Scraps' vine wagged as he sat in front of Jason, a femur bone firmly in his maw.

  "Drop," Jason said, reaching down to grab the bone.

  The vines shook rapidly as Scraps barked.

  Jason threw the bone over the pile of skeletons. "I always wanted a dog, just never had the time for one."

  "I had two, Lucy and Stella. Both poodles. And I'm not so sure Scraps counts as a dog."

  "Don't be jealous that my dog is cooler than your dogs."

  A loud bark interrupted Maggy. Both Jason and she turned.

  "Is that a mummy?" asked Maggy.

  Death Stalker – A petrified human wrapped in cursed rags, using those rags as weapons sharp enough to cut through steel. Left unchecked, these stalkers have razed entire settlements, their thirst for blood ever-growing.

  Race: Mummy

  Level: 6

  Grade: F

  "If that is a mummy, it’s way scarier than any of the Return of the Mummy movies," Jason called.

  The Death Stalker let out a dry, rasping screech as one of its rags lashed out, raking across Scraps' side. Scraps yelped, vines flaring in pain, then retaliated, charging the creature snarling.

  Maggy reacted quickly, gathering energy in her staff. Ethereal light shimmered across the staff before firing a low-charged Spirit Bolt. The bolt slammed into the Death Stalker, making it stagger.

  Scraps' jaw clamped down onto the creature's midsection. He shook violently, ripping away layers of cursed cloth and dried flesh. The Stalker shrieked and retaliated viciously—a rag extended like a spear, impaling Scraps and pinning him to the dirt.

  Jason's heart skipped as he watched another ribbon of cursed cloth lash from the shadows, snaking toward Scraps' head.

  Jason didn’t think—he just moved. He grabbed the femur Scraps had dropped earlier and charged the Death Stalker. He swung with everything he had. The femur struck the rag midair, knocking it to the ground inches from Scraps.

  Out of the corner of his eye, Jason spotted another rag slicing through the air. The rag was aimed at his exposed back.

  Tensing for the impact, Jason thought, Ah—crap, this is gonna suck.

  Two vines lashed out from Scraps' pinned body, managing to intercept the attack midair. They deflected the rags just enough that they only grazed Jason’s back.

  Jason seized the opportunity. He struck the Stalker square in the ribs with the femur. A loud crack echoed through the clearing. The blow forced the creature back.

  Another rag whipped fast as a viper, slicing deep into Jason’s thigh.

  Pain erupted like a lightning strike. His leg buckled, forcing him to crumple to one knee. Blood soaked through his shredded pants. The slightest shift of his weight sent waves of fire through his nerves.

  The Death Stalker blurred in Jason's vision.

  It let out a shriek as it lifted both free rags—the third still pinning Scraps—both rags flared outward like tentacles of an angry squid, ready to lash out.

  Through blurry eyes, Jason lifted his hand, forming the 'OK' gesture. He activated Capture.

  An inky tether shot out, latching onto the mummy. Its body convulsed, rags flailing violently in protest. The tether shimmered, flickering as the Stalker tried to resist.

  Jason gritted his teeth, focusing, his free hand clamped tightly over the wound as he knelt in the dirt.

  The Death Stalker let out another howl, its rags steadying before darting toward Jason.

  Capture Failed. Target deceased

  Jason’s breath caught as the drain on his health stopped. The rags dropped to the ground, lifeless. The creature let out a final, choking hiss before collapsing.

  Ah... what just happened?

  A moment passed before he turned to Maggy. "Did you do that?"

  "Yeah, sorry—and you're welcome, I guess," Maggy said, panting. Her hands trembled slightly as she lowered her staff. "I charged my spirit bolt fully and waited for an opening. Good job on that, by the way."

  Jason snorted. "I'm glad you found the opening when you did. But I totally had him."

  If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

  Scraps let out a soft whine from his collapsed form.

  "You did good, buddy. Thanks."

  Summon dismissed.

  Scraps’ form dissolved into a pool of inky black and slid back into Jason’s tattoo.

  Level up! Level 3 to Level 5.

  Scraps has leveled up! Level 1 to 2. Points allocated.

  Maggy rushed over to him, eyes scanning him. “We need to talk about how often you require healing.”

  Jason snorted. “Trust me, I am open to suggestions.”

  He sighed in relief as the gash knitted itself mostly back together.

  Maggy took shallow, rasping breaths. “Sorry, I don’t have enough mana to fully heal you.”

  "That's alright, it took the bite off," Jason said as he turned his attention to the fallen Death Stalker.

  Rag of the Stalker (Common) – As flexible as cloth and durable as steel.

  Bronze Razian Coins x8.

  "Anything good?" Maggy asked as she looked over the remains.

  "The rags are cool. Other than that, just some more coins. Everything else is trash." Jason swung the rags around his neck, reminding Maggy of a scarf. "We need to figure out a better way to carry all this," he said.

  Ding, ding — the cheerful chime of a bell echoed through the area.

