Yussuf’s central chamber wasn’t anything like what Edge was expecting.

  Unlike Ella and Roth, his core wasn’t centered around domination, sadism, or vile experimentation.

  His inner world was an opulent chamber featuring a massive iron throne perched atop a polished marble dais. Other than the elegant stonework, the only furniture was a luxurious red rug that led from an open archway to the base of the throne. The perimeter of the room was ringed by ornate pillars instead of solid walls, through which warm sunlight was shining.

  There weren’t any simulated people inside Yussuf’s core, and when Edge looked outside, he realized the chamber was built on top of a towering rise. In the distance, a sprawling metropolis stretched out in every direction for as far as his eyes could see.

  Somehow, he could tell this room was the beating heart of a thriving kingdom. No. Not a kingdom. An empire.

  Edge wondered what the story behind this place was and why it didn’t fill him with revulsion. Perhaps it’s the difference between people who take pleasure in the suffering and servitude of others and someone who is willing to do whatever it takes to fulfill their grand ambitions.

  It didn’t make him feel sorry for the dying man—not when a convict was willing to pave his empire in the blood of innocents—but Edge had to respect the passion and single-minded determination he sensed behind Yussuf the Red’s dream.

  Not that it mattered much in the end.

  Regardless of the details, he was here to steal the best skills he saw and then end the threat the Claws posed once and for all. From what he could gather by examining the avatars living in the throne room, Yussuf’s skillset was synergistic and balanced. The man had a potent offense, decent defense and maneuverability, a power that intimidated his enemies, and an assortment of sensory and informational skills.

  After witnessing what had happened to Earl and losing his own arm in the fight, Edge already knew which power he was claiming first.

  While he was searching for the avatar in question, the chains of oblivion found a skill they wanted to devour. They didn’t ask for permission and took off in a flash, pouncing on the unlucky avatar and consuming it in a frenzy of clinking links until nothing remained.

  Fortunately, it was some manner of weapon-enhancement skill that didn’t seem to be compatible with Elemental Blade, so he was happy to let them have it and take Manifest Chain one step closer to reaching rank three. Shortly after the living links finished their meal, he spotted the power he wanted to steal.

  The moment Edge laid eyes on it, he knew it was Rare, which only made him desire it more. This avatar looked like a distortion in the air rather than a solid object. When he focused, he could sense it was a wind-based, medium-range attack. It would benefit from the elemental bonus provided by Fear the Seasons and round out the offensive side of his skillset.

  To extract a Rare skill, you must sacrifice 2 Mortium.

  Would you like to proceed?

  When he confirmed the prompt and asked the chains to claim it, they surged forth like a pair of predators on the prowl.

  To his surprise, instead of trying to escape, the avatar stood its ground, precipitating a vicious battle. Foebinder was already injured, so the right chain blocked a ferocious series of attacks that damaged the animate loops—although the cracks didn’t look too deep.

  The instant they overpowered the skill and yanked it out of Yussuf’s core, Edge Hardened his mouth, which was the only thing that kept the avatar from making its escape by cutting through his teeth.

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  This was one of the most dangerous powers he’d ever tried to subdue. His trick with Elemental Blade didn’t work either, since the avatar was made of air and couldn’t be frozen. But he wasn’t about to let that stop him. There was no way he was going to surrender his claim on such a powerful attack.

  In the end, he had to overcome the avatar the old-fashioned way—conjuring a fresh Warlord’s Mantle to bolster his attributes and then chomping like crazy. Even flaring Harden, he took a few vicious cuts along the way, which Regeneration patched up a few seconds later. Eventually, the avatar was caught between his teeth enough times that it lost cohesion and dissolved.

  Edge swallowed as fast as he could. He was desperate to steal another power before Yussuf died and his skills died with him. During the handful of heartbeats it took to start digesting the avatar, he got a better sense of what it could do.

  The skill was potent and sharp. Its flavor conveyed an impression of explosive power—like a raging tempest trapped between two panes of glass. He saw an image of a wind blade streaking through the air, sinking into its prey before erupting with incredible force.

  Half a heartbeat later, the pureed power slid down his throat and entered his core.

  You have extracted an unidentified skill (Rare, Rank 5).

  It will take 2 days to digest it.

  By this point, Edge was already reaching out again.

  When he looked down, he was thrilled to discover Yussuf was still alive, staring up with wide eyes and agony clear in every crook of his features. Edge still had time to steal one more power if he moved fast. He activated Extraction, and the black chains carried him inside the dying jailbird’s inner world.

  The throne room had been ravaged by the first Extraction. Rot covered the rug, rust was consuming the iron throne, and cracks marred the surface of the once-pristine marble. The expansive empire in the background had been reduced to crumbling ruins, and the sunlight shining on it was dimming by the second as the man approached his final heartbeat.

  Just like what had happened with Warren, Edge’s instincts were screaming that if he was still inside Yussuf’s core when the man died, something terrible would happen. Shit, he’s in bad shape. Subduing that air attack took too long. If I don’t get out of here fast, I’m going down with him.

  He didn’t have time to contemplate his options, but he wasn’t willing to leave empty-handed. He ordered the chains to grab the closest Rare skill, since the jailbird didn’t have any Epics in his collection.

  After acknowledging the System’s prompt and paying two Mortium, the chains of oblivion wrapped themselves around what appeared to be a vial of medicine.

  The avatar didn’t fight back, which was a good thing. By this point, impenetrable darkness had engulfed the empire and entered the throne room. It was crossing the chamber at a terrifying rate, signifying the moment of Yussuf’s death was fast approaching.

  When Edge stepped back into his body, he was surprised to see his enemy was awake and staring right at him. The warrior’s core ignited, and Edge braced himself to take another heavy hit. Instead, Yussuf’s eyes went wide with the realization that his most powerful skill had been stolen.

  Meanwhile, the chains of oblivion completed their task.

  He was happy to learn he wouldn’t have to chew on glass, since the avatar was just the liquid filling the vial. Foebinder was kind enough to pour it into his mouth before retracting through his wrist. This skill tasted wonderful, and its touch was healing him instead of doing damage, which was both a first and a welcome surprise.

  When the skill he’d stolen crossed his palate, Edge broke into a wide grin. It’s a potent medicine. That’s not bad at all.

  You have extracted an unidentified skill (Rare, Rank 1).

  It will take 2 days to digest it.

  He didn’t have room for both skills. However, he had a merger token and two days to figure out how he wanted to resolve the situation, so he turned his attention to the man bleeding beside his boots, who was holding onto life through sheer effort of will.

  Yussuf the Red—the leader of the Crimson Claws and the most powerful warrior Edge had ever faced—sighed and addressed the man who had beaten him. “I was so close. At long last… my empire was within my grasp. Promise me… you’ll make the wardens pay and carve out a place where outcasts like me can live free.”

  Edge had no ambition of establishing an empire, but in that moment, he thought he understood where Yussuf was coming from. He wanted to build a home where his people could live in peace and had no love for the wardens, who had abandoned Puppet Town in the aftermath of the anomaly.

  “I don’t know what the future holds. If it lies within my power, I’ll do my best to make Ord a refuge for every person who calls her home—no matter how they came here. But I’ll never be like you.”

  As he spoke, Edge took the knife Trapper had given him and thrust it into Yussuf’s eye, piercing his brain and killing him instantly.

  With that decisive blow, the war between Puppet Town and the Crimson Claws came to an end.