(Arc 2 Complete!) Path of the Last Champion [Sci-Fantasy LitRPG, Party Dynamics, Earned Power]

"Uh… Sure. That's my whole point in being here," Jasphaer said, uncertain before the trio of hungry stares. "But... Are you hurt?"

Viy patted herself. "Uh… I don't think so."

She turned to Jul who was sitting beside her.

"Cut me."

"What?" Jul shouted. "I'm not hurting you!"

"Nar?"

"Sure," Nar said, pulling out his sword.

What was a little cut anyways? Plus, he really wanted to see their new healer in action.

"Wait! Wait! Wait!" Jasphaer cried out in horror. "There's no need for that!"

But the commotion was on, with Cen, Jul and Rel shouting at Nar to not do it, Viy threatening to do worse by herself, and Mul and Tuk checking themselves for any injuries. Kur sighed and shook his head, and besides a turned pale Jasphaer, Gad chuckled and unfolded her arms.

"Everyone stop," she said. "You're going to make Jasphaer thing were a bunch of crazy people. Here, I have an injury."

And having said so, she lifted the side of her shirt to reveal a sprawling gray and purple bruise that took over the entirety of her right side.

"What in the Pile?" Nar said.

"How did you get that?" Mul asked, frowning at the injury.

"Training. I'll… Tell you all about it in a bit," she said, making a face. "But for now, Jasphaer, will this do?"

"Yes!" the healer cried, already moving to hold up the shirt for her and gently lifting her right arm. "You should've told me right away!"

"It's not a big deal…"

"I'm the healer!" he said. "I decide what's a big deal or not! From now on, you will all come to me for healing. Day or night, it doesn't matter. My job is to keep us all healthy, in body, mind and even regarding your core and pathways."

"You can heal those too?" Cen asked, her expression one of pure amazement.

"Yes…" Jasphaer said, awkward by her intense stare. "But a lot more slowly. Anyways, I'll heal everyone, no matter how small the injury is. We don't want anything affecting your capability to train nor fight. Besides, from now on, you guys are my greatest source of practice, so please, help me become a better healer and continue to progress my own path as well."

"Of course!" Gad spoke for all of them. "And in that case, please. I'm in your care."

"Hold still, I need to see what I'm working with first," he said, his expression turning into one of focus.

Meanwhile, Nar cast a quick glance at Viy. He had noticed how her hands had half-curled into fists at Jasphaer's mention of mental health.

I wonder if that's going to be a problem, Nar thought.

There was no way Viy, or any of them, was keeping her situation secret from the healer, given her affinity, and the man would most likely see it as something to work on and to be healed.

Which I can't really blame him for, Nar decided. And maybe it's about time for someone that actually knows what they're doing to try and help her properly.

But a glow emanated from Jasphaer's right hand, the left still holding Gad's arm and shirt up, and Nar returned his attention to the healing about to happen.

"First, I had a look at your body through my [Aura Sight]," he explained.

Nar could see Cen shifting in her seat, doing her beast to contain her questions.

"It's a passive skill that is sort of activated much like the [Sight] attribute is, and it lets me see inside you and know the extent of the damage," he explained. "Once I know what I'm working with, and have come up with a plan for how to heal you, I can then use my [Focused Healing] skill."

And as he spoke, he touched his shifting gray aura coated hand to Gad's side, and his aura spread over the bruise.

"Wow!" Tuk breathed. "That looks insane!"

"It feels very, very nice," Gad said, closing his eyes. "It's warm."

"For something like this, it mostly does," Jasphaer said. "But if I was forcing a broken bone back into place or together, it would be a very different experience."

"So we still don't want to get hurt. Got it," Mul said.

"Of course you don't want to get hurt!" Jasphaer cried. "I only have so much aura in me, and I can only heal one person at a time. And I must be touching them… Sorry."

"Don't be sorry," Gad said, as the glow retreated back to Jasphaer's hand. "What you can do is amazing, and if it's not yet at the level you want it to be, you can just work to make it so."

The healer blinked at her in surprise. "Uh… Yes. I guess I can."

He removed his hand from her scaly side, and after another close look at her now healthy-looking black scales, he gently lowered her arm.

"How's that?" he asked.

"Perfect. It's like it never even happened," Gad said. "And you restored my HP as well?"

"You can do that too?" Rel shouted, faster and louder than the rest of them.

"Of course," he said. "Auramancy healing is just as good as aethermancy. But aura is better and faster at healing the body, while aether is better and faster at regenerating HP. So it kind of balances out."

