Dexter backpedaled as the monster that had just exploded from the corpse of the construct they’d killed landed a few feet away.

(Parasitic aspirator)

Level: None

It was the size of a large house cat, but managed to look far more intimidating. It was red and covered in what looked like soft, flexible carapace. It had a narrow body with several spiked tubed protuberances which were currently leaking black blood of the gliding semaphore they’d just killed. It had five limbs, though a sixth appeared to have been severed, and the stump leaked something thin and green, like dyed water. It had two black eyes on the side of its head, but Dexter could see within them two pupils which moved independently. Even standing still in the brief moment it stood taking everything in, it buzzed with a manic energy, its entire body twitching minutely, the spiked tubes flicking at the air like a snake’s tongue.

Then it burst toward him.

Dexter dodged to the side, barely avoiding collision, running toward the gliding semaphore’s head where the pizza peel was lodged as Je-won moved past him to intercept the parasite.

Dexter planted his foot on the severed head and yanked the pizza peel free. A wave of something like the opposite of dizziness washed over him, and he intuitively knew his dauntless ability had just dropped. As he rushed to join Je-won in the battle he tried to activate it again to no avail.

Oh well, he thought. They were the same level in any case.

Despite this, the monster was incredibly fast, far faster than either of them, but working together Je-won was able to corral the thing toward Dexter, his sword actually doing damage this time to the equal level monster.

As it leapt back from Je-won’s blow, Dexter darted in. Though the parasite wasn’t as quick as the semaphore had been, it was still fast enough to spin and bring up one of its limbs to parry Dexter’s attack.

But its soft carapace was no match for the enchanted steel and this only resulted in a second of its six limbs being severed, two stumps now leaking green.

It leaped straight up in the air at this loss, landing on top of Je-won’s car a good six feet away.

Je-won began to say something to Dexter, but the construct didn’t give him the chance, launching itself from the car with a screech of metal and colliding with the man’s chest.

The impact sent the pair flying several feet backward and by the time Dexter reached them the parasite appeared to be trying to dig its spiked tubes into Je-won’s chest. Apparently it couldn’t break through his robust ability.

Dexter wasn’t about to wait to find out if it would eventually manage, and slammed the construct off with the side of the pizza peel.

He was shocked at how far it flew.

Was it that light, or had he gotten stronger? His strength attribute was the same, if he recalled correctly.

He would check later. For now, he had more pressing matters to attend to.

As Je-won got to his feet, Dexter dashed toward the construct as it scrambled up from where it had landed, leaking green fluid.

Before it could get its bearings he swung the pizza peel down again and just barely missed severing another of its limbs as it swiftly darted back out of reach.

Before he could yank the pizza peel from the asphalt for another strike, however, his focus was stolen by Zoe’s scream.

He turned to see a new construct bearing down on her just as she jumped into Je-won’s car and slammed the door shut.

(Shadow grapnel)

Level: None

It was short and thick, its skin a slick mottled black like swamp water. It had a head like an octopus but instead of being soft and gooey appeared coated in black turtle shell. It had several thick, wide limbs on which it stood and which left divots in the asphalt as it moved.

It reached the car, slamming into it and immediately pounding its head against the vehicle. It appeared to be doing so at random, but struck the passenger window with a loud crack that crazed the glass.

Inside the car, Zoe screamed again.

Dexter roared, freeing the pizza peel and running to her aid.

Two steps were all he got before the parasite slammed into him and knocked him to the ground.

He landed with a grunt as the wind was knocked out of him, then he forgot all about breathing as he felt something pierce his side.

A sword flew over his head, missing the parasite as nausea flooded Dexter as one of the thing’s spiked tendrils worked its way inside of him.

Then, thanks to Je-won’s control projectiles ability, the sword changed direction and flew back, piercing the creature and sending it skittering off of Dexter and yanking the tendril free with a feeling of both relief and disgust as he felt it leave his insides.

A moment later he was looking up at Je-won and being pulled to his feet. “Help Zoe! I’ve got this.”

Dexter stared, confused for a moment as Je-won charged the parasite, retrieving his sword and getting a slash across the arm for his trouble.

Then the two were fighting again, the parasite significantly slowed from its accumulated injuries.

Zoe, Dexter thought, trying to force his mind to clear, the pain in his side—and everywhere else for that matter—making it difficult.

A cracking sound drew his attention to Je-won’s car, the third construct beating at the vehicle.

Right, that’s where she was.

He was too woozy to rush it, but he had a better idea. The parasite was occupied with Je-won, and the shadow grapnel thing’s full attention was on her, so he crept slowly toward it, bringing up his interface to put his new endure ability on the hotring over his right index finger, then activated it.

He felt… strange. That twisting sensation again, but also something different than what he’d felt when he’d activated his dauntless title. A pull in his head. He could feel his willpower being drained away. He had to actually fight to keep this one active. And it wasn’t just his willpower it drained, but his grip on something, a different kind of power. Unity?

