The creature plowed through Bagloth, targeting Strange.

  Bagloth growled and swung a fist at Hemt, yet he moved so slow. He missed by a mile, hitting the stone floor instead.

  Crack!

  Bits of stone went flying from where he hit the floor.

  Well fuck.

  Hemt dove under the table, but only his head and shoulders fit. The rest of his legs sprayed out behind him, trying to dig into the stone and failing.

  A soft squelching noise came from behind me, and I found Kabi stabbing into the beetle cage, taking them out one by one.

  Dengu paced closer to me, ready for action, while Lenna somehow set herself on top of the wall of crates.

  We needed to act now.

  I steadied myself, then as Kabi dispatched another beetle, I pointed behind me. Only a few remained in the cage.

  Bagloth twisted about, skin crackling with orange energy.

  The urge to rush ahead slammed into me.

  “Hemt, nothing is here!” His scream rippled through the space, and for a second, I lurched forward, but the strange urge cut off just as quickly as it had come.

  A whimper and thud came from the other room as Hemt landed several feet back from the table, making me frown.

  Yanking my cloak around me, I darted across the cavern and to this side of the table. I slid underneath just before Bagloth turned back toward me.

  Strange joined my shadow, and we waited.

  My knife shook in my hand, then steadied as Bagloth strode closer to the table. He shook his head as the crackle of energy died down.

  Hemt whimpered again, but glanced away from us. Its many eyes stared at the wall.

  Closer. Just a little closer.

  Then I stabbed, keeping within the shadows of the table. My glowing red-hot crystal sliced into the Forger’s ripped stomach. The angle had been wrong for a heart wound, so a nasty gut wound would have to do.

  Strange nipped at his leg, but couldn’t find purchase.

  Orange energy washed out, and suddenly the tabletop was just gone. It slammed into the wall off to the side, and I yanked my spear back before slicing at his knee.

  His fist swung slowly at me, giving me plenty of time to roll away.

  An arrow sliced through his shoulder, followed by a second and a third. Yet, they didn’t stop the movement of swinging. His fist slammed into the remaining stone leg of the table and shattered it.

  Note to self, don’t get hit.

  The orange energy increased along his skin, arcing almost like lightning. His pupils vanished, and his eyesockets glowed.

  “You will die!” Bagloth yelled. Bright light flared, and that urge to rush closer came yet again.

  This time, I resisted completely and danced behind him. Far enough to stay out of reach, but he twisted to keep me in sight.

  Kabi leaped and stabbed at his back, but his blades skittered off.

  Bagloth turned to face Kabi as he swung again. This time, he blocked Kabi’s next attack with a fist, stopping the sword strike in midair. His other hand darted out much quicker and with less glow, slamming into Kabi's middle.

  Kabi flew back several feet, right past Dengu, who snapped at Hemt. Hemt scurried away from Dengu, racing to a nearby opening.

  I stabbed into Bagloth’s back, right at the back of his spine. The crystal tip sank in at least four inches.

  His entire body flinched, and the glow flickered off. I jerked back, keeping my knife with me as his hand suddenly moved faster. The giant hand grasped at my cloak.

  Three silver streaks thudded into the side of him, and he trembled.

  I dodged much faster this time, as Strange tried again to bite him, but his teeth still couldn’t puncture the strange, brownish skin.

  A howl rose from Hemt, before cutting off suddenly.

  Bagloth chuckled as he swung again at me. The glow flickered once but vanished. “Too late, you’re all gonna die.”

  I ducked under the blow and felt his fist grab my hair. I flinched, cutting out wildly with the molten hot tip of my knife. I hit gold. My knife sliced into his forearm, slicing clean through.

  Screams filled the air as he clenched the stump that was all that remained of his arm. Several silver streaks slammed into his chest, staggering him back further. Holes gushing blood appeared all over him.

  Dengu leaped on his back, knocking him right at me, but I rolled back. The raptor’s claws went wild, using each of the holes as a place to rip and tear.

  Strange got in on it as well.

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  A gasping cough from Kabi caused me to stumble over to him. He lay crumpled at the bottom of a wall.

  Pain pulsed from our bond, but I hadn’t noticed before now.

  His eyes were so white, and blood trickled out between his lips.

  I fumbled with the healing crystal, almost dropping it at the notification and the rush of leveling.

  [You have gained bonus experience from combat for surviving against level 130, Bagloth, The Rack.]

  [You have collected a bounty: Gained an Experience Token.]

  [You have leveled.]

  [You have leveled.]

  [You have leveled.]

  [You have leveled.]

  Kabi clutched at his chest, which didn’t bleed.

  The healing crystal grew chilly in my hands as I pressed it to his bare chest. The wheezing in his breath cleared as the energy drained from the crystal. Unfortunately, the crystal quickly reached its limit, the cooling energy vanishing.

  Bright blue blazed as a rune on Kabi’s shoulder flared to life and energy raced through him, helping his pale color.

  “Are you okay?” I asked while monitoring the situation behind us. I knew the question was dumb, since he clearly wasn’t okay, but I didn’t have anything else I could say.

  “Not great, but I can stand,” he said with a huff which changed into a growl as he tried to stand. His face went pale again.

  Strange darted away from the carcass and down a tunnel opening I hadn’t noticed.

  “Alpha eat, hurry!” Dengu nudged the Forger then stepped closer to us. “Feet!”

  It took impressions from Strange to make that make sense.

