There was no precedent.

  Zibbit, the Grand Overseer, appeared in every orb of every Master—his large, impish head filling the view.

  “Masters,” Zibbit’s voice boomed. "There is a new event. Something new. Something thrilling.”

  “The Gauntlet.”

  “One hundred keys. One hundred keys given to the Outside Races.”

  The Masters began to mutter to themselves in their individual squares, confused by this sudden revelation.

  “The randomly chosen Master has the opportunity to claim their reward. All they need to do is kill all one hundred of the Outside Races or survive twenty-four hours. A simple task, wouldn’t you agree?”

  A hundred? For some Masters that was impossible and for others, easier than breathing.

  “Now,” Zibbit’s voice spoke through orbs across the world. “Who is the chosen one?”

  The orb in every Master’s square flickered, a sudden flash of light filling their vision. And then, a face appeared.

  Kael’s face.

  “Kael. The lucky one. Or should I say... unlucky?" Zibbit said, malice in his eyes.

  “Good luck, Kael.”

  ******

  The message played on Kael’s orb too, but he had no time to hear it.

  "Three Arms!" Kael shouted, his voice cutting through the din of the square. "Xal! To the perimeter! Engage any enemies entering the square—now!"

  His orders were swift, and without a moment’s hesitation, the two creatures moved. Three Arms, the golem with three arms, moved toward the edge of the square, his hands holding daggers. Xal, the small and agile, slid into the shadows with the grace of a predator, prepared to strike from the unseen.

  Kael turned back to the battle at hand. His focus was drawn again to the enraged figure of the ox adventurer, whose companion now lay dead at Kael’s feet.

  The beast roared in fury, its voice a deep, guttural sound. It charged at Kael, eyes wild with vengeance. Its horns were lowered, aiming for Kael like a battering ram.

  But just as the ox came within striking distance, a familiar form appeared. Jello.

  Jello’s amorphous body shifted and quivered as the ox collided with him. The creature’s sharp horns dug into Jello’s gelatinous body, but the slime stood firm, absorbing the impact with ease.

  The ox grunted, its horns wedged deep into Jello’s form. With a growl of frustration, the ox tried punching Jello, its fists swinging with brutal force. But each strike only caused Jello to wobble slightly, nothing more than mere annoyance.

  Behind the ox, the lion with the battle axe moved, its golden mane flaring as it stepped forward, intent on helping its ally. But as the lion raised its massive weapon, a blur of motion cut through the air.

  Gerry, the large golem, appeared in a flash. His dual swords gleamed in the night light as he faced off against the lion. Gerry darted forward, quick as a strike of lightning. But the lion managed to get its axe raised, deflecting the strike.

  Gerry and the lion continued to clash, swords against axe while Jello tightened his grip around the ox’s horns. With a mighty heave, Jello slammed the ox backward, throwing it like a ragdoll.

  The creature’s body crashed into a tree with a sickening thud, splintering the bark and sending leaves scattering in the air. The ox, though clearly stunned, wasn’t finished.

  It was a raw force of nature, and it swung a massive fist at Jello. But Jello surged forward again, his body slamming into the ox’s form.

  Jello’s body was pressed against the ox, pinning it against the tree. The ox grunted, struggling against the slime’s grip, its eyes wild with anger. It tried to punch again, but this time, its arm was trapped.

  At that moment, Goober, another of Kael’s level 2 slimes, jumped down from the top of the tree. The smaller slime landed squarely on the ox’s trapped arm, its body pressing down. The ox let out a gasp of agony as the force broke its arm cleanly in two.

  The bone snapped with a sharp crack, echoing through the clearing and the ox howled in pain. But the beast’s rage didn’t subside.

  Its head jerked back, aimed directly at Jello, trying to impale the slime with its sharp, curved horns. However, in its fury, the ox misjudged the angle.

  Its upper body, in all its weight and strength, was pulled too far into Jello’s ever-tightening grasp. The ox twisted and fought, but it was too late. Its body was trapped completely, its lungs filling with gelatinous material.

  Jello held firm, his body constricting tighter still, and the ox’s struggles grew weaker. It kicked its legs helplessly, but then they slowed, then ceased altogether.

  Kael watched from the sidelines, a strange satisfaction of seeing Jello victorious. It was the same way Jello killed his first ever human.

  They’re only Introductory. Remember that, Kael thought. Do not be complacent.

  Kael’s attention had shifted across the clearing, the battle between golem and lion in its climax.

