Eric came back to himself with a gasp, his feeling of utter euphoria turning to dismay when he found himself in the heart of a roaring inferno, with everything within fifty meters utterly obliterated.

  Dismay turned to panicked alarm.

  “Fuck! Elly! Bennet! Are you guys okay? Roboro Vuentus! Iram Ignis! Plures Attentio!”

  He didn’t bother trying to formulate a new spell on the spot, merely relied on what he had already practiced back at his sister’s original palace, less than a month ago… had it just been a month ago? Focusing a whirlwind of shockingly intense cold that flash-froze the trees all around him, getting the fires in control within seconds.

  “Elly! Are you there?”

  “Ernest! Are you alright? Ernest?”

  The tight knot of anxiety and the awful fear that he had hurt his friends turned to heartfelt relief when he heard Elly’s voice, then pulled himself out of panic mode, and placed his DI Map in the corner of his mind’s eye for a comparatively miniscule 5 point Perception Penalty that gave him a constant top-down view of where he was in relation to his environment with green blinking lights for allies and revenants, and hundreds upon thousands of red blinking lights for enemy bugs coming in hot and fast.

  “Yes! I’m fine! Hold on, I’ll come to you!”

  “Belay that!” Shouted an anxious-sounding Bennett.

  Eric froze. “What are you talking about? Bronze-Tier bugs are about to swarm! Are my boys at least protecting you?”

  “Kid, you were radiating Hyperion radiation so bad that we thought you had pushed your luck just a bit too far and were already a goner.” The tense-sounding captain shouted back.

  Eric flashed a relieved smile. “That’s okay, I have a Hyperion Blazer perk! I’m used to radiating..” he froze, considering the significance of his words. “Um… what I mean to say is that I’m feeling much better now. No worries!”

  The captain sighed from a distance. “Sorry, kid. Actually… it’s better this way. We need to get out and get back to our employer and no offense, but you are about as hot as it gets, on the political spectrum. As far as I’m concerned, I’m talking to a ghost. Last I saw, you were were a dead man walking, and the more people who believe that…”

  Eric sighed. “Yeah, you know what? I get it. Sorry to get you caught up in my mess.”

  “Just make it to Freetown,” Elly urged. “You have Safe Harbor status there, and no one can legally touch you! Then… assuming I’m not just shouting at the wind… then we can figure things out.”

  Eric flashed a pained smile. There were so many things he wanted to discuss with his almost friends and a girl who he could so easily fall for, but now clearly wasn’t the time. “Then let the howling wind ask you a final question. Which way are you headed?”

  There was a tense silence that near broke Eric’s heart, before Elly spoke up. “We don’t… wondrous as our armor is… armor that we only have, thanks to you, and none of us are going to forget it… none of it’s equipped with various interface attachments that some consider standard. We do just fine in a fight, but here, with our nav-comp down…”

  Eric snorted. “Are you guys seriously saying you’re lost?”

  “You say that like finding your way out of a newly ascended Black-tier territory that’s just blossomed to ten thousand square miles is a fucking piece of cake, kid!” Snapped an exasperated Lone.

  Eric chuckled. “Yeah, you know what? Actually, it is. So, where exactly do you want to go?”

  “The unnamed Orange tier closest to New York,” Myl interjected. “We’re supposed to meet up at base camp just beyond the border of this territory. But considering how space likes to warp and fold in ascending worlds… protocol is we rendezvous at our forward base camp.”

  “In the territory with all the low key passive stegosauri, right?”

  “Shit, how did you… yeah, that’s right, kid. You definitely know your way around here.”

  Eric smirked. “It sounds to me like you kids need someone to trail-blaze you all a way out of here.”

  He wanted to laugh into the sudden silence.

  “Shit. The kid’s right, Bennet,” Svena said softly, no doubt thinking that there was no way Eric could hear her as he exchanged a wink with his familiar who was presently admiring his armor.

  “Yes, I know he’s right! But I’d feel like a fool telling him we should party up when we were about to ditch him!”

  “Ernest isn’t stupid, Bennet. He knows the score. It will save us a major headache if no one’s asking uncomfortable questions. At least not until our contract’s done, we’ve cleared all the Orange-tiers in the region, condensed our cores, and profited beyond anything we could have hoped for. Then, we can meet together in Freetown without worrying about snipers or bounty hunters breathing down our collective necks.”

  “You know what? That’s not a bad plan, Svena. At least that will give us a chance to strategize and see maybe see if marching under this kid’s banner really is the move that will see us landed lords in the next twenty years and not, say… dead.”

  “But we’re never going to betray his trust, Bennett.”

  “Damn right we aren’t. Worst case, we help out in a very, very auxiliary capacity where no one can point fingers our way.”

