Knowledge Is Power: The Last Reader

The Shiny lunged, and the world exploded into chaos.

Aria dove to the side, rolling across the stone floor as the creature’s claws raked through the space where she’d been standing. She came up with her hands raised, light gathering in her palms—and then she stopped.

Useless, she thought bitterly. My light magic is useless against it. I’m useless against it.

"Focus!" Kelly shouted, grabbing her arm and pulling her back. "You’re the healer now. Keep us alive. That’s your job."

"I don’t want to be the healer! I want to fight!"

"Then fight by keeping us alive! That’s how you win this!"

She wanted to argue, but she didn’t have time. The Shiny was already moving again, its form shifting and flowing like liquid shadow.

---

The Gold rank adventurers moved with practiced precision.

First came the tank—a massive man named Grom, covered head to toe in thick, enchanted armor. He carried a shield the size of a door and a mace that looked like it could crush a boulder. He planted himself in front of the Shiny, his shield raised, his stance solid.

"You want to eat someone?" he rumbled, his voice deep and steady. "Eat me. I’m full of iron and spite."

The Shiny laughed, a high, tinkling sound. "How adorable. A meat shield with a death wish."

It slammed into Grom’s shield, and the impact sent shockwaves through the chamber. Grom didn’t budge. He just grunted, planted his feet, and pushed back.

"Is that all you’ve got?" he asked. "I’ve had breakfasts that hit harder."

---

The ranged fighter was a woman named Mira, lithe and quick, with eyes that never stopped moving. She carried a bow that seemed to be made of living wood, and her arrows glowed with a faint, green light.

"Stay still," she muttered, drawing back the string. "Stay still, you overgrown furniture."

She released, and the arrow flew straight and true, burying itself in the Shiny’s shoulder. The creature screamed—a high, piercing sound that made Aria’s ears ring.

"Physical damage," Mira said, a hint of satisfaction in her voice. "It works. Keep hitting it."

---

The close-range heavy hitter was a man named Darian, all lean muscle and coiled tension. He carried twin short swords that seemed to blur in his hands, and he moved like water, flowing around the Shiny’s attacks and striking with devastating precision.

"Furniture," he said, ducking under a claw swipe and slashing at the Shiny’s legs. "I hate furniture. I’ve always hated furniture. This is the most satisfying furniture-related violence I’ve ever experienced."

"You have a weird obsession with furniture," Grom observed, blocking another attack.

"I have a healthy appreciation for destroying things that can fight back. This is different. This is—" He dodged, rolled, and came up with both swords slashing. "—satisfying."

---

Aria watched the battle, her heart pounding in her chest. The Gold rank adventurers were incredible. They moved like they’d been fighting together their whole lives, each one anticipating the others’ movements, covering each other’s weaknesses.

But the Shiny was incredible too.

It was fast, strong, and it seemed to anticipate their attacks before they even made them. It dodged Mira’s arrows, shrugged off Darian’s slashes, and kept pressing Grom back, inch by inch.

"We need to do something!" Aria shouted. "We can’t just stand here and watch!"

"She’s right," Kelly said, his voice grim. "They’re not going to beat it alone. We need to help."

"How? Our attacks are useless against it!"

"Not all of them." He looked at Kelme, then at Bunny. "Physical damage works. You two are good with weapons. You can help."

Kelme grinned, drawing a knife from his belt. "Finally. Something I’m good at."

Bunny hefted her reaper—the Silver Reaper they’d found in the tomb—and smiled. "This thing’s been itching for a fight. I say we give it one."

---

They joined the battle, and for a moment, it felt like they might actually have a chance.

Kelme was surprisingly good with his knife. His movements were quick and precise, and he seemed to have an instinct for where the Shiny would strike next. He darted in and out, slashing at the creature’s legs, its arms, any exposed surface he could reach.

"Not bad for a rooky, you look like you trained for life times on how to use that thing, " Bunny said, swinging her reaper in a wide arc.

"Not bad for a girl named after a small animal," Kelme shot back.

"It’s a code name. It’s supposed to be cute."

"It’s not cute. It’s confusing."

"It’s cute AND confusing. That’s the point."

---

Bunny was a force of nature with the reaper. The weapon seemed to sing in her hands, its blade gleaming as she swung it in practiced, graceful arcs. She carved deep gashes into the Shiny’s form, and each hit seemed to weaken it, just a little.

"Keep hitting it!" she shouted. "Don’t let up!"

