Siora idly spun her sword, listening to the humming as it cut through the air. Her face now sat in a perpetual glare from the scars the knight had left her. It was time she paid him back for that.

It didn’t matter that the goblin had fled. How easy was it going to be to track down a goblin in the outside world? Everyone would know about him within days. Who would welcome a beast like that?

No. Instead of hunting goblin, Siora was going to hunt a hog. Her favorite game. There was nothing Veph paid more for than hog treasure. What did she have against the small hero company? Siora didn’t know, and didn’t care to ask.

The bulwark continued cracking, healing less every time. The knight’s mana had run out, lasting for a surprisingly short amount of time. Usually a bulwark would protect a knight for hours. Sometimes days, depending on the knight. This was a pathetic display. All that, and the knight didn’t even have his primary weapon anymore. What kind of knight used a staff?

“This is my kill,” Siora said. “Or our deal is off.”

“It’s your kill,” Nikoletta said, stepping back.

Miklos, the berserker, continued smashing his axe against the barrier without rest. The idiot had used his Untethered Rage to stay alive. Berserkers were the worst while having their fits.

“I don’t care about this guy,” Vida said. The soldier sheathed her sword and leaned against the cave wall. “He bashed my knee, but he could have done worse. He had the opening.”

“We wanted that bounty,” Seuthes said. He continued playing with his bowstring, causing it to make noise with each flick. It was an annoying habit.

“Then back off. You can pass to the fifth floor when he’s gone,” Nikoletta said.

“Fine with me.” Vida walked back into the cave, waving for Seuthes to follow. They turned the corner, talking about a chest Miklos had apparently left.

The berserker didn’t react to the mention of his name, if he had even noticed. He continued smashing away. The bulwark was near its breaking point, and all the knight did was stare at them from the other side. Blood ran down the sides of his head and he just stood and waited like a patient statue.

“Are you going to fight with some brains this time?” Siora asked.

Placus cradled his broken wrist. “They both reacted so fast.”

“Last time I’m healing you,” Nikoletta said. She touched his wrist, causing the bones to snap back together.

Placus gulped and winced, then moved his wrist back and forth until he grew used to the minor pain. “Thank you.”

“Your kill means you’re engaging first,” Nikoletta said, stepping to the side. Her mace continued to glow as her Luminous Surge continued flowing. Her control of the spell was impressive. Keeping it running for so long would have taken years of practice, or the mender was a prodigy. Having a Power 3 spell that young . . .

Siora needed to find a way to hook Nikoletta into Void Nexus.

“Maybe you’ll engage after Miklos. He needs to hit something or his rage—”

“I know how it works,” Siora said.

Miklos smashed through the bulwark, shattering the massive yellow barrier. The pieces fell like glass, dissipating into dust as soon as they touched anything. Before Miklos could recover from passing through the wall, the knight slammed his staff down.

Liquid fire erupted from the gnarled head, covering all of Miklos. The berserker, rather than reacting like any sane person, roared and attacked. Even the old knight seemed surprised as he backed away, blocking as Miklos’s axe chipped away at the damaged shield.

Artivan swung the staff like a melee weapon and caught the burning berserker in the knee, causing him to collapse, even while Miklos continued roaring. Nikoletta pulled him back and started her healing spell. Fighting Viscous Fire was difficult, no matter how talented the mender.

“Looks like a pretty staff. Would be a shame if I got it back,” Siora said as she positioned her shield in front of her face. “Viscous Fire is a cheap opening for a knight.”

“Ironic to complain when you fight me with your numbers.” The old knight’s index flashed in front of his eyes.

He was checking the cooldown period of the staff.

Siora feinted forward, causing Artivan to stagger and move his shield. She swung her shield in, catching the edge of his shield, and pried it to the side like opening a can. Siora stabbed forward to drive her shining sword through the hog’s gut.

His staff bashed it aside and caught her on the cheek. It hit with enough force to stagger her. Blood rushed into her mouth, but the hit did little real damage. Artivan forced her shield away and lifted his staff, ready to cast a spell again. That was Elas’s staff, meaning Artivan also had Fireball ready to cast.

Nikoletta remained in the back with Miklos, whose rage had ended prematurely. They watched with Placus as Artivan continued blocking the way to the exit. Would he go for damaging numbers by hitting them all, or would he go for more focused damage with Viscous Fire against her? Would a knight even think that much about spells?

