Twenty-four affinities existed within Vizhima: one virtue to every vice.

I'd learned the capabilities of a good number of them by now, including their strengths and weaknesses. But, I was most familiar with mine.

Fear was the affinity of dread and terror—of shadow, darkness, and night. With it, I could inflict potent debuffs and strike my enemies unseen. It was also considered a taboo affinity due to its affiliation with a Dragon Lord who claimed it as his domain.

I'd always wondered about that because, unlike other affinities, Fear didn't offer much by way of destructive power.

I was wrong.

My own shadow came alive beneath me. Something hideous stirred within it . . . something old. Despite its ancient nature, a sensation of childish awe passed from the monster to me as though it viewed the waking world for the first time.

Or, at least, the first time in a while.

Byron attacked the instant I reappeared. He wasted no time with theatrics, seeking to cleave my head. I issued a mental command to [Silhouette]:

Defend.

The black tendrils erupted. They rose from my shadow, forming a wall that parried Byron's blow. Byron handled the new development with ease, even though he flinched in shock. He charged again from a different angle and walked into my counterattack.

I lashed out from out of cover of the black mass, scoring hits on the weak points of his armor. He interposed his shield between us. [Silhouette] reacted without prompting.

A single tendril punched the region between Byron’s arm and shoulder. Another threw off the aim of his swing. I retreated, wary of Byron’s [Shield Bash]. But, he activated nothing of the sort.

It seemed he had run out of both VP and MP.

“Your friends are dying,” Byron said and retreated under a flurry of tendrils. “It doesn't matter what happens here. You lose either way.”

I recalled my shadow and faded into [Stealth]. [Silhouette] resisted, eager to pursue. But, I would have nothing less than total obedience from my own fucking shadow. And, it quickly respected my will.

I’d been beaten by a cornered Byron once. Prudence took precedence over punitive action. Besides, he had backed out of range, too far for [Silhouette] to travel . . .

The shadow monster bristled, almost in chastisement. Byron was within five meters after all. Did it mean it could reach?

Byron, for his part, read my movements well even through the covering of the [Stealth]. We circled each other, planning our moves. He still had some of that arrogance in his gaze. I intended to erase it.

Very well, shadow. Do your thing.

[Silhouette] extended. It stretched across the gap of five meters, rippling across the ground. Byron had only a moment’s notice before he was forced to defend against a mass of tendrils.

Each one of them struck with as much force as I could muster. And, though he put up a good defense with his shield, a few tendrils slipped past his guard. Byron retreated again with great loss to HP.

His eyes grew frantic now, which was good. I could almost smell the fear pouring out of him. But, a wolf was still a wolf. He wouldn’t break, not until I buried a dagger in his throat.

Byron adjusted his stance. “I will say this for your benefit, elf. You have no idea the kind of power Beelith wields. Shifters of her kind are worth their weight in gold. She will rip your friends, limb from limb, bone from accursed bone.”

I graced him with silence.

Byron made a small noise of frustration in his throat. He raised his arm, and the ring on his index finger glowed. An unnatural hatred for him rose in my gut, enough to drown out all other emotions.

I would have lost myself to the spell were it not for my shadow. It seized the initiative to resume its attack. [Silhouette] rose like a tidal wave, stopping Byron from taking advantage.

It bought me enough time to concentrate . . .

You have resisted [Charm]!

Byron did a much better job defending himself against the onslaught this time. But, the sheer mass of the tendrils threw off his balance.

I moved in for the kill—

Defend.

[Silhouette] intercepted an axe blow aimed at my head. The timely parry allowed me to slip past Byron’s guard and slash him in the face. Shadowy tendrils filled the gap, pounding his arms and chest.

Assuming his lack of renewables had only been a ruse, Byron could take advantage of my proximity to retaliate. I braced myself in anticipation of his techniques . . .

Again, no such retaliation came.

Byron rolled away with a whimper instead, health down to the final sliver. “Stop, elf. I give up. You can have the dungeon heart. This isn’t worth it.”

I vanished into [Dark Stalker] and brushed damp hair out of my face.

Byron didn’t like that. “Have you lost your mind, elf? I’m giving you the chance to become the victor! What is more important? Your vendetta or your companions? Every second you waste here is better spent going to their rescue!”

Of course, I cherished my companions. I wouldn’t have gotten this far without their help . . . which was why I trusted them to survive without mine. Byron abandoned teammates for the sake of his ambition. But, I abandoned mine out of trust. We had already reunited once against the odds. We would do so again.

Unfortunately for Byron, he wasn't privy to my thoughts. All he could tell was that I had no interest in chatting.

His nostrils flared, eyes going wide in their sockets. “No! I won’t lose like this. I’ve given too much to be defeated by the likes of you! If I can’t have the prize, no one else will!”

He tossed his axe aside and pulled the dungeon heart from his inventory. With a defiant cry, he ran toward the pit, intent on throwing it in.

I followed in pursuit.

