"Kneel and bow your heads," Skarrack commanded.

  Brythan knelt over his broken hand, muffled whimpers escaping through clenched teeth. With the subtle wave of his hand, Veigan motioned for us to comply. Celina and Gustall hesitated for a moment before following the order.

  "Are you daft? When a captain says kneel and bow your head, you kneel, bow your head, and ask if they want their boots licked."

  Skarrack leaned forward, his open palm snapping toward me in a brutal arc. I accepted the blow, and as it cracked against the left side of my face, I grabbed his neck with my right hand, and lifted him up in the air.

  "What the–" Skarrack gasped, syllables trapped in his throat as I tightened my grip.

  Both of his hands tried prying the vice free, but I notched the tightness up another increment. Waraji came to his aid, flying in with his palms up, ready to deliver his signature Boulder Strike. I was faster, snatching up two throwing knives with my left hand and flinging them into his eyes. I turned my body as Waraji blindly brushed by and crashed into the railing in the center of the walkway,

  Skarrack's face turned violet as he brought his fists down, fruitlessly striking my arm. His panicked pupils zipped around as he tried peeling my hand from his throat with one hand while the other went for my eyes.

  I caught three fingers and the tip of his thumb between my teeth and chomped down. He ripped his hand back, and I spat the loose digits across the floor, tasting a metallic bitterness across my palette.

  Suddenly, I felt my weight drop out from underneath me, surprised to discover the recently blinded Waraji, whose build resembled a vending machine, tackling me from the side. Skarrack hit the ground as Waraji swept me off my feet in his arms, barreling toward the panoramic windows with the two throwing knives still sticking out of his eyes.

  I slammed my palms into the throwing knives' handles, sending the blades deep into his skull. Twisting free from his grip, Waraji dropped dead at my side, leaving Skarrack alone, standing on wobbly feet, wheezing as he steadied himself on the railing.

  "Veigan, what–" he croaked, but I interrupted him, grabbing the side of his head and slamming it down against the iron railing.

  Ding.

  The iron reverberated down the walkway and Skarrack hit the ground, sprawled out like a starfish. As I went for the finisher, about to drop my heel on his head, Veigan stepped in between us.

  "That's quite enough." Veigan subtly nodded toward the small audience of stunned lieutenants and sergeants who had gathered on both sides of the walkway. "It's highly inappropriate for new recruits to conduct a display of strength test outside of the training arena."

  Why was someone with -6505 karma risking his life to save a man that wanted to burn his feet off? A moment later, I realized it was less for the guy known for innovating new torture methods and more for the lives of the level fives and sixes surrounding us. Still, his sudden altruism didn't sit well with me. Not because I didn't think he was genuine and playing us instead, but because his existence took dynamite and placed it in the cracks of Justice's Karma SystemTM and detonated it, blowing the entire thing to pieces.

  How many decent people have you killed on account of a fake number? How many orphans have you created tonight?

  Silence. I'm still a hero, chosen by Justice.

  Chaos is the one who chose you, Derrick Hauser.

  I stared off into space blankly, standing frozen over the captain's unconscious body.

  "Hurry and take these two to the Premium Member's Plus Health & Restoration Spa," Veigan said.

  Two level five sergeants squeezed by me and picked up Skarrack. They hauled him off while the three lieutenants struggled with Waraji's heavy corpse.

  "Sir, I think he's dead," one of them said.

  Veigan dismissed his concern with the wave of his hand. "No, he's completely fine. He's simply recovering in a deep meditative state. It's not the first time I've seen him use this technique."

  Waraji's lifeless skull slacked forward, blood oozing down the daggers embedded in his eyes while the mercenaries finally got him upright and balanced between the three of them with his meaty arms draped over their shoulders. His feet dragged behind them as they passed us, heaving and ho-ing.

  +325 XP

  +85 Karma

  Brythan winced as Gustall lifted him to his feet, assisting him along as Veigan had us putting distance from the few mercenaries who had only glimpsed the aftermath of the scuffle.

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  "That was needlessly dangerous," Veigan said.

  "I don't bow to anyone."

  "You better hope Skarrack doesn't wake up and rally the rest of the captain's quarters and call for a lockdown."

  "Then I should've killed him," I said, annoyed at myself for not just stamping him out.

  Had he not been unarmed and in casual wear, it would've been a more difficult fight. I noticed the level nines and tens specializing in strength were extra durable, even with Karma's Gaze's passive damage boost in play.

  Veigan had us turn off the walkway down one of many vacant corridors into a tight maintenance tunnel.

  "Why didn't you call for a lock down after we spoke through your voodoo?"

  "Voodoo?"

  "Magic," I clarified.

  "Because I wasn't going to be the first captain in Black Diamond's existence to enact a lock down cause four fools sneaked in. A lock down brings productivity screeching to a halt. I figured the Immortal, and the Elite Demon Squad would be more than enough to clean up this mess. Turns out you were far outside of the deviations I calculated."

  Veigan looked up at the rough stone ceiling, and counted on his fingers. "The Upper Tier houses over 150 of Black Diamond's higher ranks. And from here to the Cellar there's another 700 housed mercenaries. You may find a way to survive a lockdown, but your friends won't."

  "I don't have any friends. And if 850 mercenaries want to throw their lives away, then so be it."

