As the child goblin shouted and cheered, Vance met eyes with Severus. His sharp stare was cold and pitiless, as if he no longer recognized the Necromancer as an equal human. And his eyes were better than any tongue at expressing his emotional detachment from the situation. He couldn’t be guilted into letting Severus live; he couldn’t be reminded of his moral obligations toward another human. He was immune to any appeals to justice, kindness, or humanity. But he didn’t rush to murder his enemy in cold blood either. Just as sympathy was absent from his heart, so was the depraved thrill and morbid joy of a crazed murderer.

“You’re not going to run away?” Vance said calmly.

“That’d be a waste of my last few breaths,” Severus said, matching Vance’s stare with one as cold. “You’re faster. And you’re more used to the dark.”

“You’re right about that.”

“What are you after, Vance?”

“That’s none of your business.”

“Did someone hire you to kill me? Someone from the Church?” Severus began to lose his calm. “Who wants me dead?”

“No one hired me.”

“Then why? Why are you after my life?”

“You got into the wrong party at the wrong time. That’s all.”

“You mean … You’re going to kill everyone?”

Vance nodded before he said, “It shouldn’t come as a surprise.”

“But … But if you do that, you’ll die too.” Severus gulped nervously with a face covered in dirt and sweat. “Listen to me, Vance. Come to your senses, and listen to me. You might be able to kill Robinia or Luke, but killing Benedict is the same as suicide.”

“Really?” Vance laughed. “How kind of you to warn me.”

“You already know?” Severus took a nervous step back.

“Yes, I know,” Vance said.

The Necromancer became confused and tongue-tied, as if the simple answer was an enigmatic riddle.

“Now that we’re done with that,” Vance continued, “let’s get down to business. You have two options, Severus. You can die without pain, or I can pin you to the wall and call the goblins. If you want the easy death, you’ll tell me everything about your two Perks.”

“My Perks?” Severus seemed confused.

“Knowledge is power when you’re hunting adventurers,” Vance said. “And I don’t think I’ll find your Perks in any encyclopedia.”

“Ah, you want … Fine, I understand. Just calm down, and don’t do anything rash,” Severus said, with spiritless resignation. “The first one is called Solitary Ressurector. When my undead kill a monster, all their stats increase by 25%, with a maximum limit of 200%.”

“And the other?”

“Undead Survivalist. My Intelligence, Endurance, and Magic Resistance get a 50% bonus based on the average stats of my resurrected monsters. Satisfied?”

“How did you unlock them?” Vance said.

“I told you I was abandoned in Blackmoss Forest. I had to survive on my own, and that fulfilled the condition for Solitary Resurrector. Then, when my Endurance and Magic Resistance got higher than my Intelligence, I fulfilled the condition for Undead Survivalist.”

I don’t think he’s lying. Vance memorized the intriguing answers. So under rare conditions, raising Endurance and Magic Resistance can actually benefit a solo Necromancer … This is the first time I’ve ever heard of this.

“Thanks for the info, Severus,” Vance said, circling past the ash-filled pitfall. “You earned yourself a painless death.”

Severus smiled nervously but neither begged for his life nor tried to run away. It seemed as if he had resigned himself to his unalterable fate, as if he had chosen to spend his last moments in nonviolent defiance. But when Vance stood right in front of him, in the silent moment when the spectral dagger rose high in the air, Severus revealed the weapon that was hidden inside his sleeve—and with it, his true intentions.

He grabbed Vance’s injured arm and was about to plant his steel dagger straight into the unhealed wound. He knew that he couldn’t block the spectral dagger, so his plan was to cripple Vance with the pain and escape into the dark. For a moment, his face lit up with new hope, but in the end, he wasn’t fast enough to get through with the attack. Before he could even scratch the white bandages, the spectral dagger had stabbed him right between the eyes. The dark-green cracks spread from there until they covered his entire body. Then he dropped his weapon and fell to his knees.

Battle Result You have gained a boosted 6125 EXP.

“He’s all yours, little one,” Vance said, kicking Severus’s lifeless body aside.

“Hinjaoor!” the child goblin cheered. It jumped down from the hut’s roof and ran with unrivaled alacrity. No sooner had it arrived at the corpse than it started relishing the fresh meat. From its seat on Severus’s face, it started nibbling at his chest and continued toward his flabby belly. It seemed that it had the appetite to finish the whole meal on its own. Its fists were soon covered with a thick layer of blood, and its face with a bright smile of satisfaction. The tears that it had shed before were no more.

“Hinjaoor! Hinjaoor! Hinjaoor!”

Vance walked away to the sound of the goblin’s cheers. He neither looked back nor shared in the cathartic joy. After all, the hunt wasn’t over yet.

