"Thunder! Use thunder! That was more efficient than fireballs!"

I need to think this through. Due to this kind of cheat option I had available, the fact that I could let White Flower fight for me, I had a bit more time to analyze and think during the fight than I would typically have.

However, this damn battle was so much on a razor's edge that I was damn afraid to not be concentrated. She already made two errors that got me two hits resulting in many broken bones. OK, the first one was my error, my stupid delay.

It does not matter whose error it was! Fuck! We did those!

Sweat was running down my temples. Every movement was as fast as I could, as strong as I could, even the stupid spells.

The thunder worked. The troll chasing Spartacius was stopped by it for a very short moment, but enough to enable Spartacius to escape alive. I got hit with another ice spell, and White Flower shrugged it off with another fire blast. In this regard, she is surprisingly good. Even the sorcerer appreciated that:

“Per Mephisto! What are you for an evolved beast?!”

He shot another ice spell my way. It was some kind of a twisted, rolling ice spear, and she blocked it with a giant fireball. For the spell, she turned to face the sorcerer and came on her veins with her two hands in front, generating the fireball.

The two spells met, the collision boom shaking the cave.

He had a counter for each of my spells; his ice lances were following my very movements and had to be countered; he was now giving it all.

The exchange continued for some time, undecided. I had to heal the Lynx or Alice a couple of times, but mostly myself.

Fuck, the others have to face the two trolls now; this will not end well. How on earth is he so strong?

White Flower understood my fear and thundered the nearby troll again, letting Alice now escape his pursuit.

What the fuck? The dude is kind of an ice mage, and I am an assassin. A mage's blank horror anti-class. Even worse than rogues.

“Let me lead!”

It was maybe the wrong moment to ask for the lead. As I started to take control of my limbs, the troll with the shield that I was just facing surprised me, thrusting his shield forward, hitting me, and breaking my jaw in the process. I did not expect that hit at that distance.

I had planned to disengage from the troll and chase the sorcerer, but now after the powerful hit, I was almost K.O., flying backwards.

Maybe this almost K.O. helped me.

Don't try to control me; let me free; let me be myself. Let me be Cala.

I did not hear that but felt it. It resonated in my head.

The troll made a step forward and followed his attack with a downwards mace hit, and I instinctively rolled over one side, letting the hit shatter the earth whilst healing me and regaining all my senses.

My movement was so fluid and smooth that, at first, he did not even realize that I had avoided his hit.

I am Cala.

I glanced at the mage. I'm going to kill you. Now.

It was not fury that spoke in me nor anger, just cold determination. This has to end. Here and now.

I spelt:

<>

Our eyes met when I glanced at him, and he understood I was now attacking him. He teleported away the moment when the darkness started to spread. He was afraid. I think he was fearful for the first time in this fight and was now trying to flee.

I got a glimpse of his new position as the darkness set and took the risk of spelling my <> to this position.

Conjuring now Cala inside me has been a strange feeling. It was almost as it was when I was letting White Flower fight for me. Almost. Maybe the experience of letting her fight for me helped.

My teleport worked. And then I got lucky again, or maybe Cala had known this already. My speed spell cooldown had just expired. It means this fight in the cavern must have already taken longer than twenty minutes.

<>

<>

You are dead.

My hands moved with the speed of a sewing machine. A mobile machine. Hack, hack, hack, hack. Different points, vital points. I danced around him as he tried to recover and spell something, anything to save himself, anything to get away from me.

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Blood erupted from cut arteries, the enchanted blades going deep into his flesh. He blasted the last spell, a terrible ice explosion spell, but I took it on. I risked it, letting it wash over me as I continued to strike him. It almost did me, but I think Cala had taken this also into her calculations, as her last hit had got his heart.

Waves of magic exploded around me like a magic twister whilst his heart ceased its beat. Fuck, he had been some high-level sorcerer!

“You lead!”

And it worked without me saying that aloud!

I let White Flower heal me and take me out of my speed spell whilst I watched the sorcerer die. A terrible fire explosion, trademark White Flower, engulfed me, cleaning the ice. The now burning sorcerer fell whilst she healed me again.

