My blade slammed into Rick's with the force of a battering ram. The impact rang through my arms; the shockwave rattled my bones.

  Our follow up strikes were a brutal soldier’s rhythm, no wasted flourishes, just killing intent in every strike. Each blow was a test, probing one another for weakness, and each one carried enough power to kill.

  I met him edge for edge, Limit Break’s fading embers sharpening my reflexes just enough to keep pace. The silver sheen of my armor flared with each hit, runes along the plates flickering under the strain.

  “I'll admit you’re crazy strong for your level,” Rick said between strikes, his voice a low growl. “Another Talent, perhaps?”

  “Funny,” I grunted, twisting under his guard and slamming my pommel into his side. “You’re not.”

  He absorbed the hit as if it were nothing. The level difference showing. He pivoted into a backswing that would’ve taken my head if I hadn’t Flash-Stepped back. The spot where I’d been just standing split open, a jagged scar in the floor. I felt my mana getting low, and I dismissed my armor. If I get disoriented here, it's over. Rick started laughing at me. “I guess we figured out who has the better Talent!”

  Behind me, Balt’s fight was a storm of light and concussive blasts. The two elites were pressing him hard, their formation tight despite the chaos going on around them. Every time Balt staggered one, the other closed in, forcing him to keep moving and chucking spells. Hang in there, buddy.

  Lazz stood above it all on the dais, hands clasped behind his back, eyes glittering with amusement. I could tell he wasn’t worried.

  You will be soon, asshole.

  The two guards who had come after me when the fight with Rick started had recovered and were again trying to flank me.

  Rick came at me, faster this time. His crimson mana armor bled heat, the air between us shimmering like a desert mirage. Without my armor protecting me, the hot mana burned my lungs with every breath I took.

  I have to stop trading blows. Need to break his rhythm or I'm done.

  I feinted left, then dropped low, sweeping Ashbourne in a rising arc using Limit Slash for the first time against him.

  Rick caught it on his blade, but the force drove him back a step. His grin widened. “Better.”

  He surged forward, and I met him head?on. Or so he thought. As he was about to close the distance, I dropped a Mana Ball, kicking up dust and Flash Stepped into Balt’s fight.

  Balt had been ready: his staff slammed down, and a Force Wave crashed outward. The Wave sounded like thunder in the hall, the power of the wave toppling what was left of the nearest pillar.

  Shards of stone rained down, clattering across the scorched floor as the two elites became off-balance and disoriented.

  I was on top of the closest Elite in less than a heartbeat. I triggered Limit Slash, a short, savage blow that carved the man in half.

  A crimson blur slammed into me as soon as my Limit Slash had landed. Rick’s roar chased me through the air as I flew. My spine hit the stone wall hard enough to rattle my teeth, the taste of copper flooding my mouth.

  “You’re not bad,” he said, rolling his shoulders. “But you’re not walking out of here.”

  I dislodged myself from the stone wall and spat out some blood. “We’ll see who walks out of here and who doesn't.”

  I started to move to his right, my guard up. Both of us were looking for an opening to reengage. My attacks aren’t having much effect. He still moves quickly; I see no change in him at all. I need to push harder, or he's right; I'm not going to walk out of here.

  I Flash Stepped, reappearing at his flank. Ashbourne bit deep into his pauldron, molten metal spraying sparks as my blade flared silver. He snarled, swinging for my head, but I was already gone, reappearing on his other side.

  Limit Break had just ended, but I didn’t let the exhaustion I was feeling show in my body language.

  He has to be burning through his mana reserves to keep that armor up. I must keep the pressure on, make him pay for every second he wears it. When his mana gets low and it vanishes, that’s when I strike.

  I moved in, using Limit Slash like a hammer blow now. Three times I hit him with it. In quick succession, trying to make an opening appear.

  Every dodge I had to make when he retaliated put me a hair’s breadth from disaster. My enhanced speed was gone, so I was dodging more out of instinct than seeing the blows coming at me.

  The hall had become a blur of silver fire and crimson, the air thick with heat and the smell of scorched steel from repeatedly parrying his blows and making sparks fly.

