If there was one thing Vondaire preferred for himself, and appreciated in others, it was efficiency. That could apply to many aspects of life. Efficiency in cooking by using fewer dishes, efficiency in training by prioritizing relevant attributes, and so on.

  What he didn’t appreciate was the time at which it was taking Taralim to sneak up on him.

  Vondaire had already been annoyed by the second floor. A quest driven floor to uncover some artifact was a waste of time. Nobody wanted to do quests while in the towers. They wanted to fight and advance. The lore of each tower was a waste of time for anyone but the gods themselves.

  And now, instead of advancing to the third floor like he would prefer, he had to wait in the tomb where it was a more ideal spot to fight the Izylia Special Division squad.

  What kind of idiots were they? Had Taralim learned nothing?

  Vondaire sat upon a sarcophagus with one leg over the other. He adjusted his cufflinks, fixed any imperfections with his tie, then turned to look directly at the invisible form of Taralim.

  “Sneaking up would be more efficient if the dungeon hadn’t announced the arrival of someone with 2 Shards.” Vondaire covered his mouth while he yawned. “Is this going to go the way I think it will, or have you just come to chat? I haven’t prepared any hors d'oeuvre or wine.”

  Taralim uncloaked. “An arrest has been issued for the murder of Isaak Agapov.”

  “And you think you can arrest me?” Vondaire raised an eyebrow.

  “I don’t plan to.” Taralim’s shards were already active, hovering over his shoulder. Without them, Vondaire might’ve not noticed the assassin. The faint hum and the pressure of power did a lot to give away a Shard Hero when one knew what to listen for.

  “An assassination then? It is fitting of your class.”

  The other members of Taralim’s special division had emerged from the end of the hall. There was only one Vondaire didn’t recognize, and judging by her size, he assumed she was a berserker or soldier. Either way, he knew what to expect.

  Erlianeth had plenty to offer, but in a five against one situation, the entertainer was of the least concern. Kuri was by far the most dangerous, but also the smartest, so perhaps she would think twice before joining in.

  Taralim stalked in front of him, hands twitching. “I told you this would happen.”

  “No. You told me I would end up dead. If you expected that you would be the one to hunt me down, then you should have said so originally.” Vondaire finally stood with kunai forming in each hand. “If I was capable of killing Isaak Agapov as a 1 Shard Hero, why would you think you can manage to kill me?”

  “We know Chorsay Eoghet was involved.” Taralim grabbed his knives, even as his fingers trembled.

  The thirsty bastard.

  The others approached with Kuri at the head. She walked with purpose, using her staff as a walking stick to keep it ready. Their newcomer, the berserker, he assumed, never took her eyes off him.

  “I intend to get my shard and move on, so if we are going to be serious about this, why don’t we begin?” Vondaire tossed a knife into the air, brushed back his hair, and caught the spectral kunai before it fell. “What do you say?”

  “I didn’t think you’d stoop so low,” Kuri said. Her wide-brimmed hat covered most of her face. She stopped walking and pressed the staff into the ground with both hands. The rest of the squad spread out behind her.

  “Low? I am miles above what I did when I was with you all. Isaak Agapov was a joke.” He spun a kunai around his finger. “Do you really think the five of you are enough? Look at Erlianeth. He’s already shaking.”

  Two shards lifted from Kurigaess’s shoulder.

  In reality, he was outnumbered. Taralim and Kuri both had two shards, and everyone but Erlianeth had one. He knew, without a doubt, that he could handle Erlianeth and Sussuphon at the same time. Throwing Kuri and Taralim in the mix complicated things. Previously, he would’ve found a way to avoid the fight altogether, but having one shard put him on a near-equal level with Taralim, if one ignored all the bonuses he had from his vampire fusion.

  If the newcomer was even remotely talented, Vondaire could be overwhelmed quickly.

  Whether or not he was confident enough to fight, Vondaire was fully aware he was in a bad position. If the Unity Force sent Taralim after him, they fully intended to kill Vondaire.

  Erlianeth strummed his lute. A magical whistle passed through the tomb. Light shimmered around all members of the special division.

  “Any last words?” Taralim asked.

  “Only one.” Vondaire had already cast Decoy, leaving a version of himself standing there, idly spinning kunai. It was easily convincing. Meanwhile, he walked, entirely stealthed right past the other members of the special division.

  In the past, he would have retreated. It was the safest option.

  In the past, he wouldn’t have fought Taralim.

  But why waste the opportunity? Killing the damn vampire would make everyone’s lives better. Even those people of Verdantallis who didn’t know Taralim would benefit. They just wouldn’t know it.

