Day Three. Morning.

Leaving the alley, I made my way anticlockwise through the fort. The goblins paid me no mind.

The hood of my mage’s cloak was pulled over my head, and my shoulders were hunched slightly. The player I’d chosen to imitate was the one who most closely matched my size and build. Still, he had been somewhat shorter, not enough to give me away immediately, but there was no sense in taking chances.

I found the next party of hunters searching one of the Howlers’ barracks. Pausing outside the door, I took a moment to cast facial disguise. Energy coursed through my body and rushed to my face causing its lines to blur and my features to alter.

I had no mirror to check if the spell had worked as expected, but trusting that it had, I entered the building.

“Dorsk, what are you doing here?” a player demanded, spotting me.

You have passed a Perception resistance check! Multiple hostile entities have failed to pierce your disguise. Your hidden weapons have gone unnoticed. Your deception has increased to level 19.

Dorsk was the name of the mage I was imitating. “We’ve found him,” I gasped, clutching at my side in fake pain. “Hurry!”

I had no idea what Dorsk really sounded like, of course, hence the reason for my ‘injury.’ Hopefully, any strangeness the others picked up in my voice would be attributed to the pain I was feigning.

“Where is your team?” another player asked, a frown marring her forehead.

“Dead,” I mumbled in a strangled voice. “He’s killed them all!”

“Where’s he?” the first one demanded.

“Somewhere behind,” I said, gesturing vaguely out the open door. “Tracking me down.”

Lifting my eyes, I risked a quick survey of the four. Two of the players were looking at me quizzically, but before they could question me or my news, the group’s leader intervened. “Let’s go,” he ordered.

The four rushed for the door. Obligingly I sidestepped out the way, straightening slightly in the process and shifting my hands closer to the hilt of my concealed blades.

When the last player passed by, I darted forward. Wrapping my left hand around my target’s mouth, I drove spider’s bite into his back, then upwards and through his heart.

You have backstabbed your target for 100% more damage! You have killed Timone.

I stepped over the corpse and, drawing my second blade, plunged both weapons into my next victim’s retreating back.

You have backstabbed your target for 100% more damage! You have killed Yarra.

Amazingly both my kills went unnoticed. The party’s other two players—both fighters of some kind—were too intent on their quarry to notice the fate of their companions. Rushing forward, I cast one-step.

My left foot found purchase in the air, and I launched off it, diving towards the leader with my blades outstretched.

With the sharpened tips of my swords leading the way, I slammed into my target. My blades buried themselves hilt deep into his torso, slicing through his hide armor and skin with ease.

You have backstabbed your target for 100% more damage! You have killed Marlon.

The corpse crumpled beneath me, and I rolled off, abandoning my weapons rather than sparing the time necessary to unentangle them from the body. I had another problem to deal with. The remaining player had finally noticed something was amiss and spun about.

“What the—” he began.

I bounced to my feet and threw myself forward. Before the fighter could do more than half-unsheathe his weapon, I’d wrapped my hands around his throat and cast stunning slap.

You have stunned Nyka for one second.

I shoved aside the player’s suddenly-inert hand and took up his own blade. Drawing the longsword, I thrust it towards the largest joint of his plate armor.

The blade, however, did not go where I intended. Striking the solid metal of Nyka’s breastplate, it skidded off.

Nyka’s armor has blocked your attack.

I cursed foully at the mishap. I should have known. I was no good with longswords, but I’d no choice. I had learned from my last fight with Zed and Khone. If I struck hard and fast while retaining the advantage of surprise, I could easily overcome my foes. But once my opponents got the chance to bring their own abilities into play, I was dead, or as good as. Which was why I’d abandoned my own shortswords rather than take the time to retrieve them.

Meanwhile, the fighter’s stun had worn off. Fury sparkled in his gaze and his lips twisted into a snarl. Before the warning cry that threatened could escape, I slapped a hand over my foe’s mouth and recast my stun.

Then I slammed the hilt of the longsword through the eyeslit of his helm, using it as a club. Even without any skill, from this close, I couldn’t miss.

I kept at it, ignoring the spurting blood, as I slowly but surely bashed my foe to death. Eventually, when the face beneath me was no longer recognizable and his body no longer twitched, I stopped.

You have killed Nyka.

Chest heaving and gore-spattered, I rose slowly to my feet. Two down.

