Gramok drew his sword, lunged forward, and swung, decapitating the lead thug in a single motion. The gang recoiled, a moment’s hesitation into which Gramok charged, bellowing “Kangrat handarn!”

The power in his shout echoed through Ted without effect, but he still recognized it. Different words, but the same ability—Taunt. It wouldn’t force them to attack the heavily armored warrior, but it would weaken their attacks if they targeted anyone else.

Cara fired a volley of arrows while rapidly putting as much distance between them as she could. Her first shot went wide. The second and third in thudded in her target’s chest.

The orc let out a bloodcurdling roar. His eyes bulged and his veins strained to bursting point. He charged Gramok, stabbing with his dagger, a blow Gramok didn’t even try to block, his armor deflecting the strike.

A wild-eyed orc charged at Cara and adrenaline surged through Ted’s veins. No time to cast—he drew his falchion and leaped into the fray, thrusting at the orc’s heart and trusting the greater reach of his sword to strike first.

Just as Ted tensed up for the impact, the orc twisted side-on, evading with lightning speed and slashing Ted’s shoulder.

61 piercing damage received!

Light armor skill increased 0 → 1!

Agony seared through Ted, his thoughts barely held together by his Mental Resistance. He hastily stepped back until a table pressed against his back, clutching his shoulder and holding his sword out as a warning.

The thug sneered, advancing slowly, savoring the knowledge that he was too fast, too skilled, too experienced for Ted to stand a chance against him in a straight fight.

But this wasn’t a fair fight, was it? Adrenaline pulsing through his veins, Ted grinned. For him, a double kill was a chance to get more intel, but for the orc it would be the end. Ted shoved his Fire perk points into Stability and Power and began casting Firetouch (Rapid) (Fire/Touch/Ignite) with his free hand.

Mana surged to his call. As expected, the orc lunged—and Ted feinted a suicidal counter thrust. The orc took the bait, twisting out the way as he had before and swinging for the kill.

This time, Ted was ready. He stepped into the orc, slamming into him and grabbing the smug bastard’s face. “Enkir!”

Critical hit! 127 fire damage dealt! Blinded injury inflicted!

Fire magic skill increased 2 → 3!

The orc clutched his scorched face and howled. Screaming, he stabbed wildly into the air. Ted grabbed the flailing arm, directing the blows away from his own face.

An arrow hissed past his shoulder, dropping Cara’s target to the ground, three arrows protruding from its chest and blood gurgling from its mouth. Three thugs wailed on Gramok as he impaled one with his greatsword and bashed another in the face with his huge shield.

Ted grunted and strained against the orc’s strength. Blinded or not, grappling was only delaying the inevitable. Where was Cara?

Glancing around, his blood ran cold. The shifty orc at the back had a wand in his hand, aimed straight at Gramok.

“Watch out!” Ted screamed, too late.

A purple haze shot out of the wand and surged into Gramok. He froze up, his eyes misted over, and he slumped to the ground.

53 piercing damage received!

Piercing agony ripped through Ted’s right side. He shoved the blind orc away, noting the bastard’s switch of hands too late.

An arrow buried itself in the orc’s bare chest. He seized up, his eyes bulged, and he crumpled to the floor, gone.

Three down, five to go, and Ted was already over half dead. Gramok lay motionless on the floor, three thugs bunched around him, stabbing daggers into him over and over.

Three orcs all within 5 feet of each other.

Ted swallowed. Now or never. “Cover me!” he shouted in Wood Elvish. Drawing 153 of the 229 mana he had left, he poured it into the Shockwave spell he’d made that morning.

Cara dropped the wand-wielding orc with a head shot before falling back and skirmishing with an enormous brute, leaving only the three vultures ganking Gramok.

Time to give them what they deserved.

Ted weaved the threads of the Force/Wave/Blast-Stun spell thicker and thicker. He bound the mass of mana together as he snuck up behind the thugs lost in their bloodlust.

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His heart raced, even that slow movement enough to push the spell below 100% success chance.

No way back now. He pulled the threads together, sealing the spell and embracing whatever fate awaited them.

The spell held together, humming with savage, barely contained power. He closed that final step, aimed above Gramok’s crumpled form, and unleashed it. “Ronka-fin!”

139 force damage dealt! Stunned status effect inflicted!

71 force damage dealt! Stunned status effect inflicted!

113 force damage dealt! Stunned status effect inflicted!

Force magic skill increased 1 → 2!

Pain-fueled adrenaline burned in every muscle. This was his chance.

He leaped forward and buried his falchion into an orc’s back.

Critical hit! 121 piercing damage dealt! Punctured Lung injury inflicted!

Short blades skill increased 1 → 2!

In the corner of his eye, he spotted Cara dueling with the enormous orc, dodging and weaving between its blows, and delivering a thousand cuts of her own.

Ted shoved his wounded orc to the floor—a punctured lung had to be enough—and pulled on his mana again, readying a Firebolt.