He looked around at the stunned table.

"Depending on the situation, I might focus more on healing or HP recovery first," he told them. "Whichever gives us a better chance at survival."

"Amazing…" Tuk breathed. "Man, you're amazing!"

"Uhm… Thanks!" Jasphaer said, flushing.

"You said you need to come up with a plan for healing, though," Kur said. "Does that mean that your skill, [Focused Healing], doesn't just heal us?"

Jasphaer shook his head.

"Healing skills don't work like that," he said. "You need to know what you're healing and how to do it. Aether healing skills are a little bit easier, I'll give you that, as they are much better integrated with the System. Plus, they have the assistance of their healer implants… But even an aethermancer needs to know what they're doing. It's really easy to kill someone otherwise."

"Eh?" Mul asked.

Jasphaer grimaced. "I mean, I am pushing my aura inside you and changing your body with it, right? But don't worry about that! While I don't have as much combat experience as you guys, I have been studying and working as a healer apprentice for almost nine years now."

"Nine years?" was the collective cry.

"How old are you?" Viy asked him.

"I'll be 28 in a few months," he revealed.

"So, you started when you were 19?" Kur asked.

"Yes… Before that, I was just another temp worker, bouncing in between jobs," he said. "It wasn't very fun though, and I much prefer being a healer."

"Even if you can die in combat?" Mul asked.

"Even then," Jasphaer said, though he gulped. "The chances that this career will give me… Give my family and my… My future children? They're huge, and they're worth the risk. Of course, it took a while to convince my mother of that…"

Nar raised his eyebrows at that. Crystal… Just what kind of life do these people live in the Nexus?

"Fair enough by me," Mul said. "Can you also heal beasts?"

With a bright pop of blue, Wolfie appeared on the table, and he immediately darted across it to get a whiff at the newest addition to their party. The healer reached a cautious hand to the wolf cub, and when it didn't run away, and after a questioning look aimed at Mul, who nodded, he finally petted the little creature's head.

"I've been informed about Wolfie, and I already got some material to read about his species, but for the moment, and given he can't fight yet, I'm prioritizing reading up on the anatomy of you guys," he said. "You're all mostly alfin like, but there are still details here and there that I need to know."

He looked up at Jul.

"The double, inner shoulders of quams. The double joints of truggers," he glanced back at Mul. "Even the slightly different organ arrangement of lengos, morsvars and humans... Everything matters for healing, every single detail must be understood and taken into consideration, and so, a healer needs to know everything there is to know about the bodies of their patients."

"Damn…" Cen said. "That sounds like a lot."

"It is, but don't worry. I'm used to studying, and a healer is a forever student," Jasphaer said, smiling down at the little wolf. "Once I've got you guys' solid in my mind, I'll get started on Wolfie. From what I heard, he's not fighting for a while yet, right?"

"Not for a few months at least," Mul said. "But I'll keep you updated."

"Thank you."

"Do you still have learning, or are you finished now?" Cen asked him.

Jasphaer laughed humorously. "Like I said, a healer's learning is never done. I have a lot of combat related stuff to cover, healing or otherwise, so I'll be continuing my training aboard the Scimitar. You know the Master of Aura?"

They nodded.

"The Master of Aura will be continuing our teaching, together with some new instructors that joined with us at Haven," he explained. "Things like distance, non-touching healing for example… That's the kind of stuff I hope to learn about."

"You will!" Cen said. "The Master of Aura is amazing!"

"She is," Nar said, nodding.

Internally though, he frowned at Cen's enthusiasm. It was no secret that the Master of Aura treated her in what could only be described as a cold manner, even if she gave Cen as much attention, if not more, as the Master of Blades gave Nar.

Maybe I should ask about it, he thought, as it was no secret that their strange relationship was something that continued to bother Cen.

"Those implant things you mentioned," Tuk asked. "Is that the tiny machine that goes inside your head?"

In reply, the healer parted his hair to show Tuk a line etched into his scalp.

"A scar? Oh, shit! You have one!" the ring tosser said, divided between awe and horror.

"I had. All aethermancers have at least the cheapest one they can get their hands on," the healer said. "You can't live without one, even if the monthly payment plans are a pain in the ass."

"The what?" Kur asked.

"Ah, never mind. Doesn't matter anymore," Jasphaer said, passing a hand over his unruly black hair. "But yes, there are healer specific implant models out there, and they help out a lot with the healing. For example, they can create 3D renders of people's bodies that show where everything is, for example."

