Ascending was a lot harder than descending. Multiple eyes were on the iris of the nest, watching for any demons to exit, as well as Riza–she couldn’t just ride a demon out of it.

She could, however, raise her pet demon at a higher level, ride it up to the cusp of the tunnel, and attempt to climb the remaining few metres by herself.

With nails as long as daggers and as thick as a staff, powerful muscles holding up both its body and Riza’s, the creature shot up the near-vertical tunnel like a professional climber.

Sticking her own dagger into the wall, she kicked off her steed, commanding it to die, as her feet scrambled for footholds, kicking loose bits of dirt and rocks out of place.

Years of physical activity and her enhanced stats made the climb easy, quickly managing to pull herself up and out past the threshold, breathing the fresh air of the afternoon day.

Faintly, she could make out the heavy body hitting the bottom of the shaft, the beast demon dead once more.

This crater was smaller than any others Riza had seen, presumably hastily made. Ten, fifteen metres in diameter, and with a tunnel too narrow for anything larger than beast demons to traverse. In hindsight, it was obvious the nature behind these peculiarities.

“You’ve survived,” Asum commented once Riza had trudged over to him. He looked her up and down, taking in the lack of blood, injuries, and her overall dirty attire. “You actually went in there?”

Riza nodded, feeling a bit tired, annoyed, and confused, rolled up in one.

“This, er… I suppose this is related to destroying nests? Did you manage to destroy a nest?”

A shake of the head this time. As Asum began to say something, she interrupted him.

“No nest down there. It was a trap,” Fascination twinkled in his eye. “Three humanoid demons were waiting for me. As soon as they saw me, they blocked me off with a wall of earth. The tunnel was empty,” she reported.

“Humanoid demons?” A nod. “You’ve encountered these before?”

Riza took a deep breath, having prepared for some questions. Her heart was beating rapidly, far faster than just before.

“You’re asking for information,” She said steadily, slowly.

“I am,” Asum said calmly, before Riza could continue.

“I need information in return.” A nodule of worry settled itself in Riza’s chest.

“Perhaps we can discuss that,” Asum replied, turning to look towards the hole. “You say the tunnel is closed? Is the nest no longer a threat?”

“Correct.”

Asum gave a quick nod towards her before raising his voice, addressing all of his people.

“Nest has been closed. Threat averted. Make your way over to the primary nest. I will join you shortly after.”

He turned towards Riza.

“A bit of privacy.”

Like a well-oiled machine, everyone began packing up, putting away their weapons, and travelling over to their next destination. Quick, smooth, efficient. Riza noted the discipline.

“Privacy?”

“As far as my people know, I’m aware of everything that’s going on here. Nests are precedented. Their demons, precedented. There’s a plan for everything and everyone will come out alive. It’s a, uh, morale thing.”

“You’ve never seen a humanoid demon before?” Riza deduced the heart of his point.

“Seen? I’ve never even heard of one! There’re beast demons, and then greater demons, and in the rare events of calamity, an elder greater demon ascends once every year or so. That there’s a humanoid demon as well…” Asum said, sounding shocked.

“You’ve encountered them before, likely when you were missing before fighting the elder greater demon. Are they the secret to your strength? How you managed to face an elder one-on-one and live?”

“How did you know about me?” Riza asked bluntly, ignoring his inquiries.

“That’s the information you want to know?”

“Among other things.”

“I’m afraid it’s quite boring. I received a missive around a month ago informing me of an incident at the quarry resulting in a large number of missing personnel. The missive contained a list of some important or reputable individuals that I should keep a look out for. Amongst them was a short, blonde Healer,” Asum answered succinctly, but that didn’t explain everything.

“And Litchendorf? How did you find out about that?”

His face stiffened.

“I’ve already done my part of the bargain. It’s your turn to tell me what you know.”

Of course this wasn’t going to be easy.

“The humanoid demons are strong. They’re in the range of level 20 to 25 and have skills. That’s an earth skill,” Riza pointed to the crater.

Asum hid his emotions well.

