Extenuating Circumstances (7)

"True, but the Metapardus were way more dangerous than those hogs. If we got attacked from behind while finishing off those Acriporcos, then things might have turned out much worse.

"Don't beat yourself up, Josh. We've got your back." He flinches slightly as I place my hand on his shoulder.

"Nick's right. We're a team. As tanks, we need to focus on the most powerful opponents and allow our teammates to clean up the fodder. Are you afraid they can't handle a couple of hogs?"

"No."

"Then you've got nothing to worry about." Travis's laughter lights up the dank corridor as he reassures Josh. I use the lull in conversation to bring up something that I noticed during the fight.

"By the way, Yuki, what was that attack you were doing?"

"Oh, you like that? I could show you what it feels like if you want."

"No, thank you, I like not being dead."

"You pussy."

"I'd rather be a living pussy than a dead idiot." She flashes me a fierce grin before puffing up her chest.

"I'm surprised you don't know anything about it, maybe you're not as smart as you look."

"That's a problem because I don't look very smart, to begin with." She chuckles at my self-deprecating comment, which defuses the tension in the air.

"It's called Vector Induction. I can use this skill to add force vectors to any substance. Basically, it's what you saw; I can punch something and then induce a force vector that is activated at my discretion. I don't have a reason to delay the force vector, so I just release it immediately."

"I thought it was called Hydraulic Punch?"

"That's just a Monist spell that increases the power of my punches. People make fun of me for it because it's a hard-headed spell, but it works well together with Vector Induction. Any vector you induce is some factor of the initial force applied, so the harder I punch…."

"The stronger the force vector." I finish her sentence for her as all the pieces of the puzzle fall into place. Immediately my mind jumps to all the possible applications. "So can these be applied to anything?"

"Yes," she replies with a devilish grin.

"So, you can add one to an arrow to make it hit harder?"

"More often, I apply a force vector to my target using an arrow as the medium, but you could do that as well," Jim interjects.

"And you can apply them to your own body?"

"Which helps you quickly change attack patterns or even reverse a movement." Travis is the one to jump in this time.

"That's how you beat me!" Josh nearly shouts at this realization. Back when he and Travis had their match, I noticed our teacher using some bizarre movements, but I just assumed it was a matter of experience.

"Haha, I guess you figured me out." A new plateau of potential blossoms out over the horizon. With our increased endurance, we should be able to use this skill to its full potential once we learn it. "I thought Jezabel would have told you all about this already, but she must have wanted you to focus on increasing your stats. It makes sense. I've seen more than a few adventurers learn to rely on these skills, which stagnates their growth. Battles are much easier this way. It helps bridge the gap in fighting style and weapon type."

"You cheated!" Josh doesn't want to let this go; his pride is still stained by that quick loss.

"Hahaha, there's no cheating in war; it's a matter of survival." Josh glares at our teacher, who just taught him a very painful lesson. "And you're going to be facing creatures that don't even know the meaning of the word, so you better get used to it."

A whirlwind of emotions is welling up within me. All the new possibilities are racing through my mind while I try to slow down and empathize with my friend.

"Let's work on learning Vector Induction so you can have a rematch on an even playing field; how's that sound?" Josh nods at my suggestion.

"That's the spirit. You learn more from losing than winning, or at least that's what Jezabel said every time she beat my ass. Now let's get back in formation and keep going." Travis says.

Yes!"

Having already traveled this path a number of times, our team points out hidden paths and potential threats that could occur along the way. One level down from the entrance is a cove often inhabited by goblins. We had to deal with several ambushes before we realized where they were coming from. This time, there is also a small group of goblins camping out in that spot. Our surprise attack annihilates them in a matter of seconds. Only three small warriors are present. They're sitting around a campfire cooking a meal. Only two arrows and a bolt of lightning are used to clear the area. We check around to ensure there aren't any other goblins hiding in the area, and that seems to be the case.

Our journey continues. Over the course of the next couple of levels, we only encounter individual monsters. The occasional Polyporta is shot down in the distance by one of our archers, and a couple of lone bug monsters are quickly dealt with by the mages. While the forest is mostly inhabited by vertebrates, the dungeon contains a much larger concentration of insects. Maybe they're drawn to damp, dark places, or maybe they can't survive the wild jungle above, I don't know. Either way, I'd much rather fight them than the terrors in the woods.

We see an oversized praying mantis feeding on the corpse of a goblin. Several stones in its abdomen are more than enough to end its life. I walk up to the slain bug and look for anything useful.

"Leave it," Travis urges.

"Nothing useful?" I ask.

"Actually, we could sell the entire thing in the market, it's just not worth that much. Remember, we're here for the big fish." I can see his eyes shine as he imagines the wealth we'll pull out from the depths. I certainly agree that we should focus on more valuable targets, but I get a bad feeling from his expression.

"Sure, let's just make sure to get out of here first."

"Ha, you think I'm some beggar who doesn't value his own life? That's rookie thinking. Any adventurer worth half his salt knows when to get the hell out of dodge."

"I wouldn't worry about that." Jim cuts in unexpectedly to soothe my concerns. "We almost broke up as a party several years ago when he made the call to leave a dungeon at the entrance to the boss room. In hindsight, it was the right decision, but I can't help but wonder what riches lay behind that door. There's no amount of money worth dying for."

"You remember what I said!" Travis smiles with a shocked expression.

"How could I forget? It's saved my life more than once."

"You greedy bastards just don't know when to stop." Travis laughs at his sheepish comrade. I see Shinobu smiling at me from the corner of my eye. I don't know what I did, so I just smile back and then look forward. I need to be sure I don't get complacent down here. I can only imagine what surprises lie waiting for us at the bottom.