"Wow…" Rel and Tuk breathed.

"And the really, really expensive ones can even connect to a patient's status, through the System, and automatically run diagnostics and scans," he said with a shrug. "My [Aura Sight] is pretty good though, and it will keep improving. If anything, I think those people are just lazy! And those things can make mistakes too! Though the counter-argument is that they make less mistakes than sapients using their skills…"

He made a face. "To each their own, I guess. Anyways…"

He scanned the table.

"Thank you for having me. Healing, cleansing, purifying and, hopefully, maybe even some buffing in the future, I am at your service as Kur's party healer. Like I said, come to me for your healing needs from now on, and I'm also available and trained to listen to you all if you have any other kinds of issues. The worst that can happen is that I won't be able to help you, and will instead refer you to the sickbay healers, but know that no matter what you tell me, as a healer, I am bound by the Oath of Genahu, the Healer God, to keep it secret from everyone else," he glanced at Kur. "Sorry, Kur, even from you."

"That's fair," Kur said, nodding. "Don't worry."

This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

Again, Nar glanced at Viy, but this time she only nodded and smiled at the healer, managing to keep her feelings hidden.

"And that's it. I hope we can all get along!" Jasphaer said.

"Welcome, and we are really glad to have you!" Kur said, then he laughed. "Really, really glad!"

And a window appeared before Nar's eyes.

"Bravo!" Tuk shouted, clapping hard.

They all joined in on the clapping and Jasphaer nodded awkwardly at everyone, forcing himself to smile and meet each of their eyes in turn.

"Thank you. Oh! By the way, I'm also trained in gathering, so I'll be joining you all on that front as well. I think there are three gatherers in the party?" he asked.

"Me, Jul and Mul," Kur said.

"Does that mean you…"

Jasphaer shook his head at the brawler. "I was told that whoever is a gatherer in the party has to continue being one. Sorry."

"Ah, it's alright," Mul said. "Worth a shot."

Kur shook his head.

"Anyways, Jasphaer, I'll show you our room later, there's a free bunk bed in there for you," Kur said. "As for us all, I've got our schedule for next week."

People set up straighter at that.

"Just to bring Jasphaer up to speed, as you all know, we're spending the next month and a few more days, going in and out of dungeons. This is a cluster of dungeons that is rock, sand and water aspected, amidst many other things, so think like the beach and caves we saw in Haven," and here he gave Nar and Gad an apologetic smile. "Not you guys though. But it will be straightforward enough."

Nar had been understandably recovering from his [Presence]'s awakening and aura exhaustion, and Gad it seemed, had also missed this particular fun activity in Haven.

I hope she at least got to go for a bit, Nar thought, glancing at the buff tank.

"These dungeons are all part of the same cluster, and are all graded green," Kur continued. "That means that they should be easy and fast enough to clear up, and they should take us three to four hours each at maximum. That also means that there's very little of value within the dungeon, so we've been told that we don't need to bother gathering anything within them."

"Nice!" Mul said, aiming a smile at Jul, who nodded back in relief.

"That said, just because these dungeons are easy, it doesn't mean that we can go in there with a willy-nilly attitude. It's still a dungeon, and you can still die inside of it!" Kur warned them. "Besides that, we have a lot of work to do in them."

Kur glanced around the table.

"It's obvious that we're no longer the same party that came out of that cubeplant. Especially when you consider the changes we've gone through since we've started our training, it's become more and more evident that we can't continue as we were before," their party leader said. "Even on our first dungeon, the way we fought, the way we adapted to the enemy, we didn't really do it as a party that is built around a central frontline and core. No, we split up, and we dealt with whatever was in front of us by virtue of sending over however was capable or best suited to take care of it."

Nar nodded slowly alongside the others.

"This is something that we talked about before, but it was still fine," Kur said. "But now, with Viy needing to continue using her AOE skill, Mul learning to control his rage/fire affinity, and Nar needing to be given the freedom to operate independently, we are pretty much spreading open our front line, leaving only Gad and Jul to hold it."

He rubbed his chin.

"I obviously don't mean for us to hold onto a strategy that doesn't work for us, nor to impede anyone's freedom in building their paths, so that means we as a party need to adapt. We need a new formation and a new way of fighting that suits our evolving party," Kur said. "Most such strategies are always built around a central concept, around a central path, actually. It keeps things simple and provides a solid framework that a party can rely on and from which a party can build more advanced and specialized formations as the need arises."

He turned to their tank. "And with that… Gad?"

Gad nodded and folded her arms.