Siora had always had a mind for battle. It had just taken her a few years to get the soldier class figured out. There were a lot of setbacks in the early levels of soldiers compared to other classes. She had wanted knight, like Artivan, but that’s how life goes. How many people successfully got what they trained for as kids? Few, if any. The lucky ones got things like knight, alchemist, or umbra, while most got the basic classes like soldier and hunter.

Artivan must have been some rich kid, trained by professionals to have a head start in life. And look at him now, an old man barely past level 30. What a joke.

A fireball flew right past Siora’s head, giving her a huge opening to step in and stab. Her glowing sword passed right through the edge of Artivan’s already damaged shield, melting the metal as it caught a nick in his armor. The metal superheated, turning red and running like blood as she screamed and pushed forward, driving the sword right through his stomach.

Nikoletta negated the fireball, managing to heal herself and Miklos in a calm manner. Placus had dodged, as umbra do, and remained to the side, sweating nervously. He wanted to help so badly, but she had made him promise. It was her kill.

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To his credit, Artivan remained on his feet. He tossed the useless shield to the ground and let the staff fall to the other side. Its cooldown was too long for it to be of any help at the moment.

His eyes were hard as he stared at Siora. “You will not hurt my friend.”

“And what are you going to do about it?” she asked.

Artivan’s armored fist caught her in the cheek, rebreaking bone. Siora backed away, breath caught in her throat. The bastard pulled her sword from his stomach, holding the shining sword like he was about to face them all.

“You will not hurt anyone else!” He flashed white, shattering the cave floor. “Come die like the scum you are!”

A Nimble Hog held her family’s sword. A Nimble Hog challenged her, threatened her, insulted her. Even with blood pouring down his armor, Artivan stood like a monster before her.

Siora drew her hunting knife and growled. “You aren’t worthy of wielding that blade!”

Artivan spat a bloody gob of mucus onto the glowing sword. “I’d wipe my ass with it if I had the chance.”

Miklos cackled with laughter.

Siora feinted in, causing Artivan to swing wildly. The injured, nearly disemboweled man, missed by a wide margin. Siora slipped past and drove her hunting knife right into his throat. She let out a warm breath on his ear as his body went limp and fell into her.

“I’ll skin your friend alive,” she hissed.

Artivan let the glowing sword fall to the ground. Siora let him go, causing his body to slam into the stone ground. The old knight was smiling.

“What’s so funny?” she asked.

Artivan coughed up blood. “You think you won,” he said. He sucked in a raspy breath. “The fight is far from over, and Owin’s a fast little goblin.” He breathed in again, wheezing the whole time. “You’ll never catch him.”

Siora stepped over Artivan. “I can start my chase right now.”

A pulse exploded off the old knight, sending his shield, the staff, and Siora’s sword flying across the cave.

“What was that?” Placus asked.

Vida and Seuthes returned, watching the fight from afar. Nikoletta’s mace continued glowing as she pushed Miklos behind her.

Siora turned around, looking down at the old knight as he bled out. Where had that energy come from? He should be dead.

Artivan sat up, spilling blood all down himself. “There’s a story forgotten by time.” He wheezed.

She should shut him up, but he wasn’t even a threat. He could move no faster than a snail.

“A legend of a Doomed Harbinger. A curse that would never end.” Artivan smashed a gauntlet against his chest. “And I will have my revenge.”

Siora picked up her glowing sword and stabbed it through the knight’s head. “Some fucking legend that was.” She ripped the sword out, letting Artivan’s lifeless body flop against the cave floor.

A Cursed has been summoned

The Sovereign One - Artivan Morro - 100% Awakened

Level 32

“What the fuck is that?” Placus screamed.

Artivan’s corpse shuddered and lifted into the air. Entrails and blood poured from his wounds, even as his eyes opened and glared directly at Siora. The halo above his head glowed brightly, casting violet light through the cave.

Siora used her Examine as the corpse’s eyes flashed violet like the halo.

The Sovereign One

Artivan Morro

Knight

Nimble Hog Hero Company

No mention of attributes. No mention of the word ‘hero.’ Whatever he had become, Siora had never heard of it before. But it still mentioned his damn hero company.

