He Who Fights with Monsters, #3
He Who Fights with Monsters 3
by Shirtaloon
Contents
8. Adequate
Overview
Jason rejects spartan lodgings for a cloud house as the team begins their coastal route under Henrietta. They discuss future-rank abilities, portals, and Jason’s philosophy on the sin essence. After resolving underwater notices, the team defeats two bronze-rank stone lurkers through coordination. Henrietta warns harder trials loom, while Sophie notices Jason’s quiet humility with grateful villagers.
Summary
Arriving at a spartan Magic Society outpost, Jason rejects the dormitory and deploys his adaptive cloud house, giving the team comfortable quarters. The next day, Henrietta outlines a demanding route through coastal villages before turning inland, warning she may split the team to cover notices but will maintain safety.
On the road, Jason recounts his prior solo defeat of a tidal troll near one of their destinations. The team discusses combat styles and progression: Henrietta cautions Jason to rely less on simple stabbing at higher ranks, while Humphrey urges training future habits now. They compare upcoming portal abilities—Jason’s shadow teleport opening portals at bronze, Humphrey’s party teleport, and Clive’s rune gate—and Clive notes gaps in records for Jason’s sin and doom powers. Jason frames his sin essence as enforcing personal rules rather than defying gods, prompting teasing about arrogance.
Handling coastal notices with water-breathing potions, Jason’s umbrella bubble, and giving Humphrey the Necklace of the Deep, they clear underwater threats despite Colin’s weakness to saltwater. At the rebuilt village once destroyed by a tidal troll, grateful locals host them before pointing them to a non-aggressive bronze-rank threat: a stone lurker occupying useless desert, detours already posted.
Expecting ambush, the team advances. Sophie’s aura senses detect two stone lurkers. She and Humphrey intercept while Neil cycles shields and summons support Humphrey. Clive and Belinda chain a devastating repeated spell combo, burning mana. Jason, attacking from reach with his shadow arm, layers afflictions that progressively stick as resistances drop under Vulnerable stacks and his aura. He rotates punition on cooldown, then executes each weakened lurker with transcendent damage.
Exhausted but victorious, they are graded “adequate” by Henrietta, who warns future fights will be harsher and her interventions may come after serious injury. They notify the village to remove detour signs and depart. As they leave, Sophie observes that Jason never told the villagers he was the one who slew the earlier tidal troll, quietly withholding credit.
Who Appears
- Jason AsanoProtagonist; sets up the cloud house, debates combat habits and sin essence, handles underwater tasks, and executes two stone lurkers.
- HenriettaSupervisor; plans the route, advises tactics and higher-rank habits, evaluates the team as adequate, warns of tougher battles.
- Sophie WexlerScout and skirmisher; detects ambush, evades and stalls a stone lurker, later notes Jason hid his past heroics.
- Humphrey GellerFrontliner; discusses future teleport, tanks one lurker with support, emphasizes building good combat habits.
- Clive StandishRitualist; provides underwater solutions, explains records on Jason’s powers, and chains a heavy spell combo with Belinda.
- Belinda CallahanSupport rogue-mage; copies Clive’s spell to extend burst damage and discusses negotiating value.
- Neil DavoneHealer and shielder; cycles shields, uses summons to cover Humphrey, teases Jason about sin essence arrogance.
- ShadeIntangible familiar; functions underwater and supports Jason during coastal combats.
- GordonFamiliar; applies steady damage and helps stack Vulnerable on the stone lurkers.