[Feat Gained] [50 Runes] – You have obtained fifty runes. Such a feat will propel you to endless possibilities. All Stat + 30

  [Feat Gained] [10 feat] – You have obtained ten feats. Incredible achievements deserve their own reward. All Stat + 10

  Name: Suna Amor

  Level. 26 → 28.

  Class: [Archer]

  Rune: 48 → 50

  Feat: 9 → 12

  Mana: 2150/2150 → 2150/2900

  Class Skill (7/15)

  - Archer Sense [Common]

  - Archer Backstep [Common]

  - Mana Arrow [Uncommon]

  - Moving Shot [Uncommon]

  - Flint Draw [Uncommon]

  - Arcane String [Uncommon]

  - Bow of Wind [Uncommon]

  General Skill (6/15)

  - Quick Draw [Common]

  - Drowfication [Rare]

  - Rune Seeker [Uncommon]

  - Gale Step [Uncommon]

  - Air pocket [Common]

  - Heat Sense [Common]

  Strength: 465 → 515

  Dexterity: 485 → 540

  Vitality: 201 → 255

  Arcanery: 215 → 290

  Sense: 258 → 312

  His Sense stat had been something he ignored for so long. When he was first transported here, it was his lowest stat. He didn’t even feel any difference back then. But now it had steadily risen so far. Perhaps it was because Suna always tried to sense where to shoot, and James' practice required him to sense literal wind building up.

  Which was why in this dimly torchlit sewer, Suna could make out the movement of the gargoyle above him. The creature flew, taking advantage of the darkness above.

  So it at least had intelligence.

  He had hoped that a freaking undead would be dumb. But, oh well, nothing he could do about it.

  Shadow blurred. His eyes moved with it.

  Suna drew and fired in a fraction of a second.

  The Flesh Soldier gurgled with an arrow through its neck.

  [You Have Slain an Undead Flesh Soldier. Lvl 10]

  Another three appeared, and Suna fired at each of them, his bow thrummed. He quickly turned to find his next target, brushing off his kill notification.

  One thing he noticed was that these Undead Flesh Soldiers did not have Runes; Suna could not sense them with his Rune Seeker. But these gargoyles did for some reason. He was sure the dogs also did not have any. This was perhaps why there were only so many Rune bearers within the Tieflings.

  Noa smashed through a Flesh Soldier and cleaved through its neck with his bone sword. That sword couldn’t kill the undead smoothly like Umbralline did, but it still was of good quality, making Noa able to decapitate these flesh soldiers.

  Desha, meanwhile, was carving through these flesh soldiers. Her wind sword flashed, and magic rushed into the undead. She did not need to separate the creature's neck; her magic was potent enough.

  Suna wanted to help them, but he had a more important job. To watch the gargoyle. As long as he kept the gargoyle away from Desha, then she would eventually clear this chamber.

  Suna's eyes tracked across, and the outline of darkness shifted. He had ordered Pito to deliver his message to Slea, which should come at any moment.

  He manifested a blue arrow and prepared to shoot, but just then, an undead flesh soldier scampered toward him.

  Just when he was about to draw.

  This was annoying. He clicked his tongue and stubbornly refused to let go of his Mana Arrow for a mere creature like this one.

  The undead flesh soldier charged at him, and Suna almost had to stifle a sigh.

  “Suna, watch out!” Noa called, but he was too busy shielding himself from five of these zombies.

  “I will be fine.” He called back.

  “What do you mean by ‘I will be fine’? Let go of the arrow, you fool!” Noa shouted as he strained against the undead.

  Suna still had not let go of his arrow. Instead, when the zombie came at him, he ducked its swinging rusted sword. The creature's movement was so uneven that he thought he could dodge without looking at it. Suna tripped the zombie with his legs; he kicked the creature's shin, and it crumpled back.

  With Gale Step building up in his heel, he stomped on the creature's head. The zombie brain split open, and Suna grinned–before chastising himself for being a fool–he launched upward, the force of Gale Step propelled him up.

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

  “Shit,” he grunted, as his body spun unruly.