  Bunbun exchanged a look with her master. “This armor is fucking legendary!” She knuckled it with her tiny paw. “It’s fucking radiating impermeability just like Wormy I! And it’s not leaking any deadly life-ending Hyperion Radiation at all! At least, not since you contained your own almost-ascension, fearless leader!”

  Eric’s beaming countenance wilted. “Yeah, I… it was sort of battle, holding myself together.”

  “But totally worth it! I mean sure, Earth is nice, but you forged legendary fuckin’ Bronze-tier armor that no badass Contender with Essence of Sharpness is cutting through until they hit Rank 3! And even then I’m betting it will mitigate the blow!”

  “Sure, but it’s not doing anything for my head, neck, and limbs.”

  “Which is why we still have our mithril hauberk and helm! But… yeah, boss. I’d definitely recommend some super-reinforced boots real soon. Your feet do have a bad habit of getting cleaved, chomped, or melted off.”

  “Ouch.”

  “You know I’m right!”

  Eric sighed. “So…”

  Bunbun shrugged. “You can tell our merc friends want to do the right thing, but Bennett’s sense of duty means he has to keep his crew safe. Especially considering how close he came to losing everyone just a few days back. But didn’t. Because you saved their sorry asses.”

  Just then Eric spotted the branches rustling at the outer range of the forest he had flash frozen, revealing the armored countenance of the girl he had kissed so fiercely, such a short time ago.

  “Ernest?”

  “Yeah, Beautiful?”

  “What the hell did you… how is there frozen flame on the trees?”

  Eric blinked. Surprised to find that he really had frozen the flame solid. “How the fuck did I do that, Bunbun?”

  His familiar shrugged. “You’re the one with the Phoenix bloodline and the Ice Fire strike, fearless leader. Not me.”

  Eric smirked then turned to an awed-looking Elly who had just lifted her face plate, gazing at him in stupefied disbelief.

  “Yeah, I might have broken a rule of physics or two, I guess.”

  Elly just stared at him.

  He forced a laugh. “Would you believe I’m not entirely sure?”

  “Ernest Slaughter, how the fuck is it that you’re wearing a Cuirass radiating a killing aura greater than most Bronze Classers?”

  Eric blinked at that. “Sorry, what?”

  “That’s a legendary artifact!” An awed Naje said, also popping open his faceplate as he stumbled into the clearing along with the rest of the crew, coughing a bit at the lingering smoke and ash in the air. “It feels… fuck, it radiates so much presence that your eyes are just drawn to it!”

  Svena nodded. “Like an ideal given shape and form, and we’re just mortal dross before it. Definitely Legendary-tier. And there’s no way in hell that any Delve below Black could hold such a treasure. So, how the hell did you get ahold of that, Ernest?”

  Eric looked down at his glossy obsidian hued cuirass before exchanging looks with his familiar, happily on his armored shoulder. “Should we tell them?”

  Bunbun solemnly nodded. “I think we should.”

  Eric positively beamed, gesturing for Elly to come close.

  She huffed, though her rosebud lips eased in a warm smile, and Eric could tell she was relieved that he hadn’t pushed her away or rejected her after Bennett had been so ready to break contact. Before realizing he was utterly and completely lost.

  This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

  When she reached for his hand, he didn’t play games. He eagerly claimed it and his cheeks were bright red and he saw the way the entire mercenary band was looking at him, looking at them both, and he didn’t care.

  Elly tilted her head, her helm somehow gone between one moment and the next. “Ernest?”

  Eric winked, leaned over and whispered in her ear. “I made it.”

  She gasped, so he kissed her cheek.

  “Ernest, are you serious? Do you have any idea the skills you’d need, the treasures it would take… how? When?”

  Eric shrugged. “You know how you all fled when the air around me got a bit hot and bothered?”

  “Fiery wings!” Naje snapped. “Fiery wings erupted from your back, the earth started to tremble, and I thought we were all done for! Hell, half the reason why were lost is because whatever you did pushed this territory so far into black that…” He blinked, gazing intently at Eric’s glossy carapace.

  “Is that why you’re wearing that Legendary-Tier artifact, kid?”

  Eric grinned. “Could be.”

  “It’s radiating essences. Itself! Do you have any idea what a treasure like that would worth on the open market?”

  Eric’s smile hardened. “Worth enough to keep me in one piece the next time someone wielding blades infused with the Essence of Sharpness thinks they can cut through me like cardboard?”

  Naje blinked. “Shit. That’s a good point. Not to mention it would deflect any goblin sniper or fuck, a cannonball.”

  “Oh, I’m not too worried about the latter.”

  “Then you’re an overconfident fool.”

  Svena’s eyes widened with momentary alarm. Even Naje winced, as if only in that moment fully appreciating that he was talking to an overly powerful and only questionably stable Contender who didn’t look much older than a teenager. And one with arguably poor impulse control.

