Levi rounded on the man. "How much health do you have? Mine's just under three hundred, and it dropped me in about five seconds. If Irene had been even a moment slower I'd be dead right now, and probably the rest of you too."

Peter made a choking sound, abruptly reminding Levi of his presence. He nearly hesitated, but now was not the time for sheltering anyone from the risks.

Levi tugged his Destruction sword free of the kalvex's back. "We have one minute left to decide what we're going to do when this thing wakes up, and it's going to wake up angry and ready to fight."

"Can't she just freeze it again?"

"Twelve hour cooldown," Irene replied. "So, no. Thirty seconds left, then I need to move."

"Can someone else--"

Levi cut across the uncertain chatter. You couldn't trust a collective with decision-making. "Everyone with a weapon, get ready right now!"

Levi's reputation, level, and tone of command were enough to galvanize them into action.

"Blades, here. Lash, can you hold it down at all?"

Lash gestured to his eye with a tendril, then grabbed the stiff-frozen kalvex around the throat and positioned himself so the moment it woke it would be staring straight at him. This did leave him extremely vulnerable, but it was the only chance they had at slowing the rampage.

Lash's mana regenerated at unbelievably fast rates for his low level; three minutes may have meant five to fifteen health, mana, and stamina regenerated for the humans, but for Lash it was over 70 mana in the same time.

Levi smiled grimly, readying his own swords. "Lash can buy us a few extra seconds to hit it before it can hit back. Make it count."

Irene waited until the last moment, then released the kalvex and sprinted back to the others. The blue field holding it perfectly in place flickered and popped. The kalvex was still in motion, muscles continuing the actions they'd been undertaking when the spell took hold.

Its head drove forward with its horns lowered, intent on skewering a Levi who was no longer beneath it. Its attack grazed Lash's slick body, then the creature froze, whimpering as the soul-seeker's gaze took over.

Levi stabbed both swords in, his mana and health refilled to nearly full by now, his stamina still close to out but unimportant right now. Firelord got in a couple good blasts before his own mana ran out again. Everyone else went wild, slashing the stunned creature with desperation.

They'd seen what it could do now. None of them was underestimating it again.

Level 20

(Kalvex Packhunter)

Health 42%

The reprieve didn't last. With a snarl, the kalvex shook free of the mental control. It seemed less focused now, thrashing in a wild frenzy, lashing out at anything around it until it caught sight of Lash. Snarling deep in its throat it gathered itself and pounced forward on the soul-seeker.

Lash's eye narrowed in concentration, attempting the ability a second time. This one held it for longer, but still only seconds.

Level 20

(Kalvex Packhunter)

Health 30%

The next moment the kalvex was free, a slashing ball of fury and teeth. It gored Lash through the center of his eye, leaving a jagged tear that oozed pale yellow liquid, then spun on Levi and bit down on his shoulder before he had time to react.

It took Lash another second to reposition and reclaim its attention.

This time when it shook off the control, it didn't target anyone specific. It ran in erratic circles and flailed about itself madly, screeching all the while. Slicing its horns into one, biting down on the arm of another. Unbridled rage. Violent energy unleashed to the fullest extent.

Levi's weapons were wrenched from his hands by its wild movement, leaving him without any way of even trying to contain it. His heart plummeted as he ran after it, trying to regain control.

The kalvex knocked one of the Fighters to the ground, crushing his leg between its jaws with an audible snap.

It whipped its head around, horns tearing across Skarm's torso as the gremlin threw himself between the kalvex and Peter.

Levi could hardly breathe. This was a mistake. He should have kept them away. They were out of health restoratives. If it killed someone--

He finally caught the hilt of the Beast sword and surged mana into it, the bite clamping down and giving him some leverage. He still had the most health of anyone here, and they were making progress in bringing down its health.

He just needed to keep it from hurting anyone another few seconds.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Irene helping the man with the broken leg out of the danger zone. Good.

Those final moments were a breathless rush.

Intercepting attacks.

Screams of pain and roar of defiance alike. Allies rushing in, others fleeing.

Peter at Levi's side, stabbing and stabbing and stabbing as he yelled in anger.

Irene, dragging someone away at the last second.

"Range!" someone shouted, "It's in Taming range!" and Levi saw they were right.

Level 20

(Kalvex Packhunter)

Health 5%

"TAME," he shouted, joined with four other voices in ragged chorus.

The kalvex fell still.

Tame: Success!

Would you like to name ‘Kalvex Packhunter’ at this time?

Levi immediately spun on Peter, checking him over for any injuries. He'd taken a swipe across the face, but his health was already taking care of it. Irene didn't have a scratch. Only once he was satisfied that they were safe did he begin looking through the details of his new acquisition.

Kalvex Packhunter: Level 20

(Kalvex Packhunter)

Strength: 28

Health: 730/730

(+61/min)

Psyche: 7

Mana: 21/21

(+12/min)

Spirit: 10

Stamina: 610/610

(+15/min)

It took only a single glance at its abilities for Levi to see why it had been able to close the distance so fast.

Kalvex Packhunter Abilities

Pack Unity

The pack gains a bonus to all regenerations for each additional member within its range.

Hunter's Sense (4)

Passively become aware of any potential prey within a large radius.

Mana cost: 1 every 5 seconds.

Duration: Ongoing

Hunter's Haste (4)

A temporary surge of speed allows the hunter to match and surpass any prey.

Stamina cost: 100 + 10x level of target

Duration: 10 seconds

Hunter's Frenzy (6)

Sequential physical attacks increase in speed and damage output at an ongoing rate as long as the frenzy is sustained.

Maximum rate: 500%

Stamina cost: Variable

This thing was built for running down prey, in every way. Levi swallowed uneasily. He was very, very fortunate that there hadn't been more spawned in when he'd come through earlier. If this pack had been anywhere close to the tunnel at the time, he'd have been a goner. No way he could have taking this on solo; they'd barely managed it with everyone.

But he was calmer now, the danger past, studying the available information. They'd be better prepared for the next one.

"Lash, how come your mental attack didn't hold it? I thought that couldn't be resisted by normal creatures."

Lash gestured at himself, then at the kalvex, then shrugged with all eight of his tendrils.

"Excuses. It's only eleven levels higher than you."

Lash widened his eye in comical pouting, showing off the slowly-healing gash across it.

"Yes, you almost died. Poor thing. Now get back to work."

Skarm and Firelord cackled, elbowing each other and nodding at the disgruntled giant eye.

"It's a start. We only have to do this about twenty more times, and we'll be ready for the hard part."

The exhausted, terrorized, and injured group exchanged looks and murmured questions, but none of them asked to quit. Not even the man with the crunched leg, though that might have been because he was screaming in agony while Irene prodded purposefully at the limb in question.

Drakonias, in contrast, was eager for the next round. "What have we learned?" he shouted over the muttering. "We have learned that we can triumph!" He raised a fist high. "This is only the beginning. This dungeon will not hold us!"

A few people cheered, though many were too weary to rise to Drakonias's prompting.

"Right now, we are all going to rest," Levi instructed. "We're not moving again until everyone is fully recovered."

They'd already burned their only safety nets. They couldn't afford to slip up again.