Mel managed to hold it together all the way through the caves. She saw evidence of a fight and followed it to its obvious conclusion.

Their bodies were cold to her [Gaze of the Serpent]. They had been left there, face-down, with arrows in their backs.

Mel could see it in her mind’s eye. They had tried to run away but had been shot, anyway. They hadn’t even fought back!

“Cowards,” Mel hissed with every ounce of venom she could inject into the word.

She gently pulled out the arrows as if the dead could be spared their pain. Hot tears fell onto her cheeks and sparkled with heat to her infravision as she turned them over one by one.

Not a single one had survived.

“I’m sorry,” she said, sobbing. “I’m sorry I wasn’t there.”

Mel looked to the side, to the mouth of the cave. They had been less than 100 yards from their goal. It hadn’t saved them.

“Why did you leave?” Mel asked Sabrina’s serene features. “Why didn’t you just wait for me? They were afraid! They wouldn’t have moved against you!”

Rage and sorrow battered her soul.

Her worst fears had been made manifest. While she was off on an adventure, her friends had been murdered. Did they hate her in the end? Were they afraid?

Unable to stop herself, Mel looked around the site. All signs pointed to a quick death. The Archers were very accurate. Her friends were all cut down before they could do much more than run a few yards.

Small comfort.

Time lost all meaning as Mel wailed and screamed to vent her rage. She cursed every god and Kindred that she knew–an incredibly long list for a Magi–and dared them to strike her down. Ardor’s mercy and Wisdom’s protection were worth nothing in the Convocation.

When she had finally played out her rage, a serene calm settled over her. A small part of Mel was glad that she had an outlet for her rage.

This wasn’t just a random act of violence. It wasn’t a monster that got them. Somebody had done this on purpose.

Mel vowed then and there that she would repay the Stolst gang with rivers of blood. She didn’t care about the competition anymore.

Vengeance consumed every ounce of her being.

She looked at the bodies. There was something she had to do first, though.

Kneeling beside Sabrina’s body, Mel took out a [Copper Rune Coin]. “I know you weren’t Magi, but this is my custom. I hope it brings your soul peace.”

She set the copper piece on Sabrina’s forehead, got up, then knelt again reverently beside Shane. One by one, Mel anointed them each with a coin for the Ferryman.

Mel had paid her respects to dear friends and family enough to know what would happen next. She stood and waited patiently for the magic to work its way through the symbolism.

One by one, their bodies began to glow. Mel dropped her infravision, wishing to see them one last time.

Instead of the magic she was expecting, each of their bodies vanished with a pulse of white light. A faint tinkle of glass drew her attention to the cavern floor.

The coins, and their bodies, were gone.

In their place were five white crystals giving off a soothing pale light. Hanging at her side, the [Ghostflame Lantern] suddenly burst into flame. It swayed back and forth, reacting to the presence of spirits.

Dropping to one knee, Mel picked up a crystal. It was no larger than her thumb joint and was pleasantly warm in her hand.

[Soul Crystal (Sabrina)]

(Copper Rank, Item)

(Celestial)

When people die before their time, they leave a trace. In some, this trace is powerful enough to be felt for years. In others, their will to live is so strong that it persists in the form of a soul crystal. These crystals only reveal themselves to those they shared a special connection with. Infinitely rare, soul crystals contain the core of the deceased’s soul.

Mel thought her tears had all been shed, but her breast seized again when she read the description. A flicker of hope blossomed in her chest.

She recalled the winning prize for placing in the top 3.

A [Revival Scroll].

It was too much to hope for, but Mel couldn’t let it go. She scooped up the [Soul Crystals], and delicately placed them in her inventory.

As soon as the [Soul Crystals] were safely tucked away, the system decided now was the perfect time to twist the knife a little deeper.

Quest Update: Seeking Danger

Additional Objective Failed: Deal less than 50% of the total damage (4/5).

Yeah, I get it, Mel snarled.

Fury and purpose swelled within her. Fortunately, her decision hadn’t changed. In a way, mass murdering a bunch of higher ups in the Stolst gang would get her closer to the top 3.

Even if it didn’t, she wouldn’t stop until all those responsible were dead. If the competition ended right then, Mel would hunt down each and every last one.

Mel sped through the cave and out into the forest, [Windstorm] lacing her body with incredible speed. She pushed herself harder than she ever had before.

She easily found the Stolst camp by following the mass exodus. Mel tore into the camp, [Frostbite Stinger Twinblade] cutting down the few remnants of the gang that opposed her at the gates. They stood up to the opening salvo until [Omen Mark] turned [Frostbite Toxin] into a stacking damage-over-time affliction.

Passing [Omen Mark] from one dead gang member to the next allowed her to keep stacking [Frostbite Toxin], which further increased her speed with [Haste].

[Hidden Mist] sprang up around her as the rest of the camp arrayed itself against her. Arrows whistled through the dense fog, hitting nothing but their own allies as Mel went from one target to the next.

She was pleasantly surprised to find that the camp was emptier than its size would suggest. Unfortunately, they were also on full alert.

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Mel was okay with that. It gave her something to vent her rage on. Being Copper made a huge difference, but against so many enemies, she was sorely pressed.

Her aspect skills were central to the slaughter. [Hidden Mist] allowed her to move between targets without being seen, driving chaos and fear among her enemies.

[Gaze of the Serpent] let her mark out even the most well-hidden attackers who were lying in wait for her. [Sanguine Coat] soaked up the damage and the poison bolts they shot at her, resisting the toxic effects and tanking those that it could not with her second health bar.

[Omen Mark] allowed Mel to deal staggering damage-over-time to high-priority targets. People who were nearing her strength, captains and lieutenants, were the first she went after. With [Omen Mark], she inflicted [Decay] on them with a touch, and then stacked up bleed and frostbite toxin afflictions with each slice of her twinblade.

