Your great kindness cannot be returned

"Body?" Ariana asked, uncertainty clouding her voice.

"There are certain patterns to these tentacles," Anyi replied, slashing through another fleshy appendage with ease. "Their attacks are anything but complex."

Ariana furrowed her brow, unsure of where this conversation was headed, but Anyi's tone remained steady. "The tentacles can attack from multiple directions, encircle us, and strike from our blind spots, but their movements are simple—hurling, stabbing, nothing more."

He continued, his sword flashing in the dim light, slicing through yet another wave of tentacles. "It's likely that with so many tentacles to control, the creature doesn't have the finesse to perform complex actions. If these were independent entities, their attacks would vary—slashing, lashing, adapting. Much like a group playing a game of rock-paper-scissors. Even with just three moves, everyone reacts differently. The timing, the pattern, it would be erratic."

Ariana nodded, following his logic. It was like watching an artist struggle to draw a square with one hand while drawing a circle with the other. Difficult, nearly impossible to perfect. 

"But this creature, whatever it is," Anyi added, "its attacks are rigid, consistent. It's trying to do too much at once. This suggests it's not intelligent, not like us."

His words were delivered with such confidence, even as he fended off another attack. Ariana and Layton, both struggling to hold their ground, could hardly believe what they were hearing.

'How can he be so calm?' Ariana thought, glancing at Layton, whose shield wavered under the relentless onslaught. 

Despite the chaos, Anyi looked tireless, his movements swift and precise, as though the tentacles posed no real challenge. He had pieced together the enemy's strategy with ease—just by fighting one of its limbs!

"Wait... then Miruku must've figured this out too! That's why she left to find the source," Ariana said, realization dawning on her.

Anyi smirked. "She's an assassin, after all. It's in her blood to stay hidden, observe, and strike when the time is right. She's young, but don't underestimate her."

Ariana blinked, startled. If Miruku had heard Anyi's words, she would surely beam with pride.

Layton and Ariana exchanged glances. 'Are we the only ones who didn't notice any of this?' The thought was humbling. They were heroes, yes, but heroes without experience in battle. Before being chosen, fighting had been as foreign to them.

Suddenly, a message flashed before their eyes:

[Thorn Hero: Found!

Sword Hero: Where?

Thorn Hero: Southeast, 2000 meters away. It's too dangerous to face alone.

Sword Hero: Hold your position. We're on our way.]

"Two thousand meters?!" Layton gasped. "That's... that's enormous!"

Anyi glanced toward the dense forest ahead. "And controlling all these tentacles from such a distance... the enemy must be massive."

"The problem is, which way is southeast?" Ariana muttered as she crushed a tentacle with her staff, glancing around in confusion. Without the stars or the moon visible, they had no way to navigate in this thick, shadowy forest.

"Across," Anyi said, cutting down another wave of tentacles and pointing ahead. Without waiting for Ariana to respond, he grabbed her firmly.

Boom!

A powerful gust of wind followed the swing of Anyi's sword, clearing a path through the writhing mass of tentacles. In a single move, he had created an opening.

Without missing a beat, he began running toward the direction he had indicated, Ariana in tow. 

"Layton, stay close!" Anyi called over his shoulder. "I'll lead the way. Holy Maiden, cover his movements!"

Ariana, momentarily disoriented by the sudden motion, found herself tucked under Anyi's arm, facing backwards to guard Layton. Though the position was less than ideal, she trusted Anyi's strength to keep her secure.

"Okay!" she shouted, her focus shifting to the task at hand. 

Layton's speed was far inferior to Anyi's. Without cover, he was little more than a moving target—a human sandbag. But that didn't stop him from charging ahead, shield raised, his voice a booming war cry.

"Augur au au au au au ——!!!" Layton shouted, excitement coursing through him as he sprinted forward. The clash of light arrows against tentacles echoed around him, fueling his adrenaline.

"As a man, I must charge ahead! No matter the hardship, I will overcome it! Let these monsters come! I'm Layton, and I'll destroy every last one of them!! Ha ha ha ha ha ——!!!"

Anyi glanced at Layton, somewhat baffled by the sudden burst of enthusiasm. 'Well, as long as he's willing to fight...' he thought.

Despite their determination, the two-thousand-meter dash through the forest felt endless. Tentacles kept bursting from the ground, blocking their path and tearing apart the terrain. Every step forward was met with more obstacles, making their progress slow and exhausting.

"Anyi! I'm running out of mana!" Ariana's voice cut through the chaos, her tone urgent. Her mana reserves had dwindled to almost nothing—just 10% left.

Without hesitation, Anyi issued a command through their system link. 

[Sword Hero: On-site defense! Miss Miruku, return to assist so the Holy Maiden can replenish her mana.]

Anyi halted abruptly, cutting down a cluster of tentacles in one fluid motion. Layton skidded to a stop beside him, smashing his shield into a writhing mass of tentacles, while tossing his backpack to the ground. It landed with a thud, filled with provisions.

Anyi gently let Ariana down, and she wasted no time. She rushed over to the backpack, her hands scrambling to grab any food she could find. Without even looking at what she was eating, she began shoving the dry rations into her mouth, desperate to replenish her mana.

Despite their chaotic journey, Anyi was satisfied. They had made it this far, and their teamwork was holding steady, even if their attributes lagged behind.

"Bum——"

A shadow darted from the depths of the forest, sliding to a stop between Anyi and Layton before bowing low before Ariana. It was Miruku, her face flushed and full of shame.

"I... I'm sorry!!" she cried out.

Ariana paused mid-bite, her cheeks stuffed with food. "?"

"I can't fight these tentacles!" Miruku sobbed, her voice trembling. "I tried, but... my strength is too low! I can't even cut through their skin!"

Her voice cracked as tears welled up in her eyes. Her Strength attribute was only 1 point—useless against these monstrous appendages. She felt like a burden, an embarrassment. 'I'd rather die than be this useless,' she thought bitterly.

Anyi, however, remained calm. "It's alright," he said seriously. "You don't need to fight the tentacles. Just keep them distracted and relieve some of the pressure off us."

"I...!" Miruku's voice caught in her throat, and her shoulders shook with emotion. Tears streamed down her face uncontrollably.

Even though she was weak, 'Could I still be of use?'

"Your kindness is immeasurable!" Miruku cried, bowing deeply to Anyi, her gratitude overflowing. "I will give it everything I have! Even if it costs me my life, I'll see this through!"

Without waiting for a response, she turned and dashed back into the forest, vanishing into the darkness.

Anyi blinked. "...?"

'You don't have to make it so dramatic.'