by H. C. Mills
I sneak another peek at the trunk, and indeed see Bruce and an unfamiliar make their way down.
That must be Boris.
That’s bad news for Jacob, but good news for us, because Boris is actually the guy Bruce was so impressed with that he decided to make room for him in his team. According to Jacob, Boris should currently be the second-most-dangerous individual in their team, right after Bruce. His Strength should only be at 11, but he knows Boost Physical like me.
Bruce still trumps him, because his Strength is a flat 14, and he has an unidentified Yang Qi Skill that’s at least medium grade. So yeah, if at all possible, we want to avoid fighting these two.
“Roger that,” I whisper. “Begin your approach as soon as Meathead and Boris reach the bottom. As long as the Weasel is still sufficiently distracted, of course.”
“He’d better be. Otherwise, you await orders.”
A tense minute passes as the two tough guys make their way down. Next to me, Alec shifts nervously, but I ignore him.
And Dave takes off, sneaking over one of the few connecting branches at Wesley’s rear.
The first bit is crucial, because he’s in full view from the top of the dead tree. About halfway, Dave swiftly moves to the edge of his branch and grabs onto an offshoot.
I hold my breath as he hangs from it for a split second. Then he releases and drops down fifteen feet onto a branch of the dead tree.
He sticks the landing and I let out a sigh of relief in perfect sync with Alec. For a brief instant, I’m irrationally annoyed by this, but then I suppress the feeling. I’m not sure why Alec gets on my nerves so much, but this isn’t the time to get introspective about it.
This should put Dave out of Wesley’s potential field of vision, provided the little creep doesn’t walk back over to the rear to peek over the edge.
Thankfully, Dave makes it to the trunk without anything happening. That means it’s almost my and Alec’s turn. Man, I’m getting nervous.
Meanwhile, Bruce has walked up to Jacob. I can’t hear them from here, but Jacob seems to be really giving it his all. He makes big, angry gestures, and even pokes Bruce in the chest. The beefstick takes it impassively, for now.
Yeesh, kid, don’t go getting yourself killed.
From Dave’s end of the line, I suddenly hear a sickening crunch, followed by a dull thud. Alec, who’s listening in as well, winces besides me.
“Good job,” I say, forcibly keeping my voice steady. “Are we clear to head out?”
Of course it had to be my least favourite person out of this whole team that’s guarding Kaitlynn: friggin’ Lego-ass.
Well, it changes nothing—we just have to get her and get out.
“All right, then we’re moving. Let me know if anything changes and get ready to chuck stuff down to slow their ascent.”
‘Had?’ My throat’s suddenly rather dry. “All right, then. I’m hanging up for now so I can focus. Call me only if it’s urgent. Suri, end call.”
[Call ended.]
I swallow thickly and gesture at Alec to follow my lead. Then I burst from cover and lightly jog down a thick branch. Our branches connect a lot better than Dave’s did, and all it takes to cross over is a five-foot leap to the right, which I take effortlessly.
As the second most agile person in our little troupe, Alec follows suit with ease.
We’re both wielding spears, which actually help us keep balance, though Alec is keeping the pointy end far away from him. Can’t say I blame him, since we coated the tips in Moonshade Sap.
Like I said, we didn’t come here to play nice.
We reach the dead tree, climb up a few of the winding twines that make up the trunk and sneak around it. As planned, I end up next to the entrance, with Alec above it.
Unfortunately, this is where our lucky streak ends. Sherlock must’ve heard my armour scrape against the bark or something, because he turns around and spots me.
His eyes go wide. Alec lunges, but it’s too late. “BRUCE, SHE’S HERE!” Sherlock’s voice thunders.
Shit. This must be the low-grade Yang-Qi Vibration Energy Skill Jacob warned us he had, ‘Amplify.’
The sound cuts through me like a knife and the pain in my ears and the rattling of my bones make me cringe involuntarily.
Unfortunately, Alec also cringes—mid-lunge—which causes him to slightly deviate the position of his spear as he sails down towards the guard.
The spear misses, embedding itself into the branch just in front of the shocked guard, who jumps back.
I waste no more time and leave the guard to Alec as I dash inside.
Unfortunately, it’s too little too late. Inside, I find Kaitlynn, propped up on a makeshift chair and unconscious. Behind her stands a familiar figure, who promptly places a blade of knifegrass against her throat.
Friggin’ Lego-ass.
CHAPTER 45
Don’t stop me now
KAITLYNN’S ON A CHAIR about thirty feet into the room, with Lego-ass right behind her, ready to slice her throat open.
At least Kaitlynn’s still wearing all of her clothing, including her difficult-to-put-on armour, laying one particular fear to rest.
Lego-ass seems to still be wearing his costume beneath the rudimentary bark armour, though he ditched his long blonde wig. His real hair is short, brown, and curly. His remaining eye glances at my spear warily.
“Toss your spear to the side,” he demands, drawing his grass-blade up against Kaitlynn’s throat. “Slowly.”
I lower my spear, slowly like he demanded, and toss it to my right with a careful, deliberate motion. It clatters to the ground, the sound grating to my ears in the tense silence.
