“You’re showing off.”
Penelope stared at the barrier between 2D and 2E. I’m doing things slower than I have been. What’s so wrong about how I’m doing things now?
“You know things that you shouldn’t know and people are going to start getting curious.” Jeru sighed. “People aren’t going to believe that there is a time loop. The explanation that they almost always jump to is that you’re working with the Demons somehow.”
How does that make any sense? Penelope shook her head. Why would I be killing Demons if I was working with them?
“I didn’t say that it was logical, but you can’t bring yourself to work with Dawson after he stole from you. How are you going to work with Frederica or Patrick after they kill you because they think you’re a Demon in disguise?”
They’ve done that to other loopers? She glanced over at the blonde, who was still getting into the Shadow Assassin’s gear.
“Not them specifically, but they have the personalities for it.” Jeru sighed. “That’s not the point. The point is that sometimes people do things when they don’t think the other person will be alive that they wouldn’t do if they had to keep living with them.”
He appeared in front of her and pointed at their tank. “Like how you feel bad about the number of times that you let him die. You’re never going to be able to look at him without feeling some degree of shame. Think about it that way but in reverse.”
Ugh! Penelope glared at the incorporeal Elf. Fine! I’ll try to be more careful! She looked north. Then how do you propose I explain knowing about the moles?
“How many monsters are in every room?” Jeru shook his head. “Why do I have to give you all the plans?”
Maybe because you’ve seen them all? Penelope turned to look at the monsters in 2E.
“Worried?” Oakley stopped beside her.
“Oh! Um…” Penelope closed her eyes and took a deep breath to try to calm her nerves and chase away the guilt. “It’s easier to chain one fight into another. When I stop, I have to think about everything I’ve done so far.”
“I get that. This morning, I was writing a novel about Elves, monsters, and magic and now I’m living it.” Oakley chuckled. “What about you?”
“Getting a snack before Partial Differential Equations.” Penelope smirked. “And now I’m in a Dungeon doing math. Just like my dream job.”
“You dreamt about being locked in a Dungeon?”
“Most computational positions house their mathematicians in the basement where there aren’t any windows.” She gestured around them. “Kind of like how it is here.”
“What about all the monsters?”
“The projects.” Penelope chuckled. “Or the bosses.” She smirked. “There’s even the other employees that don’t like you.”
“Frederica’s just processing.” Oakley frowned. “Give her a few days to figure things out, and she’ll come around.”
“In a few days, we’ll be dead.” Penelope shook her head, then held up her hands when she saw the look on his face. “I don’t mean that she has to fight. We can do that. But she doesn’t need to be attacking us when we’re all having to deal with this.”
“Some better than others.” Oakley muttered.
“I…” Penelope sighed. “I’ll try to be nicer to her.” She looked at the Tank. She’d gotten used to using a shield to protect herself from the poison spell. The shield that Oakley was holding. She thought about asking for it, but just that thought brought pressure of Jeru’s impending response.
“Only two beetles in here. I’ll knock them down so you can focus on the Demon, and it’ll let the others stay on the edge.” Penelope pulled out her wand and checked the time. She’d been in this run for almost three hours, which was twenty minutes longer than she had been spending to get to this point.
“Can’t we wait a few more minutes?” Judah looked up from where he was lying on the ground. “My mana is almost recharged.”
“You’re going to need your mana in the next room; just save it for now.” Penelope called over her shoulder.
“Why?”
Penelope jumped. She hadn’t heard the blonde sneak up behind her.
Pushing the irritation out of her mind, Penelope closed her eyes as she took a deep breath, then pointed at 3D. “How many monsters do you see in there?”
“Two. Should be an easy fight.” Frederica crossed her arms.
“How many monsters have there been in every room so far?” Penelope tried to keep the irritation out of her voice.
“I don’t know, seven?”
“Six!” Judah sat up.
“That’s right.” Penelope motioned at 2E. “There are six in there, but..." She pointed at 3E. “Five in there and..." She turned to 3C. “Four in there. What does that tell you?”
“There’s hidden monsters.” Oakley looked impressed. “I knew having you around would be a good thing.”
“Right.” Penelope turned east so he wouldn’t be able to see the embarrassment on her face. “So save up your mana and stamina for the unknown.”
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“Why can’t we just wait until our mana recharges?” Judah whined. “How are you getting yours back so fast?”
“What’s your mana recovery per minute?” Penelope pulled up her menu.
“Where do you see that?” The older man began pushing on the air like he was pressing on a touch screen.
“It’s under Recovery on your main stat sheet.” Penelope looked at hers. “I have a 2.7 recovery rate. That’s the points of mana I get back every minute.”
“I don’t see it.” Judah tried to look at her screen.
Penelope flinched away as he invaded her space. “You can’t see anyone else’s screen.”
“Your mana recovery is 0.9.” Oakley clicked his tongue. “It takes you forty-five minutes to fully recover your forty mana, while Penelope fills her sixty-two mana in twenty-three minutes.”
Everyone looked at the Tank.
“How can you see that?” Penelope hugged herself, suddenly feeling very naked despite having on a robe over the rest of her clothes.
“I’ve got a tab for PARTY.” The young man looked at everyone. “No one else has that?”
They all shook their heads.
Jeru?
“It’s because he’s the party leader.” The Elf appeared behind the Tank and floated around the man. “The system recognizes him as the one in charge and gives him the ability to manage some things for the rest of you.”
