I had a ton of stuff to work through. A lot of people to scream at, but I wasn’t given the opportunity as notifications started passing across my vision.

Congratulations. You were part of a team that defeated a level 36 Saleel. Based on your contribution, you have been awarded 93 Experience Points from the 360 Experience Points available.

+10 bonus Experience Points for every level your opponent was above your own.

Hero for the ages! Epic Achievement! You struck the killing blow against a foe at least twenty-five levels above your own.

Epic Bonus 1000 Experience Points.

Level up:

Congratulations. You have reached Level 10:

Congratulations. You have reached Level 11:

Congratulations. You have reached Level 12:

New skill: Weapon Throw level 3. Ingrained knowledge of throwing things has allowed you to achieve Level 3.

(Rare Bonus Skill Attribute: For dealing a killing blow on an opponent the same level or above your own, on your very first attempt at throwing a weapon, you have unlocked ‘Throw of Ruin’.

Throw of Ruin: If you’re opponent has less than ten percent health. One direct hit from a thrown weapon of your choice will bring about its demise. Irrespective of weapon quality or damage points required.

Despite all of the emotional and physical strain I’d been under. The arrival of notifications seemed to dull the pain. It allowed me to think clearly. Even so, I almost immediately dismissed them to check on my friends and tear into our paid protectors.

That was until I saw the insane amount of points I’d received. I also received confirmation that my nut shot was indeed the killing blow.

Beyond the points, it gave me a small sense of satisfaction that I got revenge for Daz. It was my fault he was here in the first place, after all. And this was going to be a heavy burden to bear. I would have to tell his kids and girlfriend when I got back. That thought was like an uppercut to the gut.

Fortunately, it wasn’t something I had time to dwell on right now. With the way our notifications worked, this would be my only chance to allocate the points until I next leveled up. I’d gone up three levels, which was insane, but these points could well be the difference between life and death. The stronger I was, the more chance I could protect Joel and Mal and ensure they got home too.

My next problem was that I hadn’t thought about where to invest. I wrestled with the decision because as much as I wanted to increase my Internal Connection for obvious reasons, the cold, hard truth was that I was sorely lacking physically in this world.

For now, I was just about holding the curse at bay, so with a deep breath, I put five points each into Speed, Strength, and Constitution, then ten into Stamina.

My reasoning was simple. Stamina, though a boring stat, was the back bone of staying alive out here. It was responsible for getting us caught in first place, especially when combined with crappy speed. I hit Strength and Constitution up, because they had served me so well in the battle. The remaining five points I’d intended to drop into Internal Connection, but Agility was screaming at me. It was so poor, and if I’d had better Agility, I might not have taken that first hit from the Saleel. Purely on instinct, I put them into Agility.

Physical statistics:

Strength: 17

The capacity to exert and resist force.

Dexterity: 10

Skill and ease in hand-based activity.

Agility: 10

How effectively the body can move into a range of different positions.

Speed: 12

Rate at which the body can move.

Stamina: 12

Period at which the body can effectively sustain prolonged activity.

Constitution: 17

The ability to withstand physical punishment.

Mental Statistics:

Intelligence: 9

Knowledge and its application.

Charisma: 10

Charm, coerce, inspire.

Perception: 5

Awareness of surroundings

Spiritual Statistics:

Ethereal Awareness: 0

Attunement with the Gods and spirits of Gulithea. (Necessary for Ethereally supplied magical ability.)

Internal Connection: 11

Attunement with oneself. (Necessary for cultivation of one’s own inner power)

World sense: 0.15%

Knowledge of Gulithea.

Experience Points to next level 103/550

Having made my choices, I instantly rued the paths not travelled. Perception would have most likely kept my ass a lot safer going forward. But then I couldn’t have it all. So I played to my strengths, and the essential upgrades as I saw them.

I did recognize the stupidity in not having even a loose plan for point allocation and resolved to make that right before my next level up. Gains were most likely to occur in heated moments, so having a plan beforehand would be a good strategy. Things might need to change depending on circumstances. But at least I wouldn’t be pissing in the wind.

As my stat table disappeared, I refocused on the surrounding people. I was surprised at how calm they looked. Honestly, surprised didn’t come close. I was fucking devastated. They all stood there, self-satisfied smiles on their stupid faces from the victory. Even after the bastards ran for their lives and deserted us. I didn’t really blame the Saleel for killing Daz. That thing was a fucking monster. That’s what monsters do. I blamed this useless lot of cowards who we were paying to protect us.

I seethed for a moment, unable to articulate my volcanic rage into a coherent sentence.