"As you all know, I've unlocked my affinity…"

"Whoop-whoop!" Tuk shouted.

Gad smiled. "And whoop-whoop to you too. You got yours as well."

"Congratulations!" Jasphaer said.

"Yeah, well done guys!" Viy shouted.

"Thank you," Gad said.

Then her expression grew serious.

"However, as part of my affinity unlocking, there's been an unexpected development," she said. "Don't worry, it's nothing bad and there's nothing wrong with it. But there's been a bit of a surprise that, if I decide to follow through with it, would mean some pretty interesting changes to us all and the way we fight."

"Go on," Mul said, half-frowning.

Gad took a deep breath.

"My affinity is to flow, manifested in the shape and spirit of currents," she revealed. "It's… Well, it's a great affinity, and I'm very happy with it, but it has drawn the eyes of a special instructor aboard. A controller instructor."

"A controller?" Viy asked. "What in the Pile is that?"

"A controller is basically someone that can affect the flow of battle," the morsvar explained, her all black eyes giving nothing. "In my case, I should be able to do so by setting flows, or currents, of threat that control the enemy's aggro."

"Without moving?" Nar asked, his eyebrows raising in shock.

"Without moving," she said. "Eventually, I should be able to fully control the movements of all enemies in battle, and send them wherever I want by means of my threat flows. Beyond that, I can also boost or debuff, depending on how I set the currents of battle, and that's amidst other stuff I will hopefully unlock… But these would be ones that would affect the party the most. That can help us the most."

She glanced around, taking in their mostly unsure looks.

"For example, say that we set Viy and Mul apart, on either side of us. In theory, I should be able to direct enemies for them to dispatch, while keeping them from getting overwhelmed. At the same time, I can keep the majority of enemies focused on me, and with Jul's help, continue to cover the ranged, Kur and now Jasphaer, in what would still be the core of our formation," she said, glancing at Kur, then at Nar. "As for you Nar, from now on, you should be free to do whatever is best, though sometimes I will need rely on your aggro capabilities to help me control the enemy."

He nodded, frowning as he unpacked her words. "Of course…"

However, something irked him at the back of his mind.

"But then… Isn't that perfect for us?" Mul asked, equally frowning, and giving words to Nar's concerns. Or perhaps, suspicions.

"Potentially," Gad allowed. "It's not something that will happen right away. I need to learn and practice, and as of now, I can only control two flows of threat properly, but I can't direct them in different directions yet. Best I've managed so far is to set the two flows going in just the one, same direction."

"But still…" Rel said. "Everybody needs time to learn new things, and once you do…"

"I think I could then cover all of us, and ensure everyone's path works with clashing," the tank said. "And hopefully this will give me the flexibility to continue tanking properly while everyone's paths continue to evolve."

"Then, what are you worried about?" Viy asked. "Because I can tell that you are worried about something!"

"Because you won't be protecting us anymore," Nar said. "Not directly, and not physically. That's your worry, isn't it?"

Gad nodded.

"I've covered you three since the beginning. Less for you, Nar, but I would like to think I still managed to protect you while you were still understanding your path."

"You've done a whole lot more than that, Gad," Nar said. "A whole lot more."

She smiled at him, but it was touched by concern.

"And now, thinking about just letting you three go out there… Without my shield to cover you," she looked down at her hands. "It scares me."

"And I bet you feel guilty about it, too," Mul said, with an uncharacteristically soft tone.

"Yes, it does."

Mul sighed. "I'm learning self-defense techniques, and my [Toughness] will only increase. Don't worry. I may not be you, or Nar, but I can take some damage. And I've got the third highest [Constitution] in the party, so I'll be fine!"

He made a face.

"Besides, anything coming close to me is probably going to burn to shit," he added.

Viy raised her hand and her tall, heavy halberd appeared in it.

"And I have this new bad girl with me," she said, grinning wickedly. "I dare anything to approach me now!"

"I stand by that," Nar muttered gloomy, causing a ripple of laughter across the party.

"Still…" Gad said, hesitant.

"And I have my skills too," Viy said, firm. "And more to come. I'll be fine! And Nar is Nar. If I can't touch him, nothing can!"

"I don't know… Maybe you're just bad at it," Nar said.

That got another round of laughter and Viy punched his arm.

"But I think we'll be alright, Gad," Nar said. "What really matters here is what you want to do, and what does being a controller means for you? It must be important since there's a special instructor aboard for it."

"It is… A controller is a very rare, very valued type of combat delver," she said. "And they have a very expensive training facility aboard for us. And this time around, I'm the only one who will be using it."

