All members of the group waited anxiously near the door. An atmosphere of dread enveloped them as it did with every trip, but this time it came accompanied by tentative hope. The Hearth-fire flickered out, and they departed for what all believed would be their final trip.

  With the changes to the group, they had designed a new formation again. The man of the two new strangers had awakened a Trait rather than a Spell, one which allowed him to maintain keen eyesight at all times. As such, he was tasked with taking the lead.

  The other had a Bronze Tier Spell called Power Shot, but that was irrelevant without a ranged weapon. She took Holger’s former spot, with Bryn and Daz taking the center together.

  Gilgamesh agreed to take the rear, even though he knew full well that he was ostracized by the group. Some hid it better than others, but none of them could mask the potent wariness and hostility towards him. In fact, most of them kept stealing glances his way, as though they were keeping track of him while they waited for something.

  Gilgamesh had planned to play along until they found a Hearth House, but these wretches had given away their intentions that they wouldn’t wait that long. In which case, he planned to strike first. In between their subtle, amateur glances, Gilgamesh carefully drew a little closer as they ran.

  “Fuck, we still haven’t found anything!” Daz cursed.

  “Stay focused!” Bryn encouraged.

  Just then, a Nightmare emerged from an alley ahead, which stopped them in their tracks. Even if they were expecting it, the fear born of existential danger hindered their thoughts and limbs. But Gilgamesh did not stop.

  He closed the distance in an instant, and stabbed Daz in the neck with his iron nail. Had it been sharper he would have gone straight for the head, but since it was not, he drove it deep into the man's jugular and tore it down along the vein. And that was enough.

  Gilgamesh pushed the hotheaded fool to the ground before he could fight back, and fled. Daz clutched his neck but it was no use. Red blood spilled over the ground profusely as he staggered away with eyes that glared daggers at the world.

  But Gilgamesh did not even consider him in his thoughts anymore. He rushed straight for Kayla as he waved the bloody nail with exaggerated intentions. With a panic-stricken face, the woman cast her Grease magic.

  Gilgamesh simply stepped to the side right before an oily slick coated the surface of about one square yard where he had just been, and ran right past to her confusion. If his escape was slowed, he would likely die, but dodging such a skill was easy if it was obvious when and where it would be used.

  "Cast it again!" Bryn yelled as he pursued.

  But she was too slow. Gilgamesh reached the alley first and pulled down the clutter to block the path behind him.

  [ You have completed the Quest of [ Loathsome Stag ]. Rewarded 1 Attribute Point. ]

  “He finally died…” Gilgamesh read the message that appeared.

  Curses and shouts of terror faded behind him as he ran ahead, and the warm light of a Hearth House appeared in the distance.

  But just as victory seemed certain, a green mouse with large ears burst through the cracks in the barricade. Gilgamesh swiped his iron nail as it passed him by, but the creature easily evaded it and pulled away.

  [ Agility: 6 -> 7 ]

  Gilgamesh put the Attribute Point he had just gained into Agility without hesitation to raise his speed, but he was still slower.

  “No…” Gilgamesh feared. At this rate, Bryn would claim the Hearth House and shut him out.

  He scooped up some broken cobblestone fragments as he ran and started throwing. Each one was aimed well, but the green mouse dodged them all without even looking back.

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  “Echolocation…” Gilgamesh deduced. The Rhun scion could see the stones by the vibrations they made through the air.

  Gilgamesh threw again, but this time he threw them all at once. The green mouse startled and jolted into erratic action to avoid the barrage, but one of them struck. It tried to pick back up the pace, but its leg flinched. In an instant, the mouse grew back into human form, and Bryn raced on with a stunted gait as he latched his hands behind the back of his head.

  Gilgamesh threw more cobblestones, but none of them inflicted wounds beyond surface level. He threw at the man's hands, aiming to force him to stop shielding his head, but Bryn endured the pain and kept running.

