Valee shivered, all the scouts around her did. Screams echoed from the forest on the opposite side of the clearing.

  Did Artigan have another skill in his sleeve? Or was this part of the Epic? The sounds of everyone became muffled, the only thing that rang clear was laughter and screams for help. Her [Enhanced Senses] became a mess that only focused on the visceral sounds of death, stomps of a boot and scouts running for their lives.

  Only Strategist Itrac was capable of cutting through the heavy aura.

  “Gather into the clearing!”

  Itrac and his closest scouts were the first to sprint into the clearing, abandoning the forest.

  Valee found herself sprinting into the clearing too, along with all the scouts around her. She had no idea if she was safe from Artigan, for all she knew, he could be thinking that she was a traitor. The ones closest to where Artigan was came out scrambling to join them. Sprinting their way to join their group, looking as if they were fleeing from death itself.

  A man limped out from the clearing desperate to join them. He collapsed halfway–dying to his wounds. She wondered if that was on purpose. It did not do well on their morale as twenty four scouts and Valee huddled around the Strategist.

  A voice echoed from everywhere. Artigan taunting them all.

  “What’s wrong? I’m only one elf, why are you so afraid?”

  Itrac checked his forces, observing how unnerved his soldiers were. Both his and Valee’s eyes met. She shook her head.

  “I didn’t know anything about this.”

  He looked reassured at her fear. Itrac turned to the treeline and nodded.

  “I know, he’s been evolving his abilities since his fight with the General.”

  That was possible if you were on the edge, it still shouldn’t have been anything like this. The only explanation was that he’d leveled his Epic or gained a precursor.

  “Looks like the situation is reversed, little mage Strategist! What now? Would you like to make a deal?”

  It blasted in their ears, in her [Enhanced Senses]. The mocking Artigan becoming the loudest thing they could hear, like they were the ones in a trap. Surrounded by a monster they dared not face.

  Itrac cleared his throat.

  “Soldiers rally! We will not be ridiculed like this. This is merely aura! Stand strong!”

  Artigan would not let that challenge go. Valee could hear the sneer from the elf, she wondered if everyone else could hear it too.

  “I wonder if your army back at your base would think the same? How long would they last against me, without you?”

  Itrac’s eyes widened at that. How did Artigan even know the human army’s camp was undefended? Strategist Itrac couldn’t ignore that kind of a loss.

  “Soldiers with me! March! He is but one elf!”

  Now Valee heard it, the wild beating of a panicked heart, the perspiration beading on Itrac’s forehead. It was like Artigan’s aura selectively made the fear obvious.

  Strategist Itrac didn’t want to go into the forest either.

  They started marching forwards in a phalanx. A phalanx without shields. Not that they should have needed it against one foe. Everyone had their ranged weapons at the ready.

  Twenty six against one blacklister.

  It still felt like they were all going to die.

  It was a death march towards the treeline, where Artigan had entered. The soldiers gained a bit of confidence with their every step, their Strategist displaying an impeccable facade of confidence. Valee knew better.

  A whisper carried along the winds, heard by her [Enhanced Senses].

  “”

  She checked realmtime, that was three minutes away. Valee gave the slightest of nods and hoped Artigan had seen it.

  Two minutes left.

  Their phalanx entered the forest, Valee had been placed at the head of the group, like a sacrificial lamb, it made sense. She wasn’t actually part of the army after all.

  Valee just hoped that Artigan had seen her nod.

  Everything else was still muffled, it felt like the world was centered around Itrac and the dark forest. That sound itself dared not to carry anything else. It was like a field control skill but wreaked havoc in your state of mind.

  This type of shit was why she didn’t take up Latarro’s offer to hunt down Artigan. Anyone that took that offer didn’t understand what it would cost to take Artigan down. An Epic wasn’t something a second realm should have.

  Epics were what differentiated dragonslayers.

  Her father had explained it to her once. Epics were so vastly above Rares that they didn’t seem to be like the skills at all. You started getting Rares as , expanding and increasing the understanding of your Epic. The initial skill was just the tip of the surface, a mass bubbling below that was impossibly difficult to level and learn.

  Once they started leveling and getting precursor skills from it? Manager’s abode, that was exactly what was happening now, wasn’t it?

  One minute left.

  They were all in the forest now, some of their confidence returning. She could hear the heartbeats slow down from a frenzy.

  Valee clenched her tonfa bladed gauntlets. The blades were attached to the sides of her arms. A stop gap until she was offered a skill that would render them unnecessary.

  Thirty seconds.

  She had to focus. No more thinking.

