Melina ran between the skeletons, dodging arrows, axes, swords, and daggers slicing through the air around her. Her breath was beginning to falter, but she didn't slow down.
— How can these skeletons use weapons? They don't even have muscles... — she muttered, irritated. — System, give me some info.
System:
— 43 skeletons eliminated. Your distraction worked: approximately 20,000 are following you.
Melina (thinking):
Twenty thousand? That means the other 40,000 are going after them... I wish I had attracted more, but this is my limit. I've already spent 10% of my aura and it hasn't even been 20 minutes.
System:
— I recommend using your Devourer ability. You can now absorb abilities from the dead with a simple touch.
Melina crushed skulls with her daggers, fully immersed in battle.
— Got it.
She kept moving, fast and deadly, but something felt off. A troubling sense of foreboding grew in her chest.
When her Assassin aura ran out, Melina climbed a tree to catch her breath. The skeletons surrounded her, trying to bring her down violently.
— It's only midday... I'm starving. System, I'll switch aura. Activate Berserk and convert Assassin to mana.
System:
— Unfortunately, you don't have that functionality yet. But the aura switch has been activated.
Her aura, previously invisible, flared into a blazing orange. Her pupils dilated, veins bulged. Melina sheathed her daggers and leapt from the tree like a beast. The impact crushed dozens of skeletons around her.
She charged like a locomotive, her punches and stomps shattering enemy bones. Her strength and endurance were ogre-like.
Meanwhile, at the front line...
The two allied groups finally united, forming an arc-shaped formation. At the tip, leading, was an advanced tank hunter. To his right, an advanced sword warrior; to his left, a dual-blade duelist.
At the center of the arc's curve, an Ectro support protected both the tank and the side warriors. Behind him stood the rear guard: five fighters forming the "bowstring."
At the heart of this rear guard was an advanced healer. A bit farther back, an archer carefully scanned the surroundings. To the right, a water mage; to the left, a lightning mage.
Closing the formation like the feather of an arrow was Sergeant Flai, a spirit summoner. He maintained focus, invoking a portal at great aura cost.
Back in the chaos, Melina had already destroyed hundreds of skeletons with her bare hands.
— This Berserk, even as an intermediate-level aura, is more effective than my advanced Assassin aura! System, dump all today's points into Berserk!
System:
— Berserk is a skill pack. Do you wish to upgrade all abilities?
— Yes!
System:
— Abilities upgraded.
Back with Meli's group, the skeletons were gaining ground. The tank was exhausted, and the group was retreating.
Tank:
— Sergeant, how much longer?!
Sergeant Flai:
— Just one more second... Done.
A vast magic circle spread across the battlefield. Saicha and the others were dazzled.
Sergeant Flai:
— Spirit of Nature, protect these souls. Heal the wounded and strengthen the weak. Come to my call, Dryad!
From the circle, a tall young woman emerged. Her skin radiated green and gold tones like a living aura. She floated gently, emanating serenity.
Maki (enchanted):
— Is she a goddess?
Motchi:
— I want to marry her...
Sergeant Flai:
— Don't be fooled. That's the effect of a nymph. Dryad, protect them!
The entity exhaled gently. A green light enveloped the group. Any skeleton that touched the aura was disintegrated. The humans, meanwhile, healed and regained energy.
Growe (furious):
— You idiot! With so many spirits, why choose that one?!
He charged at the sergeant but was held back by Motchi and the dual-blade warrior.
Growe (crying):
— This spirit drains the summoner's life. He's used it once before. Now he's going to die!
Sergeant Flai:
— Dryad remains active even after the summoner's death. She will protect you until the last skeleton is destroyed—or for three days. Whichever comes first.
Growe:
— But why?!
Sergeant Flai:
— Our resistance is nearly gone. Few here still have mana. As leader and responsible for Melina, it's my duty to ensure your survival.
Roots sprouted from the ground, wrapping around him. Thorns pierced his skin, draining his vitality.
He collapsed. Lifeless.
Growe:
— A reckless leader...
Saicha:
— A leader who sacrifices himself for his team. That's rare.
Meanwhile, Melina kept destroying everything in her path. When her Berserk aura finally ran out, night had fallen.
— System, switch aura. Mage mode.
System:
— Are you sure? Your body is at its limit. Bones are fracturing, muscles tearing. Do you really want to continue?
— Yes. What's my element?
System:
— Fire.
Melina smiled.
— Then let's burn everything down.
Her aura shifted from orange to red. She raised her hand, and intense flames burst forth with far more power than she expected. The forest caught fire in a massive trail.
— What destructive power... I thought that being low-level, it would only serve as a distraction. Are mages really this strong?
System:
— Mage class is the most destructive of all.
She touched the ground. A wave of fire spread out, incinerating the skeletons around her.
— This is incredible!
System:
— Half of the monsters have been eliminated.
— In just two attacks... I've killed more than I did as an Assassin or in Berserk mode? Hahaha! This is wonderful!
She staggered but stayed on her feet.
System:
— Alert: you've reached your limit.
Her nose bled. She wiped it with the back of her hand.
— System, let's finish off these twenty thousand skeletons before we think about resting.
System (with slight sarcasm):
— You're going to end up dead at this rate...
Melina (thinking):
Was that sarcasm? This system is getting more human by the day...
She raised her arm. Several fire orbs shot out, exploding on the ground and wiping out even more skeletons.