Reset: DPS to Support?!

Making his way forward to face Reru, Shinto swiftly stirred his staff over to the direction of Ethaniel who was still on the ground—Quickly healing him up using [ Mark of Umbra ].

"Ugh... Hey, what are you thinking?" Ethaniel raised his brow as he steadily rose up from the ground following Shinto's heal. "You still have the energy to go against him?"

"I still do," Shinto nodded his head whilst moving his eyes over towards the fallen Frey and Kon on the side. Soon after, his staff protruded out light as it then turned into a small root growing on the ground.

[ Skill - Soft Root Heal ]

"Hmm? Are you that persistent?" Reru seemed to be tilting his head in question. "Well... I guess we can continue on with this fight despite its uselessness," Reru stated as he hurriedly leapt forward, quickly bringing out his sword and swinging it over to Shinto.

However—At a moments notice, Shinto swayed to the side. Unlike before where he was caught off guard unexpectedly at Reru's attacks, he wouldn't let it happen again.

"Tch..." Shinto turned towards his party members who were beginning to enter into combat position once again. At the sight, he nodded his head as he shouted out. "Then we're starting!"

Without wasting any time, Ethaniel and Frey rushed up from the sides as they made their way over towards Reru. At the same time, Kon began to chant out a spell as he soon sent out [ Orbal Shadow ].

"We went over this didn't we?" Reru sighed at the same attack patterns from Shinto's party. "What difference does it make if you're going for a pincer attack knowing full well I can easily counter?" Withdrawing back the sword made of goo into his body, Reru began to form a shield around himself.

"But there is a difference," Shinto calmly uttered his words as he dashed forward towards Reru alongside his party. Soon after, a white light began to form around him in an orbit.

[ Sanctum Brilliance ]

In the next moment—Shinto sent out a shining light from his hands over towards Reru.

"...what's your power going to do?" Unphased by his actions, Reru continued to stand his ground as he took the full blow from all four attacks. Ethaniel's pillar attack, Frey's fist skill, Kon's orbs and Shinto's magic all ceased into nothing.

"Tch... It's not enough!" Ethaniel clicked his tongue at the sight of the failed charge from his party. However, before he was able to connect with another skill—Spikes formed around the shield as it soon shot out like bullets, quickly piercing through his group.

"Argh...!" Frey stuttered back from the sudden attack, though, it didn't hurt as much as compared to the previous attacks. "What the...?" Her eyes then glanced to her health bar as she noticed a white coating on her screen.

This strange phenomenon was due to Shinto's skill, [ Divinity Brillance ] which gave a 250 HP barrier towards nearby allies. Although it doesn't absorb much damage, the barrier was enough to soak up most of the attacks that hit Frey whilst she dodged.

"Continue with your combos!" Shinto shouted out as he retracted back into the backlines. Then, without wasting any time, his hand protruded another light as it moved towards Reru.

"Right...!" Kon nodded his head as he activated the skill: [Shadow Play]. Moments later, his doppelganger hurriedly casted [ Orbal Shadow ] once again and alongside that, a pale flame shot forward from the real Kon.

"Tsk..." Watching Shinto and Kon sending out their attacks, Reru stood still in place as he only took the full blow from their skills. Soon after, he leapt forward as he was about to take out his sword however—It didn't come out. "...?!"

"Ethaniel, Frey, it's on you!" Shinto commanded as he soon exhausted his remaining strength in sending out basic attacks.

"No need to say twice," Ethaniel stated as he swung his sword in an arc, quickly sending waves of white flashes. Following up with that; Frey threw her fists forward as she sent a full blow onto the slime.

[ Brawler Skill - Frontal Collision ]

"Ugh..." Reru groaned in annoyance at his inability to fend off against the second waves of attacks, quickly taking the full blow once again—Which in turn sent him flying over towards a wall.

"D-Did we do it?" Frey muttered out as her eyes narrowed over towards the motionless slime upfront.

"Don't let your guard down just yet," Shinto let out an exhausted breath as he scrutinized the fallen slime.

"Tch... We're continuing again?" Ethaniel cautiously muttered.

