The group eyed the door for a moment before Draelin spoke up with a question.

  "Does that mean this will be the last fight of the dungeon?"

  Andro shook his head and answered, "Not likely. Most dungeons will usually have at least one or two stronger foes called bosses, however they are different from the dungeon's lord."

  "What's the difference?" Chen asked as he performed a few stretches in preparation.

  "The dungeon lord is the final and often strongest creature of the dungeon. Most dungeons have its main objective to defeat the lord. Dungeon bosses are more difficult challenges of the dungeon, and usually need to be defeated in order to access the lord." Andro answered seeing no reason not to share the information. If anyone asked why he knew so much despite his seemingly lack of experience, he can just say it's a combination of research and his sister giving advice.

  "How many bosses are in this one?" Kazyk spoke up, his gaze shifting to Kalicena.

  "More than likely just one considering this is still a novice ranked dungeon," Andro said with a shake of his head, Kalicena giving him an amused smirk. "However there are always exceptions so we should assume there could be another."

  The group gave him nods of acknowledgement, even Fred seeming to pay close attention to his words. He eyed them all for a moment longer, making sure they understood that even though this won't be the hardest fight of the dungeon, it will still be a challenge. He had seen too many eager and overconfident fresh adventures and soldiers die when they underestimated their foe. He himself had been one of those fools, except he lived.

  Right after he finished his studies at Torm's war college and returned home, he of course joined the league. Due to his graduation, he was able to join the league without undergoing the entrance exam. Because of that he instantly joined a mission at the peak of what he was allowed to challenge. It was a subjugation job to clear out a nest of steel widows, ones that had taken over an area close to a dungeon making it impossible to clear it out.

  The impromptu team had traveled to the territory, already with tales of the glory they would claim upon their return. At first the job went well, the large near metallic spiders falling to them one by one. While they had expected the fight to become more difficult the farther in they went, it was nothing like they imagined. By the time they were able to kill the queen and finish off the rest of the eggs, Andro and one other of the team were the only survivors.

  He mentally shook himself back to the present, not willing to return to some of those dark memories. He did however wonder where Jesna was during this time. He had kept in touch with her after the job, but she had half retired, spending most of her time helping out at the league and only taking jobs when necessary. He would need to keep an eye out for that job in the future, maybe this time he could ensure everyone survived.

  "How is everyone doing on resources?" He asked, looking at them all.

  "Roughly seventy percent." Chen answered as he continued to stretch.

  "I'm full, barely used any in the last fight" Draelin said, giving him a nod.

  "I'm good." Kain shrugged, still holding her blades ready.

  "I need a bit to recover, I am lower than what I would prefer if we were to fight a dungeon boss." Kazyk remarked as he moved over to sit on a bench and relax.

  "I am in a similar state." Fred reluctantly agreed, yet made no move to join the Drakthynn on the bench.

  Andro acknowledged them all and resigned himself to patiently wait until his team was ready. He himself was doing fine on resources as his envious leech skill had done wonders on restoring him during the fight. By the time the battle was over, he only needed a short bit of time before he was restored. He and Draelin made some idle chatter as they waited, mostly discussing features of the grove district.

  Once everyone confirmed they were topped off and ready to proceed, they all formed back up at the door entrance. Instead of their usual method of busting through the door, they settled on a more cautious approach. While Andro was confident they would be facing a boss in the next room, there was still the small chance it was just another normal room.

  When everyone indicated they were ready, Andro opened the door and quickly stepped aside. Kai moved forward, ready to take the brunt of any attack or trap. Chen was right beside her, ready to support her. Andro followed next in case he needed to apply a quick healing or to just occupy a foe while the ranged casters entered. In but a few heartbeats the team had all entered the room and ready for anything. Andro amplified his Temporal Perception as much as he could to scan the room, making sure to gain as much information as possible.

  The room was among the largest they have found so far, only dwarfed by the common they just exited. There were a few key differences, the first being this one more square than rectangular. Not only that, but there was very little light, only a few of those burning stones scattered throughout. What he could see made him both uneasy and angry. Rows upon rows of cages filled the room, each row even stacked up to four or even five high, nearly touching the ceiling. The stench reached his nose next, only this one was more than the usual blood and rot that had accompanied them throughout the dungeon. Feces and unwashed bodies nearly dominated the room, and a quick glance at Kai's face confirmed just how strong it was.

