The sense of pushing one's body to the limit was not unlike the feeling of depleted mana.
It was lethargic.
Like the normal speed and spring of the body had been forced to move through mud.
Like the limbs were partially asleep, lacking the normal fullness of sensation.
Potions could help with that, just as they could help with physical fatigue, but fatigue was never only physical.
Mana fatigue was just as much spiritual as it was bodily.
Because of that, Thalia found her head pulsing with small little pains.
Not enough to hurt.
Just enough to call her attention.
In this fight, she had burned through her mana supply almost instantly, dropping from seventy to five in just the first few seconds after using her new skill.
It was a C-rank skill, so a higher cost was expected.
The bigger problem was that she was using too many strings.
Mainly because the thing was so damn big.
The energy potions had helped, but now she had another problem.
Aiden was on top of the damn crab.
Nobody had asked him to jump up there.
But he had.
Was it effective?
Maybe.
Did it keep the crab occupied?
Thalia supposed so.
Did Aiden now have steam rising from his shirt?
Yes.
The crab swung its claws, trying to strike him.
Aiden ducked one of them before spinning around and slamming the blunt end of his spear against the crab's claw, using it to vault over the attack.
It was not graceful.
However, the extra weight made the crab's claw angle downward as it bounced off its own head, leaving a small dent in the soft body.
"Hey," Liora called from above, pausing in the middle of her sentence as she fired another Wind Blast at the crab, "is it just me, or… is something happening to Aiden up there?"
The blast hit the crab, causing its center of gravity to shift slightly away from them as it scuttled to regain balance.
Luminous Cobalt Crab has snapped out with its claw.
The attack missed.
Luminous Cobalt Crab has snapped out with its claw.
The attack swung wide.
Critical Failure.
Party member Aiden has redirected the claw to strike the Luminous Cobalt Crab.
Luminous Cobalt Crab has taken 21 damage.
Party member Liora has used skill Wind Blast (D).
Luminous Cobalt Crab has taken 30 damage.
Luminous Cobalt Crab has been pushed by Wind Blast (D).
"Damn," Liora muttered in the air, mostly to herself more than anyone else. "I thought I was the DPS of our plan."
Due to the strings everywhere, Thalia's Vibration Sense skill refused to let her not hear it.
Then again, Liora's sentiment was not unfounded.
Aiden was an alchemist.
A class that held little general offensive power.
And yet, through training, effort, and, well, money, he had achieved this.
For Liora, who had a class that was not exactly known for its high damage but was still far more directly offensive, that had to be a slight prod at her pride.
Thalia turned her attention back to Aiden.
The steam rising from his chest grew stronger, changing from white to black in places.
Then the smell of searing flesh drifted over to them.
His chest, which had been humming before, let out a noise like a vehicle pushing itself too hard.
His speed increased further.
Aiden launched into a barrage of attacks.
To Thalia's surprise, the crab dipped its body down, leaving him airborne as his first attack missed.
He managed to make a second strike that carved into the crab as it shot back up to its normal height.
The motion launched him into the air.
His spear flew out of his hand, but he quickly dragged it back to himself.
Thalia threw her strings out, grabbing him and bringing him toward the ground.
Liora helped slow his fall, and Aiden landed beside Thalia.
His chest smelled of charring.
His breathing was labored and pained.
The revving noise only seemed to get louder as he grabbed what looked like a healing potion and jammed the opening of the bottle directly against his chest.
His wounds began to heal.
Party member Aiden has shifted the Revolution Core V2 into High Gear.
Party member Aiden's speed has increased by a moderate amount.
Party member Aiden has used item Spear of the Seven Hunts (D).
The attack has missed.
Party member Aiden has used item Spear of the Seven Hunts (D).
Party member Aiden has dealt 41 damage.
Party member Aiden has used item Spear of the Seven Hunts (D).
The attack swung wide.
Critical Failure.
Luminous Cobalt Crab has launched party member Aiden.
You have used skill Marionetting Fingers (D).
Party member Aiden's Afterburn has dealt 11 damage to himself.
Party member Aiden has used item Healing Healing Healing Potion (E).
Party member Aiden has healed for 26 HP.
Party member Aiden has received the Healer's Bane (D) condition.
