Pitch-black darkness swallowed everything.

  The first sensation to claw its way back was the shrill ringing in my ears. It drilled straight through my skull, disorienting and relentless. I felt the cold earth pressing into my face, the scent of grass and the coppery tang of blood thick in my nostrils.

  Pain followed. Hot. Lancing. Everywhere.

  The worst of it bit deep into my hip. My hand moved on instinct, reaching back as my body screamed in protest. My fingers struck stone embedded in my lower back and I nearly cried out. I felt along the jagged surface, the rock nearly the size of my fist, slick with blood.

  Finding an awkward grip, I sucked in a breath and braced myself.

  I yanked.

  A sharp yelp escaped through clenched teeth as wet heat spilled down my back. Blood soaked my palm. I slapped pressure against the wound, breathing through the pain as I forced my mind into order.

  Battlefield condition report.

  Breathing. Shallow but steady. No sharp pain. No grinding. No fluid buildup. Likely no broken ribs.

  I tested a deeper breath. It hurt, but not wrong.

  Head. Headache. Pain. Possible facial cuts. Vision intact. I could see the dirt inches from my face. That was good.

  Spine. I could move. No numbness. No tingling. No loss of control. Excellent.

  Limbs. All responding. Burning pain. Probably more cuts.

  Back injury. Bleeding slowing. Health recovery active.

  The entire assessment took seconds. Training and repetition making it automatic.

  The ringing finally faded, replaced by the roar of combat.

  Time to get back in the fight.

  I pushed myself up. Pain flaring with every movement, but it remained manageable. Forcing myself upright with a groan before grabbing my swords a short distance away while scanning the battlefield.

  Bodies were scattered everywhere. Unconscious. Thrown like debris.

  Logan, Jace, and Sage were still fighting. The giant bat lashing out with talons while its wings carved glowing blades of wind through the ground like deep scars. Jace slipped past a talon strike just as wind gouged deep trenches into the earth. Logan charged, his battle axe blazing with red mana, but the blow barely staggered the creature.

  A fireball slammed into its face. The impact scorched its whiskers and did little else.

  Fuck we need more people in the fight. Where is Kira?

  I scanned the fallen again, dread creeping in.

  There.

  Kira lay nearby, motionless. Her body looked unnaturally still in the darkness.

  My blood ran cold, heart hammered in my ears.

  I stumbled to her side, breath coming in sharp bursts. I began the battlefield assessment again, this time on Kira. My hands moved fast, searching for blood, broken limbs, anything obvious. I found nothing. Carefully, I rolled her onto her back.

  Her face was peaceful. Eyes closed. Breathing shallow but steady. Only a vivid red streak trailing down her temple betrayed the injury.

  I brushed her hair aside until I found the laceration. Deep. Bleeding heavily, like head wounds always do. No exposed bone. No deformation.

  Even as I assessed it, the bleeding slowed. The edges of the wound softened, less angry. Her eyes fluttered open.

  “What happened?” she murmured.

  “The boss,” I said. “You okay?”

  Kira nodded as she scsnned the battlefield.

  “Get our people back in the fight.” I pressed several mana crystals into her hand and stood. I dismissed my armor and resummoned it, the plates reforming flawless and whole.

  My swords shimmered into existence as Kira’s healing washed through me. Pain drained away, replaced by clean strength and focus.

  “Be careful,” she said. Her voice was small beneath the chaos.

  “Always.”

  Windstep.

  The world smeared into black and gray. I reappeared over one of the bat’s wings and swung both blades with everything I had.

  It felt like striking steel.

  The swords cut shallow lines through tough flesh, barely drawing blood, before gravity dragged me down. All I’d accomplished was announcing myself.

  The boss snapped a wing toward me. I was already moving, darting back as the massive limb swept past.

  Water bullets slammed into the creature’s face. Theo drew its attention as I retreated further.

  More fighters rejoined as Kira worked. Flynn appeared behind the bat’s head, driving his kodachi into the glowing yellow orb set deep in its skull. The eye had no iris, only an eerie, molten glow.

  The beast shrieked. Flynn was tossed into the air but twirled in the air to land on his feet. He was a lot more acrobatic then I had imagined.

  I watched the monster’s orb dim.