  Pushing past his anger at the sight of what was obviously the cannibals stockpile, he looked for the boss. Many of the cages had some sort of covering in the form of blankets or sack cloth that hid many of their contents. Others didn't, and most of those held either corpses or things not too far from it. To his somewhat relief, not every body he could see was humanoid in nature, though more than what he preferred were. Movement caught his attention and he zeroed in on it, his gaze locking onto a large form that emerged from behind a row of covered cages.

  "Incoming." Andro warned and pointed at the figure with his spear, letting his Temporal Perception reduce back to its base power.

  The rest of his team instantly focused in on the direction, some of them taking a moment to see the figure emerging. The figure was larger than the other maniacs and dressed similarly, with the key difference being a thick leather kilt instead of pants. The man had a protruding belly, but the shape of his arms and chest more than convinced them all the fat was just for show. The man carried a long black staff that looked to be made of metal, but instead of any fancy designs of embellishments, three long spikes perfect for jabbing protruded from the top.

  A brief soul window opened up in front of them all with a simple message,

  [Dungeon Boss, The Galvanized Jailer.]

  The window stayed open just long enough for them to read it, and it was all the warning they received about what to expect. With a laughing roar the boss lunged forward, stopping just at the edge of the cages and still over ten meters away. Kai met his roar with one of her own and moved to approach, but hesitated when she and everyone else saw the black rod like staff erupt with electricity.

  "Submit!" The boss roared out, thrusting the staff forward and letting loose a thick bolt of lightning.

  While Andro had expected a strong opening from a dungeon boss, but an attack like this was just absurd. He wasn't even confident Kai could take that bold head on and be able to fight afterwards. He needed to do something and he needed to do it fast if he wanted them all to get out of this alive. Yet before he could do anything, there was a second bolt of electricity that appeared just as the first barely left the staff. That second bolt originated from their side and moved towards the boss, seemingly absorbing the bosses attack as it traveled. Chen was revealed, stopping right in front of the boss, his own lightning fading from where it was wrapped around his body, yet a second source was swirling tightly around his drawn back arm and clenched fist.

  The young martial artist was gritting his teeth, pain evident in his posture as the power coiled around his limb. The boss barely had time to look down with visible shock at seeing his attack fail. With a cry of effort and pain, Chen shot his hand forward, his palm slamming into the boss's chest. The Jailer attempted to move his arms to either block or even partially deflect the attack, but he was too late. A thin cone of pure force and electricity erupted from the palm of Chen's right hand, right where it had slammed into the Jailers chest.

  Flesh, blood and bone, all charred and shattered, burst from the Jailers back and sprayed all along the cages that he stood in front of. The rest of his body seemed to realize it had been hit by the force and flew backwards to crash into the same cages its innards now coated. Silence greeted the team, the only sound being Chen grunting with both effort and pain. His right arm was singed and his hand looked crooked and swollen.

  Everyone looked at him with shock, Chen and Kalicena included. He turned to look at them all, a mixture of confusion and pride in his eyes.

  "I uh," he started before hissing in pain and cradling his arm.

  Andro was by his side in an instant, his incantation pouring from his lips as he activated his healing skill, watching the burn marks beginning to fade on his arm. Draelin soon joined him, her attention focused on his more than likely broken hand.

  "By the creator, what was that?" Kai laughed as she walked over and clapped him on his uninjured shoulder. "That was absolutely brutal!"

  "I didn't think it would work that well." Chen muttered, looking distracted and just as surprised.

  "You didn't think it would work?" Andro asked, a frown on his face as he continued to heal his friend's arm. He was proud that his friend accomplished something like that, but at the same time he felt conflicted that he had attempted something that risky.

  "I knew it would work," Chen defended, shaking his head, probably understanding what he was thinking, "My skills allow me to absorb energy related to my concepts and infuse it into some of my other skills."

  That caused Kai to break out in a fit of laughter as she looked between Chen and the now splattered boss. Fred for the first time looked honestly impressed, if mildly. Kazyk looked ready to start asking questions, but refrained at a look from Draelin who still held his healing hand.

  Andro raised his eyebrows, impressed with what Chen had admitted. He knew he had advised his friend to choose his skills well, but apparently Chen had taken that advice quite seriously. He had taken the skills meant for someone to stand back and cast spells, and turned them into some seriously powerful combinations for a martial artist.

