Alarm bells rang through the Slaver Union's Central Hall as Kelfloss and I stepped onto the balcony I’d first come in from. Reinforcements stormed up from a stairway behind us, but the moment they crossed into the dim hallway, they entered my official “automatic decapitation zone,” and their heads split from their shoulders. The victims of Shadow Weave’s insane flexibility discouraged anyone else from giving chase.

  "What do you want from me?"

  "I want you to climb down," I said.

  "Uh... There's nowhere to really climb down from,” Kelfloss said.

  "Then drop. Or I can toss you off."

  He swung his legs over the balcony's edge, then eased himself down, hanging from his fingertips. He let go, sliding down the stone until he tumbled and landed hard in the grass.

  I jumped over the side and landed in a crouch. While Kelfloss recovered, I crossed to the back wall and drove a tide of darkness into the stone.

  The wall exploded, showering the street in dust and debris. Most of the shoppers had already scattered, and only the guards remained, converging from both directions, rushing past the rows of chainbound slaves.

  A significant number of low level forces ran southbound, while others came charging toward the Central Hall's front gate. My freshly created exit drew the eyes of an unlucky squad.

  "You're detained! Don't move!" the level five squad captain shouted.

  I moved without recourse, stepping out of the dust cloud with my hands in my pockets, noticing the entity within had quieted down since the Corrupted Choir played its tantrum of a song. The quiet was something I could get used to.

  "Lay down, face first or we will cut you down."

  I stepped toward them and arrows flew. The magelights shining atop the iron posts wavered and Shadow Weave deflected their projectiles.

  "Catch."

  I threw a horizontal shadow guillotine in their direction. Despite the warning, the attack was still too fast. They collapsed in pieces and I continued my merry stroll down scumbag avenue, dispatching random guards and slavers the second they entered my sight.

  Kelfloss winced as he ran to match my pace, too afraid to say a word.

  Dreadshade.

  Magelights burst in a rapid fire succession, rippling down the street and outward, short circuiting the entire block. With everything blanketed in darkness, I began snapping through bars and hinges on the slave’s cages, adding a horde of escapees to the chaos.

  Word spread from distant witnesses that approaching me was a death sentence. I sensed fear, trembling hands, and bated breaths from behind every corner.

  A trail of bodies led us down the street and through a connecting alley, until the clash of iron rang out from around the next street. I poked my head out, and Karma's Gaze revealed three statuses belonging to men who had Garik on the defensive.

  Target: Zo'wari

  Level: 9

  Karma: -13,505

  Additional Data: Chief Security Officer of the Fourth Unit. Was once part of the Union's enforcement strike team before his promotion. Known for leaving more bodies than reported, and making problems disappear.

  He was a head shorter than Garik, but his speed made up for his lacking reach. Braids danced across his brow as he mirrored Garik's quick footwork, parrying the giant's attacks with a saber.

  A level eight armed with a flail and shield hammered at Garik's flank, but he evaded each blow without looking, entirely focused on Zo'wari's relentless pressure. Another level seven knelt nearby, fumbling to stanch a comrade's chest wound.

  The rest of the Fourth Unit lay dead, sprawled across the cobblestone intersection. Their black capes, trimmed in silver, marked their bodies from the others.

  Most storefronts had sealed themselves in, locking their doors and dropping chain-link shutters over their windows. The end of the street curved into slabs of tiered fortress walls that rose high over the corner. The Slaver Union's insignia was emblazoned on signs and stenciled across every gatehouse.

  Karma's Gaze pinged dozens of watchers hiding behind narrow, iron-barred windows that glared down over the district.

  The flail came swinging down at Garik's head, but the giant spun out from under it. His blade blurred, claiming the attacker's wrist.

  A wordless, ragged scream escaped the level eight's mouth as he dropped his weapon and stumbled back. Zo'wari probed for an opening, but his blade only found parries.

  "Who are you?" Zo'wari asked as he disengaged, clearly not liking his odds in a one on one.

  A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

  Garik ignored the question. He caught his breath, watching reinforcements move out from the barracks at the top of the street.

  Target: Bastis

  Level: 10

  Karma: -23,255

  Additional Data: Chief Security Officer of the Second Unit. Collects rocks. Chews sour wheat despite his dentist's protests. Was once nominated for the Slaver Union's Security Division's Merit of Conduct Award—an oversight corrected once his disciplinary record surfaced.

  "I knew you'd get the Fourth Unit killed with your shit leadership," the level 10 said as he stepped out of the shadows, joining Zo'wari's side, much to his surprise.

  "He's lethal with a sword," Zo'wari snapped. "What took you so long? Your team was responsible for the first response!"

  "Central rang their bells. We just missed the second assailant," Bastis said, eyeing Garik. "The Fourth couldn't handle one man?"

  Three level eight stragglers finally ran out from behind the gates at the top of the street, the remainder of the Second Unit.

  "Sir, the First, Third, Fifth, and Sixth have been deployed. Their arrival is imminent," a level eight said.

  Bastis nodded toward Garik, who stood in a calm stance a stone's throw away. "You heard him. Lay down your sword before the First arrives. You've woken the whole Union up."

  That's my cue.

