“His name is Adrian. We will be on the hunt for a serial killer. The man first escaped when the second floor opened. There was already a Tower Beacon near the prison and the unexpected nature of more monsters coming through caused problems. The man was able to escape the building, kill prisoners and undead alike before entering the Tower. Adrian has killed people in towns that have offended him and hunted monsters. I believe he has a blend of a mage path with emphasis on fighter skills. Much like your own path. What has set off our alarms and why they have tasked me, us, to be a kill squad is that they believe he has now entered the second floor. People are forced to congregate here and that means more target for him.”

“Why wasn’t he taken care of earlier?”

“It took a while to note if anyone was missing from the prison for one. The guy has also been quiet. We’ve only been able to track him through how he kills his enemies. He drains his victim’s blood,” replied the Archer with a tinge of frustration.

“So, we are hunting a vampire?” asked Alex half in jest.

“There aren’t any bite marks if that is what you are suggesting,” the Archer shot back, brushing off the humour.

“So, is it just an ability or something he does after his kills?”

“That is something we don’t know. No one who has seen him kill has lived to say. We’ve only been able to piece things together after the event from description of his face and clothing.”

Alex, however, raised a pertinent question, "Then how are we supposed to locate him?"

“He has made his first kill on the second floor that we know of at least. I don’t know how he got through the portals and into the city. We have people watching for known criminals. Especially ones like him. I don’t know how long he will stay here but the more he kills the higher level he grows. Do you have any ideas?”

"Could we lure him out?" suggested Alex. "He seems to respond to offense, doesn't he? What if we staged a provocation?"

The Archer paused for a moment, pondering Alex's suggestion. "It's risky, but it just might work. We need to tread lightly though. Provocation could result in unnecessary casualties if we're not prepared. He's cunning, resourceful, and won't hesitate to turn the tables on us."

"So, we tread lightly, but carry a big stick?" Alex responded, half-jokingly. He was beginning to grasp the gravity of the task at hand.

"Something like that," the Archer replied, managing a slight grin. "We'll need to remain vigilant and be ready for anything. This is not just another hunt. We're dealing with a predator that's just as dangerous, if not more so, than the monsters we've faced before."

“Do we know if he is even still on this floor? I mean when did he kill the person on this floor?”

“Two days ago, and I know what you mean. We can’t be sure that he has stayed on this floor, but I know for sure that once he entered the Tower he has never left for anything. He doesn’t seem like the kind of person that would take a step back. He will keep moving forward. Higher in the Tower and through any obstacles in his way on his path to whatever his goals are.”

“If he killed only two days ago then when was his last kill on the first floor before that?”

“He was sighted almost two weeks ago and murdered a trio of adventures. I don’t know if he entered the second floor right after that or has only entered the second floor now. It is troubling because we can only take a guess at his current level. He could have hit level 20 by now or more if he was determined enough and fought day and night.”

“The only way I have been able to take down level 20 undead enemies has been at range and with ‘all on force’ as you have mentioned. I haven’t even been on the battlefield near an enemy that is close to 25.”

“It is why we need to take care of him sooner rather than later. I’m not sure how best to lure him out but we should start at the most recent crime scene and work our way from there,” said the Archer.

The body had been removed from the street. The only immediately visible marking that something had happened there was a bit of dried blood still not washed from the streets. The street was smaller and was tucked away in a corner of the city a few minutes’ walk from the main roads. They passed an inn and a few corner stalls. None were notable. The foot traffic was light in this area and only seemed to be a passing shortcut toward more busy areas.

“If you wanted to murder someone this would be a could place to do it,” said Alex as he looked around making note of what shops and places were around them.

“The man was found dead somewhere between ten and twenty minutes after the incident. Though we don’t know for sure because of the whole vampire thing.”

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“Have you spoken to the person who found the body?” asked Alex.

“Other than going over the case details with my superiors that is the first thing I did before meeting up with you. The woman knew little about the other climber and had alerted her climber group before it came to our attention. She gave us a description that matches Adrian, and I was able to connect her movements with the shops she said to have visited. I was able to track down a name and level to the victim with some unfortunate news. The man killed was level 20.”

Alex took a quick inhalation of breath. “Adrian is punching above his weight or is otherwise been busy hunting less noticeable prey. Level 20 is already in the upper 15 or so percent of climbers at the moment. Do you know why his targets have been chosen?

"No, not yet" answered the Archer. "It's not like Adrian to make such a big leap in his victims. He's always been careful, picking off lower-level climbers. This...this is uncharacteristic."

Alex began pacing, his mind racing with the implications of Adrian's latest victim. A level 20 climber wasn't just strong; they were experienced, and resourceful. To kill someone at that level would require a substantial amount of power and cunning. It also meant Adrian wasn't hiding anymore. He was making a statement.

