Isha had never been more terrified in her life. When she first woke up to the alarms sounding off, she was as confused as everyone else. When the screams started, it wasn’t hard to piece together the situation.

It was a mad scramble as the noncombatants were rushed to the emergency exist. At the same time, the actual defenders were rushing to put on their gear. During all the confusion, the few men and women who were struggling to hold the line were being cut down.

Isha herself was one of those poor souls. In a bid to redeem herself in her parent’s eyes, she had volunteered to stay behind. Her parents were against this course of action. Being denied the opportunity didn’t stop her from acting now though.

With a simple dagger in hand, she ran to defend her people.

A near-suicidal decision driven by guilt and misguided bravery. Even with access to the System, a Level 5 inexperienced fighter wouldn’t be able to do much. A fact that becomes painfully clear minutes after she arrived at the castle walls.

At first, things had been going well. As well as they could when facing a horde of Mind Thieves. They had numbers on their side, a defensible position, the high ground, and even their flame belchers to burn them in mass.

Then people started turning on each other. Their defenses broke in several places with people dying in droves. Either because they couldn’t kill their lifelong comrades and died or said friends were cut down in the struggle for survival. The winner was left vulnerable to the Mind Thieves or was another unwilling soldier on their side.

Isha was transporting one bundle of arrows to the bowmen when she was attacked by one such individual. She dropped everything and pulled out her single weapon as she heard a war cry from behind her.

The nameless guard rand towards her with a spear, having broken formation and seeing her as the closest target. Isha had been dreading this event but was not surprised. Everyone knew what made the Mind Thieves so dangerous. She had just been hoping she could have avoided it altogether.

Isha is the faster of the two. Unfortunately for her, her opponent is more experienced. He easily sidesteps Isha’s wild swing and counters with a spear thrust.

Be it luck, Nesagi’s will, or even untapped skill, Isha managed to barely avoid the attack. The hellspawn, injured already from a previous battle, faulters as a consequence of overextending. It’s enough for Isha to bypass his shield and attack him square in the temple.

He falls. Dead most likely.

Hellspawn Guard Killed. 25XP

Even without the System Window, the blood seeping out of his skull was proof enough. If Isha had been in the right level of technique to pull her punches, she wouldn’t have tried. Everyone knew it was better to mercy kill your friends than to leave them in a mind-controlled state.

Isha knew all this. And it doesn’t do anything to stop the oncoming guilt and adrenaline rush from the fight. It had been the first person, the first creature even, she had ever killed. Seeing the lifeless body of someone she could have known her whole life left a knot in her stomach.

She had killed someone. A person, that had hopes and dreams. Brought to a halt by her own hands.

The Mind Thief that begins to crawl out of the dead healspawn’s head doesn’t give her the time to collect herself.

Faster than she can react, its tentacles reach out, quick as a viper. Choking her as one wraps around her neck, others are grasping her limbs. Isha is left defenseless as a violet aura surrounds the Mind Thief and reaches out to her.

Give your body to me little one.

A soft voice speaks in Isha’s mind. A familiar experience that floors Isha for a second. It’s enough for the Mind Thief. Sharp pain like a knife in her brain brings Isha to her knees. She cries out and struggles. All in vain as the monster’s hold is too strong.

You will break. They all do.

She knows she’s not strong enough to get out of this. She knows if she can’t get away, she’s dead without a shadow of a doubt. When the reality of the situation becomes clear her faux courage is shattered. She stopped pretending to be the brave soldier ready to die for her neighbor. She became the scared little girl who wanted to live.

“Help! Somebody! Anybody! Please! I don’t want to die!”

Silence and the backdrop of war are her only answer. The Mind Thief laughs. Isha can’t help but cry as she gives into despair.

Then her prayers are answered.

An explosion of dust comes from seemingly nowhere, blinding Isha to her surroundings.

Ask, and ye shall receive.

A familiar mental voice speaks into Isha’s head. Standing above the mangled body of the Mind Thief, stood Sir Skelliton. Battered, bloody, and looking entirely unfit for combat.

Isha couldn’t be any more relieved.

“Sir, I-“

Hold that thought Master.

Sir Skelliton reaches down, grabs a handful of slimy meat, and pulls.

Its psionic screams are gut-wrenching, its mental agony fully clawing into your mind. It begs and it pleads, any semblance of the predator washed away by primordial fear.

Of pain. Of death. Of the unknown beyond death.

Life is brutally snuffed out as Sir Skelliton rips it apart.

Mind Thief Killed. 450XP.

Isha could have not given less of a damn.

Minion's Perk ‘Master XP Share’ Activated

Your XP award has been reduced to 225.

Oh, would you look at that Master! More XP. Glorious!

Isha is awestruck. Amazed you were able to defeat so easily several men and women struggled to kill. You were the shining beacon in the darkness. She knew, without a shadow of a doubt, you’d be able to protect her no matter what came her way.

So, she was a bit dumbfounded when Sir Skelliton picked her up and ran.

Away from the front lines.

“What, wait- Sir Skelliton, where are you going!?”

Isn’t that obvious Master? Anywhere but here! A fool fights for another day, a coward lives for another weak. So, cowards, we shall be!

Unbeknownst to the Minion, its image of a heroic Undead was shattered almost as soon as it was made.

The Minion just kept running.