Chapter 29 – When Hell Breaks Loose

The guard is getting closer. Too close. With a hiss, I order underlings to apply their poisons. The Paralyzing Poison for the Cutpurse, and the Blight Poisons for the Hoodlums. With a short and pointless prayer, I steady my breath. Here goes nothing.

By the time the guard touches the door handle, my underlings are already charging towards him. As the door swings open, the surprised guard is met by my Cutpurse lunging at his throat, his blade tipped in poison and boosted by my skill. The guard reacts quickly, but not quickly enough. He throws his head to the side, avoiding a direct hit by the blade. He isn’t quick enough though, and the dagger slices deep into the side of his neck.

The guard goes rigid as his body slams backwards into the wall. One second. My Hoodlums throw themselves at the guard, intent on tackling him to the ground. Just a moment too late, the guard regains control over his body and sweeps a gauntleted hand to the side, shoving the two Hoodlums back. With this slight reprieve, the guard reaches for the sword at his waist. With the sword halfway out of its scabbard, the Cutpurse lunges at the guard once more, the Paralyzing Poison already reapplied to his trusty Letter Opener. The guard sees him coming, but with no weapon in hand, he moves his free hand to deflect the strike from hitting anything vital. His hand hits the Cutpurse’s wrist, redirecting the slash away from his torso. The Cutpurse compensates and manages to barely shift his strike downwards, slicing into the guard’s exposed leg.

The blade doesn’t cut deep, but it’s enough for the poison to take effect. One more second. During this short scuffle, I finally make my move. I raise my hand, allowing the thin magical mist to gather around my hands before I launch it towards the unsuspecting guard. The spell hits him square in the face, causing the guard to blink twice in confusion. My heart is about to leap in joy when the guard shakes his head, cutting short the sedated effects of my ‘Calm’ spell.

Oh no…

My Hoodlums lunge at the guard, knocking him backwards. I don’t know if it’s because of his high level or my terrible luck, but he doesn’t fall over. Instead, he once more slams into the wall, his knees buckling slightly. The paralyzing effect disappears soon after, and the guard once more sweeps his gauntleted fist around, forcing my two Hoodlums back once more. My eyes move to the guard’s health bar, and my stomach drops when I can hardly see the sliver of health he’s lost so far. This isn’t working.

The guard steadies his balance by grabbing hold of the window sill. His eyes glaring murder at my three underlings. “You filthy rats. I’ll gut you like the whoresons you are.” He growls while reaching for his sword once more.

Oh fuck. What do I do now? We stand no chance… I’m out of options. I need to run. How do I slow him down? If only I could trip him or some-. My thoughts are halted as I spot an opening. Could this work? Oh fuck it, there’s no time.

“Grab him!” I yell as I start charging towards the guard. His eyes move over towards me, the sneer on his face intensifying. Before he manages to spit out a reply, all three of my underlings lunge at the guard simultaneously. He raises his hand to do another sweep, but he can’t stop all of us. The two Hoodlums who charged straight at him takes the full force of the sweep and are knocked to the side. The Cutpurse dove low, slicing his blade in a wide arc, aiming for the guard’s lightly armored feet.

Perfect. The Cutpurse once more cuts a shallow gash across the exposed thigh of the guard, and he once more goes rigid. The Hoodlums aren’t there to tackle him, but that job falls to me. Only half a second after the stun hits, my full force strikes the guard in his chest. My shoulder connects, and my abysmal Strength attribute is working overtime to compensate for his high level. Thankfully, the game is trying to imitate reality, so physics is on my side. No matter if my Strength is lower, it isn’t easy to stop a kinetic force moving at a quick pace when you aren’t ready to brace for it.

The guard is knocked backwards, and his body slams into the window behind him. Unable to support his weight, the glass immediately shatters and the guard tumbles through the window. The glass scatters everywhere as the guard drops from sight. The few seconds he’s out of sight feel like an eternity until the sound of the guard hitting the pavement below jolts my brain back into action in a revulsing way.

I don’t know what I’d expect. It sounds just like if someone dropped a sack of potato on the ground. There’s no crunchy sound of bone snapping or brains being splattered across the ground. Just a muffled sort of thump. It’s nauseating, and it causes my stomach to roil.

[Human Guard(20) takes 5607 Falling Damage.]

[Human Guard(20) dies. Gain 1600 Experience.]

[Congratulations! You have reached level 6!]

[Congratulations! You have reached level 7!]

[You have gained 6 free Attribute Points and 2 Skill Points!]

[Cheap Shot has leveled up to Novice 3.]

The notifications roll in, and I have to shake my head to bring me out of my stupor. “Holy shit, I can’t believe that worked…” I mutter, making my way over towards the window and peer out. Down below, I see the dead guard lying in a small pool of blood, my Beggar standing idly near him, poking the corpse with his bare foot. “What are you standing around for? Loot him!” I shout. The Beggar, startled by my shout, immediately complies and starts looting the body.

