It took me less than a minute to get ready.

Working quickly, I put out the torches in a stretch of tunnel between the miners’ cavern and the cul-de-sac, transforming the space into an ideal hunting ground.

I’d chosen the spot with care, ensuring it was not visible from either the start or end of the tunnel. When I was finished, I hid in the darkness and waited.

It was not long before I heard the tramp of marching feet.

Many feet.

I frowned. It didn’t sound like it was not just the boss and the golems approaching. Listening intently, I counted footsteps.

There were… fifteen, no… twenty incoming hostiles.

If it was indeed the sector boss up ahead, he’d brought along an entire retinue for company. But my frown cleared as I realized it had to be ratmen making up the numbers. The additional bodies would not aid the boss. In fact, I could already see how to turn their presence to my advantage.

Summoning psi, I readied myself.

A tense few seconds later, the enemy column appeared in sight. It was the savant disciple—still shielded. Accompanying him were his bodyguards and two squads of brutes. I waited, not releasing my spell. The moment was not quite right yet.

The enemy party drew closer.

Nearly simultaneously, the brutes at the head of the formation stumbled to a stop, their faces falling into comically identical expressions of suspicion. It had taken them long enough, but finally, the pair had spotted the snuffed-out torches. The ratmen yelped in alarm, and the entire column ground to a halt.

Now.

Between one breath and the next, I released the weaves of psi I’d been holding, targeting not those at the fore but the ones in the rear.

You have cast mass charm. 4 Ratmen brutes have failed a mental resistance check! You have charmed 4 of 5 targets for 10 seconds.

My spell completed, I refocused on the enemy column. They hadn’t moved and appeared uncertain about how to proceed. The boss wasn’t issuing commands either. His focus turned inwards, the savant was muttering—the words to a spell, I thought.

The golems were creaking forward while the brutes craned their head left and right, searching for an enemy they could not see. No one was looking to the rear, where my four minions stood still, waiting on my command.

“Attack,” I whispered.

The four bespelled brutes drew their weapons and, without compunction, hacked into their former companions.

Your minion has critically injured a ratman.

Your minion has injured a ratman.

Your minion has injured a ratman.

Your minion has killed a ratman with a fatal blow.

In an instant, pandemonium broke out, all semblance of order in the enemies’ formation vanishing.

The golems swiveled around, gazes fixed on my minions.

The unaffected brutes, not realizing what was going on, growled and snapped at one another.

The disciple, finally sensing the chaos in his company, broke off his casting. Spinning about, he raised his arms. Realizing what the savant was about to do, I began a second casting.

Our spells were completed near simultaneously.

A savant disciple has cast mental domination. You have lost control over 4 ratmen brutes.

You have cast mass charm. 5 Ratmen brutes have failed a mental resistance check! You have charmed 5 of 5 targets for 10 seconds.

I almost laughed aloud.

I hadn’t targeted the same brutes again, of course. I was fairly certain if I’d done that, I would’ve failed, the savant’s mind magic being superior to my own. Besides, it didn’t matter to me which of the ratmen I charmed. My only objective with the ambush had been to delay the boss’ party.

Ordering my new minions to attack, I turned about and withdrew deeper into the tunnel.

~~~

The moment I was safely out of sight range from the boss’ company, I ducked out of the shadows and raced flat-out towards the cul-de-sac. I was still in my ‘Rugar’ persona and had no fear of being seen.

Indeed, I was counting on it.

My feet pounding against the ground, I hurtled through the tunnel. The clock was ticking. The darkened stretch of tunnel and the chaos I’d sown amongst the savant’s escorts would only hold them for so long, and I had much to do.

Panting for breath, I skidded to a halt in the cul-de-sac. Immediately the six brutes accosted me. “What go on?” one demanded. “We hear fighting.”

I exhaled noisily. “Intruders!” I blurted. “Quick, go help. Boss in trouble!”

The guards did not need to be told twice. Without a backward glance, they raced up the corridor. Pretending to follow, I jogged after them for a few seconds, and when it seemed certain they were not going to look back, I stopped altogether and rushed to the door.

It was time to break into the savant’s rooms.

Taking a deep breath to settle myself—the run really had left me breathless—I cast trap disarm. A moment later, the spell took effect, and energy flooded my eyes and fingers.

I had learned the configuration of the door’s trap earlier and already knew how to go about deactivating it. Focusing intently, I disconnected the spell weaves connecting the trigger on the door latch with the explosive bomb hidden beneath my feet, making certain to leave as much as possible of the trap undisturbed.

You have successfully disarmed a rank 1 explosive trap.

Halfway there.

Next, I cast simple lock-picking. While the ability activated, I risked a glance up the tunnel. No ratmen had appeared yet, nor could I hear anyone approaching.

My ambush earlier had been nothing more than a diversion, a way to keep the disciple and his guards occupied while I broke into his chamber. My intent, however, was not just to get into the savant’s rooms, but to do so in a manner that left him unaware of my intrusion. Hence my ruse and diversion.

I was betting that once the dust settled, the one unaccounted-for brute—Rugar—would go unnoticed, and as wary as the boss was, with his rooms’ defenses uncompromised, he would feel safe inside.

That’s when I would strike.

Let’s not get ahead of ourself, I cautioned myself wryly. You still have to get in first.

I turned back to the door as the lockpicking ability took effect and my hearing was enhanced to discern every click and turn of the lock. Inserting Wick’s dagger into the keyhole, I jiggled the lock, until it sprang open.

You have successfully picked a lock.

Nearly there.

Turning down the handle, I darted into the room and using my lockpicking ability again, locked the door behind me. Then I cast set trap. With most of the trap’s spell weaves still in place, resetting it was almost trivial.

You have connected a trap element to a trigger.

An explosive trap has been successfully configured!

Only then did I breathe easier.

I’d done it. I’d made it into my foe’s lair undetected. Now to hide. Staying by the door and wary of more traps, I scanned the surroundings twice over.

The results were enough to convince me there were no further traps. But about magical wards… I was less certain. The savants had displayed no talent in that direction so far, though, and I could only hope that continued to hold true.

Turning my attention to the chamber itself, I studied its layout. In the room’s center was a large double bed. Cupboards and shelves covered the left wall, and a table was placed near the right one. The room was also thick with shadows, but I didn’t think it would remain that way once the boss arrived.

That doesn’t leave many options.

My gaze dropped to the bed. It offered the only viable hiding spot. But it was also the most obvious spot. If the disciple was the least bit suspicious and had his minions search beneath the bed, I would be easily found.

I shrugged. There was no helping it. My planning had brought me this far, but the room’s layout had not been something I could’ve accounted for.

Time to trust to my abilities.

If I was found out, I would just have to improvise. Stretching flat out on the ground, I shuffled into position beneath the bed and wrapped a mind shield about my consciousness. I was as concealed as I could be.

Now all that was left was to wait and see if my preparations had been in vain.