At the same time, however, he felt reinvigorated. The pain in his side from where the parasite had penetrated still throbbed, but it was less distracting, and he found he could ignore it. His thoughts cleared somewhat, his vision sharpening, all his senses seeming to improve.

He clutched the pizza peel and raised it over his head, nearly upon the construct. It still had all its attention on Zoe. But the glass wouldn’t hold out for much longer, it was already cracked and would soon cave in. The only reason it had held this long was that the monster didn’t seem to understand the glass was the weakest point and was instead ramming its head at random into the vehicle.

Hoping the thing had a brain under that hard shell, Dexter brought the peel down on its neck and earned the second beheading of the day.

Headless, the monster spun, asphalt spraying as it ripped its legs out of the ground and lashed out at him with one of them. It was tipped with a hook which slashed across Dexter’s stomach, sending a lance of pain through him that he found surprisingly easy to ignore.

Ten seconds later, the construct lay pulped at his feet, nothing left but a stew of monster parts.

(Shadow grapnel) slain

5 points received

5 credits received

He swiped the message away and was about to ask Zoe if she was hurt, but she was pointing behind him.

He turned to see Je-won grappling the parasite with his bare hands, lines of red appearing where the spiked tubes thrashed at the man’s arms.

What the hell?

“His sword,” Dexter realized. Je-won’s weapon had a limit for how long it could last. Had it already expired?

Dexter ran over and kicked the monster off Je-won, then brought the peel down over and over until it, too, was nothing but pulp.

(Parasitic aspirator) slain

3 points received

5 credits received

Dexter let out a yell of triumph.

Then he collapsed to the ground.

When he opened his eyes again, it was at a sensation of warmth spreading over his body.

Zoe was standing over him.

Je-won crouched beside him, looking at the wound on his side. “It’s not fully healed, but much better than it was.”

Zoe smiled. “Glad I could help in some way.” She lifted a finger to tap on her ability, but nothing happened and her smile fell. “Gah. I can’t try again. It’s not working. What was it you called it, a cooldown?”

“It’s fine,” Je-won said. “He looks like he’ll make it.

“What about you?”

“I’m okay. Mostly. When it comes back up, you should heal yourself.”

“Me?” she asked incredulously.

“Can’t have you limping around.”

“Oh. Right.”

Dexter sat up, releasing his hold on his endure ability. It was both a relief and a drain as he felt the full weight of his exhaustion and pain return.

“How bad are you hurt?” he asked Je-won weakly, pressing his palm into his forehead.

“Just some scrapes. My ability only dropped at the end.”

“Your sword?” Dexter asked. “I thought it lasted longer.”

“Robust. Sword too, though.” Je-won shook his head. “Guess I ran out of whatever Unity is.”

Dexter looked at Zoe. He had to widen then squint his eyes to bring her into focus. “Are you okay?”

She laughed. “Am I okay? You’re the ones who did all the fighting.” She grimaced, putting a hand on her stomach. “Though, now that you mention it, I probably shouldn’t have eaten so much pizza. Or drank so much beer.”

Je-won helped Dexter to his feet.

At least I can stand, he thought morosely. He risked looking down at his stomach. His shirt was torn in several places, but when he lifted it the only wound that remained was the one on his side. It didn’t look great, but also didn’t look life-threatening. “Thanks for the heal,” he told Zoe.

“Only wish I could do more.”

Je-won put a hand on her shoulder. “You did plenty.”

“Is that a joke?”

“No,” he answered seriously. “You saw him before you cast that heal.”

She shrugged. “I guess.”

Dexter frowned. “Wait, how did you heal me? Was that your system ability?”

“Class.”

“You chose a class? When?”

“While you two were fighting.”

“Aw, just to save me?”

She scoffed. “You wish.” She looked around. “Is that all of them this time?”

“Let’s hope so,” Je-won answered. “That was three. And the first one was Copper. I’m thinking it was meant for both Dexter and I.”

“Testing teamwork?”

“I wouldn’t be surprised.”

“The third one was after me,” Zoe pointed out. “I couldn’t even fight it.”

Je-won lightly punched her shoulder. “Stop being so hard on yourself.” He motioned at the restaurant. “You two go get your things and let’s get out of here.”

“We staying at your place?” Zoe asked.

Je-won nodded.

She let out a little cheer. “Sweet. A sleepover. I’m ready to go, my bag’s back at school.”

“I have a few things to bring,” Dexter said.

A minute and a half later, they were all loaded up in Je-won’s now seriously beat-up car.

As they drove off, none noticed the figure pop into existence out of nowhere from just inside the destroyed frontage of Je-won’s Heart&Seoul Pizzeria, staring after them with a strange, conflicted look on his face.