Lee, palms sweaty, nervous, anxious, and scared, watched the surge of monsters sprint directly toward him. Stepping back in fright, he scanned around at the Dark Elves, finding them focused and prepared for the incoming onslaught.

Less than ten seconds before the fighting began in earnest, Lee quickly opened his status, dumping his three free stat points into Constitution, hoping it would allow him to survive.

With the Goblins and Hobgoblins leading the charge, Lee decided to take preventative measures. Lee cast Swiftness as fast as he could onto Jud, receiving an excited smile in return. Jud raised his spear and shouted at the top of his lungs. “And so it begins! Fight for those who cannot!” Battle cries arose from all around just as the front line met the incoming charge.

Lee activated Medical Attention and Healer’s Beacon, finishing with his preparations. He scanned around at all those currently in the midst of the chaotic battle. Lee saw what real war looked like. Blood, gore, entrails, limbs, and lifeless bodies amass on the forefront of the lines. The defending Dark Elves killed quickly and efficiently, leaving a wall of Goblins and Hobgoblin corpses lying about, creating obstacles.

Unprepared for the viciousness of war, Lee took an unconscious step back. Unsure of what to do, Lee scanned around for the largest concentration of enemies, quickly finding it. Jud’s position seemed well in hand, but the left side of the monster funnel seemed to be struggling.

While scanning the HP of his allies, Lee began to throw Earthen Strikes at the enemies he could easily hit. They did not appear to do too much damage, but he assumed any damage was better than no damage.

The front line held steady for far longer than Lee had initially anticipated. Roughly two minutes lapsed before a Dark Elf took a club to the head from a Hobgolbin. Lee watched the Elf’s HP bar plummet down to nearly 20%, so Lee quickly cast Mend Wounds, restoring 126 HP and bringing the HP bar of the Elf to 63%.

The Elf fell to one knee when taking the blow. Lee acted fast, but apparently, fast wasn’t enough. Using their smaller bodies, a group of Goblins scurried past the downed Elf in the split second he could not hold the line. The Goblins began attacking those around, causing more openings to be created, allowing more Goblins through. Lee quickly cast Mend Wounds repeatedly, trying to save those who were being pummeled mercilessly by bone clubs, stabbed by crude knives, and bitten by sharp goblin teeth.

Lee brought up his mana and checked to see how much more healing he could output.

What?

Lee could have sworn he should have been out of mana with the amount of Mend Wounds he cast. Spotting a Goblin trying to scurry past an Elf, Lee cast another Earthen Strike while quickly doing some mental math.

30 mana reduced by 75% from my class bonus… 7.5 mana? Rounded up? 50 HP with a 25% bonus… 12.5 extra HP? Rounded up again, then doubled from Genesis of Healing.

Spotting an evergrowing opening in the lines, Lee swapped from offense to defense. He cast a Water Wave Wall to fill the gap temporarily while yelling as loud as possible. “Casting a wall to fill the gap!”

The massive water wall quickly appeared at his designated casting location, pushing a few of the elves back who were too close. The goblins ran head-first into the spell, trying to push through the gentle-looking waters. This was a mistake on their part.

Slowed from the water barrier, the elves now had ample opportunity to attack. Swords, spears, and maces smashed into the goblins who had barely managed to push or swim through.

Seeing the effectiveness of the spell, Lee shouted once more. “The water wall will last one minute! Be prepared for when it falls! I’m going to cast more along the lines! If you need healing come near me! I have an ongoing healing aura which heals for 8 HP a second!”

Nobody responded to Lee. There was too much noise from the ongoing fights, and the elves were too caught up in their battles. Lee rushed off at a sprint, shoring up more openings with Water Wave Walls when he spotted them.

After filling the last gap along the front lines, Lee returned to his starting position while casting Earthen Strikes along the way, peppering Goblins and Hobgoblins alike.

A few of the Elves Lee spotted on his way back had taken slight amounts of damage. He slowed his pace and let his Healer’s Touch, combined with Healer’s Beacon, restore the damage they had taken. He cast a Mend Wounds on an elf that had taken more severe damage, but Lee tried to conserve his mana as much as possible.

Arriving at the position of his first Water Wave Wall, Lee recast the spell as it timed out. Looking around the battlefield, Lee realized that this monster siege wasn’t anywhere near ending. It was just beginning.

Lee’s water walls were very effective. They re-established their defensive lines and enabled the Dark Elves to kill the many monsters more effectively. The water wall also kept the Dark Elves safer.

