(Charles)

  “Is that the best you’ve got, pup?” Charles taunted, borrowing from the okamijin vernacur. Notg another arrow, he dashed out and fired a quick shot. He slid behind the ree for cover as the projectile blew up, just like the st two.

  He pulled out a sewing needle and pricked his finger, casting Stitch. [Stitch] hysi ability from his Outfitter framework. It allowed him to mend clothing and minor wounds.

  Normally, ritual abilities like Stitch couldn’t be used in bat, but Charles’s aura, Drive, got around that limitation. [Drive] was a Willpower ability from his Fire framework. It gave him the focus to perform rituals in bat, at the cost of increasing their cooldown. His wounds sealed shut, but Stitch wouldn’t be ready in time for Dreadfang’s attack.

  The white prisms reformed with their rhythmic crag, signaling the nova readying another barrage. Prepared, Charles dowhe ironbark vial he’d picked up from V’ega’s earlier. It reduced eastance of damage by a minor amount and was effective against Dreadfang’s crystal form attacks.

  Another volley of crystalized shards coated the area, peppering both soil and wood. Charles braced himself for the sedary effe. Rocks, splinters, and dirt bsted him from all sides, his attire too tattered to intervene again.

  A thick haze of soil and sawdust swirled, obsg the surrounding area. Proprioception kicked in, warning Charles of the falling trees and their trajectory. He didn’t wait for his sight to clear, taking off toward Dreadfang while still hidden. Now he o get Dreadfang out of his transformation.

  ‘Stage four: break the seal.’ Not a siree came down on him for his poor judgment and recklessness. It wouldn’t have killed the on-ranked adventurer, but a little karmic justice would’ve been nice.

  Dodging debris—rocks, dirt, and trees—Charles made his way to Dreadfang. He’d already stowed his bow and uhed two daggers. One was on-ranked, specialized in resonance damage. He found his other mundane bdes worked well and hadn’t yet decided on any entment upgrades. He’d gotten the resonance dagger from a lootbox. Charles had two fighting style abilities: Skirmisher Style and Triple Sword Style.

  [Skirmisher style] was a Swift ability from his Ranged framework. It allowed him to reload his on in the blink of an eye. He could wield shortbows, dual wield pistols or hand-crossbows, or a mix of both with proficy. [Triple Sword Style] was a Bance ability from his Melee framework. It allowed him to dual wield any bination of dagger, shortsword, and longsword with proficy.

  Dreadfang howled in surprise as Charles pluhe resonance dagger into his back. Relying on the nova’s fusion, he pressed his advariking with impunity. Normally, Dreadfang ehe protes provided by his crystalline form: damage redu against most damage types. However, resonance bypassed those protes, maximizing its age against crystal and stone defenses.

  Leaping back after the third stab, Charles watched the crystals drop to the ground as Dreadfang’s body shed them and untransformed. Charles wasn’t worried the nova might retaliate; he just needed space to throw the grenade.

  He readied the rainy-day explosive and chucked it at Dreadfang. Another micro bolt of fire appeared, intercepting the grenade, but it was close enough to still drench the okamijin with water. Charles grew ed—Dreadfang’s ranged defense might not have a cooldowraded his resonance dagger for a shortsword.

  Dreadfang stood there, fused. Holding out his hands, he ied his soaked, unharmed body. “Water?” He snorted, sending droplets flying from his nostrils.

  Charles gave him no time to think, diving ba with both bdes ready. Dreadfang bared his teeth in a menag smile, made a fist with his good arm, and did exactly as pnned. Arg energies ripped across his waterlogged coat. He stood vulsing in pain, paralyzed by the shock as he electrocuted himself.

  Charles grinned as Dreadfang writhed. His ability to charge his urikes backfired, sending the full power bato his now-ductive body. Charles o use this time wisely. He carved away, fog on Dreadfang’s torso. It was surprising how much abuse a on-ranked adventurer’s body could take. Charles got in several strikes, leaving the nova gashed, punctured, and bleeding before he could recover.

