D.E.M.O.N.S: Getting Summoned Weekly isn't so Bad

Chapter 2248 Break it Down

--- Kat ---

Kat let herself fall backwards onto the ground. All the monsters nearby had been dealt with. Technically. There were of course the ones that managed to run down the hole the worm made... and the bird thing. Marigold had dealt with, sorry, Vanilla had dealt with her monsters before Kat cut her flames off and Lily was guarding the tunnel entry just in case any monsters tried to run back out.

[Are you alright?] Lily asked a few moments before Maryland made her way over and asked the same question. Though Maryland at least seemed to be directing that question to both her and Vanilla... who was eying the bird up. ”Yup, I’m good to go!” cheered Vanilla.

”Don’t fight the bird,” grumbled Maryland.

”But it’s asking for a fight!” insisted Vanilla.

”It’s a bird,” countered Maryland.

”I don’t see how that changes things,” insisted Vanilla.

”She’s kinda right,” Kat agreed from her spot on the ground. ”I think it’s actually quite smart... and it’s sending everyone challenging looks. Though I wonder why it’s sticking around so close to us?”

The bird turned to Kat and gave her a ’what are you an idiot’ look. Which... was a really odd thing to see on a bird, and Kat honestly wasn’t sure why she was on the receiving end of it. Glancing around, there wasn’t anything particularly noteworthy anywhere in eyesight, and with the poison having been burnt away by her demonic flames, or more accurately, frozen and scattered along the ground, she could see pretty far.

[I think that’s why. It probably doesn’t have any poison resistance.]

*Oh. Yeah I should’ve thought of that. I’m a little loopy and low on demonic energy. I could move if I had to... but keeping those flames up over such a large area drained me nearly completely.*

[And why did you think it was a good idea?]

*Not sure. Maybe my demonic fire just really wanted to be used? Or it got a bit too used to being my answer after the last few fights? I got WAY more flames and power out of it by just... letting it do basically what it wanted. I think some demonic energy has to be used up on the controlling part so not doing that as much was efficient.*

[Was it really worth it?]

*You know what? Yes I think so. I’ve still got like... fifteen percent, which is more like ten useable percent, but that’s enough to keep myself up and moving if I want. I could even take quite a few hits and still be fine because my regeneration is pretty efficient. Honestly... yeah it’s a shame some of the monsters have gone underground but this way none of them are at risk of running into the city. At least... not without a giant worm breaking through and warning everyone at least.*

[Well... what now?]

*I think we discuss this with everyone else.* Kat pushed herself up and sighed as she saw Vanilla trying to escape Maryland’s grasp. She was clearly trying to throw down with the bird and the fact that it was just looking back at her, smugly, was amusing but potentially a problem. *New question while we wait for everyone to get over here... do you think I can ask the bird what it wants to do?*

[Is it smart enough for that?]

*I mean I think so? It was smart enough not to fight unlike most monsters, so it’s probably... I hesitate to say pet but maybe familiar? Yeah that actually makes a LOT of sense.*

[Huh... so it does.] Kat decided that was a good enough reason to ask. ”Hey you wouldn’t happen to be someone’s familiar, would you?” The bird puffed up its chest and then shook its head... slightly. ”Why do I get the feeling that means ’I’m not the familiar, my idiot partner is’ or something?”

Kat didn’t know how to deal with the fact the bird clearly nodded at her multiple times. She was... pretty sure that’s not how things were meant to work. Then again, she was bonded to Lily so perhaps she couldn’t really argue about it. At least her question and the bird’s answer meant that Vanilla was no longer trying to fight it.

So of course, it just had to raise an eyebrow at her. ”What? I’m not going to fight you if you’re someone’s friend! Not without permission anyway...” The bird may a face that said something like ’Do I look like I need permission?’

”Wait!” Kat cut in. ”Can we NOT fight here in the poison. It’s only now occurred to me that it could be a problem that Vanilla’s suit is all torn up. I wasn’t worried before... but maybe I should have been.

”I’m fine. I can feel the poison trying to work but my basic regeneration is taking care of it. I can hang out here for hours with issue. It might drain my eventually, but for now at least I have no worries,” explained Vanilla.

This short exchange was enough time for the rest of the group to catch up, and Scar asked. ”Are the monsters dealt with... except for the bird we can see. What is with that?”

The bird huffed at her as Maryland answered, ”It’s a familiar apparently. A bunch of monsters were all teleported over, that’s what the trap was. I’m not sure how they were chosen but considering we have at least one familiar from the lot... perhaps randomly?”

Kat felt a slight twinge of regret at the idea that she’d killed someone’s familiar... but considering that the big bird clearly demonstrated that even normal familiars were smart enough not to just get themselves killed on obviously dangerous fire, she didn’t feel too bad.

[Well what about me?]

*Did even ONE of the monsters you were killing ever attempt to do anything other than fight?*

[No. Now that I’m thinking about it, that would’ve stood out a bunch. Maybe there were more familiars in the group that run... but I deliberately didn’t go for those guys to make sure I could take down all the ones that might run before you had to drop the fire wall. I assumed it would’ve taken a lot less time.]

”So what are we going to do?” Kat asked, having already mentioned why her flames remained as potent for as long as they did. ”There’s still monsters down that brand new tunnel... but I have no idea how long it is at this point and it might be best just to get out soon. Plus, the bird here doesn’t have any equipment for surviving in the poison long.”

The bird let out a noise... of... probably agreement? It didn’t sound like any bird she’d heard before, and more like a serious of rocks being struck by lightning that you could only hear from the end of a cave. It was nodding though... so it was probably agreeing with her.

”That’s fine,” said Maryland before Vanilla could sign herself up for more work. ”I’d just ask that if you can seal the exit you do. It’s not worth posting a guard because the worm could surface just about anywhere... though a question. Are the defences enough to stop something like that getting into our base?”

”It should,” said Scar. ”Not much of a reason for it to go for it either...”

”The giant mana source?” commented Maryland.

Scar considered it. ”Maybe? Most monsters should be scared of it. While they are drawn to mana concentrations, that’s only up to a certain point. Anything TOO potent is liable to scare them away.”

”Alright... so... should I just collapse the tunnel then? Shouldn’t be too hard to just stomp on it a bit, or have Lily dig at the sides, or honestly Vanilla could as well...” Kat added.

Maryland shrugged, ”I don’t care who does it, it just needs to be done.” Vanilla went to leave her grasp, but Maryland pressed down hard. ”Though YOU can only destroy the tunnel if you promise not to fight the bird.”

”Hey, I already said I didn’t want to fight if it was friendly...” Maryland glared at Vanilla as she spoke. ”Ok fine, fine. I promise not to fight the bird until after we leave the poison, and I get permission from it. Fair?”

”Fine,” Maryland agreed letting the other elf go.

”Want help?” asked Kat.

”Nah I can manage all by myself!” cheered Vanilla with a gin as she rushed over to the edge of the tunnel and slammed into the ground, causing the tunnel to give way... but... ”Hmmm... too early I think.” It wasn’t completely closed off. Not enough dirt to fully seal the tunnel. Taking a few more steps back Vanilla repeated her slams a few more times and eventually the tunnel collapsed, far more completely. Now, only something small enough to squeeze between the rubble or with digging capabilities could get out. Not perfect... but hopefully enough for now.