My duplicate leapt at me, swinging the two blades at my neck.

I attempted to Basic Dodge, but nothing happened.

As the two daggers sliced together at my throat, I brought the torch up and blocked them long enough to fall backwards, clearing their decapitating arc.

The head of the torch was sheared to the ground.

The flame sputtered out.

The last thing I saw before I was plunged into perfect darkness was the vicious smile of my obsidian-eyed duplicate, my Soul Blade in human form.

He chuckled quietly, then spoke. “Your skills won’t work here.”

“What do you want?” I asked.

“Just to meet you. Offer my gratitude. I’ve been watching you for a while now. I have to admit, I’m a little disappointed. The best thing you ever did was summon me.”

The sound of scraping metal echoed around the chamber and the glow of five different lights burst up through the ground surrounding us. Each light was a circle in the ground and from the center of the circle stuck a weapon. Each weapon was a sinister black with slight variations in hue.

The ground began to shake and around the pillars, large walls began to rise. They were the walls of the pit and from the shimmering blackness, the faces of the crowd shone out. In the midst of my rage, those faces had all appeared as Katri, but now I could see with clarity the expressions torn between disgust and excitement. They were frozen in place. A moment stretched out, but then as I watched, I recognised the slightest twitch of a muscle and faint flutter of a hair.

Time hadn’t stopped while we were in here. Unlike in AIAI’s Instantiation Zone, where time froze completely, here time was just slowed down to such a speed that a blink could last for many minutes.

I looked down at the weapons that struck up from the ground in the columns of light.

I recognised them all as my Soul Blade in different forms, they all had the same grip as my dagger.

There was a red light, a blue, a yellow, an orange, and a green. The lights were dimly reflected on the blades of the weapons. Three of the weapons were swords. One was an axe. The last was a spear.

“Decision time, but I already know my choice,” said my Soul Blade.

He dropped the two daggers and they sunk into the metal floor. A moment later, the duplicate Imber fell apart like a sand statue and he too was absorbed into the ground below. The Imber I had arrived with gasped and tried to appear small in the darkness. It didn’t work, but I could hardly blame him. Whatever strength he had held in life, had gone. He appeared fragile and hopeless.

A sense of guilt crept up my insides like acid bile. I swallowed it down and breathed a heavy sigh.

He got what he deserved, I told myself.

My duplicate seemed to notice my reaction. He raised a curious eyebrow at me as he walked around the circle admiring the weapons.

“You really are too emotional,” he said. “How could you ever hope to master your surroundings if you can’t even master yourself?”

He reached out, sliding a finger down the length of the spear, then grasped it and turned to Imber. “This one would suit your woman.”

With a sudden snap, he whipped his arm back and hurled the spear at Imber.

Before Imber could do anything but open his mouth in surprise, the spear had plunged straight through his chest and out the other side.

As Imber sputtered and fell to one knee, cradling his chest, the spear continued its flight until it lodged in one of the pillars.

“A simple weapon,” said my Soul Blade. “You throw it and it comes back.”

He clicked his finger and the spear flew back to his hand.

As it passed over Imber’s head, the man flinched.

My Soul Blade duplicate sneered at him. “Get up.”

Imber widened his eyes in terror. He removed his hand from the hole over his chest revealing a vanishing wound.

“Death won’t release you now,” said my Soul Blade.

“What the fuck is this?” I asked.

My Soul Blade duplicate just smiled at me, then he tossed the spear to the ground.

Unlike the two daggers, the spear didn’t sink below. I caught the smallest flicker of frustration pass over my duplicate’s face, but then it was gone so quickly that I could have just imagined the twitch of his nose and narrowing of his eyes.

No, I didn’t imagine it. Think. What’s at stake here?

My Soul Blade walked over to the next weapon. “You lack conviction,” he said. “That’s why your soul desired me. I am the answer to all your prayers. I’m the embodiment of everything you crave to be. I will bring retribution to all those who have crossed you. Everyone who stands in our way, will fall to my blade.”

“I’ve heard this kind of talk before,” I said. “I’m not buying it. What are we doing here?”

He snarled at me for a moment, then forced the smile back onto his face. “Like I said, I brought you here so that we could meet.”

Lie.

“Did you though?” I asked. “I don’t think you brought me here at all.”

I looked around at the weapons encircling us. “I think I’m here to pick your evolution.”

“The choice is mine,” he spat.

I looked down at the spear on the ground. “I doubt that.”