  Then brighten.

  The wound disappearing before my eyes.

  “Fuck,” I said. “Is that regeneration?”

  “Yeah,” Logan shouted back. “Ain’t it a bitch.”

  “Anything to counter it?”

  “Not that I know of.”

  We split as white blades of air tore through where we’d been standing.

  “Then we out-damage it,” I said. The weight of that idea settled heavy in my chest.

  “Looks like it.”

  “We need to ground it. Wings are priority. Keep it from flying so everyone can hit it.”

  As if it heard me, the giant bat launched skyward. Each powerful flap sent exploding waves of wind into the ground as it climbed higher into the darkness.

  Of fucking course.

  “What now?” Logan asked, craning his neck upward.

  “Defense. Move toward the cliff. Limit its angles. Ranged fighters keep pressure.”

  I scanned the field again, mind racing.

  Jamie.

  The cliffs.

  A plan snapped into place.

  “Ever been rock climbing, Logan?”

  He stared at me. “No.”

  “Start climbing.”

  He followed my gaze to the cliff face. Then back to me. “Seriously?”

  “This better be a damn good plan,” he muttered as we darted to the cliff face. He quickly began searching for handholds.

  I turned to the second half of the plan.

  “Jamie.”

  His head snapped toward me instantly.

  I waved him over as Jace barked orders for everyone to brace.

  “What’s up, boss?”

  “I need you to do something.”

  His grin vanished, replaced by focus. “You want me to taunt it again.” He sighed. “I hate that skill. Makes me look like a coward.”

  “You don’t have to,” I said. “But if you don’t, our odds drop fast.”

  “Fine,” he muttered.

  A shout cut through the air.

  Logan screamed as he fell.

  I stepped aside just as he crashed a few feet away, the ground denting beneath his impact.

  “You alive?” I asked.

  He glared at me as he stood. “Stupid ledge. Broke right off.”

  Then he punched the cliff wall.

  Stone cracked.

  He punched again, higher, carving his own handholds.

  I watched him climb with wide eyes. “Wow. He’s really mad.”

  “What’s he doing?” Jamie asked.

  “All part of the plan. Victor, over here.”

  Victor jogged toward us, billhook in hand, eyes flicking skyward as the boss swooped back down.

  “Brace!” Jace shouted.

  The bat flared its wings, slowing its descent as a storm of wind blades tore across the battlefield. Then it climbed again.

  Victor arrived. “How can I help?”

  “We need you to hook Jamie and yank him clear when the boss dives.”

  Jamie paled. “I don’t like this plan.”

  Victor smiled. “Sure.”

  “Come on,” I said. “Let’s get to the ledge.”

  Windstep carried me upward to a narrow shelf in the cliff. Ten feet long. Barely two feet wide.

  From there, I watched the monster circle, strike, and retreat.

  Hit-and-run. Perfect for an ambush predator. But what happens when we give it an irresistible target.

  Jamie finally scrambled onto the ledge. I grasped his armor pulling him the rest of the way up. He sat with his back against the wall, panting.

  “Probably… should… have… unsummoned… my… armor.” He wheezed.

  I laughed as he sucked in air, glancing high above to Logan sitting on a small ledge, his feet dangling over the edge.

  “Ready?” I shouted up to him.

  “Ready!” he called back.

  “Aim for the left wing. I will hit it too.”

  “Copy that.” Logan rose to his feet, his axe flashing into his hands.

  I looked down at the recovering Jamie. “You ready?”

  Jamie took a few more steadying breaths and nodded.

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  “Victor you ready?” I shouted down.

  “One sec, I want to try something. Jamie, edge closer.” Victor called back.

  Jamie stepped forward. A moment later, a glowing mana tether snapped out from the billhook, looping snugly around Jamie’s waist.

  “Ready—but hurry,” Victor said, his voice tight with strain.

  I lifted my eyes skyward, waiting. The dungeon boss tucked it’s wings and began it’s rapid descent.

  As the massive shape screamed downward, I felt the pressure change. The air itself seemed to recoil.

  The moment it flared its wings, I shouted, “Now!”

  “HEY! OVER HERE!” Jamie bellowed.

  The skill snapped into place.

