After the pendant went up in flames, I wasn’t sure how to put what I had just witnessed into words. A million different thoughts batted against the confines of my skull. Ravyn was yelling at me, but everything came in a muffle. I could put together what she was saying, but it was vague, and pieces of it were missing.

Maybe this is how people feel after a near-death experience.

My body moved with all the athleticism of a slug. Like someone had attached weights to each of my limbs and told me to run for a few hours. My arms and hands were numb, and my calves prickled as if they’d fallen asleep. My surroundings came back to me in a fog, and I worried that I would fall unconscious at any moment. My heart beat a mile a minute and, for a few seconds, I wondered if I was even breathing or if I was still imagining everything.

“-att!”

I leaned my head against my hand and shut my eyes, groaning. God damn, did my head hurt. Someone put their hand on my shoulder. I steadied my breathing, then turned around to the person it belonged to.

“Keke,” I mumbled.

“Matt, please tell me you’re okay,” she said with tears streaming down her face.

I looked away, rubbing at my neck. I was sitting down, and I couldn’t remember doing that. I was sure that I was standing when I went to pick up the pendant. “Yeah, I think I’m okay.”

Ravyn shook her head and drew back a bit. “No. No, you’re not. I can feel it.” She took another step back.

“Ravyn, really. I’m fine,” I insisted. “I did see a terrifying image, though.” Each time I tried to remember a piece of the picture, it felt like parts of my head were set on fire. It would ache, and suddenly I was struck with extreme vertigo. As if someone just hit the side of my head with a mallet.

Ara clicked her tongue. “I believe we now understand the foe we shall face, hm?”

Ravyn took a deep breath, still holding Ball Gag between her hands. “A [Necromancer].”

I raised a brow. “A [Necromancer]?” As I thought about it, the idea made sense. Tons of zombie catgirls, dark hallucinations, an abandoned village… Really, I hadn’t thought such a class would exist. It just didn’t seem like, well, a class that Nyarlea would be too thrilled about.

“A forbidden profession,” Ara said quietly.

“One cannot become a [Necromancer],” Ravyn continued for Ara. “Not without the explicit permission of the Queen or breaking many, many laws.”

“A [Necromancer],” Cannoli whispered from behind me. I turned and watched as her blazing-red eyes searched the room. “Why would anyone choose such a Class?”

“So, you’re saying it’s something you can become?” I asked. “Laws be damned?”

Ravyn’s shoulders slumped. “Yes. If you want it bad enough, you can become a [Necromancer].” Then, she quickly shook her head. “But you should never so much as contemplate it. Never. Not once.”

“What about [Dark Priest]? That’s fine?”

Ravyn sighed. “You don’t understand. Yes, Yomi and others like her can make pacts with demons and devils. [Sorcerer]s can too.” The look on my face must’ve triggered some latent insecurity because Ravyn changed her tune almost immediately. “To some extent, I mean. I wouldn’t do that. [Necromancer] is on a whole different level, though.”

“They raise the dead,” Ara said in a dark voice. “Something we do not condone in Nyarlea.”

I rested my hand on Keke’s and tried to put on my best smile. All I wanted to do was reassure her, but she bowed her head and knelt to rest beside me. Guess I can’t fool her. “So we’re dealing with a [Necromancer].”

Ravyn released Ball Gag and, as soon as he landed on the ground, she put a finger to her lips. Ball Gag breathed through a ragged voice, squinting his eyes, showing no sign of fleeing. A valiant effort on his part, after the choke-hold Ravyn had subjected him to.

“What do we do?” I asked.

Ravyn frowned. “It’s likely that we’re already within the Defiled’s snare. [Necromancer] has too many damn tools at its disposal to explain in one night.” She crossed her arms, holding them at the elbows with a pensive look. “They feed off of fear. Curses, incantations. They win their fight before it begins. It is not unusual for the victim to die without ever knowing its killer’s face.”

So I could just drop dead right now? What the hell? “Is there anything we can do?”

“Touch nothing.” Ravyn turned her head, her chin pinched between her fingers. “Even that’s not enough sometimes. They have auras, and can transfer their spells through their minions and other unusual means.”