  “And what word is that?” Taralim asked. He slowed his pacing, narrowing his eyes.

  Taralim suddenly drew his knife and twisted to look at Erlianeth right as Vondaire uncloaked with his bare palm over the entertainer’s face.

  Vondaire grinned. “Checkmate.”

  Power 7 spells weren’t things one could practice. A hero used them or they didn’t. Most didn’t. Less than half a percent would ever even acquire Power 7 spells, and even fewer would ever use one.

  Sacrificing a human life for a single spell seemed absurd in most situations.

  But to kill Taralim? Vondaire would sacrifice plenty.

  He hadn’t had much of an opportunity to learn about the Power 7 umbra spells, so now as a battle started, he would have to learn while using it.

  “Spectral Rage,” he said, sucking the life from Erlianeth.

  Everyone had already started moving as soon as Vondaire revealed himself, but they weren’t fast enough.

  Erlianeth collapsed, little more than a smoking husk.

  Spectral Rage filled Vondaire’s body with apparition magic. He could only watch as his arms turned to hazy wisps. In less than a second, he turned fully into a specter, which even altered his vision. The heroes charging at him were red with heat while everything else faded into near-obscurity.

  A portal opened just behind him. Screams immediately echoed through the tomb as specters of all kinds rushed out like a wave.

  The charge ended abruptly as the heroes all stopped to fend off the wave of specters. Only Taralim kept his eyes on Vondaire.

  “You bastard,” he snarled.

  You are being tamed.

  Bonds tightened around his ankles and wrists, like someone was dragging him down in cuffs. If he didn’t stop it, he would be fully captured like some common mob.

  Vondaire thrust an arm forward, sending a Spectral Ray at Taralim’s cold heart. The vampire easily blocked, but it provided Vondaire with an opportunity to fly past into the fray.

  Kuri had a swirl of arcane magic around her acting as a shield. He didn’t dare test its strength.

  “Stop this,” he said, his voice distant even to his own ears.

  “You killed Erlianeth!” The brim of her hat flared in the maelstrom, revealing her glowing eyes. “You—” The glow faded. Tears ran down her cheeks. “You did this.”

  “Stop your spell. I’ll kill Taralim.” Vondaire waited a moment as a knife cut right through his form. There was no pain, but a chunk of health vanished.

  Spectral Step worked exactly as it did before. As Vondaire reappeared, he had to slip past a hammer swing from the newcomer. She growled and swung again. Speed was on his side, especially since she also only had one shard. He danced through her attacks as he looked through his abilities and spells.

  He hadn’t lost any. There were some new ones, but he didn’t have an opportunity to read through. Not yet.

  Ghostcloak created a billowing cape of spectral energy that immediately cloaked him in the darkness of the tomb. Without additional spells, the cloak would keep him hidden. If it went better with his outfit, he would use the spell more often.

  The newcomer berserker darted her eyes back and forth, turned and crushed a cockatrice’s head, then continued searching for Vondaire.

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

  He wouldn’t kill her yet.

  Umbral Onslaught dramatically increased speed while hidden in shadows, and now that Vondaire was perfectly invisible between his specter form and Ghostcloak, the increased speed would be continuous.

  Despite the invisibility, Taralim was on his heels.

  Before they could clash again, a lightning storm raged in the tomb. Lightning scorched every surface and ripped through specter mobs. Kuri shouted something, rallying the other squad members to her side.

  Meanwhile, Vondaire dashed across the tomb, near the main sarcophagus. If he was going to fight in the boss chamber, he might as well make it interesting. The mummy inside stirred, but slowly. It would take minutes for the boss to fully wake up.

  Taralim shook himself out of his brief stupor. Wings stretched from his back as he dashed across the tomb. His knives flashed with poison and blood abilities, none of which would have any effect on Vondaire in his current form.

  Burning away Taralim’s mana was useless. Assassins didn’t use it. When it was gone, Vondaire would be able to chop the vampire to bits, but Taralim had a surprisingly high intelligence score.

  They clashed. Taralim’s blades tore through Vondaire’s form, cutting apart his health, while Vondaire ripped spectral kunai through the vampire, taking away his useless mana.

  If the fight continued that way, Vondaire was dead. Taralim was too fast for Vondaire to attack and dodge. The assassin left no openings.

  The portal continued spewing out specters. Kuri’s lightning was enough to keep them at bay, and with the newcomer’s help, they were winning.

  That left Sussuphon open to assist his commander.

  The first arrow that passed through Vondaire did no damage. It pinged against the statue behind the tomb. The next was covered in stone and felt like he had just been punched in the ribs.