***

Back in the cavern where the party had fought the Armored Salamanders, Vance sat in an isolated corner and waited for Luke, Robinia, and Benedict to return. He knew that it was only a matter of time before they showed up at the meeting spot, but he was growing rather impatient because of his wound. The injury was still untreated, and although he dealt with the pain well, he knew that the stings and burns in his forearm may eventually develop into fever or even vertigo-like dizziness. And he wanted to return to Cromsville before he suffered from any of these unnecessary complications.

I’m destined to fight without a supporting healer. He sighed, as he removed the bloodstained bandages. And it never helps that my max HP is low. He tied new bandages, which immediately absorbed blood and turned dark red. Well, that’s the price I pay for higher MP and Stamina. He took his steel dagger out and started tossing it in the air, catching it before it hit the ground. Benedict and the two assholes are taking their sweet time. He carved a V on the ground. Maybe they’re already dead. He chuckled a little as he remembered the way Robinia tried to load her bow. That one’s definitely dead.

At that moment, however, he heard her distinctive voice echoing through a neighboring tunnel. They’re here. He put the steel dagger away. Then he stood up, wiped the sweat off his forehead, and brushed the dirt off his clothes. Equip Spectre. He positioned himself in the darkness near the tunnel’s exit and waited for his victims with a sense of disquietude. Every second would matter; every action would have a rippling effect that would alter the final outcome of the imminent fight. He needed to make no mistakes, to avoid all oversights. It would be difficult, but he was better situated than he had been in the fight against Severus. This time, he knew almost everything about his victims, and there was no room for surprises.

“Seems we’re kinda late,” Benedict’s voice came from the tunnel. “There’s someone waiting for us in the cavern.”

“Are Vance and Severus back already?” Luke fumed. “I bet you ten gold those good-for-nothings didn’t find a single crystal!”

“Come on!” Robinia laughed. “There’s no way you could lose that bet.”

Spectral Execution.

A few moments after the three entered the cavern, Vance emerged from the dark and appeared behind Luke. Silent and undetected, he slid his arm over the swordsman’s right pauldron, rotated the spectral dagger until it was facing his neck, and drew it backward until it had penetrated his throat. The stab was strong and precise, and there was nothing Luke could do to stop it. He couldn’t even scream for help or warn the others of the threat. As the dark-green cracks began to spread, Vance kicked his victim’s body away and retreated into the dark. The Spectral Execution was a success.

Battle Result You have gained a boosted 4500 EXP.

“Who’s there?” Benedict turned around. “Robinia, where did Luke go?”

“What do you mean?” Robinia said. “He’s right behind—aaaah!” She turned around and saw Luke’s corpse on the ground. “He’s on the ground!” Her knees failed her, and she leaned against Benedict’s shoulder to maintain her balance. “What happened? What’s wrong with him?”

“Hold my hand and point it in Luke’s direction,” Benedict said. “Quick!”

“O-Okay.” Robinia did as she was told.

“I can’t believe it … It’s too late. He’s dead,” Benedict said. The dismal words ushered in a few moments of mournful silence. Then the bitter grief begot indignation. Tears flowed down from beneath Benedict’s eye band, and his face became distorted with a rage unbefitting of a monk. He turned around and pointed at Vance, who was still shrouded in darkness. “The killer’s there!”

“The killer?” Robinia murmured in fear and turned to look.

“It’s you Severus, isn’t it?” Benedict raised his silver bardiche. “You finally quit being a Grave Defiler and turned full-time murderer. Show yourself! You know you can’t hide from me.”

Vance smiled and stepped out of the dark.

“It’s not Severus, Benedict,” Robinia said, finally dropping to the ground.

“What do you mean?”

“It’s Vance.”

“That’s impossible,” Benedict said. “It’s Severus. He killed Vance and Luke.”

“It’s Vance, I swear.” Robinia began to crawl away. “I should’ve left this party when he joined. I’m stupid. I’m fucking stupid! He’s gonna kill us all!”

“By Amirani, I told you it’s Severus!” Benedict shouted in anger.

Before the echo of the shout subsided, Vance was already in close quarters with the Blind Monk. The bardiche slashed vertically at his chest, but he avoided it with a quick sidestep and pushed it away with his foot.

“Why? Why?” Benedict wailed miserably. “Luke didn’t deserve this!”

Without a word in response, Vance jumped and avoided a wild slash that was aimed at his unprotected shins. After the bardiche passed under his feet, an opening presented itself. He lunged forward and thrust his spectral dagger into Benedict’s defenseless stomach. The shallow stab didn’t deal enough damage to cause instant death, yet it was all that Vance was hoping to achieve for now. He was about to back away, but Benedict raised a hesitant hand and caught several locks of his shoulder-length hair. When he felt the clumsy hand against the side of his head, Vance stopped moving, as if the gentle touch had paralyzed him.

“Vance … no … it’s really you.”

“I’m sorry, Benedict. This is where our friendship ends.”