  Gerry’s dual swords flashed with incredible speed as he parried and struck at the lion’s battle axe. The creature’s golden fur was streaked with cuts, but it was far from finished, its rage burning bright. It swung its axe again, but Gerry was fast—ducking under the blow and landing a strike across the lion’s side.

  Kael watched, his eyes tracking the movements of both combatants, when it happened. A burst of dust exploded in the distance.

  Time seemed to slow as he turned to see Gerry being thrown violently back, his body crashing against the ground with a sickening thud. Gerry’s left leg was gone. Severed cleanly just above the knee.

  His eyes narrowed as they moved to the source of the attack. A giant arrow, larger than any Kael had seen, had embedded itself where Gerry had been standing just a moment before.

  And then, from the dust and chaos, two figures emerged.

  Ardurans. Kael’s mind immediately recognized them, the names Rova had whispered to him in passing. The species were stone-skinned humanoids who got larger when they were angry.

  One of them, quick and nimble for its size, was already running toward Kael’s shelter, hoping to loot his orb. The other, standing just behind, loomed even larger, its hands steady as it notched another enormous arrow into the greatbow it wielded.

  Kael didn’t hesitate. Deathbolt.

  His hand crackled with green energy and with a sharp motion, he thrust his palm toward the bow-wielding Arduran. Three green bolts of energy shot forward in rapid succession.

  One of the bolts nicked the Arduran, sending a violent flash of green light across its stone-like skin. The creature flinched, loosening the greatbow.

  But Kael’s aim had been off. The other two bolts flew wide, one grazing the rocky ground near the Arduran's feet, the other striking a distant tree with a dull thud.

  The tension around the square grew charged, crackling with the imminent danger of the next shot. The situation worsened as the lion towered over Gerry, battle axe raised high above its head.

  Kael sprinted forward, sword in hand, mind sharper than the blade.

  Impact Thrust.

  The thrust of his sword would pierce the lion’s defenses, but Kael wasn’t sure if he could reach in time.

  Kael could see the lion’s axe descending, but then, out of the corner of his eye, he saw it. Gerry.

  With a grunt of effort, Gerry stabbed upward, his swords biting deep into the lion’s leg. The lion howled in pain, stumbling forward, its grip faltering as the weight of its own body shifted. Kael saw his chance and took it.

  In the same instant, Kael’s sword slammed forward, the point of the blade driving straight into the lion’s neck. The lion’s eyes widened in shock as Kael’s Impact Thrust pierced the flesh. The tip of the sword was deadly, cutting through bone and sinew.

  Kael stood over the fallen beast, his breath heavy, drawing his sword from its neck. But before he could even catch his breath, Gerry sat up with a grimace, his hands reaching forward and grabbing the lion’s corpse.

  With a grunt, Gerry hoisted the lion’s dead body into the air, holding it aloft. Kael flicked his gaze to the Arduran with the greatbow, its arrow notched and ready.

  It had not yet fired its bow, but Kael knew it was coming.

  Gerry threw the lion’s corpse like a ragdoll into the air. The creature flew for only a moment before the Arduran released another giant arrow.

  The lion’s body collided with the arrow mid-flight, and the explosion was deafening. Blood, flesh, and bone sprayed across the square, splattering the ground with crimson. Kael had no time to react. He could only watch as the mighty projectile pierced through the lion’s body, sending a shower of gore across the battlefield.

  Kael’s eyes snapped back to the second Arduran, still charging toward his shelter. Without hesitation, the creature entered the confines of Kael’s square. But what it didn’t expect was the cold.

  Inside Kael’s shelter, a figure was waiting—Mush. And as the Arduran’s stone form entered the shelter, a chilling transformation occurred.

  The shelter had frozen completely from the inside. The walls shimmered with frost, the air growing colder. The Arduran stood, confused for a moment, its natural resilience making it seem almost immune to the cold. But only for a moment.

  The creature’s limbs began to stiffen, its body freezing from the inside. Its stone-like skin cracked under the pressure of the cold. Its eyes flickered with realization. It was trapped.

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  Kael watched as the Arduran, desperate to break free from the ice, attempted to use its natural ability to enlarge. Its form began to swell, rock muscles bulging, height increasing as the giant’s body stretched in an attempt to escape the freezing grip of the shelter.

  But it was too late.

  As the Arduran grew, the ice cracked, splintering beneath its own weight. The frozen limbs broke, shards of ice shattering and falling away, leaving behind deep fissures in the stone-like skin. A white blood began to leak from the wounds.

  The ice had done its work. Kael knew it wouldn’t be long before the Arduran fell, shattered by its own desperate strength.