“Quite disconcerting. Your presence here is quite fortuitous, then, if your account of three humanoid demons is correct-”

“Tell me about Litchendorf,” Riza urged hurriedly.

“You’ve got more information?” An eager nod.

A hand to his chin, pondering over what to say.

“It’s customary for villages to report to the nearest Dominion presence whenever there’s been an incident. An investigation at Litchendorf revealed your involvement. There are not many blonde women around these parts,” Asum said.

With all that said, there was still one part that niggled at Riza. How did he find out so quickly? We would’ve seen a physical messenger. Was it really [Message] or [Inform]? If so, why tell Asum? And there’s gotta be another skill to boost range apart from [Seeker Mastery].

“Do these humanoid demons have a weakness? Are they susceptible to fire? If we kill them, do we destroy the nests? Are they a threat to us?”

“No more questions,” Riza shook her head. “I will stay to investigate. Goodbye.”

For the rest of that day, the first and primary nest was never left unattended. Riza’s group camped out right by it, liable to fall into the crater if they walked more than a few metres.

Asum had his people on a rotating roster, making sure there was always someone watching.

The patrol officers came and went as they pleased. There was an initial explosion of activity but that quickly died down once it became obvious there wasn’t, in fact, a demon invasion happening that very minute. As night drew, they became sparse, opting to sleep with their friends and families in the comfort of their own homes.

A Dominion and a Chosen stayed the night, alternating sleeping as they kept an ear to the ground for general activity.

Everyone paled in comparison to Riza’s surveillance.

Zombies were unusual. Undead were alive; they were subjected to the same requirements of mortality as everyone else. Zombies, however, required none of that. No food, no water, no sleep.

A murder of crows kept ariel surveillance while the smaller, more fleetfooted critters skittered about the perimeter of the crater.

All of them were commanded to wake Riza up if anything emerged from the hole below. This went for both the primary and auxiliary nests, which Riza now believed simply to be one nest with two entrances.

And so, Riza slept a peaceful sleep, content to let her undead army do her bidding.

“Just how scary is this lass, anyway?” A bulky, well armoured man asked over a campfire, a skewer of meat roasting nicely in his hand.

He bore an intimidating visage: a helm protected his head, visor obscuring his face. A gleaming breastplate made him seem invulnerable, the pauldrons, larger than life. Even his hands were fitted with finely articulated gauntlets, an expression of wealth and power rare to see.

By comparison, his companion was rather under-equipped: a standard helm, his face open for all to see, and a breastplate that could do with a good clean. His bow, however, was amongst the most beautiful, exquisite weapons to be seen.

Adewyn leaned forwards, a spark in her eye and a smile on her face.

“Incredibly. She could kill a beast demon with just a glance. Even a hundred were just an annoyance. She went toe-to-toe with an elder greater demon and came out with barely a scratch on her.”

The archer looked disturbed, face etched in worry, but the warrior just continued to eat.

“The stuff of legends, apparently,” Adewyn continued. “The villagers were calling her a ‘missionary of death’. Once she revealed herself, whoever laid an eye on her were lucky to survive.”

“Pfft,” The warrior laughed. “It’s all a load of bullshit.” He looked between the archer and Adewyn. “Ain’t anybody that strong. The villagers were probably scared shitless. Didn’t see how she was killing ‘em and so made shit up. Probably just a standard ice neophyte. Can’t figure out how she killed because the ice is all gone!”

“We’ll find out soon enough,” Adewyn said, leaning back on her makeshift seat. “Protector Asum has managed to convince her to stay in Hotton for a little while. Apparently, there’s some unusual demon activity going on there.”

“Unusual how?” The archer inquired. He was quieter and for that reason, Adewyn preferred him.

“New nest popped up on the other side of the village but it was apparently harmless; just a couple of beast demons.”

He scrunched up his face in confusion. Adewyn merely shrugged.

The man sighed.

“Apart from village rumours, do we have any concrete information on what this woman can do?”

“We do, actually. It’s been confirmed that her name is Riza. She joined the Dominion in Kratten-”

“Weren’t you in Kratten once?” The warrior interrupted.

“I was. Actually, I briefly met her.”

