Stormblade [Skill Merge Portal Break] (B1 Complete)

We were trapped.

Jeff and the archers pulled themselves together quickly. They started searching, just in case we'd gotten pushed away from it by the goblin swarm. But I knew what was happening, and so did they. There was no point in looking.

Sometimes, higher-ranked portals closed to the outside after a party went in. Other times, they never opened from the inside at all until the boss was dead. Trap portals. It was unusual for a D-Rank portal to be trapped, but not unheard of. Trap portals were the most common cause of delver deaths; they hid their true danger, appearing like a weaker portal until it was too late. And there was almost always something wrong with them.

Excessive numbers of monsters. Elite, high-ranking 'minibosses.' Occasionally, there'd be an entire second portal hidden inside the first one, and teams would have to clear both. Those killed the most delvers, but the possibilities were as endless as the number of portal archetypes. The only thing I knew for sure about the trap portal we were in was that it wouldn't be 'fair.'

This portal was here to kill us.

And the only way out was over the boss's dead body. Certainly not in either direction of the dark, jagged tunnel that stretched in front of us.

So, as Sophia's healing finished putting me together, and she held out her hand, I took it and let her help me up. "Thanks."

"Of course," Sophia said. "We'll be okay. Let Jeff tank, let Angie and Carlos kill, and you focus on those buffs. I'll be here to fix any mistakes, and we'll get through this together."

"Yeah, okay," I said, frustrated but unable—or unwilling—to let Sophia hear it. "This place is going to get messy, though. It's a trap portal."

"I know, Kade. But we've still got this."

I was in over my head. As an E-Ranker, and one with a Unique skill I couldn't use without wiping out my group, a D-Ranked trap portal was way beyond my limits. It wasn't fair that I was in this situation; I should have been the spellblade I'd been building to be for months—or at the very least, a fighter. Someone capable of helping with more than a few trivial buffs in a situation that'd just gotten way, way worse.

But one thing Dad had said, in between all the times he'd beaten me at fencing hard enough to leave bruises through the padded jacket or mopping up my king on the chessboard, was that I'd be up against stronger opponents a lot in life, and I needed to focus on what I could do, not on where I was lacking. 'Focus on your strengths, force the fight to adapt to them, and you won't have weaknesses,' he'd said.

Right now, fear and panic were weaknesses, and my focus needed to be on helping Jeff's team win.

I reached into my belt pouch, pulled out a small notebook, and tore a handful of pages from it.

Some of my skills were useless, even in an E-Rank portal world. Mana Sense and Skill Control both existed specifically for the Stormbreak merge. Mana Sense gave me the ability to sense my own mana and, at higher levels, other mana sources. It'd be fine at C-Rank—a more reliable alternative to sight and sound—but I didn't intend to get it that far before my merge.

And as for Skill Control? I hadn't used it in a dungeon once. All it did was allow me to control how much mana a skill consumed, and Stormbreak ignored that control because it fed on everything's mana, not just mine. None of my other skills needed controlled Mana levels. It was an investment in the future, and nothing more.

But Arjun's Script and Tonya's Binding gave me something to do besides poke monsters with my sword.

Arjun's Script

A basic spell script developed by the S-Rank Enchanter Arjun Das. Arjun's Script incorporates highly flexible symbols into different geometric shapes to imprint a spell temporarily onto a surface. Once imprinted and sealed with a triggering symbol, the spell will be activated when the trigger's conditions are met. Writing a Script costs a trivial amount of Mana. Imprinting it costs more.

Upgrade Effects:
1. Each rank increases the maximum number of imprinted Scripts.

It wasn't quite enchanting. That would have taken more skills than I was willing to sacrifice. But I had looked into Arjun before I started working on his skill. He'd been an S-Rank near Mumbai, India, who'd specialized in support magic, and his Scripts had allowed him to clear S-Rank portals with a team of assorted As and Bs until people could catch up to him. It also did two things for me.

First, it gave me a purpose in a portal. My Dodge and Light Blade Mastery gave me swordplay skills well in advance of what I'd learned in fencing, and I was working on both of them, but that didn't make me the magical duelist I wanted to be—and it didn't let me keep up with D-Rank monsters or multiple E-Rank ones. Applying buffs with Arjun's Script was something most E-Ranks couldn't do, though.

And second, it opened up Tonya's Binding and a few other, more advanced spell scripts I'd need later.

Tonya's Binding

An intermediate spell script, Tonya's Binding was first created by the A-Rank Hexwitch Tonya Alvarez. The script is reliant on very specific patterns of symbols which, when whole, create wards or, when broken, result in traps, snares, and area control effects. Writing a Binding costs a trivial amount of Mana. Imprinting it costs more.

Upgrade Effects:
1. Each rank increases the maximum number of imprinted Bindings.

