It wasn't pretty, even if relief surged through Hazel seeing Mia and Ash standing.

A level ten crystal-empowered [Ambling Ironfur] was turning out to be as dangerous as Mia had warned them it would be. Even aided by the charmed level eight, the party of three struggled to contain the monster's gigantic, thrashing bulk. The fight was approaching its conclusion. All participants were battered and bloody.

Hazel felt dizzy from her own fight. A quick check showed that her health was below one-half. She withdrew a few coins and monster cores and consumed them. The waste of resources pained her, but better to lose potential profit than die.

Slightly rejuvenated, Hazel held out a hand and threw out a [Caustic Slime Shot]. Against a level ten, the ability barely phased the monster. Even a tiny stun helped her team, though, and the resistance reductions would come in handy—though those would be reduced too.

Hazel knew better than to throw herself into the fray. It would result in a situation like against the Abyssal Melder, where Mia had to spend more effort guarding her than handling her own business. Maybe to the point of getting Mia hurt. Plus, against a monster so strong, Hazel might genuinely be killed in a single hit. Not worth the risk for the tiny help she could provide.

She would have joined in if she thought she needed to, but Mia and Ash—though worn down and bloodied—seemed to have the fight under control. Hazel edged in around them, waiting for an opening she could safely exploit, or otherwise to help, but Ash finished off the encounter before any such opportunity arose. With a shout, Ash surged forward while the larger [Ambling Ironfur] tore into the smaller, charmed one. Ash sank her blade into the beast's chest from behind, the monster unable to react fast enough to her leap—which had come out faster even than Hazel had expected. A skill of Ash's?

The monster thrashed, growing slower and more fatigued by the moment, with Ash and Mia scoring additional blows. Before long, the fight went out of the beast. It slumped over and died.

A silence descended across the cavern. Only panting filled the air.

Mia turned to Hazel. Her eyes flicked to the defeated level five, then back to her. The succubus nodded, and Hazel returned the gesture, a rush of pride suffusing her. She'd only been tasked with distracting the weaker monster, but instead, she had killed it herself—and had even come to help. If only in a small way, tossing slimeshots at the bigger one.

Ash pulled out a health potion, then downed it. Mia did the same. Hazel approached to stand at Mia's side, eying the dead ironfur—and the almost dead charmed one—as she did.

"All things considered," Mia said, "that went well." She wiped her mouth, then deposited the empty vial into her inventory. "But we're still on a time limit. Free them, then get going. I'd rather not fight another of those things. Especially an even stronger one."

"Agreed," Ash grunted, rubbing her shoulder—Hazel assumed she'd taken a hit there. Ash crouched down and looted the monster, reminding Hazel that she should do the same to the level five she'd killed.

Afterward, Ash headed for one of the figures hanging on the wall. Hazel could only assume it was her brother. Mia and Hazel followed.

Closer to the boy, now, Hazel took in the sight of Max, Ash's brother. He was a boy several years younger than Ash, Hazel, and Mia. Maybe not even a technical adult yet. Seventeen, or around there. He had the same short brown hair that Ash did. Encrusted in black crystal, he looked asleep more than in a coma—or whatever the effect enthralling him was. Disturbingly serene. His face was pale. He'd been captured for around a week.

"I'll cleanse him?" Mia asked carefully.

"Please," Ash said. She looked around at all the other trapped adventurers. "You'll have enough for everyone?"

"I should. It's not an expensive spell." Mia shared a quick glance with Hazel, though she didn't know entirely what it meant. Was it a cheap spell? Or would it take most of Mia's Ecstasy reserves? Would Hazel need to help her recharge?

Without further discussion, Mia pointed her staff at Max's face. Ash hovered nearby, ready to catch him. Energy gathered, released, and a pink ball of vibrating magic floated toward the man and sunk into his forehead.

Hazel held her breath.

Like with Ash, the prison exploded in a crystalline shower. Max fell forward, no longer glued to the wall. Ash caught him, then lowered him gently to the ground.

