System, switch back to normal personality. No more cowboy, Zaro thought.

Loading default personality matrix, initializing snark levels, calibrating pop culture references, Done.

Finally. That accent was getting rough to listen to. Zaro thought.

The journey back to Everlight began under clear skies. Their recruits trailed behind discussing their new abilities while the senior team walked ahead. Chad cleared his throat and adjusted his hat.

Let me speak with you all. Away from the others.

They moved ahead until the recruits' voices faded. Chad spoke with unusual seriousness.

That display in the labyrinth showed me something new. I have studied void energy for years. What you and Ezra share runs deeper than mere magic. I want to join this void family.

Aye, Ramrod's laugh echoed through the trees. If the hat wearing wizard joins then so will I. But first ye must beat me in combat Zero. No void tricks. Pure martial skill.

Incoming boss fight detected. Difficulty: Makes Dark Souls look like Hello Kitty Island Adventure.

I accept your challenge. We can settle this properly once we return.

Zaro reminded Ramrod how easily he was beaten before.

That was before ye turned that Elite Guardian ta spare parts.

Chad touched his hat nervously. When do we perform the ritual?

Back in Everlight. We need privacy for this. Zaro replied

Ezra watched the exchange with interest. Her competitive nature sparked an idea. Race you to that ridge? Let us see if void powers match elven speed.

Zaros grin widened. Challenge accepted.

System. Time to test Blood Bargain.

You want to sacrifice 40% HP for mana? That's gonna hurt worse than watching the Game of Thrones finale.

His health dropped to 480 as mana surged to 560. Blood Bargain burned like molten metal in his veins. He forced the pain down and focused.

Ready? Ezra settled into a starting stance.

Set.

Aye lad, Ramrod called out. Show us what ye got.

Go. Zaro activated temporal dilation on himself and sped up.

The recruits gasped as both competitors seemed to vanish. Their basic perception stats couldn't track movement at this level. Marcus dropped his sword in surprise while Sara blinked rapidly, trying to process what happened.

Ezra activated Void Dash, her form blurring as she teleported in rapid succession. Each dash covered three meters, but to Zaro's temporally enhanced perception, even her teleports seemed sluggish. He jogged past her mid-dash, watching void energy ripple around her frozen form.

Three seconds in, his vitality regeneration kicked in, matching his enhanced temporal state. The healing accelerated to keep pace with his altered time perception - a crucial insight about his abilities.

Whoa there Speed Racer, your regen is synced with the temporal field. That's more broken than my ex's promises. The System chimed.

He reached the ridge with three seconds to spare and turned to watch her approach, her void dashes appearing like stop motion photography.

Temporal Dilation has reached Level 2.

Mana cost reduced to 45 mana per second

With 400 mana Zaro can use this skill for 8 seconds.

Ezra arrived breathing steadily but confusion showed on her face. Even with Void Dash, you moved like I was standing still.

The recruits finally caught sight of them at the ridge, their jaws hanging open. Tom whispered something about inhuman speed.

Aye, Ramrod bellowed. Now that's what I call a proper show of power. Though I still say nothing beats a good old fashioned axe to the face.

Blood Bargain gave me mana. Temporal Dilation slowed you down. Zaro explained while his health regenerated slowly. The insight about his regeneration speed matching temporal dilation could be game changing in combat.

Showing off again? She nodded toward their watching audience.

Always. His grin hid the lingering pain as he considered the tactical advantages of his improved time control. The ability grew more useful with each application.

The others caught up while Chad theorized about temporal mechanics. Ramrod simply shook his head and smiled.

System notification. Achievement unlocked. Time Lord Wannabe

Reward, Ability to say wibbly wobbly timey wimey without cringing

Note. No TARDIS included. That's DLC.

The group made their way back to the city gates as the sun began to set. The recruits whispered among themselves about the impossible speed display. They kept throwing glances at Zaro.

System status check.

Health. 800.

Mana. 400.

Blood Bargain cooldown. 3 minutes.