  Flow State Activated

  Time thickened. Sound dulled. The world slowed to syrup.

  The boss snapped onto us, mouth yawning open before us. Jagged teeth glistening with saliva as the monsters wings finally flared out but it was coming in too fast.

  I shoved the panicking Jamie off the ledge and activated Windstep.

  I reappeared behind the monster as my Flow State collapsed.

  Time snapped back into motion.

  Jamie screamed as he fell, Victor yanking hard on the tether and hauling him clear just as the boss slammed headfirst into the cliff with a thunderous crack.

  Everything happened at once.

  Stone exploded outward as the cliff shed debris.

  Logan launched himself from above, roaring, axe raised overhead in both hands.

  A shimmering mana shield bloomed beneath us, catching falling rocks as the monster rebounded.

  My blades tore into the left wing. Mana Blade flared to life as I cut deep into sinew and bone.

  I fed more mana into the strike, sawing harder as the boss shrieked and plummeted.

  Logan hit next to me, the massive weight of his attack driving his axe halfway through the wing before becoming lodged.

  We crashed into the barrier and were thrown clear as the bat hit the ground with bone-shaking force. I dismissed my swords mid-fall to avoid losing them as we tumbled apart.

  I hit, rolled, and shoved mana into my legs.

  Windstep.

  I appeared above the stunned monster, blades snapping back into my hands. The severed wing was already trying to knit itself back together.

  Not fast enough.

  My blades punched in again.

  Mana Blade Proficiency increased

  Kinetic Burst Proficiency increased

  I hacked with the jian while blasting Kinetic Bursts through the gladius, ripping muscle and membrane apart in a violent spray until the wing gave way.

  The boss screamed, the sound a violent ripple that punched through my ears and dropped me to my knees.

  Healing surged through me easing the pain immediately. I chanced a glance behind me and saw Kira and Declan, hands glowing as they healed and buffed everyone.

  I barely dodged the snapping jaws as the monster staggered upright, the ruined wing lying useless on the ground while the stump regenerated into a grotesque mockery of flesh.

  It leapt, trying to fly. It’s other wing flapped uselessly as it crashed back down in a heap.

  Logan, Jace, and Gregory surged in, hammering the grounded beast.

  A screech split the air above.

  Skyrend Shades began diving down, drawn by the wounded roar of their leader.

  A wall of fire met the first Shade as Sage burnt it to a crisp. The smoldering mess crashed into the ground as Sage whooped.

  “I did it!” She shouted, eyes shining as sweat dripped off her chin.

  “Hell yeah. I knew you could do it.” I shouted back, activating Windstep to join the fight.

  I unsummoned my Jian as I raced towards it. I grabbed its fur with one hand, boots digging into its back as I drove the gladius into the base of its skull.

  Kinetic Burst Proficiency increase

  Skyrend Shade killed – 200 xp

  The Shade’s skull exploded outwards in a shower of gore. I launched off the back towards another Shade, impaling it on my blade.

  Puncturing Strike proficiency increased

  Skyrend Shade killed – 200 xp

  Windstep activated. I appeared above a soaring Shade, landing on it’s back. The monster shrieked in surprise.

  We were high above the dungeon boss, a much larger version of the Skyrend Shade. I stabbed my dual blades through the back of the shade and leapt.

  Skyrend Shade killed – 200 xp

  The world seemed to hold as I crested my jump becoming momentarily weightless.

  Below me, the dungeon boss writhed as Logan and Jamie battered it, the others flanking toward the remaining wing.

  Once gravity reaffirmed it’s hold on me, I aimed for the neck of the beast. Leading with my sword I pierced the beasts thick hide halfway down the length of the blade.

  The dungeon boss thrashed and I felt the handle rip from my hand as my momentum crashed into the monster.

  The thrashing head caught my body as it ricocheted off sending me twirling into a thick rock.

  The air was sucked out if my lungs by the impact. My arm snapping like a twig off a jutting corner.

  I tumbled down to the ground in a graceless heap.

  Golden light cut through the cloud of dust. Gideon rushed forward, his hand outstretched and glowing. He quickly clamped it onto my shoulder, the cool energy sweeping the hot lancing pain away.

  “GIDEON.” Logan’s voice called over the chaos of battle. “THROW ME YOUR HAMMER.”

