As the others closed in on the Salamander, hopping down ring after ring to rush in, the smaller ponds trembled. One after another, they erupted, but this time, more than water flew out. Small red salamanders, about as large as kittens, burst out with the water. They slapped down onto the ground and raced after the party, hauling themselves along on stubby little legs, their long, chubby bodies slithering toward the party.

Ike hopped off the wall. The sandy earth hissed under his worn leather soles, and the heat instantly permeated his feet. He jogged in place, unable to stand still for long. Looking after the little salamanders, he lifted his razor. My job’s to keep them off the party’s back? Easy. Maybe there was nothing to the rumors after all.

“Tana!” Joseph shouted. He made a strange gesture with his hand, and light shone on the back of his palm.

Tana raised her hands numbly, like a puppet. Light glowed around her neck for just a moment, and then she threw her hands out.

A ring of light appeared around Ike. He jumped back, but the ring moved with him, gently spinning around his midsection. Tana held her palm toward him, lips moving soundlessly. Strange, delicate symbols appeared on the air, and then it spun faster than ever before, glowing bright for a moment before the whole thing vanished. Startled, Ike instantly checked his menu.

The very first line stood out to him.

[Name: Ike | Age: 15 | Status: Taunt | Rank: 0 [Newly Awakened]]

Taunt: attracts nearby monsters to focus their attacks on you.

Ike swallowed. Dismissing the window, he glanced toward the little salamanders.

The lizards whipped around. Their eyes glowed a ferocious red. Screeching, they charged at Ike, spitting jets of superheated steam from their mouths.

Ike charged to meet them, activating Lightning Dash. He slashed right and left as he passed through the wave of salamanders, bursting out onto the other side. A few small bodies struck the ground, bright orange blood drying rapidly in the sand. His feet skidded in the sand, and he slipped, out of control. Ike flailed left and right, barely keeping his balance. Hot sand sprayed his legs, singing his trousers.

He gritted his teeth. If he fell, he’d be sand-baked before he could climb back upright again. Never mind the salamanders still crawling out of the pools, rushing toward him as fast as they could.

Heat rushed at him from behind. Ike threw himself to the side, and the steam glanced off his side rather than striking him full on in the back. Pain jolted through his whole body from the heat, his flesh burning. Ike hissed in pain, barely repressing a shout. Ow, shit! He faced the salamanders, his razor at the ready.

From ahead, the salamanders charged at him, steam flying ahead of them. From behind, the patter and sizzle of damp feet on hot sand warned him of the other salamanders’ approach. Ike took a deep breath, all but choking on the fumes, and charged the salamanders ahead once more.

Steam shot at him. He dodged as best he could, hand blurring with Lightning Grasp as he struck out left and right. Every now and again, electricity arced from his hand, striking nearby salamanders and throwing them back. A salamander latched onto the back of his calf. Ike struck it off, but another one bit his forearm. Steam hissed at him. He dodged again, but too slow. Superheated water struck him in the side. Ike bit his lip in pain, bouncing backward and pawing at his shirt, pulling it away from his body, but nothing stopped the burning from digging into his flesh.

The salamanders closed in. They bit and clawed. Thrusting their powerful tails, they jumped up to strike higher, incurring more and more damage. Blood ran down his legs, cuts accumulating on his pants. Burns ached fiercely where the steam struck home. Ike whirled and fled, lightning crackling around his ankles as he put distance between himself and the salamanders. They scurried after him, not giving him a second’s break.

Slowing to a halt, Ike wiped his mouth and breathed, struggling for oxygen. Every breath ached, the strange scent stinging in his mouth and throat. What mana flowed into his core burned, as hot as fire. A thousand cuts and bites raked his body, and blood crackled where it struck hot sand.

The salamanders charged after him, not letting up for a moment.

Ike scowled, frustrated. If they gave me a break, I could recoup, but no, that Taunt skill means they won’t leave me alone for a second! Spinning around, he dashed on, but the salamanders gave chase, following at his heels. He glanced over at the rest of the party.

Joseph darted in, punching the Salamander in the jaw. It staggered back into Sandra’s axe swing. A huge gash opened right behind its gills, spewing hot orange blood. Even as the cut opened, it began to seal shut. Before it could completely heal, Ket darted in and tossed a powder into the cut. The monster screamed, thrashing from the sting of the powder.