“Oh? Andreya wasn’t enough so you sought out another victim?” He harshly teased, malic lacing his tone.

“I advise you to watch your words in front of me,” Adewyn bit back, voice bitingly cold. “A false accusation of impropriety is a serious crime.

“Yes, sir,” He said, smug smile on his face. Thankfully, he didn’t deign to carry on.

“As I was saying,” Adewyn continued with a half-sigh, “I briefly met her. She was a bit below level 10 at the time, with a level cap of 15.

“She was a Healer but didn’t have [Heal], only [Leech] and [Cleanse]. Her stats were focused on spirit–which, I don’t have to tell you, is fairly concerning.”

“[Leech] is how she killed the beast demons in Litchendorf?” The archer chimed in.

“Most likely. It fits in with the reports. However, she was killing them in only a second or two.”

“[Way of Life], perhaps?”

“We don’t know. She had [Lone Wolf] when she arrived,” The warrior whistled, impressed, “And she’s a lot higher level now. With the elder dead, her level cap should be in the range of 30 to 35. She was likely above level 25 when she killed it, so that means two additional boons we have to watch out for.”

“So, there’s a large chance she’s fully invested into other skill trees?”

“Yes. And even if that’s not the case, life alone is bad news. Our main witness Tarrek said she was constantly getting badly injured–life-threatening injuries, even–but ultimately came out unscathed.”

The archer’ eyes were wide, understanding the implications of such an observation.

Everyone knew the rumours of what life magic could do. There was a limit to what Skaldur would allow. A simple bit of healing, cleansing the body of poison, was fine. All within the realm of alchemists or folk healers.

It was what was beyond that which was a perversion of the highest order; manipulating Skaldur’s gifted life into an unrecognisable monstrosity.

You lived and then you died and then you lived again. A soul was eternal and transcended mortal flesh, trapped in a cycle of reincarnation, as Skaldur intended.

To not die or, even worse, give life to a body without a soul was to usurp the natural order, to place yourself on Skaldur’s throne.

The first step to creating new life was to maintain your own, and it sounded like Riza was well on her way there.

This was what any dutiful person would feel–she had to be put down.

The disgust was evident in Adewyn’s companions faces. Even the warrior, no longer smug, chewed this bit of information.

Typical Chosen, Adewyn thought. They get enticed by the idea of being Skaldur’s Chosen, as if they’re somehow special, as if it’s not just a name the Regent made up.

She would never dare utter these thoughts out loud.

“Are you sure we’re enough? I’m not doubting your strength, Guardian Adewyn,” the archer said, emphasising her power and, consequently, her superiority over them.”

“Honestly?” She looked from one face to the other. “No. We need to buy time, and keep an eye on her. The Dominion, right, are sending word out about her strength. Our job is just to slow her down.”

“They’re fuckin’ sacrificing us,” The warrior spat out.

“Not necessarily. Protector Asum had managed to speak with her and she wasn’t hostile. She could destroy the entire village if she wanted but she hasn’t. As long as we don’t provoke her, we should be safe.”

The warrior sat back, face in his hands in disbelief.

“Fuck me.”

The muffled murmur of activity reached Lefie’s ears, her foggy brain struggling to decode the cacophony of noises inside her head.

With a groan and a tired sigh, she rolled over on her bed roll, clutching at the thin blanket at the absent body besides her.

The chill sunk in, the cold sharpening her mind as it came to.

The murmurs grew recognisable, the voices of Daven, Sanders, Meren, and Riza distinct enough to be differentiated.

With a final, annoyed turn, the prospect of sleep now lost to her, Lefie groggily sat up, stretching out her arms with a large, silent yawn.

“The slug is awake,” She heard Riza say as blurry shapes coalesced into the forms of her companions.

“-m not a sl-” She mumbled, rubbing her eyes as her body quickly began to feel just how cold the air was.

Still in her half-asleep state, Lefie failed to spot the coat flying towards her, hitting her in the face before she could react.

“Put that on and you’ll be a snail. It’s getting colder. Is it winter?”