"Maybe that's the point," Alex mused aloud. "Adrian's not hiding. He's sending a message. He's saying he's not afraid of the consequences. Or maybe he's trying to challenging the higher-level climbers."

The Archer frowned, stroking his chin thoughtfully. "That's a dangerous game he's playing. The higher-level climbers won't take this lightly. They'll come after him."

"Exactly," said Alex. "And maybe that's what Adrian wants. He's provoking them, luring them out."

The thought was chilling. Adrian was becoming more dangerous than they'd initially suspected. The rules of their world were changing, and it was up to them to adapt quickly. If they didn't, more climbers were bound to end up like the man in the morgue – lifeless and drained.

"But why?" the detective asked. "Why go after the top climbers? What does he gain?"

Alex shrugged. His expression grim. "Power, reputation, control – who knows? What matters is that we have to stop him before he goes any further. And to do that, we need to understand his strategy. He didn't get to be in the first wave of climbers, but he is catching up to them. Maybe he wants to get to the top of the ladder even if it means killing those above him."

The Archer nodded, his face set in a grim determination. "Maybe. I agree that he is quickly catching up to those above him. It still doesn't explain why he targets those he does. We need to get ahead of him, predict his next move. Only then can we have a chance of catching him."

“I almost forgot can I get that description or sketch of Adrian? I should have looked it over on our walk here.”

“Of course,” said the Archer. He took out a roll of parchment from his bag and handed it to Alex.

He unfurled it and looked it over. Adrian was an Asian man in his mid-thirties, slim jawline with short hair and a growing beard. The artist had also filled in the sketch with color giving him black hair and brown eyes. The lips were turned down and eyes held an expression of emptiness within.

“This was made from a climber artist after looking over official images from Earth and current descriptions of the man. He may have changed things a bit, but it has given us an accurate image to start with.”

“I assume that there are people posted at the portals that are aware of this image,” said Alex.

“There are but the people assigned to the exits are watching for several dozen people of interest. They can be relied on to watch for some watching of movements but can’t always be reliable. There are ways of sneaking by or disguising yourself after all.”

“I still think we should try and set a trap and lure him out.”

“We need to figure out what can lure him out first. If we don’t have anything that can effectively do that then we will just be treading water while the killer is on his own ignoring us,” said the Archer.

“What do you usually do to track people and lure them out?” asked Alex.

The Archer leaned back and put his back to a wall. "In tracking, Alex, there's no 'usually.' Each individual is different, leaving behind a unique footprint in the world. However, there are certain practices that tend to be useful, which I can share with you."

"Firstly," he began, resting his fingertips on the parchment that displayed Adrian's face. "I always familiarize myself with my target. Not just what they look like, but who they are, their habits, preferences, and behaviors. The more I know about them, the easier it is to predict where they'll go, what they'll do."

Alex nodded, absorbing this information. The Archer continued, "Physical evidence is essential as well. A bent branch, a displaced stone, a footprint in the mud - all of these can tell me where someone has been. As an archer, my sight is my most valuable asset, but when tracking, all senses are engaged. I listen to disturbed wildlife, smell the remnants of a campfire, even taste the air for subtle changes."

"And then there are subtler cues," the Archer added, his gaze returning to Adrian's face on the parchment. "A sudden change in local activity might suggest someone unusual passing through. A town with barred doors and hushed conversations is one hiding something – or someone."

"As for luring someone out," he concluded, "that depends on the individual. Fear, greed, pride, love - every person has something they respond to. Once I understand who I'm dealing with, I use that knowledge to my advantage. Perhaps a rumor of a valuable artifact might draw a greedy man into the open. Or a threat to someone they care about might compel a more noble soul to take a risk."

"For him we need to track where he has gone on this floor since the beginning and try and formulate what his plans were. I'll get his suspected path through the first floor and see what I can uncover about what he has been thinking."

Alex frowned thoughtfully. His eyes focused on the parchment. The Archer watched him, the hint of a smile growing "And so we return to the beginning. We need to understand Adrian, learn who he is, what he wants. That's how we'll find him. That's how we'll lure him out."

"And this is something we will accomplish in only a week," said Alex in response to the man's monologue.

“That was my educated guess earlier,” replied the Archer.

“Based on what?”

“Experience.”

“Sure. Sure,” said Alex sarcastically. “Why don’t we head back a little and check out the inn that is nearby and ask around. After that you can show me where the criminal underground part of Thornhold lives. I’m sure you know.”

“That is a wonderful idea,” said the Archer in an equally sarcastic manner. “Why don’t you lead the way this time.” The Archer took the drawing once more and stowed it away in his bag.