  "That is some impressive forethought," Kalicena spoke for the first time in a while, "It's refreshing to see the young generation look at the future of their skills, and not just look for what was immediately the strongest."

  Chen was saved from further explanation or praise when a spot on his chest glowed brighter and let out a humming chime. All eyes turned towards it, most with confusion but two understood. Andro and Kalicena shared a brief look, both of them seeming to understand what it meant. Looking from his chest to everyone else, Chen tapped his chest and pulled open his soul window. It instantly opened up in the notifications section and displayed its message.

  [Congratulations, Achievement earned. Your power is my power. You have earned this achievement through defeating a dungeon boss by either redirecting or utilizing the power or the attack a boss used against you. Achievements can be spent at either a dungeon beacon or main beacon to gain your reward. Rewards from achievements may vary depending on methods used.]

  Kai burst out into more laughter as she once more clapped Chen on the shoulder. Draelin looked too stunned to speak, deciding to focus on her healing

  “How is that possible!” Fred burst out, seemingly incapable of believing someone other than him could achieve something. “How is a mere commoner allowed to gain something like an achievement?!”

  Andro’s joy for Chen quickly shifted into annoyance as he turned a glare on the arrogant noble. Perhaps he would need to give the young D’lavick a reminder about staying in line. Surprisingly, Kai beat him to the punch, almost literally as she loomed over Fred.

  “Next time a dungeon boss throws some lightning my way, I’ll be sure to make sure you take it instead. That should let you get your precious achievement.” She growled with crossed arms, stopping him from saying more.

  "Absolutely brilliant" Kazyk muttered, his gaze locked onto the words in the window as he obviously ignored the outburst.

  "I must congratulate you young novice," Kalicena said to him, giving a nod, after shooting Fred a warning glance that clearly told him she wasn’t impressed. "To not only earn an achievement in your very first dungeon, but to do it by single handedly defeating a boss with a single blow." She trailed off, a proud smile on her face. "You will go far if you keep this up."

  Out of everyone present, Chen stared at the window with the most fervor and awe. His eyes wide and mouth agape. Andro couldn't help but chuckle at his friend's reaction.

  "You shouldn't be so surprised," he said, and amused glint in his eyes as he finished healing Chen's arm. "After all, you just hit a dungeon boss with its own power and killed it. I would have been offended if you didn't gain an achievement."

  They spent some extra time congratulating Chen and letting him recover. Thanks to Draelin and Andro, his arm was fully restored, his hands being the worst having nearly every bone cracked. It took both their healing skills to restore everything, Andros being the best at restoring the bones due to its nature. However most of the time waiting was just Chen restoring his mana reserve as he had used almost every drop in both absorbing and releasing the dungeon bosses power.

  Once he was recovered and ready to continue, the group moved back towards the door to continue the dungeon. Some of the group had spent the time exploring the room to see if there was anything to loot. Something that turned up nothing other than caged corpses and the bosses, now bent, black rod like staff. Kazyk had stayed next to Chen for most of the time, excitedly discussing the rarity of achievements, which turned into a full on discussion about the beacon system as a whole.

  As one, and keeping to their formation, the team moved out of the room and back into the larger common room. Nothing greeted them, but to Andro's annoyance the door behind them slammed shut.

  "Well, this should be fun." Kai muttered just as a new soul window opened up in front of all of them.

  [Your presence has been alerted to the residence of the temple. Complete one of the two objectives,

  1-Survive ten minutes under the assault.

  2-Defeat one hundred Cannibals.]

  "Defensive formation!" Andro called out as he held his spear at the ready, his skills on the brink of activation. "Conserve your energy, this will be an endurance fight."

  They all moved as one, Kai even going so far as to tip over a few of the remaining tables to form a basic wall. Right as they were formed up and ready, the final door in the room they had yet to enter burst open as a group of a dozen Cannibals rushed out. They ran at the group snarling in glee, anger and hunger.

  The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

  Kai wasted no time in letting loose a roar of challenge towards the rushing cannibals as she charged them, many of them answering with hungry cries. Kazyk sent forth another condensed explosive orb, though not as immense as his previous one. The blast was still strong enough to take out the first two and cause another five to stumble and trip. This bought Fred enough time to repeat his tactic of pulling up a wall of molten stone and rehardening it in order to block any thrown weapons.