  Dreadfang threw his head back, letting out an eg roar. This was how he activated one of his most potent buffs. Readying himself for the assault, Charles hoped he’d done enough damage. The okamijin’s good hand morphed into a long-scythed mantis bde. Winding up, he swung at the rugged elf’s neck.

  Charles raised his shortsword in defense, activating Executioner’s Block. [Executioner’s Blobsp;was a Death ability from his Melee framework. It blocked an attack, refleg double the damage back if the attacker was withie range. If not, the ability would enter aended cooldown.

  The block succeeded, but Dreadfang took no damage. “That’s unfortunate,” Charles muttered as the ability went on a one-minute cooldown. He hadn’t done enough damage t the nova under a quarter health—the execute threshold for the ability to retaliate. Dreadfang readied another swing.

  ‘Brand?’ Charles debated. ‘No. I’ve still got options.’ He threw himself backward, catg a gash across his chest as he hit the ground. Rolling to his side, he quickly picked himself up and dashed away to create space to think.

  Between Dreadfang’s aura and that roar buff, even his regur attacks hit exceptionally hard, and Charles knew he couldn’t take many more direct hits. Over the minute, he o carry out two tasks: get Dreadfang into execute range and avoid dying. He had a potent ability that could aplish both tasks, but it came with unfortunate side effects.

  Out of time, Charles o close the gap with Dreadfang before the nova got any ideas about using his ranged area attacks again. With all the trees gone and o hide, he k’d be a quick death. While closing, he traded his dagger for a longsword, not wanting to get too close. He just o buy some time.

  At the st moment, before they cshed, he chose not to take the risk, activating his own defensive—Dah Death. [Dah Death] was a Resonance ability from his Dark framework. It allowed him to absorb an infinite amount of non-dark damage for one minute. Now he could focus ing Dreadfang into execute range. Gritting his teeth, he braced himself for the pain to e.

  Dreadfang swung his mantis bde, but Charles, standing too close, couldn’t avoid the blow. He took the hit, a bck shimmer appeariween him and the scythe, abs the impact—saving it for ter. Though the ability shielded his body, it did nothing to dull the pain, f him to feel every bit of it. Gritting his teeth, Charles pushed through the agony and lunged forward with his longsword.

  Locked in their savage dahey exged strikes, both growing more desperate. Dreadfang’s fury mounted as the bck shimmer absorbed his attacks, leaving the rugged elf unharmed despite the assault. Meanwhile, Charles sshed, stabbed, and bled him. Dreadfang’s swipe was slower tha—blood loss was catg up. Charles lunged, opening a fresh wound. Though his strikes came slower, they grew more brutal with each blow. The rugged elf tirading pain for a life.

  Charles couldn’t tell if the okamijin was withie range, so he kept abs damage he’d have to face eventually. Careful not to drop Dreadfang’s health too low, he he nova’s mistake to go unnoticed a bit longer.

  Switg tactics, Dreadfang’s hauro normal—the scythe attacks too slow for him. Pummeling Charles with an unarmed onsught of cws, he raked them across the rugged elf’s chest. Charles, uo keep his silence, cried out in pain as Dreadfang sank his teeth into the space between his ned left shoulder—the bck shimmer deying only the damage. In exge, Charles plunged his shortsword deep into the okamijin’s abdomen, up to the hilt.

  [Melee orb]: [Executioner’s Block] ready for use.

  Charles couldn’t use Executioner’s Block while Dah Death , or there wouldn’t be any damage to reflect. He’d o end it early, and if he misjudged the timing or Dreadfang’s health, he wouldn’t survive long enough to use his brand.

  Readying his shortsword, he dismissed Dah Death. A bck slice immediately sshed across the top of his hand, opening a wound. Dreadfang hadn’t missed it, practically salivating at the sight of the rugged elf’s emerald blood.

  “Finally,” Dreadfang said, realizing the elf was vulnerable once more.

  “Make it t,” Charles said.

  Dreadfang smirked as his fist crackled with arergy, his coat no longer wet enough to duct. Leaning into the punch, he aimed for the rugged elf’s head. Lifting his shortsword to intercept, Charles activated Executioner’s Block again. The block succeeded, but more importantly, the small piece of part hanging from Dreadfang’s belt ripped in half.