Lee was still extremely nervous and feeling out of his depth, but given the circumstances, he thought to himself. I’m doing well.

Suddenly and without warning, Lee felt danger approaching. He flicked his head upwards, trying to find the source. A dark looming shadow enveloped the sky, and Lee’s alarm bells rung off the hook.

Lee looked around at the others, trying to determine if they also realized this incoming threat. This was when he heard Jud scream out. “Arrows! Defend!”

Arrows?!

Looking up into the sky, Lee could now see that the shadow eclipsing them was a hail of arrows about to rain down upon them from high up in the sky. He immediately cast Wall of Winds directly in front of himself and began to cast it again in front of those all around. Blowing winds sprung up from in front of Lee and those he had cast Wall of Winds near, soaring to 5 meters in height and spreading 10 meters wide.

Fearing that the arrows would penetrate his wind wall, Lee also cast a Wall of Earth directly in front of himself, just behind the Wall of Winds.

The hail of arrows rained down upon Lee, and a cacophony of sounds erupted as the arrows were deflected away or when they slammed into his earthen defense. The sounds of the arrows made Lee experience genuine fear. He would be dead if he could not defend himself with walls—no ands, ifs, or buts.

The sounds of arrows petered off, and Lee’s Wall of Earth had seen better days. It was chipped and crumbling. It even had crudely made arrows sticking out in some places. Lee looked about, trying to discern the damage the arrow rain had caused.

He nearly threw up.

The front lines were breached. Lee’s Wall of Winds had helped those whom he cast them near, but the deflected arrows simply hit others after being deflected. Barely recognizable pincushioned bodies of his allies were laid about. Goblins and Hobgoblins stepped upon their corpses as they screamed with glee, caving in the skulls of those who had survived but were injured.

Lee froze.

It’s my fault… Lee thought to himself.

My spell deflected arrows directly into them…

Lee stepped back, swiveling his head left and right, unable to escape the effects of war. The purple grass of the battlefield turned a dark crimson from the blood of monsters and Dark Elves alike.

I can’t do this!

Lee began to panic. He backstepped hurriedly in a measly attempt to withdraw.

A Hobgoblin who had just finished putting a Dark Elf out his her misery turned towards Lee, showing a bloody sharp-toothed smile. The Hobgoblin began to sprint toward him, eyes locked on his next victim. Lee fell onto his rear in fear and panic as the Hobgoblin grew ever closer. Tears had just begun streaming down his face as a metal-tipped spearhead flew directly through the back of the Hobgoblin's head, obliterating it and sending bloody bone shrapnel and brain matter onto Lee’s white robe.

Lee tried to get the gore off him with slow, shaky hands. The sounds around him faded off into white static noise. He felt a firm grip grab him by his shoulder and began to flail uncontrollably in fear.

SMACK!

Lee stopped his flailing as he took in the appearance of Jud, retracting his hand from Lee’s face. “Get your fucking shit together. You can freak out later. The longer you sit here, the more people die. Neia warned you.”

Jud put his leather boot onto the back of the Hobgoblin he had just slain, and with a sickening slurping sound, he pulled his spear free.

Jud looked back to Lee in disappointment. “Do something. Just don’t sit there.” Jud turned and ran back into the chaotic fray, leaving Lee sitting on his ass.

Lee dumbly sat still and brought his hand to his now reddened cheek, taking his hand away to find it covered in blood.

I thought I understood… I thought I prepared myself.

He looked around at the now broken lines. Small skirmish pockets filled the field, surrounding Lee in battles.

Why do monsters exist? What is their purpose? What kind of fucking world functions like this?

Lee shakily brought himself to his feet, then looked toward the treeline where most monsters remained. His eyes found the leading Troll, watching over the fighting with a sadistic smile.

What motivates you to do this?

Lee Identified the Troll.

The Troll casually turned its head to look directly at Lee.

Lee’s face was coated in blood and brain matter, with the only clean spots being his tear streaks. His glowing blue eyes stared directly into the Trolls eyes, and after a few seconds, turned hard.

I don’t give a fuck what your reason is.

Lee turned his head to a large concentration of Goblins and Hobgoblins rushing over the multitude of dead bodies, trying to enter the fray. He checked his mana.

Lee made a decision. He turned off Healer’s Beacon and sprinted toward the large group of monsters.

The group quickly spotted Lee and charged directly toward the single human who dared fight them together. Lee used Identify on several of their members.

Once Lee was about to collide with the incoming group, he skidded to a stop and cast Glacial Cascade, draining his mana by 100.