  “Keep it up,” Taralim said as his eyes flashed red.

  Power 7 was enough to turn any fight into the caster’s favor. But Vondaire didn’t know what he was doing. There was no chance he was using Spectral Rage to even half of its potential.

  He needed to learn.

  He needed to adapt.

  If his mind could handle it . . .

  If his body could put up with the stress . . .

  It was finally time to test whether he was remarkable or just someone who had gotten lucky.

  Spectral Step brought him away from Taralim, giving a brief second of peace. He clenched his fist, visualizing the white glove over his hand. Finding a replacement was going to be annoying, but it wasn’t impossible, especially with Althowin on his side.

  “Multiply.” The glove, which existed only in a spectral state at the moment, twisted and collapsed, crushing every bone in Vondaire’s hand. The pain was distant, ethereal. Was it actually him experiencing it?

  Six more spectral forms appeared, splitting his mind into seven pieces. A throbbing pain appeared in the back of his head like someone was trying to drive a dull stake into his brain.

  Kuri and the newcomer were still occupied with holding back the specters pouring in. Vondaire noted that his Power 6 spell did not create more portals when more spectral forms appeared.

  His brain and hand throbbed, but the red eyes of Taralim kept him focused. Sussuphon kept his distance, trying to follow the action. A hunter’s abilities could help track an invisible target, but not to the extent he would’ve needed to fully find Vondaire. Without Taralim, Sussuphon would’ve never hit the earlier shots. Now, even Taralim had stopped, trying to figure out what he was sensing.

  Upon reaching level 100, Vondaire was presented with a second Power 7 spell. In the Weapon Modification category of spells, there was one simply called Eclipse. He never knew what it was, yet he couldn’t help but pick it.

  While three of the Vondaires swarmed Taralim, two snuck up and ambushed Sussuphon. Sacrificing a Shard Hero, especially at the same level of shards, was a difficult endeavor. Or so he had heard. With two versions of him, the process started easily. One captured Sussuphon’s arms, the other grabbed the hunter’s face with their only working hand and started the casting.

  The last Vondaire used Hone to coat his kunai in purple fire. A heartbeat later, he cast Dusk Enhance, adding to the fire and mixing shadows into the knife.

  “Eclipse!” another Vondaire shouted.

  Sussuphon cried out as his life was pulled into the Power 7 spell. The hunter crumpled, dead. The spell lingered for a moment, glowing brightly in the invisible umbra’s hand. Directing it all was ripping at Vondaire’s mind.

  He made that form point at the version with the enhanced kunai. The spell was cast just as Taralim dashed over and cut the form down. He had already ripped through the other three forms of Vondaire, leaving only two remaining. The last started its battle, attacking furiously. Taralim’s mana was long gone, meaning every slash with the kunai ripped his skin and muscles. But as a vampire, he continued regenerating.

  As much as he hated to admit it, Vondaire had underestimated Taralim.

  Two Power 7 spells and one Power 6 spell just to kill a single hero. He had fared better against a 4 Shard, but Isaak hadn’t been serious during the fight.

  Taralim came knowing it would be a fight for his life.

  Eclipse flowed into Vondaire, thumping in his chest like a thunderstorm. The spell rushed down his arm and into the fiery kunai. The entire chamber rumbled as the knife stretched into a full material katana. Purple umbral flames flared bright enough to reveal Vondaire.

  Taralim cut down the last copy, leaving a calmness in Vondaire’s brain.

  One slash and it would be done.

  Taralim’s eyes widened. He used every ability he could and raised his knives and Vondaire slashed horizontally.

  The Eclipse blade seemed to grow. One swing was all he got. At the end of the arch, the weapon disappeared, and Vondaire felt weak.

  Taralim still stood in the same place, knives raised and eyes blazing.

  The spectral portal closed. After one more lightning storm, Kuri cleared the mobs and turned.

  Experience Maxed

  Experience Maxed

  Experience Maxed

  Experience Maxed

  Experience Maxed

  Experience Maxed

  Experience Maxed

  Experience Maxed

  Experience Maxed

  The notifications kept flowing.

  Vondaire’s Spectral Rage ended. He gently landed on the ground. Blood steadily dripped from his left hand.

  Taralim’s wings beat once before the assassin fell in half. His armor, knives, and everything fell apart, cut perfectly across. The entire floor shifted as every single wall in the tomb had been cut. Stones collapsed in the doorway.

  The newcomer started toward Vondaire. She was injured, but her main injuries were likely in her mana bar, which wouldn’t mean anything for a berserker. She was leaving an aura behind. If she got one around Vondaire, he wouldn’t have many tricks to escape.

