The five of them slowly made their way to the training section, where the ceiling had collapsed. Sand all around them. The area was pretty much wrecked. The gaping hole above was broken beyond repair. At least not something they could patch up.
Further ahead, they scouted the area to make sure that nothing else was creeping around. After a thorough survey of the area, they were free from their worry of hiding monsters.
"I think the tremors earlier were due to those two monsters fighting each other. They seem very similar, so a fight between them wouldn't be surprising. Monsters are often like that," Eli explained, having had dealt with her fair share of monsters.
The others nodded in understanding, but some doubts still remained. Jay pointed out one of them that was all on their minds.
"But their appearance here seems very abrupt, don't you think so? I mean, they are definitely not from our world. They also don't seem to be some sort of temporal anomaly like what the GUIDE explained before. If I had to guess, they seemed mutated?"
Zephyr agreed with his thought and continued, "Just like we are undergoing a personal merger, it makes sense that every other living being is doing too. So these might be their transformation due to some mutation or maybe even a reward from a scenario they cleared. We can not be sure, but it is most likely."
Kane and the others grimaced at the idea. The list of monsters and situations that could end their lives kept increasing. It finally felt like an apocalypse. They were just missing zombies.
'I bet there are zombies somewhere out there in the countless alternate worlds as well,' Kane thought, sure that he would come across those monsters as well.
"How do we deal with the hole in the ceiling? It's a mess and we need to clear out the sand as well. Anyone with a skill or ability to help out?" Asche pointed out, as they all settled down on the sandy floor, pretty tired after the encounter.
"Actually, I don't think we should remain here any longer. The hole is pretty much a giveaway to our hideout. Not that we have to hide from something, but having a secluded location is for the best."
"While what you say makes sense, where do you reckon we will find another secret laboratory to stay in? I think we should figure out a way to repair the hole. You should be able to think of something, right?" Asche asked Zephyr, who seemed to have drifted off somewhere.
The person in question, who had been nodding his head just a moment ago, was lost in thought. His eyes were staring wide at nothing. Kane poked at him to bring him back. The sci-fi dude jolted up. "Oh, I just got a notification from the GUIDE. Like I was saying, we don't have to stay here any longer. The coordinates that I had received as a reward were just updated. I figure our problem for a new safe house was just solved for forever. Since the GUIDE is going to be supplying us with coordinates to the perfect locations every time our spot gets found out like this time."
Jay and Asche had their jaws slack as they stared at their friend. Just how much was the GUIDE favoring him? Jealous and frustrated, both of them got up and walked back to the living area.
Since Zephyr had already said, there was no point in staying any further here. It was time to pack up their stuff.
Kane shook his head in amusement, looking at Jay and Asche walk away, while Zephyr also made his way to the lab after reminding him to pack as well. They had set the departure to be within an hour.
But Kane just sat there on the sandy floor, thinking back to the fight they had just had. Despite it being his first time, he reviewed his own performance. He had been calm and oriented. While most of it is attributed to his recent transformation due to the absorption, he knew that a small part of it was because that this was a scene he had imagined in his mind countless times before.
Back when life was mundane and he would idle his time by reading some LitRPG novel or a system novel, imagining such scenes were common. There were just so many genres and titles that he had read and explored, diving into the world of fantasy and making it a large part of his life. And through it all, his own daydreams and fantasies had grown. To go out on an adventure with his friends, battle giant monsters and discover new places.
Every time he imagined it, he would think of himself as the conductor, the one who would lead and direct his gang as they made their way through the magical lands. He didn't want to be the team leader. No, his role was to be the support. The shot caller who directed the play.
And this time he had directly got to experience that fantasy of his. And it had been just like he had imagined it to be. It was invigorating. Relieving. He knew he was fit for this, meant to do this and that-
*OucH*
Eli knocked on his forehead, waking him up from his thoughts.
"Oi, are you listening to what I said?."
"Huh? What?"
She glared at him, repeating her question. "Will you be the tank on our team? Didn't you want to be a support mage?"
And that got his attention. Kane thought about it, realizing why the thought might have arisen in her.
"No, today was a special situation. I'm going to stick to my ideal path as a support mage. I can't be a tank. Mages aren't supposed to be tanky, you know." He was firm with his answer. There was no way he was going to become a tank class. That was his least favorite. It required no brain, just durability. Sit and allow the enemy to focus on you while your team dealt the damage. There was nothing artistic about that.
No, he was going to be a mage who controlled and dictated the pace of every battle, making sure the enemy was dancing in the palms of his hand. He was going to redefine the support class, turning them from just healers and enchanters to be the true core of a team. That was vision.
"But we do need a tank, you know that, right? Just like the situation today, there are going to be times when we will need a tank. So think about who has to fulfill that role. Asche is going to stick the ranger class, while Jay will not listen to any reason. He is set to follow his path of assassins. I could try to tank, but that is no longer a choice since I am almost done with my inheritance. If you considered taking my position, I would have agreed to be the tank, but I don't think you want that either. And Zephyr is in no position to be the tank. In fact, he should probably stay away from battles in general."
Kane listened to her analysis, his face growing bleak with each point she laid out.
She was right, there was no one who could be the tank in their team. And it wasn't as if he could not shotcall while being the tank. But he had wanted to be a mage. That would be so much cooler than just getting bashed around.
He let out a sigh, understanding that Eli was right.
"You don't have to deflate like that now. If you try, you can be both. This is not a game, where items and skills limit you from being both classes. You can be a mage and a tank at the same time. Since you haven't yet started grinding your scenarios yet, you should take your time to define your intent, of what you want to be. What roles you can play as both a mage and a tank.
From my experience, having a strong and clear intent is necessary to have better result from the scenario rewards. It is why Zephyr can always get his requests fulfilled by the GUIDE. Because he is absolutely clear of his own position and goal. He does not second doubt anything he does. Learn that and be steadfast. How is the GUIDE supposed to help you when you keep doubting your own decisions?"
Kane was surprised by her seriousness, but her words did resonate with him. He nodded in understanding.
"Alright, I guess you know best what to do next. Since our aim is now clear, let's do your best to build up skills and abilities from scenario rewards. Once I finish my inheritance, I'll also pass it on to you guys to see if we can benefit mutually. Raising our authority and strengthening our souls is the priority now."
She got up from the sandy floor, reaching down to him to get him up.
"Let's get packing now. I can't wait to see what safe house the GUIDE has prepared for us next." He chuckled, walking towards the living area.
"Where do you think you are going? Stay here and help me clear the debris here and pack all the gym equipment. Thankfully, nothing got damaged."
Kane winced, realizing why the boys had disappeared instantly when Zephyr had mentioned packing. Eli would make sure that all her gym equipment was ready to shift with them after all. There was no leaving those heavy equipments behind.