  “I’M BUSY!” Gideon called from his kneeling position next to me.

  “GIDEON, NOW!” Logan called more urgently.

  Gideon gave me a look as he quickly stood, summoned his warhammer and whipped it towards the fight.

  “Sorry about that Elias. Have you healed in a heartbeat.” Gideon smiled as he returned and began healing my body once more.

  I glanced over his shoulder and watched as Logan mana leapt above the boss, Gideon’s hammer held high above his head in two hands.

  Logan slammed into the back of the monster, swinging the hammer onto the handle of my sword, driving it all the way to the hilt. The healing faded as the pain finally disappeared.

  “Thanks Gideon.” I said as my leg muscles coiled, the familiar hum of mana infusing the muscles as I activated Windstep.

  The world blurred and I reappeared next to Logan, my hand wrapping around the hilt. I poured my mana down the sword and into the neck of the dungeon boss.

  Kinetic Burst activated

  Kinetic Burst activated.

  Kinetic Burst activated.

  Nightwing Skyrend killed – 400 xp

  Congratulations on killing the dungeon boss!

  Dungeon will close once the last player leaves.

  Congratulations on leveling up!

  Accept Rewards?

  Yes/No

  Yes. Four points to Stamina and one point to Mana. Both ticked up to fifty-four.

  The remaining Skyrend Shades screamed and fled skyward as the echo faded into silence.

  The fight was finally over.

  The electric feeling of the level up revitalized my whole being. I looked over my friends my heart in my throat as I made sure none were missing.

  A few were being healed by Kira and Gideon but no one was missing.

  Another win with only one death.

  Ethan’s face flashed across my mind, screaming in pain as he was ripped apart by the Drownjaws.

  We got stronger but someone still died. I couldn’t save Ethan, what if it was Jamie, Logan or… Kira. My eyes locked on her as her face pinched with concentration. Logan made some remark that made her roll her eyes, the physical toll from her healing evident even from here.

  I need to consolidate my skills to get stronger.

  I pulled my sword out of the carcass and hopped off the dungeon boss. Gregory approached with a smile on his face. “Do you mind?” He lifted his axe.

  “What?” I asked confused to what he was suggesting. My grip tightened on my swords.

  “I want a tooth from the Nightwing to commemorate the kill.” Gregory said still smiling.

  “Oh, yeah. No worries.” I awkwardly stepped out of the way, storing my weapons.

  “Thanks boss.” Gregory stepped forward and eagerly began hacking at the open mouth of the Nightwing.

  I walked over to Kira, who was now sitting on the ground sweating.

  “You okay?” I asked as I flashed her a smile.

  “I will live. How about you? Where are you hurt this time?” Kira gave me an appraising look.

  “I am absolutely fine, not a scratch on me.” I did a spin to show her I wasn’t injured.

  “Only because I healed your sorry ass after you plummeted out of the sky.” Gideon said collapsing in the grass beside Kira.

  “Man healing is more exhausting than fighting.” Gideon complained as he put a hand over his eyes.

  “I haven’t asked yet but what is your class Gideon?” Gideon sat up at my question suddenly beaming.

  “Oathbound Sentinel. It’s like a paladin kind of.”

  “That sounds really cool! I want to hear more about it when we get out of this dungeon.” I said as I looked for Jace.

  I saw him sitting on a rock scanning the area, his sword resting in his lap.

  “I’m going to check in with Jace. You guys recover and let me know when you are ready to go.” Kira and Gideon nodded as I began walking towards Jace.

  Halfway to Jace a flying tackle nearly sent me to the ground. Sage had leapt at me giving me a big hug.

  “I did it, did you see?” she said excitedly as she squeezed.

  I couldn’t help but laugh at her excitement. “I saw. You were badass.”

  She leaned back to stare at me with a wide grin but her arms stayed wrapped around my neck. “Right! I wonder what else I am capable of?”

  “Absolutely anything. I can’t wait to see what else you come up with.” I let go of the hug and Sage looked like she was about to say something else but quickly dropped her hands.

  “Thanks Elias. You will help me right?” Sage looked hopeful as she waited for my response.

  “If I can be of assistance, I am happy to help.”