  The tactic proved to have been the smart move as the final five to be unimpeded ran around their tripped-up companions, two heading for Kai and the other three moving around her. As Kai engaged with her two, her blades singing through the air as she did her best to chop them up, Chen tackled a third to the ground. In no time he had the crazy flesh eater grappled into a choke hold, completely immobilizing them. That left the final two attempting to reach the more vulnerable casters behind their barricade.

  With a quick cut along the back of his hand, Andro used blood manipulation to spray one of them with a thin stream of his acidic blood. The cannibal instantly began to flail around, screaming in pain as their skin sizzled and blistered. The final one tried to lunge at him with wild dagger thrusts, something Andro had no problem in avoiding and retaliating with his own thrust. His spear parted the man’s flesh as it punched into his chest, not immediately fatal but it stunned his foe long enough he had no issue in finishing the job with another trust into the neck.

  With that one down, he turned to see the one he had sprayed with his blood screaming wildly as lunging for him. It seemed the man’s bloodlust helped him to overcome the pain of his skin melting off. Stepping to the side and slashing his spear down and aside, Andro nearly severed the screaming man’s lower leg, sending him tumbling to the floor. Almost as easy as one would cut their grass, Andro finished the cannibal off with a quick thrust into their neck and twisting. He didn’t even bother to look down as he jerked his weapon free, his feet already carrying him towards the ones Kazyk had initially knocked down, who were now starting to regain their balance.

  There was no reason to hold back anymore. He understood that this entire thing was supposed to be a team trial, and they would be marked on that. However, his instincts and the muscle memory of decades of being the frontline, of being what stood between him and his comrades forced him forward. He repeated his previous tactic of spraying his acidic blood across the entire group, the stream much thicker this time.

  He reached the first, dodging their wild slash as he moved past them, his spear digging into their side as he did. The second one was introduced to the butt of his spear as it slammed into their temple, knocking them down. The third attempted to drive their daggers into his side, but a twist of his body while spinning his spear knocked the blades aside. Andro lashed out with a kick as he twisted, feeling a crunch when his boot landed into his foe’s chest. The fourth and fifth never got their chance to engage with him as bluish-purple bolts pelted one and globs of molten stone slammed into the last.

  Andro turned in time to avoid the retaliation from the first who slashed wildly at him as they bleed profusely from their side. Despite their broken ribs, the third one joined in, forcing Andro to go on the defensive, dodging and parrying their wild attacks. He saw his chance when the first stumbled, probably from blood loss, allowing him to lunge forward and bury his spear in their throat. They fell to their knees with a wet gurgle, Andro barely having time to yank his weapon free and dodge the third one’s strike. Now that it was one on one, he had no issue pushing back against the final cannibal and soon had them sharing the fate of the first. The one he had knocked out at the start began to stir, something he put a stop to with a final thrust.

  He looked over at the rest of his team, pleased to see Kai helping Chen up to his feet, their three cannibals dealt with. Fred continued to show he wasn’t entirely helpless as he was already working on reinforcing his stone barricade. Draelin was already moving forward, her healing magic embracing Kai to restore what damage she had taken. Kalicena was eyeing him closely however, her gaze was intense yet amused. Andro decided to ignore that, not wanting to make it look as if him taking that risk was all just to try and impress her.

  The team was only given a few moments of respite before the door burst back open, and more cannibals rushed out, all screaming for flesh and blood. A quick scan revealed there was more this time, at least fifty percent compared to the last group. Now he understood why the objective had told them they only had to complete one of them. There were two main tactics that teams could use during this challenge. They could either rush through each group, killing as many as they could until they reached one hundred, or take their time with each group ensuring every fight lasted as long as possible until the ten minutes was up.

  Andro could see either one working, though it mostly depended on the team itself. A team more focused and built around combat power would more than likely go for the killing option. Yet a team with more utility options could easily hunker down and just weather the attacks until time was up. Once again, he marveled at the ingeniousness of the Creator and those who helped with the beacon’s construction. The beacons along with their dungeons were truly the perfect method for the young generations to take their first steps on the path of advancement.