  Yet Ernest took it in stride, chuckling good-naturedly. “You know what? You’re right. Sometimes I am, and that’s a bit of stupidity that I need to correct.”

  Elly nodded solemnly, squeezing his hand. “It’s your confidence combined with your incredible competence that has allowed you to seize victory, treading realms few would dare.”

  “But all it takes is me making one stupid mistake, or failing to take seriously one hidden threat, for that same overconfidence to mark the end of my tale.”

  Elly nodded. “I’m glad you understand that.”

  “Totally. So, what do you think of my armor? Pretty awesome, right?”

  Elly’s eyes twinkled. “I adore it.”

  “Sweet. So. New plan.”

  His friends froze when the clearing abruptly filled with scores of deadly half-step revenants covered in chitin tough enough to stop .50 calibre bullets no problem, with forelimbs that could sheer through a tank. “Me and my boys are going to do a bit of slash and burn forestry. You wanna get out of here? Just follow in our wake. And don’t worry. I’ll disappear long before you have to explain our association to your employer.”

  Elly gazed at him for long moments, her expression one of relief… and worry.

  “Ernest…”

  “No, it’s okay. I get it.” He gently cupped her cheek. “We’ll talk in Freetown. It just so happens that I might have an offer for you that you’d hate to pass up.”

  She blinked at that. “Ernest?”

  “We’ll talk later. Shit! They’re moving faster than I thought! I’ve got to...”

  Yet before he could move, he found his arm gently twisted and he was suddenly meeting the gaze of a very intent-looking elf, who promptly kissed him with an intensity that had his heart racing… before she pulled away with a sad smile.

  “I’m really looking forward to hearing about your offer. Later. When we’re both free of other commitments.”

  “Sure. So long as it’s within fourteen days.”

  “Why the time constraint?”

  Eric didn’t bother answering, dashing to the southern end of the clearing so fast that his mercenary friends didn’t even have time to blink before he was racing upwards, running through the sky, his flying revenants at his back.

  Naje’s bemused gaze turned to pinpricks of alarm when the ground began to shake. “Captain, what the fuck is that?”

  Bennett frowned. Before his eyes widened with alarm. “That isn’t an earth tremor… that’s a stampede!” He said, just as the closest intact tree-like ferns bent over under the wave of a flood of death coming their way. Not water or magma, but rather an absolute swarm of giant seven-foot-long locusts pouring over the foliage like a waterfall of chittering death, devouring the ferns and everything they could find hidden between the branches. Such as a party of flat-footed mercenaries.

  Svena screamed.

  Lone Cursed.

  Yet none of them lacked discipline, no matter their terror or dismay, pulling out half a dozen arcane blasters they had claimed from the depths of a Black-tier delve. T-III blasters that roared with obliterating plasma, tearing through the swarm of chittering death.

  And it just wasn’t enough as the flood washed right over them.

  It was only Strength in multiples of a hundred and a half ton of powered armor that kept any of them upright at all.

  “Helmets on, face-plates closed, and Focus!” Bennett roared on comms as the sound of screeching chittering death washed over them, all of them bracing themselves against the flood.

  And no matter their years of experience and best efforts, all it took was one mistake, and it was over.

  Myl tripped as he was knocked over by half a dozen of the creatures. The air rang with his surprised scream when one ravenous insect managed to find a weak joint in an imperfectly sealed glove that spurted with blood.

  “Captain! Help!”

  “Svena! Cover Myl!”

  Elly’s eyes were wild with furious dismay, as if sensing peril’s jaws about to close in.

  Just a heartbeat before the sky flashed with a brilliant arc of crimson fire and a dozen locusts crashed to the ground.

  And then, seconds later, words that brought them desperately needed breathing room.

  “Hell Vines! Hell Vines! Inevitable Doom, motherfuckers!”

  The party took full advantage of the sudden drop in overwhelming pressure as the temperature steadily rose when first a handful then dozens of massive blazing bushes with violently thrashing vines covered in foot long thorns blazing with pristine flame lashed out and tore into the absolute flood of monstrous locusts.

  “Breathers on now!” Bennett roared as they desperately closed ranks, the air filling with thick black superheated smoke, all of them trading blasters for force shields and vibro blades, wedging themselves against the roaring tides of death that had slowed to a manageable current no longer sweeping hthem off their feet.

  “Myl, report!”

  “I’m alright, Captain! Fucker bit me right on my palm! Weakest point in our magical armor,” Myl shouted, cursing as the spurting blood from his hand slowed down to a trickle as the crew held formation, force shields battering aside vicious mandibles as the mercenary crew furiously tore into compound eyes, mouths, and thoraxes with humming vibro blades.