Finally, after some long deep breaths, I calmed enough to speak. As soon as my mouth opened, the volcano erupted.

“I don’t know what the fuck you’re all still doing here! But you best all fuck off. NOW!”

They had the gall to look shocked. Upset even by my outburst. Cheeky bastards. I turned away from them, vibrating with anger. Purposefully to make it clear I was done with them.

Focusing instead on the companions I knew I could trust. They may have been weak in comparison, but we damn well stood together when everything went to hell.

Mal and Joel both still had a glazed over expression as they looked at their notifications. They had both increased in level. Mal had hit ten and Joel nine. I actually felt a pang of guilt for getting the Epic bonus. They both deserved it as much as I did. I was happy to see Boris was up looking uninjured. He sat at Mal’s heel, also now level ten.

I went to pet him, when it suddenly occurred to me that the demon cursed arm wasn’t broken anymore. I gasped in surprise, raising it up to test. It moved as normal.

Joel came back from his glazed state as I inspected my arm and gave me a peculiar look.

“You alright Joel?” I asked.

“No Clive. I’m really fucking not alright. Daz… I can’t… he’s gone.”

We both looked over to where the remains of Daz lay. There was nothing left but a pool of blood, mush, and his trainers. His head lay a dozen feet further. I looked away just as soon as I’d lain eyes on his remains. Catching Joel’s eye again. “It’s something we're gonna need to spend some time on, but let’s get our asses safe first.”

“We going back to Laurel?”

“No chance. We’ll push on to Talenille,” I replied.

“Excuse me,” I heard Elsbeth say.

I spun on my heel to face her. “You’re still here?”

“Why wouldn’t I be?” she huffed.

“Because you got my lifelong friend killed. Because you all ran and deserted us at the first sign of trouble.”

“I think you’re forgetting how much I’ve already helped you, Clive?” she replied. An edge of biting sarcasm in her tone.

“No doubt. But that was behind your safe walls. In your comfort zone. It’s easy to do a good deed when you’re safe and comfortable. All part of looking the part, right?” I ranted.

“Don’t be ridiculous, Clive. I saved your lives when you turned up at Laurel,” she said, aghast.

“Yeah, we benefited from it. But you didn’t do any of that for us. You did it to tick your charity work boxes off. To please your damn god! Now we’re out here and none of you were there for us and that! is why Daz died.”

“You’re being unfair. The plan was to run to the safety of the rocks.”

“Oh, I am so sorry,” I pretty much snarled. “You see, I thought the plan was for you lot to protect the weak-ass Falritas noobs! I mean, when you came back and actually did your goddamn jobs, you killed the fucker easily! But my friend was already dead. Daz didn’t need to die here, Elsbeth,” I sputtered out.

“If you were so holier than thou, then none of us needed to be force marched with hangovers, either. We might be new to this world with shitty levels. But I promise you. We’re fast fucking learners. And we just learned something about you lot today. It wasn’t good.

“So all of you take a big deep breath and listen very, very carefully to my words. You’re not getting a single coin from us ever, and you aren’t welcome to come any further with us. I’d rather die facing what comes, trusting to my own strength and that of my friends, than rely on your fair-weather protection.”

To my utter surprise, George started bawling like a new born on a bass drum. Tracy hugged him, tears rolling down her eyes too. Remus just looked like I’d took a shit on his pillow.

Angelica had the fucking gall to look offended!

Elsbeth was silent. Embarrassed even. But still, none of them moved.

It was Joel who spoke next. “Guys! Please don’t listen to him. He’s emotional because of Daz. If he wasn’t, what he’d actually say is we that we hope you all die long, lonely, horrible deaths and the thought of taking another footstep alongside you makes our skin crawl. Angelica. The Saleel told us it was after you. So let me extend a double fuck off to you. I hope you die of herpes.”

I didn’t know if the Dokalfar knew what herpes was, but she spun on her heel and left without any response back towards Laurel.

“I’m coming whether you like it or not!” Elsbeth stated with finality. “I was tasked with this journey from the Mother, to speak to Natom Hilgresh on your behalf and I will carry out my duty.”

“That’s awesome!” I snapped. “With how quickly you travel, he’ll know we’re coming long before we make it there.” I turned away again to face Mal.

Instead, I found Remus. For a second I thought he was going to kill me, but he knelt down and prostrated himself on the ground.