  Five seconds.

  A tree branch snapped from behind as the scouts in the phalanx turned around. Away from her.

  Stolen story; please report.

  .

  Valee started swinging. One jab to break a scout’s neck. A slash with her left hand through someone’s spine. The third scout hadn’t even reacted when she slit his throat.

  The fourth one noticed. But she herself was a second realm [Rogue], one who had practiced her entire life. Her blades swept the bow aside and the man’s outstretched arm gave her leverage to pull him in. His face both tore and crunched into her attachments.

  The fifth tried to leap away but she used [Double Step] to close the gap and jabbed him in the throat, crushing it.

  She heard Itrac yell something but it was muffled. Everyone around her was reacting far too slow.

  A scout aimed a throwing knife in her direction as she dashed in, peekaboo style. Her arms covering her vitals. She swayed to dodge the knife and grabbed the man’s arm to swing him around.

  She used his body as a human shield, blocking projectiles that had just been thrown. The rest of them had managed to reposition around her and she was dead if she didn’t retreat.

  Then a wave of something smashed into them as everyone froze. The Epic fear skill hit them all in full as she realized something about Artigan’s Epic.

  Everything had just been a passive effect until now.

  The only thing anyone could hear now was the laughter of a mad blacklister.

  –

  Ryan laughed as the stupid [Mage] tried to throw another [Fireball].

  Dumbass, he’d already seen that one!

  He threw Grivkas’ shield like a frisbee as it collided with the [Fireball] in midair.

  The [Fireball] had been closer to the Strategist and his scouts than him.

  Ryan dove behind a tree as the explosion blinded the army for a second. He still heard the thumping of throwing knives and arrows hitting the tree. Ryan tried to move and realized there was a knife sticking out of his leg.

  He yanked it out and poured some of the last dregs of his healing potion he had drunk while underneath Grivkas’ body.

  Without checking for mobility, he leapt out behind the tree and used [Instant Dodge] in midair.

  Avale’s shield still facing the humans.

  He was stepping in closer.

  “Traitor! Take her down!”

  Quite a few of the scouts had been blown to the side from the [Fireball]. A few were trying to get up. Ryan pushed his Epic further to make them all panic. He could hear the sounds of Valee tearing up the backline.

  Hilariously, the movement to cover the orc and the magical explosion left the [Strategist] exposed. Just three scouts and a magical barrier in the way. Totally exposed. One fired a bow as they noticed him peek out. He dodged backwards then jumped into view. Shield up in front.

  “[Rallying Cry], [Quickened Recovery]!”

  So a proper Strategist and not just a Mage, that made sense.

  Too bad he didn’t have an army with him.

  Ryan sprinted forward, blocking another arrow and zigzagging at odd tempos to throw off the other scout readying a knife. The backline that was preoccupied with Valee now turned to look at him. Another mistake as the orc [Rogue] threw a dead body forward and dove in. Peekaboo style.

  An entire platoon was getting pincered by two [Rogue] adventurers.

  He kicked the head of a scout that was trying to get up and then threw a knife he’d taken at one of the other scouts, they dodged. Ryan ducked an arrow flung from the backline as he started slicing with his soulsword. A scout tried to block, only to find his blade cut cleanly through as Ryan’s soulsword pierced the throat.

  [Dangersense]

  Ryan threw the sword backwards at a scout that hadn’t quite died.

  Then he smashed his shield into the last remaining scout between him and the [Strategist]. Ryan dodged the [Magebolt] at the last second as he sneered.

  “You’re not even half as good as Strategist Avale.”

  “Hold it! You haven’t even heard the deal. Your ally over there is about to die.”

  Ryan laughed, “not really an ally but sure, I’ll listen to your deal.”

  That was five skills from the Strategist, he could have more, but a Trial Strategist having much more than that was unlikely.

  Ryan pretended to ignore the Strategist cowering behind the shield as he stepped towards Valee. She was doing quite well, or rather she had been. Eight bodies littered around her as she herself had been pierced by multiple arrows and knives. She was breathing heavily, probably about to lose to the remaining five scouts that had been keeping their distance.

  They turned around to look at him–then the scene behind him, then they fled.

  Valee collapsed to a knee as she started ripping arrows and knives from her body.

  “About fucking time.”

  “Sorry. I’d offer you a potion but I’m all out.”

  “Got my own.”

  Valee reached between her breasts as Ryan looked away, she probably had an emergency potion hidden in there. He’d have to remember that the next time he was looting a dead adventurer.