Finally, [Tempest Heart] lent her the power to switch her strengths on the fly. [Windstorm] enhanced her movement and evasion, while [Firestorm] strengthened her attacks.

As her newest aspect, Mel was still getting used to switching storms on the fly, but the more she got used to it, the easier it became. She could go from the defensive to attacking in the blink of an eye.

Her twinblade scythed through the camp’s defenders. Archers found themselves face-to-face with a demoness, her eyes glittering like emeralds in the night.

Your [Agility (Mist)] attribute advances to [Copper Rank (Grade 4)].

Your [Sanguine Coat] Blood aspect skill advances to [Copper Rank (Grade 3)].

Your [Vigor (Blood)] attribute advances to [Copper Rank (Grade 3)].

Your [Sense (Serpent)] attribute advances to [Copper Rank (Grade 4)].

Your [Tempest Heart] Divine aspect skill advances to [Copper Rank (Grade 1)].

Your [Strength (Divine)] attribute advances to [Copper Rank (Grade 1)].

When Mel was finished, only a single soul still lived. She stood, bathed in the blood of her enemies. Over a dozen bodies littered the camp.

Out of curiosity, Mel checked her status.

[Mel Harper]

Race: Human

Rating: [#112] Exile (G-League) [1 st Echelon]

Class: Mystic

Rank: Copper

Next Rank: Iron (8%)

[==Attributes==]

Strength [Divine Aspect]: Copper (Grade 1)

Agility [Mist Aspect]: Copper (Grade 4)

Vigor [Blood Aspect]: Copper (Grade 3)

Sense [Serpent Aspect]: Copper (Grade 4)

Arcane [Omen Aspect]: Copper (Grade 2)

Mel nodded grimly. She had jumped tens of places in a single night, not to mention increasing her attributes and aspect skills thanks to all the fighting.

When her attention fell on the lone gang member, his arms bound behind him to a pole in the middle of the camp, Mel grinned. “I bet you’re regretting calling yourself captain now, huh?”

“Please, I’ll tell you anything!” he cried.

“Yes,” Mel promised. “You will.”

Less than an hour later, she was heading toward the next camp with detailed notes on its defenses. She didn’t trust them entirely. If she was staring at death, she would have lied her ass off and gone to the grave knowing that she had at least done her part.

Then again, the Stolst gang didn’t seem to have that level of loyalty or cohesion. Judging by the size of the last camp, she should have had to kill at least 50 people.

Mel had faced less than half that number.

If George had spread the word, that meant there were quite a few people who took their chances deserting rather than staying to face her.

Aw, that’s kinda sweet, the demented thought popped into her head.

Mel had taken everything of value that she could carry from the last camp. Time was of the essence, so she left an unconscionable number of weapons and armor behind. She just didn’t have the time to break it all down.

Mel had collected every potion and herba she found. The majority were health potions, followed by stamina potions. She planned on using them as needed. So long as she didn’t use them quickly in succession, she didn’t suffer any ill effects from using too many.

She needed to get to the next camp before they could harden their defenses. The gang member she interrogated had told her it was much better defended with a partial palisade and a rotation of guards.

Mel was surprised that Warren had been able to get this all set up so quickly, but then she guessed with superhuman strength, you could do a lot in a short period of time.

The lights of the outpost were visible from miles away, giving Mel the option of her approach. The worst of her rage had been played out, and she was far more in control of her faculties than before.

Rushing into such a populated and well-defended camp would be suicide, even for her. She planned her path carefully, sticking to the shadows and the mist she let seep out from the woods.

Mel wasn’t perfect, she knew that some people had likely escaped. She only hoped that this group wasn’t well-versed in her tactics.

The more she used her aspect skills, the more Mel became accustomed to them and their idiosyncrasies. Coming down from a ledge overlooking the camp, Mel’s fog drifted across the rocky ground.

Crouching, she easily stayed within the low-lying mist. At night, it was merely spooky. They didn’t have walkways of any kind to see over the palisades, so they had patrols outside the half-constructed walls.

If Mel wanted to, she could have slipped in and out without being seen.

Really could use Heath’s help here, Mel thought to herself.

For some reason, she didn’t think he would mind a little revenge.

Hell, it’d probably be cathartic for him.

As tempting as that was, Mel couldn’t involve him. This was her vendetta. Her cross to bear.

A single guard walked into the fog carrying a torch. Mel shook her head and focused on him.

Huh, so Captain Francis wasn’t lying.

The guard, like Francis and many others she had already killed, wore a knot of rope attached proudly to his breast, marking him as one of the “inner circle” of the Stolst gang. Men and women who had “proven” themselves dedicated to the gang by killing another human. If she wasn’t using her [Gaze of the Serpent], the color of the knot would have given away his rank, but she didn’t need to know it in order to kill him.

Mel slipped behind him like a ghost. Her first hit struck the tendons behind his knees, crippling him. As she came up, twinblade still turning, she sliced across his neck, silencing his coming scream.

Hands gripping his bloody throat, the man dropped into the mist and was swallowed whole. Mel dragged his body away, out of the path to a secluded area she had scouted earlier.

It was beginning to dawn on her just how many bodies she was going to have to leave behind in her thirst for vengeance. How many people she would hurt in the name of Magi justice.

Mel wasn’t naïve. She knew that this was more for her than for anybody else. She didn’t try to justify it by saying it was good or right.

It was revenge, but more than that, it was a consequence. She had told them what would happen if she saw Warren’s men again. A Magi without their word was nothing. They had this coming. She would not stop until Warren, and everything he built, was turned to ash.