Kaden leaped off the the edge of Suridev’s flying Island and crashed to the deck of the sky-skiff and rolled to his feet as Vanya flinched. “Sir! Lord Suridev has ordered me to handle this for you.”

“Something’s going wrong,” Kaden said. “Is there a hold?”

“Not truly.” Vanya opened a hatch on the deck, showing a cramped area.

“Get down there, keep my [Mana Dust] tube safe.” Kaden waited for Vanya to close the hatch and tried to activate [Stealth Aura]. No dice, meaning they were already being watched.

[Split Second] activated. Kaden spun, looking for the attack.

It wasn’t an attack so much as another skiff.

Kaden slammed Remembrance down, sinking it into the deck as the skiff rammed it sideways. That was Vanya screaming below the deck as wood shattered and the boat shifted sideways in the air before the enchantments slowed it.

A trio of men in blood red armor leaped onto the deck, looking toward Kaden in confusion. “This skiff—and everything on it—is now property of Bluderyn The Red. That includes you. Sorry, mate. You’re not on the cargo list, which makes you a witness. You know what they say about witnesses.”

Their armor lit up in gold each time Kaden used [Identify], but he got a glimpse of the level on one. Thirty Five, way too high for Kaden to take on. No, this would take different tactics. He knocked on the deck. “Come out, and bring it with you.”

Vanya emerged with the cargo box. Blood ran down the side of his head as he stood, unsteadily. “Know that you’ll incur the wrath of Lord Suridev the Golden.”

“Nothing we haven’t done before. Hand it over,” one of them said.

Kaden drew a tube from Inventory. “Looking for this? Or you want the decoy in the box?”

Their hungry gazes locked on the tube.

“Hand it over. We’ll throw you off the skiff. The lizard can resurrect what’s left.” The closest man edged closer and closer to Kaden.

Kaden shook his head. “Three thirty fives picking on me. I’d be suicidal to fight with you.”

“Thirty fives?” one of the men chuckled. “I wish—I mean, yes. Do as we say.”

Kaden focused on Vanya. *IS THERE ONE OF THOSE ESCAPE MANA PODS>*

He wasn’t skilled enough to hear someone’s thoughts if they didn’t have the Mind Speech as well, but the old man’s trembling concealed a quick nod, and though he clutched the box tighter, one finger extended.

So there was one.

Kaden put an arm around Vanya. “If you have to jump to your death, you want the front or the back?”

“The back,” Vanya said.

Kaden nodded. “Get to it. Keep your arms and legs close and try to land butt first so there’s enough to resurrect. My friends and I will negotiate for who gets the tube.”

“No negotiation!” the true thirty-five said. “And no jumping. For it to count as a murder, I need to push you. Bluderyn’s strict about that.”

“Not going to—” Kaden never got to finish.

The Sky-Pirate to his right lunged at Kaden, who had zero good choices, so he chose a bad one, using [Split Second] to pull the man toward him, then [Moment of Speed] to push him overboard.

The second man’s armor had grown nothing but spines, and he charged at Kaden, who [Shield Bashed] the man to the side. That was his favorite part about [Shield Bash]. Unless the target had a talent like [Immovable] it would always knock them aside. Against higher level opponents, not dangerous—unless one was on a sky-skiff. Unless the edge were perilously close.

[Shield Bash]! He repeated the sideways motion, and the man fell backwards, grasping the edge of the skiff with a single hand. Remembrance could take care of the hand—and the man—but [Split Second] gave Kaden the slightest warning.

He couldn’t avoid the other man’s slice completely, but by leaping up onto the rail, the sword only dug a deep gash on his thigh. It wasn’t so much intention but a happy little accident that he perched on top of the hanging man’s fingers. Or that when he spun, it ripped the skin off fingers.

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The Sky-Skiff was never meant for this kind of abuse, and pitched hard to the side with Kaden’s weight. It still climbed higher and higher, but slowly, with the enemy skiff embedded in its side.

“You’re a dead man.” Kaden’s only remaining enemy was the level thirty five, and he seemed to understand the ambush wasn’t going the way it was planned. “Hand over the mana dust. Kneel. I’ll cut off your head, but that’s all I’ll do.”

Kaden rocked on his heels, grinding the man’s fingers. “That’s a lot of talk for a someone who’s alone. It’s two on one.”

“You and the old man. I’ll take my chances” He drew a single sword, the blade covered in hooks.

“Vanya?” Kaden looked back to find the old man digging in a storage bin. “He’s not in this battle. Neither is your buddy.” Bones crunched as Kaden shifted his weight. Any moment now, the man would commit to battle, and Kaden would unleash Trinity.

“[Thorn Cage]” The man uttered, pointing his blade at Kaden.

Before Kaden could move, a bolt of scarlet energy arced to him. His Eldritch Shield drank some of it, but a crimson arc struck his hand—and left an imprint. It grew upward, and with every moment, something stabbed deep into Kaden’s hands. Into his arm.

Not just pain, but as he moved, the invisbile thorns slowed his hands, brushed against bones.

