Stepping back, I dropped into a crouch.

The stygian sword was in my right hand, my buffs were cast, and my face was concealed by an illusion. I was as ready as I could be. For a moment, I contemplated drawing ebonheart, but the blade was too distinctive and, in the crowded dungeon, would attract the wrong kind of attention.

A presence swam across the boundary of my mindsight.

My foe.

Reaching out with my will, I analyzed it.

The target is a level 128 giant rock scorpion.

My lips turned down. I would have preferred battling one of the giant worms. From what I've seen of the other fights, it would’ve made for an easier foe.

Still, this was no time to get picky.

Blade at the ready, I began casting slaysight. Tendrils of my psi reached towards the scorpion rushing up through the earth, slipped past its mental defenses, and erased me from its mind.

A rock scorpion has failed a mental resistance check! You have hidden your presence from your target for 10 seconds.

A moment later, the creature burst free of the sands.

Remaining unmoving, I inspected the monster from less than a few feet away. It dwarfed me, a true behemoth. I didn’t let that faze me, though. I’d fought bigger.

The scorpion’s face was flat, and its heavy pincers dragged along the ground. They were sure to pack a punch. Both the creature’s mandibles and its clawed tail dripped with a thick viscous liquid. Venom, I thought with a shudder. Remembering the wyvern, I knew I couldn’t afford to let myself be poisoned.

The counter on slaysight was running out. Still, I didn’t move. Maintaining my predatory stillness, I waited for the perfect opportunity to strike.

The scorpion’s head swung to the side—searching for whatever had disturbed its rest, no doubt.

Now, I thought.

Eyes fixed on the segment between the creature’s head and thorax, I dashed forward. Two quick steps and I was in position. Raising my sword aloft, I gripped its hilt with both hands before whipping it downwards in a deadly arc.

You have cast piercing strike. You have backstabbed a rock scorpion for 4x more damage!

You have critically injured your target.

Slaysight has dissipated.

With barely a hitch, the stygian blade pierced the scorpion’s chiton armor to cut through nerves, tissue, and muscle.

Yellow ichor spurted free, hissing and steaming as it hit the ground.

Almost certain the spraying liquid was venomous, I leaped backward.

I dodged the scorpion’s spilled blood easily, but before I could move into position to strike again, the beast responded with an attack of its own. With an eerie shriek that gave voice to its outrage, the scorpion brought its tail hurtling around.

I didn't stay to meet it.

You have teleported yourself 9 feet.

I emerged from the aether atop the scorpion’s head and attacked immediately, casting crippling blow as I plunged my sword downwards.

A rock scorpion has passed a physical resistance check! You have failed to cripple your target.

My second attack was only half as successful as my first, but my blade still sank hilt-deep, tearing a second hole in the beast’s armor.

My foe screamed again, and both its pincers reached upwards. Yanking free my blade, I somersaulted forward and down the creature’s face.

You have evaded a rock scorpion’s attacks.

Halfway down the scorpion’s face, I surged upright, but almost as soon as I regained my feet, I knew it was a mistake. Despite my agility, my boots struggled to find purchase on the slick surface of the creature’s chiton plate armor.

Seeming to sense my sudden vulnerability, the scorpion wrenched back its head, leaving me stranded midair.

A moment later, the creature’s head whipped back around, mandibles clicking as it tried to pluck me out of the air. Glimpsing the movement, I cast two-step.

The air solidified beneath my feet, and I dashed forward, no longer falling.

You have evaded a rock scorpion’s attack.

My abrupt change in vector caught my foe by surprise, and its jaws snapped close on nothing but air. I smiled grimly. I could almost taste the beast’s frustration.

Landing lightly on the sands, I spun about to face my opponent. Sadly, despite bleeding profusely from the two holes punctured through its chiton, the creature still appeared to have plenty of fight left in it.

