11.2 ᴘᴀᴛʀᴇᴏɴ.ᴄᴏᴍ/sᴛʀᴀᴛᴏᴛʜʀᴀx

The mushroom slowed and then ponderously toppled over.

"You see? It's easy! Just don't let them get a bad angle and they're easy experience!"

"Yaha!" cheered the Satyr standing on top of the fallen mushroom.

"You didn't let me hit it you dumb Satyr! I didn't get anything!"

"Oh quit your whining, you had your chance."

"He has a point, we need to allow each of us to attack it before killing it so we can all level. That includes our healer."

"It's fine, I gain levels residually from buffing you," said the Half-elf smiling serenely.

"Oh, uh, right. Well, anyway."

The man picked up another stone and bounced it off a nearby mushroom, the stone bounced far enough that it struck a second mushroom closeby. It bumbled to its feet and followed after the first mushroom that was now heading toward the team.

"Don't panic everyone. I've been here enough times, even two or three can be dealt with. Just follow my lead and watch your footing."

The team began moving up and around the pair of mushrooms, manoeuvring them into an advantageous position or kiting them.

Opal turned to Rain. "I want to try something, but I uh, need you to climb a tree."

Rain raised an eyebrow.

"It'll make sense, I promise. Look, this tree is perfect. Please?"

Rain frowned but reluctantly began climbing the tree. He was pleased to note how easy it was, having outsized strength like a leveler had its benefits. Opal disappeared into the foliage and he settled down to watch.

The adventuring team, despite the occasional spat with each other, seemed to function well. They kept the angry mushroom creatures well-controlled and led them into positions advantageous to themselves where they flanked them so as to avoid their dangerous maws. Rain watched with interest as they wandered around the clearing drawing the attention of each dormant mushroom and then cutting it down. They were about halfway through this when the foliage at the edge of the clearing began to shake and a new mushroom jumped out and charged toward the group.

"Watch it! We've got a stray!" yelled the axe wielder pivoting to face it.

"Where did that come from? We haven't thrown a rock anywhere near that part of the wood."

"It must have been awoken as we walked in here and gotten stuck on a tree or something, it came from the same direction."

"No matter, it's just more levels."

"Sure. sure."

The group evolved tactics and added the new mushroom to their strategy. They were adapting quite well until two more mushrooms burst from the treeline behind them. Then three more. Then five more.

"What is happening?! Why are they coming out of the wood for us?!"

I don't know, I don't know! This- this hasn't happened anytime I've been here before!"

"I assume something is in the woods awakening them and directing them to us."

"Fuck! I bet it was that black thing that was shadowing us earlier. It knows we're vulnerable, it was just waiting to get us!"

"Calm down, don't panic. We just need to retreat to the plateau while stopping them from getting close. They won't be able to climb up it with those stubby legs and we'll be safe. Stay together, on me!"

The group formed up and began to retreat in an orderly fashion as more and more of the furious mushroom monsters lumbered into the clearing. They were doing well, using a combination of hit and run tactics to keep the shrooms at a distance and using their positioning to cause the shrooms to trip over each other.

In fact, they looked like they were going to make it, up until a dozen mushrooms burst out of the tree line that they were trying to flee into. Rain watched with interest as Opal danced past silently below avoiding the eyes of the apparently narrow sighted mushroom creatures and directing their attention to the clearing with tossed sticks and stones.

"This all your fault you damned Human!" screamed the male Elf as he used his shield to desperately keep away the teeth of a shroom.

The man caved its cap in with a mighty blow of his axe. "It's fine! Everythings fine! We're going to make it!"

"Look out!" cried the Satyr as a surge of mushrooms climbed over each other to get at them.

"Th-There's too many!"

A particularly tall and aggressive mushroom abruptly clambered over the pile of dead and lunged at the Elf. The Elf, eyes going round, tried to stop it with his shield, but too late, it closed on him, its maw open wide. The Elf panicked and with a cry shoved his shield into the monster's mouth before turning and running. The mushroom barely noticed the shield, letting it drop free and instantly charging after him, swiftly gaining ground.

"N-no! Get away! Get the fuck away from me!"

He ran at the Half-elf and grabbed her by the shoulders and then to the rest of the team's and Rain's shock he turned and threw her at the mouth of the chasing mushroom which closed shut like a guillotine removing her head and part of her shoulder from her body. She had only had a moment to cry out before she was permanently silenced.

"NO!!" screamed the Satyr.

"Damn you Orden! Dam you to hell!" roared the man.

The fight descended into chaos as the Elf fled into the woods. The man and Satyr held on valiantly but it was clear they were fighting a losing battle. The mushrooms rolled over the two and they became fully surrounded, almost disappearing from Rain's sight.

"Belle, this is my fault, I'm going to make space. When I'm done, go, don't think of anything else."

He stepped forward and roared, axe held high. Blue fire engulfed the head of the axe and then washed over his body entirely covering him in flame. He charged the mushrooms as flares of blue fire erupted from his body in all directions reaching for meters.

Many of the mushrooms ignited or tried to flee the terrible fire, the Satyr taking her chance raced through the gap made by the man as he fell to his knees. She darted into the forest as the man collapsed to the ground, a burning azure pyre.