Alex waited in front of the portal, her weapons in her hand.
Team Alpha was lined up beside her, with Paul on her right and the others to her left. They hadn’t said much to her, aside from Paul. He’d seemed sad but stern as he told her to stick close this time. The company didn’t want any regrettable incidents to happen this time. Portals were too dangerous to play around with, apparently.
If she hadn’t already been sure, she was relatively certain that he was going to try to kill her directly this time.
The other teams had been giving her looks out of the corner of their eyes. It was obvious Joanna and the others hadn’t been silent about what had happened, and the mix of fear and worry on their faces had been painful. Fortunately, some of them looked almost as angry as they were scared. She hoped that would help her once they got to the other side.
Team Gamma stepped into the vortex and vanished. Alex stepped forward, and then watched as Team Beta followed. She stepped forward again and paused. Paul glanced at her. “Remember. Stay close to us.”
“I will.” She remembered the griefers that had nearly killed her mother and smiled. He nodded. Then he and the others stepped forward.
She paused, looking back. Liliana was there, watching her like a cat watched a mouse. Forsmith was studying her silently, fatigue obvious on his face. The Group had been working him and the rest of his cleanup team hard; she wondered how much longer they’d be able to keep things under control. Would a casualty or two today be enough to stop things? Or was that just wishful thinking?
Then she sighed and turned back to the vortex. She counted to five and stepped forward, letting the light take her…
[E Rank Surveyor Alex]
[Ascension Level: 3]
[Role: Page (Role Skills: None)]
[Role Level: 3]
[Experience: 760/1000]
[Attributes: Strength -> 3, Speed -> 6, Life -> 0, Devotion -> 0, Control -> 0]
[Current Skills: Battle Maneuvers(20), Marathoning(12), Melee–Axe(20), Melee–Shield(20)]
[Permanent Skills: None]
[Current Titles: Lady of War (Increases Skill grade of Melee, Combined Arms, Weapon Mastery, and Battle Maneuvers by one.),
Ferocity (Increases Skill grade of Melee, Weapon Mastery, and Combined Arms Skills by one.),
Natural Combatant (Increases Skill grade of Dodging, Anticipate, Battle Maneuvers, and Inspect by one),
Persistent (Increases Skill grade of Recovery, Running, and Marathoning by one.)]
She grinned a little at her Screen’s report. One more full clear and she’d hit level four all right. Maybe that would be in the cards for the day, despite her…other concerns.
[Please select your intent]
[Exploration]
[Vengeance]
[Patrol]
[War]
[Salvage]
Patrol was probably the safe choice; War, Explore, and Salvage were all likely too risky for her. Yet before she chose, there was one last option that spoke to her. It called to her. If this Survey was going to be her last one for a while, she had unfinished business here. Difficult or not, she needed to handle it.
Alex chose Vengeance.
[Your intent is to Avenge]
[Quest Issued! Destroy thirty two Grue Soldiers.]
[Quest Issued! Destroy the Surveyor Killer.]
[Hidden Quest Issued!]
[Hidden Quest Issued!]
[Hidden Quest Issued!]
Alex gave the Quests a grim smile, and then let the light take her…
She came out of the portal a good half a step behind the rest of Team Alpha.
None of them were looking at her. Paul had actually stepped a little out in front of her, as had Cash. They were already talking amongst themselves and ignoring the teams ahead of them. She could see Joanna looking in her direction, and Sam. Both seemed worried. The other Surveyors were tense, but only in the way that happened at the start of each Survey. There were dangerous creatures in this other world, after all, and the knowledge of a team of griefers didn’t help.
Her axe bit into the back of Cash’s right leg, hamstringing him before he could even realize he was under attack. He screamed, and Christopher started to turn, his longbow in his hand. The Acolyte didn’t manage to face her before the edge of her shield smashed across him, snapping his bow and knocking him to the ground.
Emmett and Paul were both shouting, but she spun past Emmett’s swing and put the back spike of her axe through the side of his knee. The Porter gasped in pain, and she completed the spin by smashing her shield across the back of his head.
Then she was facing Paul, alone, as his teammates coughed and screamed between them.
He was yelling. “She’s gone crazy! Help me!” His grip on his longsword was firm, but his eyes were shifting and wild, going from her to the Surveyors lying stunned or crippled between them. She watched him carefully. The Squire was capable of fighting a Knight, so she wasn’t going to underestimate the damage he could do.