Two more to go.

~~~

Killing the remaining two hunter teams went off without a hitch.

Each time I went in hard and without restraint, using deception and sneaking to close in on my foes and strike from their midst. By the time I was finished, I’d accumulated a sizable amount of money but little else.

Total money carried: 35 gold, 9 silvers, and 0 coppers.

In my rush to complete my ambushes, I left off more extensive looting. If I delayed too long, I knew the surviving players would notice something amiss, and acquiring a few more trinkets was not worth the trouble it would bring.

Besides, the loot itself was only a bonus. The experience I earned was far more beneficial than the coins gained.

You have reached level 46!

Congratulations, Michael! You are now a rank 4 player. Your experience gains have decreased further. For achieving rank 4, you have been awarded 1 additional attribute point and 1 Class point.

My player level had advanced significantly, but more importantly, two of my skills were within reaching distance of rank five, the minimum skill rank required for most tier two abilities.

While I meditated to recover my lost psi, I took the opportunity to review my player profile and spend my new attribute points, investing in Dexterity, Mind, and Perception.

Player Profile: Michael

Level: 46. Rank: 4. Current Health: 100%.

Stamina: 65%. Mana: 100%. Psi: 40%.

Species: Human. Lives Remaining: 3.

Marks: Wolf-brethren, Lesser Shadow, Lesser Light, Lesser Dark.

Attributes

Available: 0 points.

Strength: 2. Constitution: 11. Dexterity: 20. Perception: 10. Mind: 15. Magic: 0. and Faith: 0.

Classes

Available: 2 points.

Primary-Secondary Bi-blend: Mindstalker.

Tertiary Class: None.

Traits

Psi wolf heritage: +2 Dexterity, +2 Strength, +4 Mind.

Beast tongue: can speak to beastkin.

Marked: can see spirit signatures.

Nocturnal: perfect night vision.

Skills

Available skill slots: 0.

Dodging (current: 37. max: 200. Dexterity, basic).

Sneaking (current: 48. max: 200. Dexterity, basic).

Shortswords (current: 47. max: 200. Dexterity, basic).

Two weapon fighting (current: 41. max: 200. Dexterity, advanced).

Light armor (current: 33. max: 110. Constitution, basic).

Thieving (current: 1. max: 200. Dexterity, basic).

Chi (current: 34. max: 110. Mind, advanced).

Meditation (current: 36. max: 150. Mind, basic).

Telekinesis (current: 28. max: 150. Mind, advanced).

Telepathy (current: 25. max: 150. Mind, advanced).

Insight (current: 42. max: 100. Perception, basic).

Deception (current: 25. max: 100. Perception, master).

Abilities

Crippling blow (Dexterity, basic, shortswords).

Simple charm (Mind, basic, telepathy).

Stunning slap (Mind, basic, chi).

Basic analyze (Perception, basic, insight).

Minor backstab (Dexterity, basic, sneaking).

One-step (Mind, basic, telekinesis).

Lesser trap detect (Perception, basic, thieving).

Basic trap disarm (Dexterity, basic, thieving).

Simple lockpicking (Dexterity, basic, thieving).

Conceal small weapon (Perception, basic, deception).

Minor reaction buff (Mind, basic, chi).

Simple mindsight (Class, basic).

Facial disguise (Perception, basic, deception).

Ventro (Perception, basic, deception).

Known Key Points

Sector 14,913 exit portal and safe zone.

Sector 12,560 dungeon portal and safe zone.

Equipped

spider’s bite shortsword (+15% damage, webbed), concealed.

shortsword,+1 (+15% damage, +10 shortswords), concealed.

common fighter’s sash (+3 shortswords).

enchanted leather armor set (+20% damage reduction, -4 Dexterity).

slotted-potion belt (3 minor heal, 4 moderate heal, 3 empty).

common mage’s cloak (+3 air magic).

Backpack Contents (Key Items)

Money: 35 gold, 9 silvers, and 0 coppers.

2 x iron daggers.

1 x goblin writ of safe passage.

1 x alchemy stone (0 / 150 ingredients).

bounty letter.

common thief’s cloak (+3 sneaking).

Bank Contents

Money: 46 gold, 4 silvers, and 9 coppers.

2 x full healing potions.

2 x basic steel shortswords.

Open Tasks

Aid the Pack (Stop the Long Fangs hunting the dire wolves).

An Alchemist’s bounty (kill the wyvern mother).

Goblin Wars (destroy all 3 goblin tribes in the valley).

Forging Dark Alliances (secure the allegiance of the Howlers and Red Rats for the Dark).

Closing my player profile, I smiled in quiet satisfaction. At the rate I was advancing, the level disparity between me and Ishita’s sworn—the ones in this sector at least—was fast disappearing. Soon, I would be their match.

But you’re not, not just yet, anyway, I thought, cautioning myself against overconfidence.

It was really time to move on. But there was still one more person I wanted to kill before leaving.

And him, at least, I was sure, I could take.

Cloaking myself in disguise again, I crept towards the gate leading to the safe zone.

~~~

Forsyth was standing out in the open, in front of the still-closed gate. The human mage was accompanied by the dwarf, Redbeard. My brows flickered upwards, surprised by Forsyth’s choice of companions.