  Veigan staggered his steps, looking like he had taken a sip of sour milk as he gnawed on my words.

  "Are you OK?" Celina asked.

  "No, my hand's ruined," Brythan cried. "And he didn't lift a finger to stop it."

  It was harshly put, but ultimately the truth. I saw the attack coming from a mile away and did nothing.

  "I'm not anyone's protection detail. Be grateful you're all still alive. I've bailed you out more than once," I said, ignoring the lame guilt trip. "You all knew what you were getting into, and I warned you from the start to turn back."

  None of them could argue with that. Celina kept her eyes forward, Brythan bit his tongue, still sore about the trajectory of his evening, and Gustall resembled a pale zombie going through the motions.

  As we turned down a second narrow corridor, I asked, "Where are you leading us?"

  "Through the staff tunnels for rear access to the recruitment center. We're almost there," Veigan said, walking under a pipe that the rest of us had to duck under. "Poor Waraji... He always managed to find humor in everything. To see such a joyous soul perish in such an unsettling fashion..."

  Veigan shivered, and I hoped that was the end of it, but he continued. "And I never thought I'd ever see Skarrack be defeated so quickly. Hmm, a novice adventurer, huh? I read about your bounty yesterday, and thought, 'wow, 1000g is quite a sum.' I nearly cancelled Pearl Banner's contract right then and there due to the possible complications. That amount of gold can move mountains."

  "Quiet," I said.

  Veigan chuckled. "And to think I was worried about potential conflicts with the competition surrounding your capture, rather than the capture itself. I assume the squads I sent won't be returning?"

  "No, they won't. Now shut up and keep moving."

  "As you will not bow, I will not shut my mouth. I rather enjoy speaking freely and I know you won't kill me. I'm much too valuable alive."

  "Celina, punch him."

  The bandit gladly socked Veigan in his face. He fell backward, only losing consciousness for a moment. I caught the little bastard, not wanting him to bust open his skull on the plumbing.

  Nursing a swollen lip, Veigan cursed under his breath. Then he pointed at the end of the corridor where it split off left and right. As we headed toward the intersection, a tall figure turned the bend.

  Target: Gideon

  Level: 6

  Karma: -315

  Additional Data: Leader of the Moonsewn Bandits. Formed the organization nine years ago with his sister. Claims to be six foot four, but is only really six foot two. Is quite fond of Bristlepea mash.

  He walked toward us with a bounce in his step, humming a tune as he ate a croissant. His gaze passed over us, and he smiled, nodded his head and said, "Excuse me," before squeezing by us.

  "Gideon," Celina said, voice shaken. "What are you doing?

  Gideon froze, dropping his half-eaten pastry on the ground. "Lina, Gus?" he said with a mouthful of baked dough.

  Suddenly, he started hacking, then buckled at the waist, convulsing with each cough. I thought he was just surprised, until he started gasping for air, grabbing at his throat, eyes watering.

  Celina brushed past me, rushed behind her brother, and performed a Heimlich maneuver. A partially chewed chunk of pastry spattered across the stone tile, and a second later Celina grabbed hold of his wrists. She closely examined his hands, then threw them back.

  "Why do you have all of your fingernails?"

  Wide-eyed, and stuttering, Gideon put his back against the wall. "Wait... Why are you here?"

  Celina shoved him hard. "Answer me. Why are strolling through the back-end maintenance tunnels humming Grey Bard's greatest hits with all ten of your fingernails intact?"

  She grabbed his ear and twisted, bringing him down to her eye level, studying his face before pushing him back again. "Gideon, what have you done?"

  "Compose yourself, sis. I'm still Moonsewn's leader, don't chastise me in front of the others."

  "No, you're not. Not if you've done what I think you've done."

  Gustall and Brythan's excitement for Gideon's return deflated instantaneously as they joined Celina, cornering him up against the wall.

  Meanwhile I sat down on a large iron pipe, listening to flowing water, restoring stamina one minuscule bit by bit, keeping my eyes on Veigan and his terrible karma rating, wrestling with the number's existential impact.

  "What's the vice leader implying?" Gustall asked.

  Brythan answered, "The Moonsewn Bandits no longer exist. He sold us out to Black Diamond. Unless Lina's wrong. But she's not. If she was, he'd already be rubbing her face in it."

  Gustall placed his hand on Gideon's shoulder as he laughed. "Go on, tell 'em how wrong they are. It's been a long, stressful night. They're not thinking right."

  Formerly known as the Moonsewn Bandit's captain, Gideon pried his friend's hand off and bit his lips. "Listen, they weren't only going to peel off my fingernails! I would've already been thrown into the Cellar if I hadn't complied. Anyone else would have done the same!"

  Celina slapped him hard across the face. "You're not supposed to be anyone else, Gideon, the Graceful. The great leader of the Moonsewn Bandits."

  No longer able to tolerate the sight of him, she turned and briskly walked back our way, spurring Veigan and I back on track down the narrow maintenance tunnel.

  "Lina, stop! Where are you going? And why are you all here?"

  But we kept walking as Lina shoved Veigan along, forcing him into a sprint.

  "I'm not blameless here. If you never sent us after that moonshot of a bounty, Black Diamond never would've caught me in the first place."

  The hairs on my neck raised as I ground to a halt and twisted around with madness cracking my stoic facade. "What did you just say?"