  "Hello! I couldn’t help but overhear you have a problem carrying all that loot you got. Come on down and good ole Billy will take care of ya!"

  Billy

  Race: Zombie

  Class: Zombified Merchant

  Level: 25

  Grade: F

  A hunched figure emerged on the broken cobblestone path, dragging a rickety cart filled with battered crates. His skin was a sickly greenish-gray, chunks missing from his cheeks and hands. Despite this, he wore a wide-brimmed hat and a crooked, businesslike smile.

  "Name's Billy! Got bags, got packs, got all sorts of handy things for the savvy adventurer on the go!"

  Jason exchanged a look with Maggy.

  "Alright… this is a little odd," Jason said.

  "You say that like you don't have a living thorn wolf Tattoo you can summon," Maggy smiled.

  "Hey, it's the Games of Raz," Billy replied cheerfully. "Weird is just Tuesday. Now, what can I get you folks started with?"

  As they walked over to Billy, he started his sales pitch.

  "Welcome, welcome, dear friends," Billy said with a slight bow of his head. "Please, come take a look."

  He waved his hand, and a table appeared in front of him. "In regards to your issue of carrying all that precious loot, I recommend one of these." He gestured toward a leather-bound pouch the size of a fanny pack.

  Pouch of Storage (Uncommon) – Crafted by the Pocket Vault Corporation. Grants access to a 10-square-foot space at warehouse number 384, container number AAE. Only non-living things may be stored. Cost: 10 Razian coins

  Cloud storage, but for items? That's exactly what we need.

  Maggy and Jason pulled all the money they had out; it totaled 25 bronze Razian coins.

  Before making any decisions, they looked over the other options.

  Investor’s Wallet (Uncommon) – All coins placed in this wallet will be stored in a safe investment account in the Vault of Raz. Expected return: 2% annually. Cost: 8 Razian coins

  "So a 401k?" Jason said, pointing to the wallet. "Retirement is something I’ve thought about the last few days."

  Maggy let out a quiet snort as she rolled her eyes.

  Jason stumbled on his injured leg as he reached for the mace.

  Iron Mace (Common) – It’s a mace, made from iron. That’s it. Cost: 5 Razian coins

  There it was again, that snarky description, like the system was annoyed we were wasting its time identifying the item.

  Basic Survival Kit/Food supplies (Common) – Bed rolls, fire starter, first aid, and common food supplies. Everything you need for a post-apocalyptic vacation. Cost: 7 Razian coins.

  “Not exactly what I’d call a vacation,” Jason mumbled under his breath.

  Items Purchased: Pouch of Storage, Basic Survival Kit/Food supplies, Mace. 22 Coins Spent. 3 Coins Remaining.

  "Thank you, thank you! You’ve both made Billy very grateful!" Billy said, bowing his head yet again. "If there is anything I can do for you, please do not hesitate to ask."

  "Actually, there is," Jason said. "Where would we find Umbraxis, and what can you tell us about this place?"

  Billy’s crooked smile faded, his tone shifting. "Ah, that is a grim tale," he said, voice low. "One of a hero... who became the villain."

  He paused, placing a hand over his chest as if paying respect. "This kingdom was once a jewel of the Razian Empire. Bright, united, and full of life. The people thrived, our cities glowed, and we stood in harmony with our neighbors. But when the old king died, his son—Umbraxis—took the throne."

  Billy gestured around them, to the ash-choked sky and broken land. "And everything changed. A darkness spread—not just over the land, but inside us. People stopped sleeping. Stopped smiling. It was like a sickness of the soul."

  His voice grew softer. "At first, it was whispers. Fear. Then came the madness. Friends turned on each other. Families vanished overnight. Whole villages tore themselves apart."

  Jason’s jaw clenched. The word "madness" echoed in his mind, gnawing at the edge of his unspoken fear.

  "Where did the madness come from?" he asked quietly.

  Billy only shook his head. "No one knows. Some say Umbraxis found something buried beneath the keep. Others believe he was cursed—or worse, that he made a pact. But whatever it was, it changed him. And through him, it changed everything."

  Maggy shifted uncomfortably. "And this keep?"

  Billy nodded solemnly. "The Dread Spire. It's where he rules now—or hides. I do not know. But I do know this: whatever answers you seek... you’ll find them there."

  Jason stared off toward the foggy horizon.

  "How do we reach it?"

  "Follow the path beyond the bridge," Billy said, pointing east. "But beware. The gate is sealed. A creature—twisted by Umbraxis’s magic—guards the key. You’ll need to defeat it to pass."

  Quest Update: Clear the Triumverge Citadel.

  Umbraxis lies inside the Dread Spire Keep.

  Gain the key to enter the Dread Spire Keep.

  A quiet breeze stirred the trees. The path ahead was shrouded in mist. Jason glanced toward it, then back down at the tattoo on his arm.

  "Well, it looks like we have some direction now," Maggy said. "Shall we?"

  "Yeah, just need to take care of the Alpha first." Jason replied.

  Weekend Bonus Chapter Challenge!

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