“Any moment now,” Lefie heard Meren say, closely followed by some slurping sounds.

Slurping, metallic clinks, crackling of fire. The quiet soundscape blossomed into a metropolis of life.

Sliding her arms through the arm holes, and then quickly buttoning up, Lefie luxuriated in the hugging-close warmth of the coat she had been tossed.

The wagon floor was empty beside her, Riza having already packed up. Small of stature, the two of them were able to sleep on the cart rather than the cold, hard ground.

Crawling to the edge, Lefie looked over the landscape before her. Everything was much the same as before; an empty field, soil brown and hardened but barren of crops. The demon corpses had been gathered and piled up, ready to be burned once harvested and the firewood no longer useful. At a warmer time, perhaps.

The crater still sat there, watching them menacingly. Somewhere underground were three humanoid demons, just waiting for the perfect time to strike.

A part of Lefie was worried; unusual activity from the demons was never a good sign but they were only three humanoid demons–she could take them.

Once her eyes settled on the rusty, cast-iron pot hanging over a lively fire, Lefie almost fell off the wagon so eager she was to join.

An odd assortment of chairs and stools had been arranged around the fire, with Sanders, Daven, and Riza all sitting and eating a steaming hot bowl of soup.

Seeing the teenager now fully awake, Meren ladled a good amount of liquid into a well-worn bowl, handing that to Lefie who quickly thanked her before taking a seat on an old stool next to Riza.

“Where’d the soup come from?” She asked, blowing on a spoonful before taking the piping hot soup into her mouth. So nourishing, so tasty, she didn’t even care that it burned her insides.

“The patrol house. Since we were the only ones to stay outside all night, they figured it was the least they could do. The pot, bowls, and chairs are courtesy of Asum,” Riza explained to an intrigued Lefie.

Meren didn’t spend the entire time dealing out the food; as soon as Lefie had hers, the woman ladled some for herself and any time someone wanted more, they had to get it themselves.

The thick broth revitalised Lefie, the heat coursing through her whole body like a large hug. She could even feel it in her toes, wiggling around in her shoes.

The group ate in relative quietness, savouring the delicious meal. The lack of food, with the only sustenance being Riza’s [Heal], made even the smallest crumb of bread feel like an extravagant luxury.

Lefie didn’t eat much, a single bowl being enough for her. Unsurprisingly, Riza, with her slightly larger frame and much more athletic build, required more but Daven and Sanders, big men with years of martial experience, didn’t eat as much as Lefie was expecting.

Who ate the most was Meren, glugging down bowl after bowl of steaming hot soup like it was ambrosia. She was as tall as the men and was as muscular as well. Lefie supposed all that bulk had to come from somewhere.

Finished eating, everyone shared their gratitude towards Meren, causing the woman to blush slightly with humility as she collected the bowls and spoons and ladle, putting them all into a large bucket to take back to wash later.

They kept the fire hot, adding in extra fuel whenever it looked like it might run low. They didn’t always use firewood for this, some of the beast demons were chopped up and slices of their flesh proved to be excellent fuel for fires.

Huddled around the small campfire, the situation reminded Lefie of many winters past. She wasn’t with her family, her tribe, anymore, but this was a close second.

“What’s the plan for today? And tomorrow, while we’re at it,” Meren asked, arms crossed in her big coat.

“There’s three humanoid demons underground and they’re working together, which we haven’t seen before. That’s too dangerous for Lefie to fight alone,” Riza explained, looking at her young friend.

“So we just wait them out?” Daven asked.

“Yes. There was a humanoid demon in Litchendorf, the one who opened up the nest, but he ran away probably because he ran out of demons to send out. Nests near villages are targeting humans so they don’t have a steady supply of corpses for new demons. I think, if we kill everything that leaves, they’ll eventually run out and retreat.”

There were nods all around. The logic was sound.

“Unless the nest has a tunnel like the one in the forest did. A place to get more corpses,” Lefie chimed in.

“Correct, but I don’t think that’s the case here. That tunnel was short and the nest was basically right below the forest. There’s nothing but crop fields for miles. There isn’t even a river. I don’t think there’s any place the demons can get new bodies for demons.”

