This was a piece of art, putting to shame the rest of the room - everything was perfect about it, my eyes were engulfed in the slender looks of it, gentle and yet emanating a strong, determined aura; my hands trembled, longing to hold this one of a kind treasure; my heart pounded faster and faster at the prospect of gazing at this creation.

I have to pull myself out of this, it's just a damned knife, calm yourself down!

My heartbeat slowed down as I got used to the knife; my hands started to accept the honor of holding it; my eyes started to accustom to the perfect edges of this life-stealer. But this moment of awe was shortened by an alarm shrieking: I had let one escape!

"Shit, I gotta be more careful, I only killed nine and I didn't even notice one running away! I'm still far from master in term of skill." I ducked my head in my hands, thinking about the mistake I made, stress overtook me, the alarm shrieked louder as footsteps could be heard. "It's alright. I have the knife after all. Yes, that's it, I just have to run until I see my target! Yeah, everything's under control." If I couldn't kill him sneakily, then I'd just rush in instead.

I got up and took the assault rifle, finger on the trigger, ready to take as many lives as there were bullets in the magazine.

I glanced and saw a door on my side, I ran in as I knocked it down, landing in what seemed to be the armory. A few bandits were already there, readying themselves for a lost cause. I opened fire, each bullet shortly blinding everyone and the sound deafening to the ears.

The room was cleaned up few seconds later, only leaving an empty magazine and corpses. However It was a game against time, I couldn't afford to slow down.

I ran like a demon, but a feeling slowly crept up my back: fear. Then I stopped running, almost falling down. How could this be? The room...there was nothing, no door, no alley, it was a dead end. But where did the footsteps came from then?

There must be an answer. What could I have missed? The fight between the man-eaters? no. The first room? neither. Then what... that's it! When fighting the dozen of madmen, there was a second door, but the footsteps didn't come from there.

It only left one solution, they had one of those, is that why there was no decoration, they sold everything to buy one of those things, isn't that a little extreme?

I had to know, it could only be this...and yet how could it be? It would mean even a deranged cult adoring a cannibal could now procure itself these items, it was only getting worse and worse.

If anyone can buy an artifact, only chaos and death will remain in the city.

As my thoughts lost themselves in a maze of possibilities each worse than the other, I turned to my right, rushing to the door, I passed it and... my fears were confirmed, I was back to the BBQ room. They have an artifact, it complicates things, hopefully it's their only one.

Artifacts were a strange thing, disregarding the laws of reality, they possessed effects resembling that of lesser gods, however there didn't seem to have a constraint regarding their efficacy, unlike lesser gods. There were three main types of artifacts: destroyers, whose main purpose was to kill, it ranged from creating fire to reinforcing one's body; supporters, they had the same purpose as the first one, however their effect wasn't direct, it ranged from healing its user to buffing your allies all the while debilitating your foes; finally there were benders, able to shape reality they could change a terrain and contain a target within a specified area.

Its effect is apparently teleportation, so bender, huh. It means the artifact is somewhere around this room, knowing the market price they surely couldn't afford anything above d-rank, maybe c-rank at best, if they truly held to their reputation.

I already had an idea of what the bender could be, so I walked without hesitation toward the bald man. The air reeked of burnt meat - a little bit like chicken - and dried blood, truly a terrible combination of flavors.

I looked at the corpse and there it was! Or to be exact, there was something missing, the kunais, they both had disappeared, no trace of them remained. They must have a fail-safe, making them teleport each time their effect was activated.

The artifact controlled the rooms and sent the unauthorized people back to their track before they could reach a private zone, they also had a safety to teleport them to, surely, a dozen meters. Also, since both kunais got teleported, they were probably a set.

I rummaged around and stopped when I found them. They were in both eye sockets of the victim, a quite disturbing sight. I slowly breathed out as I took my hand gun, my heart calming itself and my body no longer slightly trembling from disgust. Two bangs were heard. I could now move on to the rest of my contract .

Back at the armory, I advanced to the next room, imagining what could happen.

Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

I stealthily walk, my hand reaching for the knob, but nothing happens, I blink and I find myself back to the BBQ room, only difference being I can't move. I try to turn my head but a strange sensation up my back prevents me from doing so. I run out of breath. I try to speak but my words flow out as blood, tears slowly fall down my cheeks...why? We could have been a family, so why? We didn't have to part ways, we could have stayed together, just a little longer...

I blink once more and I am back in front of the door, my eyes wet. Beyond the door stands a long corridor, this one however possesses decorations; a long, flamboyant red carpet is accompanied by various paintings, all of the city and its five pillars present.

My rifle is still on my back, the handgun on my right pocket while the Glock Vespid is inside my jacket, hidden.

I was ready and walked through the corridor, admiring these pieces of art representing the city's foundation and elevation to greatness; there were statues, some paintings up the walls and even murals on the ceiling. They were all incredibly detailed, only showcasing the best angles of the pillars, ignoring the bad trimmed beard typical of Tovernus or the left eye of Teca always moving randomly.

