Oarwin District was significantly larger than I had expected and the further we traveled north, through alleys and half-destroyed corridors, the more it resembled a district that had been devastated by a hurricane. When compared to the massive towers, and the sprawling use of vertical space I had seen in Ingcaster's commercial districts, Oarwin’s architecture was a century behind.

  “Make a left around this corner. You'll see it,” Tristan said.

  “Wait here.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  I turned out of the alley and strolled down the busted cobblestone street, feeling the extra boost of agility even in my simple movements. The street was desolate, and the buildings that were still standing were mostly boarded up. The only source of light came from a two-story tavern at the end of the street.

  Cool night air swelled in my lungs as I bounded toward the front entrance, pushing my speed to its limit. My surroundings blurred in my peripherals as I shot down the street, barreling toward the front entrance that was guarded by three level two thugs. I brushed past them and burst through the front door before they knew what happened.

  Almost two dozen men occupied the dingy two-story pub, casting their attention upon my brazen entrance. They were more confused than alarmed. Probably because they figured no-one would be stupid enough to enter a Thunder Fang establishment willfully.

  I took a seat on an empty stool at the end of the bar, ignoring the flurry of puzzled glances. The bartender, Ockham, was level two, like most of this pub's patrons. He wore a sweat stained cloth shirt with a dirty rag hanging over his shoulder and a scowl on his face.

  I set two silver coins on the counter while monitoring the crowd gathering behind me with the subtlety of an elephant. “Get me a beer.”

  Ockham shrugged, pocketed the money and started pouring a beer. The three guys that were supposed to be on guard entered and blocked the doorway as if I'd actually try to escape.

  “That fool slipped right past us!”

  Ockham set down the beer and said, “Careful, I can tell he's strong. Someone alert Thunder and Fang.”

  The patron on my left didn't heed Ockham's advice and lunged toward me. I caught him with ease and threw him into the ground with enough force to shatter his spine. I took a sip of beer and watched Ockham wisely back away as the mob's fury exploded.

  Five inebriated thugs that were the largest men in the room charged forward first. With a snap, I unleashed a flurry of throwing knives, and they dropped dead before they closed the gap. The sudden deaths of the toughest level twos rippled through the room, halting the gang’s advance. A level one broke through the crowd and headed up the stairs shouting for help.

  “I'll spare anyone that leaves now,” I said, but the only one to take me up on my offer was Ockham.

  The bartender threw himself through a window when the rest of the gang refused to let him out through the front door.

  +20 XP

  +20 Karma

  I sighed. Now that I was level four, the experience gained from crushing level twos was negligible at best. On the bright side, there was a decent quantity of them here. Honestly, I was thankful nobody else had left. I wanted to make a bold statement. One that would resonate throughout Ingcaster.

  “Aren't you going to avenge your fallen comrades?” I asked, stoking the flames of their anger.

  It also seemed my perception increased upon leveling up. I sensed their intent to launch a second attack before they even moved.

  “Everyone attack him at—”

  I cut the goon off with a thrown knife and burst forward. A mix of small daggers, short swords, and spears thrust in my direction as the gang spread out, attempting to form a circle. Dodging their attacks was effortless, and their strategy of creating a net left them spread too thin. I spun through a blitz of unorganized attacks without drawing my daggers. When they missed, I counter-attacked, driving my palms and elbows into their throats and noses.

  This is too easy. They're too slow. And weak...

  Their circle broke as I flung another barrage of knives over my back, which I assumed connected considering the sudden burst of pained howls that followed. Only ten of the initial twenty remained standing. All of them had finally realized attacking me was suicide.

  “Where's the manager?” I asked.

  “One person's the cause of this ruckus? You're all truly pathetic,” a heavy voice sounded from the second floor. “You couldn't keep him occupied for a few minutes?”

  A tall, athletic man with grimy, black matted hair leaned over the banister. He clutched a long, silver-tipped spear and wore an intricate set of handwoven leather armor.

  Target: Zayne

  Level: 4

  Karma: -1350

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  “Thunder!” The goons cheered.

  “Shut up,” Zayne shouted. “Under different circumstances, I would've liked to recruit you. But after making a first impression like this, I think it's better you just die.”

  Something was off. Usually, after a bad guy spouted off some bullshit like that, they launched an attack. Yet, he just stood there with an amused look on his face. Then I heard it, a subtle whistle coming from outside. I dashed across the room as an arrow flew in through the window Ockham had jumped through and curved in my direction.

  It's following me.

  I grabbed a corpse from the ground and caught the arrow with his shoulder. I noticed everyone on the first-floor diving behind cover.

  What the fuck?

  The corpse's flesh turned bright orange as I threw it over the bar's counter.

  Dagger Step.

  I teleported on top of a level two goon, who was hiding in a corner, and used him as a human shield as an explosion shook the building. An initial burst of flames shot shrapnel throughout the pub, claiming my shield's life and those within the blast radius. Surprisingly, the flames retracted without setting the entire building ablaze. Although a portion of the front wall had been destroyed.

  Concentrated magic instilled arrows?

  “You took your time getting here, Fang,” Zayne said.

  Thunder... Fang... What an uninspired way to name a gang.

  A woman dressed in a long silky azure robe and a cloth mask that concealed her face sauntered in through the newly created entrance. A quiver stocked with ruby tipped arrows hung on her back and she held an iron crossbow, loaded with another arrow.