I'd focused on Bindings that, rather than protecting what they were placed on, broke easily to control portal monsters. At D-Rank, I fully expected the party to be swarmed, and I'd inscribed the complex, swirling patterns for area effects into my notebook. E-Rank Bindings weren't usually powerful enough to knock a monster out of the fight, but they could affect a bunch of them at once.

I hadn't had Arjun's Script or Tonya's Binding when I'd entered my first E-Rank portal. All I'd had was Stormbreak and my E-Rank sword. If I'd had more skills or if I'd started training my Light Blade Mastery, I might've been able to save the team without using Stormbreak.

Lock-down magic was one of the two specialties of a support delver. The other was buffs. Thanks to Arjun's Script and Tonya's Binding, I had both—even if it was only temporary. At E-Rank and uncapped, my scripts wouldn't be game-changers. But then again, this was a D-Rank portal, and other than Sophia, I was the weakest delver here. They wouldn't have to do much—just enough to pull my weight.

Scripts didn't transfer through portals, so as Jeff adjusted our battle plan for our changed circumstances, I got to work. I secured a Binding symbol to his shield that, when broken, would slow everyone within ten feet or so of him. The two archers' bows got Scripts for accuracy and armor penetration. And, for Sophia and the unknown mage, I had a second Script that offered more mana regeneration.

Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

Mana: 80/200

I could technically apply a second Binding and a fifth Script, but buffing myself wasn't the support's job at E-Rank, and using all my Bindings would only leave me unable to react to other threats.

"Ready," I said, tucking the book back into its pouch but keeping the flap loose so I could get it if I needed it. I drew my sword again; just because I wasn't a fighter didn't mean I'd be avoiding battle.

"Let's find the boss before too many monsters find us, then," Jeff said. "And be careful. There'll be more surprises. We'll stop at intersections to check for ambushes. Angie, keep our backs clear. Everyone else, focus up front. I'll lead."

The hobgoblins hit us only a hundred feet or so in.

The dozen armored enemies rushed out of the dim, ever-widening cavern in front of us, hide hauberks and bits of steel moving surprisingly quietly. Their war cries took away their stealth, though, and as my eyes narrowed, their types and ranks appeared:

Hobgoblin Sentinel: D-Rank Monster

Jeff and the archers reacted instantly. His shield glowed a bright red that spiraled out from where he stood, feet planted in front of the team. The monsters' focus locked onto him—a taunt skill, and the reason I'd gone with the Binding on his shield instead of a damage reduction Script.

I'd worked with this team before, and I knew what would come next. A hail of arrows smashed into one of the lead hobgoblins, one after another, as Carlos opened fire with his rapid shot skill. It drained Stamina rapidly, but while it ran, he'd be a machine gun.

Angie was more precise; I'd picked the accuracy Script for her, not because of Carlos. But her slower Power Shots did just as much damage as Carlos's hail of arrows.

And the mage and Sophia…they did nothing. Not yet. That didn't surprise me; as a healer, Sophia wouldn't have anything to do until the hobgoblins got past Jeff's defenses, and even a D-Rank mage needed to be cautious about using too much mana.

He'd use his spells when they mattered.

The two archers managed to shred five of the hobgoblins between them, and were working on the sixth when the charge got to Jeff. His shield took the brunt of the impact, though the sheer mass of pustule-covered flesh drove his feet back a full two steps. Then his short sword flashed forward in a quick stab, and one of the hobgoblins screamed. Another stab, another scream. The monsters started pounding on the shield, but one slipped by the side; Jeff's taunt skill hadn't affected it.

The archers were both firing into the mass of monsters piling up in front of Jeff, and Sophia had finally started healing as Jeff took his first hits. She stood right behind him, hand pressed against his back. That left only the mage and me to protect her. The hobgoblin's wrinkled, scarred face shifted as it locked onto her, and its three-clawed grip on its war axe tightened. It licked its green-gray lips.

I drew my sword and dropped into a ready stance, blade in front of me and free hand behind my back.

This.

This moment was what I'd imagined when my system awakened, before I'd registered with the Governing Council. I'd only felt this rush a handful of times in the year between my mother's death and now. This narrowing of focus until the whole world was just a hobgoblin, an axe, a sword in my hand, and my feet on the ground. Just the monster's higher ranks and stronger skills against my blade and my will to win. No, not to win.

To fight.

Nothing else mattered. Not Jeff's battle against the rest of them. Not Sophia yelling at me for being reckless. Not even my sister, back home in the tiny studio apartment that was all we could afford.

Just the hobgoblin and me.

The axe flashed down. I tried to parry it. My sword shook in my hand; I felt it all the way up to my elbow. Stamina flared. I directed it into my arm. The sword tip flashed. It cut the hobgoblin's chest. Not deep enough—a wound, but not a lethal one. The injury was already closing. I lunged. Too slow. The axe knocked my blade to the side, then swung up toward me. I tried to dodge, but my E-Rank body wasn't fast enough—not against a D-Rank attack I hadn't been expecting.