Unlike Ash, who had been conscious and lucid from the moment Mia cleansed her, Max stirred slowly to consciousness. That was maybe another indicator that whatever affliction he'd undergone wasn't as superficial as Ash's. Max came to groggily, struggling to regain his clarity. Green eyes finally fluttered open, and Ash looked at her brother with concern.

"Max? Max, it's me. Are you okay?"

His brow furrowed, and he looked around the room. He took in his surroundings, eyes passing past Mia, Hazel, and the grotesque nest-cavern of black crystal. He didn't seem to fully comprehend what he was looking at. He was still out of it. His gaze returned to Ash.

"Ash?" he asked.

Ash took in a long, nearly ragged, breath of relief. "Yeah. It's me, buddy." Max tried to stand, but Ash stopped him. She eased him into a sitting position. "Take it easy," she told him. "Are you okay? How are you?"

"Where's Octavia?" Max asked. "And—"

"Easy," Ash said firmly. "They're here. Trapped like you were, but not for long. We're working on it. Which is why I'm asking. How are you?"

She was concerned about what the 'corruption' had done to him. Ash didn't want to free the rest of the adventurers until they were certain that doing so wouldn't threaten all of them. The ever-present, mysterious threat of whatever the hell 'corruption' was loomed over them.

"I've … been better," Max said. He looked around again, and this time seemed actually to take in Hazel and Mia, eyes clearing as he came to lucidity. His brow scrunched as he studied them, especially Hazel, but he shook his head and refocused on Ash. "But yeah, I'm fine. Mostly. What's going on?"

Ash shared a look with Mia, and Mia shrugged. "He seems fine," Mia said. "But something's surely happened. He's been that way for an entire week."

Ash chewed her lip, conflicted, as the rest of them were. The effect of the corruption still hadn't made itself apparent.

"You really feel fine?" Ash asked.

"Weak," Max said. "Like complete garbage. Exhausted, hungry, sick. But … fine? If that makes sense." He made to stand again, and this time pushed away Ash's hands when she tried to keep him sitting. He unsteadily got to his feet and looked around the crystal-infected cavern. His eyes fell on the pulsating pillar of black crystal—the Lesser Spire of Corruption. "Seriously, what's going on, Ash?"

Ash explained their circumstances. After giving him the basic rundown, Ash asked the question outright: what was the 'corruption'? Did he have any idea? Since he was certainly affected. But Max had no answers, though concern was plain on his face. He felt awful—and looked it, pale and sickly—but not corrupted, whatever that meant.

Hazel's thoughts went to, of course, that vision she'd had when she'd slammed into the Spire. Where had it come from? Who was that woman she'd seen? Had she imagined it? Would it happen again if she touched the Spire? It seemed like something she shouldn't test. Even being looked at by that strange woman had made Hazel feel like she was dying.

Had that woman been responsible for the corruption? Why else would Hazel get a vision of her?

She wanted to ask Mia. But in private. And not now, since they had more pressing matters. Mia had already moved on to start freeing the others. That came with an intrinsic risk, seeing how they didn't know what the corruption was, but they wouldn't just leave the adventurers hanging there. And they didn't want to stick around and wait for another [Ambling Ironfur] to return, so they couldn't chat about Hazel's vision either—if it meant anything in the first place.

What could it mean? While creepy, all Hazel had learned from that experience was that they probably shouldn't touch the black Spire—which had been a given, seeing how it pulsed power and seemed almost alive.

One by one, each of the ten captured adventurers were freed from their prisons. Ash handled explanations to each of them.

Hazel decided that it would be for the best if she stayed apart from the event. While her presence was taking secondary importance right now, talking slimes were still—well, odd. Very odd.

