The attack came out of nowhere. The world spun and spun as I plummeted. Yards from the ground I [Leaped] not caring where. The world righted itself, and I landed awkwardly. I took two steps and sank to my knees, gasping for air.

I couldn’t breathe. Something was wrong in my ribs. The pain was but a distant dull ache, numbed by shock and adrenaline. I felt a large dent in the side of my breastplate, bigger than my hand. I coughed and blood spurted out my mouth.

Not good.

I knew what it meant. I was bleeding, but on the inside, in my lungs. A quick peek at the status screen showed as much. The steel of my breastplate had not been enough to protect me, nor were my [Strong Bones.] Though, I was still alive, but barely.

An idea came to mind. I frantically searched through the list and found what I was looking for, instantly bought it. I braced for more pain and it came in full. My limbs twisted as agony surged through me. Seconds turned to eternity and I thought I’d die. Finally, [Rapid Coagulation] evolution went to work, and I hoped it wasn’t too late.

I heard someone land beside me, and a kick to the ribs came instantly. I tumbled across the hard ground, struggling to get to my feet before another kick sent me flying, crashing back down.

Edward’s heavy footsteps hounded me. I got to my feet, hobbled, leaped to make distance, but he was right on me. I took a hit in the back like it was a wrecking ball. It laid me out flat, I tried to get up, tried to crawl, but all my strength was gone.

He laughed. “Going somewhere?”

Edward kicked me in the guts, rolled me over onto my back. He moved in close, stepped on my arm, planted his mace on top of my chest, pinning me to the ground. A hideous visage loomed over me. Half his side was black and burned, his helmet was gone, showing charred flesh, peeling skin.

How the hell did he manage to get up there to attack me? I was eighty yards above the ground. I knew about his [Last Resort] passive, but didn’t think it would be that powerful. It granted him Strength and Agility with every quarter of his health gone.

I checked the time and groaned. Would I survive another three minutes?

An ice arrow smashed Edward in the back, forming a chunk of ice where it hit, enveloping his shoulder. He ducked on instinct, raised his arms to protect his head. He turned and took another arrow in the chest, but he shrugged them off as if they were nothing.

I used the distraction to conjure up a [Smoke Bomb], crush it against the ground. Smoke obscured the area. I dropped a steel trap and heard it click, heard it lash out and clamp down. It bought me seconds while he dealt with it. Despite the pain, I gritted my teeth, struggled to get up. Every movement was agony.

I [Leaped] ahead not caring where, the jolt of movement causing immense pain. I didn’t land but crashed just outside the anti-gravity circle before me, still lit up, still active from before. I considered dimming the light in the Nexus down to nothing, but it wouldn’t have mattered. Faint candlelight spilled from the barracks, casting a glow over me and the surrounding area. Darkness wasn’t going to save me.

“You can’t hide from me!” Edward yelled from somewhere in the cloud of smoke.

I scattered [Steel Traps] around me and crawled the rest of the way into the anti-gravity ring. I knew not to take any steps, or push against the ground as it would send me flying upward. The weightlessness inside lifted me up, offering a brief sense of relief as I rolled myself upright.

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My petrified wand was gone, lost when I was knocked from the sniper’s perch, so I pulled out my bronze wands and waited. The heavy stomping and shuffling of footsteps echoed nearby. Every second brought me closer to my salvation. I tried to conjure another smoke bomb, but couldn’t—one was already active, and the spell limited me to only one at a time. I moved a nearby platform in my direction, but it wouldn’t enter the anti-gravity field for some reason.

Soon, he emerged from the smoke, looking around to find me. He spotted me and rushed forward, smashing the steel traps along the way, but stopped just outside the ring with a look of utter hatred on his face. If that wasn’t bad enough, I watched the trio emerge from the planting beds, dragging Darya along, beaten and bloodied. My fists tightened at the sight, but this was no time to get distracted, to get emotional. I focused on the fight before me, on the twenty seconds remaining until midnight.

He circled about the ring, fuming. “What manner of sorcery is this?”

“Step inside and find out,” I taunted him.

The anti-gravity ring was just the thing to buy me time. I had thought about shooting him with my wands, but feared the recoil would send me flying in the opposite direction.

Bob complained.

Edward took out a coin and threw it inside the ring. The coin bounced once against the floor and continued flying gently upward until it flew out of the field.

A grin crossed his face. “Oh, I have you now.”

He backed up three steps then lunged forward, leaping straight for me. I tried to dodge him, but couldn’t. He crashed into me, sending us flying out of the field. We fell to the ground, but he was up on his feet in an instant, looming over me. I opened the status screen and watched the final seconds tick down on the clock.

“It’s over,” he said, lifting the mace over his head for the final strike.

I freed my hands just as it came hurtling down. The scene came into focus, my senses sharpened and time seemed to slow. I felt my armor tighten as my muscles swelled, the pain disappearing and raw energy surging through me.

“Too late,” I told him.

Midair, I targeted the mace with [Telekinesis], caught it with my hands. Groaning, bloodied spittle flying from my mouth, I stopped it dead in its tracks, inches from my chest. I took a moment to savor the shock on his face.

"W-What?" he stammered.

Shifting my grip, I firmly grasped the handle. He tried to yank the mace away, but I didn’t let it move. When he pulled again, I used his own force to haul myself up, jumping to my feet. With both hands still locked on the mace, I drove a kick into his gut, sending him crashing onto his back.

“What’s the matter?” I asked him, hefting his mace in my hands. I couldn’t believe how light it felt, no different than swinging a thin twig.

First, he begged, but his pleas fell on deaf ears. Then he threatened. Said his father would send a legion to kill everyone I loved. I moved closer, and he crawled back. He got up to his feet and tried to run.

I lifted the mace, ready to strike him down. “A favor you said? Well, let me do you one.”

His body bounced, careened all the way to his companions. I leaped after him, smashing the closest Raider in the head, killing instantly. But I wanted more. I thirsted for their black souls.

“W-What are you?” Joris whimpered.

They took a step back in panic. One tried to run, but didn’t get very far. Helm, no helm -- it didn’t matter. Blood splattered out the side and he crumpled to the ground. Dead. Only Joris remained, the only one that didn’t run. Pale faced and frozen in place, he didn’t say a word. He stared at me with fear in his eyes.

The air was still, broken only by the sound of a death rattle. Black, wispy tendrils rose from the fallen bodies, spiraling toward me. I inhaled deeply, energy surging through me, expanding my consciousness. For a fleeting moment, time seemed to freeze as I shuddered in ecstasy. The eerie smoke seeped into my being, and as the last of it faded, three more symbols ignited on my forearm, burning with searing pain.

“Please don’t kill me,” Joris said, trembling. “I beg you.”

“No, I won’t kill you.” I glanced at my left arm and hesitated. Only one symbol remained to be activated. “No … she will.”