“For example?”

Ravyn breathed deep, and her teeth clicked—chattering? She swallowed. “Through trinkets, a weapon, through voice, through sight. Fuck, just about anything!” she suddenly bellowed, stomping at the ground several times.

“Ravyn, please stop,” said Tristan. He shouldered past me and came to stand in front of Ravyn.”We’ll figure it out. We can get out of here. If there’s a way in, there’s a way out!”

A sardonic smile played at the edges of Ravyn’s mouth. “Heh. Right.”

I sighed. “Look, why don’t we spend the rest of Tristan’s points? I know he was trying to be careful just in case he wanted to be a [Wizard] or [Sorcerer], but it won’t matter if we’re dead, right?”

“I… am afraid I must agree with Matt,” said a reluctant Ara. “If we are, in fact, destined to come face to face with a [Necromancer], then we’ll need raw power in its purest form.” Ara curtsied, and held the pose as she continued. “Young Master. It is my humble opinion that you place your remaining Stat Points into [Magic].”

Ravyn shook her head and looked away. She spoke in a low, husky voice. “It’s our only chance. You’ll have the highest [Magic] Stat of anyone here. Your [Fire Ball] will hit with a much greater force than mine.” Then she looked at Tristan, paused, then looked at me. “We have to acknowledge that the [Necromancer] is at least Level 30. But it’s much more likely that it’s higher than that.”

So we can’t go in guns blazing.

“Well, then let’s get your Skills figured out, too.” I leaned over Tristan’s iPaw with him. With Ravyn’s snappy remarks, we managed to get the guy a solid build going.

My senses were beginning to return, and with them, a more level head. Then, a sudden thought occurred to me. Many of the Defiled we’d fought up to this point were higher leveled than us. But it never seemed impossible. Rough, tough as balls, sure, but every fight had been manageable as long as we were smart about our plays. If this were like most RPGs and MMOs I’d played in the past, I’d be dead by now and waiting for some healer to pick me up so I didn’t have to spend another twenty minutes walking back.

This world didn’t seem to have that issue though.

“Is there any form of level scaling in this world?” I asked.

Ravyn’s mouth hung open in confusion. “I don’t know what you mean.”

I turned to Keke, and she shook her head. “Me neither.”

Cannoli took her spot at my opposite side and laid her head against my shoulder. Not a peep came out of her, so I could only assume she didn’t know what I was talking about either. I really hoped she was okay. We’d been through so much since coming to this island that I’m sure, like the rest of us, she just wanted to go home.

“Oh, I know what you’re talking about,” said Tristan. In my mind’s eye, I could see the lightbulb illuminate above his head. “You’re talking about how it was almost impossible to defeat enemies several levels higher than you, right? In games? Like, take a swing, and miss! Even if your Stats weren’t much different?”

Okay, I take it back. This kid can stay. It seems he speaks catgirl better than I do.

“Yes!” I said with a little more enthusiasm than I intended. “S-sorry. But, yes.”

“What the fuck are you talking about?” said Ravyn.

Ah, there’s the Ravyn I missed. Don’t like it when someone knows something you don’t, huh?

Tristan flashed the most disarming smile I’d ever seen. The little bastard. “Allow me to explain,” he said, holding up a single finger, “Matt means to say that if the level differences between two parties are wide enough, then regardless of their Stats, the party with the lower Level is at a significant disadvantage.”

“In what manner, Young Master?” asked Ara.

“I’m Level 22. What this hypothetically means is that if I were to fight you, then you would never be able to land a hit on me.”

Ara scoffed. Her eyes widened, then she coughed into her hand. “If I may be so bold, Young Master—if we were to fight, I would undeniably be the victor.”

Tristan gave a curt nod. “Eventually, you would, yes. Even with you at Level 15.”

Ara tilted her head. “I am afraid I still do not follow.”

“Oh, I get it,” said Cannoli. “So, the Level difference basically determines if an Encroacher or a Defiled is a fair fight? Kind of like how [Experience] is divvied out?”

