Orrin weighed his options as he crept along the tall grass. Clouds in the sky moved across the moon, darkening the way even more. Using his [Map], he continued toward the lone guard in the tree line. He also reset [Camouflage].

I’ll use [Identify] first and then hit him with a few inversed Dexterity debuffs, he thought. Tony’s comment continued to nag at him. Orrin had killed already in this world, but always with [Mind Bastion] running.

He doubted whether he could do it without the logical blanket of the skill covering his feelings.

“For Daniel,” Orrin muttered to himself.

“Shut up,” Tony demanded in his head.

Orrin kicked himself and checked the [Map]. No movement.

Moving slowly, so as to minimize the chance of getting caught, Orrin steeled himself. He would do what he needed to protect his friend.

After ten minutes, Orrin could make out the trees and pinpointed where the scout stood. He was crouched on his heels, two trees in from where the tall grass began. Something glinted by his feet.

They had taken so long that Orrin needed to cast [Camouflage] again. He was using the upgraded version but it still only lasted ten minutes. He checked his mana.

MP: 427/530

Orrin checked his Regen potion on his belt with his left hand and rolled the hilt of his shortsword in his right. He moved around the man’s right side, keeping a few trees between them. As he neared a few dozen yards away, he tried using [Identify].

Wayne Mivren

Toxic Rogue Level 24

HP: 146/180

MP: 135/200

Strength: 12

Constitution: 16

Dexterity: 21

Will: 20

Intelligence: 12

Orrin readied his inversed spells and waited but Wayne didn’t seem to notice.

“What do you see, Orrin?” Tony asked.

“He’s a [Toxic Rogue], level twenty-four,” Orrin thought back at Tony. “Down on his health and mana a bit. I think he’s the one Madi fought off.”

“If he is, he’s got [Teleport],” Tony responded after a minute. “Madi said he popped away after she got a few hits on him.”

So he’s a runner, Orrin thought. I can’t just hit him with a few debuffs. I can’t drain his mana, so even paralyzed with no dexterity, he’d be able to [Teleport].

Orrin squinted and tried to make out the weapon at the man’s feet. His hands were between his legs and holding something long. A spear? A staff?

“What did Madi say he fought with?”

Tony gave the impression of a shrug. So creepy when he does that. “She didn’t say.”

Orrin closed his eyes and took a steadying breath. “I’m going to knock his dexterity out or at least try. Can you keep him occupied so he won’t jump?”

“On your mark.”

Orrin sprang forward, throwing five inversed [Increase Dexterity] spells at level three that should cost 15 MP a pop but with his increased Intelligence, only cost 13 MP each. His mana drained by 65.

MP: 363/530

Wayne fell to the ground. A moment later, he started crying. “No! No! Stay away! I promise I’ll be good.”

The kidnapper curled into a ball and started to shake.

Orrin hesitated as he got near the prone man. Luckily, Tony did not.

As Orrin slowed, Wayne pointed a finger and a tiny ball of green liquid shot at him. Tony’s arm shot out and pushed Orrin over. Even with his increased Strength and Dexterity, the old man’s stiff-arm was enough to send him reeling. When Orrin sat up, Tony was pulling his punch dagger from Wayne’s skull.

The rogue’s body slumped to the forest floor.

“Unable to move does not mean unarmed,” Tony projected into Orrin’s head as he wiped the triangular dagger off. “Grab his staff. We need to get rid of the body.”

Tony grabbed a leg and motioned to the other.

“We can just leave it, right?” Orrin swallowed hard, the coffee from earlier threatening to come up.

Tony shook his head. “If they send someone to check on him and his body is gone, they might think he went out to piss. If they find a body, we have no surprise. How close are the rest?”

Orrin shakily pulled up the [Map]. “The others are on the other side of the ridge there. Maybe five minutes?”

“Then let’s go. I need to go about halfway back to signal the group. We should hit them as the sun comes up.”

Orrin stared at the blood draining from the puncture wound. “I thought I could do this...”