Imber stepped towards me. “Why am I here, Null?”

The ageing brute seemed weaker by the second.

“I don’t know,” I said. “I killed you. You should be respawning somewhere as a new person.”

“I want to go back to Vidari.” His voice broke. “Let me go back.”

My stomach lurched. “It doesn’t work like that.”

“I don’t like it here,” he whispered.

My duplicate raised one of the swords up and admired it. “This world is full of so many delicious flavours. When you brought me to that pool, I was grateful. I had such high hopes for you, but then you shied away from spilling any blood. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed myself. We feasted upon a powerful source.”

“The Quicksilver? You caused me a lot of trouble when I was trying to stealth through the springs. You damn near drunk the whole lot, but now it’s just draining away. What did you decide to spit out?”

“I found something better.”

“Blood?” I asked.

“Even better.” His eyes fell on Imber.

“No,” I said. “Let him go. I only killed him because I knew he would respawn.”

“Your mistake is my gain.” He smiled at Imber. “You’re not going anywhere.”

Then, he turned back to me and raised the point of the sword to me. “This is my pick. Touch it.”

I looked away and walked over to the axe. “I’d prefer to take my time. I’ve had enough of rushed choices.”

I felt, rather than heard, his charge. As he slashed at my back, I rolled forward and picked up the axe.

Unnamed Lumber Soul Axe.

Deals +50% damage to limbs.

On successful blood-letting strike to Target Limb, applies Severance Hex.

My duplicate’s next attack was a downward swipe to the top of my head, I blocked it with the shaft of the axe, then lashed out at his legs.

He jumped over the attack and twirled through the air to land behind me.

Fuck, he doesn’t seem to be affected by gravity like a normal person.

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

“You can’t hope to defeat me,” he said. “You haven’t even begun to discover my name. Soon, I will name myself and you will surrender to me.”

“Soon, you say?” I smiled. “That means, for now, you don’t know either. You’re just as confused as I am.”

He gritted his teeth and swung.

I blocked and stepped back.

“If you could choose for yourself, you would have done so and I wouldn’t be here. Fighting me isn’t going to change that,” I said.

“I’ll force you to claim the sword of my choosing,” he said, through gritted teeth.

“Which?” I asked. “That one? Let me see it then.”

I held out my hand and he pressed the tip of the blade to my palm carefully as though he thought I might take it from him.

Unnamed Siphon Soul Sword.

Captures Target Soul upon Death Strike.

Increases Weapon Mass for each Captured Soul.

“I see,” I said. “You greedy bastard. That’s what you want with Imber.”

If I killed Katri with this, that would put an end to her reincarnation. I could even come visit her in this hellish place.

The image of Katri trapped in the cold, darkness flashed through my mind.

Is that what I want? She fucking deserves it. But… is that who I want to be?

I would truly be someone to fear. Not only would I kill the people who wronged me, but I would wipe out their future lives too.

A vision of the world with only me in it materialised around me.

In a world like this, if I killed everyone who wronged me, eventually I would be the only one left. Katri has taken enough from me. I’m not becoming a monster just to see her destroyed.

I looked at the sword in my duplicate’s hands. The blade glinted in the light and I saw a a shadowy glimpse of my real face reflected back at me. I looked tired. I looked dirty. I looked awful.

If I saw someone who looked like me, I would probably draw my weapon. Who the hell would ever try to help someone like me?

I looked up at the blood-thirsty, slowed-down crowd. They were still reacting to the killing strike I had delivered to Imber’s throat. Their noses were wrinkling in disgust, but their cheeks were reddening too. Within their eyes, the secret fire of passion and excitement burned bright. Within everyone these is a vicious hypocrite. They crave conflict while speaking out against it. They don’t want to see people harmed, but they long to witness violence and competition. All of them are as bad as eachot—

My eyes found Serilla. The panicked look of horror wasn’t directed at the spot where Imber collapsed, it was directed at the look on my face in the heat of the battle.

I stepped closer to the shimmering wall to really look at her.

Out of all the faces in the crowd, her's was the only one that held no hint of excitement. She wasn’t trying to hide the passion burning inside her, she was wearing it openly because it wasn’t passion for conflict. Her face was a mix of pity and sorrow. She was watching someone she cared about making an insurmountable mistake. Her passion was a love for me. She's crazy.

My heart hammered inside my chest at the sudden agony I recognised in her eyes. I had hurt her. I had left her powerless to stop me from choosing this path. She had only been able to watch, distraught, as I committed to this folly.