Lefie nodded happily, her concern fully dealt with.

“How will we know when the demons have run away? If they’ve stopped attacking that could just mean it’s not a storm and are waiting for the next one?” Meren asked.

“She’s right. We’ve gotta go down there eventually,” Daven said.

“And we will. You’ll all be in a party and will level up. Hopefully, you’ll be strong enough to provide backup for Lefie if and when we have to go down there.”

“But we can’t even fucking see down there!”

“Unfortunately, yes. We’d want to get both of you to level 15 and take [Touched by Essence] for your next boon.”

“And what about me? I just wait up here while the rest of you go galavanting into the heart of a demon nest?”

“Unless you want to take [Cleanse], that’s going to have to be the case. And, even then, you’d be blind without [Touched by Essence] as well,” Riza said, adding a touch of sympathy to her tone.

Meren sighed heavily.

“I suppose there’s no other way.” She sat back, looking a bit annoyed.

Riza leaned forward, looking at her undead and Lefie.

“First thing I want to know is if you’ve hit your level cap, do you take a cut of the experience from killing something?”

“Don’t know.”

“Maybe.”

“Yes.” All eyes turned to Lefie, who shrugged. “That’s what I heard.”

“That’s shit. Anyway, Lefie, you’re level 24. One level away from 25 so we want you to level up.

“If my memory is right, it takes around one beast demon per level to level up. 5 for level 5, 6 for level 6, and so on. To get one of you fuckers to level 15 should be about 84 demons. For both of you and Meren, that’s 250 demons.”

Lefie murmured a quiet ‘woah’ while Daven whistled at the large number.

“When you put it like that, I can see why there’s so few Protectors,” He said.

“Protectors? Like Asum?”

“Yeah. Anyone that’s killed a greater demon and is level 15 is a Protector. It’s a big reason why people join the Chosen, to become a Protector. Able to travel the Empire, get fancy gear, everyone respects you.,” Daven leaned forwards, smiling and gesturing with his hands.

“You should’ve seen Litchendorf the last time we had a Protector pass through. So many of us were drunk the entire village was closed for the next day,” He laughed lightly.

I’m stronger than Protector Asum, Lefie thought, smiling as well.

“Good to know. At higher levels, the demon-to-level ratio is no longer one-to-one. At a minimum, it’d take 25 demons for Lefie to get to level 25. We can round to 30 and then add 50% for 45 if we want a conservative, and probably more accurate estimate. That’s still less than you lot.”

“We’re going to sit back while Lefie takes care of everything?” Meren asked, sounding a little disgruntled.

“Yes,” Riza said with a nod.

“That’s- Let me show you what I can do! Let me reach level 15 and I will be able to kill a greater demon by myself and maybe even a humanoid demon!” Meren said passionately.

“Would you take [Cleanse]?”

“Yep, and it’s passive. I’d even take [Touched by Essence] as well so I can see the shits underground. Don’t just leave me out of everything; I want to do this.”

Riza nodded an acknowledgement but didn’t say anything, looking at Lefie instead and thinking.

“What boon would you take?”

“[Way of Metamagic],” She replied without hesitation, slightly surprising Riza.

“That’s… You’ve got 5 skills in that, don’t you?” Lefie nodded.

“There’s a hidden skill I didn’t noticed before. [Manifold Mastery]. It’s like all the masteries rolled into one-”

“Does it stack with them?”

“Er… I think so. And, the boon would probably quadruple my damage without costing anything.”

“Fuck. Wow. That’s amazing. Good thinking,” Riza eagerly nodded, taking all of that in.

Abruptly, she shot up from her chair, instantly turning towards the crater.

“I need to see how many demons there are.”

“Protector Asum!” The door slammed open, instantly gaining Asum’s attention from behind his desk. Deep bags beneath his eyes, he had nary a wick of sleep. His glare was hard and firm as the young man stuttered out his message.

“Looks like there’s a storm at any moment now.”

Asum nodded at him. “Good job for telling me.”