“How … How could you? I trusted you. I let you join the party … And you … you murdered my closest friend!”

Benedict shouted in rage and tore Vance’s black hair in his hand. Fearing the spectral dagger, he pushed Vance away with the bardiche’s pole. Then he reassumed his battle stance and tightened his grip on his weapon. Activating his Miracle, he drew a luminous X in the air and launched it at his opponent. The scintillant X traveled along the ground, splitting and shattering the rocks in its path. It almost hit its elusive target, but the greatest damage it dealt was to the cavern’s stone wall, where it ultimately landed.

“Nothing justifies what you did, Vance! Nothing!” Benedict repeated the motion and fired more of his attacks. “By Amirani, you will repent and die!”

Vance ran across the cavern, avoiding one X after the other and keeping a safe distance from their source. When he found a wall in front of him, he jumped on it and kicked with both legs to change directions. With this acrobatic move, he avoided a luminous X that could’ve shredded him into four equally lifeless pieces. But he couldn’t land properly, because of his injured arm, and so he ended up sliding painfully on his back before he got up from the ground. Standing straight again, he expected another attack to come his way. It was the perfect opportunity for the monk to increase the pressure on him. For some reason, however, the next attack never came.

He exhausted his Mana.

With this realization, Vance’s counteroffensive began. He lunged forward again with more confidence and assurance. It was only a matter of seconds before he located Benedict in the dark. He was met with repeated thrusts of the bardiche, but he alternated between sidesteps and back steps to avoid them. It was rather inconvenient that he couldn’t block physical attacks with his spectral dagger, but he had learned to compensate for this disadvantage with nimbleness, caution, and patience. And these three traits never failed him.

Avoiding a heavy vertical swing—the last of Benedict’s failed attacks—Vance stepped forward boldly and slashed thrice with his spectral dagger. The first slash cut across Benedict’s chest. The second left a diagonal trail on his stomach. And the last carved the final side of a dark-green triangle.

Banish Spectre.

Vance switched to the steel dagger. With a sweeping kick, he knocked Benedict to the ground. Then he transpierced his right wrist with the sharp steel dagger, forcing him to let go of the bardiche and pinning him to the searing earth. Without wasting a second, Vance then raised a fist and punched with all his power. Once, twice, thrice—the punches continued to land on the sprawled monk’s face until the cheeks became swollen and the teeth broke from the gums.

This should be enough … I don’t want to end up killing him.

After he made sure that his opponent was incapacitated, Vance turned his attention to Robinia, who was still crawling and shivering—trapped in a purgatory of inaction—unable to raise her bow or run for her life.

“What are you doing?” he scoffed at her. “Do you think I’ll confuse you for a monster if you walk on all fours?”

“Please don’t kill me,” she said, crawling a little farther away.

“I won’t.” He bent down and tried to pull her up. “Stand up, idiot.”

She wrenched herself free from him.

“I won’t hurt you,” he said, grabbing her arm again.

She continued to struggle for a while, kicking and convulsing as if in an epileptic fit, before she finally opened her eyes and saw that he wasn’t attacking her. Slowly, she said, “You won’t kill me?”

“I swear upon everything holy that I won’t.”

She stopped resisting and grabbed his hand. He helped her stand straight, and she began to regain strength in her legs.

“Why are you doing this?” she said, after swallowing with difficulty.

Vance started walking her back toward Benedict and answered, “You and I formed a partnership at the guild, right?”

“Yeah. And I didn’t say a word to the others about it, I swear!”

“This partnership,” Vance continued, “means that we should look after each other. You know, cover each other’s backs, no matter what happens.”

“A-Absolutely!”

The two stopped near Benedict’s sprawled body. The blood was oozing from his stabbed wrist, and it seemed that he didn’t have much longer to live. Vance wondered whether the monk was still conscious, while Robinia seemed to be occupied with a new sensation—severe nausea.

“Blind Monks have a Class Ability called Mana Vision,” Vance said. “Have you ever heard about it?”

“No …” Robinia said, covering her mouth with her hand.

“That’s basically how they see the world. They can sense the Mana of their allies and enemies. They can tell the difference between a monster and a human. And they can roughly gauge the level of both. If your level is high, your abundant Mana gives you a sharp, well-defined silhouette. But if your level is low, you look a lot like a wispy mist.”

“What are you trying to say?” Robinia looked confused.

She doesn’t realize it even now … Vance sighed and said, “Benedict knew all along that you were lying about your level.”

“What? How?”

“He can see your Mana.”

“But he never said anything to me. He didn’t object when I joined the party.”

“Luke didn’t give him a chance. The swordsman had a thing for you.”

“Yeah … I noticed his lame advances, but—”

“You won’t believe all the shit this jealous monk said behind your back.” Vance kicked Benedict’s body. “He told me he’d convince Luke to report you to the guild authorities. This would’ve been your last job ever. They would’ve destroyed your career before it even began.”

