“Hah. Called it,” Paz said.
Nicola kept staring at her feet.
I glared at Paz and squeezed Nicola’s hand. “Don’t let it bother you. I figured you might not be available, but I didn’t want to leave the city without giving you notice. You’ll always be a member of this team.”
“No,” she said. “I owe you an explanation—”
“Nicola . . .”
“It’s just that . . . I have my brothers around again for the first time in years. They need time to settle into society . . . become a family again . . .”
“And, that won’t happen if their big sister leaves on a quest that could probably take months to complete.” I pulled her into a one-armed hug. “It’s fine, Nicola.”
“You say so, but it is not fair to you. You entered the Labyrinth to save my family, yet I can’t return the favor in your time of need.”
Paz started to speak, but I interjected before he could make another unwelcome remark. “I won’t be going alone. I still have Paz—”
“Because you can count on my support,” he said, “A party’s bonds should be indestructible. The Black Leaf Company comes first.”
“Please, shut up.” I rubbed Nicola’s shoulder. “Listen, you don’t owe me any favors for the Labyrinth. Seeing you together with your brothers is its own reward.”
Nicola remained downcast, which I’d expected. But, that’s why my next request was important. Talking with Paz had taught me the importance of keeping my teammates satisfied. And, this was one way to make Nicola feel like she mattered to the team.
A part of me felt bad for messing with her emotions. But, Nicola needed a way to lighten her guilt and regain confidence in her importance to the company. It was my job to manage the various personalities in my party . . . like a bloody player-manager.
“Well,” I said, “if you want to help, there is one matter Paz and I are struggling with.”
Nicola’s golden eyes gleamed. “Tell me.”
“The contract killers haven’t let up. You might not know this since you stay out of the spotlight, but Paz and I have never stopped dealing with them. One killer, in particular, almost took our heads.”
Nicola’s eyes adopted a dangerous glint. “It’s been over a week since the dungeon run ended! Why would anyone think that the Egg is still in your possession?”
“Because they are rankers,” Paz said as if that answered the question. “The lure of a challenge is too great to ignore.”
“Well,” I said, “we’ve lured a good number of those bastards to their graves. The latest challenger, however, is a level 40 Samurai. That’s not an enemy we could simply hope to defeat.”
Hell, the only people I knew of who could face the Samurai in a fair fight were Nana and Ezin. And, all three were above my pay grade.
“A level 40 Samurai . . .” Nicola shook her head. “Either way, you escaped alive, didn’t you? What is the problem?”
“We escaped,” Paz said. “That is problem enough.”
He didn’t elaborate, but he didn’t need to. Nicola knew enough about Paz to recognize the signs of his pride being hurt. What bothered her was the fact that I didn’t try to dissuade him.
She sought me with questioning eyes, and I shrugged in turn. Dying for the sake of pride wasn’t up my alley. But, I needed Paz’s respect if I intended to keep him in the party.
Nicola held my gaze for a few moments and nodded. “What do you need me to do?”
“We intend to strike first,” I explained, “before he gets a chance to come at us again. We’ll need that [Eldritch Eyeball] of yours. You told me it improved when you ranked up?”
One advantage of Nicola’s weakest technique was that it allowed her to function as a scout. [Eldritch Eyeball] had evolved upon reaching Silver Rank, granting her the ability to locate targets within its perimeter. She could now remotely seek out known entities in addition to those tainted by her Eros.
“That’s all well and good, Damien,” Nicola said, “but without a visual reference, the Eyeball would fail to distinguish the Samurai in a crowd or uncover where he might be hiding, unless . . .”
I grinned at her. [Eldritch Eyeball] aside, Nicola had unlocked a new technique for ranking up—one I knew very well.
“. . . unless I combine it with [Identify],” she finished. “You put a lot of thought into this, huh?”
The greatest benefit of unlocking [Identify] was that it cost zero MP and allowed Nicola to use it through her [Eldritch Eyeball]. She still needed to narrow down potential hiding spots in the city, but as long as the Samurai crossed the Eyeball’s path, Nicola would spot him.
In the span of one rank, she had become a better scout than me. Did I misinterpret the issues? Was it me, not her, who needed validation from my teammates?
“I’ll do it,” Nicola said with steel in her voice. “But, I also have one request. Let me join the fight.”
“As long as you leave the final blow to me,” Paz said and grinned at the ceiling. “That wanker’s head is mine.”
I nodded in agreement and asked to share our status sheets.
Nicola went first:
Nicola Ainsworth
Race: Human
Level: 25
Class: Mage
Affinity: Pleasure
VP: 63/63
MP: 99/99
Attributes:
STR 5, PER 10, END 10, DEX 3
INT 30, WIL 10, V.F 2, MGK 20
Free Stat Points: 0
Traits:
[Born of Pleasure]
Skills:
[Meditation], [Spellcasting], [Identify]
Abilities:
[Ecstasy], [Eros Collector], [Eldritch Eyeball], [Summon Tentacle], [Bloom of Crimson Desire], [Eldritch Beam]
Paz winced. “You should have prioritized Perception over Magicka. You gain more benefits from faster reaction times at this level. Not to mention, Damien’s magic ring helps alleviate your reliance on MP.”