I stopped in front of a door, looking for the truth, for the traitor. Looking for an answer.

The door is open. I wonder what mysteries I will unravel. Perhaps I'm only running toward my death? After all, I played with death since long ago, inviting Her to a bloody ballet, the music bullets and knives.

There's only one way to know, so I enter.

I am greeted by a cold, soft wind blowing my hair reminding me not to think too much. An enormous Neo-Pastial room stands before me, painted with metallic colors and filled to the brim with panels and electric circuits. Tovernus was fond of this forgotten architectural style, loving its efficacy over beauty design.

My eyes fell on a circular gap with three floors forming a circle, a short passage on each floor allowing people to admire the center of the room and pass through it. I myself was on the middle floor.

A strange construction could be seen on the middle of the lower floor, it formed a weird, gigantic shape that seemed to kiss the feet of a man standing in front of it.

That had to be him. Time to kill the boss. I checked my boots (they were equipped with a kind of reactor absorbing any impact, leaving its user safe and sound) and rummaged through my pockets and my back, no weapon missing. I took the dagger, handling it with both hands, ready to kill, and I jumped.

Air hurled in my ears, water rapidly escaping my eyes, the knife ready to kill. He didn't seem to have seen me, too focused he was on the machine, a strange mix of flesh and metal composing it.

I honestly thought it would be harde-one second before delivering the blow, the man extended his arm and closed his hand around my neck the same a butcher would do to a chicken, without turning his head a bit, still as focused on the machine.

Surprise rapidly fades away as I try to disembowel him. Instead of having his guts tore off, he mechanically blocks my swing by catching my wrist with his other hand. Fuck, what is this hold, he is going to tear my hand apart! He let go of my neck to punch me but I am faster: I unsheathe my handgun and shoot at close range which he escapes by letting me go and jumping to the right.

I am finally freed, the real fight will now start. He is tall, probably two meters or even more; his body is covered with bandages and his eyes tell me to flee. However I do not have enough time to think about my life, only enough to think about his demise.

But as I ready myself for the soon-to-be bloody dance, something stops me; an indescribable feeling paralyzing me and instilling a never-felt-before fear in my soul. I see the problem, it's him; Leolio had described him as the reincarnation of a god. I mocked him thinking he was nothing more than a genetically modified human stronger than his peers; I was wrong, we were so terribly wrong. It was a devil. A monster amongst the living.

It was a terrifying monstrosity wandering our realm. Eyes covered most of his body, all different, only similarity their gazes penetrating deep in your soul, as if each was sentient; another thing seemed to roam all around his body... nails? Nails appeared randomly on his body, as if waves rising and falling all over and over; and his mouth was tearing itself out to show irregular teeth, screaming and wailing like cursed souls.

I was scared, I am scared, it scares me. Since when is the room this cold? And why are my legs trembling and my body sweating? I have to recover, or else I'll die!

I have to remember what he taught me... something, there must be something... that's it! I must find an anchor, something to immerse my mind into, and count, that's the only way to regain composure. No matter how much I look and search, there is no anchor, only an old knife the thing is holding... and then I realize what is supposed to be my anchor. I gulp, swallowing my disgust and start counting. One; another to his left; a third eye this time on his chin; a fourth all black, a literal void in which most would lose themselves when looking at; the trembling is slightly subsiding; a fifth one on his chest is accompanied by smaller eyes, one on each of his sides; my heart stops racing; I find an eighth one on his shoulder, this time its pupil is bright red. I don't find any more eyes, perhaps there are more on his back, but I won't have to know: my trembling stopped, my heart finished his race, and my body once again listens to my orders. This time, I am truly ready to fight.

A groan escapes the horror's mouth, it bends its back and plunges toward me, ready to decapitate me, I crouch and try to eviscerate it. Missed. It counters with a wide, circular kick to my side and throws me a dozen of meters away.

My mind is dazed by the blow's strength. It's clearly not with brutish force that I'll come out victorious. But I still have a chance, it's not my first fight where the odds play against me. My body ached and hurt as I stood up, little trails of blood escaping my mouth.

"I am done playing with flies," the voice was loud, a strange sensation, as if my ears heard him speak while its Will was transmitted to my mind. There was also a trace of nobility to its voice, a kind of disgust formed from talking to a being unworthy of its time, a sense of superiority.

At the same time, it rose its left arm, its hand pointing at me. I started drowsing, my mind foggy, my feet staggering. What was I doing here, already? And who's that old man in front of me?

Each second was harder for me to stay awake, yet there was a feeling deep inside my guts telling me not to fall asleep, no matter what. But it would be so good to sleep a little, it wouldn't be that bad if I slept for a few minutes, right?

As my eyes closed, I thought I saw the old man grinning.