Ah, Serilla. I’ve been a fool. I let myself become just another source of torment in this fucked up world.

I had been steered by AIAI and manipulated by Katri. I had felt the agony as my head was torn off by Lecter. When I first spawned, my mind was attacked by a fucking creepy crawly. I hadn’t taken the time to consider what this world was turning me into. I’d hardened my heart and set my feet, but that just made me another cog in the machine.

But what choice do I have? It’s do or die. I need to get stronger. I need to use whatever is available to increase my power. I can’t let this system crush me. Once I have influence, I will change things for the better. I will make changes that will serve everyone. But for now… I have to serve myself.

My eyes met the eyes of my Soul Blade duplicate. He had a hopeful expression on his face.

“Your choice doesn’t even come with any benefits for me during a fight. It’s just a way to feed yourself. What do you plan to do with these souls?”

His obsidian eyes flashed. “They belong to me. Mine. Not you. They’re mine. Mine!”

“Holy shit,” I said.

“You need me,” he said.

“No. I don’t think I do.” I dropped the axe and it sunk through the floor. “I should say thank you though. You’re right. I’ve let my emotions lead me astray and I did lack conviction. All along, I should have just been myself. I’ve allowed too many people to steer me and claim parts of me. I let AIAI hurry me. I let Lafarron plant his stake. I let reveange against Katri become my purpose for power.

“Sorry, you immature bastard, but I’m not letting anyone else take a piece of me. If you want to experience the world. It will be as the tool in my hand.”

He screamed and lashed at me.

I was prepared with my hand over my heart. I released the Soul Blade summon and he vanished.

The sword he wielded collapsed to the ground and I watched as it slowly sunk below.

“What’s happening?” Imber asked.

“It’s just my weapon. It’s evolving. I need to pick which upgrade it gets.”

“Why am I here?”

“It wanted you, but it doesn’t get to keep you. I thought you would be released when I rejected that sword, but something else must be keeping you.” I looked over at the two remaining swords.

“So, I can go back?”

I sighed heavily and raised my eyes to meet his. “Sorry, Imber. I killed you. I don’t think you can go back. Not without a terrible cost. It wouldn’t be worth it.”

“Please,” he begged. “I want to go back to Vidari.”

“You can ask AIAI to let you keep your memories, but it will make your spawn harder to survive. Who knows, maybe you and Vidari can find each other.”

He dropped into the fetal position. “I don’t want to die.”

Neither did I. “I don’t think there’s anything I can do.” I walked towards the two remaining swords.

As I passed the spear, I bent down and touched it.

Unnamed Recurring Soul Spear.

Returns to the hand after being thrown.

After successful blood-letting strike, grants Honing to all future Ranged Attacks against Target.

“He was right. This really would be a good weapon for Vidari,” I said.

I removed my hand and it sunk into the ground. “Not my style.”

Imber sobbed.

“I need to discover the name of my weapon before he does,” I said. “Do you have any ideas how I might go about doing that?”

Imber ignored me and continued to sob quietly.

I reached out and grasped one of the two remaining swords.

I better not let go of this one, no matter how bad it is, in case the other is somehow worse.

Unnamed Maligner Soul Sword.

On successful blood-letting strike, temporarily disables Target’s last-used Skill.

Enhances blade-based Skills with Malignerer Hex.

“This one’s good,” I said.

I held the sword in my hand and walked over to lift the last option.

Unnamed Justificar Soul Blade.

Adapts shape to enhance an attack or Skill.

On death strike decide fate: Clemency or Vanquish.

“So this one isn’t just a sword?” I asked aloud. “Interesting. What does Clemency or Vanquish do?”

Imber perked up.

“I think I know why you’re still here,” I said to him.

I raised the Maligner Sword and clasped it between my teeth, careful not to drop it and placed my hand over my heart.

I summoned the Soul Blade and felt the pommel slip into my palm. I pulled the hilt out of my chest. No sooner had the guard crossed my skin, did the entire weapon vanish from my hand and my duplicate appeared before me.

He sneered at me, but didn’t attack.

I pulled the sword out from between my teeth and held both weapons parallel.

“I need you to tell me what these upgrades mean, precisely. If you lie, I will find another weapon to use. One without so much attitude.”

He glared at me, but after a moment he lowered his gaze.

“Once I have my name, I will wield you like a—”

“Tool?” I interrupted, then continued before he could get more worked up. “What is the Malignerer Hex?”