I would love to berate him further, but I don’t think there’s a snowball's chance in hell nobody heard that glass break. If they didn’t, the corpse lying conspicuously in the middle of the street certainly would do the trick. This would be the time to do what thieves do best. Hightail it the fuck out of here.

I round up my underlings and we start moving down the hallway at a quick pace. Just when we round the first corner, my eyes go wide as I immediately swerve right to dodge a sword threatening to decapitate me where I stand.

“Who the hell are you four? Where’s Mercer!?” The second guard sneers as he raises his sword to strike again. I jump back, narrowly dodging the blade. Shit, I forgot about him.

I raise my hands defensively. “Oy! How about you calm down and we talk about it?” I say as I jump back further.

“Oh, we’ll talk all right.” The guard says while stepping forwards. “But I only need one of ye little shits alive for talking.” He feigns another swing and instead lunges forward, striking towards me. Surprised by his quick move, I try to dodge to the side, but I fail to completely evade the blow. The tip of his sword cuts a deep gash into my shoulder.

[You take 43 Piercing Damage from Human Guard(20).]

I grit my teeth as the damage ticks in. Forty-three damage!? From that glancing blow? That’s over half my health! There’s just no way I’ll survive a direct hit from that guy.

“Now what did you little shits do to Mercer!? There’s no way weaklings like you could hurt him. Where is he!?” The guard shouts as he tries for another lunge. I’m prepared this time, and deftly throw myself to my side. Overextended, the guard is unable to react to my high-level Hoodlum who throws himself at the guard from the side. Caught off balance, the Guard is unable to stay on his feet and the pair is knocked to the ground.

“Now!” Without hesitation, I start sprinting down the hallway, not even bothering looking behind me. I can sense my Cutpurse and my remaining Hoodlum running beside me. There’s just no way we can beat the guard. Our only chance is to run and pray he won’t catch up.

[Your underling (Human Hoodlum(7)) has been slain by a Guard(20).]

We run as if hellhounds are on our trail. With the high level of this guard, he might as well be one for all we care. We’re sprinting down the hallway, all caution is thrown out the window. We pass the second corner, rapidly approaching the dormitory. To my dismay, the room seems to have been aroused, and a young human Bard is poking her head through the nearby door.

Without slowing down, I start casting ‘Calm’. It takes a bit longer than usual due to my running, but the magical mist soon leaves my hand and pacifies the young bard. Sedated, she hardly even registers the three sprinting bandits passing her with due haste.

As we are about to pass the third and final corner, I finally dare to glance over my shoulder. I’m struck by horror as I see the high-level guard hot on our trails, his much higher Agility attribute giving him a severe increase to his movement speed. Fuck. We’re not going to make it at this pace…

My mind races as I try to come up with a solution. My options are limited, but I know from an instinctual level what I need to do. What I swore I wouldn’t want to do again. I need to sacrifice my underlings.

“Slow him down at all cost!” I hiss at the Cutpurse, receiving a sharp nod in return. It pains me to do this, but it’s the only way. The Cutpurse halts in his tracks and sidesteps into the shadows, activating his stealth. I watch from the corner of my eye how his presence fades from view, and I chant a small prayer for at least a modicum of success.

We soon reach the stairs, and I leap down it, jumping down three steps at a time. My balance wavers, but through sheer force of will, and reliance on my desperation and fledgling luck, I manage to prevent myself from falling. As I reach the midway point, a short yelp of pain erupts from the hallway above, and I pray my Cutpurse was successful. I think he was because two seconds later, I’m greeted by another system prompt.

[Your underling (Human Cutpurse(7)) has been slain by Human Guard(20).]

We reach the bottom of the stairs and I don’t even offer a single glance at the dead Secretary in the hallway, effortlessly jumping past the small pool of blood and keep going. Killing them was probably the best choice in the end after all. We continue down the hallway and pass another corner. I can hear the sounds of the guard rapidly descending the stairway behind us. I don’t think we bought enough time, but I still have another underling to sacrifice.

When we’re halfway down the hallway, some bells are ringing from high above. An alarm of some sort. Shit. I’m running out of time. If the patrons from downstairs start to stir, I will have no chance in hell of making it out of here with my life and cover intact. Sure enough, a local system-wide alert further increases my pressure.

[Alert! The Bard’s College has put out a local event Quest! Apprehend or kill the thief before he or she leaves the area. Reward: 15 Gold coins, Major reputation increase with the Bard’s College.]

[Villains can not accept event Quests!]

[Alert! You are the target of an event quest. Generating appropriate sub-quest compatible with the Thief Lord class.]

