, and his insecurity, Gwyn's eyes became softer and she nodded slowly.

"I don't know as much as my husband, but I have heard the stories. People, who sometimes became Heroes and other times Sages, who were brought here from another world. I can't imagine what that's like, being thrown into a place you have no understanding of...especially when you're shoved into a body that's not yours." Scott apologized, and thanked the family for their hospitality--and for their care of Miiba. Now the woman's face did warm up, and with her free hand she warmly patted Scott's head. The gesture might have seemed somewhat infantile, but then again he was only a foot tall.

"You're very welcome. If you and Miiba really aren't Monsters, then you're certainly our guests. And at this point, I find it easier and easier to believe that you have been...transformed, somehow."

It was at that point that Miiba and Reuben were asking Mira about the possibility of a "curse." The conversation drew attention from the elder sister, Clarice. The younger girl, Alice, stood next to the window with Geir watching the Guild Hawk fly away, her face full of wonder watching its pretty white feathers. The adventurer, on the other hand, turned around and leaned against the windowsill with his arms crossed. He still hadn't stopped glaring at the two Monsters.

"A Curse that turned them into Monsters?" Mira put a finger on her chin as she stopped to consider this. "There are certainly different ways to shapeshift, and powerful illusions...but I don't know if a Spell like that could be [i]permanent[/i]...unless..." She finally shook her head. "I'm sorry, Miiba. I don't think it's [i]impossible,[/i] but I do find it quite [i]unlikely.[/i]" She turned her eyes to the ceiling. "But...maybe we could get in contact with some people who might know more? We'll ask Mr. Lear--"

"None of your Analysis skills picked up on anything about a Curse, Mira." Geir spoke up. "And Reuben, you shouldn't be putting ideas in their heads like that. What if they find a way to shift themselves into a Human form instead--and then there are disguised Demonspawn walking around in town?"

"B-but, if it was Miiba, I don't think she'd do anythin' bad anyway..." Reuben said, looking down at the floor and fidgeting.

"Mr. Geir," Clarice stepped forward and put a hand on her little brother's shoulder. "From what Daddy's said so far, it doesn't seem like Miiba and, um...Scott, are actual Monsters. Nothing they've said or done so far matches up, and all of this talk about being Summoned or Cursed...I mean, what else are we supposed to think?"

"You're [i]supposed[/i] to remember what your father and I have taught you about these abominations!" Geir's voice rose in volume, making Alice cover her ears. "All of you just want to [i]trust[/i] them cause another one popped up!? How do we know this Pixie isn't just casting some Fey spell on us all!? How do we know he's not after the baby, or trying to [i]put[/i] a baby in--"

"Geir." Gwyn's stern voice cut through the redheaded youth's anger like a knife. The infant in her arms stirred, making frustrated noises. Her eyes were hard as Geir's mouth snapped shut. "I trust my husband's judgement. I think you're wise to be vigilant...but maybe you should save your anger for when it's needed."

He stared at her, dumbfounded, for several slow seconds. Then, he suddenly grabbed the bandanna around his head and yanked it off, tossing his messy locks in a barely constrained fit. Gripping the cloth in his hands like he wanted to rip it in half, he headed for the door. Mira grabbed his sleeve as he moved to go around the table, away from Miiba and Scott.

"Geir, it's okay." Her voice was soft, even as close as she was Miiba could barely hear it. "Mr. Lear is strong. You're strong. Mrs. Gwyn is smart, and we're not all helpless. Even if we let our guard down a little bit..." She started to move closer. It seemed like she was going to try and hug him. "We can still protect them."

Geir put a gloved hand on her shoulder as he stared down at her. Looking up at him, without his headscarf, Miiba suddenly saw something she had never noticed before now. Just under his hairline, a series of scars pockmarked his head. Like something had pierced deep into his skin, with a jagged line connecting each pink-tinged starburst.

The adventurer held his comrade at bay, and his voice cracked when he spoke.