~~~

The savant disciple kept me waiting.

Ten minutes after I’d slipped into the boss’ chamber, there was a ruckus outside the door. I tensed in anticipation, but after a few seconds, I realized it was only the sound of the brute squad returning. I strained my ears to hear what they were saying, but their words were too muffled for me to pick out through the thick door.

Another hour went by, and I began to wonder if my earlier ambush had scared off the boss. But before I could worry in earnest, I felt the floor vibrate.

It was being caused by the tread of heavy feet.

The golems were approaching—which meant the boss was finally here. Forcing myself to relax, I kept my eyes glued to the entrance.

The door swung open.

Bright light spilled into the room—from a magelight, I suspected—and three sets of feet appeared, two of burnished steel, and one, robed. The boss halted in the doorway, and I could almost imagine his gaze sweeping the room.

Would he sense anything amiss?

Not daring to move, I studied the three pairs of legs that were all I could see of my foes. The golems were inhumanly still while the disciple remained cloaked in a shield of shimmering green.

So, he is not entirely at ease.

Tightening my grip around the hilt of my drawn blade, I prepared for the worst.

I was thus pleasantly surprised when, without further ado, the disciple crossed over the threshold. Striding across the room, the sector boss sat down abruptly on the bed. He was not the only one to enter though.

The golems and magelight followed on his heels. The bright orb sailed inward to hover over the bed while the constructs took up guard positions inside the door.

Uh-oh.

I’d been hoping the golems would remain outside. From outside the chamber, a brute pulled the door closed and silence descended. Barely breathing, I waited.

After a drawn-out moment, the shield surrounding the disciple vanished, and the bed creaked as he lay down on the bed. A second later, the magelight disappeared, too, plunging the room in darkness.

I exhaled softly. Not much longer now.

~~~

Ten minutes later, the boss was snoring.

I guess he’s had a long hard day, I thought with a grin. My gaze drifted to the golems. They hadn’t shifted an inch since they’d planted themselves on either side of the door. I wasn’t sure if they remained a threat or if they, too, were asleep—in the constructs’ version of sleep anyway—but I couldn’t afford to treat them like anything but.

Minutely, I flexed my hands and legs to ease the stiffness that had set in. Then, I lowered my mind shield and unfurled my mindsight.

My awareness expanded outwards, revealing six bubbles of consciousness—the brutes outside—but only six. Neither the disciple nor the golems appeared in my mindsight.

I sighed. Another wrinkle.

I’d been planning on shadow blinking into position and slaying the boss in one swift sure blow, but that wasn’t possible now. Looks like I will have to do this the old-fashioned way. Ever so slowly, I slid out from under the bed.

Two iron golems have failed to detect you! You are hidden.

Well, that answers the question of whether they are alert or not. Doubly grateful for the lack of lighting, I rose silently into a crouch, no more than a blotch of darkness in the greater darkness of the room.

Two iron golems have failed to detect you!

Keeping my eyes fixed on the constructs, I unbent, an inch at a time, until I stood erect. A loud snore escaped the savant. Wrenching my gaze away from the golems, I pivoted towards my target, my every movement slow and measured.

Two iron golems have failed to detect you!

I was nearly in position. Placing my feet with care, I stepped up to my target’s side and raised ebonheart in a two-handed grip. I held the pose for a moment, imagining the strike in my mind. I couldn’t afford to err now. Go. In a sudden explosion of motion, I plunged the sword downwards.

There was no resistance.

Cloth, skin, muscle, and bone: ebonheart pierced all.

You have killed a savant disciple with a fatal blow!

The second sector boss has been slain! Sector bosses remaining: 3 of 5.

You have reached level 113!

Metal creaked.

Retracting my blade, I whipped around, ready to fend off the golems. But the pair weren’t advancing. The sound I’d heard was that of their helms sagging.

My forehead crinkled in confusion. What?

You have freed two spirits from captivity!

An iron golem has been disabled.

An iron golem has been disabled.

Realizing what had happened, I lowered my blade. But there was little time to relax. If this sector’s configuration was the same as the first one’s—and I didn’t have any reason to believe otherwise—the boss’ death would have triggered the collapse of the dome around the nether portal, alerting the hostile forces standing guard about it.

Which meant that very soon, I was about to have company.