Note. Maybe don't yeet half your HP next time? Just saying.

The familiar bustle of Everlights market district welcomed them. Street vendors packed up their stalls while tavern lights flickered to life. The scent of fresh bread and roasted meat drifted from The Drunken Gryphon.

Aye time for a proper celebration. Ramrod grinned. First rounds on me.

Chad adjusted his hat. Before that perhaps we should discuss the void family matter. His fingers tapped his staff nervously.

The recruits looked exhausted but proud. Marcus straightened his back. Thank you for the training sir. We learned more today than in months of standard instruction.

Get some rest. Zaro told them. Report to the guild tomorrow for your rank assessments. They nodded and headed off.

Once alone Zaro checked his muted notifications.

System Alert. Labyrinth Quest Complete

Primary Objective. Clear Labyrinth. Completed

Bonus Objective. All Recruits Survived. Completed

Experience gained. 750

System Alert. Dubs in the chat. Level up. Level 13 reached.

Current progress. 3500 experience for level 14.

10 stat points and 5 skill points received.

This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

Quest Rewards.

Skill Upgrade Point 2.

Stat Points 5.

New Title. Guardian of the Labyrinth

Effect. 5% damage to construct type enemies

Effect. 2% damage reduction in dungeons

Zaro now had 25 stat points, 3 skill upgrade points and 21 skill points.

Zaro led his team to a quiet corner of the city gardens. Ancient trees provided privacy while crystal lanterns cast soft blue light across carefully maintained paths.

Chad paced nervously. So how exactly does this void family thing work? Do we need candles? Ritual circles. Blood sacrifice.

Nay ye dramatic git. Ramrod chuckled. Though I still say we should fight first Zero. Nothing builds family bonds like a good brawl.

Ezra leaned against a tree watching with amusement. Just wait until you feel the connection. It's different from normal magic.

Chad. Zaro spoke with authority. Before we proceed I need you to understand what this means. The void family isn't just a magical bond. It's a hierarchy. You would serve under my leadership. Are you willing to accept that?

Chad paused his nervous pacing. The normally confident wizard looked thoughtful. You want me to serve under you? His fingers tightened around his staff.

Yes. Ezra moved closer. We are family but Zaro leads us. The void chose him as our anchor.

Chad studied Zaro for a long moment. Your power in the labyrinth. The way you handled the recruits. The tactical decisions. He adjusted his hat. Yes. I will serve.

Zaro nodded and reached out with his void sense. The familiar darkness swirled around him ready to forge new bonds. Chad closed his eyes and stepped into the void energy.

System Alert. Initiating Void Family Bond

Zaro poured more power into the connection. Chad gasped as void energy wrapped around his natural mana. The magical resistance fought back trying to reject the foreign power.

Just breathe. Ezra stepped closer lending her strength to the bond. Let it flow naturally.

Chad nodded sweat beading on his forehead. His hat tilted askew as he focused on accepting the void energy. Gradually his resistance faded.

System Alert. Void Family Bond Established

Member Added. Chad Level 32 Archmage

Specialization. Void Mage.

Basic skills unlocked. Void bolt, Void Sense and Void Whisper.

Specialization Skills Unlocked.

Void Barrier, Void Bomb, Shadow Siphon.

That was intense. Chad adjusted his hat with shaking hands. I can feel both of you. Like shadows at the edge of my thoughts.

Chad flexed his fingers feeling new power flow through them. The void energy merged seamlessly with his arcane knowledge creating something entirely new.

Fascinating. Chad whispered. The theoretical applications alone. His eyes lit up with academic excitement. I can see the patterns now. The way void energy interacts with traditional magic.

Ramrod watched the ceremony with interest. Now that looks like proper magic. Almost makes me want to try it myself. But first. He cracked his knuckles. About that fight Zero.

Tomorrow at dawn then. Zaro nodded to Ramrod. First I need food and rest.