  Target: Jayde

  Level: 5

  Karma: -4175

  “I'd prefer if you didn't kill him. There's information we need to extract first,” Jayde said.

  Zayne frowned and shrugged. “You're the one that's trying to kill him. I haven't even attacked him yet. And it'd be nice if you didn't destroy the whole pub. If the building collapses, the merchandise in the basement will be worthless.”

  I didn't mind that they weren't taking me seriously. Every second counted toward refreshing Dagger Step’s cooldown. Jayde was dangerous, and I wasn't even sure what abilities Zayne had. Maybe I had been too reckless. All it took was one stupid decision, and I was dead meat. Yet, I couldn't have been happier. The thrill I had been searching for was finally here.

  I took a sprinter's position and pounced forward, knowing she wouldn't risk detonating one of those arrows at point blank range. But as I closed the gap, she lowered her crossbow, raised her palm, and smiled. Sensing a surge of invisible power swelling from her palm, I aborted my plan and instinctively rolled to the side.

  An invisible force sliced through the air like a guillotine, cutting everything in its path. Before I could push myself off the ground, I heard Zayne make his move, thrusting his spear at my spine as he soared down from the staircase. I rotated onto my back, clutching both daggers, using one to deflect the spear's tip and the second to cut through its shaft. But Zayne swept the spear away and kicked me across the room.

  The damage and pain were a worthwhile trade-off for regaining my footing. While Zayne's combat prowess exceeded what I'd faced before, in a one on one I would have been able to outmaneuver him with my agility. The real problem was Jayde. If she fired off any more arrows before my cooldowns refreshed, I was toast.

  I spit a crimson loogie at my feet and tightened my grip around my dagger's hilt. Zayne and Jayde mirrored each other's movements, planning to hit me from both sides. A hand, belonging to a fallen gang member, gripped my ankle as Jayde raised her palm on one side and Zayne chucked his spear from the other.

  “Ice Bloom,” Jayde shouted.

  The warm, stuffy air transformed, whirling with snowflakes and ice particles, dropping the temperature low enough that I saw my own breath. Time seemed to slow as I snapped free from the idiot trying to lock me down, throwing myself to the side, narrowly avoiding Zayne's spear. Sweat froze across my body as frigid air whipped against me. Pain flared through my lungs as I tried staggering away from her area of effect. But Zayne wouldn't allow it.

  He followed me, seemingly unaffected by Jayde's ice spell, retrieving his spear and forcing me into a defensive stance.

  “He won't last long. Keep that spell up,” Zayne shouted, charging forth, aiming for my chest.

  The soles of my boots adhered to the floor, bound by a thin layer of ice that was slowly wrapping up my ankles. With no way to dodge the attack, I leaned into it at a sharp angle. The spear's silver tip pierced into my left shoulder, grinding against bone. It wasn't my first time being stabbed, nor would it probably be my last. I fought through the familiar surge of pain, gripping the shaft with my left hand and ran my dagger through the tempered wood with my right, turning Zayne's weapon into a splintered stick.

  “What a crazy son of a bitch,” Zayne said.

  Jayde screamed, “Keep your eyes on him!”

  Zayne's useless chatter provided the slight edge I needed to break away from the ice at the cost of some skin. I dashed at him in a straight line.

  “If you think that's my only trick, you're sorely mistaken.” Zayne unsheathed a short sword and wound back his arm.

  Invisibility.

  “Don’t drop your guard.” Jayde swept the room with her gaze, palm extended.

  Zayne raised his foot and stomped the ground as he yelled, “Thunder Field!”

  A burst of electricity detonated within a three-yard radius surrounding Zayne, but he wasn't my target. By the time he realized my movement was a feint, I was already behind Jayde holding a ruby tipped arrow I had snatched from her quiver. I stabbed the arrow into the back of her thigh as she twisted around.

  “Reveal,” she growled, eyes burning with malice and an instantaneous understanding of what had happened, using her last moments to dispel my stealth.

  Dagger Step.

  I utilized the spell's max range to displace myself across the room, behind an overturned table. Another explosion erupted within the pub and an intense heat swept across the first floor, eradicating the cold.

  Zayne stood still in a momentary state of shock; face bloodied with splinters. Burned pieces of Jayde littered the room and the entire building's structure shifted, dropping damaged planks and shingles from gaps in the ceiling. Ash usurped the snow.

  “Why are you here?” Zayne asked, staring blankly into the swirling soot.

  I raised myself from the floor, fueled by an intoxicating combination of adrenaline and pain. “I'd say I'm here to save the boy you kidnapped. But it's too exhausting to lie. I'm just treading the line like I always have. To kill or be killed. Is there anything more fun than this kind of violence?”

  A swell of electricity encased Zayne's metal greaves, and he shot forward. His speed increased, outmatching my own.

  Was I wrong? Should I have dealt with him first?

  I sprung to the side, avoiding his sweeping sword, but his leg whipped up, unleashing a powerful kick. The impact cracked through my leather armor, into my sternum, and launched me backward through a wooden wall. Disoriented, vision blurred, I was on the verge of blacking out, lying on my back in a dirty bedroom.

  No, not like this.

  My arms wouldn't move, and I had dropped my main daggers during the attack. There was a single health potion vial tucked away in my pocket, but reaching for it felt impossible. Getting knocked through a wall didn't help the silver spear tip lodged in my shoulder, which was now bleeding profusely. Debris crunched beneath a slowly approaching footfall.

  Warning HP Level Critical

  Thanks, system. That’s really helpful.