Accidental Healer

The next hour was spent testing my barrier spell in every way we could think of—attacks with skills, attacks without skills. Casting while holding Tranquility, then without it, then with Tranquility in dimensional storage, and even with it several feet away.

Time flew by as we ran test after test, trying to figure out just how much I could trust my spell. The best part? The mana cost was so low that I could keep casting it one at a time, easily replenishing my MP between each attempt.

“Well, I think we’ve officially beaten this horse dead,” Nick declared, hands on his hips after releasing ten straight shots into my stationary barrier.

My once-pristine circle of packed grass looked like it was attacked with a weed whacker. What used to be neatly flattened grass was now a muddy, chewed-up mess. The clean scent of cut grass mixed with dirt filled my nostrils, and a wave of nostalgia hit me.

“So... what did we learn?” I asked, scratching the back of my neck.

“For starters, Alex is a lumbering brute who should really warn people before launching a sweeping blade skill,” Nick said, crossing his arms. “Good thing you’re stupidly slow, or I might’ve been in real trouble.”

Alex flipped Nick off, unfazed. But Nick had a point. Compared to us, Alex was moving in slow motion. During one test, he used a skill against my barrier while Nick was within range. Nick had time to see the strike, sigh, and step out of the way before it rebounded off the stationary barrier.

That was another interesting discovery. When Alex used a skill, an ethereal blade extended from his weapon, acting independently.

For example, when he used Sweeping Blade, a massive spectral axe blade extended nearly ten feet from his weapon. But when it struck my barrier, the ethereal blade stopped dead, while Alex’s actual axe continued its swing, carrying its momentum.

They acted separately. It was like watching two attacks in one—the physical axe–and a ghostly afterimage that moved on its own.

“Uhh, well... I learned that when I hit level 15, momma’s gonna get herself a defensive skill.”

Nick, Alex, and I stare at Elise, dumbfounded. This is the most animated she’s been since last night.

“What?” Her face turns bright red as she looks down, retreating back into her shell. “I mean... it would help the team if both Layton and I had the barrier skill.”

Even though I’m certain that we all agree the shock hasn’t worn off quite yet.

“Momma’s gonna get a new defensive skill...” Alex repeats slowly, drawing out each word. Silence. Then, all at once, we burst out laughing—even Elise.

“Okay, okay,” I say, wiping away tears. “Now that we’ve thoroughly beaten this joke to death, should we take stock of what everyone brings to the table? Maybe even do some training?”

The group is still composing themselves but they all nod along.

“We should have at least a basic strategy before the next raid,” I continue. “Even if it’s rough.”

“What strategy?” Alex hefts his axe. “You throw up one of those barriers, and we hit stuff. Seems pretty straightforward.”

“I don’t know Alex, what if the enemy doesn’t stand completely still?” Nick shoots back.

He scratches his chin thoughtfully. “Well that would be pretty annoying and I would harness my anger to move faster.”

I exchange a look with Nick, trying not to laugh. “Alex, I hate to say it, but Nick has a point. You’ve got the strength, but what about putting some stats into agility?”

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Alex scowls. “Can’t exactly go back in time. Points are already spent. Maybe I was a little hasty... but I planned to even out my build anyway.”

“Good. You’ll still be a monster with that sweeping attack. My shield can handle several full strikes, and I can keep it up pretty much indefinitely with a group this size. Normally, I’d be practicing sword forms right now. What do you say we all get some training in?”

“I’m in,” Alex agrees. “But you’ll probably need to go half-speed on me.”

Nick snorts. “Half speed? More like one-eighth.”

From that point on each day was spent before the raid was spent practicing skills and testing our limits.

Everyone had their own slightly unique skills. To be honest I was a little disappointed. The skills gained were all so vanilla. My piercing shot that extended the range of a lunging sword attack, Alex’s sweeping blade, Nick's Concussive arrow, and Elise’s healing skills. There was nothing flashy about them.

Sure they were handy in a fight but it wasn’t uncommon to see extremely similar or identical skills from other fighters.

The good news was that stats did supercharge the skills and help them grow. Alex’s sweeping blade attack was devastating, with my barrier active I tried catching the attack with Tranquility. It moved slowly but hit like a train.

If we were going to help Alex get kills in the next raid, we’d have to get creative. His attack was too slow to land without distraction. And that was on us to figure out.

So, we practiced. Day after day. I was careful not to reveal my fighter skills. I didn’t need to. My stat gap was massive. At these early levels, even a small difference was huge.

At level 100, a 20-point stat gap wouldn’t mean much. But at level 10? It was a chasm. With my titles and levels, most enemies under level 15 were hopelessly outclassed.

I was determined to help my friends close that gap as quickly as possible.

-

And after seven days, the camp has changed—a lot.

Jared walks me through their work, explaining how skills, perks, and levels play a huge role in efficiency. It reminds me of how I’ve been improving with my sword, except they didn’t need a book to learn their craft.

Where there was once thick forest, a fortified log wall now stands. Inside, cabins—ten of them, so far. Eight towers rise along the outer perimeter, standing watch over an ever-growing settlement.

“Jared, I have to say—I’m impressed.” I watch as people hammer logs into place, reinforcing structures.

“These cabins house groups of four right now,” Jared explains, leading me through the camp. “Once the raids are done, we want to build something higher quality. We left space for other buildings, but we’re not sure what to prioritize yet. But here—” He stops in front of the only fully completed cabin with a quaint fire pit in front surrounded by wooden benches.

I wait for him to explain.

“Well, would you like a tour?” he asks.

“Sure, but like I said before—I’m good with whatever you guys want to do here. You don’t need my approval.”

Jared looks confused for a second before smiling. “I know. I just thought you’d like to see your new place.”

I blink. “My what now?”

“Your cabin. It’s not permanent, but it’ll give you some privacy—and maybe a better place to store that giant pile of loot bags you’ve been stacking in the woods.”

I just stare at him. I remember him mentioning this before, but I didn’t think he was serious.

“Jared, this is… a lot. I’m actually happy with my current setup.”

“You mean that pile of sticks you call a shelter?” he says, laughing. “Come on, at least take a look before you reject it.”

I sigh. “Fine. But I doubt it’ll be any better than what I have now.”

Jared just shakes his head and opens the carved wooden door. I step inside and take it all in—the solid wooden walls, the real bed, the sturdy table. It's... more than I expected. More than I deserve, if I’m being honest.

“I don’t know what to say.” I admit. I don’t really need to sleep often anymore, but it’s a cozy space to relax. “You and your people didn’t need to do this.”

Jared won’t meet my eyes. “Layton, I’ve been thinking a lot about how I treated you after the first raid.”

“Jared you don’t–” He raises his hand to stop me.

“Yes I do. We came to you asking for help and instead of being grateful I challenged your honesty. Since then you’ve been nothing but generous and fair. This is the least I can do to make it up to you.”

I smile, “It’s more than enough.” The silence hangs in the air awkwardly. So I try and change the topic with a cough “So, what’s in the basement?”

He seems grateful to move on. “Yeah ok right–for now, just storage. We noticed you just leave your loot bags in a pile. This should be a decent upgrade.”

“Thanks, Jared. This is—seriously—really great.” I glance around again, exhaling. “I guess I really live here now.”

“It’s looking more like that everyday.”