“But … Are you sure he had this Mana Vision thing?”

“Still not convinced? Well, why do you think he confused me with Severus?”

“He made a mistake.”

“And why did he make this mistake, smart-ass?”

Robinia couldn’t answer.

“It’s because I had much more Mana than before,” Vance said, opening his bag and showing Robinia the stack of Manaphobe berries. “Lying about your level isn’t a simple business.”

“You poisoned yourself to trick him?” Robinia looked at Vance in disbelief.

“Worked like a charm, although it got me in a bit of trouble with Severus.”

“You’re good,” Robinia said, “I’ll give you that. Brilliant, actually.”

“Save your bootlicking for later,” Vance said. “Benedict isn’t dead yet.”

“He isn’t?” Robinia couldn’t look down to confirm.

“It will take one more hit for him to die. And it’s you who’ll finish him off.”

“You want me to kill him?”

“I thought you sliced a throat or two with your pocket knife.”

“O-Of course, I did!”

Vance chuckled and said, “Then seal our partnership with this kill. It’s like a blood oath. We’ll be equal partners in crime, and neither of us can betray the other after that.”

“We’ll be equals? I won’t have to listen to everything you say anymore?”

“You heard right,” Vance said.

“I know you didn’t kill them just for my sake. You wanted blood from the start,” Robinia said, holding her pounding head. “But I’ll do it. I’ll do anything to get you off my ass.”

She put her hand in her pocket and fumbled for her knife. After finding it, she tried to open it with a flick of the wrist, but she was too nervous for the move to work, so she had to use her fingernails in the end. The blade drew a semicircle until it clicked into its final position. Then she bent down on her knees, raised the knife with both hands, and looked down at Benedict one final look. Her eyes shut tight on an image of his bleeding wrist. Her sweaty hands moved as if to end his suffering—as if to save two souls, not only one—but then they stopped midway in the air and returned to their original position above her head.

“Don’t … do it,” Benedict said weakly. “Your … secret … is safe … with me.”

When she heard these whispered words, Robinia opened her eyes wide, and her hesitation faded away as if it had never been there.

“He’s …” Benedict continued.

But Robinia was no longer listening. Her knife plunged down like a hawk and penetrated deep into Benedict’s unshielded chest. She screamed and shouted unintelligibly as she raised her knife again and stabbed him for a second time. She followed up with a third stab—and then a fourth, a fifth, a sixth. Neither did she pause to take a breath nor did she stop to rest her hands, even after she had turned Benedict’s chest into the equivalent of a honeycomb. The monk’s blood splashed on the ground and on her armor and on her face. It filled the air with the metallic odor of death—a poignant smell summoning atavistic fears.

She’s such a good girl, isn’t she? Vance smiled. Makes me almost proud.

Battle Result

You have gained a boosted 4500 EXP.

Visit one of the shrines of Thurvik to level up.

It seemed as if Robinia would continue to stab ad nauseam, but after her knife parted with Benedict’s flesh for the tenth time, a dazzling light shone out of his wounds. It illuminated the entire cavern with iridescent beams and forced Robinia to cover her eyes. She dropped her knife on the ground and backed away from the corpse. The sound of church bells resounded through the cavern, although the nearest church was many kilometers away. And the chanting of a manly choir followed with a recitation of sacred prayers and hymns. The bells rang louder, and the choir matched their volume. The bells rang louder, and the choir matched their volume.

“What’s happening?” Robinia covered her ears. “Vance! What’s happening?”

Standing behind her, Vance said, “You should know better than me. You heard the voice inside your head.”

“I … I …”

“You killed an innocent monk,” Vance imitated the system message. “A Hallowraith double your level will be born to avenge the monk’s death. There is neither refuge nor escape.”

The dazzling light grew stronger. Benedict’s chest split open, and a ghastly phantom emerged from inside—just as a moth emerges from its pale cocoon. This phantom had neither arms nor legs and floated in the air like a hovering bird. It was a staggering four meters in height and two meters in width. Its T-shaped body was whiter than bleach, but its eyes were as dark as the abyss, and whoever stared into them saw an instant nightmare without sleep. Under those two tormenting orbs, there was a deep circular mouth that had five parallel rows of misaligned fangs. What lay behind these fangs was a mystery that only the monster’s victims could solve.

“What’s a Hallowraith?” Robinia said in panic.

“That thing,” Vance said, pointing at the white phantom.

“It’s double my level … so it’s a level 18 monster,” Robinia laughed nervously. “That’s an easy kill for you, right?”

Vance laughed a little.

“Right?” Robinia repeated. “We’ll fight it together, right?”

Vance shook his head and said, “The plan is slightly different.”

He grabbed her wrist and, with a nifty bit of sleight of hand, removed the amber ring from her finger.