Paul took a step towards the portal, but Alex darted out in front of him, blocking the way. He lashed out with a blow that she caught on her shield; he seemed stunned that the blow bounced off. She met his eyes and smiled as he backpedaled, still shouting for help.
Then he glanced behind him and froze. The rest of the Surveyors were watching with stunned eyes, but none of them were moving to help. Rudy was watching with a satisfied smile, as if someone had dropped an unexpected gift in his lap, and there was satisfaction on many of the others’ faces alongside their shock.
“No help for you, little griefer.” She let her voice go cold, and his attention snapped back to her. “One way out. Take your best shot.”
Alex spread her arms, deliberately opening herself up for the attack. He had to know it was a trap. She hit about as hard as he did, despite his greater Strength, and her Speed was so far beyond his that it was impossible to think that he’d actually reach her.
Unfortunately for him, he’d been allowed to win a dozen mock battles against her, time and again. His desperation was clear, and his anger at what she’d done clouded his judgment. Paul leaned in, stepped forward, and put all of his strength into a single, fast lunge, aimed straight for her heart.
She took his hand.
It was easy enough. A sidestep, and then a vertical chop, aimed straight at his right wrist. She shuddered a little as her axe met flesh, but Alex forced herself to remember what he’d done, what he’d tried to do. Griefers would have no mercy or sympathy from her.
Paul screamed, clutching at the stump of his hand. She swung her shield and knocked him senseless, a small act of pity. Then she turned to face Christopher.
The Acolyte was just getting to his knees, obviously still stunned. His bow was in pieces; all he had left was a knife she’d never seen him use. She locked eyes with him and spoke softly. “Give me your health potion, and you can keep all your limbs.”
Christopher went pale, looking around at his teammates. Then he nodded, handing over the vial without comment. She took it, looked into his eyes for a moment, and then smashed her shield into his knee. It made a crunching sound, and he went down, making a high keening noise.
She spent a moment looking around at the members that were still conscious. “It was an ambush by Grue, right at the portal. We sent you back through after we fought them off. You never come back through a portal ever again. Understand?”
Cash and Christopher both nodded. Alex bent and dragged Paul’s stunned form back toward the portal. He vanished as she kicked him through. Christopher staggered through on his own, dragging Emmet. Cash needed a little more help, his face pale from blood loss.
Then they were gone, and only their blood remained on the pavement. It burned as she watched, lighting up in guttering little flares of multi-colored light. Alex looked at it, shook a bit of it from her axe, and then changed her focus to the others.
They were all watching her, their faces showing a mixture of satisfaction, understanding, and shock. She nodded. “Can you guys handle three Camps each today? I have other things to deal with.”
There was a moment of silence, and then Joanna nodded. “Sure. We’ll take Library, Bank, and Mall. Gamma, you good with the other three?”
Sam looked around at his teammates and nodded. “Yeah, we’ve got it.” He nodded to Alex, and then the teams moved. They headed in opposite directions, beginning to shake off their shock as the usual stress of the Survey kicked in. She watched them go, feeling a bit regretful about the fact that she wasn’t going with them. Her companion this time wasn’t likely to be nearly as pleasant.
Only a few moments later, with the other teams already out of sight, Forsmith stepped through the portal.
The difference between the C rank Surveyor and herself was immediately obvious. His white Golden Swallow uniform was almost completely concealed beneath a full suit of plate armor. Dark chain mail showed at the joints, and his face was initially invisible behind a thick visor.
He looked around the broken street and then raised his visor. His expression was one of exhaustion and irritation. “You have a curious definition of the word ‘protect’, Surveyor Morrison.”
“I defend Surveyors, not griefers—and if Liliana wanted her golden boy to keep his hand, she shouldn’t have threatened to send him after my friends.” Alex saw him twitch as if she had slapped him and smiled grimly. “So, did she ask you to finish the job? Maybe tell you to ‘take care’ of me while you were here?”
His expression answered the question for her, but he still spoke. “It was suggested that it might be better for you not to return through the portal.”
“And?”
“You just crippled four Surveyors without making a formal accusation. I’m considering my options.”
The weight of the threat was blunt, but Alex smiled. “Well, just let me know. You’d probably squash me if you wanted to, but would you feel good about it after? Paul and the others would have.”
