Aether Beasts

The remaining days of the week flew by as we dedicated ourselves to training, although we did have to go on a quick hunt for more cores at one point, with more knowledge on the floor it was easier to locate the beasts with the right affinities, and instead of trying ot learn from the fights we killed them as quickly as possible then looted the cores.

With the elixir and the pills, our speed of growth had skyrocketed, and before I wouldn't have thought it possible to make such leaps in such a short amount of time but in just under three weeks we'd not only increased the density of our cores but also made it to the second level of infusion. Hopefully, by the end of the third week, we'd make it to the third level and the girls would increase the density of their cores. I would have to wait a little while for my own as going from Iron to steel was far harder than hydro to Iron.

The knowledge she'd taught us started to quickly show results as our grasp of patterns increased every day.

Zirani had shown me the affinity sets I would be using, and unlike the first time I'd tried to form the base or advanced sets, I had no problem. The affinity sets were made up of origin patterns grouped together for specific affinities and sometimes certain aspects of those affinities. Zirani had me learning five sets, far more than the others, but that made sense since the sheer variety of techniques one could accomplish with the nature affinity or the green as Zirani liked to put it.

Sandra's trouble and difficulty slowly faded with help from Zirani as the week went by. Most of her techniques had been simple and the others had been easy to do because of her bloodline, so she didn't have much experience with complex techniques. In fact, before the sets, the meditation technique was the hardest thing she'd ever done with her aether. Thankfully, Zirani was there to help and it was things like that which always reminded me of just how intelligent she was when it came to matter connecting the arcane.

She was a nature beast, yet she probably knew more about the other affinities than any masters in the plains, which wasn't as surprising as it might have been a few weeks ago. I'd seen what she could do and where she came from. The difference between the plains and the lands beyond the great scar was like heaven and earth. Two different worlds split apart by a great scar that had been carved into the land long ago. We'd never been taught where exactly the great scar had come from, only that it had formed after the calamity, and that it was what split the northern plains from the southern wilds and all the other lands that lay beyond, lands that I would hopefully see one day, sooner rather than later. I knew Zirani wanted to get across as soon as possible and once we left the tower, despite barely any time having passed by, we'd still only have a few months as the expedition would arrive at the end of the year, and we needed to make sure we were there. Zirani had made it clear we would never make it across on our own.

We didn't run into any more abominations during the week, which I was very thankful for. The encounter with the thing still haunted me, though not so much anymore.

"Are we done for the day?" I asked Zirani. There were two days of the week left and all three of us were on the cusp of making it two the third level. The girls had also mentioned that their cores would move up in density soon.

"We are," Zirani replied with a smile. "I think tomorrow will be our last day. You three are all close and after that, we can spend a day getting You and Sandra bonded, Aiden.

Sandra smiled eagerly. "I can't wait."

As we made out way up the treehouse I felt a prickling on the back of my neck and turned around just in time to see three Murwogs burst into the area around our tree. I immediately began to pull aether from my core while the others began to climb back down, and that's when I noticed it. The murwogs looked inquired and they had turned back to the direction they'd come from the moment they'd entered the clearing as though waiting for something, but what?

Forutanly, or unfortunately, I didn't have to wait long before my question was answered as an abomination, similar to the one we'd seen on the first floor, dragged itself into view.

"Oh come on," Sandra groaned.

Just like the first, it had no discernible feature, except a wide mouth, and was a blob shape with multiple long limbs that shot towards the murwogs. Two managed to dodge in time, but the third was caught and I held back a gag as the abomination split in half before shoving the murwog inside the gap, rather than its mouth. The morwog got one last croak out before being swallowed up by its flesh.

"Did, did that thing just eat it?" Misty asked, her eyes wide.

"Or absorb it," Zirani hissed as the abomination began to shift and change. It slowly began to shrink, and shrink, changing its shape to match the beats it had eaten just a few seconds ago, although with pale flesh instead of dark green and twice as large.

"That's not good," Sandra commented as she turned to me. "Do we fight?"

"Of course." My bark armor began to form around me. "We can't let this thing just roam about, especially not this close to our base. "Aim for its head like last time, if that doesn't work then go for the heart."

We jumped into the fray, and just in time as the pale murwog sprung towards the remaining two normal murwogs, with frightening speed, two limbs long limbs formin on its back and striking out, at both. THe murwogs were not fast enough to dodge and both were snatched up ab the neck.

I shot six impact seeds at the pale murwog just as two loud seeking cracks, sounded. It had snapped their necks like twigs which meant it was very strong.

The impact seeds struck true and sent it sprawling, which gave Misty enough time to close the gap, her claws formed and slicing down into its head. Its screech was cut off as dark blade-like tendrils, courtesy of Sandra, sliced through its head.

I expected that to be it, but it didn't fade and began to stir to move, its head reforming.

"The heart," I shouted as I formed a spike on one of my gaunlters.

The pale murwog lashed out a Misty who dodged nimbly while Sandra sent a flurry of dark blades at the abomination, attracting its attention, which was a good thing as it allowed me to run up behind it, and stab my spike into the center of its chest.

It froze, and let out one last screech before beginning to fade.

I let out a sigh. "I'm glad we're leaving soon, I don't want to know what would happen if one of these things got their hands on more than one beast."

Zirani looked troubled. "I didn't expect them to possess some form of assimilation, especially not like this, though it might make sense when we find out why the twin horn is making these things."

"Are we sure the treehouse is safe now?" Misty asked worriedly. "I don't like the idea of one of these things sneaking up on us."

"We'll be fine," Sandra reassured. "It's very far up, and Zirani set those detection and alarm enchantments up."

She had done it a few days ago while the three of us had been bathing. She didn't think anything would be able to get to us, but it was better to be safe than sorry, and it had only taken her a few minutes.

"Only two more days," I said as the last of the abomination faded into ash. "Then we leave."

I turned to Zirnai. "Is the next floor the last?"

She shrugged. "Most likely, though this tower isn't exactly normal so I could be wrong."

We pulled the cores from the dead murwogs then made our way up the treehouse, pulling the ladder up behind us as we did. I doubted the murwogs knew what it was, but no point in risking it. Those three had stumbled into our tree, which meant more could, and it was best if they didn't have an easy way up to our treehouse.

We had another dinner of fried chicken, which while amazing would get tiring if I made it the same every day so I was going to have to change up since a little variety never hurt. After the usual bath of pain and nightly meditation, I headed to bed, with all three, which while a surprise wasn't unwelcome.. It was clear that Misty was shaken, and Sandra didn't want to be left out, so we slept in a pile of tangled limbs that night.