Byron smirked. His shield arm went up, right as the other dropped. A sudden [Shield Bash] brightened the chamber, catching me in the face.

It was the final technique he’d been reserving, and it was angled to catapult me into the pit.

. . . if I’d taken the bait.

Byron's greed was known to me, however. And, anyone who knew of his greed could tell that he'd rather eat nails than relinquish the dungeon heart. To that end, the me that chased after him had only been a [Decoy]. And, Byron gaped as he wasted his final technique.

I struck from the shadows.

Two daggers and multiple tendrils punctured his side, forcing him to the ground. Each struck for 12x damage, thanks to Grand Dexterity and the bonuses from [Sneak Attack].

Blood flowed freely from Byron’s wounds—not enough to kill him, but enough to send [Silhouette] into a frenzy at the scent. The wayward shadow tugged at its metaphorical leash, pleading for a chance to kill.

Don't make it messy.

You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

[Silhouette] shuddered in delight.

A large mass of tendrils surged toward the kneeling Byron.

“Mercy,” he whispered.

“That’s not my affinity,” I said.

And then, I watched as my shadow tore him apart.

You have participated in the killing of Guardian LVL 28.

An appropriate amount of XP has been allocated per your contribution.

Level up! You are now level 26.

Visit your status sheet to assign free stat points.

I discarded the messages, more interested in Byron’s loot. A new notification appeared.

You have completed a heroic deed! You have defeated a sworn enemy.

Quest: [Heroic Action].

Objective complete!

[5] spirit orbs have been added to your inventory.

I blinked at the screen. [Heroic Action]? Wasn’t that the same quest that tried to get me to kill Kajal?

The description was rather vague:

Quest: [Heroic Action].

A hero is more than just his words. Complete great deeds to earn bonus rewards.

Reward: Variable.

[System] Error: This quest has already been assigned.

Well, there was no greater deed than sending Byron to hell, especially with the Labyrinth tied to a quest of its own. [Heroic Action] seemed geared to reward reincarnators who stayed true to their path. The whole issue with the [System] errors didn’t stop bothering me, but all that could wait.

Byron carried a lot of loot, as expected of a Guardian of his level. The Ring of Heightened Emotions functioned exactly as the description said, and the Flying Javelin benefitted from the Strength used in its throwing.

However, my real joy came in finding The Blackreach Dagger among his possessions. That was one item I could not afford to lose.

His armor, shield, and helmet were all ranker-grade too. But, they were of Common quality and didn’t provide additional benefits. A bell named Banshee’s Shriek was another of his most prized possessions, able to cause a brief three-second deafness.

Once I was done with his corpse—or what remained of it—I refocused my attention on the battle in the corridor. None of its participants had come to reinforce us, lending some truth to Byron’s words.

No . . . Paz wasn’t easily defeated, the cockroach that he was. And, Nicola had grown into her own in her time in the Labyrinth. Beelith might be a werewolf, but my teammates were also monsters in their own right. They would take their pound of flesh from Red Wyrm, and more.

The Chimera’s corpse steamed beneath the rubble, releasing a foul smell. The monster looked just as grotesque in death as it had in life, the stuff of nightmares. It offered a Greater monster core and a lump of pulchritudinous meat called Amorphous Flesh.

Amorphous Flesh [Greater]

Spawned from the entrails of The Chimera. This item is considered a precious smithing material.

A smithing material, huh? Something this horrible seemed better suited to alchemy. Still, I had gained another useful item. Liliana the shopkeeper would help determine its worth.

With a heavy heart, I moved onto Nalum's corpse and eased him into a decent position. The Warrior chieftain looked solemn even in death. His long hair fell in locs around his shoulders, freed from their bindings.

Loot Warrior LVL 26? Y/N?

I couldn't desecrate his corpse. Not only would it be dishonorable, but his party members would not take kindly to learning that I had killed their leader. I gathered his broadsword into my inventory, however, just in case they needed a keepsake.

The barrier obstructing the doorway had faded with The Chimera’s death. I crossed the threshold into the dark passageway and made the trek back to the preceding corridor.

Muffled voices reached me from beyond the passageway, heightened in intensity. They traveled across the stone wall that had since been reduced to rubble. I helped myself to a stamina potion, just in case another fight awaited me. [Silhouette] stirred with eagerness, though its battle mode had since expired.

“You!” a shrill voice said. “You can’t be serious! We can’t leave Damien all by himself.”

A grin stretched across my lips. Nicola!

“I didn't say that,” an exasperated Paz retorted. “I only suggested that you take the time to Meditate. Damien’s not alone in there. And, you are no help to him as you are.”

“He could be dead by the time we finish!”

“And, that’s why I will go after him. I have more HP. You look like a breeze could bowl you over. Kill you, even.”

“Your HP’s not much better than mine.”

“And, your mana?”

“Water,” someone moaned. Probably, Aman.

A scrambling noise emerged from the other side of the rubble.

“Bastard,” Nicola said. “If you’re going, then I’m going too.”