In an abrupt turn of motion, the scorpion spun around, its tail cutting through the air in a whistling arc. I threw myself down, barely avoiding beneath the deadly tip.

Time I did something about that.

Casting shadow blink, I teleported onto the exposed back of the scorpion, near its tail, and slashed at the still raised stinger.

You have cast whirlwind. You have injured a rock scorpion.

The scorpion was still spinning about, and the rapid motion threatened to fling me off. Dropping onto one knee, I slapped my empty left hand onto the beast’s torso and cast stunning slap.

You have immobilized your target for 1 second.

My foe stilled with startling abruptness, but expecting it, I rode the sudden stop without falling off. Now, I have it where I want it. Keeping my left palm fixed in place, I hacked at the scorpion’s tail with the blade in my right hand.

You have immobilized your target for 1 second. You have injured a rock scorpion. You have injured a rock scorpion.

You have immobilized your target for 1 second. You have...

…

…

It took about as long as I anticipated and drained my psi to its dregs, but eventually, I disabled the beast’s stinger.

You have crippled a rock scorpion’s tail!

Now to finish it.

Sliding down the scorpion, I circled around the crippled beast towards its head. The creature was still battling to regain its senses, and it was stumbling unsteadily. This will be easy, I thought, readying myself to attack.

The sky turned incandescent.

My head whipped to my left.

Standing atop the dune, in a long line spread across the ridgeline, were a group of players. It was they who were responsible for the light show. Their staffs, wands, and bows raised, the uninvited party was releasing a storm of magic on my foe.

Well, damn.

~~~

Tightlipped, I watched the hail of descending projectiles.

The storm of magic was too dense for me to weather, and I was forced back. Grim-faced, I watched the projectiles splash into my half-dead foe.

A rock scorpion has been injured.

A rock scorpion has been injured.

…

The barrage failed to finish the scorpion. Still, by the end of it, the beast was visibly worse for wear. Gravely injured, the creature wavered unsteadily. I took a step forward, intending to slay the creature myself.

At a second burst of light on the horizon, I stopped.

The damnable players had unleashed another volley. I shot them an angry look. None so much as bothered to glance my way. In fact…

Not waiting for their second wave of attacks to land, the party was preparing a third assault!

I ground my teeth in frustration. This is useless. Sheathing my blade and turning my back on the scorpion, I stomped up the dune.

A giant rock scorpion has died.

Ignoring the Game message, I kept advancing. I needn’t have bothered, though. At the Adjudicator’s words, the players broke ranks and descended the bank in a wave of their own, slipping and falling in their haste to get to the corpse—and the loot chest that had no doubt appeared.

My mouth opened, an outraged demand for the scavengers to stop on the tip of my tongue. Whooping and hollering, the players rushed past me, unheeding of my still form. My hand flew to the hilt of my sheathed blade.

Almost, I drew it. Almost.

But prudence held me back. If I started a bloodbath here, it would not end with this party. Others would come, drawn by the killings, and then—

Another Game message opened in my mind.

You have passed a mental resistance check! Multiple hostile entities have failed to pierce your disguise. Your deception has increased to level 63.

Eyeing the Game alert, I snorted in disdain. The encounter hadn’t been a complete waste after all. If nothing else, it had confirmed my disguise would hold up to casual scrutiny.

Releasing my sword hilt, I resumed my climb up the dune. I didn’t bother returning to the scorpion. The only way I was going to get my fair share of the loot was if I fought for it, and I was not about to risk that. Not, for what was likely to be only a paltry sum.

Turning my focus inwards, I scanned the other Game alerts awaiting my attention.

You have reached level 96!

Your dodging has increased to level 65. Your shortswords has increased to level 69. Your chi has increased to level 59. Your telekinesis has increased to level 58. Your telepathy has increased to level 52.

I’d gained only a single level from the battle. No doubt, that was thanks to the damage done by the other players. I sighed.

Coming here was a mistake. Time to leave.