  “Yes, another fucker down!” Lone hooted with triumph, glaring down at the corpse at his feet for only a millisecond before two rammed into his hastily raised force field. “Fuck, there’s no end to these fuckers!”

  “Keep focused!” Bennett roared. “Maintain formation! Steady pace! We’ve been through worse! We’ll get through this!”

  *

  Elly took ragged breaths, wild eyes turned to disciplined focus as her arm instinctively pivoted her shield to knock aside ravenous mandibles and sawing forelimbs that nearly yanked her force shield off-line a heartbeat before a particularly large locust could snap at her head.

  “Elly!”

  She was struck by a momentary flash of terror, even if she knew there was no chance of it actually piercing her armor. Then fear was replaced by awed wonder when the giant locust was sliced in twain by the massive forelimbs radiating magically enhanced sharpness of one of several score giant mantises. All of them possessing fiery golden eyes, all of them chewing off the heads of the locusts with savage intensity. And all of them wore the mark of the man she had held so tightly in her arms, less than an hour ago.

  “Elly, are you okay? Focus!”

  Elly swallowed, but the tide had truly turned. At least for them. All six of them were now surrounded by an absolute swarm of Level 140 Lightning Mantis Revenants, according to her Interface. Creatures that were free of any core yet were technically as strong as a sixth level Advanced Bronze Classer. Their obviously enhanced sheering forelimbs cleaved through the swarms of locusts that approached like bony chunks of scrap chucked in a meat grinder, spraying them all with shattered shells and insectoid gore.

  Wild eyes took in the killing field they found themselves in, surrounded on all size by massive flaming bushes and fiery trees, all lashing out with trunk and branches like furious, sentient things, sending locusts flying as they lashed out, or squeezing them tight until they exploded into superheated chunks.

  Svena’s eyes widened, slowly turning around to observe the entire field of fiery destruction. “Fucking hell,” she said.

  Myl chuckled softly. “That kid with his flaming trees and arcane arts is something… fuck, my ears!”

  All of them winced, Elly outright whimpering when the air rang with an eerie discordance of words that seemed to echo endlessly, as if bouncing off unseen hills hidden in the mists of worlds just a single scream away from their own.

  “Surge Centuria! Imperator Imperat Tibi!”

  Words that bound the dead to life once more.

  Words that compelled those spirits who would slip free of the chains of purgatory and embrace Eric’s dark, wondrous gifts to serve their new master until the final days.

  Elly shivered. “Goddess forgive him,” she whispered as the scores of scorched, decapitated, and shattered corpses began to twitch and writhe from underneath the chitinous limbs of their still swarming brethen. Compound eyes sparked and glittered with eldritch flame as the air rang with the crackle and crunch and chalkboard scraping of countless carapaces fusing themselves back together as first a handful, then a dozen, then scores of fallen locusts stood upright once more.

  And suddenly the thousands upon thousands of swarming locusts were stopped in their tracks by hundreds of their brethen who joined the furiously chomping preying mantises in cutting down their own brethen as the air rang once more with arcane words that sent shivers through Elly’s soul… so different from the foul arts the boy would dare utter minutes later, as hundreds more locusts fell like weak before death’s scythe, wielded so expertly in the hands of a wildcard Contender.

  “Inevitable Doom! Hell Vines, motherfuckers! Now how about some fresh recruits to join our glorious army?”

  “Surge Centuria! Imperator Imperat Tibi!”

  Myl collapsed, a dazed look coming to his violet eyes as blood trickled from his nose as hundreds of dismembered locusts began to shudder and writhe, foul streams of ichor shooting from their shattered carapace like fungal pseudopods to draw in dismembered limbs and mangled pieces of shell, before drawing it all back in and reforging themselves far better than Humpty Dumpty ever could. Just seconds before their eyes blazed with eldritch light, and they too stood at attention before the madly grinning boy cackling like a nightmare, now walking on the air above their heads like it was solid ground.

  Lone shuddered, flashing the captain a weak smile. “Well I think it’s pretty obvious why the Terran Council considers him such a threat. Not that we couldn’t figure it out after what happened in the desert.”

  Bennett gave a humorless smile. “Damn right they do. And if any of us every had any doubts about who the winning team will be this time around…”

  Elly’s eyes flashed. “We join the hero who saved our lives and forged us anew. No matter how dark a path he walks, so desperately in need of redemption that my heart bleeds.”

  “Damn right!” Bennett assured with a bark of laughter, before locking gazes with a wild-eyed Elly. “But you do know this is just the beginning, right? With a council as bloodthirsty and corrupt as this one… you know just how dark things are going to get before the end, right?”

  As if to punctuate his words, Ernest’s voice washed over them all once more, sending them all stumbling to one knee as the wave of necromantic energies redoubled yet again, and four hundred revenant locusts became a thousand, the air ringing with triumphant laughter.

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