"We’re trying!" Aria shouted back. "It’s not easy when—"

The Shiny roared, a sound that shook the chamber, and slammed its claws into the ground. The impact sent shockwaves through the floor, knocking everyone off their feet.

"WHAT WAS THAT?!" Darian shouted, scrambling to his feet.

"It’s getting desperate!" Mira called out. "Keep hitting it!"

---

Aria scrambled to her feet, her eyes scanning for anyone who might be injured. Her light magic might be useless against the Shiny, but it wasn’t useless against her allies.

"Anyone hurt?" she shouted.

"I’m fine!" Grom rumbled, rising to his feet.

"Fine here!" Mira added.

"I’m not fine!" Kelme called out, clutching his arm. "It got me!"

Aria rushed to him, her hands already glowing with light. She pressed them against his wound, and the healing energy flowed into him, knitting the flesh back together.

"Stop getting hit," she said.

"I’m trying! It’s not easy when—"

"Just stop getting hit!"

"I’ll do my best!"

---

The battle continued, a brutal dance of attack and counterattack. The Shiny was weakening, but it wasn’t giving up. It kept coming, kept fighting, kept trying to kill them.

"Any ideas?" Darian called out, dodging another claw swipe. "Because I’m running out of room to maneuver!"

"Keep hitting it!" Mira shouted. "It’s working!"

"It’s working, but it’s not enough!"

"Then hit it harder!"

"How do I hit it harder?!"

"USE YOUR IMAGINATION!"

---

Aria felt something shift inside her. A warmth, a glow, a sense of purpose that she hadn’t felt in a long time.

I can’t fight it, she thought. But I can help my friends fight it. I can heal them, support them, keep them alive.

She raised her hands, and light exploded outward in a wave of healing energy. It washed over her allies, closing wounds, mending broken bones, restoring their strength.

"What was that?" Kelly asked, his eyes wide.

"Support magic," Aria said. "I didn’t know I could do that."

"You’re learning on the fly?"

"Apparently!"

"Well, keep learning! It’s helping!"

---

The Shiny was slowing down. Its movements were less fluid, less precise. It was tired, wounded, and starting to panic.

"You think you can beat me?" it snarled, its voice ragged. "You think you can kill me? I’ve been alive for centuries. I’ve killed dozens of adventurers. I’ve—"

"You’ve been alive for centuries," Darian interrupted, slashing at its legs. "And you’ve still never learned to block a low strike. That’s embarrassing."

"I will eat you," the Shiny hissed. "I will eat all of you."

"You’ll try," Grom said, slamming his shield into its face. "And you’ll fail."

---

Aria felt the fatigue setting in. Her healing magic was powerful, but it was draining her. She could feel her strength waning, her vision starting to blur.

"Keep going!" Kelly shouted. "It’s almost over!"

"I’m trying!" Aria said. "I’m—"

She staggered, and Kelme caught her.

"You’re done," he said, his voice firm. "You’ve done enough. Let us handle the rest."

"But—"

"You’ve done enough. Rest. We’ll finish this."

---

The final push was brutal.

Grom slammed into the Shiny with his shield, driving it back against the wall. Mira sent a volley of arrows into its chest, pinning it in place. Darian and Bunny carved into it with their weapons, slashing and hacking and not letting up.

And Kelme—Kelme darted in, his knife flashing, and drove it deep into the Shiny’s heart.

The creature screamed, a sound that seemed to shake the very foundations of the tomb. And then it crumpled, collapsing into a pile of dust and ash.

Silence.

"Is it over?" Aria asked, her voice barely a whisper.

"It’s over," Kelly said, his voice carrying a note of awe. "You did it. We did it."

Aria stared at the pile of dust. "We killed it?"

"WE KILLED IT!" Bunny shouted, pumping her fist in the air. "WE ACTUALLY KILLED IT!"

"Don’t celebrate too soon," Darian said, his voice grim. "Look."

They looked. The pile of dust was starting to shift, to reform, to take shape again.

"It’s not dead," Kelly said, his voice barely a whisper. "It’s not dead at all."

The Shiny rose again, its form solid and whole, its eyes blazing with fury.

"Did you really think it would be that easy?" it asked, its voice dripping with mock sympathy. "Did you really think you could kill me?"

Aria felt her heart sink. "It’s regenerating. It can regenerate."

"Anything with a strong will can regenerate," the Shiny said, smiling. "And I have a very, very strong will. I’ve been alive for centuries. I’ve killed dozens of adventurers. I’ve eaten their hopes, their fears, their dreams. I will not be stopped by the likes of you."

It lunged, and the battle began again.

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