He grimaced. “Why are you still here? Your dream about being some kind of Regulation champion is going to end in tragedy.”
“You mean like that last one in the hospital? Maybe.” Alex’s smile grew. “Speaking of which, did they ever recover her Talisman?”
Forsmith blinked, seeming a little off balance. “Whose?”
“The last serious Regulation agent. The one in the hospital.” Alex tilted her head to the side. “I imagine that we Surveyors don’t get to have a burial if we die on Earth. The Talismans are too rare, too precious. They toss the corpse through with a Surveyor, to recover the Talisman once the body burns on the other side, right?”
He tilted his head, considering. “I…admit that may be the case.”
“So I just never heard about that happening with the last one you were talking about. You know.” She met his eyes and smiled. “The Crimson Blade.”
Forsmith snorted. “You think she’s still out there? She’s not, Surveyor Morrison. Even if she went into hiding, she’s not going to come avenge you. You’re just an E rank with delusions of grandeur.”
“For now.” Alex saw his lips twitch as he fought a smile, and she grinned. “So. While you are making up your mind, care to help me with a few things? The others are off destroying the Camps, but I have something different in mind today.”
The C rank studied her silently for a moment. “You know my presence will increase the difficulty here. There might be a delay, but there are…things that will sense my presence. They will arrive to oppose me, and they will make things worse.”
Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.
Alex grimaced. “Yeah, I figured. How long should we have?”
He hesitated. “Perhaps twenty minutes. Thirty at the most.”
“Oh! That’s perfect.” She pulled out the horn she had found next to where Christopher’s broken bow had lain. “Now, just give me a minute. Stand right there, and don’t do anything unless a second group comes up, okay?”
The group of Grue came trotting down the street from the direction of the Mall.
It was the closest Camp to the portal, from what Alex’s rough estimates were. The Killer wasn’t among them, but there were twenty Grue, two Knights, and two Archers. All of them paused when they caught sight of Forsmith, standing alone and proud in the middle of the street in front of the portal. They quickly formed ranks, the Knights marshaling the Soldiers into two lines of spears, with the Archers at the back and the Knights filling the space between.
Alex watched them, her Screen activating as she examined them.
[Hidden Quest Discovered! Destroy four Grue Knights]
[Hidden Quest Discovered! Destroy four Grue Archers]
They seemed reluctant to charge, which made sense. The difference between their power and Forsmith’s was stark; the only help he’d need from her if he attacked was to wipe the Grue goo off of his mace. Of course, his Quests probably didn’t involve mere Grue anymore, so there was no real reason for him to strike here. He crossed his arms, glaring at the wall of the Grue with obvious disdain. Their enraged howls didn’t faze him at all.
The noise did cover up her footsteps nicely, though. She sprinted in at the closest Archer from the side where she’d been hiding in the wreckage of an old house. It didn’t even notice her before she hit the thing square in the head with her axe, killing it in a single strike.
Her second target saw the first Archer fall. It backed up frantically, its fingers twitching as it tried to decide whether it should shoot at her or try its axe. She caught it before it could do anything else, planting her own axe right between its eyes.
She turned as it fell, still sprinting hard. The closest Knight was turning, its grey eyes wide with shock. It swung with its sword, a reflexive swipe that would have taken her head off if she hadn’t seen it coming a mile away. Alex ducked beneath it and hamstrung the thing with a backhanded blow to its leg. As it went down on one knee, she shield-checked a surprised pair of Grue, knocking the closest spears sprawling. Then she reversed course and leaped on the Knight’s back, striking it twice with her axe.
It howled in agony and toppled forward. Alex shifted on it, turning to face the other Knight. The monster was charging her, its sword out and ready to spear her. She smiled, caught the thrust on her shield—and shifted it so that the broad blade went straight into the other Knight’s back.
The Grue Knight’s eyes went wide with shock, and she launched herself forward. It managed to shield itself, but she smashed into it with enough force to stagger it a little. When she landed, she darted in under a swipe of its claws, and was hacking it to bits before the other Grue closed in around her.
Then she simply retreated a short distance, letting them chase after her enough to separate them. At that point, it was all over but the chopping. She barely needed to swallow any of the health potion when the bodies began to burn.
[Main Quest Progress 20 of 32 targets destroyed]
[Hidden Quest Progress 2 of 4 targets destroyed]
[Hidden Quest Progress 2 of 4 targets destroyed]
Forsmith was frowning at her as she ran past. “What is the point of this, Morrison? They would disappear when the Camps fall, anyway.”