  Sage beamed once more before skipping off towards Theo and giving him a smack on the arm before retelling her tale of turning a Shade into ash.

  I shook my head, still smiling as I finished walking to Jace.

  “You keep interesting company.” Jace said with a half smile.

  “You are one of us now. You better be including yourself in that interesting company.” I jumped up and sat next to him on the massive rock.

  “Hmm.” Jace said before becoming quiet and surveying the surroundings.

  I let the moment stretch. I mustered up the courage to ask the question I was dreading. “What are your plans now? You got revenge. It is over. The dungeon will close. What will you do next?”

  Jace chuckled before turning to me. “You mean am I still planning to kill myself?”

  “Yeah.” I admitted. “I don’t want you too. I want you with us. Helping more-“

  “Stop.” Jace cut me off and my heart sank. “You already convinced me.” He gave a half smile before continuing. “I will save more people from the fate of my family. It’s what they would want from me and the best way to make them proud before I meet them again.”

  Jace reached a hand towards me and I took it with a smile. “I will join you in Valen. Let’s get stronger so we can save more people from a tragic fate.”

  “Glad to have you brother. Let’s tell the team the good news and get out of this depressing dungeon.” I hopped off the rock with Jace right behind me.

  Everyone celebrated when I told them about Jace’s plan to join us in Valen, people offering Jace handshakes or fist bumps.

  Kira and Gideon were back on their feet, looking a lot more refreshed.

  “Managed to convince him eh?” Kira asked as she gave my shoulder a bump, a playful smile on her face.

  “I hope so. He has been through so much. His family was killed by monsters.” Kira gasped and clamped a hand over her mouth.

  “He planned to kill himself after the dungeon but he changed his mind. Wants to use his powers to protect people from his tragedy.” I said as I nodded to Jace.

  Kira looked at Jace with a renewed respect. “To carry so much sorrow and lead us here. I knew there was something with how he threw himself at the monsters but… I never imagined that.”

  “The scary thing is, its happening all around to world. Right now, people are dying to the monsters. Losing family members to the chaos that the dungeons have brought.” I let out a heavy sigh as the weight on my shoulders doubled.

  Kira’s hand sneaked into mine, her fingers closing tight as she gave it a squeeze. I looked into her green eyes transfixed. The memory of our kiss washing away my spiraling thoughts.

  “We got this.” She said with absolute conviction. “Together.” She smiled that radiant smile of hers and I found myself smiling back.

  “Together.” I confirmed.

  The walk back was lighter as everyone basked in the victory. We began the walk back, collecting mana stones as we went. We were attacked by Skyrend Shades, Abyssal Horrors and a few straggling Drownjaws on the way. Theo and his crew did most of the work as they wanted to level up, leaving the baiting and hobbling to those already level ten and above.

  Sage impressed us once again during the Drownjaw fight. She had summoned her flames and condensed it into a spear that she used to attack at close range before throwing it, causing it to explode into a large flame on impact. Immediately killing two of the attacking Drownjaws.

  “That’s for Ethan you cold-blooded bastards.” Sage gave the corpses the middle finger salute before turning back to the stunned crowd.

  She noticed the stunned look on my face before turning red and scurrying away with her head down.

  “That was impressive,” I said to Kira beside me, who then gave me a punch in the arm.

  “What?” I asked as she walked away muttering.

  “Idiot.” She said as I ran to catch up.

  “What was that for?” I asked, replaying the moment in my mind to figure out what I did wrong.

  She gave me an exacerbated smile. “You are just so clueless sometimes.”

  “Thank you?” my confusion intensified.

  “Come on idiot.” She gave me a shove and we continued through the marsh back to the exit gate.

  The boss must have been closer to the gate than the rift as we arrived at the gate within an hour. It stood glowing in the middle of the marsh, the supernatural fog still swirling all around.

  Declan’s barrier now covered us without issues, he could keep it going longer now but the strain was evident on his face.

  Six Mirelurkers leapt from the black water. Everyone reacted immediately without needing orders. The Mirelurkers were quickly killed and we moved on.

  Everyone passed through the gate together. The cool, damp air transitioning immediately into the heat of the summer.

  The gate faded from existence, leaving the supernatural plants pulsing with life.