  I was locked eye to eye with Rick, ready for our next exchange when I heard Balt shout something, then one of the elites went flying past us, smashing into a wall hard enough to crater it.

  Rick glanced toward the sound, his concentration broken. The first real mistake he had made in this fight. I took the opening.

  I thrust Ashbourne straight into the crease in his breastplate with the help of Limit Slash pushing the blade forward. It was enough to finally pierce his armor.

  The force of the blow hurled Rick back. Ashbourne tore free from my grip as he flew, still lodged in Rick's chest.

  He hit the floor hard, sliding to a stop at Lazz’s feet. The Merchant King’s smile was gone, and his hands were now starting to twitch.

  Rick groaned, one gauntleted hand bracing against the scorched marble as the other gripped Ashbourne’s hilt. With a sharp, guttural snarl, he wrenched the blade free from his chest.

  A thin spray of blood followed, pattering dark against the white stone. The molten lines of his mana armor flickered, guttering like a dying forge. The red mana armor finally petered out.

  Lazz’s smile fell away. He stepped off the dais, voice smooth as silk. “Watch this little trick. There’s nothing credits can’t buy." He touched one ring. It flared, transforming into black smoke, and when the vapor hit Rick, the wound I had just made knitted itself shut.

  Rick straightened as if he hadn't just had a huge sword in his chest. The molten glow of his armor returned and flared bright again. “You owe me another year’s service for that little favor, Captain. Now finish him. He’s weaponless.”

  For fuck’s sake, was all I could think, but I could not let them know how gassed I was.

  I tilted my head, letting a slow grin spread across my face. “Cool trick.” I raised my empty hand, palm open. “I’ve got one as well.”

  Ashbourne shone where it lay in Rick’s hand, then dissolved into silver light. In the space of a heartbeat, the hilt solidified in my palm, the blade singing as if it had never left my hand.

  Balt blinked to my side, then raised his staff in guard position. My grin widened. “You good?”

  “I’m good,” Balt said, breathing heavily. “Let’s do this. I took back up a guard position. “You heard him… where were we?”

  Rick charged, but Balt Blinked behind him and used his force magic and Rick's own momentum to shove, making him stumble. I swung my sword into his helm, jarring him briefly.

  I pressed my advantage and struck out. Me and Balt fell into step without a word, his staff a blur of arcs and bursts, my blade a silver streak.

  Balt’s concussive blasts were just dangerous enough for Rick to have to pause his strikes and guard himself. I layered on Limit Slash and as many strikes as I could. Anytime I overextended, Balt helped cover me. Force Jolts and energy shields nonstop supporting my melee fight.

  The hall rang with the clash of steel and the deep boom of magic detonations. The footing was getting treacherous with all the debris we were surrounded by.

  Up on the dais, I heard Lazz yell out. “You, get in there and finish this!”

  You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

  One of the remaining guards, a tall brute in blackened half?plate hesitated only a moment before charging down the steps, halberd leveled.

  He didn’t make it three strides. I knew I was close to a level, and I prayed this would push me over the requirement.

  I Flash Stepped, moving like the wind. Ashbourne Flashed. His blade never moved. The guard’s momentum carried him two more steps before his legs realized he was cut in two. The halberd clattered to the floor as he collapsed, a crimson bloom spreading across the white marble.

  I straightened, flicking the blood from my sword with a casual snap of my wrist. System energy rippled over me—LEVEL UP—before fading into nothing. My exhaustion eased; something inside me reset, like a gear clicking home.

  I glanced toward Balt, a wolfish grin tugging at my mouth. Balt smiled back; he knew what that level meant. I moved away from both Rick and Lazz, and Balt Blinked next to me and moved behind me.

  Rick snarled, tightening his grip on his sword. Balt shifted his stance beside me, staff humming with stored power.

  Lazz came down from the dais, the last soldier and his shield his only protection. He had a wand in each hand now that thrummed with power as he made it to Rick’s side. “So what, you went from level 13 to level 14; like one level will help you that much. You’re just delaying the inevitable,” Lazz laughed.

  “Sir, get back…who knows what aces he’s got up his sleeve."

