Jordan could feel his health being sapped slowly as his body was strengthened.  He was moving at least 5 times his normal speed, but the power he had gained wasn’t coming from inside of him, rather from the marshlands he stood in.


    He excitedly informed Bryn, barging into his room at 4 in the morning.After a talk about boundaries, the two tested out the ability behind the inn.Much like against the toads, Jordan was immediately covered in a suit of fog, and his physical abilities had been greatly enhanced. Unfortunately, it became clear that his aim with the bow at this new speed would need a lot of work, and he opted to use this form as a way to have a melee combat option.


    Heck, I might not even look.No, I should probably look.” Jordan said as he approached the first toad.He had no training with swords outside of practicing on a dummy, but he was a seasoned adventurer with a healthy amount of experience in defeating enemies while in far worse circumstances.Surely he could come up with a brilliant, last minute strategy to best his foe.


    The supernatural strength Jordan’s current form bestowed on him allowed him to cut through the thick layer of slime covering the toads warty skin, and a deep gash was sliced into the amphibians neck.Purple blood began gushing out, coating Jordan in gore.He had no time to dwell on his unsanitary circumstances, and pushed off the ground forcefully as he dashed toward his next target.


    The beast stood its ground and a large lump began to gather in its throat. As it began to swell at a rapid pace, Jordan immediately recognized the warning signs of something dangerous.He had no idea what ability this toad was about to use, but dozens of uncomfortably slimy images whisked through his mind.He changed course, pivoting to his left and charging the 3rd toad.As Jordan hastily closed the ground between them, he could see the toads legs begin to bend as it prepared to jump.It wouldn’t be possible to strike at the toad before it became airborne at this distance, and when it eventually comes down in a random spot, Bryn will have a more difficult time lending support.


    The toad had already began its jump, and by the time the sword left Jordan’s hand, there was no way for his target to adjust as the sword pierced directly into its forehead.A pained croak could be heard from above, though it continued to sound farther away the more the toads body continued to rise.After finally reaching its 10 foot apex, the toad’s corpse came crashing down to ground.Just as he confirmed his kill, Jordan heard a loud squelching sound from behind him.


    He barely had any time to react, and was not able to dodge quickly enough, with the orb hitting his leg.The pain was immense, and Jordan screamed as he ran forward.He had avoided being completely covered by the attack, but the pain was difficult to ignore.It felt as if his leg was eating itself, the texture of the slime giving a sense of uneasiness on top of the pain.Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.


    He stood up and made eye contact with Jordan, giving a thumbs up as he did.Jordan frowned, knowing that meant the convergence circle was ready.While having that bailout was an important safety measure, he had been hoping to wrap up this fight before needing it.He looked at the circle and then back to the toad before finally looking at the number in the corner of his vision again.


    “That’s above 50%, guess my hands are tied” Jordan said as he dashed once again toward the final toad.The beast’s throat began expanding again, and Jordan knew from last time he had about 6 seconds to reach his target.He would probably be ok, but a little insurance wouldn’t hurt.


    He felt the den flood his body, the use of the 2 skills simultaneously causing his body to push itself farther than it ever had before.


    He felt himself move as if he was being pushed forward by a fiery explosion, and his legs became a blur.For a moment as he ran with his sword pointing at the toad’s head, he could have sworn it was moving in slow motion.Almost as soon as it began to form, Jordan sword pierced the acidic bubble in the toads throat, killing it instantly.


    As he pulled the blade out and swung it to fling off the excess blood, he looked at that number again.


    He concentrated on the Environmental Symbiosis skill, deactivating its effect as the cloak of fog faded from him.Bryn flew over to where Jordan was, having had more exercise flying with his disgust at walking around in the mud.


    Not only is this skill awesome, but it can stack.Think of something, try it, it works, science!” Jordan said, hoping his rhythmic speech pattern and confidence would distract his friend.


    “I know you’re not stupid enough to actually get killed by toads, but if you had used your bow you wouldn’t have gotten hit.” He said, pointing at Jordan’s noticeable burn.The acid had melted through the coat of fog and his clothes, leaving a patch of fabric missing on his charred knee.Bryn tossed Jordan a healing potion, his flesh being restored on his burn as he drank.


    Bryn had a feeling he could convince Maive to help them butcher and package these corpses in exchange for some of the haul.With the storage bag available to them, the pair had made a point to begin collecting the bodies of the creatures they kill.The additional money for selling the materials and meat would make up for the cost of the bag in a single day, though they still needed the tools for the butchering.


    As they made their way back down the path, Jordan felt overcome by a monstrous presence.It felt like it came out of nowhere, and though he couldn’t see anything, he felt the predatory bloodlust in the air as thick as the fog itself.The chill he felt in his spine was unlike anything he had experienced before, and he began listening to his surroundings intently.


    With the path before them blocked, the pair looked up toward the direction of the fallen tree’s stump.Standing next to it was a presence that flabbergasted Jordan, as he couldn’t imagine how he didn’t notice it sooner.


    As its legs began to bend, Jordan re-activated his Symbiosis, the cloak of fog enveloping him once more.


    However, as the alpha left the ground, the tress around it snapped like twigs as it burst into the air.Flying at least 30 feet high, the impact of this creature upon landing would be immense.As it began to descend upon the party again, Jordan raised his swords in front of him, the unfamiliar weaponry intimidating him with every foot closer the Alpha came.