Thalia looked at Aiden in confusion as he began charging back toward the crab.
"Hold it down!" Aiden yelled, spinning his spear as he charged forward with surprising speed. "We're almost there!"
Thalia threw out her hands and gritted her teeth.
She knew exactly how horrible this would feel.
She drained herself down to three mana.
A throbbing numbness washed over her as the strings lashed forward.
But the crab seemed aware of her tricks now.
It snapped at the first strings.
Then it spun too late to catch the second set.
The strings bound its legs, and the crab began to fall forward, unable to stick its legs out to catch itself.
As it fell, its shell shimmered.
It fired the beam attack once more.
Victor lunged and hip-checked Aiden out of the way.
Due to the crab falling, its attack could not aim at Liora or Thalia.
Now, it could have just been because of the tired haze of mana exhaustion, or because Thalia saw the color, but the crystals that made up Victor's back legs seemed to swirl with a massive amount of mana.
"That is save numberrrrrr two," Victor said. "You all arrrrrre on yourrrrrr own."
Liora pulsed with mana in the air.
Her hair billowed upward as the air around her became dark and heavy.
Like a building storm.
Knowing they had no more saves left, she had pulled out her trump card.
Despite that, Thalia saw Liora wince in pain.
Blood ran from her nose, and her face paled slightly.
"Just die already, you stupid crustacean!"
Liora roared through the pain as three silent arcs of air shot forward.
The crab turned and raised its claws to block its face.
The attacks cleaved into it.
The first blade cut off the top of the left claw, making the crab cry out in pain.
The second was blocked with its other claw, but it still left a large gash.
The third slipped past the claws guarding its face and struck, severing one of its eyestalks.
The crab let out a pained bubbling noise.
"Don't let up!" Aiden yelled. "We're almost there!"
Aiden jumped over the claw that had been sliced in half.
His spear became a whirl of speed, leaving cuts all over the crab's face and the front of its body as sand danced around him.
He spun into a final thrust and jammed the spear into the crab's throat.
The crab gurgled in pain.
Its shell pulsed.
Energy consolidated in its mouth.
Liora began to lunge.
But Thalia could feel it in her strings.
The little structural integrity the crab's body still held after that last set of attacks was too weak.
Thalia yanked her arms.
All six of them.
She felt the flesh give way.
The crab, which had been aiming upward due to its legs forcing its body down toward the sand, suddenly snapped upright as its legs were severed at the base.
Its blast fired into the sky instead of striking Aiden.
It let out one more disgruntled gurgle.
Then the light left its eyes.
Luminous Cobalt Crab has used skill Photonic Beam (D).
The skill misses.
You have used skill Marionetting Fingers (D) x2.
Luminous Cobalt Crab has resisted your strings.
Luminous Cobalt Crab has mistimed its movements.
Critical Failure.
Luminous Cobalt Crab is now restrained by mana strings.
Party member Liora has used skill Child of Storms (C).
Party member Liora has spent 42 MP.
Party member Liora has cannibalized her body to spend 8 more MP.
Party member Liora has taken 16 damage.
Party member Liora has unleashed 3 Wind Cutters.
Luminous Cobalt Crab has taken 58 damage.
Luminous Cobalt Crab has blocked one of the Wind Cutters, reducing its damage.
Luminous Cobalt Crab has taken 16 damage.
Luminous Cobalt Crab has taken 47 damage.
Party member Aiden has used item Spear of the Seven Hunts (D).
Luminous Cobalt Crab has taken 27 damage.
Party member Aiden has used item Spear of the Seven Hunts (D).
Luminous Cobalt Crab has taken 20 damage.
Party member Aiden has used item Spear of the Seven Hunts (D).
His attack strikes a vital point.
CRITICAL HIT.
Luminous Cobalt Crab has taken 72 damage.
Item Spear of the Seven Hunts (D) chips slightly.
The damage is minor.
Party member Aiden has used item Spear of the Seven Hunts (D).
Luminous Cobalt Crab has taken 28 damage.
Luminous Cobalt Crab has used skill Photonic Beam (D).
You have severed Luminous Cobalt Crab's legs.
The skill has missed.
You have slain Luminous Cobalt Crab (D → E+).
You have found an item:
Beamcore Pincer (D).