  The shadow of a gargoyle approached him, diving with glistening talons.

  Panic surged in Suna, but then a falling serpent descended, revealing a faint figure of five gargoyles.

  Suna's eyes swiveled, and he etched their position in his brain. He kicked toward the gargoyle positions with Gale Step, launching himself down and skidding across the ground near Noa’s back. Suna did not waste any time. He still remembered their position–he let his Mana Arrow fly, a burst of blue briefly coloring the dark chamber, piercing one gargoyle.

  His hand weaved another Mana Arrow, and he let loose another. After this one streaked across another gargoyle, it just struck him that the Mana Arrow was quite fast to conjure. Not as fast as his normal arrow drawing, but for its power, it was quite a nice trade.

  Suna conjured another. He followed the movement of Slea’s fire serpent. That spell was seeking magic, so it chased the flying gargoyle through the darkness they tried to hide in–but its speed was too slow. So Suna aimed just a tad bit farther than the serpent was, calculating its position based on the earlier exchange when Slea and he met the first gargoyle.

  Another Mana Arrow hummed through–blitzing through the lower body of the Gargoyle. The creature fell into the water, and the fire serpent almost followed into it–briefly coloring the water with crimson as it flew up again.

  Not bad.

  He was getting the hang of fighting with limited vision.

  Suna followed the serpent again, but it flew up to the well opening.

  Hurrying another Mana Arrow, he let this one charge up a bit. The arrow shone with a bright blue light. Suna struggled to stand up as his body was forced to bend–he released. The arrow flew above, decapitating the head of the gargoyle in a burst of mana explosion. But there should be one more. As Slea’s fire serpent still kept going.

  “Watch out!” Suna screamed as he saw the last gargoyle flying up out of the well. But then a bright light smashed into the creature's head, and it rolled down. It could fix its flight, however, a serpent made out of flame consumed it in a searing embrace. The gargoyle fell and its body lay on the bare floor. Pito was there; the [Monk] had been fighting alone. He crushed the gargoyle's head with his gauntleted fist.

  [You Have Slain a Gargoyle. Lvl 25]

  [You Have Slain a Gargoyle. Lvl 25]

  [You Have Slain a Gargoyle. Lvl 25]

  [You Have Slain a Gargoyle. Lvl 25]

  [Level Up]

  That's a bummer. He had hoped he would reach level 30 with that; his next skill option would probably be there waiting for him.

  “Duck!”

  Suna did, and a sword scythed just above him.

  Noa sliced through the undead flesh soldier, but did not quite kill it.

  Suna swept his legs, tripping the zombie. He flourished his bow and arrow and pierced its throat, killing it.

  He looked around, and the fighting stopped. Desha sheathed her sword, giving him a nod of acknowledgment. She always did that went he does well in practice.

  Pito also joined them with his green marred golden armor.

  “That’s the last one?” Suna asked.

  “It is,” Desha said. “But, there are plenty of well exits like this. I expect we will meet many more foes deeper in the nest.”

  “Let's join up with both Thiefmaster," Pito said. “We have to make sure they’re safe. Both of them”

  “You’re right, we shall do that, both master and Floundea ...” Desha said, hesitation so obvious it marked her face, “I will get the others down.” The Tiefling moved with urgency, recognizing she was the fastest climber.

  Suna found himself disagreeing with Desha; he thought they should go to the gate, and chances are it was breached. Was this because they killed the gatekeeper?

  Maybe he could separate from the group and check it real quick? These gargoyles did not threaten him much, but then again… He was the only one who could take down these winged creatures. Slea might be able to, but it would take her too much mana, and she needs to be protected.

  Yeah, I should stick together.

  ---

  The Tiefling nest was a series of interlacing tunnels with a huge cavern opening the size of a village. In these caverns, rock was hollowed out to be used as dwellings.

  They acted as a hive, with each faction having branches of clans under them. The clans usually split into warriors, scavengers, and merchants.

  The fifth and fourth warrior classes have been wiped out, leaving the scavenger and merchant defenseless.