Earlier, Hazel had discussed with Mia how she might handle introduction into their society. Mia had, with some worry, suggested Hazel masquerade as her charmed familiar because it would simplify introductions. She had seemed concerned that Hazel would take the suggestion poorly—maybe because it was dehumanizing. But Hazel had agreed without reservations. She would rather use an excuse of being Mia's familiar than have to give a full explanation of her circumstances to every person she interacted with. Easier. And maybe safer. Her strange origin might draw interest she didn't want.

So, she watched the rescue mission unfold while standing apart from it. Besides, one of them needed to watch for threats—both monsters, and the corrupted adventurers. Mia was busy cleansing people, and Ash explaining and checking on each of them, so that left Hazel to stand guard.

But no disasters arrived. No monsters, nor aggressive mind-controlled adventurers. Everyone was confused, sickly, and feeble, but not influenced in any way. Hazel didn't believe the 'corruption' was something as simple as an illness, but for now, that was how it presented itself.

After Mia and Ash finished freeing all ten individuals, they departed from the crystal lair with haste—leaving the mysterious Spire behind. While a curiosity, they had ten feeble adventurers to escort to the surface. Experimenting or learning more about the Spire simply didn't matter at the moment, regardless that Hazel had a quest related to the corruption.

Making progress toward the surface turned out to be easier than Hazel had expected. Most of the hurt adventurers could walk without assistance, with only two so weak they couldn't. In a frail, ragged-looking group, they set off into the dungeon. Ash supported one, Mia the other. Hazel followed behind everyone, keeping an eye on them. Everyone ignored her; she was Mia's familiar, worth a curious glance but not much more. Especially when most of them were half-dead. Curiosity tended to take a back seat in that sort of situation.

With the worst of the rescue mission taken care of, and progressing slowly and steadily through the Gray Stone Hollows, Hazel could finally focus on an essential piece of progression—her advancement to level five.

Specifically, when she had leveled, the notification said that a new skill could be chosen, not created. And it had been her level-up to five. Mia had something substantial would come with that.

***

Choose one of the following skills.

[Treasure Hunter]: (Low Proficiency). Monsters and loot chests are more likely to drop items of higher quality.

[Quick Learner]: (Low Proficiency). Proficiencies and natural skills progress faster.

[Extra Equipment Slots]: (Low Proficiency). Gain one extra minor, major, and accessory equipment slot.

***

All three were incredible. Even more so than the amazing skills she'd been earning thus far. Not as good as [Skill Edit], of course, but even Mia hadn't thought Hazel's level five would give something that insane. Plus, each of the three skills could be made even more amazing using [Skill Edit]. What would something like [Treasure Hunter] turn into with a few tweaks?

She wanted to talk to Mia about it, but that wouldn't be happening for a bit—until they had a real moment to breathe. Probably at Northwick Haven. Fortunately, deciding could wait; she was in no rush to choose. The worst of the danger seemed to be over. She wanted to think the problem over herself before chatting with Mia about it, anyway.

Progress through the dungeon came easily, since they could retrace their steps with the use of Ash's map module. It was an outrageously convenient tool when it came to dungeoneering. Ash guided them in a direct line through tunnels they had already cleared, then, ascending to new territories, up through the dungeon at an accelerating pace.

They ran into some monsters, but they weren't difficult since the first half of the trip, they had already cleared a path through the dungeon, and higher up, nearing the surface, monsters became weaker and weaker. Hazel alone could carve her way through them. She received more curious looks at that, since a talking, scythe-wielding slime was, again, very strange. But nobody commented. Familiars weren't that weird, and that was the guise she wore. For now. She didn't know if she would do so indefinitely.

Two-thirds through their return trip to the surface, they finally found out what the 'corruption' was.

velvetpetalrain

Inserting the blue-box table for System related stuff is actually kind of annoying ... and I think I'm gonna start pasting to other sites, which don't support it. Long live the asterisk separators, I guess? haha

Which of the level 5 skill choices is strongest, do you think? There's great arguments for each. I hope I don't bother anyone too much when the inevitable decision needs to be made! But when other litrpgs provide 5 choices, but 1 is obviously 100x better than the rest, I kinda roll my eyes.