“I’ll work on that next,” Nicola said. “You have no idea how mana-hungry casters can be.”
“All the mana in the world won’t help avoid a speeding projectile.”
“Hmm,” I said, “but investing in Magicka also reduces the cost of abilities. Nicola’s greatest strength at this point is her staying power. She might be weaker in solo battles, but she should be fine as long as she doesn’t stray too far from the party.” I tapped her parchment. “Your [Bloom of Crimson Desire] used up 25 MP in the past. How much does it cost now?”
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Nicola grinned. “Twenty.”
Oh wow. In addition to my magic ring which granted 50 MP on a full charge, she could now cast her most devastating technique seven times before she needed to meditate. That was a good trade-off.
I went next:
Damien Njoku
Race: Dark Elf
Level: 28
Class: Assassin
Affinity: Fear
VP: 69/69
MP: 71/71
Attributes:
STR 10, PER 20, END 16, DEX 30
INT 5, WIL 10, V.F 2, MGK 3
Free Stat Points: 0
Traits:
[Born of Fear], [Against the Odds]
Skills:
[Map], [Identify], [Meditation], [Stealth], [Knife-fighting], [Decoy], [Sneak Attack]
Abilities:
[Scaredy-cat], [Fear Aura], [Dark Stalker], [Silhouette]
As usual, I omitted [Migrant Soul] from my traits.
Paz seemed appreciative of my stat distribution, but as promised, he hid the trump card he had gained for reaching level 20.
He wasn’t the kind to make choices out of malice, however. If he needed to keep this secret for his safety, I would allow it because he respected mine.
Gordo Sangrepaz
Race: Human
Level: 27
Class: Skirmisher
Affinity: Retribution
VP: 71/71
MP: 65/65
Attributes:
STR 30, PER 20, END 10, DEX 20
INT 4, WIL 4, V.F 4, MGK 1
Free Stat Points: 1
Traits:
[Dragon Touched]
Skills:
[Draconic Aura], [Meditation], [Polearm Mastery], [Overpower], [Deflect Missile], Redacted*
Abilities:
[Sanguine Return], [Retaliate]
“You rely a lot on sustains,” Nicola said. “Shouldn’t you put more points into Vital Force or Willpower?”
“All in good time,” Paz said. “For now, I can activate [Draconic Aura] and [Overpower] just fine. The rest are passives, save for [Retaliate]. We should probably discuss the capabilities of our enemy.”
“He’s level 40,” I said. “That gives him around 120 stat points?”
Paz nodded. “I'll expect him to have thirty points in Strength and Perception. And, another thirty in either Endurance or Vital Force. He would need the latter for his skills; the rest to destroy his enemies. This won’t be an easy fight.”
“When have we ever had it easy?” I said and flopped onto the bed. “Very well, Nicola. Do your thing.”
A lone figure traveled through Skeelie’s network of alleyways, sticking to the shadows.
Twilight fell over the city, causing the shadow of the inactive Labyrinth Spire to retract its reach. The twilight soon gave way to darkness, punctuated only by the light of two moons in the sky. A third moon hid behind one of these, shadowed at the moment but present, nonetheless. Dark clouds—unnerving to look at—obscured the stars, seeming to rise from the direction of Dreadwood.
The lone figure navigated its way past a noisy tavern filled with city folk who had gathered to unwind after a hard day at work. It continued onto a night market, lined with hastily erected stalls and roadside vendors. It didn’t spare a glance at any of the goods on display, not the sizzling grills of meat or the audacious women with bodices hanging low over their chests.
Onward the lone figure went, across a well-worn path ringed by gem-powered street lamps. And then, it disappeared down a narrow flight of stairs into an avenue that ended in a row of abandoned warehouses. The buildings here had seen better days before being gutted by fire. Now, they stood worn and blackened by soot until someone with authority recalled their existence.
A pair of homeless men, wrapped in cloaks fished out of a nearby trash heap, stared at the lone figure as it passed. Something in the figure’s demeanor must have spooked them because they made themselves scarce.
The lone figure stopped in front of a dilapidated building and stuck one hand in the air. A gourd manifested within its palm, rife with the smell of alcohol.
“Stalking’s not nice, you know?”
Paz appeared from the side of a building, heavy spear in hand. “Apologies. The last time I let someone else do the stalking, they tried to bifurcate me.”
“They succeeded too,” the Samurai said and took a swig from his gourd. “Interesting ability you’ve got there. Retribution, was it? The last time I saw such techniques was during my travels through the Ascendancy.”
Paz didn’t reply.
The Samurai continued, “To be honest, I didn’t expect you to come looking for a rematch. Ten points for unpredictability, at least. You saved me the trouble of finding you myself, though I can’t help but notice the absence of your friend.”