Killing the two trolls was still a hassle. The Lynx had almost done his job, but the troll still resisted, even if he was losing a lot of blood. The darkness helped conceal Spartacius and Tina. I hoped they would not make noise and attract the attention of the other troll whilst we were finishing the first. Luckily Alice took over this part, making noise on her side, shooting explosive arrows at the ceiling, and jumping from place to place. Clever girl. She knew I could better see than others in my darkness.

Ten minutes later, after the darkness had long dissipated, we had finally killed the second troll too. It was a useless killing, but the giant didn't want to relent; I think he didn't want to live longer once his master had died.

We gathered around the dying troll. A last shimmer of light passed through his eyes, it was almost as if he would thank me, and then he died. I looked at the Lynx and healed him.

“Pfuh, this was a fight!”

He grinned:

“Yes, Cala, well done!”

Our eyes met. It was not without reason that he said that. I hugged his furry leg and took a deep breath.

“ A little heal would be welcome!”

Alice came grinning at us. Tina yelled happily:

“Victory! Victory!”

Then she looked around, suddenly unsure:

“There are no more, isn't it?”

I chuckled. I went to Spartacius and hugged him.

“Thank you!”

Then straight to Alice. Tina protested:

“Hey, I need some heal too! He broke my fingers, and look here! Cuts, scrapes, abrasions! All my skin is a wound!”

I had to laugh, thinking at the jelly my shoulder had been. Spartacius had done a more than a perfect job in protecting her. She protested again:

“It's not funny!”

I hugged them both again, healing them. I went to Alice and hugged her. Only now did I realize how lucky I was that all survived. My heart beatings accelerated at the thought. Wow, all these emotions, all these feelings, the adrenalin from the fighting. I need a break! This game is earth-shattering.

“Fuck it! I should have concentrated earlier to kill the sorcerer. Half an hour fight to kill a sorcerer. That was some performance.”

I meant it in a depreciative way. It took too long, and that increased the risk for all. I should have executed him earlier. Spartacius tried to reassure me:

“I don't think it would have been possible to kill him faster. You were good; those were insane powerful fire spells and thunder spells!”

Yeah, he is right; White Flower's magic was really high-class.

The Lynx was inspecting the equipment of the dead sorcerer.

“Judging by what items are here, he was not a simple sorcerer.”

A voice in my head echoed his thoughts:

“He might have been Katan Darkice.”

I wondered aloud:

“Katan Darkice?”

“Katan Darkice!!!?”

Both the Lynx and Alice were surprised and shocked. Spartacius turned to me:

“Are you sure?”

“No, but it might be. White Flower says that the description would pass. Can you see, is there a black ring in the form of Ouroboros on one of his fingers?

“Yes!”

Spartacius showed me something.

“Nooooo! Don't remove it!”

It was too late. A light formed around his hand.

I laughed:

“Lol. Idiot! You bound it to you!”

He looked at me, wondering:

“Ahm? Why did you not tell me about it? These things should bind only when you equip them?"

“This is one of those very special items. I did not believe it was him, but White Flower was right. It was really Katan Darkice. This ring opens a portal somewhere into Mephisto's headquarters. Congratulations, you can use it in trying to raid Mephisto. Don't forget your armoured battalion when you go there!”

I was a little bit miffed that he took it, but I did not expect such a drop here in these caverns. He watched me with a dejected look. He was feeling guilty.

“What does this mean?”

“It means only that I have to take you with me if I go to raid Mephisto. You are the gate opener. Well, whatever, I need to log out. This fight took all my energy; I need a break.”

“What should we do?”

Alice was looking inquiringly at me. I sighed:

“You have Cala and White Flower with you. I think you can decide without me. I do not yet feel well enough to take on the wolshi; I suppose Cala feels the same. Maybe we could explore the caverns; these orcs must have entered from somewhere else. Or you just wait for me, and we will make another plan. Give me a break… Err, I will, from now on, tell all of you when I log in or out so you know who is with you. I love you guys!”

I waved at them as I logged out.