"Damn, it's rare, rare then…" Tuk said.

"Very. And usually, controllers are trained to become raid delvers. Very, very well-paid raid delvers."

"What?" Jul asked, mouth agape.

"Seriously?" Rel whispered. "A raid delver? As in, those dungeons with millions of people?"

Gad nodded.

"And in order to be trained as a controller, and be allowed to use that expensive training hall, there is a little clause being added to my contract…"

"How bad is it?" Nar asked, looking between her and Kur, who seemed to already know about everything.

The tank, however, looked down at the table, avoiding his eyes.

"Gad?" Nar insisted. "How bad is it?"

"In order to use the very expensive Hall of Controllers over the next two years, I will need to promise myself to become a raid delver for Tsurmirel," she said. "And to stay with the guild for at least a hundred years."

"Fuck that!" Mul shouted.

"Absolutely not!" Tuk said. "Fuck them!"

Gad raised her hands to calm them and keep the party from descending into chaos.

"You don't understand the magnitude of the Hall of Controllers," she said. "There are thousands of constructs in there that are all powered up and meant for me to pretend that I'm standing in an actual battlefield. That's extremely expensive to maintain. So expensive that we can't fully use the hall without permission from engineering. I'll be draining the ships aetherbanks just by myself… And besides that, controllers are essential for raids, so it's obvious they want a return on their investment, especially given Tsurmirel's desire to expand and potentially break into the top 5."

"Even so… A hundred years?" Viy whispered.

Gad chuckled. "As long as I survive, as an elite raid tank, my [Constitution] will allow me to live much beyond even that, so it won't be forever. Besides, I will be paid very, very well. Enough to cover for all of us."

"Still…" Viy said, deflating. "It's a hundred years!"

"And Nar, I've made sure to tell them that if I were to take this contract, I would be given one chance to take time off to go save your dad. If it looks impossible right now, I haven't given up! Though one year is as much as I managed to get… But hopefully it will be enough to go get your dad."

A crushing grip closed over Nar's heart. Even faced with the impossibility of it, and even faced with having to sign over a hundred years of her life to the guild, she still remembered his father and her promise.

"Gad…" he whispered, his voice trembling. "Crystal… This is your life! Forget about that! What matters is what you want to do, and tank's [Constitution] or not, a hundred years is still a long time! Worry about that instead!"

She smiled at him, baring her very white, sharp teeth in a wide grin.

"I know, but it matters to me about saving your dad, whichever way we figure out how to do it," she said. "And, if I was to be honest… I like the sound of being a controller. Not only does it solve our party's issues, but it also gives me something that I've always wanted. A way to prove to myself that I'm not just some dumb, slow morsvar, and that I can become a powerful tank. More than that, I can become a strategist. Someone who is capable of immense feats! And it's the promise of a future that I can look forward to. A very well paid one at that!"

"Ah, Gad… Damn it," Nar said, clenching his fists over the table.

Rel reached over to rub his back, and he let her.

"If that's what you want, then I think no one here is going to have an issue with that, Gad," Rel said. "We'll support you in every way."

"All the way!" Mul added. "As long as that's what you want."

"Yes, and to the very top!" Tuk said. "Does that mean we get to be rich boys and girls?"

He wiggled his eyebrows at Jasphaer, who seemed torn between wanting to be supportive of Gad, whom he had just met, and feeling completely out of depth in such a personal conversation between people who were essentially family.

Gad burst out laughing, and it was a deep, relieved booming laugh, and which made Nar smile.

"Maybe. Who knows? I have no idea what being rich means in the Nexus," she said. "All I was told is that I would be incredibly well rewarded, and I assume they mean it. If I accept, of course…"

"If it's what you want, then go for it," Kur said. "We will adapt, as always. Just make this is what you want, and not something you're doing for the party."

"Of course!" Gad rumbled.

"And we will follow you wherever!" Cen said.

"What do you even need to do to become a raid delver?" Mul muttered, rubbing his chin. "Crystal… Does that mean we'll start raiding in two years?"

"Wait! What? Hold on!" Gad said, panicking. "You guys don't have to come with me! Raiding is very dangerous! You heard Professor Thim!"

"We're not just going to let you go either!" Nar said. "What are we even going to do without a tank?"

"Get another one?" Gad suggested.

"Boooo!" Tuk said. "Never! Let's all go be raid delvers! Whoop-whoop!"

"I-I guess I need to study harder, then," Jasphaer said, looking pale again.

