The antling, now shed of its bulky armour, instantly began dashing towards Cain. The speed it was exhibiting was intense. Its sharp spindly legs skimmed across the ground, barely making a sound.

If Leo could feel the sheer danger it emanated, Cain definitely could. Cain pushed the bases of his hatchets together in a stance Leo had never seen him do. Power bled from him, like a stalking beast closing in.

Two shadowy spheres coalesced into dark panthers that stood beside him. Black fur, razor sharp teeth and calm, predatory eyes.

He’s been able to do that the whole time? Leo looked on, unsure of how to feel.

He didn’t have long to consider it as the antling hadn’t slowed down. It rushed at Cain, mandibles primed to slice him apart. Cain vanished while his summoned panthers leapt to the sides.

All three struck the thick muscle of the boss at once from different directions, gouging out thin lines that dripped with a green ichor. Cain looked stunned as he chopped into it from above. His hatchets had barely made a dent with his vanishing strike.

Leo surged forward like a rising gust. As he did, he saw the boss’ tail-like thorax rear up for a strike.

Cain was distracted by his lack of damage and hadn’t noticed. Leo flared his Stormforged Presence and directed it as strongly as he could toward the boss in an attempt to gain its attention. Its head locked in on him in an instant, delaying the strike of its tail enough that Cain came to his senses.

“Stay focused!” Leo called as the antling screeched in outrage.

The boss charged him down, weaving from side to side like it was a water strider on a lake. He exhaled, his breath turning icy cold as he watched its movements. His mind calmed.

It lunged suddenly, but Leo didn’t react. A moment into its lunge it suddenly dove back and spat a blob of resin at him. His body twisted slightly and it flew right past.

The gap was closed with a Wyrmstep that brought Ellie along with him, flanking it. Just as the Wyrmstep was about to connect, Leo Spark Dashed past its face and to the middle of its back.

Fuel the Fire made his muscles bulge as his foot came down in an axe kick. Fire coated the foot, detonating when it impacted. He felt the antling’s legs give out slightly, so Leo didn’t stop there.

He pulled wind under his body so he was floating just above it, and sent a Spiral Break twisting forward.

The general's legs fully gave out under the strength for a brief moment, the boss hitting the ground hard enough to crack it.

Two jet-black panthers pounced on its legs in an attempt to reduce its movement, teeth biting, claws raking. Cain approached, then stopped.

Leo was about to smack a Volt Crash into the prone monster, fist charged with blue lightning, when he spotted him holding back. If he knew anything, it was that Cain’s danger sense was better than his. He aborted his attack at the last second, leaping high with another gust from Tailwind.

The antling’s body was suddenly coated in liquid fire, forcing the panther's burned retreat. Heat washed over him like a molten vent had just opened. It jumped to its feet like it hadn’t just been knocked flat, looked straight up at Leo, and jumped.

The speed was incredible, a flaming hot set of three mandibles ready to slice him apart. But Leo saved his second Spark Dash for this very reason.

He had to wait until the mandibles were mid slice to dodge, hoping it wouldn’t be able to readjust in time. Lightning took him downwards, but the boss reacted, sharp legs ready to impale him.

Leo used the wind to twist, dodging as many of them as he could, but the few that hit he had to reinforce his Stoneskin and just take it.

He hit the ground hard, two fresh holes in him—one in his leg, another in the side of his stomach. Blood dripped as he righted himself. Unable to relax more, Leo got to his feet and ran as best he could.

Cain took this moment to attack while the ant was falling, twin hatchets ripping into its thorax, even while it was on fire. As he was falling, he swung out again and three red slices manifested like a claw, tearing into it.

The antling screeched as it fell, hitting the ground and rolling away. Fire still clung to it as it got to its feet and stared the three combatants down. A beam of laser light struck it in the side of its face, searing a line, and it quickly had to back up again.

Leo could see the thing was damaged. While seeming ineffective, all their attacks had been wearing it down. Green ichor dripped before it was quickly burned up under the heat.

The flames that coated the antling started to die down, whatever skill it used ending. Leo glanced at Cain, the man bruised, burned, bleeding but still determined. He met his eyes.

They were not afraid. They were emanating… greed?

The predator was hungry to prove himself superior, to both Leo and the system. Killing the beast before them would be the next step in doing so.

His stance lowered, teeth and hatchets bared as fur coated his skin once more. One panther sat at his side, the other had perished into black smoke under the flames.

“Don’t!” Leo called. They needed to hit it together, and he needed a moment, activating the last charge on his crystal to get a little healing in.