  Wave after wave of cannibals came like this, each one increasing in amount every time. Just like the second wave, each one was an increase of six more cannibals. The gradual increase put pressure on the team, making each fight more difficult and lasting longer. They were forced to become more defensive each time, with Andro focusing more on just hampering their foes over killing. His speed along with the reach of his spear allowed him to often stay behind the cannibals and hinder them with stabs and lacerations to their legs and arms. This allowed Kai and Chen to more easily keep them at bay while the more destructive Kazyk and Fred took them apart.

  The end came with a close call, the final few having dragged down a weary and wounded Kai. She tried to fight them off, but the numerous wounds covering her body slowed her down. Chen and Andro tried to finish off their foes faster in order to help, but they were just as tired. Andro was in the better shape of the two thanks to his envious leech, yet it still took him precious seconds to dispatch the cannibal and rush to her aid. A flurry of stabs killed one of them, heavily wounded a second and forced the final one away. A second, more ruthless flurry paired with Chen dashing in was enough to finish them off.

  He and Draelin immediately went to work on healing Kai, but her wounds were extensive and it took time. The two of them were forced to completely empty out their reserves of mana before the wolfen berserker was restored enough that her natural healing could take over. Without needing to say much, the group all collapsed down to rest. Andro and Draelin would use what mana they gained to bring everyone back to full, but that meant they needed to rest longer in order to gain their mana back.

  As they rested, a soul window opened up to show them all a message.

  [Objective complete. You have slain one hundred out of one hundred cannibals. Dungeon rewards updated.]

  “That was fun.” Kai said, a grin plastered across her face as she lay sprawled out on the floor.

  “Under normal circumstances my definition of fun would entail something different,” Kazyk responded with a shake of his head, “However I shall not deny a certain level of thrill that comes with combat at this degree of danger.” Kai’s answer was an amused chuckle and giving him a thumbs up.

  “All right everyone, we should continue on,” Andro said after a while. “It looks like we only have one last place to go.” He turned toward the double doors at the end of the room. Previously a chain had been stretched across it, but right after they completed the objective it had fallen off.

  “Do you think it’s going to be another boss?” Chen asked, eyeing the door wearily.

  “Probably the Lord.” Andro answered nonchalantly as he moved closer to the door

  “Please let it be the Lord.” Kai half begged, rolling her shoulders and cracking her neck.

  “Your appetite for battle is endless.” Kazyk shook his head with a smile

  Fed stayed silent, his arms crossed as he clearly kept his distance from the group. It seemed the achievement thing from earlier still bothered him.

  Not wanting to waste more time they all moved towards the doors at the end. Kai did the honors of pushing them open and they were greeted by a wave of heat. A wide tunnel extended off into the distance where Andro could see a faint orange glow. Even with everything they have faced so far, he had a bad feeling about what they would find down the tunnel. Yet there was no turning back at this point, to do so would no doubt mean failure for the exam no matter how well they performed so far.

  They filed down the tunnel, ensuring to stay in formation and their eyes peeled for anything. Andro half expected some last minute traps or even an ambush, yet nothing assailed them. It wasn’t long until they stepped out into a wide room filled with heat to the point one could see a haze in the air. Sweat was already gathering at the edge of his forehead and neck just from standing amidst the heat, and he understood why.

  The back wall, perhaps thirty meters away, was made up almost entirely of open brick ovens. Each one contained a roaring flame and was large enough a grown man could easily step right in. He could see tall slabs of meat hanging on chains within the ovens, each one sizzling under the heat. All throughout the room were tables covered in various cooking implements and the, uh ingredients.

  Andro did his best to ignore the smell of cooked meat as he zeroed in on the lone figure. They stood at one of the tables that contained the finished product. The man was easily as big as the dungeon boss, if a bit more of the rotund side and with wider shoulders. He wore the signature rust colored hood of the other cannibals, but his pants were a thicker leather and not as ragged. A dirty, blood stained apron was stretched across his torso. Perhaps the most ridiculous thing about the figure was the similarly bloodstained, tall white hat that sat crooked on their head.

  A massive butcher's cleaver came down and split a large cooked slab in half, bones and all. He looked up at them all, his head tilting to the side in confusion.

  “Ya dare come in my kitchen and disturb my work?” He snarled out, his voice deep and rumbling. His exposed mouth twisted into a sneer as he reached over and grabbed a large tenderizing mallet with his left hand. “I'm gunna serve you as a stew!” he roared before leaping over the table and bull rushing the team.