  “Nonsense, Captain. If he had any left, he would’ve used them by now. Let’s end this and strip his body of that magnificent weapon. With that prize, we can afford to leave this hovel once and for all.”

  I rolled my shoulders. “By all means. Come and get it.” The air split with a crack like tearing stone.

  Lazz’s wands flared, one spitting a roaring fireball, the other hurling a jagged lance of ice.

  Balt’s shield was a wall of light and force, each impact hammering against it hard enough to rattle my bones. Heat washed over us, then the bite of frost, steam hissing where the two magics collided on the barrier.

  Rick didn’t wait for the next volley.

  He lunged, a blur of steel and killing intent, closing the distance in a heartbeat. Ashbourne thrummed, the blade’s edge singing with barely leashed power.

  I let it loose. “Limit Breaker—Slash!”

  The world narrowed to the arc of my swing, a tidal wave of heat and force that swallowed Rick whole.

  The impact detonated between us, a shockwave rippling out. Through the roar of fire, I heard him scream, raw, ragged, defiant, before the sound was drowned in the silver inferno.

  A heartbeat later. Smoke and fire were everywhere, and the air was filled with heat. Ashbourne’s edge still glowed, and my breath came slow and steady.

  The smoke churned, thick and acrid. Shapes moved in the haze, shadows twisting, fading until one staggered forward.

  Rick.

  This bastard just will not die. His mana armor was gone, red plates fading in and out. One arm dangled uselessly at his side, the other still clutching his sword in a death grip. His face was a ruin of soot and blood, but his eyes burned with the same stubborn fury.

  Somehow, he was still on his feet.

  I felt movement behind me. I turned and Balt was gone.

  One instant he was behind me; the next he was in front of Rick, staff already crackling with gathered force. The air snapped as the spell discharged, an invisible hammer slamming into Rick’s chin.

  The impact lifted him off his feet, hurling him back into the fractured wall with a sickening crunch.

  Rick's longsword clattered to the floor, and he slid down the stone wall, unmoving.

  I was tired of taking chances and Flash Stepped directly in front of the fallen man. Ashbourne pierced his heart, and I twisted the blade. Watching the light leave his eyes.

  System energy hit Balt. Leveling him up. I felt quite a bit of power enter me as well. Balt exhaled, lowering his staff. “I was so sick of that fucker.”

  I just smirked and nodded my thanks for the assist.

  One boss down. One to go.

  Lazz’s face twisted when I removed Ashbourne and Rick’s dead body hit the floor. “You!" He pointed to the last soldier. "Defend me and I’ll make you the second wealthiest man in this shithole of a town!” he barked, shoving him forward like a living shield.

  The man obeyed without hesitation, his own greed outweighing his sense. His shield snapped up as Lazz’s wands flared to life. Then, the air turned into a storm. A fireball screamed toward me, heat slamming against my skin. Ice lances were hitting against Balt’s barrier.

  Then another fireball. Another lance. Again. And again.

  I continued to move and activated my armor Talent to protect my body. Each impact boomed through the hall, the floor trembling under the relentless barrage. Balt’s shield held, but the strain showed, light flickering at the edges, his stance braced as if he were holding back a collapsing wall.

  Steam and smoke swirled around us, the air thick with the stink of scorched stone and ozone. I focused my mind, eyes locked on Lazz beyond the soldier’s guard. He was trying to bury us under a barrage of power.

  Enough of this shit. I Flash Stepped and Limit Slashed. The elite’s head left his shoulders in a clean arc, his body crumpling before the sound of the strike even reached my ears.

  I tightened my grip on Ashbourne, eyes locked on Lazz now. I didn’t stop moving. My blade's edge blurred again, a silver streak through the haze.

  Lazz’s wands clattered to the floor before he even realized his hands were gone. He stared at the stumps, eyes wide, mouth working soundlessly, then the pain hit him.

  He dropped to his knees, rolling on the floor, a raw, animal scream tearing from his throat. Blood spattered the scorched stone; his voice echoed off the ruined hall. “Why! All for a bunch of broke townies!”

  I stood over him, Ashbourne still glowing, the heat of the blade matching the heat in my chest. “Yeah, I’m not sorry. Also, if you’re wondering why I cut off your hands first. It was because I couldn’t have you using one of those weird rings for some kind of bullshit.”

