The chest blinked, inviting me to come over and open it. Nefa ignored it, but Sparks hovered near it with a face full of excitement, her tiny wings flapping like crazy.

  Next, I gave the chest a cautious nudge with my boot. The top creaked open, spilling out white light and a shower of confetti from above. My heart fluttered, wondering what might be inside.

  When the fanfare faded, I leaned over the edge. What I needed was something Nefa and I were low on after our brawl with the clowns from Hell.

  But looking inside the container filled me with regret because the prize wasn’t health-related at all. After the initial disappointment wore off, however, my eyes lit with excitement at the contents of the chest.

  Lying there, beside a strange helmet, was a set of gauntlets and a curved sword, both glowing with an otherworldly hue. Their descriptions appeared before me in shining text:

  Force Gauntlets — Rare — Level 35

  

  

  Nightbringer — Uncommon — Level 34

  

  

  Special Ability: Glass Furnace — Duration: 45 seconds.

  The ability allows the wielder to exhale an intense burst of flame from their mouth. Cooldown: five minutes.

  Now the helmet, padded with fur and fitted with a nose guard, was made of metal and lightweight. Big enough for me to wear, yet small enough to avoid being a hindrance.

  When I read the description, I couldn’t help but chuckle.

  The Iron Halo — Rare — Level 31

  

  

  With care, I slid the hat onto my head and instantly felt more alive than before. My lungs expanded deeper, my breath fuller, as if my body had just remembered what real air felt like.

  Nefa called it cute, while Cashius burst into uncontrollable laughter.

  “Boy, you look ridiculous with the helmet pushed on you like that,” he said, hitting his knee. “It looks like you plopped someone’s cooking pot on your head and can’t get it off.”

  I gave him a lopsided grin. “Lay off, old man. It has some nice buffs, and Nefa says I look cute in it.”

  “Yeah, like a cute little dodo bird,” he said, still laughing.

  Scrunching my face, I waved him off and went back to inspecting the chest. The remaining items were orbs and a few bars of gold, clinking together as they floated toward me.

  Rising, I tossed Nightbringer

  “Catch,” I said. “It might come in handy later.”

  I figured since it was a desert weapon and Nefa was from the desert, the two would fit perfectly together. Standing there holding it, she activated the ability and instantly fell in love with the sword.

  Then I explained the cooldown, and all she said was, “Don’t worry,” after blowing fire for forty-five seconds. “I know exactly what I’m going to do with this.”

  Cashius had slunk against a wall, waiting for us to hurry along. Feeling his gaze on me, I opened the menu, went to the Character screen, and checked our health and other resources.

  At 450 HP, I was damn near in the red. One good whack from a powerful enemy and I would have to rely on Sparks to give me what little health she had, and that wasn’t much.

  Nefa was close to leveling up, but until then, she was sitting at around 900 HP.

  As for Cashius, he wasn’t technically part of my party, so to read his stats, I had to squint at my display.

  33000 / 299999

  Still leagues beyond what Nefa, Sparks, and I had. Level 234 was powerful indeed.

  Once everything was settled, we regrouped with Cashius at the tunnel’s entrance.

  “Alright, guys,” I said. “If the information about the Longrins is correct, all we have to do is make it through these tunnels, and we should arrive at Linuux’s Palace. Nefa and I are low on health, and one wrong swipe could be the end for us. My suggestion is to be careful and stick to magic-based weapons until an enemy drops a potion. I’ll use the staff and boomerang in tandem with Viper and Fang. Nefa will throw her scythe and maybe use Nightbringer’s special ability to burn something down.”

  The group listened to me like I knew what I was talking about, which I didn’t. All I was doing was saying what felt right.

  When no one raised any objections, I kept going, but later Nefa looked concerned.

  “Lamont, do you think my people are okay?” she asked.

  Reassuring her, I reached out and grabbed her wrist. “I’m sure they’re okay. From what I saw, many were fighting back against Linuux. All you can do now is pray and focus on the job at hand. If you can do that, everything will be fine.”

  “You are right, Lamont. A firm mind and prayer are always needed in times like these.”

  A small smile broke across her face.

  “We will follow your lead,” she said, standing up straighter, placing a hand on my shoulder.

  Cashius smirked. “Yes, we will.”

  Frost enveloped my hand as I equipped the Gorton Ice Staff and stepped into the corridor, nervous on the inside but faking fearlessness for the others.