  I strolled out from the alley, and hooked a right toward the intersection, securing Garik's back.

  "Nice work. Now extract Kelfloss, I'll take it from here."

  "OK, Boss." He turned around, lowered his sword, and Zo'wari dashed in for the kill.

  I teleported in front of the attack, and slapped the blade away.

  "I see your only hope to win was with a cheap shot," I said.

  Zo'wari kicked off the ground, dashing backward, the concern on his face stark and unmistakable.

  I heard Garik turn down the alley, grab Kelfloss and dash away. A level eight from the Second Unit went wide, chasing after him.

  "No judgement. After all, I'm the king of cheap shots."

  I proved my point by raising a shadow line mere inches in front of the level eight's path, cutting off both his chase and his ankles. The attack's visibility lasted less than a second, too fast for most witnesses besides Zo'wari and Bastis.

  "Dundus, do something. He's a mage," Zo'wari shouted.

  I gleamed several statuses, not spotting a single "Dundus" out of the bunch. More special units trickled in, including the Sixth, which ironically consisted entirely of level sevens.

  An odd level?four stood in the distance, holding a glossy mirror smeared with a petroleum jelly type substance.

  Weird...

  "Mages don't do well here," Bastis said.

  He cracked his knuckles, then spread his arms wide in a brawler's stance.

  "Oh. I surrender then."

  A radiant sky blue light emitted from the mirror and nailed me in the heart, leaving zero time to react. I took a step back, testing my motor function.

  "What was that?" I asked.

  Bastis laughed hard, his chuckles echoing through the crossroads. More special security forces trickled in from branching lanes, boots thudding in an uneven rhythm.

  "A master mage's mana lock spell," Zo'wari answered. "It doubles as a dispel. Say bye to those enhancements. You won't misdirect my blade again."

  "Curses... Seems I've been foiled," I said dryly behind my mask.

  I peeled my gloves off and dropped them on the ground.

  "What's this? Are you surrendering? Then take off the mask."

  "No." I raised my hands, palms up, fingers curled. "This is my tiger stance."

  Zo'wari swung for my neck. I swiped his blade away with my right hand, and clawed half of his face off with my left. He screamed and Bastis charged at me, gaining tremendous momentum in no time.

  The look on his face when his tackle imploded his own shoulder, and shattered his ribs was priceless. He hit the ground, belting pain filled wails, joining Zo'wari's chorus of agony.

  Two level eights, and the entire Sixth Unit swarmed me at the same time. I responded with a flurry of open handed swipes, claiming literal pounds of flesh for the sport of it. Unfortunately, their inability to pose a threat ruined the fun of tearing their throats out like putty.

  It was like I blinked and the fun was already over, leaving me wanting more.

  "Where's the First Unit? Are they stronger?" I asked, standing over Zo'wari, who didn't look so hot.

  Half of his face was hanging on by a thread, his orbital socket shattered, as if a kettlebell had slammed into it. Intracranial pressure prevented an answer.

  I sighed, realizing everyone was dead.

  When did I kill that guy?

  I looked over at the level four who had been carrying the mirror, now shattered and lying amid his intestines. Bastis lay on his back, breathing stifled.

  "Come on, not you, too. For fuck's sake you tackled yourself half to death. Where are all the strong opponents?"

  He coughed up blood, the light from his eyes fading fast.

  "Wait, can't you send a fax or an email before you die? Get someone who won't crumple like a paper airplane out here?"

  He choked up blood and I unleashed a disappointed sigh. I lifted the Grimstone Mask and cupped my grisly hands around my mouth.

  "Last call! Send someone worth a damn or I’m leaving.”

  Seconds of silence passed.

  “Fine. I'm going to walk away now."

  I turned my back and Karma’s Gaze lit up, spoiling what would’ve been a nasty surprise. The whole First Unit was hidden under invisibility, level?eights packed in behind a lone level?ten, all of them edging up my flank

  Their floating statuses froze when I turned around. Not bothered with reading the specifics, I launched a flying shadow disc their way, expecting at least one of them to dodge. Instead they all fell, split in two.

  Dead and gone.

  "You're fucking kidding me. That one was telegraphed! Not one of you could dodge it?"

  I lingered on the street, but no more challengers appeared. Whispers sounded through the darkness, pulsing from blocks away, dozens of voices all saying the same thing with different words.

  "Don't pursue."

  "High casualties."

  "Lock down."

  I activated Invisibility and Agility Burst, sprinting down the same route Garik and Kelfloss had taken. The branching streets were crawling with low?level guards, many of them hunting the loose slaves.

  +2275 XP

  +1,255 Karma

  Despite the gains, level eleven stayed out of reach. The Union's forces had the numbers, levels, and organization. They maintained a better average than most groups I'd crossed, but they were rightfully kneecapped by their karma. For being such a feared organization, I left wondering if that meant the entire city of Ingcaster was ripe for the taking.

  On my way out, I passed a cluster of Royal Guards lingering at the edge of Slaver territory, planted as if an invisible line had been carved through Oarwin to mark exactly how far they were allowed to go.

  Not that it mattered. By the time Agility Burst and Invisibility faded, I was already long gone with one thought lingering on my mind.

  Can anyone stop me?