  Under the pretext of a coup, James and Floundea have decided to ‘forgive’ anyone who might have something to do with the warriors' clan. James had known that the fourth and fifth major warrior clans did not get along with the other major clans. That was why the one-horned erected the plan. This caused the scavenger and merchant classes to join the first and third factions, integrating themselves within each faction

  But things did not go smoothly with the second faction.

  In all honesty, Suna still did not know what had happened between the first and second factions. That was why the sight in front of him was expected, but also outside the realm of his prediction.

  Desha led them to the second faction hive. They climbed through a high slope that led into a maze of tight tunnels that opened up as they went along. The stench of blood wafted in the air the moment they entered the cavern that was supposed to be the second faction's home.

  Bodies of Tiefling and Undead were mixed together. Suna spotted plenty of gargoyle cuts by what looked like wind magic.

  The huge cavern was filled with simple houses etched into the stone, more like mounds, but inside was plenty of room for a family to live in. The middle was a marketplace with stalls filled with weapons and food. But instead, it seemed dead bodies were the main wares of the marketplace.

  Suna pulled his blue cloak up to his nose. In an enclosed space like this, the odor was overwhelming.

  “Swallow your bile, don't throw up,” Desha said matter-of-factly. She looked at some of them.

  Suna turned to inspect his fellow humans. Noa and Min did what Desha recommended, swallowing their bile back down.

  Tears slithered from Min's eyes. “This was caused by the undead, right?”

  Desha's eyebrow raised. “Are you implying the first and third did this?”

  “Yes, actually, I do,” Min met Desha's eye.

  Suna looked at some of the Tiefling corpses. A spear wound, and maybe swords wounds… It could be the gargoyle claws, too, he hoped.

  Was this your plan, James?

  No, it's Floundea… she was the one who picked a fight with the second faction.

  Suna eyed Slea discreetly, trying to see her reaction. But her brimhat so conveniently hid her eyes. However, her mouth gaped open, and then drew into thin lips. Cold sweat trailed down Suna's veins as he watched her lips turn into a smile.

  “They might have done this,” Desha admitted in a soft whisper. The female Tiefling was the first one to break eye contact with Min. Shame filled her face. “And I will not participate in this.”

  Desha's body turned fully.

  She walked out of the cavern.

  Suna watched the rune bearer’s back, still unsure what she meant by that despite her retreating figure.

  The human watched, then Pito moved, his armor clinking with him. “Desha? You're leaving?”

  “I am, I will not fight. Not when I doubt my leader, my Master.”

  “You don't know James did this,” Suna pointed out.

  Desha smiled, a bitter one. “Why do you think he left me with you humans earlier?” Suna opened his mouth, but she continued. “It's to free me from joining in such an act and set me up as a leader.”

  “That's a stretch. Suna is right, Floundea and James might have nothing to do with this,” Slea said.

  “I have known the Master since I was born. I'm sure if you go deeper, you will meet the Thiefmasters. Go then, ask them. I will apologize on my knees if I'm wrong. But in the meantime. I will go up and try to save as many as I can,” the rune bearer left. Leaving them alone with corpses.

  “I will go with her,” Pito said.

  “What are you talking about?” Suna asked, keeping himself from hollering at him.

  “I think she is right. And there are bound to be more Tieflings spread out and in need of help. We will separate for now, Suna,” Pito said, and the golden [Monk] followed after Desha before Suna could get a word in.

  Suna couldn’t believe his eyes. Just how many times have both Pito, Desha, he, and James spent time with each other? A week. But in those weeks, he would like to think they grew quite close.

  But the question remained. Can he trust that James did not do this?

  The answer was that he couldn’t. Still…

  “Both of you are wrong,” Suna called out, stopping both Desha and Pito in their tracks.

  Desha was too far for him to see her expression, and Pito wore that golden helmet. Ah, how frustrating. Suna wanted to see doubt mar those faces at least.

  “You’re wrong,” Suna repeated, much softer.

  “I hope so, Suna,” Desha merely said, before she turned and was followed by Pito.