Gray mist trailed off his fingers and out his nostrils like he was exhaling smoke. He floated in the air, hovering menacingly, but not attacking. Not yet.

“What is this thing?” Siora asked.

“Never seen something like this,” Nikoletta said. “You two?”

“Nothing,” Vida said.

“An undead fucking hero without a lich to raise it?” Siora scoffed. “Shouldn’t be possible.”

“Let’s test the old man,” Miklos said.

He took a step forward, lifting his axe to chop. As soon as he moved, Artivan’s body twitched and bolted through the air. His hand sliced across Miklos’s face, tearing through the skin and bone easily. The gray mist that trailed behind latched onto the berserker’s skin, burning enough that Siora could hear the meat popping.

Miklos swung his weapon, but it was caught by Artivan. The undead knight tore the axe from Miklos and tossed it behind him, where it landed right beside Siora.

She needed to help, but she found herself watching in awe. Never before had she seen an opponent as resilient as Artivan, and now, even in death, he was causing problems.

Nikoletta, Placus, Vida, and Seuthes all moved in to help as Miklos was torn to shreds. Artivan attacked wildly, literally ripping Miklos apart. His hands, even as simple gauntlets, tore through the berserker as if the man had claws. And the gray mist that trailed each swing burned everything it touched.

Nikoletta poured healing spells into Miklos, but within seconds, the berserker was nothing but a pile of shredded, bleeding flesh and sinew. As soon as Miklos fell, Artivan’s lifeless body snapped toward Vida, who had just struck the corpse with her sword. She screamed and tried to shield herself as the undead knight ripped her apart. Everyone fought. Everyone lost. They could do nothing to stop Artivan as he ripped through another hero.

Siora looked over her shoulder. The exit was about ten feet away.

Seuthes shot an arrow at Artivan’s head. It passed right through his skull, splattering his brains onto the cave wall. The knight didn’t even notice.

Placus was too involved. The damn fool was going to try to help the others.

Only Nikoletta caught Siora’s eyes. Siora shook her head.

Nikoletta nodded once just as Seuthes began screaming before his throat was ripped out.

Nikoletta sprinted away, letting Placus be the focus of Artivan’s next attack. She sprinted right through the pool of blood, over the rubble, and shoved Siora along toward the exit.

“Tell me more about Void Nexus,” she said right before she disappeared through the exit, the black doorway.

Siora took one more look over her shoulder. Four heroes were dead. More than dead. They were ripped apart like pigs. Artivan hovered in the cave passageway, blood running from his arms. His eyes were violet as they glared at Siora, but he made no move toward her. No matter how fast he was, he wouldn’t reach her before she slipped through the doorway.

“How?” she asked.

“You may escape,” he said, his voice distant. “But you will feel my wrath.” Artivan lowered himself to the ground. His head shifted unnaturally as he blinked and seemed to come into his mind. “Owin will never let you find peace.”

Siora scowled. He was still of enough will to remember his life? There was no reason he should remember a thing. “I’ll kill the goblin.”

Artivan smiled. “I will haunt this dungeon for eternity, and I will do it happily, knowing Owin will return to inform me that Void Nexus and all the scum that work under Veph have paid the price for the atrocities they’ve committed. He’s a better human than you.” Blood suddenly rushed from Artivan’s mouth as the last of it left his body. Now he was truly nothing more than a husk.

He lifted his gauntlet and pointed at Siora. “You will suffer worse than me.”

Siora spat on the floor. “Hog scum.” She turned and passed through the doorway before the undead knight could find some way to reach her.

Haunt the dungeon? Impossible. Whatever spell or item was keeping him alive would run out and he would be left rotting on the floor until the ogres respawned in a few minutes. They would toss him in the acid or eat him without hesitation. Next time she passed through the Great Forest, there would be no sign of the Nimble Hog knight. No sign of whatever the Sovereign One was.

Siora appeared outside. Nikoletta had waited, using her hand to shade her eyes as she looked into the distance.

“The goblin has already gotten far. I can’t spot him.”

“He’ll be going to Atrevaar.”

Nikoletta dropped her hand, eyeing Siora with uncertainty. “What’s in Stelsodo that would interest a goblin?”

“The damn Nimble Hog Hero Company.”