The smell of roasted meat caught his attention. He grabbed a massive turkey leg from a passing vendor cart and made his way to his quarters. The hot bath helped ease the strain from the day while he contemplated his growing strength.

Lying back in the steaming water he focused inward channeling his power into his physical form.

System Alert. Distributing Stat Points

Strength increased by 5. New value 40.

Agility increased by 10. New value 40.

Stamina increased by 5. New value 40.

5 stat point banked.

Zaro had an odd habit of feeling like he need to have points banked just in case. He'd been doing it in games for years. Just in case he is in a situation he can't figure out. Having a bunch of stat points banked could change the outcome. He had a hard time committing completely.

He waited for the uncomfortable feelings that the upgrades gave with a threshold crossing upgrade. His muscles, bones tendons and ligaments felt like they were tearing and reforming in every inch of his body while his lungs and heart were battling evil as well. The sound of his bones breaking and reforming was painful and gross sounding. However, experiencing the pain while in a steaming hot bath was refreshing. He was starting to look forward to the pain. And what it meant.

The pain subsided. Zaro exited the bath, rolling his shoulders as he adjusted to his new frame. He dried off and used void storage to equip some clothes. His shirts were definitely getting tight across the chest and arms. At six feet and now around 210 pounds, he cut an imposing figure. He would need to visit the tailor soon.

Level 13 Voidwalker

HP 800. Mana 400. Strength 40. Agility 40. Intelligence 40. Vitality 40. Stamina 40

Available Resources

Stat points 5

Skill Points 21

Skill Upgrade Points 3

I will keep banking these until I have enough for something awesome. Zaro thought.

He got prepared for his battle and started walking to the yard.

Zaro faced Ramrod in the training yard as dawn broke. Looking up at his eight-foot tall opponent, he knew power strikes would be useless. He'd need perfect technique.

Ramrod launched a heavy straight punch. Zaro stepped in, his forearm angled up at forty five degrees in what Jeet Kune Dough refers to as bong sao, using his elbow's power and shifted center line to redirect the massive strike past his shoulder. As Ramrod's arm slid by, Zaro's palm shot out in a pak sao, pinning and trapping the extended limb against Ramrod's own shoulder.

Using the trap, Zaro delivered precise hooks to the floating ribs. Ramrod tried creating space but Zaro stayed tight, grabbing wrist and elbow controls. When Ramrod threw another heavy strike, Zaro secured his arm while stepping deep into his base. Using Ramrod's forward momentum and his own hip rotation, he executed a clean hip throw.

As they crashed down Zaro maintained wrist control, transitioning quickly to knee on belly and he rained down a hammer fist that Ramrod barely blocked in time. That gave Zaro time to achieve a solid mount. He extended and wrapped his legs around his opponents legs like vines and pressed his hips into the ground to pin and started throwing punches then immediately transitioned to a high mount to limit arm movement.

Ramrod bucked and nearly escaped so Zaro shifted back to mount and started his ground and pound. 1 punch connected so his opponent tried to turn over and get up due to being overwhelmed and Zaro didn't hesitate to take Ramrod's back. Against the much larger opponent, he hooked his left leg around Ramrod's left elbow tucking it tight behind to limit movement and trap the left arm with his leg to even the strength gap.

Ramrod tried powering out but the position negated his strength advantage. Zaro threw short left hooks targeting the jaw, forcing Ramrod's chin up and creating the opening. His right arm snaked under the neck, securing the rear naked choke.

Ramrod refused to tap, struggling against the blood choke until his movements slowed and finally stopped. Zaro immediately released the hold and rolled him to his side.

Ramrod's eyes fluttered open moments later. He grinned up at Zaro. Now that's how ye fight properly. But what do ye call all that fancy stuff ye did?

JKD for the blocks and traps, Zaro demonstrated the angled forearm and palm pin. Judo for the throw, and Brazilian Jiu jitsu for the groundwork. He helped the bigger man to his feet. When your opponent is stronger, you need leverage and technique rather than force.