“Exactly!” said Tristan. “Despite Ara’s prowess in battle, the amount of damage she would do to me would be far less than if she attacked, say, Matt. And that would simply be because of my Level.”

Please don’t attack me, Ara.

“Great. That’s not confusing at all,” Ravyn grumbled. “Mou ii…”

Tristan giggled. “It’ll make sense in time. To answer Matt’s question, I don’t believe there is level scaling, from what I’ve read.” Tristan pocketed his hands and winked at me. “So, if we just keep at it together, we can take them down eventually.”

“Thanks,” I mumbled.

Then we got a chance. Level 30, Level 50, doesn’t matter. Just our wits, perseverance, and our numbers.

I stood up, careful not to step on either Keke or Cannoli’s tails in the process. I dusted the dirt and grime from my gear and smiled at the two girls, helping them up beside me. “We can do this.” Tristan and I shared glances. “Dump those Stats all into [Magic]. You’re going to be our glass cannon.”

“Ahaha.” Tristan scratched the back of his head with a nervous hand. “Now that’s something I’m well acquainted with.”

“Ravyn, do we have any other gear that we could outfit Tristan with?”

Ravyn shook her head. “No. But that stick I gave him does boost fire magic.” She drew a sharp breath and put a hand to the necklace she’d purchased in Shulan. “This also boosts fire magic.” She reached around and reluctantly unhooked the clasp. Damn though, that necklace sure did look good on her.

What the fuck is wrong with you, man? We’re in a life threatening situation and you’re staring at her tits?

Ravyn flashed the knowing smile I had become so accustomed to, then approached Tristan. When she was done fitting the necklace around his throat, she took a step back and looked him up and down. “It looks like garbage on you.”

“A-ah,” Tristan said, forcing a half-open smile.

Get used to it, buddy.

“So, what’s the plan?” I said, looking at Ravyn.

Ravyn took her time to answer. “We protect the boy. At all costs. I will play support this time around.”

I frowned. “Is that a good idea?” She returned my look. “I mean, you playing support. Usually you just go scorched earth and roast everything.”

Keke snickered.

Ravyn shot her a dark glare. “Between Ball Gag and me, we can do anything we want. There’s more to [Sorcerer] than just fire. I’ll teach both of you boys a lesson today.” The image of Ravyn dressed like a teacher resurfaced, riding crop and all. “Now that we know what we’re dealing with, let’s go over it.”

You really can’t handle having control wrestled from you, can you?

Ravyn found a small stick on the ground and dropped down to draw a big circle in the dirt. “Matt and Ara will handle the front lines.” She drew two X’s inside the circle, close to the edge. “Keke and Cannoli will stand in the middle.” She drew more X’s, behind the first two. “Tristan and I will stand in the back, and provide the damage the group needs.” With the last two people drawn into the dirt, Ravyn looked up. “Any questions?” There was a unanimous shake of our heads. “Good. Cannoli. We’ll be relying on you to blind the enemy if shit goes south.”

Cannoli frowned. “Um, wh-what?”

“She means, if things get bad,” I translated.

“O-oh. Okay.”

Ravyn sighed. “Sorry, Cannoli. You’ll need to wait as long as you can. Don’t cast it unless I give the signal. Keke will poke and prod with her arrows. Keke, please let us know where the weak spots are.”

“Aye-aye!” Keke responded.

“Matt will act as our guard. Do not leave our sides, and only ever use [Provoke] if the enemy grows distracted by us.”

“I understand,” I said, nodding.

“Ara will act as a distraction, and will be our free agent.”

Ara frowned. “Of course.”

“That leaves Tristan and me. I will get in whatever damage spells I can muster, but Tristan will mostly be on his own. I’ll act as an assist, and use Bally wherever I can to distract the enemy.” Ravyn tossed the stick away and rose to her feet. “Any questions?”

“None,” said Ara.

“No,” muttered Cannoli.

“I’m good,” said Keke.

“Not yet,” Tristan admitted through a nervous laugh.

I shook my head. “I’m ready.”

Ravyn pumped her arm. “Then let’s burn us a fucking [Necromancer].”