  I dove to the carcass, moving faster than before. Way faster. Even cutting into it, my hands flowed like a dance, searching for the heart. “Kabi go!”

  Kabi hobbled back the way we’d come, with Lenna for support, who appeared out of nowhere.

  I found the heart, which wasn’t in good shape. Part of it had exploded, yet I tossed it into my mouth without thinking.

  It crunched, and the thought of me eating the shells off tiny beetles came to mind.

  [You have devoured a level 130, Bagloth, and gained the potential skill Rock Hide. Rock Hide: Your hide is a protective shell that deflects sharp weapons and claws.]

  I closed the notification and sent the command to merge it into Fortified Adaptation.

  [You have merged Rock Hide into Fortified Adaptation - II. Fortified Adaptation - III: Your body is a marvel of adaptive resilience. Minor Water and rest are all that you require. Consumption fuels rejuvenation. Minor poisons and venoms are neutralized. When threatened, your flesh hardens, forming natural armor against incoming attacks. Your resistance to blows, cuts, and punctures has increased. You have increased speed and agility while in water. You are not just a survivor; you are adapting to overcome threats.]

  The changes made me want to pause, but we didn’t have time. That last line felt different.

  I studied our surroundings. The table was knocked over, but something fluttered on the top. I leaped closer and found a cloth map with notes written in the margin. It went into my inventory as Strange warned me to hurry.

  He outpaced whatever creatures raced through the tunnel, heading right toward us.

  Dengu squeaked and retreated to the cavern entrance.

  So much wood. It stood out to me, especially near the cage filled with smashed eggs.

  I discovered what Dengu had been working on.

  Still, I hurried over and dug inside a broken crate, finding straw and nothing else.

  “Here we go.” Taking my knife, I heated it up until the straw started burning. I sent the image to Strange.

  He sped up, getting a major lead on the creatures, and burst into the cavern.

  Smoke drifted up from the burning straw, and now crates, as I rushed back to the tunnel. Strange joined my shadows as I took off down the cavern.

  I hoped the fire slowed down whatever creatures chased him.

  Surprisingly, I didn’t catch up to the others until we reached the other cavern with a campsite. Kabi rested on Dengu’s back, while Lenna waited on the other side of the bridge.

  “It's more of the Hunters,” said Kabi. His eyes tightened as Dengu shifted from one side to the other. “They are pack creatures who wiped out plenty of us in the old days. They hate the suns, and light.”

  “That’s why the caverns are so dim,” I muttered, glancing around at the lighting.

  Lenna chopped at the ropes holding up part of the bridge. “This won’t hold them long.”

  “I started a fire at the other camp. I think it's the only thing holding them off.”

  “That’d do it,” said Kabi, letting out a sigh.

  “Let’s head back out the way we came in,” I said more confidently than I felt. “Less distance to the sun.”

  Strange took off, leaping out of my shadow, heading that way.

  Pain rippled under my ear, then a horse voice spoke. “Beetles, so many beetles, fleeing back to you. Hurt.”

  I stumbled as the contact cut, and the pain disappeared.

  “Dan’s in trouble. More beetles from that way.” I pointed in the direction he had gone. My mind raced, reaching out as far as I could with my radar. Nothing from any direction. Though Strange stretched off to the south, providing more area.

  I darted closer to the tunnel entrance leading to Steadfast.

  “We can go north, to the dungeon,” grunted Kabi. The paleness was back. “Escape inside, it's quicker and we can get back to the city that way, or even to here.”

  “Dengu, start in that direction,” I said as I called Strange back. “Lenna, I’ll be back!”

  I rushed off before she commented, across the bridge leading toward Dan. It didn’t take long before he appeared on the edges of my map, even moving slowly and pausing every now and then.

  “Dan!”

  He clutched his side, and my mouth watered. He bled heavily.

  “I didn’t make it,” he mumbled as I caught him under his shoulder.

  “That’s okay, we’ll get you help!” I took much of his weight and hurried down the tunnel. “We can fix this!”

  “I left runes that trap them. I hope.” He moaned, and he almost slipped. “Slow them.”

  We needed to move fast. I tried to swing him up into my arms, but he just was so big and heavy. Saying fuck it, I tossed my extra free points into strength.

  Noseen was gonna kill me when he found out.

  Still, the extra strength reduced the load of carrying him. He felt lighter than he had, and we moved faster. I practically dragged him along.

  Lenna’s presence appeared near the entrance, and as we crossed the bridge, she cut the ropes. “Keep going north!”

  A small pile of everything burnable rested at the far side.

  Strange chirped wildly, but I didn’t catch it as I kept moving. Frustration and pain rippled down the bond.

  Dan moaned again as I headed north.

  Lenna followed behind us. This bridge wasn’t built with ropes or wood, instead solid stone stretched to the tunnel. She waited at the entrance with an arrow notched.

  “I’ll light it when they get close.”

  “Don’t linger!” We just needed to get to the dungeon entrance. Then all of this would work out.

  A burst of smoke rose from behind, but Lenna kept her ground on my map. Strange stayed with her.

  Dengu and Kabi hobbled on ahead, but in the wrong location.

  Kabi swore loudly as he gasped for breath. “Dungeon isn’t an option.”

  “Level too far down.” Dengu clawed at the rock. “Level 150.”

  We couldn’t do that. Not a chance.

  I’d fucked up. We should have gone south.