  The okamijin’s eyes went wide. “How?!” He stared down at the remaining scrap attached to his belt. The part had prevented his death, w once before breaking. A simple ritual would jure him a new one. His head snapped up, sing the battlefield.

  Charles kly what he was looking for. Dreadfang had two synergistic abilities: the first owerful healing skill that only required him to be in darkness; the sed assive ability that allowed shadows to t as darkness. Charles had tricked Dreadfang into removing the trees and their shade at the start of the fight. ‘Stage five: execution.’

  “How do you want it?” Charles called out, gripping a bde in each hand. He gave Dreadfang a choice: go out fighting or running.

  Dreadfang’s lips curled into a snarl and his eyes darted toward the ree line.

  Charles had his answer. “Have it your way.”

  As Dreadfang sprioward the trees, Charles stowed his bdes. Uhing his bow, he fired a test shot. Dreadfang yipped, stumbling as the arrow buried itself in his shoulder. With his deferipped, it was time for Charles to end it. He notched another arrow, taking aim. This time, he waited the full sed and tagged his fleeing oppo with Trigory. Releasing the arrow, Charles used Final Goodbye.

  [Final Goodbye] was a Destiny ability from his Range framework. It was ae attack that did extreme damage. The attack drained his health to increase its power, enough to kill either the target or him—it always cimed a life. Sailing true, the arrow struck Dreadfang in the back, and his body crumpled to the ground, dead.

  Charles pulled out his sewing needle again and pricked his finger, casting Stitch. The wound on his hand sealed shut. Seds ter, another dark slice tore across his other hand, opening a fresh wound. This would tiil the Dah Death debuff wore off. The timer showed 23 hours, 15 minutes, and 6 seds remaining.

  Dah Death’s near invulnerability was especially powerful, but powerful abilities always had drawbacks, especially at on rank. His drawback was to suffer damage over time until the debuff ended, dealing stant low dark damage to him. The more damage absorbed, the lo would st. Just ht hours had been his previous record.

  The damage Dreadfang inflicted ihan a minute was impressive. The sharp, searing pain would remind him of that fact for the rest of the day.

  Charles sidered looting Dreadfang’s body but decided against it; he still wao cim Vera as his reward and didn’t want any guild bureaucracy to interfere. He’d let Ebonscale collect their fallen members, and gear, intact. ‘Now for Rono.’

  A terrible shriek rang out, abruptly cut short—Vera had gotten her revenge. Charles headed toward the source of the scream. He found the theropods quickly; all he had to do was follow the squishing, slurping, and bone-snapping sounds. “So much for intact.” Charles frowned, watg them ge themselves on Rono’s remains.

  Vera heard him step into the clearing and lifted her green, gore-covered snout to greet him. The other theropod seized the distra to snatother piece for herself—a siing pop sounded as she tore off a leg.

  “Good girl,” Charles said, keeping a careful distance as they ate. “Stay hidden until I return.” They didn’t make transtis for raptors, but she didn’t need ohey uood each other well enough. Charles would o return quickly before her unattended pack started hunting townspeople for food—or worse, sport.

  He mentally triggered his Scorg Brand, telep instantly baert’s Circle. The brand under his feet stopped glowing and faded into obscurity. Charles’s sudden appearance caught both Dyn and his new friend off guard. Gd to see Dyn looking much more alive, he turo the elf and asked, “You from the guild?”

  “Yes, I’m—”

  Dyn cut him off, exg, “Sacred excrement, Charles. Are you okay? What happeo you?” He put a fihrough one of the many holes in Charles’s tattered tunic.

  “I’m fine,” he said, wing as another surge of pain streaked across his cheek. Taking out his sewing needle, he cast Stitd closed the wound. He brushed his sleeve across his face, wiping away the bit of blood left behind.

  Dyn looked at Charles, then at the elf, and asked, “Is that supposed to happen?”

  Charles ighe question. “Don’t let him out of yht. I’ll e find you when I’m done.”

  The elf nodded silently in aowledgement. Charles turned, starting dowreet toward the League of Adventurers’ Hall.

  “Where are you going?” Dyn asked after him.

  Charles sighed. “Paperwork…”