Oh crap… This can’t be good.

Escape from the Bards.

Job type: None. Difficulty: (?). Deadline: None. Rewards: 100 Experience.

You have been caught red-handed and an alarm has been sounded.

Run, you fool!

You cannot decline this quest.

I don’t think I have time to even gulp in fear before a massive roar erupts from the floors below. Oh, shit. So this is what it feels like when all hell breaks loose…

We keep sprinting, leaving no time to loiter over the complete and utter shitstorm that is about to descend upon me. I have no time to worry about the players downstairs when I have a much more immediate threat directly behind me. I keep sprinting, trying intently to increase my speed which is already pushed way past its limits. Passing the final corner, I can figuratively feel the guard breathing down my neck. I don’t know what makes me do it, but I dive forwards, going into a roll. My hunch is correct, as I hear the sound of metal striking the wooden wall only centimeters behind me.

As an act of desperation, my final Hoodlum throws herself at the guard, trying desperately to keep him away from me. It works, somewhat, as the guard is still committed to his wide swing and is now off balance. The Hoodlum charges into his chest, knocking the breath out of him.

“Oof! You damn rats are so fucking persistent! Die!” He shouts, spittle flying everywhere. He slashes downwards, burying his sword deep into the Hoodlum’s shoulder.

[Your underling (Dwarf Hoodlum(7)) has been slain by a Guard(20).]

I don’t have time to watch my final bodyguard slump to the ground as I’m already up and running again. The dwarf bought me a little time with her last act of desperation, and I can only hope it’s enough. I reach the stairs and jump down as fast as I can, one step more reckless than the next.

Halfway down the stairs, something heavy impacts my back. I’m thrown forwards, flying down the remainder of the stairs. I twist in the air, just in time to watch the Guard steadying his balance after delivering a hard kick before I slam into the ground, the air knocked out of my lungs.

[You take 22 Falling Damage from Guard(20).]

“That’s what you get for making me run, you little shitstain.” The guard growls as he descends the stairs. Now at a much slower pace after knocking me down. “I haven’t run this hard since basic training.” He glares at me. “And I really fucking hate running.”

Shit. I start crawling backwards towards the door. “Listen, I’m sorry about that. Maybe we can work something out?” I plead with the guard. My eyes darting from side to side to look for an opening to run. Fuck. And I was so close.

“A deal?” He snorts. “Oh, hell no. I know what to do with you.” He gives me a savage grin. “I’ve decided that I was, unfortunately, unable to apprehend you after your theft, and due to your violent behaviour, I was forced to put you down like the dog you are. It’s a shame, really. But there is only so much a guard can do to protect the innocent.” He snarls, glaring at me with malevolent eyes.

I continue to scoot backwards, and my hand soon finds the edge of the poison trap I laid down earlier. It lies there in the darkness, unable to perform its function. What good is a trap that traps the trap layer in with the beast? Can I somehow leap across it and hope for the guard to step on it? … No. This weak trap would probably only be a nuisance to such a high-level guard. I’m thoroughly fucked, aren’t I?

Unless...

Hope rises in my chest as I remember my trump card. The exit is so close. Only half a meter away. I need to piss him off.

I snort. “Well, if that’s the case. Then you would probably like to know that your friend Mercer is dead.”

This causes the guard to pause. “You lie.” He growls, his face turning into a mean scowl.

“Am I though? Then how do you explain how we got past him?”

“Shut up!” He bellows. “You probably tricked him somehow. Locked him in a room when he wasn’t looking.”

I laugh. “Sure. If you think one of these flimsy doors could hold him.”

His eye twitches. “You can’t have killed him. I don’t believe you.” He sneers.

“Well, you will find out soon anyway. His brain is smeared all over the pavement outside. Probably dripping into the sewers below where the rats feast on it.” I smirk, further egging the guard on. I need him to be reckless.

“Shut your filthy mouth you piece of shit!” He roars as he lunges towards me, sword aimed for me throat.

I sigh. “I’m sorry about this.” I mutter. “Doppelganger!”

The room blurs for a second until I find myself outside, breathing in the stale evening air. I move my head to the side, looking at the entrance door just in time for the notification to appear, followed by a painful shriek as the acid trap is no doubt triggered.

[Your underling (Dwarf Beggar(5)) has been slain by a Guard(20).]

I wince at the thought of how callously I sacrificed yet another one of my underlings. It’s the best option I had, but that doesn’t mean I have to like it.

I’m soon broken out of my trance as I notice scores of players exiting the tavern from both sides of the street. That means it’s time to get the hell out of here. I quickly scamper to my feet and dart towards the alleyway where my two Spotters wait for me. We quickly escape further into the city, leaving the sounds of rattled players and the screams of a really pissed off guard behind.