He glances at the glowing purple tip. “The bottle too.”
I reach into my back pocket and take out the bottle of Moonshade Sap I had no intention of using.
“Actually, don’t throw it,” he says quickly, his eyes wide. “Roll it.”
I do as he says, though the bottle—being half-full of a viscous goop—doesn’t get too far to my right.
Still, Lego-ass seems satisfied. His eyes flick to my horns, and he bares his teeth in an angry sneer.
“You levelled up, didn’t you?” he asks. “Shit, you really did find the Stardrops.”
I smirk, but don’t say anything.
“Playing mute, Nonya? That’s fine,” he grumbles. His free hand surreptitiously moves to a pouch on his belt and rummages inside it as he continues to speak. “In fact, I think I like you better this way; no more lies. Now, if you want your friend to live, then put your hands over your head, don’t make any sudden moves, and slowly come towards me.”
His free hand remains hidden in his pouch as I follow his orders and slowly step forward.
He thinks he’s got me, but I’ve got one move left. A move he’s either forgotten about or severely underestimates. All I need now is—
Alec dashes through the opening. “Emma, what’s taking so long?” he yells, looking over his shoulder. “I managed to get rid of Sherlock, but Bruce and Boris are climbing—shit, Kaitlynn!”
—an opportunity.
By this point, I had alr
eady crossed half of the thirty-foot distance between us. The moment Lego-ass glances at the entrance, I dash forward to close the remaining distance.
He reacts immediately, his free hand bursts from the pouch he was holding with a handful of some kind of glittery powder, which he throws at my face.
It would be a good move against anyone else. Against me, it’s about the dumbest thing he could do.
I release the breath I’d slowly been building up all in one go. A powerful jet of Aether immediately blows all the powder back into his face. Then it proceeds to pick him up and carry him ten feet back, where he slams into the wall with a bone-rattling thump.
Even though I’d prepared for it, I still stumble back from the recoil.
I turn to Kaitlynn, and time seems to freeze. There is a jagged cut on her neck. Blood spills out at an alarming rate.
Lego-ass unsteadily gets to his feet and begins to laugh.
A red haze fills my vision. I run and snatch up my spear, then practically leap towards Lego-ass. He’s got the bloodied knife still in his hand, and a glassy look in his eye, either from hitting his head or from the powder. Before he can recover, I furiously stab my spear into an area his armour doesn’t cover.
Lego-ass makes a disbelieving choking sound around the blade of sharp rock lodged in his throat. His hands come up trembling, as his glazed eye clears up to stare at me in horror.
“See you in hell, asshole,” I growl at him.
I pull back my spear. Bright red blood with traces of purple gushes from the gaping hole in his throat. He drops to his knees. The look on his face... the blood... the image burns itself into my retina.
[Well done, Emma,] Suri chimes appreciatively. [Very decisive, I knew you had it in you.]
Suddenly, I feel a little unsteady.
“Emma!” Alec yells, shaking me from my stupor. “Quick, the Heartbeet!”
I turn to find him pressing down on the cut on Kaitlynn’s neck, blood spilling through his fingers.
Right! Our final, desperate measure, entrusted to me for this very scenario. I’d really hoped it wouldn’t come to this, as the appraisal description gave us little clue of how well or fast the Heartbeet works, but right now it’s Kaitlynn’s last chance.
I rush over, lay down my spear, and quickly produce the small vegetable with healing properties out of my back pocket.
I’m already on my knees in front of her, with the Heartbeet in my hand, when I realise the flaw in our plan. The Heartbeet is a consumable, and Kaitlynn is still unconscious.
The solution comes to me almost immediately. Guess it’s time for me to return the favour.
I take a big bite of the Heartbeet, chew as fast as I can, and press my lips to Kaitlynn’s.
Kaitlynn stirs a little but doesn’t wake. Thankfully, however, she does swallow.
I work as fast as I can.
“I think it’s working,” Alec exclaims after I’ve fed her about half the beet in four big bites. He carefully removes his hand, revealing that the wound on Kaitlynn’s neck is indeed slowly closing.
A hulking figure darkens the entrance. Bruce has arrived.
Alec swears as he jumps back into a defensive position and raises his spear. I grab my own spear, dropping the Heartbeet, and move protectively in front of Kaitlynn.
Boris shows up behind Bruce, dashing my hopes for a two on one.
Still...
“It’s over, Bruce. You might as well give up,” I say, portraying a calm I don’t feel. “We’ve already levelled up; we have nothing left to give you. And you no longer have a hostage.”
Bruce glances at the sorry, bleeding heap that lays sprawled against the wall behind me, and his face darkens, but then he relaxes again. He sighs, slowly shaking his head.
“I don’t like what we’ve become, what this place is turning us into,” he says slowly.
Huh. Not something I had expected to hear out of the mouth of a beefstick. Note to self: evaluate my biases. More importantly, does that mean he’s letting us go?
His gaze hardens. “But there’s no turning back now.”
Well, frig.