Tony dropped the leg. He moved slowly toward Orrin and put his hands on his shoulders. “Look at me. You can do this. You will. I’ve seen in your heart and mind, boy. You hesitated not out of weakness or fear but because you care. You wanted to give him a chance.” Tony sighed. “That is an admirable trait and you should hold on to it dearly.”

Tony slapped Orrin. “But right now, your friend needs you to kill all the bastards who are trying to take him. Deal with the body. Carry it into the grass and make sure it can’t be seen from here. Try not to leave any drag marks and scuff up the ground around his blood. You won’t be able to get rid of it all but do your best. Okay?”

The slap jolted Orrin back to the present. “Yes. Thanks. Sorry. I got it.”

Tony turned and shimmered away again. “I should be able to keep in touch with you the whole way. Don’t do anything stupid.”

As Tony left, Orrin knelt by Wayne. A man whose life was over so quickly. He ran his hand over the dead man’s eyes to close them.

“You shouldn’t have taken my friend. I’m sorry.”

Orrin stood and grabbed a leg. He took the man’s arm and started to pull him up when he had another thought.

“If this works...”

Twenty-five minutes later, the entire party arrived. Orrin heard them before he saw them.

“Quiet,” Tony ordered and the guards stepped lighter as they neared the small, forested area.

“There are four people on the other side of the ridge here,” Tony explained, drawing a rough map in the dirt. Having already gleaned what he needed from Orrin, Tony continued, “We’re going to go in fast. Orrin and half the group should figure out which person is Daniel and get him out. Orrin will teleport the both of them away at the first sign of danger. If we start getting our asses handed to us, run. Don’t be cute and try anything stupid.”

“Why are you looking right at me?” Orrin whispered, barely making a sound.

“What did you do with the body?”

Orrin pointed to his pants.

“I don’t get it,” Jude muttered. His voice was a little loud and he adjusted the volume. “What did you do?”

Tony rolled his eyes. “He stored the corpse in his dimensional storage.”

Half the guards frowned and one paled. “That’s disgusting.”

“I’m going to bury him later,” Orrin defended himself. “I just didn’t know how far out to put him and thought this would be faster.”

Brandt waved a hand. “Later. Let’s go.”

The group of guards, Brandt, Jude, Madi, Tony, and Orrin made their way up the small path that had been created through the trees. It was evidence enough that Orrin didn’t have a hard time finding it. As they traveled up the hill, the trees thinned. Two large rocks created a narrow opening, wide enough for Orrin and Madi but small enough that most of the guards had to squeeze through.

On the other side, more large boulders blocked the view but the trail continued to the left.

“Be careful,” Tony whispered in their minds. “They’re alert and something’s wrong. Their thoughts are muffled to me. Trained.”

Orrin didn’t understand what ‘trained’ meant but assumed they were walking into a trap. He put [Camouflage] back on.

Brandt and Tony stayed at the front of the guard formation, with Jude hanging back near Madi and Orrin. As Brandt rounded a stone, Orrin saw something dark and fast streak toward the man.

“Look out,” Orrin yelled and cast a [Ward] on his friend. The arrow bounced off the man.

The guards roared and ran ahead. Madi and Orrin ran after them with Jude.

As Orrin rounded the granite rock, the small valley opened up in front of him. Three small tents had been erected with a small fire burning merrily in the center. Two hooded figures stood near the fire. One held a bow and the second had a set of whips out in hand.

A third male, hood down, was swinging a battleax that rivaled Jude’s hammer. It was at least ten feet long and he swept it in wide arcs to keep the guards back. The hooded figure with the bow was shooting arrow after arrow and Orrin watched in horror as two of the mages, Hetdt and Brooks, went down screaming with an arrow that hissed in their limbs.

He stepped forward to heal them.

“Orrin, you better be gone already. Go find him. Jude and I will pull the wounded back around for cover.” Madi spoke looking around. She couldn’t get her eyes to land on him.