He quickly piled papers together, organising his desk and his drawers as well as checking the locks were still in place. The only people likely to be interested in their contents could likely break them open with ease but at least it’d tell him that someone did.

The man waited while Asum collected his gear, donning a thick coat, strapping his shield around his arm and sword around his waist.

The streets were clear, the civilians cowering in their homes as the first droplets began to descend around them. Asum was able to make quick work of the journey, dashing past the houses as his bountiful stamina kept him light of foot.

By the time he had arrived on the edge of the village, it was pouring down by now. Storms were often sudden, the precursors weather appearing only hours or even minutes before.

The patrolmen were still hurrying on their gear and running through the village themselves, his levels granting him the superior speed to race past them.

A customary duo of Chosen and Dominion were waiting for him, watching the crater. In addition to them, the Healer Riza and her group had already readied themselves.

Reluctantly, the visage of the young woman, standing on top of her wagon and watching the nest, engendered a sense of safety in the Protector.

“Protector Asum,” His people greeted him respectfully.

“Any sightings?”

“None so far, sir, but it’s just getting started.”

“Good. Riza and her group have agreed to provide support. Stay back and don’t get involved unless the demons break past them or they ask for it. Remember, prioritise your own lives and the village over theirs.”

“This isn’t right,” Riza spoke, legs dangling over the edge of the wagon as the rain continued to pour. She shivered in her clothing, their warm fire long extinguished.

“I know. Where are all the demons?” Lefie asked beside her, snuggling in to conserve body heat.

“They’re down there somewhere. It was like a fucking zoo and this is all that turns up?” She gestured further afield, where Meren could be seen idly waiting as only a handful of demons seeped out from the nest every so often.

She picked them off easily, the creatures showing a lack of initiative and intelligence. Unlike the other crater, there were no places the demons could hide and ambush from.

“Hey, Meren. Are you level 15 yet?” Riza asked in a [Message].

“No, still level 12,” She replied, sounding a bit tired and very bored. “If they don’t come out I might just go in and get them myself.”

Rizza chuckled, drawing an interested look from the teen beside her.

“She wants to drag the cowards out,” Riza explained.

So far, they’d been averaging about ten demons an hour, with about three hours elapsed. Longer than any demon attack during a storm Riza had experienced so far but by far, the least dangerous.

Another hour quickly passed, with only one incident of demons popping up and quickly being dealt with, and then the hours after that, silence.

It was peaceful, and so was the subsequent hour.

By now, Riza was very unnerved by the whole ordeal. Multiple times she had met up with Meren, confirming the presence of at least dozens and possibly hundreds of demons right below their feet but none of them felt like showing themselves.

Fed up and annoyed, it was time to ask Asum if he had any idea what was going on.

The man had stayed and watched diligently, never leaving his post as he observed the storm. A group of patrol officers had set up a small camp that was mostly empty once it began obvious there was hardly any action but the Dominion remained at 100% capacity, ready to respond in case of a sudden surge of demons.

He seemed unbothered by the rain, no doubt due to the large, thick, woollen cloak that covered him.

They saw Riza coming long before she arrived, and Asum was ready to meet with her.

“Good to see you, Riza. I see you’re taking care of the drizzle of demons,” He greeted.

“I am. What’s happening? It’s a storm but I’ve never seen a storm this quiet before,” She said, looking back towards the crater.

“I’m not so sure myself. Nests have a variety of activity during storms, with some near inert.” The man chuckled. “There’s nothing usual about this nest. I fear all prior knowledge I have is useless. You’re likely more of an expert than I am,” He finally said.

Riza thanked him anyway, making her way back towards her wagon. They were close enough that both her and Lefie could reach any emerging demons with their skills, letting them watch Meren do her work in relative security.

And so, Riza rejoined Lefie, huddling together once more as the teen brushed her wet hair out of her face for the umpteenth time, once more making Riza glad she had cut her hair.

Everything in the wagon was thoroughly soaked just like their spirits. Lefie resembled a wet rag and Riza felt like a soggy sponge. Thankfully, the jumpsuit she wore seemed to be waterproof so there was at least that.

We really need to get some cloaks.