He glances at Boris. “Let’s take them out before the guy up top gets here.”
He raises his crude club and advances towards me, while Boris heads for Alec, seemingly unarmed.
I risk a brief glance at Kaitlynn. Her wound still seems to be closing, and the bleeding has slowed to a trickle. I can only hope we did enough.
Hoping to keep her out of this slugfest, I also step forward.
There is a brief moment of inaction, of quiet, when we all get in range.
Then we burst into action.
Bruce is a big target, and my weapon has a longer reach and a Toxic payload, so I go for an aggressive stab at the centre of his chest.
The sharp stone head of my spear should have a much higher Toughness than his bark armour, so I’m hoping I can penetrate it and at least scratch him with the tip.
Bruce doesn’t even attempt to dodge. When my spear comes within inches of his chest, the Focus Crystal tied to the palm of his left hand flashes bright yellow, and I am suddenly standing still. At the same time, his right arm swings his club straight for my skull.
Frig. So this is his Yang Qi Skill. Apparently, there’s a branch of Yang Qi Skills to do with Kinetic Energy, that can do physics-defying stuff like this.
Fortunately, the Skill has a very short-lasting effect. While it robs me of my momentum, it’s not capable of holding me in place. Moreover, I had plenty of time to come up with countermeasures.
As soon as I’m stopped, I release a burst of breath I surreptitiously started building up the moment I stopped talking.
It’s not a devastating jet like the last one, but enough to force both him and me back a step. His club passes inches in front of my nose with an angry swoosh.
I hastily retreat.
Man, what an overpowered Skill! Thankfully his Qi should be pretty limited; let’s see how many more of those he’s got.
He looks at me in surprise for a moment before dashing forward.
Damn. Trying to prevent me from ‘catching my breath,’ huh?
However, Jacob also told me about another suspected flaw of his ability; it can only affect things in a very short range around his Focus Crystal. So, as he advances, I back up, inhaling all the while.
Suddenly, Bruce changes directions towards Kaitlynn. Shit! I move to intercept him, but he turns again, heading straight toward me.
It was a feint!
He lunges, overreaching as he tries to make up for the shorter reach of his club. He must be wary of my spear—this is my chance! I duck down and prepare to counter with a stab.
The crystal tied to his left hand flashes yellow again, and instead of uselessly passing by overhead, the club freezes in mid-air.
Wha—?
I swear I see Bruce pull himself forward on his club. A knee rapidly heads for my face. I twist my shoulder in its path at the last moment, using it to take the brunt of the hit and spare my poor nose.
The hit still sends me toppling over. I land heavily on my back; the shock freezes up my diaphragm, effectively knocking the stored-up Aether out of me.
That bastard deliberately made his swing too wide! He used his Skill to stabilise himself and catch me off-guard! What strikes me as odd, though, is that the knee to my shoulder didn’t hurt that bad... the landing was actually much worse.
Bruce comes in with his club positioned for a two-handed overhead blow, but I activate Boost Physical and quickly sweep my spear in from the right towards his knee.
He bends his knees in defence, causing me to hit his thigh with my spear’s shaft instead, but depriving himself the chance to strike. He grunts in pain when my spear connects.
I push off the floor with my left hand, and off against Bruce’s thigh with my spear, and manage to sweep my legs over the spear and land on my feet. I quickly back up and position myself between Kaitlynn and Bruce once more.
Since
I got him to waste two uses of his Skill, things appear to be going in my favour, but with Kaitlynn this close behind me, I can no longer retreat.
Bruce circles me warily, testing out his sore leg. It seems to be working still. Damn.
I spare a glance for Alec, who appears to be wrestling with Boris on the ground now. What are you doing, you dumbass? You can’t win a wrestling match against someone with Boost Physical!
Dave, where are you?!
Bruce lunges at me again, but this time I’m not waiting to see what he intends. Before he can even reach me, I launch the strongest jet of Aether I can at him, hoping it will still have some force at range.
Before levelling up, producing a jet this powerful would have shredded my lungs. It still hurts now, but other than some flecks of blood accompanying the Aether, I seem to be fine.
As I’d hoped, the blast makes it to him. He tries to power through, probably underestimating the force behind the gale based on my previous use of it. His eyes widen in surprise when he fails and is forced to take several steps back.
The second the recoil of my exhale disappears, I leap forward. Since he can only stop things in range of the Focus Crystal tied to his left hand, I make a sweeping attack towards his feet with my spear.
Despite still being off-balance, on the back of his feet, he manages to jump.
My spear sweeps by harmlessly beneath his feet, but I extend my rotation into a pirouette and follow up with another stab straight for his chest.
He reaches out with his left hand. His Focus Crystal flashes yellow, and I am once again treated to the sensation of my entire body lurching to a sudden stop.
But while it gains him the opportunity to regain his footing, he’s in no position for a counter.
I jump back. That makes three uses of his Skill.
“How many more of those have you got in you, Brucey? Still think you can defeat us quickly?” I taunt him, trying to sow doubt and stall for time.
Bruce glances at the other fight, and I can’t help but take the opportunity to do the same.