  “I thought they were lying about you,” she said, readying her axe.

  “I respect you for finding a high-paying job.” He composed himself and drank a health potion to slow the bleeding. “My grudge was with Taralim. The others were unfortunate.”

  “General said to kill you.” She continued marching closer.

  “Zetyrth,” Kurigaess said.

  The berserker paused, looking back.

  Kuri ran up. “The fight’s done. Vondaire won. Rullunth would prefer we start again. Don’t make your first mission your last.”

  The berserker advanced on Kuri. “You could’ve hit him with a spell at any time. Your lightning would’ve ripped him apart!”

  Kuri glared. “I could’ve. I could’ve finished taming him too. Then what?”

  “Then we would’ve won!”

  Vondaire let his ghostblade vanish. “I will be continuing to the top. I recommend you go find a mender to assist with your mana damage. It was nice meeting you.” He waited a moment, then nodded to Kuri.

  “Are you really with Althowin Alegarra?” Kuri asked.

  “I am. It wasn’t part of my original plan, as you know. Sometimes, things work out.”

  Kuri turned to look at Taralim’s legs, which were still standing. “Yeah. Something like that.”

  “This is fucking ridiculous.” Zetyrth gestured to Vondaire. “Hit him with a fucking spell and kill him now. You were the best one to take him on.”

  Kuri put her staff on the holder across her back. “See you soon, Von.” She walked by without another word. The stairs and exit had appeared when he had cut the floor boss in half. Kurigaess simply walked past the sarcophagus and straight through the exit.

  Zetyrth had yet to move. Her index was open. “Are you really only 1 Shard?”

  “Indeed.”

  “Then how . . .” She looked at all the dead bodies in the tomb. “Taralim had said you were different.”

  “I prefer special or talented.”

  “This isn’t the end.”

  “Then may I recommend you find a better patron than the military? Magna Regum and the Three Headed Hero Company will be out to get me as well. Their funding will be better, and I am certain Egnatia Lucan would love to hear the story about this battle.”

  The berserker scowled. “You say it like you know Egnatia.”

  “We had dinner.” Vondaire adjusted his tie and walked toward the stairs. “Good luck with whatever you decide to do. If we see each other again, you won’t be walking away.” He walked up, gave her one more glance, then stepped into the void.

  ***

  Shade kept referring to the new section as a labyrinth instead of a maze. At first, Owin didn’t question it despite his confusion. But after a few minutes, they didn't have to choose to go right or left. It was all just one winding path.

  “What’s the difference?” Owin finally asked.

  “Between what? Up and down? One is there, the other is down.” Shade narrowed his eye sockets. “It made sense before I said it.”

  “Between a maze and a labyrinth.”

  “Oh, yes. A labyrinth is just a long twisty hallway. Or in this case . . .” Shade ran his hand along the hedge at his side. “A bush? A tree? Who makes walls out of plants? Really? Who wants to water their walls?”

  “A hedge maze is a thing outside too,” Roese said.

  “It is?” Shade plucked a leaf from the wall. “I don’t see the appeal.”

  Time until Hunt

  100 seconds

  Shade cocked his head.

  “You saw it too?” Owin asked.

  “I saw it,” Roese said.

  “A hunt? Of us?” Shade looked around. “Who would hunt us? Other than that awful snake, of course. Are we sure she’s gone?” Shade turned his head all the way around even as he walked. “I don’t see anyone.”

  “It’s still gross when you do that,” Owin said.

  “And I think it’s gross when you bleed everywhere, but you do it anyway.”

  “That’s not really the same thing.” He thought about it for a moment. “Just keep going.”

  “The hunt isn’t triggered every time,” Roese said. “I’m guessing you two don’t know about it.”

  “You would be right about us not knowing. I haven’t existed in a long time and Owin is learning basically everything.”

  “Ocular dogs will start at the door and chase us if we haven’t reached the end. They’re level 60 and hard to kill. It means we should hurry. I’ve never had to fight them before.”

  “What triggers the hunt?” Owin asked.

  Shade picked up the pace, so Owin started jogging beside Roese.

  “I’ve never actually heard.”

  “It’s the secret,” Owin said. “It has to be.”

  “A secret?” Roese asked.

  “Don’t worry about it,” Shade said. “Let’s just see if we can reach the end before these eye hounds show up. What are they called?”

  “I don’t actually know,” Roese said.

  Owin desperately wanted to leap over the walls but the boundary was visible, shimmering right at the top of the hedges. Even when he tried to push through them, he found a boundary hidden within the twisted branches.

  “Let’s just try to hurry,” Owin said.