Shit, I thought as the axe slammed into me.

Pain. So much pain, across my shoulder and arm. The padded cloth hoodie ripped and turned pink, then red. A jagged tear down to the bone. Not the worst I'd ever had, but not good. Not good at all. I pushed my Stamina even more, trying to power through the wound's pain.

Things had gone wrong, and a lot of it had to do with Jeff's team composition. He'd built a team with a single tank, two archers, a mage, a support, and a healer. That was great against single enemies, or even small groups, but if something got by him and the archers were busy, we didn't have anyone to keep a monster busy.

I was the team's best bet for an overflow fighter, and I didn't have the skills to do that job—not at the D-Rank level. I was learning that lesson at the edge of the hobgoblin's axe.

I was on my own. I wanted to panic.

But I couldn't. Dad hadn't panicked on the far side of the bathroom door a year ago. And he'd told me to make him proud. Besides, I'd fought against worse match-ups in grade school, standing up against the fifth-grade bullies who thought they ruled the playground.

I'd won then—or at least I would have if the teachers hadn't pulled me off of them—and I'd win now, even if it hurt.

One step back. Distance was time in a fight, and time was time for the hobgoblin to make a mistake. Or for one of the archers to notice it. For the mage to do something, or for Sophia to get a window to heal me. If none of those things happened, the math wasn't in my favor. Higher ranks, in general, beat lower ones.

I took a deep breath. My focus had slipped from the pain and the fear. Narrow it back in. Defend. Wait for that mistake to happen. My blade drifted up to cover my chest and head in a high guard. Cover the vitals, exploit any opportunities.

Something shifted. The monster rushed me. The axe came up, started to slam down. I parried. The blow didn't hit. Everything felt slow. Tonya's Binding. Jeff had activated it—or a hobgoblin had triggered it. Either way, the hob that'd been fighting me slowed, and I launched a series of quick thrusts that opened up a half-dozen wounds on the monster's arms and legs. Then a trio of arrows caught it in the chest, throat, and eye, and the fight was over. Carlos shot a look my way and turned back to shooting into the hobgoblins attacking Jeff.

At least he hadn't said anything.

It left a bad taste in my mouth—one I couldn't spit out. I tried anyway as Sophia's healing magic slowly knit my shoulder and arm back together. Her brow furrowed over her deep blue eyes, but she didn't say anything about me. "How's your sister?" she half-whispered.

"Alright. She'd just gotten home from therapy when Jeff texted. She has good days and bad ones, but the treatments are helping manage the swelling," I said.

Sophia nodded. "I'm sorry I couldn't do anything."

"It's okay. Neither could anyone else."

That was the most frustrating thing about Jessie—that no one could do anything to help, and that she kept right on trooping anyway. Even S-Rank healers hadn't made a dent in her. It made my promise to Dad a year ago even harder to keep. Jessie wanted to do things, but some days, she couldn't. And since she was fifteen, sometimes she didn't want to.

For the last year, it had fallen on me to help her realize her limits—and to be the adult in the room when she wouldn't or couldn't. It was hard, and it was frustrating. But I'd promised Dad—and even if I hadn't, I'd still have done everything I could to take care of my sister. She was family.

"I'm still sorry," Sophia said. Then she turned away. "Be careful."

I snapped back to the moment. Sophia was right. Again.

I had all the right techniques. I'd been a fencer and a boxer before Mom died. Intellectually, I knew how to fight. How to attack and defend, how to maintain space, and how to take a hit and keep my head. Hell, I'd been a good fencer—second on the team in foil, and that was only because of a fluke loss. But all the training I'd done over the last year couldn't close the gap between E-Rank with two combat skills and a D-Rank monster.

That didn't mean I wasn't going to keep trying, though. The thrill of battle, of testing myself against enemies that wanted nothing more than to beat me, was too intoxicating to ignore. And I needed to get stronger. I needed that core.

For Jessie. So I could keep her safe, like I'd promised.

This—the hiding behind stronger delvers, the losing fights, the weakness—was all a calculated risk. And it would pay off. Soon.

I re-buffed Jeff's shield with another slowing Binding. Then I checked the archers' Scripts—they were fine for a while—and my Stamina and Mana.

Stamina: 78/120, Mana: 65/200

I needed to save most of my Mana to rebuff Sophia, the archers, and Jeff at least one more time. That put a damper on using Bindings or Scripts to even the odds and let me fight like a high E-Rank. Sophia was right; I needed to focus on the support role if I wanted that core.

"Are we okay to keep going?" Jeff asked. "I want to get this portal cleared quickly, before we get worn down."

"And the core," the mage said. It was the first thing he'd said all night. "I want my shot at that core."

The core? That was supposed to be mine, most likely. I couldn't help it. Before I could stop myself, I blurted, "Wait, what?"