Orrin grit his teeth and looked at his [Map]. A fourth dot was in one of the tents. The one the whip lady was standing in front of.

Orrin sidled along the edge of the battle. Brandt and Ryland were harrying the big man with the ax, while Alysha used her tower shield to deflect the blows into the air. Leigh stood with Efraim as both took shots over the field at the bowman. The other kidnapper’s whips lashed out and found each missile.

I need to stop calling her whip lady.

Orrin used [Identify] and sucked in a breath.

Samara Jako

Flower Whip Level 45

HP: ---

MP: ---

Fuck. That’s no help. Orrin watched as two of the guards in Catanzano livery rushed forward only to get smacked backward by an arrow and ax strike. They’ve all worked together before. That’s great teamwork.

Orrin shook his head and continued his way around the fight, doing his best to ignore the sounds.

He was so close. Maybe I should [Teleport] into the tent.

Samara darted forward and joined the fight. Tony had cast something, making the fighter with the ax swing wildly in circles.

Orrin looked back and forth. He was so close to the tent. Now that he was close, he could tell the bowman was a male. He reached over his shoulder and an arrow appeared in his hands as if summoned. It gave off a dark light and as he pulled the arrow into his bow, the man giggled.

Orrin debuffed his Dexterity at the same moment he stabbed his neck. The man’s eyes went wide and he flailed, dropping his bow. He pulled a long dagger and started swiping left and right. Orrin yanked the blade to the right and watched in slow motion as the man’s head was nearly separated from his shoulders.

Orrin spared a quick glance at the battle and stepped into the tent. He nearly tripped over his friend.

Daniel was tied up with vines and had a glazed look to his eyes. He was on his side and had been stripped of his clothes. His armor and sword were in a wooden crate toward the back, with Gerty creating an indent in the dirt beside it.

Orrin swiped everything into his [Dimension Hole].

Orrin yelled out in his mind as loud as he could. “Found him. I’m going to teleport us out. Get out of here.” He grabbed Daniel in his arms and used [Teleport].

Nothing happened.

“Fuck.” Orrin thought fast and cut the bindings off Daniel.

“Tony, I can’t [Teleport] out.” Hopefully, the old man was listening.

Daniel groaned as he turned him over. Orrin pulled a set of clothes out and tugged a shirt over his friend’s chest. He’d need to put his own pants on.

“Daniel, can you stand?” Orrin propped him up into a standing position and Daniel’s knees gave way. Orrin caught him.

He’s still drugged. Fuck.

Orrin turned and let Daniel fall on his back, carrying him piggyback. His increased strength made him feel stronger than ever before.

“Let’s get you out of here, buddy,” Orrin said and stepped through the tent flap. “I got you.”

As the tent flap closed behind him, Orrin looked into the face of a de-hooded Samara. “I’ll take that for you.”

The guards and Brandt were all down. Orrin couldn’t see Tony, Madi, or Jude, but the big ax man was walking around the perimeter, peering into the darkness.

“Please don’t make me kill you,” Samara took a step forward. “Everybody down there should be fine in a week or so but you are holding something that does not belong to you.”

“He’s more mine than yours,” Orrin spat in retort. “I know who you work for and when I get Daniel back to Dey, we are going to kick in his face too.”

Orrin really hoped the system responded to his thoughts alone. He’d never tried buying something without watching the boxes but he couldn’t take his eyes off Samara now.

Samara’s face darkened. “That’s unfortunate. I had hoped to keep casualties to a minimum.” She approached menacingly.

Orrin felt the tickle in his mind of a new skill and immediately cast it.

[Remetabolize].

He cast it three times before he felt the change in breathing. Orrin let Daniel’s body slide down his back. Orrin put his hand into his pocket.

“Hands up and drop the [Hero]. Unfortunately for you, this is your end.”

Daniel grabbed the handle of Gertrude sticking out from Orrin’s pocket and held her high.

“Hey, bitch. Stop threatening my friend.”