“We serve you as agreed. Thought it was the plan to run, and followed the Dokalfar and the Priestess because they are powerful, and we thought they were wise. We didn’t know you’d fallen so far behind. Now, until the quest ends, we walk only with Clive, Joel, and Mal. This is a promise. We stand with you till death. We are deeply sorry for losing Daz. None of you will die before Remus, George, and Tracy in the days ahead. Strong shame is on us, and we will work for free to make this right.”

It was the most honest self-flagellation and apology I could ever remember receiving and I melted before I could stop myself.

“Remus. I actually believe you, man. I see what effect that just had on George and Tracy and it’s hard not to believe your words. You don’t have to work for free. Hell, if you stand by us properly this time, you can have double the fucking money. You can have Angelica's share, cos she isn’t ever getting it.”

“Thank you, Clive. We will repay the debt and the price we agreed is fine.”

I turned to Joel. “You okay with that?”

“Sure,” he sighed. “I don’t blame them,” he said pointedly.

He was interrupted from saying anymore as Mal came out of his glazed state. “What’s going on then?” he asked, looking around bewildered.

“We told everyone to fuck off. But we’ve decided to let the triplets stay on. Because… well, for reasons. Angelica has already gone, and I’m not sure what the priestess is still doing here, to be honest,” I said.

“Good,” Mal said, and wandered off immediately. We watched him go, Boris plodding happily by his side as if we were out for a goddamn walk. While I envied the dog, I was hugely confused by Mal’s actions.

It all became clear moments later when he started picking up crossbow bolts. Most of them were irreparable, but he took them too. Tucking them into his robe.

I turned back to Elsbeth. She looked at me with sadness.

“It was wrong of me. I should have healed you of your hangovers. I should have moderated the pace for you all and I should have made sure the slowest were in the front, as should the half ogres. I cannot speak for Angelica. There was something not quite right about her from the beginning. But I am sorry.”

“We didn’t pay for your protection, your healing, or anything else. It was selfish of me to expect you to stand with us. But fear not, Priestess, we require no more of your assistance. Should we survive, I’ll make sure to leave a sizable donation to your temple to repay you for your kindness.”

I didn’t wait for a response. I went and picked up my hammer, then moved closer to Daz’s head, baulking as I took in the details. I’d never actually been near a dead body before. Even less the badly mangled head of a good friend. I started kicking at the soil nearby to make a hole. It wasn’t really working. Just as I was considering digging with the pointy part of the hammer, George stooped past me and scooped a section of soil away with his huge hands. I looked around and saw Mal and Joel had moved next to me. Remus walked past with Daz’s head in his hands.

“Least we can do is put your friend back in the land,” he said sadly. Tracy came a moment later with his trainers and what little remained attached to them. Placing them reverently in the hole before George covered it back over. I forced myself to watch, but was glad they’d helped us with the deed.

After staring at the mound for a short while, I spoke to my friends. “We’ll have to unpack this later. Let’s get to this Talenille place before anything else shows up. Daylight’s burning and we’re slow as shit.”

Elsbeth continued to stand there uncertainly. As if she expected it all to be a big joke. It wasn’t. She hadn’t even bothered to explain why she left us behind yet. Most likely because she hadn’t yet come up with a good enough reason for leaving us to die.

And so we parted ways, setting off back along the road with only the triplets. After promising Dug I’d keep an eye out for them, I felt a little responsible, so I was glad when Remus gave me a get out of jail free card.

George walked out in front. Tracy at the back and Remus walked among us.

These guys were undoubtedly tough. I wasn’t sure I had faith in them, but I was relatively certain they didn’t have ulterior motives.

Elsbeth let us go without another word and I had to fight the urge to look back occasionally. It was a damn shame to lose the power she had on our journey, but I couldn’t forgive her or Angelica for losing Daz.

“I am sorry again,” Remus said after a long period of depressing silence. Everyone stewing in their own pain and misery.

“Thank you for keeping us on.”

“That’s cool man. I genuinely believe you guys. But seriously. If we’re in danger, I do expect you to be alongside us from the start, otherwise what’s the point.”

“Agreed,” Remus said with an almost comically serious expression.

“What made you come back, anyway? When did you notice?”

“I honestly thought you were behind us. I didn’t realise just how slow you all were. It was the priestess who noticed you’d fallen behind. She called us to halt so we could head straight back for you. The Dokalfar said you’d all be dead by the time we got there, and it wasn’t worth it. That we could get our pay from your corpses once it was all over. The priestess promised to hunt her down and kill her wherever she went, if she didn’t return to support you. Then she hurried back so fast we could barely keep up. By the time we made it back, it was too late for Daz.”

“Well, shit,” I sighed. “Did I make a mistake?”

My companions must have suddenly lost their hearing because no one replied.