"Doesn't matter if you [i]can[/i] when they won't [i]let[/i] you." He took a few steps back. His lip was starting to quiver, but whether it was rage or tears was hard to tell. "But my family didn't understand that either."

The tall boy turned on his heel and stormed out the door. He didn't slam it behind him, because at that moment Lear had come back with a double armload of firewood. As he lay it down inside the house, the farmer looked up and took note of everyone's troubled expressions.

"I think it may be best if we all get ready for bed early tonight." he finally said, clapping his hands together. "Dear, let's get the children washed up. Mira, Miiba, if you'll get the fire going--just enough that we'll have a hot bed of coals all night. Scott, Miiba slept in the den last night. There are probably more blankets around here somewhere, Mira or I will show you in a bit."

Meanwhile, at the edge of the farm... [@Duthguy][@Guy0fV4lor]

[quote=System:Danny]
Mana Strike: It seems you began developing this skill when trying to apply magic to your physical attacks. It doesn't seem to increase any particular parameters of the weapon used in the attack.

Skill Gain: Material Analysis I (0.9 > 1.0)!
You have developed an eye for determining the qualities of inorganic or non-living objects. At this rank, you will only be able to gain surface information about an object. When used in conjunction with a crafting skill, it may help discover more compatible items.

Skill Gain: Fusion Skill [Analysis]!
A Fusion Skill is not a true skill by itself, but a sort of shortcut. You have acquired Monster, Magic, Plant, and Material Analysis skills. By activating [Analysis] you will use all of these skills at once without as much mental effort. [Analysis] will not go up in Rank, but its effectiveness will increase if the Skills used for Fusion are increased. However, if only Analysis is used, the growth of the individual skills will not be as fast.
[/quote]

[quote=System:Jason]
Skill Gain: Crafting I (0.9 > 1.0)!
Your knowledge and understanding of mechanics, workmanship, and other such things enable you to craft better items. The process of creating many items is still an unknown to you, but if you ever succeed in such a creation its Sub-Stat Enhancements will be higher than normal.
[/quote]

Before his new Skill triggered, Danny could only observe the wall naturally with his sight, and maybe touch it with his hand, to gain any information on it. The bricks didn't seem like the common red bricks used to build things in his own world. They were hard like brick, and they seemed a similar color, but maybe whatever process was used to make them wasn't the same. If he had to guess, he might say these were fired clay bricks made from simple packed mud and a kiln. Rather than any kind of quicklime or concrete mortar, the stuff between the bricks seemed like another kind of mud mix...though what it was mixed with was rather suspect. It didn't smell, though, and seemed solid enough. The bricks had been fairly evenly stacked, but had been here for long enough that they were settling in some places. A few areas may have been repaired a time or two, at least on this section he was standing at. 

With Jason directing him and using a little bit of Ghost Touch, they were able to find some vines while groping around in the dark. Wrapping these around the nearest rock upturned from the base of a tree, they soon had their grappling implement. As Jason activated his Transparency ability and pushed through the bricks, he was able to find a large log that had been dragged just inside the wall at some point, likely to be processed into firewood or lumber at a later time. He could tell from the size of it that even with Ghost Touch or Danny's Lesser Force there was no way this could be moved, but he could grab the rock at the end of the vine and wedge it underneath the log enough that it would probably support Danny's very light weight. Once the Poltergeist was over the wall, they now found themselves standing inside the dark enclosure with a much closer view of the still-lit house.

The door up ahead of them opened. A large figure, carrying something on its shoulders, passed by a thinner figure before the door closed again. They were both clearly humanoid, but were they actually humans? Jason could see that their spiritual energy was quite high--not so much as the Knight, but larger than that Squire's. The bigger one, in fact, might actually have almost as much as the knight, but his didn't surge and glow so brightly. Was that just because he wasn't using Magic at the moment?

The other figure was coming out into the yard. At first both monsters would likely freeze in trepidation, but whoever it was hadn't seemed to notice them yet. The figure removed a one handed axe from their belt--its head glinted in the starlight--and began to practice fighting movements. They could hear grunts and heavy breathing from here, and the movements increased in intensity...