“It’s Alex! And the others are probably going to hit the Market and the Field first, so I need to keep the reinforcements from clumping up. You’ll see. Just stay put.”
She ignored his muttering as she ran down the next street, darting into another wreckage strewn yard. The Killer never seemed to like being first to the portal, maybe to avoid being caught unawares. Both the Library and the Chapel were close enough that their reinforcements would arrive at the same time, so it would be with one or the other. All she needed to do was guess the right spot…
Sure enough, she heard the tromp of dozens of feet coming from two directions. She successfully avoided the urge to lean out and see if she’d guessed right. If she hadn’t, then she’d just need to hope that the C ranker wouldn’t kill the thing before she could get to it.
From her hiding spot, she saw the Grue as they formed up. Twenty regulars, two Knights, two Archers—and with them, towards the back…
She heard the clink of Talismans strung together on a bandolier. There were barked orders disciplining the monsters into order, this time coming from someone that wasn’t a Knight. They submitted without question, and Alex knew, she knew the thing was right out there. A burst of adrenaline made her almost tremble.
There was a double burst from the horn, sealing her expectations. It was answered by another close horn—the Grue from the Chapel, probably—and others further away. The Grue nearest her shifted. They seemed uncertain, as if they were still reluctant to charge the C rank even with help and the presence of their leader.
Then a roar rose over the ruined town, and Forsmith jerked. It was louder than any Grue, and she saw his helmet pivot to look in the direction that she was hiding. Alex grimaced and gave him a shooing motion; better that he retreat than bring down whatever that was on their heads.
Yet the noise had done one thing, at least. It had put courage into the Grue, and they started forward with a series of brave howls. Alex waited, tense, as they passed her hiding spot by.
Then, as she saw the Knights and Soldiers trotted past, and the Archers drew close, Alex sprinted out and struck.
The Killer was there, and it barked an alert as she sprinted for the first Archer. It spun in alarm, but she smashed her axe through its bow and chest before it could react much more. Unfortunately, the Killer itself was much faster, leaping backwards and drawing an arrow in the same motion. Alex barely got her shield up before the arrow smashed into it. She grunted, and then pivoted to hack at the second Archer, cutting it down before it could raise its own bow.
[Hidden Quest Discovered! Retrieve four Talismans of Ascension]
[Hidden Quest Completed! Four Grue Archers destroyed]
She heard the Killer’s entourage start to change direction, their howls sounding far closer than she wanted them to be. Their aborted charge had carried them down the street, but not far enough.
Alex dodged another arrow from the Killer, and risked a glance in that direction—and was treated to the sight of a C rank absolutely obliterating the Grue detachment from the Chapel.
Forsmith had leaped forward, his mace crackling with lightning. He’d moved so fast that the Grue on that side of the fight had barely managed to spill out into the intersection. None of them seemed to be able to pierce his armor; spears snapped and bounced off as they lunged at him, and even arrows didn’t make so much as a dent. His own return strike sent entire groups of Grue flying. It was clear even the Knights seemed panicked at the idea of facing him, and she was very sure that she was glad he hadn’t decided to unleash all of that on her.
Then the Grue nearest her charged in, and Alex found herself dancing back from their spears. She cut down the first attacker, knocked the next to the side, and chopped through the head of the third. Another roar swelled over the town, closer this time. “Forsmith, go! I can handle the rest.”
She didn’t hear him respond, but more Grue rushed in. Alex spent a few more moments cutting down the fastest of them, knocking aside another brutal arrow from the Killer, and then she ran, darting between the hedges as the Killer and its troops streamed after her.
One brutal run for her life later, Alex was peeking through the brush at the Killer’s troops. It was moving carefully, trying to find whatever tracks she’d left behind. The ruined pavement wasn’t much good for that, though, and the last pair of Grue Soldiers that had caught sight of her weren’t in much of a position to report anything.
The past thirty minutes had been more of the same. Ambush, fight, run. Each strike cut down more of the Killer’s troops and wore away at its patience. None of the Grue from the Chapel had made it past Forsmith, and the C ranker had gone back through the portal—at least, that’s what she assumed, since the roars had faded away.