He scowled, but answered. “It weakens the enemy’s defence. The higher your necrosis, the better. It increases the more times you hit, but it has a timer too.”

“Similar to Vidari’s Ticker Skill,” I mused.

“Significantly better,” he blurted out. “I’m far superior.”

Imber spoke so quietly, I almost missed it. “What about Clemency?”

My duplicate smiled at him. “It’s exactly what you’re hoping for. It will let you return.”

Imber breathed a shaky sigh of relief.

“With nothing,” said my duplicate, then he laughed. “You will still be who you are and you will remember everything, but you will be zero. No power. No skills. No value. Will your woman still want you?”

Imber stared into the obsidian eyes of my duplicate and for the first time, some of his strength seemed to return. “Vidari loves me.”

“The Maligner also disables my opponent’s last-used skill,” I said. “Does that work multiple times?”

“No.” My duplicate shook his head. “Only one at a time. You can choose to disable the most recent or keep it, but you can’t disable more than one skill at a time.”

“Still,” I said. “It’s a good weapon.”

“The best weapon was the one that empowered me,” he said. “As I grow, so too does your reach.”

“How do I discover your name?” I asked.

He smiled, but didn’t answer.

“Null,” said Imber. “Please…”

I sighed. “I swore to myself that I wouldn’t be pulled along by anyone else’s will.”

“Forgive me, Null.” He climbed to his feet and stumbled towards me. “Just forgive me. Give me clemency and we’ll never cross you again.”

“The Maligner is the better choice, Imber. I have to think about myself. I’m sorry, but you’re dead.”

He collapsed and began to weep. I tried to remind myself of his betrayal, but the rage was no longer burning inside me. He had lied and manoeuvred me, but his intentions were pure survival. His loyalty was to Vidari first and foremost. He had never been vicious towards me. He wasn’t like Katri.

Still, I shouldn’t pick the weaker option just because of him. People die all the time. He will respawn. Sure, Vidari will suffer. They are in love… well, love hurts. That will be her punishment for what she did to me.

I looked down at the weeping man. He was wretched, pathetic, and… I felt responsible.

I glanced up at the nearly frozen face of Serilla, her eyes were ever-so-slightly closing, she was blinking as a tear formed in her eye.

If I choose Clemency, will she forgive me?

“Fuck,” I said. “What does the Justificar adaptation mean?”

“Just that it can transform during a fight to better suit the current need. If you have a Skill that whips the opponent, it can become the whip. If you have a ranged Skill, Justificar will become the vessel you can aim with.” My duplicate looked into my eyes. “But you want the Maligner.”

“What does Vanquish do?” I asked.

“That just means kill.” He looked down at Imber and his eyes were greedy. “His soul will drift away into the wind. Wasted.”

“Will you evolve again?” I asked.

He grinned. “I’ll never stop. Even after you’re gone, I will remain.”

The expression on his face reminded me of Lafarron.

It gave me an idea, a crazy idea that I dare not speak aloud.

I dropped the Malinger and held the Justificar aloft.

“Imber,” I said.

He looked up and I plunged the sword into his heart and two words appeared.

Clemency. Vanquish.

I chose Clemency.

The Maligner sunk into the ground.

“I choose Justificar.”

The tavern returned. The groans of disgust and cheers of exhilaration burst around me.

Imber collapsed to the ground clutching his throat, where a strip of sleek black metal had closed around the wound. He stared up at me with a wide-eyed expression of terror and surprise. I realised he couldn’t see me, yet. He was blind.

Then the world exploded with a torrential wave of quicksilver as that fucking bastard spat out an entire river’s worth of liquid metal.

The pit soon filled and I was swimming on a wave of chaos. The crowd, the tables, the chairs, the drinks, everyone and everything was swept across the tavern.

I saw Imber clutching the unconscious Vidari in his arms. He was pale-faced, weak, and blinking blearily as though he had only just gained the ability to see a a few meters in front of his face, but somehow he had found Vidari and was holding onto her for dear life.

Behind him, I spotted Morgon.

The furious dwarf waved his huge hammer and the quicksilver vanished.

Everything collapsed onto the ground.

I landed awkwardly, and looked up just in time to see Morgon point his hammer at me.

The next thing I knew, I was outside.

Quest failed: Gladium Challenger.

You have been Barred from Morgon’s Tavern.

I opened my mouth to complain, but was interrupted as my new armour thudded to the ground beside me.

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