The bulkier of the two stunned orcs still standing staggered back to its senses and lunged at him, smashing his hands away, disrupting the cast.

Ted darted backward, discarding the now ruined spell, only just bleeding the mana away without an explosion. He raised his sword, slashing and thrusting at the air, drawing the orcs away from Gramok.

The two of them advanced slowly, each wielding a scimitar in one hand and a shorter, yet no less deadly, dagger in the other. The bulkier one was on the left—stronger, no doubt, but also slower.

Both hissed and growled, wasting their chance to double team him, the slimmer one on the right twirling his sword pointless.

These were thugs, not soldiers. They didn’t want to die, not when the other guy might go first. If he could keep them occupied long enough for Cara to finish off her foe, maybe he’d make it out alive after all. Taking advantage of the pause, he focused inward.

HP: 111/225

MP: 23/280

Pulsating pain from his shoulder and chest chipped away at the wall of adrenaline holding him upright, and it was only getting harder not to show it. Never show pain, never show fear.

He stared the orcs down and snarled with as much menace as he could muster, but it came out closer to a dying cough. He glanced over at Cara. Her fight flared up into a flurry of blades from which she darted back clutching her side, leaving the huge orc hobbling toward her.

The bulkier orc looked over his shoulder, distracted by the ruckus, offering an opportunity Ted couldn’t miss. He cast a rapid Armor spell on himself and charged at Not Bulky.

Magical Armor status effect gained! Armor increased by 334!

He put everything into his utterly reckless swing, praying that the Armor increase would be enough to save him.

His falchion bit flesh and shuddered to a halt. Adrenaline spiked through him, and a dagger punched into his gut.

61 slashing damage dealt!

42 piercing damage received!

Ted dodged to the left, flailing his sword in a parry. Metal chinked against metal, deflecting a scimitar that would have cleaved his neck.

An arrow thudded into Cara’s orc, prompting it to roar and charge. Nothing Ted could help with.

He dodged another scimitar swing from Not Bulky, spotting the dagger only as it slashed his arm.

Glancing blow! 29 slashing damage received!

Light armor skill increased 1 → 2!

Ted’s entire being begged for relief as he parried the scimitar, unable to stop the dagger driving into his gut.

23 piercing damage received!

Everything screamed in agony. The world hurtled up. His knees banged against the floor. Blood pooled in his throat. He coughed, but the blood refused to budge.

The orc sneered. Heavy footsteps fell behind Ted.

HP: 17/225

MP: 12/280

Silvery light flashed. An iron grip seized his hair. Blood filled his vision. His heart hammered. No escape. Death, certain.

How many times had his father died?

Bulky yanked Ted’s head back, exposing his neck for the slaughter. His breath caught. This was it.

The greatsword swung toward him, heavy with its finality.

Greatsword?

It flew over Ted’s head and a thud hit the floor behind him. In front of him, Gramok collapsed once again, grunting and groaning.

Ted blinked, still alive, somehow.

He wiped blood from his eyes. The slimmer orc lay dazed on the floor, Cara’s favorite arrow in his chest. Another arrow embedded itself in him, and what little movement he had left stopped.

Cara approached with her bow drawn and cautiously checked the bodies. Only one moved. The last orc alive crawled along the floor, defying his punctured lung and clutching his weapon.

She took aim. Her eyebrows pulled together, and she swallowed. “Surrender, please surrender.”

The bloodied orc pulled himself to his feet. His knees bent, coiling to pounce.

He had to know he stood no chance. He didn’t have to do this.

Why couldn’t he walk away, damn it?

The bare-chested fighter snarled and lunged.

Cara’s arrow plunged straight into his heart. He shuddered to a halt, his eyes wide open. A single convulsion, and he crumpled to the floor.

1,480 XP received!

Adrenaline gave out. The full weight of agony lit up Ted’s every nerve, but it would have to wait. Pushing through the pain, he stared at the bloodied Gramok and activated Identify.

Come on, come on!

HP: 37/355

HP: 36/355

Gramok was barely alive, and bleeding out. He needed healing fast. Ted winced and checked his mana. Not enough, not yet.

Seconds ticked by, each longer than the last. Didn’t the mana want to be used? Didn’t it care?

Tick by tick his MP rose until at least it was enough for Ted to cast his weakest Touch healing spell. The moment it was done, Ted collapsed, letting his eyes close and forcing himself to breath, no matter how much it hurt.

Notifications ticked by. The spell was working, restoring the orc’s health bit by bit.

“Thank you,” Gramok grunted. Metal clattered loudly overhead.

Ted looked up to see the orc’s oversized, gauntleted hand hovering above him. He took it, and Gramok yanked him to his feet like he was nothing.

Eight dead bodies surrounded them. Ted stared at the lifeless shells of eight sentient, intelligent beings lying at his feet, and his stomach churned. They were gone.

Dead.

Killed.

Killed by them.

Nausea filled every corner of his being. Pressure built in his stomach, clamoring to force itself out. He tried it hold it back, and failed.