What is wrong with you?

  A multitude of things.

  You needed one of them alive to interrogate. Dumbass.

  "Shit," I muttered as I walked from body to body hoping to find someone still twitching.

  But it was a fruitless endeavor. All that remained was a grim illustration of my ruthless nature. I rummaged through the scattered corpses with haste, securing myself a dagger, and two short swords along with their sheathes, which I equipped at my side. As I was patting down Nelson's corpse, I found and retrieved the quarry dungeon key that he had lifted from Xodoven.

  "You've been a great help," I said, looking at the supposedly legendary Grimspark, who was still strapped to the horse with his eyes closed and joints stiff.

  I heaved him off the horse and carried him over to the wooden cart filled with all of the goods Waystone had blessed us with. I threw Xodoven into the back, shaking my head as I digested the possibility that Viessa had already been captured or killed by another mercenary squad.

  Leaving my ineffective bodyguard behind, I entered the shack, prepared for the worst, only to find it vacant. I went back outside and traced the hilltop's perimeter, searching for any sign of the elf, knowing more Black Diamond goons were already on their way.

  With no luck, I headed behind the shack and waded through knee-high grass, scanning the clearing with Karma's Gaze until I reached a precipice where the ground vanished into a steep drop.

  "Viessa!" I shouted.

  "Cyprus," a muffled voice said.

  I spun around towards the noise, watching the grass as it swayed like a sea of liquid silver under the moonlight. "Viessa?"

  "You promised to take me home," the elf's voice whispered in the wind.

  In the center of the clearing, the ground shifted, pushing the dirt and grass outward as the elf rose out of the land, her skin so pale it bordered on translucent. Blood trickled through the gaps in her teeth, flowing past her lips, staining her bare chest.

  A knot tightened in my chest, twisting my innards into a nauseating loop. I stared into her vacant eyes and held my breath.

  "You let them kill me," she said.

  I unsheathed my short sword with a heavy hand. "Chaos, I'm going to erase your existence."

  Shadow Weave. Dagger Step.

  I teleported within inches of the elf, swinging my sword with my right hand while I drove a pointed shadow up from the ground with my left.

  The air hissed as the naked elf vanished before my attacks connected. I swiftly pivoted around, not surprised to see Chaos standing on the cliff's edge with a smug grin.

  "What gave it away?" Chaos asked. "I thought the voice was spot-on."

  "Those weren't her eyes," I said as I desperately searched for another angle to take a second shot. "Where is she?"

  The pallid little goblin blew out a sigh and pulled back his robed hood, exposing the runic tattoos that covered his face, glimmering in the moonlight. "I'll get to that, but first you need to put a lid on the hostility."

  Veins bulged in my forehead while I swallowed the lump in my throat. My fingernails dug into my palms as I clenched my fists, trying to contain the overwhelming urge to decapitate him and drop kick his head off the mountain.

  Chaos stroked his chin with pointed fingernails. "It's unfortunate our relationship has deteriorated to this point, but here we are. I warned you not to clear the emerald dungeon."

  Shadow Weave.

  I flicked my finger, curving a pointed shadow up from the ground aimed at Chaos's center of mass. The shadow's jagged tip screeched to a halt as it met his robe, snapping the thread.

  "Don't fault me for trying," I said.

  Chaos shrugged. "Whatever makes you feel better. I didn't intend to strike a nerve. I only wanted to show you the potential ramifications of your actions. Since you won't follow my sage advice, I've had to meddle more than I would've liked and I hate putting in overtime."

  "So ratting me out in a newsletter was your retribution?" I asked.

  "Of course, not. How could you think I'm that petty?" he said, looking down at his wrist as if he was wearing a watch. "The newsletter was a preemptive measure. Soon the second quest will begin and I had a feeling you wouldn't ignore it, even if I asked nicely."

  I gnashed my teeth, infuriated by my inability to erase his very existence. "Where's the elf?"

  Chaos chuckled. "Simmer down, she's alive. Elves are hot commodities, Black Diamond won't needlessly dispose of her. Besides, there's another pressing matter you should be aware of. Waystone's overrun with bandit groups looking for you. I bet they'll burn that crappy village down in hopes of summoning their savior."

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  I remained still, letting the information sink in while an awful rage brewed beneath the surface. Inhaling a deep breath, I tasted the crisp fog and smelled the air's faint woody sweetness. I exhaled, grounding myself so I didn't lose control to the fury within.

  Chaos strutted along the cliff's edge, the grass nearly taller than him. He gazed out at the horizon, pretending to admire the valley. "What will you choose? Save the elf? Save the village? Or maybe you'll forsake them both and complete the quest out of pure spite."

  I slapped my knees, laughing until my chest hurt. "I always wanted to blame a higher power for my misfortunes. But you've made it feasible in your shortsightedness."

  Shadow Weave.

  Darkness whirled beneath my feet, gradually creeping across the clearing as I lifted my arms, raising a curtain of shadows at my back. "I've only scratched the system's surface. And as cumbersome as it can be, it has never hinted at its limits."

  His face darkened, the glee in his eyes extinguished. I flexed my powers, orchestrating dozens of shadow threads with my fingertips, expanding the wall upward and outward, blocking the moonlight out from behind. Strange bands of energy tightened within me as the veil touched the treetops.

  "How much stronger will I be in another two weeks, a month, or a year? How long until my fangs are sharp enough to tear out your throat?" I hissed, my voice laced with venom.