  With a roar of her own, Kai met the charge of the dungeon lord. Chen and Andro dashed ahead as well, moving around to flank the lord. He went in for a thrust to the exposed belly, but had to duck low to avoid the mallet screaming for his head. Kazyk and Fred spread out and began to pelt the lord with their magic, to little success. Each bold of power, or glob of lava barely left any marks on the large man.

  In a surprising move of speed and agility, the Dungeon Lord leaped over Kai and with only a few steps was in front of Kazyk. Eye wide with panic, Kazyk snapped his fingers and disappeared with a pop of magic. Not a moment too soon as the cleaver came down right where he had stood. The Drakthynn caster reappeared near Fred and had to take a moment to calm down.

  Chen had been right on the Lord's heels, his lightning movement skill placing him right behind him. He struck out in a flurry of blows, each one aimed at critical joints. Kai caught up and joined in on the frenzy, yet the two were held at bay by the Lord. Each of their strikes were either avoided, blocked or just outright ignored.

  Andro dashed around behind the Lord and aimed a precise stab into the man’s legs. The Lord howled in pain as the blade coated in acidic blood bit into his flesh. The Lord whirled and swung, and Andro barely avoided the strike, even with acceleration ramped up in power. He expected the Lord to pursue him, but was caught off guard when he instead lashed out with a back kicked right into Chen.

  Chen was sent stumbling, leaving Kai to be the only one left by the Lord. Something the Lord took advantage of with a wide spinning strike with his mallet. The speed and momentum of the blow left her no time to respond other than to attempt a block. The sheer force slammed her crossed blades into her chest before picking her up and launching her into the wall. She hit with bone crunching force and tumbled down to the floor. Kai struggled to stand back up but barely got to her knees before falling back down.

  Draelin ran towards her crumpled form, hands already glowing with power. “I need time!” she called out as she slid to a stop next to Kai, her magic already pouring into her form.

  Tightening his grip on his spear, Andro didn’t hold back and poured his mana into his skills. Acceleration and Temporal Perception reached their maximum output, and the green and purple streaked black flames roared to life along his weapon. A few steps at his accelerated speed was all it took to reach the Lord. A streak of black traced throughout the air, following the path of his spear as it arced up and slashed the Lord.

  Blood sprayed out, and the Lord howled as a line opened up along his arm from where he tried to block. The cut was deep and black flames still lingered in the wound. The lord lashed out to try and retaliate, but Andro was already gone, another thin black streak traced in the air and across the Lord’s back. Another roar of pain and another follow up strike was thrown at Andro.

  His mind was focused, and his body listened. This may have been his younger body and not have the decades of training he used to have. But it was still his body, and he knew exactly how it should and could move. Attack after attack flew from him as his form was a blur, dashing around the Lord. He never charged directly at him, instead he stayed just close enough his weapon could reach while keeping his trajectory hard to predict.

  Blow after blow landed on the Lord, each one opening up more of his flesh and causing his blood to flow. His attacks were more frantic as he tried to catch the blur that was Andro. To make the Lord situation worse, Kazyk and Fred continued to pelt him with their own attacks. Fred was taking advantage of the excess heat in the room, allowing him to focus on gathering fireballs and hurling them.

  “I’m gunna cook you!” the Lord roared, stomping his foot down, and a sound of sucking air greeted them. Not even a moment later, some of the wall ovens spewed out a roaring column of flame. The flames instantly reach the walls, Kazyk and Fred instantly being cut off and separated. A well timed attack from the Lord forced Chen to keep his distance, just in time to be cut off by a column of flame.

  That was an issue as he had been keeping himself between the Lord and Draelin as she healed Kai. Andro had been forced to slow down to ensure he didn’t accidently run into the flames. This let the Lord turn and lock eyes with him, savage glee in his eyes when he thought it was just him and Andro. Andro in turn adjusted his grip and met the Lords gaze, his challenge clear.

  To both of their surprise, neither got the chance to move before a wildly cackling Kai came flying over to tackle the Lord. Not even bothering to use her weapons she savagely dug her claws in and did her best to imitate a wild beast. The Lord howled in pain as he thrashed and fought back, desperate to escape the mauling. He battered her off and stood back up, growling in rage.