  Sparks knew what these times called for.

  I glanced at her and felt a warmth fill my chest, and I gave her a gentle nod to show my appreciation.

  She returned the smile, then resumed her orbit around me.

  We walked down the dimly lit hall, seeing and hearing nothing of concern. That was until Sparks fired a few missiles at the ceiling, striking a new enemy type—Fleshmites.

  Large green pupae, each about the length of my forearm, that latched onto you and drained your health. Nasty buggers that were hard to detect but easy to kill.

  When they moved, they left a long trail of slime behind that made it difficult to move, or so the description said. Inflicts Slow on opponents.

  Lucky for me, Sparks caught one before it could drop down and attach itself. Seeing that, I aimed upward and blasted seven of the pests before they could get the jump on us.

  Their corpses didn’t contain anything, but they did provide a bit of XP. Playing exterminator might let Nefa and me level up, and that would give us a full tank of health.

  So that is what we did, walking through the twisting tunnels and killing Fleshmites on our way to Linuux’s Palace, hoping it would give us enough experience to level up.

  Along the way, we ran into other enemy types as well, meaner and trickier than the rest.

  Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

  The Beetlelords and the Antmarshalls.

  Both were insectoid-like creatures that walked upright and carried knives or spears. Both could talk. Both stood around three feet tall.

  During a scrimmage with a few of them, I had taken some damage from one of the little suckers, and now an incessant chirping noise kept beeping in my head.

  And let me tell you, that sound made everything worse.

  A constant reminder that one more whack and I’d keel over.

  We rounded a corner and saw three Beetlelords, all clutching their knives close to their chests and grinning.

  Their thick, black shells glistened like armor, and their crooked helmets drooped over their eyes, making them look rather goofy, in my opinion.

  I dodged a thrown knife.

  Nefa powered up Glass Furnace, but then one of them pulled out a white flag and stepped forward to talk, surprising all of us.

  Nefa did not trust them and kept her chest puffed up, ready to flambé the little critters.

  I, on the other hand, wanted to hear what they had to say.

  The leader adjusted his helmet.

  “Wait, smooth skin. Help us take out our sworn enemy, and we’ll help you in whatever way we can, like provide you with a shortcut into the palace.”

  Cashius stepped up.

  “The other insect men we’ve been slaughtering? What are they called? The Antmarshalls?”

  “Yes, yes.” He bounced on his heels, the flag changing hands. “If you agree, I’ll put out the word that you’re… agreeable. Say no, and we’ll be a thorn in your side forever. Think about it.”

  They weren’t hard to kill, but having them on our side might help us later in ways I couldn’t predict.

  Rolling it over in my mind, I came to a decision.

  “A shortcut, you say?” I leaned forward. “What else do you have to offer?” I asked, raising a brow.

  Might as well milk it for all it’s worth, right?

  The Beetlelord opened his mouth, then shut it, a strange look crossing his face.

  [Haggle successful.]

  “If you agree,” he said, voice buzzing with irritation, “we’ll throw in a crate of HP potions and fortitude buffs… things you clearly need. And the good thing is, you get them now.”

  Then the world froze, and a leather-clad box appeared on the screen, the letters scrolling out like they were being typed.

  Accept or Decline?

  Just what we were looking for. Everyone except Cashius, that is.

  I slammed Accept,

  The crate and buffs were added to my inventory.

  Sparks instantly filled both Nefa’s and my health to halfway, bringing the chirping noise to a stop.

  The leader of the Beetlelords turned to his men. “Come on, fellas, these blokes are on our side,” he said, and disappeared down a tunnel. “We’ll tell our brothers not to harm you. Now scram.”

  Crossing my arms, I faced my small party, feeling expectant. “Let’s get to work and exterminate some Antmarshalls. When we finish, we’ll have a straight shot into the palace.”

  “We heard,” Cashius said. “As usual, I’ll stay out of the way and shout advice while I smoke my stogie.” He blew smoke into the air. “Now let’s go with it.”

  We turned a few more corners and ran into a trio of Antmarshalls. No goofy helmets this time. These creatures carried spears and moved with a rigid, military precision unlike the Beetlelords.

  A counter appeared on my HUD: 0/50. Not a huge number, but enough. With our health somewhat replenished, Nefa and I went on the attack, slaughtering the bugs left and right.