She watched as the Killer lifted its horn and blew two notes, trying to summon help. Horns answered it, but not as many as had before. It snarled and snapped some orders to its remaining troops. They shifted to head further north, probably towards the Bank. Maybe it was starting to feel like it needed more Grue between it and Alex.
It wasn’t the worst idea, given that it only had about half its remaining Soldiers. Unfortunately, Alex wasn’t going to make it that easy to run away.
When the Grue had all turned their backs to her, she started her charge. Her feet slapped the pavement as she sprinted in, and they started to turn to face her. The Killer spun fastest of all, the Talismans on its chest clacking together as it drew its arrow back and fired.
Alex blocked the shot and then struck. The first Grue she faced died immediately; the second only lasted long enough for its spear to snap against her shield. A third and fourth came at her together, stalling her just long enough to hack them to pieces.
[Main Quest Completed!]
The next opponent that faced her was a Knight, striding towards her with its sword ready to strike. Alex threw herself sideways and managed to avoid a blow that dug a divot in the pavement. An arrow struck her in the shield a moment later, but she pushed forward and smashed into the Knight. They struggled for position for a few heartbeats, at least until she hooked her opponent’s shield with her axe and pull it aside. It tried another desperate hack, but she knocked it aside before she cut her way into its torso.
As the Knight fell, Alex caught another arrow on her shield, and then was treated to the sight of her enemies running from her. The Killer was with them, leading them along the streets. Apparently, it had sacrificed the Knight for the chance to run; its sole remaining Knight did not look too pleased about the fact.
[Hidden Quest Progress 3 of 4 targets destroyed]
Alex waved the yellow text away and started after the Killer’s band. She hadn’t come this far to give up now.
She chased them for the next while, trying not to let herself get drawn into an ambush or skewered by the Killer’s arrows. It wasn’t an easy task, not when it seemed intent on firing back at her at every opportunity. Eventually, though, she ran out of time. The Grue howled in victory as they saw their comrades ahead of them.
Alex grimaced as they gathered together, the new Archers and Knights quickly forming up with the Killer and its remaining Knight. The Killer’s horn rose, blasting out three notes, and the group began to move back towards her, obviously once again on the hunt. She fell back; there was no point in throwing herself at those odds, at least not all at once.
They forced her to retreat for at least a few streets, combing through the ruins in search of her. The Grue were sniffling and snorting at everything. Could they really pick up her scent? She tried not to curse too loudly as they kept her running.
Then, just as she was starting to debate running for the portal, most of the Grue below her stopped still. They froze, turning their muzzles north towards the Bank, and howled. Their voices grew thin as their forms faded; all of them, from the Soldiers to the Knights and Archers, vanished in seconds.
Before they had even finished disappearing, Alex threw herself on the nearest Grue. They had been staring in horror at their vanishing companions, and three of them went down before the Killer even managed to shoot at her. Alex dodged the shot this time, killing a fourth of the creatures. Two more of them lunged in, distracting her long enough for the remaining two to flee with the Killer and Knight. This time, they were headed west. Perhaps they were trying to reach the Library?
Wherever they were going, she had no intention of allowing them to get there. Alex ran after them, blocking the occasional potshot from the Killer. The Grue were fast, but her own Speed had grown by leaps and bounds. She barely paused as first one, and then the other of the regular creatures turned back to delay her. Neither lasted more than the time it took to strike.
As she closed in, the Knight abruptly turned to face her. It bellowed a challenge, and she yelled her answer. It lowered its shield and charged, slamming it down in front of her to brace for an impact. She dodged to the side, and its sword shot out in a brutal thrust that just barely slid past her own shield, shrieking against the edge. Alex hooked the blade with her axe, and twisted, sending it spiraling away across the pavement.
She turned just in time to be smashed by the Knight’s shield again, just barely catching it on her own shield. The impact jarred every bone in her body, and she was sent skidding backwards across the street. Her opponent followed her, shield lifted so it could hammer her into the ground.
Alex ducked low and took the hit on her shield arm. Pain shot through her forearm, but she gritted her teeth and ignored it, lashing out with her axe. The blade bit into the Knight’s thigh, and it staggered. She hit it again across the chest, then again on the arm. It backpedaled, smashing her shield again. Another hit to its side, another to the ankle. It fell, and she took its throat with a roar.
[Hidden Quest Completed! Four Grue Knights destroyed]
Her victory was short as an arrow slammed into her side, burying itself between her ribs. Alex staggered, dull pain throbbing through her. She dropped to one knee, covering herself with her shield. The next arrow struck it, and she felt her breath coming in shallow, desperate gasps. She couldn’t fail here. Not now, not when she was so close.