  The distraction allowed Andro to move behind him and deliver a devastating thrust into the Lord’s back. In response, the Lord whirled around and struck out, forcing him back but also kicking backwards and into Kai. She was thrown backwards and would have gone into the flames but Acceleration allowed Andro to reach her and catch her wrist just in time. Her momentum was almost enough to yank him along, but was able to maintain his footing. Unfortunately for Kai, she was still close enough that her legs passed into the column of flame causing her to snarl in pain.

  Andro would have taken the time to make sure she was fine, but battle instincts told him the Lord could already be on him and mid swing. He ducked and spun, ready to avoid and counter any attack. He was only partially right, as the Lord was indeed mid swing when Andro turned, but not at him.

  The Lord’s Cleaver flew through the air, and right towards the startled form of Draelin who had retreated back to the tunnel entrance after healing Kai. A shimmer of magic surrounded Draelin as the cleaver reached her, the barrier Kazyk had placed on her. The barrier held for a moment before it shattered, and the cleaver continued its flight. Thankfully its trajectory had been disturbed just enough it flew past Draelin and clattered down the hallway.

  Andro bolted forward, not willing to let the Lord do as he pleases but was once more a step too late. With a howl of rage, the Lord swung low and wide with his tenderizer, right into one of the tables covered in cooking tools. A variable shower of knives, skewers, hooks and table shards launched through the air and right towards Draelin.

  “No!” Andro shouted, as he altered to head towards the healer with no time to dodge. His mind flashed back to the first time he had lost a teammate, then the second, third, fourth and so on. In the span of barely a heartbeat he had relieved every moment he had lost a comrade. This second chance at life was supposed to be his chance to do better, to be better.

  Power flooded his body as every ounce of mana he could draw upon, everything he had left was pushed into his skill acceleration. The world blurred around him and every muscle in his body screamed in protest from the effort, but he didn't care. His first few steps caught him up to the flying shrapnel. The next few had him past it, and the third had him in front of Draelin. The speed he was going, he understood that trying to push her out of the way would likely cause her more harm than the shrapnel. His mind made up, he stopped, grabbed her and pulled her close, tucking her head into his chest where his armor was the thickest.

  He would have no choice but to trust in Deagon’s craftsmanship to keep him from dying long enough that the healer he now clutched could save him. There was no time to consider anything else, nor did Draelin even have time to ask him what he was doing. Pain exploded throughout his body as what felt like dozens of impacts hit him from behind. The force was almost enough to topple him forwards, but he managed to keep his feet planted firmly.

  After a moment, Draelin pulled away from him, confusion written clearly on her face. Realization struck her when she took a closer look, panic setting in as she grabbed him, saying his name. That is when his legs decided to give out, pain flaring more as he sank to his knees. Breathing was difficult and he let out a wet cough, blood splattering the inside of his helm.

  “Androlis!” Draelin was screaming, her pale green healing magic already pouring from her hands and into him.

  Kai looked over from where she was on his knees as she tried getting up. Her eyes going wide at the sight, her new friend was kneeling on the ground, numerous knives and wood shards protruding from his back. Blood was pooling around as he sagged, his head drooping forward. All while Draelin was trying to heal him, yet the blood didn’t stop flowing. Something inside of her snapped, and without even realizing, her skill [Fury] activated.

  A howl of pure rage and hatred tore from her throat and echoed throughout the room. A red mist full of killing intent radiated from her body as she rose and lunged for the Lord. All reason abandoned her mind, all tactics or strategy simply gone. All that mattered was to kill, and her prey was right in front of her. Her body flew through the air and tackled the Lord once more, however this time when she latched on, she would not be coming off.

  For Andro, the world around him was becoming more muted by the second. His breathing was ragged, his body hurt and no matter how hard he tried to speak his incantation, the words failed him. He could feel Draelin holding onto him, feel her magic pouring into him, trying to heal the damage. He had taken more damage than expected and was confident that Draelin and his skill [Sanguine Reserves] were the only reasons he hadn't died yet. But he was close, he could feel it on an instinctual level.

  If he couldn’t use his healing skill, Drealin’s magic alone wouldn’t be enough to save him. His vision was going blurry, his body growing weaker. He was cold, colder than he had been in a while. He was about to die, but still he clung on. He refused to die; he had too many things he still needed to do. As he fought to remain conscious, he felt his eyes close, and the world went still.