Toads fell and died, dispersing into motes of mana dust, enraged croaks and helpless gasps of instinct and rage driven beings filling the otherwise peaceful and rather serene view, failing to push the group of humans, and a single fae, back, all while Jack just stood back and watched, his eyes, ears and spirit sense registering every minute detail around them, bordering on near premonition. The slightest twitch of a certain toads muscles, forewarning him of an imminent tongue lash. Tensing of another toads back legs, indicating an incoming leap, clearly aimed at his maid group and Spartacus. The faint ripples on the surface of one of the ponds, forewarning the appearance of yet another toad, and so on and so forth.

  Yet nothing of the aforementioned could sway him, the level of danger not nearly high enough for him to take action. At least not yet, and judging by the success rate of the maids, it seemed to remain as such for quite the foreseeable future. Better yet, their group became more and more used to the patterns of the attacking monster force as well, their movement becoming more and more precise, with less and less wasted energy on each action taken. Their teamwork saw synchronizing even more as well, with their frontline members even taking some small bruises here and there to speed up their ability to take down the attacking monsters. Bruises that were nearly instantly healed by Nivi, her mana otherwise full and unused.

  'Good thinking.' Jack praised internally, not the least bit interested to disrupt their current groove. He would praise them later though. Independent thought was always worth praising, particularly so if it improved the efficiency and safety of the workplace. It also allowed them to hone their own danger sense, to understand when such an action was and was not permitted. Of course, he also saw when mistakes were made on such calls, resulting in greater harm than anticipated, forcing the rest of the team to work all the harder for a short while. Still, the overall benefit was evident enough that the group realized the benefits. They did make sure that they rotated the person doing the risky move, ensuring that in case of the occasional fuckup, the rest could pick up the slack.

  Soon enough, Jack could sense that the monsters stopped coming, their supposed first pack finally reaching its end. And a pack- a herd more like it- had it been, consisting of almost forty individual creatures, only made manageable by the staggered pace at which the monsters emerged from the ponds nearby. That and the superior gear Jack's people were wearing.

  "Huuuh. Finally!" Spartacus exhaled in relief, slumping forward as his elbows rested on his knees, his face flushed red from the exertion and beads of sweat still sliding down his face, reaching his ching and then calling to the ground. The man just had quite the exercise, his muscles groaning in slight protest.

  "You said it." chimed in Lita, her hands slumped down, her breath heavy and ragged, though still holding onto her sword and shield. Tired as she might be, dropping one's guard in such a dangerous place was never wise, and she would not make that mistake. Did not matter that Jack was around. He most likely would step in at the last moment to save their lives should shit hit the fan, but they would be chewed out afterwards if the mistake was theirs, and any one who had been a slave for even a moment under the beastmen, would know better than to disappoint ones master. There were far too many examples of the cruelty and punishment said disappointing individuals had faced that were retold time and time again, warning all those that came afterwards of the consequences of disappointing ones' masters. It mattered not that Jack did not seemed anything like the masters of old- some habits just died hard, doubly so when beaten deep into your bones.

  And yet, despite their old tricks and habits, slowly but surely the maids had slowly began their path to recovery. If not to the point where they could be called perfectly normal, then at least to a level where they could live decent, perhaps even happy and fulfilling lives. Time would tell, but Jack was sure as hell he would not abandon them now, bringing them along as he returned to his kids. They were waiting for him, and there was a certain arachnid that deserved to be made into an exquisite dish for all the annoyance it had put him through.

  "Take five minutes to rest and recover. We head further ahead after that." Spartacus called out once his own breathing had somewhat leveled, though his face was still flush from the earlier exertion.

  "Take ten. You will need them." Jack casually added, well aware of things that still lurked ahead, as well as the limits of his maid group.

  "As boss said it. Ten minutes it is!" Spartacus immediately corrected, sitting down and calming his body to a more natural pace. It would get to ramp up again soon enough. And the maids? They returned to their rest the moment Jack spoke, already mentally preparing for a much more gruesome battle ahead. After their rest time was spent, they all got up and headed further in, and some ten minutes later they realized just what Jack meant with it.

  Before them stood a whole new area, with nothing but dark blue water carpet stretching ahead of them, though unlike what one might expect, this was no waterworld ahead of them. At least not entirely. A field, as far as the eyes could see, was indeed covered in water, with plenty of vegetation adapted to living in such an environment, with plenty of grass stalk and lesser bushes poking out. And yet, most of this water reservoir of sorts, a flooded plain if anything, was no deeper than just barely past ones ankle, as though a criminal with a tracker locked on his leg- just above the ankle- had been sent here, all too dependant on always staying in water, but still forced to not soak said tracker, had deliberately flooded the place just enough to fulfill both conditions.