  Richard greeted us as we appeared. “You are alive. Thank god.” He began hugging the returning firefighters one by one.

  “Where is Ethan?” Richard asked still smiling as he scanned the crowd.

  “Ummm…” Theo was about to explain.

  “Wait, Richard. Where is Jonathan?” A worry settling into my chest as I spotted the fresh corpses of Abyssal Horrors, Mirelurkers and even a Drownjaw.

  “Oh, he is fine.” Richard said noting my observations. “He is in the room behind me doing something with the plants?”

  I moved pass with the other cops into the room Richard had indicated.

  Jonathan sat at a table with a few vials in front of him and large piles of plants. He was taking a knife and carefully cutting down a mana crystal and adding them to a liquid in one of the tubes.

  “What are you doing?” I asked as I walked up. Jonathan yelped and fell out of his chair. His panicked eyes sweeping the faces suddenly behind him.

  “You guys are okay!” He shouted as he flung himself up off the floor and started giving everyone hugs. Logam lifted the much smaller man off the ground in their embrace while Jace politely declined Jonathan’s offered hug.

  “I’m good mate.” He raised a hand so Jonathan didn’t attempt to hug him anyway.

  “How did it go?” Jonathan asked still smiling.

  “NO.” Richard cried from the hallway, wiping the smile from Jonathan’s face.

  “Who did we lose?” he asked grimly.

  “Ethan.” I said sadly.

  “Fuck. Poor Richard.” Jonathan looked at the hallway like he was about to leave but decided to give them space instead.

  “So… what have you been working on?” I asked again changing the subject.

  “Oh. Right. You will love this.” Jonathan said rushing back to the desk. “I was curious about these plants you see. They have clearly been enhanced but in what way. So I began gathering the ones I could recognize that seemed similar to the plants I know. After doing some experimenting, I found some of the medicinal effects of those plants were enhanced.

  So I thought we could use it for salves or something but then I got even more curious. I added some of the plants to water and found the medical properties in the water. Then I tried to enhance them with mana crystals and this is what I got.” Jonathan grabbed a beaker off the table. It was a glowing green color with floating leaf and flower particles floating around.

  “What is it?” I asked as I examined the beaker.

  “It’s a health potion. It boosts the recovery rate of injuries, here watch.” Jonathan drew his knife across his forearm before I could stop him.

  The wound began dripping blood. Jonathan quickly drank the beaker of fluid and my jaw dropped as the wound knitted close, leaving no trace besides the trail of fresh blood. Jonathan beamed at the shocked faces around him.

  “Cool huh.” Jonathan said.

  “That’s revolutionary Jon.” I said excitedly.

  “Its thanks to Kira’s parents. Their discovery of the different uses of mana crystals made me want to try some experiments with them.” Everyone turned and looked at Kira who blushed.

  “That was mostly an accident and happenstance.” She said quickly as the tips of her ears reddened.

  “Either way, they gave me the idea and this is the result. When I get home I will do a few more experiments. I love chemistry and the possibilities this opens is endless. We can save more people with this.” Jonathan said excitedly.

  “This is honestly incredible.” I beamed at Jonathan.

  “We picked up lots of mana crystals on our way back if you need any just let us know.”

  “Thanks Elias.”

  “Okay. Need help packing up? We should check to see if Theo and them are ready to leave and get out of here. We can update Chief and everyone’s families on the drive back to Valen.” Everyone nodded and we began helping Jonathan collect his things and more plants.

  While we were packing Theo came to the doorway and said they would wait outside for some fresh air.

  We packed up and left the Townhall. The sun had started it’s descent towards the mountains. Buildings still smoldered and crumbled along the main street. Large animals were feasting on the pile of corpses making me gag. A group of bunnies the size of golden retrievers hopped to the pile and began gorging.

  Giant birds circled in the sky waiting for a turn at the disgusting remains.

  “Let’s get out of here.” I said to the gathered Players as they watched the scene in disgust.

  “Nasty.” Sage said as she climbed into the Bearcat. For all the abuse we put it through, the steel reinforced frame held together. Its exterior coated in monster gore that I knew would be a pain to clean. I entered the driver’s seat and the vehicle turned over without a problem.

  Within moments we began speeding down the road back to Valen.