~

Cain didn’t wait, sprinting like a cheetah across the broken ground. The general saw him and didn’t back down, even when Cain’s aura pressed on it. Its three sets of mandibles started coating themselves in a hot red light, glowing with power.

Cain knew he could dodge all three sets, no matter how strong they became. His Vanishing Strike would put him in a killing position. The panther would follow, or be a target, it didn’t matter. It was expendable.

He approached head on and his danger sense rose as he expected. He was prepared. Dragons, elements, powers beyond his comprehension, all of them would be eclipsed by the strength of the Dreadstalker.

The antling swung out with mandibles and he vanished, hatchets primed for strike as he descended.

But he hadn’t noticed that when the mandibles swiped across, not all the sets had attacked. Two sets sent blades of flaming energy forward, tearing through the air. The last set bent independently to fire backwards, curling back over its own head.

Cain’s expression turned to shock as he tried to abort his attack, twisting and pulling his hatchets up, one still struck. A panther appeared in front of them in a last hurrah of the skill, blocking one of the blades, but the other hit head on.

Cain’s body dropped off the side of the antling a second later. His right arm, from the elbow and below was missing, and the same from the middle of his thigh downwards.

The one hatchet that had struck made the ant flail in pain, reeling back as it hit the same spot Leo had torn into multiple times.

~

Leo felt as if time slowed as he watched. The boss was almost done, a few more hits would seal its fate. His health was rising.

Cain was dying.

The outcome was perfect. He’d be rid of the boss, rid of the strongest person he’d faced so far—that also wanted his head—and get all the loot, including whatever the keystone artifact was.

“Fuck.”

Leo burst into movement like a lightning crack. Ellie could feel his intentions and intercepted him, merging into his soul-space mid flight. The boss moved to finish off Cain as the man lay there. Defeated.

Draconic gauntlets manifested, Wyrmstep activated. As he surged through the air towards the boss, he let his hand drag along the ground.

Earth mana shot through his arm and into the ground. It travelled faster than he did until it was between Cain and the boss. Three walls came up, thick and durable.

The boss stepped back, surprised by the sudden rise when its prey was unmoving. Leo hit its back hard, fist crashing into it. Lightning crackled in the strike’s wake, stunning the boss as it was wracked in pain, tendrils of lightning shooting out but finding no target.

Spark Dash took him upwards, another had him in front of it. Alarmed again, it snapped out recklessly. Leo, back almost against his own wall, dodged backwards until he hit it.

The wall was just taller than he was, so he reached behind him and ripped the wall from the ground. With a grunt of effort, he slammed the massive wall down onto the boss’ head like a falling anvil. The earth shattered apart into chunks, but the boss reeled, staggered.

He sent a Spiral Break into the front of its face, forcing it back further as it retreated. Leo hopped over the back of his two remaining walls, grabbing Cain, whose health was low, but not empty, and started dragging him away. The man was leaving a thick trail of blood behind him.

“You cleared the Tower right? Use your fucking crystal,” Leo said, voice harsh.

He dropped the man when the antling screeched. A Cloak manifested around him and he stumbled. He hadn’t noticed his stamina was running on empty due to Lightning Drive being active for so long.

He was forced to dismiss it, knowing he wouldn’t be able to use it again, he was low on options. He just needed one more hit.

I really hate relying on this, but it’s all I’ve got left.

A crackle of power chipped its way free from inside him, wind swept him to his feet thanks to his Cloak and Tailwind. Both hands extended, straining from the effort of what was coming.

Cain felt it. The general felt it.

Then Leo felt it.

The storm rose from within, heavier than before, denser, like thunderclouds crammed inside his ribs. He’d gained ten levels since the last time he’d called on it, and his body made sure he felt every one of them.

Power tore through his muscles and veins, his bloodline surging in response to the skill. Static crawled across his skin. The air around him began to stir, loose dust and broken marble skittering across the floor.

His stance faltered. The pressure was too much.

Ellie’s will flowed into him like a cool breath of winter air, steadying his thoughts, anchoring his resolve.

The boss rushed in, desperate and bleeding.

The air grew heavy. Sound dulled. Even the crackle of fire seemed distant.

For a heartbeat, the world held its breath.

Then Leo let the storm loose.

Wind struck first, a violent surge that peeled at the boss’ body like a storm tearing at a rotted wall. Rings of pressure rolled outward, rattling the chamber.