  “You merchants love to negotiate, right?” “So here is my offer. Hand over the sector key and tell me how to move on to the next floor, and I will end you quick.”

  Lazz’s sobs twisted into curses, half-choked by pain. “So that’s the reason for all this, the sector key?!”

  “You don’t get it,” he spat, blood flecking his lips. “That key’s tied to my system quest. If I lose it, I lose everything. I can have the healers regrow my hands, or anything else you cut off, but I can never get that key back.”

  “Then you will die here, and that will be the end of it.” I crouched beside him, Ashbourne’s glow dimming to a simmer. “You've already lost your hands.” I slashed my blade, cutting his right ear off for good measure. He screamed and moved his arms to his head, quickly realizing they had just been cut off as well. He started sobbing. “Fuck you! Fuck you!" he cried.

  “How many children?! How many women have you put into slavery! I raised my sword, ready to end this piece of shit. Sector key be damned.

  Balt stepped in front of me. “You're doing this all wrong. There’s only one thing you cut off from a man like this, and it isn’t his hands The pathfinder pointed with his staff below Lazz's belt line. Lazz was losing quite a bit of blood, but his face paled even further, and he started to scream and crawl away.

  Balts staff pressed against his chest, holding him to the ground, stopping him from moving.

  Lazz flinched, eyes darting to my blade as I moved it south of his belt line, then to Balt’s staff pressing into him, holding him in place.

  “Wait, wait, wait…I’ll give you the sector key, he stuttered out. But you must let me go and let me live; neither one of you can harm me. That’s the deal!”

  Lazz’s breathing hitched, as if he couldn’t believe he had just said that. I leaned forward and whispered only for Balt’s ears to hear.

  Balt listened without a word, his expression unreadable. When I finished, the Pathfinder straightened, walked through the hole in the gate. Lazz was almost unconscious at this point.

  His high level is the only thing keeping him from passing out, most likely. Balt was back soon and gave me a single, deliberate nod.

  I lowered Ashbourne a fraction. “Fine. You live. You have a deal. Give me the key.” A faint chime cut through the ruined hall, and I felt System power binding me.

  The shard of light spun in my palm before transforming into a bronze key, its weight settling in, and I put it into my inventory. “Next part of our deal, Lazz, how do we get out of here?”

  Lazz sagged against the marble, blood pooling beneath him. “You… you can’t yet,” he croaked. “You’ll need another sector key to open the way forward.”

  I crouched, the glow of Ashbourne casting his face in silver light. “I see.” I knew, of course, I had the last floor sector key in my inventory already.

  Lazz was delirious at this point. “My quest was to hold this key. The system… promised me an item worth more than the wealth of several kingdoms if I just held onto it.” His laugh was bitter and wet.

  I stood, dismissing my weapon. “Well, a deal is a deal.”

  Balt’s staff tapped the floor once, the sound echoing through the broken hall. The echo of Balt’s staff was still fading when a familiar head poked out of the gate.

  Grant stepped through, short sword already unsheathed, the steel catching the dim light in a cold flash. His boots crunched over debris as he crossed the threshold, eyes locked on Lazz like a predator sighting wounded prey.

  Lazz’s head jerked up, blood-matted hair sticking to his face. “NO, NO! The deal was that I live!” His voice cracked, desperation bleeding through every word. “No, the deal was for me and Balt to let you go and that we wouldn’t kill you. We have done so. You're free to go, by the way."

  "If you will recall, we never agreed to protect you from someone else, though." Grant was almost on top of him now. I looked over to Balt then. "For a guy that makes contracts and shitty deals with people, you would have figured he would've asked for something like...help me escape the city with all my wealth if you want the key or something.”

  Balt laughed then, "Yeah, what an idiot."

  Grant’s blade hovered just above Lazz’s throat, the faintest tremor in the air between them. Lazz began to cry, but that was short-lived. With a few sharp cuts from Grant. Lazz, the merchant king was no more.

  A flood of system messages hit me, and I felt system power crash into me and my level Increase.

  Lawson then appeared with a smile on his face. “Well, how about that.”