"What? No! You're not forced to go! Ugh!" Gad said, and eyed Kur for help.

"I told you this was going to happen," Kur said, shrugging.

Despite the heaviness in his heart, Nar joined them in laughing. It was probably the first time any of them had seen Gad so flustered, and it was pretty hilarious to see.

"But… But it's dangerous…" she mumbled, defeated.

"What isn't?" Mul asked. "Did you forget what happened in our first dungeon?"

Kur squeezed the tank's shoulder. "Just do whatever you want, and we'll see how things go, hmm?"

"... fine," she muttered. "But if I do this, no one is forced to come along!"

"A raid," Cen said, eyes shining. "I wonder if you can find rare affinities in them."

Oh? Nar thought. That could be something worth asking about.

"Maybe… Anyways, no need to talk about raids for now, or for a very long while yet," Kur said. "For now, I just want everyone to focus on taking one step at a time. Whatever comes, we deal with it when it comes. There's no need to overthink any of this."

"Yes, sir!" Tuk said, saluting.

Kur sighed. "You have to stop doing that."

"Is that how you got hurt, Gad?" Cen asked. "Did one of those constructs… Hit you?"

She shook her head and raised her hand. Nar blinked at the weapon that appeared in it.

"Is that… A mace with a wire?" Viy asked.

"Pretty much," Gad said, eyeing her new weapon. "It's called a flail. My new instructor says it's a stepping stone to some kind of special weapon he has in mind for me."

Tuk gave her a low whistle. "Damn… Already getting the special treatment."

"I guess so," Gad said. "It's a pain to use though. And something else you all will have to be patient with. It will take me some time to even stop hitting myself, much less fight with it."

"Nice. We can always do with a few laughs," Mul said.

His sister glared at him.

"What? She's a tank! It will be good for her! Besides, we have a healer now."

"Please don't just go hurting yourselves because of that," Jasphaer pleaded.

"We aren't," Kur assured him. "Anyways, whether Gad accepts this proposal or not, her style of tanking will be changing regardless, as she takes more of a strategist tank sort of role. Her previous taunting skill is gone, so she needs a place to try things out and get used to it, and we all need a place to try out and get used to our own changes and the new type of tanking. We also need to get used to having a healer which we need to protect."

"You can't fight?" Mul asked Jasphaer.

His tone carried no accusation or judgment, and Jasphaer simply shook his head.

"I can do damage if I really have to, but my skills and stats are all aimed towards healing," he said. "Any damage I can do is mostly through screwed up healing."

"Fair enough," Mul said, nodding.

"So, tomorrow we're doing three dungeons. No lectures," Kur said. "The Scimitar has bought out the whole cluster for the next month and they'll be setting up shop by the dungeon entrances. This means that there will be a field hospital for anything more serious that our new healers can't yet fix, and there will be rest areas, toilets, and a canteen set up for us."

"Are all the apprentices just going into the dungeons?" Cen asked.

"No at all. We're split into two shifts, basically. One will be doing dungeons day, and the other will be doing lectures and training day, and we'll take turns," Kur explained. "And the lectures and training are meant to be more personalized from now on, to help us identify and fix whatever gaps or issues we encounter in the dungeons."

He gazed around the party.

"Any questions?"

"These aren't corrupted, are they?" Mul asked the obvious question.

"No, and they've made sure of it," Kur promised him.

"Good. Then, no. No more questions."

"Alright then. That's it. Everyone dismissed. Jasphaer, let me show you to your bunk."

"Please."

"Oh! I'll go with you!" Tuk said standing up to follow them.

People slowly dispersed, but Nar remained sitting, staring at Gad as she and Cen continued to talk about controllers and the Hall of Controllers.

There was something nagging at him. Nibbling him at the corner of his mind and he couldn't disperse it. Gad's affinity was perfect for the party. But too perfect, one could even say.

Just as the party had been facing a very serious threat and issue, presenting them with a substantial and critical flaw that would've, if not severely crippled their fighting capability, at least seriously hampered them, Gad's affinity had ridden in to the rescue…

The tank, noticing his stare, arched an eyebrow at him.

TING!

Before he could even make sense of his thoughts, and of what he wanted to do about them, a new notification ringed in his head. Frowning, he shook his head at Gad, and checked it.

"Is something wrong?" Gad asked.

Cen also looked up at him with a questioning look as he stood up.

"No… Uhm, I will tell you about it later," he said, his heart racing to a gallop within his chest. "For now, I need to go meet someone."