Lightning followed where wind swept. A blinding fork of white-blue energy slammed into the creature, electricity shrieking like tearing metal as it burned through chitin and flesh alike.

Chunks of the boss ripped free, only to be swallowed by the lightning and turned to ash midair.

When the storm finally broke, a notification replaced it.

You have slain: Siege Breaker Antling General - Level 68

Experience increased for defeating a higher-level enemy

+6540 Store Credits

Leo dropped like a lead weight, hitting the ground with a thump. Healing energy was still rushing through him thanks to the crystal, stitching his body back together from where his own power ripped it apart.

His stamina was bottomed out and then some. Ellie emerged, looking just as tapped as she flopped down on his chest.

Along with the boss kill, a whole bunch of notifications started pouring in.

Your Elemental Adept Class has reached Level 50

Stat points distributed

+3 Free Points

…

Your Elemental Adept Class has reached Level 52

Stat points distributed

+3 Free Points

Anchored Progression:

+3 All stats, +6 Free Points

Level 50 Elemental Adept Class mechanic unlocked

Level 50 Elemental Adept Signature skill selection available

Ellie has reached Level 46

Stat points distributed

+3 Free points

…

Ellie has reached Level 49

Stat points distributed

+3 Free Points

Ellie’s gains from race:

+20 Free Points

All of the power from the level ups hit him at once as he took a massive breath. Suddenly his body was no longer completely out of energy, just lacking it.

He heard a faint cough, turning to its source he was met with questioning eyes.

“Why…”

Leo didn’t smile. He didn’t look pleased or smug. He just responded as Cain would have.

“Consider the debt paid.”

Cain looked at him for a moment, then up at the ceiling. Another notification came.

General slain: 1/1

Quest Complete!

Dungeon has been completed.

Calculating rewards…

Platinum rank reward granted

Title upgraded

First clear reward granted

A shimmering blue portal appeared, along with a chest glowing in platinum white. Next to the chest was a pedestal with what looked like one half of an egg, jagged lines where the other half would clearly be attached. It floated tantalisingly above.

Neither of them moved for the loot. Leo needed some time, and Cain didn’t even glance at it.

Another message appeared.

You will be forcefully removed in 2 hours.

Not exactly a lot of time. I feel like the last message didn’t appear that quickly. Leo thought as he made no hasty moves.

Two hours was still a decent amount of time to at least meditate. Cain was barely moving, his arm and leg were pulsing, slowly regrowing themselves. The crystal regrew limbs, fairly fast as far as Leo could tell, but perhaps two at once was asking a lot of it.

“So,” Leo began. “I know you hate me and want me dead, feeling’s pretty mutual. But I’m not a monster, so let’s decide how we split the loot.”

“Why do you not just take it? I can’t stop you,” Cain said.

“Didn’t I just say I’m not a monster? Taking all the loot from someone who looks like you do would feel rotten, no matter how much of a shitty person you might be.”

Cain laughed. For the first time Leo heard the man express an emotion other than growling.

“Fuck off,” Cain said.

Leo laughed too, it wasn’t jovial, nor was it a bond of friendship. It was the absurdity of the situation.

“Well, considering I’ve still got both my legs,” Leo said teasingly. “I’ll check out what’s in the chest.”

Cain said nothing so he just went for it. “Come on Ells, this is the best part,” Leo said to his little friend who was still groggy, but after hearing about the loot she was wide awake, eyes glimmering.

He walked over to the chest, running his hand along it appreciatively. All the past few days' work culminated in this. Well, this and the apparently signature skill unlock that Cain conveniently didn’t tell him about.

That bastard, that’s why he wouldn’t let me hit fifty before the boss. Jokes on him, I guess. He may have kept both his legs.

Leo wanted to check out the skill, but his mind was still overloaded. It was much easier to just browse some fancy loot.

“What are you waiting for?” Cain asked.

“Don’t rush the process. I have to pray to the loot gods,” Leo lied. “Also for someone not that interested in loot, you sure as shit seem pretty interested.”

Leo opened the chest, bright light shining from within. The light spread to the outside of the chest, swelling it in size. Bad news for him.

I swear if you give me another weapon I can’t use…

The light faded, revealing a plethora of items. There were at least twenty E-grade Essence Crystals, four small boxes, two armour pieces, and a bag of what looked like… dirt.

That bag of dirt better contain the heart required to kill the queen or something. Although we don’t have nearly enough pirate ships… Leo smiled to himself.

The boxes were intricate, the armour looked incredible. Unsure of which to start with he just went with the obvious.

The dirt.