  “This won’t work.” Gilgamesh thought. Bryn's physical attributes were somewhat decent to begin with. Even with his limp, he still matched Gilgamesh's own speed. “I can’t catch up like this…”

  Desperation stained his soul again and compelled him to a drastic act. Gilgamesh unwound the bandages around his hand. Sickening pain struck him immediately, as though the world itself rejected the presence of his flesh.

  His body looked the same as it had before, despite his supposed golem form. The skin of his hand was darkened, withered, sickly, and scarred, more akin to a cursed corpse than a human. The pain worsened with each passing moment, but Gilgamesh endured.

  He quickly fashioned the bandages into a sling around a large piece of cobblestone and swung it around as fast as he could. As they drew closer to the Hearth House, Bryn eked out the last remaining bit of his strength to run a bit faster.

  But Gilgamesh did not react at all. He aimed with obsessive focus, so much so that he did not even notice the small sparks of red lightning flicker across his bare hand.

  [ Many gods are alarmed. ]

  The notification did not even register in his mind. Nothing else existed but the goal right in front of him. Finally, he managed to line it up just right, and he let the stone fly. The sound of shattered bones filled his ears as the stone cracked Bryn’s hands, and finally, the hands came down.

  Bryn realized his mistake too late. He moved to shield himself again just as a second stone cracked the back of his head. With a stagger, he collapsed to the ground, and Gilgamesh rushed right past. As he watched him, a realization started to set into his eyes, and with that came fear. But Gilgamesh did not even glance his way.

  Gilgamesh rushed into the Hearth House and slammed the door shut. All of a sudden, the world became still and silent, but only for a moment.

  [ All-Father ] is paying close attention to you.

  [ Handsome Monkey King ] demands an explanation for the nature of your being.

  [ Old Man of the Woods ] is paying attention to you.

  [ The Great Monk ] sympathizes with your affliction.

  [ Scribe of the Gods ] ponders your existence.

  [ Three-Headed Snake ] has taken an interest in you.

  [ High Priest ] is watching.

  [ Serpent of False Mysteries ] still wants to know what your Talent is.

  Gilgamesh’s expression almost soured. Pain almost brought him to his knees, but when he went to re-wrap his bandages, it wound back around his hand itself as if it had a mind and life of its own.

  Surprise took the place of his fleeting pain and fear. Gilgamesh pondered with more than a trace of seriousness as to an explanation for such a phenomenon, but nothing came to mind.

  “Has the Tower changed it too…?” Gilgamesh wondered as he inspected the bandages, just like he did with the other heroes.

  [ ??? ]

  Before Gilgamesh could process the meaning of this result, a cascade of divine messages flooded past his eyes.

  [ Slanderer and Cheat ] offers 10 Attribute Points to reveal your secrets.

  [ Many Gods eagerly await your response. ]

  [ Lion of the False Heaven ] offers you power.

  [ The Great Monk ] advises you to reject it.

  [ Serpent of False Mysteries ] bestows 1 Attribute Point.

  [ Serpent of False Mysteries ] asks how you got Leprosy.

  [ Serpent of False Mysteries ] asks where you got your bandages.

  [ Serpent of False Mysteries ] asks where you learned to use a sling.

  [ Serpent of False Mysteries ] asks what your name is.

  [ Serpent of False Mysteries ] wants to know what your Talent is.

  [ Serpent of False Mysteries ] asks why you didn’t use your angel.

  “Enough.” Gilgamesh spoke with immense weight.

  Opportunity lay before him, but a stark disdain overcame him, as if all of his grudges and resentment had begun to simmer beneath the surface. He would never have such a reaction ordinarily, but for some reason, he found it harder to be rational now.

  Inability to suppress his disdain for the sake of pragmatic gain, to merely answer such simple questions in return for precious Attribute Points, only brought further disdain. He wanted to answer, but he could not bring himself to unearth that which he kept buried. To demean and humiliate himself for the curiosity of these gods.

  “I will have power…” Gilgamesh vowed.

  This was an opportunity, one he had crawled towards all his life. He would not let it slip away. He would not let it all be for nothing. Gilgamesh vowed and cursed to himself in the slowly dimming light of the Hearth, as the night sank further away.