Like what?
“It’s more of an administration function since this system automatically assigns stats.” Jeru motioned at the man in metal armor. “He can see what items people have, what gear they’re wearing, their stats, and skills. Basically, everything you can see about yourself, but for everyone.”
That doesn’t help me feel less exposed.
The blue Elf shrugged. “Then get the others to see you as the party leader.”
Penelope’s heart twisted at the thought. It was one thing to tell people information that would help them survive; it was a completely different situation to be responsible for everyone.
“Don’t worry about it. It’s not like you’re going to steal from them. Besides, you would tell him any of the information if he asked for it.”
Yes, but that’s different.
“How?” Jeru raised an eyebrow.
I’d know what he was looking at.
The invisible man shrugged. “If you don’t like it, then be the boss.”
Penelope closed her eyes so she wouldn’t glare at the parasite.
“I guess that means that you need to watch how much magic you use.” Oakley slapped his hand on Judah’s shoulder. “Just hang back and enjoy the free experience.”
The other Caster grumbled something, but nodded. “Fine.”
“Great!” The Tank clapped his hands. “I think we’re ready to do this!”
“Wait up!” Frederica shouted.
Penelope opened her eyes and realized that the pair had already gone into the next zone. She pulled out her wand and ran in, focusing on the two beetles that had already closed the distance.
“Light Bolt! Light Bolt! Light Bolt! Light Bolt!”
DING!
Experience +1.5
Experience +1.5
“Kill the Demon last.”
Penelope was about to ask why Jeru wanted her to do that, then remembered that she had 591 experience when she walked in. She would level once she killed another minion and the boss, then she wouldn’t get any more experience from the minions in this column.
“Fine.” Penelope pointed at the Demon. “Oakley! Get that thing’s attention and I’ll deal with the bats!”
The Tank nodded.
“ARRRGG!!!”
Oakley charged at the Shadow Poisoner, moving faster than before.
“He leveled.”
Penelope rolled her eyes. “Of course you’re keeping up with it.”
“Someone has to.” Jeru chuckled. “You’ve got enough to think about; let me worry about a few things for you.”
Penelope sighed as she sighted the closest bat. “Thanks.” She ran towards the cluster of hanging monsters. Replaying the practiced motion, she pointed her wand at each one of the monsters, firing a
DING!
Experience +1.5
Experience +1.5
Experience +1.5
With the minions dealt with, she turned her attention to the boss. Oakley had taken the short sword from Frederica so the blonde could use the daggers. He was keeping his shield up and trying to hack at the Demon, but it was able to parry his inexperienced thrusts.
Frederica, on the other hand, had snuck around behind the Shadow Poisoner. She had a dagger in both hands, the blades covered in shadows, striking out at it, but not connecting very often. The Demon moved like a column of water, avoiding or parrying almost every one of their attacks.
“Light Bolt!”
Penelope timed her spell to strike the Demon in the face as it dodged one of Frederica’s slashes.
The older woman had a green tint to her skin and had slowed down to jerking, telegraphed movements. The blonde wobbled as she stepped and had stopped bouncing on her heels.
Penelope recognized the poison’s effects and knew that the fight needed to end fast so that Frederica could take a potion. She didn’t want to have to reset because the Assassin died from slow damage.
“Light–”
“Fireball!!!”
The Demon sidestepped to get out of the way and at the same time tripped Frederica. The fire spell hit her in the back.
“AHHH!!!”
Oakley tucked his shoulder and slammed the shield into the Demon to push it away from the dying woman.
Penelope pulled a Healing Potion out of her pocket as she ran over. She pointed her wand at the other man. “PUT THAT STAFF DOWN!” She glared at him. “DON’T YOU DARE CAST ANOTHER SPELL!!!”
Penelope slid next to the shaking blonde, dropped her wand and yanked the top off the vial.
“Just pour it on the wound. That’ll keep her alive. Then pour another one down her throat.”
Penelope rolled the other woman over. The leather jacket that they’d looted from the Shadow Assassin had taken most of the spell, but the blonde wouldn’t be able to put her hair in a ponytail for a while. The flames had burned away almost all her hair on the back of her head and left a nasty burn from the base of her skull all the way down her neck.
Penelope poured the entire vial over the burn.
“Is she going to be okay?!” Oakley turned to check on them.
“Don’t get distracted!!!” Penelope rolled Frederica on her back. She looked at the Tank. “You fall, we all die! Do your job and I’ll do mine!”
Oakley stumbled back as the Shadow Poisoner pushed forward. The Tank braced himself, then slammed the shield into the Demon, pushing it back.
Judah crouched next to them. “ImsorryImsorryIm–”
Penelope hit him on the top of the head with the back of her hand. “This is why you do what you’re told to do! You can’t throw spells into a place where they could hit allies until you can aim!” She shoved her other Healing Potion into his hands. “Pour this slowly into her mouth until it’s all gone. DO NOT choke her. She’s not going to die right now, so it’s more important that she gets all of the potion in her than she gets it fast.” She snatched up her wand as she stood.
“Do you understand?” Penelope looked down at him.
Judan nodded as he ran his fingers down the blonde’s cheek. “I’m sorry, I thought I could help.” He failed to stifle a sob as he looked up at Penelope. “What are you going to do?”
She turned to the last monster.
“I’m going to finish this.”
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