Page 102 of I Ran Away to Evil
“Ria?”
I’d stopped and stood there with my eyes closed, shaking. But it was fine, this was normal! It just took me a bit to gather myself. I gave Keith my best smile. “I’m just thinking about how to defeat the bats without igniting them. The second we turn this corner, they’ll see the [Dancing Lights] reflecting downthe path. I’ll have to activate [Quick Step] now, and then I’ll only have a few seconds to jump them.”
“Can I just kill the dumb things?” Keith almost growled in his grumble. “I have so many dragon spells memorized that any one of the air-based cutting attacks could do it. Or I could magic the alcove to collapse on—”
“No!” I yelled. Then I realized what I’d done as my [Sword Aura] turned each pyre bat red in my senses. They knew we were here. I continued, quieter, “No, it’s fine. They’re coming now. How—How about you take the one on the left, and I’ll stab the one on the right? One hit each?”
Keith sighed but agreed. “As you wish.”
The pyre bats had let go of their perch and were flapping down the path. They flew in a jagged angle up and down, the one on the left slightly ahead of its partner.
It let out a screech just as we turned the corner, and I realized that I hadn’t actually activated [Quick Step] yet.
[You have taken 21 Sound-based Damage. HP 1788/1809]
The attack bounced off of Keith’s [Mana Shield]. He looked at me and frowned. With a wave of his hand, he cast the spell, “[Air Cutter Blades].”
Before I had time to chastise myself and activate [Quick Step], the air gathered into ten blades and cutbothpyre bats into ribbons.
[You have defeated aPyre Bat. +4 EXP]
[You have defeated aPyre Bat. +3 EXP]
“Hey!” I turned on Keith. “My bat!”
“You took damage,” he countered. “You weren’t ready.”
“So! I could take a hundred of those hits and be fine.” I crossed my arms.
Keith pushed up his glasses, “Could you? At Strength sixty and presumably thirty-something Constitution, you have eighteen hundred hit points. By my calculation, a hundred hits from a pyre bat should be almost exactly enough to kill you.”
“You know what I meant!”
Keith looked at me. I was stubborn and continued to hold my own.Hewas overreacting.
Finally, he sighed. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to steal your kill.”
“Apology accepted.” I nodded. “Let’s go. I’m sensing some mole dogs further on. I can handle all three of them.Alone.”
He reached out a hand, and I hesitated only a second before I took it.
We walked along, and I pushed down the impending dread that stayed with me as we walked farther into the caves.
CHAPTER 62
Let Me Out
Keith
Keith knew Henrietta wasnot fine.
Despite her monstrous Constitution and overly powerful Strength, she was unconsciously shivering and sweating at the same time. When they’d first arrived, her hands had gripped his sleeve so hard she’d warped the fabric.
He was lucky she hadn’t outright broken his arm.
Still, no matter what he tried, she insisted that she was fine. And then she just stood there and took an attack, completely distracted.
He was reassured when they fought … whenshefought the mole dogs. The thigh-high monsters with wicked spikes on their arms liked to dig under unsuspecting adventurers, but Henrietta managed to defeat them all in an instant and with her usual flair. However, Henrietta didn’t harvest the bodies. She left them behind to rush back to the bright lights floating around Keith. She smiled again, but it was like she was proving to herself she could do it despite her obvious internal struggle.