“Give up. The longer it’s active, the more damage it does.”

The crimson weave had reached his upper arm. Kaden swigged a health potion and tested something, forcing his arm to bend. A ripple of cracking noises followed as pinpoint wounds burst on the other side of his arm. But he could move.

“Get out,” He said to Vanya.

The old man clutched the emergency bubble in one hand, and the delivery box to his chest. “It’s a long, long way down—”

Kaden threw him off the skiff.

You have damaged Fate’s Design.

You have incurred a Karmic Penalty.

That was a problem for later. He charged one step forward—then spun and brought down the edge of the [Eldritch Shield] on the hanging man’s fingers. It sheered them off, and he screamed as he fell, making a duet with Vanya which would have been quite entertaining if not for the agony.

One of the plumeting pair had an emergency bubble. The other would need a few dozen skill points in [Bounce], which probably wasn’t a skill.

Kaden almost fell as the crimson weave of [Thorn Cage] crossed his chest, but [Fortress of Stone] and [Sole Survivor] made it possible to face his enemy. For now. Kaden coughed out blood as the Thorn Cage reached his lungs.

“How the hell are you still standing?” The man asked, the first note of doubt in his voice.

Kaden advanced on him, keeping the Eldritch Shield out, but before he could [Shield Bash], the man leaped, using Kaden’s own shield to land on the other side and slashed Kaden’s leg before he could turn. “[Acrobatics.] Handy.”

Kaden activated [Mana Drain], this time ready for the fight to drain someone higher level, and at the same time poured all his mana into [Moment of Speed], using the Levicon Blade to carve a gash up the man’s arm.

But he didn’t drop his sword, even though his eyes bulged with agony as Kaden continued to tear out mana. “[Thorn Cage] is a summons,” he said with pride. “Won’t stop unless I tell it to.”

Kaden had a clever comeback planned but blood made him choke as the [Thorn Cage] spread, encompassing his chest. [Mana Drain] halted, since the man was out of mana. And he knew what to do. This was a losing battle against an enemy he could hurt but probably not kill. He backed away, forcing legs to move as invisible thorns pierced his hips. “I’m going to kill you.”

“Not likely. Not before [Thorn Cage] renders you ruined.” The man summoned his own shield and hunkerd down behind it.

Kaden hopped from the damaged sky skiff onto the one that had rammed it and pushed with all his might, breaking it free. Then waved as the Bluderyn skiff, now free of its wounded prey, rocketed upward.

Before he could turn, the Bluderyn ship crunched.

“This ship and everything on it belong to Syntera—wait. Who are you? Where are the others? Where’s the mana dust?” The woman in black leather straps and not much else looked around confused—then fell to the ground as crossbow bolts errupted from her chest, her stomach, her legs. All the places armor really ought to cover.

[Thorn Cage] had reached Kaden’s eyes, leaving his sight tinged red and blurry, but he knew now what he should have done immediately. He turned and jumped for the edge of the ship.

Karmic Penaty applied.

His foot hit the edge of the ship, and Kaden wheeled, trying to spin his weight.

Something clamped down on his hand.

“Going somewhere?” The voice was an androgynous, dry tone without emotion. “You’re not supposed to be on this ship. She’s not supposed to be here. And yet, you are here, early for our meeting. With [Mana Dust] in your Inventory, Kaden Birch. Hand it over.”

He drew it from Inventory. Would have laughed, but the thorns driven through his jaws made it harder.

“This is garbage. Where’s the good one?”

Kaden tried to point down. “Gone.”

“This ship—and everyone on it—are prisoners of me. Oberix. You could have avoided all of this if you’d just chosen me in the first place. Oh, that’s interesting. [Twist of Fate]. Let’s just keep it twisting, shall we?”

The [Thorn Cage] had completed its piercing, enveloping. But the thing about it was, it couldn’t get worse. And Kaden had been aware when Mr. Dervish attempted to flay a binding from his soul. He pushed himself to move even as thorns broke and tore. Muscles could heal. “Leaving.”

“That’s not what ‘prisoner’ means. Take him. Throw her off.” The shadowy figure moved away.

There were few moments where Kaden saw opportunity. This was one. As hands grasped him to raise Kaden to his feet, he activated [Moment of Speed] and threw himself straight forward.

Something like a tree trunk hit him in the shoulder, and Kaden powered forward, heedless of the needles driven through his flesh. Though the world was blurry, this time he found the edge of the ship and leaped. [Resilient Constitution] would keep him alive.

Kaden sailed free, unafraid of the drop that was coming.

Karmic Penalty applied.

Karmic Penalty is reset.

He crashed into someone, then rolled across a wooden floor.

“I suppose, if you’re that eager, you can go on my barge,” Oberix said. “Someone get him cleaned up. He’s bleeding on my deck. Karmic Penalty, darling. Don’t challenge Fate. The old man was to be disembowled by Bloody’s thugs. Who were to be poisoned by Syntera’s bitches. Who would be—oh, you get it. We’ll talk later. Such delicious desires.”

He couldn’t even fight as people bound his arms and dragged him away.