Alex reached up under her shield and ripped out the arrow. The agony almost made her pass out, and she was forced to fight the encroaching darkness. Her fingers trembling, she uncorked the health potion, ready to bring it to her lips.
Then she caught sight of the Killer, stepping out to get an angle around her shield. She drunkenly dragged it out and around, just in time to block the next shot. A little of the potion spilled as she moved, coating her fingers in the sticky, precious substance. Alex barely felt it; her fingers felt numb, and she had a brief fear that she’d drop the potion as she raised it.
Still gasping, Alex tilted what was left up and into her mouth. The cloying substance slid down her throat, and she nearly choked on it as the scent filled her nose. She forced it down, gasping even more as half her side seemed to catch fire. Her hands were shaking with the pain as she grabbed her axe again, and her knees shook as she started to stand.
She made it halfway before an arrow punched into her ankle.
Alex nearly toppled forward, but she just ripped the arrow out and kept moving. Fire lanced through her as the potion continued to work, and she knew that if she paused, or hesitated, she might black out from the pain. She had to reach the thing now, while it was isolated and alone. Otherwise, the others would find it at the Library. Sam or one of the others could be killed if she waited.
Two more arrows smacked into her shield, but Alex felt her breath coming easier as she lumbered into a charge. The Killer backpedaled, still nocking arrows. They struck at her shield, aiming for her legs, her head, her heart. Each time, she managed to maneuver the shield between her and the speeding pieces of death; each strike sent agony through her arm, which was still throbbing a little from the fight with the Knight.
It hurt, but she didn’t stop. Alex charged forward, her eyes locked on her enemy, watching its movements. Pure, unadulterated hate flowed through her as she watched it. She saw again, in a haze, the way it had strutted as it killed Surveyors below it on the ground. Alex relived the moment when it had nearly killed Clara, and her charge found new power. The fire in her wounds was nothing compared to the rage flowing through her as she screamed and threw herself at it.
At the last moment, the Killer stood tall in the middle of the street. It tossed away its bow and drew a knife the size of a short sword. Its other hand lifted a battle axe, one far more ornate than the ones its fellow Archers had carried. It set itself, ready to stand and fight at last. A howl of rage ripped out of it.
They met in a clash of wood and steel, both snarling as they tore into one another.
The Killer’s axe bounced from her shield. Her own missed the Killer as it dodged aside. It hooked her shield with its own axe, pulling it aside as the knife slipped past. She accepted the hit, feeling it open a cut along her ribs; her return swing bit hard into the Killer’s side, drawing out a harsh cough of pain. Alex shouted in pain as it drew back and dragged the edge of its knife along her forearm.
Both wounded and bleeding, they staggered apart, and then clashed again. Alex shoved it back with her shield. She followed it with a strike at its leg. It caught the blow on its knife, then tried to knock her axe out of her hand with its own axe. The Killer nearly succeeded; her numb fingers slipped slightly, but she regained her grip, and then twisted to slam her shield into its arm. There was a crunch as the Killer staggered back, but its fierce grey eyes were still bright with enmity.
Then its heel caught on a patch of ruined asphalt. The Killer’s eyes snapped open wide as its footing failed. It tumbled backward.
Alex lunged. Her axe chased it down, driven by all the force she still possessed.
The blow landed square in its chest, just above the bandolier of Talismans. She heard, she felt a crunch, and the Killer thrashed. Alex screamed and ripped the axe back and out of the thing, ready to strike again. Talismans sprayed everywhere as the cord was cut.
Her second strike finished it. The text arrived later.
[Main Quest Completed! The Killer is slain]
She let out a shaken breath, her heart still hammering inside her chest and the wounds still burning across her body. A rumble of thunder growled across the clouds, and she grinned. As the body of the Killer burned, she scrounged around for the Talismans, gathering them all up. Each one a fallen Surveyor, killed by the thing she had ended.
[Hidden Quest Completed! Four Talismans recovered]
Then, her fingers still shaking from the adrenaline, she collected the grey crystal the Killer had left behind. It seemed like such a small thing, compared to the damage it had done. She shrugged aside her own feelings, trying to let the swelling sense of victory drive her forward.
It was a long walk back to the portal.