  Jack knew better than to believe that all of the plain was like that, without a single valley of sorts where more monsters spawned. He did warn the group clearing the place as such "Do note that there are deeper 'holes' along the path as well, filled with monsters and their ilk. Do watch where you are stepping." he then glanced ahead, his eyes locked on just barely noticeable tower like structure in the distance.

  "And yes, to those who noticed the tower, that place seems like our next destination."

  Weapons and senses sharp and at the ready, the group stepped into the flooded zone, their movement somewhat slow, always searching for signs of an ambush or ensuring their footing is stable and they don't slip on some slimy or otherwise slippery surface. It was an extra strain on their bodies- the need to move through water, and eventually, fight there too, spending more energy than otherwise needed.

  Thankfully, the monsters here came at them in smaller packs, their speed and toughness notably larger despite the relatively low depth of the water, as though its presence alone served as some sort of a buffing zone for the arriving monster packs, strengthening them in every aspect. At the same time, maid group, plus Spartacus, were hindered by the water, though not to the point of being put into too deadly a harm's way. Still, their fights were harder now, but also provided new paths of retaliation as well.

  Valente, for example, could go wild with her fireballs, since there was no need to worry for collateral damage as any splash fire would be immediately extinguished by the water all around them. She could also use her magic to create steam clouds to obscure vision, creating more chaos among the enemy force to facilitate easier dispatching. Arsha- the groups archer- was another of the members just barely inhibited by their new environment, her arrows flying as they always would and striking true her targets, eliciting croaks and groans of pain from the raging and bloodthirsty amphibians.

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  The twins, Spartacus and Lita soon adapted to a whole new way of fighting as well, using the somewhat slippery waterbed to assist in deflections of tongue shots from the toads, followed by precise strikes against the same tongues, eliciting painful wails to their actions.

  Each pack took just slightly less time than the large one at the start, their increased individual strength not enough to compensate the clear difference in numbers from before. Though it was also clear that it had taken just that much more energy for the group to deal with them.

  "Area clear." Jack announced once the last of the toads scattered into mana dust, leaving behind a rather interesting little surprise. "Good job team." he added, his gaze locked on the peculiar object as his legs slowly brought him closer and closer.

  "Now what do we have here?" he mused, finally standing over as the item floated just at the top of the water, its weight, or perhaps special properties, holding it up. "I haven't seen stuff life this in ages." he laughed, reaching down and picking up the item in question.

  Spirit frog leg(epic)- a rare and high quality Spirit frog meat, famous for its tender meat and filling nature.

  "Now this, I have to try out." Jack hummed, his eyes locked on the item in question, several ways to prepare it already surfacing, each more exquisite than the last, promising an experience like never before. With a quick swipe of his hand, he stored it away, his gaze turning towards the barely visible tower further ahead. He allowed the group to rest as appropriate, recovering their strength to optimal, though not peak, levels, ensuring they could fight properly, but do not waste precious time trying to reach the perfect state.

  And so they continued on, their blades, arrows and spells drawing amphibian blood and scattering their bodies into mana dust as they were slain. Hour after hour slowly passed by, their steps slowly but steadily brought them ever closer to the tower, all the while dealing with ever growing packs of toads, with a frog dropping by every now and then. Unlike the wart covered toads, the frogs were mostly green of lighter brown, like some overgrown versions of the ordinary everyday frogs, with smooth and slimy skin. unlike the toads, the frogs kept their distance, spitting some sort of water, or mudballs their way. Though aside from the expected punch that a lobbed, half formed ball of water mixed with mud would provide on impact, it did little else, if the annoyance and irritation it created in the group was not counted. Psychological damage was a whole an other beast altogether after all. Still. for a group with a wind whisperer among their ranks, once a pattern was discovered and identified, it was not all too difficult to prevent morale loss.

  "Half a day. Not bad." Jack nodded in satisfaction, their feet once again on dry land as the group huddled around a freshly made campfire, warming their bodies and drying their shoes, with the very same tower looming ominously overhead just behind a small forest, or perhaps in its very center. The latter was the correct answer, Jack's spirit sense already having explored the surroundings quite extensively. Surprisingly however, no matter how he probed, he simply could not sneak a peek inside, as though both sides were seperated with more than simple stone walls.

  ''We will rest here for a bit longer, Get dried, a proper meal and all that before we proceed ahead." Jack explained as he gestured the group towards the steaming and extremely delicious smell exuding pot, clearly inviting the group to begin their meal, all while his eyes lingered on the top of the tower still, rarely having left it as is. There was something about it that requested, demanded attention, even from someone like him- a being half a foot in the divine realm.

  'What is it that you are hiding?' Jack thought as he pondered, his thoughts wandering through the memories he had of the divine and divine adjacent, though nothing smelled quite like this. As though the tower concealed an alternate path towards godhood, or at least a mention of one. That was what his gut told him, and as any divine worth their salt, you always trust your gut feeling about esoteric things like this.