Awaiting the slime to rise up again, the group entered into battle position once again. At this point in time, if the group were to continue fighting, their skills will all be exhausted and thus, be unable to fight any longer.

"Haha..." A laugh could be heard from the slime at the front. Slowly getting up, Reru turned to glare at the group. "It seems I underestimated you... but, even with this, it's still no good."

"Ahh! He got up!" Kon cried out. "What do we do?!"

"It's simple, just give it up. There's no longer any point in this. I've seen enough," Reru calmly stated as his body swiftly dashed forward in a straight line. With the silence wearing off on him, two swords protruded out from Reru as he then quickly swung it over towards Shinto and Kon who was at the backlines.

"...!!"

"Argh, master!" Frey cried out at the sight as she hurried behind in hopes of being able to defend Shinto and Kon.

"There's no time-" Ethaniel clicked his tongue in helplessness as he followed after Frey.

Passing by Ethaniel and Frey in seconds, he swiftly made his way over towards the two mages who long exhausted their skills. With his sword up in the air, he was about to bring it down but—his action was quickly interrupted by a loud sound that boomed within the room at the end of the hallway.

BOOM!

"...huh?" With his sword stopping midway and only slightly touching Shinto's staff, Reru turned towards the broken down debris of what used to be a door.

"...ah! It worked! It finally worked!" A female's voice protruded out in excitement as everyone within the area turned towards the direction of the sound, quickly noting that a figure of a human was standing still by the broken-down door.

"R-Raina?" Ethaniel muttered out in dumbfoundedness.

"...huh?" The figure turned towards Ethaniel's voice as they soon titled their head. "...what's going on out here?"

"Hmph," Reru let out a humphed as he retracted his blades against Shinto's staff. Soon after, he began to hop over towards the Raina. "What happened here, human?"

"...uhh," Raina muttered out in confusion as she turned to her party members and then back to the slime. "...what's going on?"

"I should be asking you that," Ethaniel clicked his tongue. "What the hell's going on at your side?"

"I was just casting the spells I was trying to learn and..." Raina mumbled out in reply as her eyes then glanced towards the non-existent door. "Oh... and this happened. Oops."

"Hmm... human, does this mean you have learnt the arts successfully?" Reru tilted his head.

"...I'm sorry slime... but, I can't understand you no matter how hard you try to communicate with me," she sighed.

"...tch. Right, I forgot you're not like that ignorant human," Reru clicked his tongue as he then made his way over towards Shinto. In the next moment, he quickly attached himself onto him as he then dragged him over to Raina. "Translate, human."

"Sigh..." Shinto let out a sigh, yet with slight relief that the battle was over. Had Reru continued on with his onslaught, Shinto might have been in a critical state. "This guy is asking whether or not you have learnt the Flames of Etheral yet."

"E-Eh? Shinto? You can understand 'gloop'?" Raina blinked at Shinto's translation.

"That is not the point, human! Answer!" Reru demanded.

"Do I need to translate that?" Shinto lazily glanced over to Reru.

"...cough. Ahem..." Raina shook her head. "As for that slime's question... I guess you could say I learnt the arts? But not to what you're thinking."

"...?" Shinto raised his brow in curiosity.

"I only managed to learn the basic of the basic art... and it's in a lesser form too," she sighed. "The real progression on the actual spell is only at 39%."

"3-39%?!" Frey cried out. "T-That's... Under a failing grade!"

"...only 39% huh?" Reru clicked his tongue. "Hmph... It looks like it'll really take a week."

"W-Which is why, Reru, we have to see the old man!" Rustly, who had been helplessly watching the battle from the sidelines the entire time, spoke up.

"You're crazy," Reru clicked his tongue. "Renryth is out of the option."

"But- If it'll take a week, we'll be consumed by the curse before then, right?!"

"Yes. Under his majesty's estimation, we'll fall prey to the curse by that time," Reru muttered out. "But, we have taken the precaution to prevent this human from getting harm from our madness."

"Yet! Even if she knows the spell... I don't think there will be enough manpower to back her up... so she'll fail the mission..."

"..." Shinto who had been quietly listening in on the conversation nodded his head as he soon opened up his mouth. "...then how about listening to my suggestion?"