  We surprised a few playing dice near a grate and killed them with ease. The next group was on patrol when we smashed into them. Another cluster was eating clumps of sugar when I impaled one with Havoc Maker, watching its insides spill out like jam.

  Now only ten stood between us and the Beetlelords’ shortcut.

  The last group was clumped together, and in the middle stood a buffed-up Antlord about the size of a grown man. Muscled arms, four of them, to be exact, extended from its sides, its clay-red abdomen gleaming under the cave light. A tiny green beret hovered on one of its antennae.

  The band of creatures didn’t know we were there, busy planning something. Seeing the Buff Bagwell leader sent a shot of fear through me. Even Cashius shrank back.

  “Boy,” he said, “those enemies are hard as hell to pin down. You sure you want that shortcut that badly? We can turn around and go on our own.”

  Nefa grinned, showing her teeth. “Hard to beat, eh? Just like I like them.”

  I returned the sentiment. “We are pretty tough ourselves, Cashius. When I give you the signal, get clear and wait for us.”

  Cashius threw his hands up and let out a puff of air. “I warned you,” he said.

  Narrowing my eyes, I read the big one’s description.

  Supreme Antmarshall — Level 40

  Taking my time, I sauntered up, dragging Havoc Maker behind me. The Antmarshalls were too deep in their discussion to notice us.

  My helmet sat snug on my head, offering solid protection, making me feel brolic, ready to smash something. The only thing missing was the gauntlets I’d pulled from that chest earlier. With those equipped, this fight would’ve been as easy as pie. But being that I wasn’t a high enough level, I’d have to wait to try them out.

  Never mind that, though.

  After this battle, I’d put on the gauntlets and then go after Linuux. Bring an end to him and his heretics from causing any more trouble.

  Along with Nefa swinging Nightbringer, I was confident in our chances.

  A puny Antmarshall called out to his commander when he noticed my steel scraping across the floor.

  “Hey, boss, get a load of them,” he said, pointing his finger at us.

  Its eyes locked on us, and its antennae twitched, beret and all.

  “So these are the ones that’ve been picking us off, hmm?” It cracked all four of its knuckles. “Decimated our ranks with such ease. You’d think they’d be bigger. Instead, their muscles are extremely puny.” It snatched a golden spear from the wall. “Let’s see if they’re as tough as the others claimed.”

  “Positions!” it clicked to its soldiers.

  Four smaller Antmarshalls rushed forward and formed a wall, one set of arms interlocked while the other gripped their spears, aimed straight at us. The other six ran in front and took on a fighting formation.

  Nefa let out a low growl.

  “Whoa, there,” I smiled. “I didn’t expect that from you,” I said, bringing Havoc Maker up and clutching it with two fists.

  She gave me an eye. “I live for moments like this. It’s what I was trained for.”

  “Attack!” the Commander yelled.

  Two of the ants snapped their spears in half, revealing metal cords connecting the pieces. They spun them between their arms like nunchucks while the other four hung back, waiting.

  I advanced, sword raised high, letting Havoc Maker rest behind my back. “I’m about to give you the business,” I said.

  They flinched at me, hoping to scare me. I chuckled, and I swung down, shattering their defense with ease.

  One ant braced himself, but the blade still split him clean in half. The other spun aside, but Nefa caught him mid-turn, slicing him across the thorax, or neck, or whatever you call that part on these insect-men.

  It shrieked and fell into a pool of pus. Sparks hit it with missiles, ensuring it was dead.

  “This is too easy,” Nefa said. “If all of them are like this, this shouldn’t take any time at all.”

  “Don’t get overconfident, but I understand,” I told her.

  Now, in unison, the next two ants approached. The lead one dropped his spear and got down on all fours, while the other hopped on his back, holding his spear steady.

  Hmm. This was new.

  Still easy.

  Nefa charged, blade poised, and waited until they got close. When they were in range, she flipped forward, kicking the rider off. Before he hit the ground, she stabbed him five or six times in the chest. Rolling to her feet, she eyed the last of the six.

  As for the one crawling on the ground, I swung Havoc Maker in a wide arc to knock him off balance, then switched to my bow and pinned his body to the floor with an arrow.

  It struggled before I walked up to it and flattened it with the side of Havoc Maker.

  Repulsion channeled through me and Sparks’ bond as the pus oozed from its body.

  The last two tried to run suddenly to surprise me. I brought out the staff and froze them in place.

  Nefa ran and shattered them with a lethal side kick.