  At the same time, what was the likelihood that such low level plane as this could house a secret as grand and mystical as what he was perceiving. 'Perhaps a failed attempt then?' A thought suddenly sneaked its way in the center of his mind. There were plenty of those around, and although failures in and of themselves, they did often contain morsels of ingenious insights into the nature of divinity, its perks and potential, as well as its flaws. Gods were, after all, simply beings with individual power that defied logic and understanding of the general populace, surpassing what was supposed to be the limits of their physical world.

  Therein lie the trap as well, for such knowledge, acquired by lesser beings who had not stepped into the realm of gods themselves, would be a poisoned apple, driving whoever got hooked on it, like some incredibly addictive and mind numbing drug, further and further into the abyss of insanity, chasing that oh- so coveted realm, all to crash and burn, committing the same mistakes as the original creator of the method.

  Soon enough the group moved out, not a single trace of their camp remaining but freshly dug up soil that covered the ash of their fireplace. Not that they had to be so pedantic, the lack of other humans within their instance, as well as the inability of monsters to gleam much needed information from the remains of hastily left campfire, made such action unnecessary, but Jack insisted the do so regardless. Better to cultivate such cautious behaviour than be left dead in the mud at a later time.

  As they walked inside the forest that surrounded the tower, things took on a slightly somber and creepy tune. Deathly silence filled the forest, with not a single song of a bird or chirping of a bug filling the air. Not that the forest was dead mind you. The group could see small animals moving around here and there, with occasional bird gliding by, though each and every one moved with unnatural silence, as though the sound itself was devoured all around them. And yet, their voices carried ahead just fine, no such odd magic consuming the sound they created. What then had made the world around them so bizzare? Even Jack had no answer to that particular question, though he supposed the answer to that too lay in the depths of the tower.

  The tower itself was old, having somehow survived for untold years, the stones forming its walls covered in layers of moss, though to everyone's surprise, not a single place seemed to be coming apart, like some monolithic structure surviving the ebbs and flow of time. Once close enough however, Jack understood why. The stones were filled with mana, reinforced to last for millennia, perhaps longer, locked in place conceptually. He too could do something like this, assuming he was willing to spend the time and effort required for it. As a divine, with aspects of creation and destruction it would have been a piece of cake, but now? Jes, not worth the effort. Not worth it at all.

  The doors of the tower were massive, seemingly oaken, with large, heavily rusted hinges and ornamented metallic branches that snaked their way across them, meeting in the middle, seemingly entwining with each other, locking them firmly in place. Clearly no simple lock and key had served to open these doors, likely only responding to a certain magical sequence. Thankfully, Jack was just the man/ half-divine for the job, his aspect of creation serving as quite the master lock for all things made.

  "Stay back while I solve this." Jack spoke with authority and conviction, his confidence in his own skill and ability to get away should shit hits the fan, unshakable, though the same could not be said for his maids and Spartacus. He slowly closed in on the locked door, his hand slowly touching the moss covered ancient stone structure, feeling the magic contained within, listening to the story it had to tell. Places like this often had one, seeped deep into the surroundings and objects that remained behind from times long since past. All one had to do was to know how to listen and understand.

  "It's close. I can tell. Just a bit further and my name will go down in history. Those old fools thought me mad, driven insane by the whispers of the other side. I will show them. I will become the first of a new age of gods. I will make them understand."

  Those five sentences, spoken in a voice slightly cracked, hurt and filled with anger and obsession repeated themselves again and again, clearly spoken as this part of the tower was built. Whoever failed here, leaving behind this legacy, was definitely not of clear mind, muddled and lead deeper and deeper down the rabbit hole. 'What did you uncover, I wonder?'

  Jack Raja(?)

  Age- 27

  Species- human(?)

  Level- 31

  Class- Awakened twin aspect of Creation and Destruction(Ex)

  Stats unassigned: +4

  Attributes:

  Strength- 34 (14+7+13(gear))

  Vitality- 28 (12+8+8(gear))

  Dexterity- 29 (15+6+8(gear))

  Intelligence-20(15+ 5(gear)

  Spirit- Spirit- 30 (20+10)

  Skills- Wisdom of Creation and destruction(EX), Choice of the creator(EX), Eyes of procurer(EX), Matter storage(EX), Arukain language(C), Spark of inspiration(EX), Origin of matter(EX), Unbound by laws of the lessers(EX), The end made manifest(EX). Destroyers presence(unique legendary).

  Spells- none.

  Titles(unlocked): The real Monster, Big Game Hunter, The brilliant rookie, The insane Solo. Monster debugger.The actor. Executioner. Survivor. Pioneer, Record breaker.The new champion supreme. Slavemaster.

  Gear: Two handed sword(t3)+ 5 str +5 vit: Armor 3str +3 vit +3 dex; Ring 1 - spatial storage, ring 2 +5int, ring 3 +5 str; amulet +5 dex.