“Thankfully,” I said and scaled the debris, “there’s no need for that. We’re officially done here.”

My teammates gasped.

Too bad I didn’t own a mobile phone. It would have been great to capture the looks on their faces.

Nicola was first to recover from her shock. She shrieked and wrapped me in a hug. “Damien!”

I giggled into her hair and felt the muscles in my back ease for the first time in a while. “Yes. That’s me.”

Paz nodded sagely. “I knew you’d survive. No rival of mine would die before hitting gold rank.”

Since when did we become rivals?

“Byron?” Nicola asked.

“Dead,” I said. The rest of his crew? I didn’t need to ask.

Beelith’s human form lay unmoving in the corridor, crumpled within the epicenter of a [Bloom of Crimson Desire]. Her caster teammates sprawled not too far behind her, lost among the other corpses. Paz, Nicola, and Aman had pulled off the impossible . . . but, the Rider of Hope was nowhere to be found.

Nowhere alive, that is.

Aman sat beside a corpse, which had been mauled, shredded, and beheaded for good measure. I could only imagine the horror the Rider had endured in his final moments. Why was there so much death?

Nicola closed her eyes at my declaration and inhaled. “Good.”

It also felt good to me. The old Damien would have trembled at the thought of killing anyone, but the current me would resurrect Byron and kill him all over again if I could.

Aman rose to his feet. He hobbled up to me, leaning on the wall for support. Blood dribbled down the side of his shoulder via a nasty gash.

My stomach dropped.

“Where is the warlord?” Aman wheezed, staying upright by mere force of will.

“You should be meditating,” Nicola said quietly.

“The warlord,” Aman repeated. “Where?”

“I’m sorry,” I said, forcing past the lump in my throat. “He’s dead.”

I killed him.

Aman shut his eyes for a brief moment and whimpered in grief. He did it so softly that my elven ears barely caught it, but it inflicted a deep wound upon my soul.

“Did Byron do it?” he asked.

I shook my head. “He died fighting against The Chimera.”

Please, don’t press for details. If you do, I will have to answer.

“The final boss, huh?” Aman lowered his head. He stiffened, as though struck by lightning, and narrowed his eyes at me. “It was the final boss who killed him, wasn’t it?”

“What are you trying to say?” Paz said, placing an arm in front of me. “You dare accuse him of—”

“It wasn’t the boss,” I said aloud. “Not completely, at least. Nalum suffered tons of damage against The Chimera, but the killing blow was inflicted by a trap I’d set.”

The others glanced at me.

“I’m really sorry,” I said and withdrew Nalum’s broadsword from my inventory. The battle-worn weapon sat heavy in my hands. “I warned him of the trap and tried to get us to safety. It was the only option I had to kill The Chimera, but a freak accident happened . . . I don’t know what to say . . .”

Aman glared at the sword and then at me with an ugly look on his face. “You killed him? I knew your kind couldn’t be trusted.” His fingers twitched. “You did it to gain sole possession of the dungeon heart, didn’t you?!”

“That’s unfair,” Nicola protested. “Damien could have lied to you, but he chose to tell the truth.”

“Will his truth bring back my cousin?” Aman spat at my feet. “Demon.”

“What’s done is done,” Paz said. “We need to consider our next course of action. The exit portals won’t stay open much longer. We have less than half an hour.”

Aman squared his feet. “Honor demands that I exact vengeance for the life taken.”

“Honor can roll in a ditch,” Paz said. His heavy spear appeared in his hands. “Vengeance is mine to endorse as I deem fit. Watch your next words, cur, lest they bleed from your throat.”

Dammit. This was turning into a clusterfuck, wasn’t it?

“Please, stop,” I said. “No more. Too much blood has been shed today.” I nodded at Aman. “I accept your honor duel. But, in your current state, it won’t be a fight. We should leave now and settle differences later.”

“No—”

“Listen here,” I snarled and shoved the broadsword onto his chest. He staggered backward, weakened as he was. “I will not add one more corpse to this altar of atrocity. Are you so eager to join your companions that you'll challenge me as things stand? Is Aman of the Unkulunki naught but a fool?”

The strain in Aman’s shoulders eased. For a second, he swayed onto the side of common sense. But, then he pulled a dagger from his inventory and lunged at my face.

Paz stepped in smoothly and cracked his spear against Aman’s skull.

Nicola groaned. “Tell me you didn't kill him.”

“I wish I did,” Paz said and slung the unconscious man across his shoulder. “You only need to give the word, Damien, and I will slit his throat. An enemy shouldn’t be left alive to strike later at your heart.”

I shook my head. “No. I meant every word I said. I won’t take any more lives for the benefit of the Labyrinth.”

“We’ll kill him outside it, then.”

“Paz.”

Paz shrugged and followed Nicola into the Traveler’s Room. I cast a forlorn look at the corridor before shutting the door.

The receptacle above the final chamber gleamed.

Loading completed.

Chamber unlocked: 23/20.