  Ryan turned to face the lone [Strategist]. Every other scout that was still on the floor didn’t dare to make a move. Those that could move? They decided to run.

  “Well?” Ryan asked, “what deal did you want to make?”

  The Strategist tried to look confident, he looked at his fleeing soldiers but didn’t bother to order them to come back. He took a breath.

  “Leave me alone and help me, we will retreat and give you a full pardon. Not only that, if you aid in routing the demons we can talk about a peace treaty with the forestkeepers. If that is what you want.”

  Ryan waved his hand.

  “Nah, I’m not affiliated with any elven group. Got any artifacts or magical gear?”

  Valee decided to butt in.

  “We need to hurry before the fleeing scouts make it back to the main army. My team’s there.”

  “Ah, well then, sorry sir [Strategist].”

  Ryan slammed into the barrier with his shield. [Fireball] was far too dangerous to use up close and [Magebolt] was too weak to stop him. Being up in the face of a [Mage] with a shield was their worst nightmare. He stabbed his soulsword into the barrier as the enchantment clashed with magic.

  [Double Stab], stab, stab. Crack. CRACK!

  The shield exploded outwards. Once again Ryan found himself blasted away as his ears rang.

  A [Magebolt] pierced one of his legs in midair. The explosion causing him to go spinning into a tree.

  His ears rang, but his superhuman hearing could still hear the yelling cut through the numbness.

  “Wait!”

  There was a scream and he saw Valee standing over the Strategist. Her bladed gauntlets covered in blood.

  Ryan coughed.

  “Valee, you stole my kill.”

  The thief shook her head. “He was going to throw a [Fireball]. I just saved your life.”

  Ryan slurred his words.

  “Nah I woulda, woulda been fine. What happened?”

  “He overloaded his barrier. Have you never fought [Mages] before?”

  “Not upgraded ones. Damn, that was stupid.”

  Ryan looked up at her, his leg was bleeding but slowly recovering. That was the good thing about drinking minor healing potions

  “Can you help me up?”

  The orc girl eyed him suspiciously. She backed up.

  “I saw you tank a [Fireball] and multiple of the General’s [Power Blows], you’re faking it. I’m not falling for it.”

  “Okay, okay.”

  Ryan put his hands up, sheathing his sword and revealing his palms. He also jumped up on both feet. The hole in his leg was aching but not overtly so. One of the good things about drinking minor healing potions was that the passive heal, while shit, took a long time. It meant his body was still healing itself, so to speak.

  “I just wanted to see if you were going to backstab me.”

  “Or you were planning on stabbing me as I tried to help you up.”

  Ryan scratched his head.

  “Would it help if I said I didn’t think of that?” there was a pause, “hey! If I wanted to kill you I wouldn’t have saved you.”

  “That’s true,” she admitted, “I could have fled by the way.”

  “Uh-huh, I’m sure you could have. with those injuries.”

  “I have a potion, I’m not as suicidal as you are.”

  “Oh right, got any spare?”

  “I’ve already used it and I only have mine left.”

  “Hey, if you want to catch up to your team quickly then I’m going to need to heal this leg.

  Valee looked like she wanted to do anything else but give him the potion. She threw a thin vial at him and he caught it. Then poured half of the remainder on his leg. The healing was immediate and not at all slowed by the two minor potions he’d imbibed earlier.

  “Ooo a moderate potion, nice.”

  Valee was rummaging through the dead body of the [Strategist].

  “Anything good?” Ryan asked.

  “Just a wand and an amulet, want them?”

  “Eh, I’ll take the amulet, you can keep the wand.”

  Sometimes wands could have keyed spells that could be useful by non [Mages]. Ryan just doubted a magic based [Strategist] would carry something like that. Amulets had a higher chance of being universal. He caught the amulet midair and inspected it.

  A damned dud. Even if he had the other half it wouldn’t be that useful. Modern day adventurer phones doubled as walkie talkies. Valee latched the wand into her belt. She made it look so casual

  “What’s that one do?”

  “You said it was mine, are you going back on your word?”

  “Hey, I’m just asking for a description.”

  Valee tried to change the conversation.

  “I need to get back to my team before the army finds out I’ve betrayed them.”

  The [Rogue] orc started jogging the other way, towards where Ryan had originally come from. Ryan pointed the other direction.

  “Isn’t the human base that way?”

  Valee stopped and turned around.

  “No? Most of the human army mobilized to attack the demon base while we ambushed you. Wasn’t that why you were threatening to attack the encampment?”

  Ryan coughed.

  “Of course I knew that, it was all planned.”

  chapter 27.

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