  Chaos glanced down at his wrist once more. "Your attitude is always so disheartening. Oh, well, there will be plenty of time to work your kinks out if you survive the night. Don't disappoint me, I'll be watching."

  With a fierce motion, I slammed my palms downward, unleashing the towering slab of shadows like a tidal wave. The inky darkness surged through the clearing, rupturing the soil beneath its weight. Trees burst apart, spraying splinters in every direction as the cliff's edge shifted. A crack formed, zigzagging down into the bedrock until it split.

  Watching with his infernal red pupils, Chaos fell backward along with the massive chunk of rock he was standing on. He didn't seem concerned, nor did I expect the fall to inflict any damage, but at least the son of a bitch was out of my sight.

  She's alive.

  With my blood still boiling, I returned to the front of the shack and approached the cart where Xodoven lay. I slapped him hard across the face.

  "Wake up, you useless asshole," I said.

  But he didn't flinch and his facial muscles remained tense. Giving up on his assistance, I rummaged through the crates of goods and pocketed four muted crimson health potions that looked like they were well past their expiration date.

  As the wind whipped at my back, rustling the frayed edges of my cloak, I heard the clatter of armor shifting and the stomping of boots striking the ground in unison coming up the winding path.

  [Quest Activated]

  The Rockbound Quarry Dungeon - Defeat the boss and retrieve the chaos shard.

  Rewards - ???

  Time Remaining: 24:00:00

  The text glowed overhead like an LED billboard imposed across the murky backdrop of the forest's canopy. I read it once. Then twice. A third and fourth time changed nothing besides the time limit.

  Time Remaining: 23:59:36

  I dropped to my knees and watched the seconds tick away as two columns of mercenaries marched up the hill's crest. They spotted me, but I paid no attention, solely focused on the quest's text as it faded away. However, the time limit remained, hovering in the corner of my eye as a constant, stress inducing reminder.

  Time Remaining: 23:59:10

  I burst into an uncontrollable laughter, losing sight of the mercenaries who tapered their advance when they saw the scattered corpses of their kinsmen. Their shouting fell on deaf ears as my mind spiraled off in its own world.

  Every plate I had been spinning teetered off and crashed, leaving me in a jagged world of shattered ceramic. Would ignoring the quest enrage Justice? Even if I tried to complete it, there was no time to form a party.

  Another fucking chaos shard?

  My lungs choked for air as I wiped the tears from my eye. It already felt like the whole world wanted me dead, and now a fallen god or demon was adding to my suffering. I closed my eyes and for a second I completely forgot about the elf, the quest, the chaos shards, Waystone, Oarwin, Soul Viper, the mercenaries, Xodoven, Eamon, and Justice, flushing their overbearing presences from my psyche.

  And for that single moment, I felt bliss. The elusive sense of peace I had spent my entire life searching for finally appeared, only for it to be squashed as I reaffirmed the root of my one hundred and one problems.

  Chaos.

  If not for him, I could be taking my rehabilitation seriously in a place I actually belonged, like a federal penitentiary.

  A hefty wooden club smashed across the side of my head and snapped in half. I blinked twice, returning back to my current shitty reality. As I stood, my rage morphed into a wild madness. Every nerve in my body vibrated with a dangerous intensity, fury leaking out through my pores.

  Time Remaining: 23:58:26

  Two level four mercenaries grabbed my arms and pulled my hands behind my back. Karma's Gaze lit-up, taking in the data belonging to the 15 man squad. Only one man stood out.

  Target: Cleveland

  Level: 7

  Karma: -625

  Bonus Data: Veteran leader of Black Diamond Mercenary Company's Phoenix Squad. Favors tea and biscuits over rich meats. Brushes his teeth with luminous serpent oil despite recent studies debunking the oil's effectiveness.

  Bonus Data: Y/N

  "No thanks," I said.

  "Rylan, looks like you bashed him too hard," a mercenary said as he tightened his grip on my wrists and kicked at my back, trying to force me to the ground.

  The mercenary's double-line formation parted, making way for Cleveland as he marched up to me with a fancy one-handed sword drawn. Two ruby colored gems shone in the weapon's hilt, catching the moonlight and casting crimson reflections as he waved it through the air. He wore an iron bascinet—an open-faced combat helmet that covered the top and sides of his head but left his eyes, nose, mouth, and chin exposed.

  "State your name and purpose," Cleveland commanded. "Are you responsible for killing Serpent Squad?"

  "My name is Cyprus and it seems my purpose is always shifting. Tonight, it's razing your organization to the ground and killing everyone beneath your banner," I said, twisting my arms free from the men behind me. "Serpent Squad fired off a distress signal, and this is all they sent?"

  Rylan and his comrade stabbed at my back with their blades, but I turned around and caught their throats with my hands. I lifted them off their feet by their windpipes as a barrage of arrows hit me from behind.

  "I really wanted the name Cyprus to be associated with acts of heroism. A beacon of light in this dark world," I said as my fingernails ripped through chain mail and cartilage. "I guess I was being too naive."

  Warm blood soaked my palms as I pulled back, tearing flesh and connective tissue from the two men's necks. I squeezed the squishy mass of gore like a squelching stress ball while a second barrage of arrows pinged off my back.

  "It seems like I'm in desperate need of a rebranding since this family friendly image of Cyprus, the noble adventurer, hasn't kept the low-lives at bay."

  I turned and faced the crowd of horrified mercenaries, and Cleveland, who was already backpedaling, fully realizing the severity of their situation.

  +125 XP

  +30 Karma