Redbeard was the lowest-ranked of the hunters. Perhaps that was why Forsyth had chosen to keep him near. Or perhaps it was because the dwarf had previously succumbed to my spell, and the mage did not trust him.

I approached the pair openly. Leaning heavily on a wizard’s staff that I’d claimed from my last victims, I limped towards the two. It did not take long for me to be spotted.

“Dorsk, you have news?” Forsyth asked.

“Dead. He’s dead,” I mumbled in a low voice, deliberately mangling my words.

“What’s that?” Forsyth asked, taking a few steps towards me.

“We got him,” I whispered.

“Speak up!” Redbeard snapped irritably. He scowled, eyes dropping to my leg. “What’s wrong with you?”

“Injured,” I muttered, not taking my eyes off Forsyth, who was still advancing on me.

“Did I hear you say: you got him?” Forsyth asked, his face giddy with delight.

I bobbed my head, saying nothing else. The mage was nearly in range now. Abruptly, he stopped, his face wrinkling in confusion.

He sensed something amiss. I couldn’t delay further. Abandoning my subterfuge, I flew forward, unsheathing my blades as I went.

Forsyth’s eyes widened in alarm, and his hand dropped to the hilt of the sword at his side. Before he could draw, I was upon him, spider’s bite carving a line of red down his torso, while with my second blade, I attempted to skewer him through.

He proved equal to the challenge.

Despite his surprise, Forsyth twisted out of the way of my darting blade and turned what was meant to be a fatal strike into a graze across the shoulder.

You have injured Forsyth.

I’d misjudged him. He wasn’t a pure mage but some combination of spellcaster and fighter. A spellsword, perhaps?

“Ye gods, it’s him!” Forsyth exclaimed, backing away.

A few yards away, Redbeard cried out in a wordless howl of rage, approaching rapidly. I didn’t take my eyes off Forsyth, though. I needed to finish him off quickly before the angry dwarf reached me.

I dashed forward again, swords poised to strike. Forsyth was mumbling something under his breath.

Casting a spell? I wondered.

Rushing him before he could finish, I struck out in quick succession from both the left and right.

Once more, Forsyth’s speed saved him. His own blade whipped forward, fending off spider’s bite. But I’d anticipated his reaction, and before he could disengage, I advanced, crowding the human while I slashed at him with my second sword.

You have critically injured Forsyth!

He stumbled back, grimacing in pain, and clutching his stomach.

I made to follow, then abruptly threw myself to the left, some sixth sense warning me of the axe hurtling down on the spot I’d just occupied.

You have evaded Redbeard’s attack.

The dwarf screamed in frustration as his attack failed. A few yards away, I rolled to my feet, both blades at the ready.

The dwarf rushed me again.

From the corner of my eye, I spotted Forsyth backing away, his mouth moving rapidly as he incanted the words of some spell.

“Damn it,” I growled. I had to get the spellsword before he finished his casting.

Making a split-second decision, I charged Redbeard in turn. The dwarf’s eyes widened at my unexpected maneuver, and in sudden panic, he rushed his next attack.

Tumbling forward, I rolled under the dwarf’s whistling blade and leaped to my feet out of range of Redbeard’s axe. Leaving the confused dwarf behind, I chased down the still-retreating human.

Forsyth was some sort of caster, I realized, and a bigger threat than the dwarf. Feet pounding on the ground, I flew towards him.

Across the distance of a few yards, our gazes met, and Forsyth’s lips turned upward in a victorious smile as he finished his spell. I was still out of striking distance. Raising his hands, the caster released his spell.

I’d no idea what to expect.

So I did what I hoped Forsyth would least expect.

Continuing my reckless charge, I one-stepped into the air and, finding solid footing, leaped upwards.

Flames fanned out from Forsyth’s outstretched hands, passing inches beneath my booted feet.

The mage’s eyes grew round with shock.

Still airborne, I grinned back.

“How—” he began.

He didn’t get to finish as I crashed into him, swords first.

You have killed Forsyth.

Unentangling myself from the corpse, I spun about in time to meet Redbeard’s angry charge. Overcoming the dwarf was laughably easy. My left blade flickered outwards and parried away the axe while spider’s bite snaked forward to strike the dwarf across the shoulder.

You have injured Redbeard. Webbed triggered! Redbeard has failed a physical resistance check! You have immobilized your target for 1 second.

The outrage coloring the dwarf’s face as he was wrenched to a halt was almost comical. But I knew better than to underestimate a foe. Dancing forward, I buried both my blades in his throat.

You have killed Redbeard.

The corpse fell lifelessly to the floor. “Maybe next time you’ll have better luck,” I whispered.