Ramrod rubbed his neck thoughtfully. Aye, ye made me look like a tavern brawler. Never seen fighting like that before.

The redirects, Zaro mimicked the movements slowly, let me use your own power against you. When you struck, I didn't block. I guided your force away while staying close. The trap kept you from pulling back to full power.

Ramrod nodded, throwing a slow punch to better understand. And that throw? You barely seemed to strain.

Hip rotation and leverage. Once I was inside, your height worked against you. Your center of gravity was higher, Zaro demonstrated the entry. Then on the ground, I kept you from using your strength by controlling your posture and arms. The leg hook trapped your arm so you couldn't just muscle out.

Clever lad. Most just try to match strength with strength. Ramrod rubbed his jaw where the hooks had landed. Those little strikes were precise too. Kept me from thinking straight enough to counter.

Dirty boxing. Short hooks and strikes from close range. Had to keep you defensive while I worked for position, Zaro shrugged. Against someone your size, I needed every advantage.

Well, Ramrod grinned, rolling his shoulders, care to show me that first block again? Might be useful teaching these guards something beyond swinging hammers.

Zaro moved through the basic stance. Keep your forearm angled like this, he showed Ramrod. The power comes from your elbow being anchored close to your body. When a strike comes in, you turn just enough to let it slide past while staying in range to counter.

Ramrod mirrored the movement, his massive frame adjusting to the technique. Like water off a roof then.

More like guiding a river, Zaro corrected. You want to stay connected to their energy. Feel where it's going. Then you can use it.

The big warrior nodded. Show me that trap again. The one you used to set up the throw.

As they strike, you redirect with the forearm block, then your palm pins their extended arm, Zaro demonstrated slowly. From here you can control their posture. See how it breaks their structure?

And those short strikes after?

Keep them tight. No big swings. Zaro threw a series of compact hooks. You want to generate power from your hips even in close. Each hit sets up the next position.

Makes sense lad. In a real fight though, what stops them from just pulling away?

Zaro stepped in close. Timing and distance. You stay too tight for them to generate power. If they try to make space... he seized Ramrod's arm and smoothly entered for another throw, stopping just before the completion.

Ramrod laughed. Point taken. Well lad, it looks as if ye have a new brother in me.

Let's get on with the show.

Void energy pulsed from Zaro's palm, spreading through Ramrod's body like ink in water. The big warrior shuddered as dark energy rippled across his skin like plates of living armor. Suddenly the plates sunk beneath his flesh, into his very being. Ramrod threw his head back with a roar of pain as his nervous system burned with void energy, every nerve ending aflame with dark power.

When it was done, Ramrod stood, his eyes now burning with purple iris, tiny specks of void energy dancing in their depths. His skin had returned to normal, but dark purple traced through his veins like a web of twilight beneath his flesh. His presence filled the space around them, a Kinetic Void Colossus awakened.

System alert. Quest completed.

Zaro muted the notification.

Ramrod flexed his hands, feeling the void energy pulse with each movement. Every step, every motion seemed to feed something within him. Even the air disturbed by his movements left tiny traces of power he could feel. Three basic abilities awakened within him - the void sense that let him feel the energy around him, the ability to manifest void armor at will, and most intimately, the void whisper that connected him to his new family's thoughts.

Can ye hear me, lad? Ramrod projected the thought, testing this new connection.

Clear as day, brother, Zaro's voice echoed in his mind. The void whisper will always keep us connected, no matter the distance.

The void has chosen well, Zaro spoke aloud. You will absorb the force of battle itself. Each blow you take, each strike you make, will only make you stronger. When you call upon your power, you'll grow even larger, your flesh becoming living void armor once again.

Ramrod grinned, understanding flooding through him as the void revealed his abilities. Like our sparring match. The more they fight, the more power I gain.

Welcome to the family brother, Zaro said simply.

Ramrod clasped his arm, his grip now carrying the weight of mountains. Lead on then. Show me what else ye can teach me about the void.

The two warriors walked back toward the keep, brothers in the dark.