“He won’t be joining us today,” Paz said. “You scared him pretty good the last time around. A rematch is the last thing he wanted.”
“My good man, do you take me for a fool? Surely, you can come up with a better lie than that.” Without missing a beat, the Samurai threw his gourd into a nearby alleyway.
It shattered against the wall with incredible force. Nicola stumbled out of hiding, drenched in alcohol.
“And, that makes two . . .” The Samurai frowned. “Wait, the elf wasn’t a girl. I take it you are the third member of the team.” He wagged his finger at Paz. “Was this your great plan? Getting more of your people to die by my hand? You made me waste a good drink.”
“Oh, the plan is just getting started,” Nicola said. She scurried out of range and hid behind Paz.
The Samurai cocked his head. “What are you . . .” And, then his words died on his lips because, at that moment, he pitched a tent.
Nicola’s [Ecstasy] didn’t work on enemies with more Willpower than her. But, the Samurai must have failed that battle because he staggered on his feet. The damning wave of pleasure rolled down his groin, hopefully enough to keep him distracted.
“Now I have heard of dirty tactics”—he stared at his pants—“but, you didn’t need to hit below the belt—”
Paz dashed forward at that movement, triggering his trademark sustains.
The Samurai unsheathed his katana and met his charge. The cobblestones cracked beneath the two fighters as they strained against each other’s weapons with all their might. Through it all, they maintained easygoing smiles.
“You’re strong,” the Samurai said, “for someone of your level. Alas, strength alone does not win battles.”
“Neither does dual-wielding,” Paz said with laughter. “Which sword do you intend to use? The upper or the lower.”
“Hah! I’m sure you’re just dying to find out.”
“I honestly can’t die.”
“Yet.” The Samurai’s katana glowed. One sword became two, then ten, then twenty. Multiple strikes, like the blurring of a hummingbird’s wings, crashed down on Paz.
Paz deflected a good number of the hits, but many slipped past his guard. He ignored the damage taken from the skill and sprang aside. That was Nicola’s cue.
A tentacle blossomed beside the Samurai, breaking the ground in two. He cut it apart with no wasted movements.
Paz tried a side thrust, only to meet the first [Riposte]. The skill diverted the head of his heavy spear into the ground, forcing him to lose his footing.
The Samurai swept his katana across Paz’s neck . . . a move the latter dodged by bending backward at the waist. Paz pulled his spear from the ground with impressive core strength and aimed the rising motion at the Samurai’s jugular . . .
Another tentacle sprouted.
This one met a second [Riposte] that sent it crashing into Paz’s torso.
The Samurai parried the strikes that followed with disgusting ease, even though Paz attacked with the force of hand grenades. The two men exchanged multiple blows in quick succession, enough for their weapons to blur in their hands.
“This is why you lose,” the Samurai said, as though he faced an evening breeze rather than a series of lightning-quick strikes. “I have learned your skills and affinities, while you know little of mine.” He slammed the hilt of his sword into Paz’s gut and continued with a diagonal slash.
Paz responded with a crushing overhead slam that opened a crater in the ground. He grabbed the Samurai’s sword hand before he could fully retreat. “Got you!”
The katana glowed. Multiple blurs erupted from the weapon—the same technique as earlier.
Paz took every single hit of the Samurai’s skill this time, losing the majority of his health. He retained his grip on the man’s arm, regardless.
The Samurai hummed. “Did it ever occur to you that I allowed myself to be found? Your best chance at victory was avoiding this fight.”
Paz’s skin glowed an angry red, but he ignored the barb and his injuries to pull the man into his spear.
The Samurai rolled with the blow—
“Nicola!”
The tentacle that appeared this time was larger, stouter, and more grotesque than before, powered by the Eros Nicola had absorbed at the temple.
The Samurai had no hope of deflecting it the normal way, so he used a third [Riposte].
That was my cue.
One theory Paz had proffered about [Riposte] was that it offered a set number of uses before going on cooldown. Because the Samurai could use it multiple times in a fight, it didn’t cost a lot of VP.
The skill was also too strong to be a passive, which reinforced his argument. The Samurai couldn’t spam it forever; a cooldown needed to happen at some point.
We’d guessed at numbers between three and ten and settled at five. Three seemed more likely, but five was the safe bet.
My teammates had burned three of those uses, which left the last two to me. From my spot in the shadows, I activated [Silhouette] and ordered it along the ground.
[Silhouette] advanced at first with trepidation, but it enjoyed the night way more than I did and soon reached maximum length. It jutted upward in a series of tendrils, aimed at the Samurai’s back.
“And, there’s our elf,” the Samurai said, as he rolled out of the way.
No [Riposte].
I’d staggered the tendrils to emerge in two waves. Wave number two leaped to my command.
The Samurai swung his sword in a powerful arc, catching every single shadow tendril in that one swing.
But, still no [Riposte].
Three uses, confirmed.
I crossed the distance under the cover of [Dark Stalker] and rammed my blades into his spine.