  The Supreme Antmarshall laughed.

  “You’ve killed the fodder. Now face the best of the best. Initiate protocol lightning storm,” he shouted.

  The HUD flashed.

  [SUPREME ANTMARSHALL] has activated [LIGHTNING STORM PROTOCOL]. [FRENZIED] soldiers gain +300% Attack Speed and become [UNBLOCKABLE]

  Nefa and I shared a glance.

  The four ants still linked together flashed red and chittered to one another as a cloud of dust rose around their feet. The word Frenzied flickered above their shiny heads, and their bodies began to move with lightning speed.

  Without warning, a spear slammed into my thigh, followed by another that pierced my arm. Blood leaked from both wounds. As soon as I bent down to pull the one from my leg, another spear zipped past my head.

  [-450]

  [-621]

  “Shit.” I yanked the spear from my thigh and hurled it back at the bastards, who moved out of the way.

  “Potion, Sparks,” I yelled.

  Sticky blood poured as a rush of health flooded me. With the spear still lodged in my arm, the wounds healed around it, sending a sickening pain ripping through my limb. I dropped Havoc Maker, and it vanished in a flicker of 1’s and 0’s.

  “Hold them back, Nefa,” I said through gritted teeth, backing up from the battle.

  “Don’t let up,” the Commander shouted.

  Nefa ducked two punches and tried to deliver a block of her own. “Fuck this,” she muttered. “Glass Furnace, activated.”

  Her mouth opened, and a cloud of fire erupted, halting the ants’ advance. The flames blazed with intense heat, lighting the dim red corridor. When one of the ants tried to flank her, her head followed, keeping them at bay.

  Cashius ran to my side.

  “Boneheaded fool. Why’d you heal before taking that damned spear out of your arm?” he hissed. “This is gonna hurt.” He grabbed the spear and yanked it from my arm.

  [-661]

  The pain damn near crossed my eyes as I yelled and dropped to my knees.

  “I should fuck you up for that, but…” I wheezed. “It needed to be done,” I said, flexing my arm. “Now get back before these ants run you through, old man.”

  He smirked. “I have too much health to worry about them. You just get back out there and defeat them, and next time, don’t heal while a bloody spear is sticking out of you.”

  Nefa’s Glass Furnace was wearing off, and the ants were beginning to return to normal.

  A pulse of warm energy washed over me as Sparks healed me again. I winked at her and hurried back into the fray, summoning Dark Tusk to my hand.

  “They’re regular again, thank the Makers,” Nefa breathed. “Now we should be able to kill them easily.”

  Above her head, her HP gauge was low, so I tossed her a potion.

  “Take that, and this,” I said, handing her a stamina buff. “Now you should be able to overpower them with your speed.”

  With reflexes like lightning, she switched to her scythe and grabbed the handle. “Exactly,” she said.

  The two of us moved like a single unit, pinning the remaining ants to the wall in seconds and decapitating all four with a precise series of strikes and flips.

  The Supreme Antmarshall, the muscled-up, big-headed commander, watched in fury, its pincers twitching violently across its face.

  The commander backed against the wall, its expression now one of raw fear.

  “You’ve killed my army and now put me in a precarious situation,” he said, hitting the wall. “I will no doubt die on this battlefield. But before I go, know this. Linuux will still eat your minds as well as your souls.”

  Our weapons were raised, aimed at his neck as we circled him. Eyes locked, muscles taut, reflexes primed. The spear in his hands spun lazily, glinting under the red light. His large eyes flicked between us.

  “For my finishing move,” he said with eerie calm, “I’ll kill myself and send my spirit ahead to warn him. So long, cruel world.”

  Before either of us could react, the spinning spear stopped. He turned it downward and drove it through his own chest, collapsing in a wet heap at our feet.

  A shitload of gold poured onto the floor, then sped straight into my chest along with a ginormous XP orb. My muscles flexed, and my veins felt like ice water was pumping through them as my level jumped up.

  [Side Quest Completed: The Beetlelords’ Bargain - 50/50 Antmarshalls Slain.]

  [Reward: Shortcut to Linuux’s Palace Unlocked.]

  Glancing at my partner in slaughter one last time, I let out a triumphant scream and raised my fist in victory.

  “Fine job,” Cashius said, clapping his hands slowly. “Though I’ll be damned… a tactical suicide. Linuux’s hold is stronger than I thought.”