Where’s Tana? Ike looked around, searching.

At last, he found her, standing back on the top layer of the pit. Her eyes were open, and brightly colored lights flashed within. She gazed down on the battlefield, watching the Salamander.

Ike turned back to the beast. A faint bluish ring hovered around its body. Its motions appeared slow, even clumsy, compared to the little salamanders chasing him.

I see. She’s harming it like she’s harming me.

Ike whipped around, charging into the salamanders once more. His hand darted forth, slicing through soft scaly bodies, spraying orange blood all around. The salamanders around him diminished in number, but more rushed at him from the little pools.

There’s no end to it.

Steeling himself, Ike raised his razor again. He cut back on the flow of mana to his feet, only adding a little more when the skill flickered and began to collapse. Gritting his teeth, he breathed in the heated air, absorbing all the mana he could. This was a marathon, not a sprint. He had to go the distance. Pace himself.

His eyes flicked to Tana again. A smile touched his lips.

Once more, he whipped around, charging through the salamanders again. Little red bodies flew, falling all around him. With every attack, he moved closer to Tana, slowly leading the little lizards toward her.

At the center of the pit, the party wore the Salamander down. The fierce beast fought back with all its power, spitting great gouts of steam and using its thick tail to kick waves of boiling hot water at the warriors, but between the two attackers and Ket’s darting in and out with the irritating powder, it slowly grew exhausted, and its attacks grew weaker and weaker. Joseph bore scald marks, and Sandra breathed heavily, a claw wound leaking blood down her armor from somewhere around her armpit, but they fought on, slowly gaining the advantage on the Salamander.

When he was twenty feet away, he spun around and sprinted, fleeing the salamanders. They chased after him, shooting scalding jets of steam. Ahead of him, Tana stared at the large salamander, totally oblivious to the danger rushing up at her, her eyes flickering with the colors of spells rather than the world around her.

At the very last second, Tana whipped around, but too late. Ike slammed into her, bowling her to the ground.

“Sorry! I’m sorry!” he called, running on.

She struggled back to her feet, but too slow. The little salamanders trampled her, shooting jets of steam and clawing her with their feet. Tana fell back down, vanishing under the salamanders.

Ike quickly checked his status as he ran on.

[Name: Ike | Age: 15 | Status: Nm | Rank: 0 [Newly Awakened]]

Skills: Common: 3 | … | Unique: 2

Common: Sprinter Lvl 4 | Distance Runner Lvl 7 | Razor Handling Lvl 7

Unique: Lightning Dash Lvl 3 | Lightning Grasp Lvl 2

He let out a relieved sigh. With Tana unconscious, she couldn’t activate the Taunt skill. He was no more tasty to the Salamanders than the next person. He turned back around, darting through the lizards. Without Taunt, they paid attention to Tana, and some even scurried off to help the larger Salamander.

At the same moment, the Salamander whipped around and vanished into the pond. Without a word, the party turned and fled. Joseph ran toward Ike. Startled, Ike jumped back, but rather than striking him, Joseph scooped up Tana and ran on, fleeing the entire pit.

Ike blinked, then jumped to. Chasing them, he raced to the edge of the pit. There, the rest of the party leaped, soaring over the ten-foot cliff effortlessly. Ike grabbed onto the rocks and climbed, hauling himself up hand over foot.

Behind him, the pond in the center of the pit boiled. The water sloshed, then surged. Every single little pit burst into the air, geysers shooting into the sky, and then the large pond did the same, thousands of liters of water flying over Ike. It began to rain down, sizzling home in the sand. The water in the pit began to rise.

Shit, shit, shit! Ike scrambled up as fast as he could, coordinating Lightning Dash and Lightning Grasp. He lunged for the edge and got a hand on it, gripping on with all his might.

Joseph loomed over him, holding Tana in his arms. “Thanks for your help, but it’s time for you to go.” He smiled, then smashed his boot down on Ike’s hand.

Ike clung on, refusing to let go. He glared at Joseph.

Joseph ground his foot down and forward, forcing him off the ledge. Ike fell down, plunging toward the water.

As he fell, he glared at Joseph, burning the man’s face into his eyes. If I survive, I’ll come back and kill you. No matter what.

Under the surface of the water, a red body surged at him. The Salamander leaped up and snapped Ike out of the air. It dropped back into the steaming hot water with a ferocious splash, trailing blood after it.