  The second Arduran, seeing its companion falter and fall into the icy trap, looked down at the stone body reduced to rubble. It seemed to hesitate but then, it notched another large arrow into its greatbow.

  Kael didn’t waste a second. His left hand grabbed the severed leg of Gerry, his right held the frozen blacksmithing hammer. Kael flicked his wrist, sending the magics of the hammer into Gerry. Metal fused with metal and Gerry’s leg was whole again.

  With the leg now reattached, the warrior was back on his feet in a flash. His dual swords gleamed with blood and purpose.

  “Let’s go,” Kael shouted, already charging ahead.

  But the Arduran wasn’t waiting. It fired.

  The arrow struck the earth behind them, the impact sending a cloud of dust and debris into the air. The dust billowed, shrouding the world, but Kael was already moving, his feet a blur.

  Gerry was beside him, pistons pumping, the two of them racing to the Arduran. As they closed the distance, the Arduran’s bow came up once more, but Kael was faster.

  He swung his sword but the Arduran’s stone-like skin was tough, too tough to break with a mere strike. The sword clanged against the rock, like striking iron on stone.

  Kael’s lips curled into a grim smile, his mind racing. It was just like the bone armor of the master from Ascension.

  He gritted his teeth and swung his frozen hammer instead. The impact was immediate. The head of the hammer made contact with the Arduran’s head, a thin layer of ice spreading across the creature’s body in an instant. What once seemed indestructible was now encased in frost, brittle and fragile.

  Gerry, sensing the opening, didn’t wait for Kael’s command. With a grunt, he charged forward. He slammed his steel fist into the frozen rock head of the Arduran. The sound was like breaking glass, and the frozen rock shattered into pieces, the shards flying outward in a spray of debris.

  A white substance sprayed into the air, leaking from the broken stone body. The Arduran’s body faltered, its limbs weakening as the life drained from it.

  Gerry wiped his white blood-streaked fists and nodded at Kael. "Not bad," he said.

  “Not over yet, Gerry,” Kael reminded him, as he looked to the sky.

  The bird invader was still soaring high above the clearing, its wings beating with unnatural grace. It was circling, like an apex predator.

  We’ll show him, Kael thought.

  The greatbow the Arduran wielded lay untouched on the ground, splattered with the Arduran white blood. Kael’s muscles strained in vain as he attempted to lift the bow, but it was too heavy, its size dwarfing Kael’s frame.

  Too heavy, Kael thought, frustration rising in him.

  Kael glanced up and Gerry shook his head. "I don’t know how to use bows," the golem said.

  Kael didn’t respond. His mind was already working, his thoughts racing through possibilities. Then, in a sudden, desperate burst of inspiration, Kael detached his slime cape.

  The small green slimes were loose, crawling towards each other, molding into a larger form. They wriggled and slithered, binding together to resemble a giant, gelatinous hand.

  His loyal slimes took the greatbow into their new form. They wrapped around the massive weapon fluidly, their green bodies twisting and contorting until the bow was fully manipulated into position. With a series of small, quick motions, the slimes notched a giant arrow into the bowstring.

  "Now!" Kael shouted, his voice sharp, his words carrying a force of authority.

  The slimes released the tension in the bowstring, and the giant arrow shot forward with a sound like thunder. Kael could only watch as the massive projectile flew toward the bird with terrifying speed.

  With a sickening impact, the arrow slammed into the bird’s body. An explosion of blood, viscera, and feathers erupted from the impact, the shockwave sending a cloud of gore into the air, staining the ground beneath with a crimson spray.

  Its wings flapped uselessly as it plummeted, a heap of shattered bones, torn flesh and feathery wreckage.

  Kael stood there, eyes locked on the fallen creature. The sight of the invader’s demise was satisfying after it danced in the sky this whole time.

  Gerry, still standing beside him, watched the destruction with a mix of awe and grim satisfaction. "Oi, that worked," he said.

  It did but this wasn’t over. Not by a long shot.

  The aftermath of the bird’s destruction had not even begun to settle when Kael’s sharp eyes caught sight of new movement. The unmistakable silhouettes of more Ardurans pushing their way into the clearing. Four more of those creatures.

  Their bodies, already massive, began to shift. Kael’s eyes narrowed as he watched their forms swell, their muscles bulging and limbs expanding.

  They’re growing.

  The creatures’ stone-like skin stretched and cracked with the force of the transformation, their size doubling, becoming even more formidable than before. Each Arduran was now easily twice the size of a regular human, their presence looming like mountains.

  Kael’s lips tightened into a grim line. "They just keep coming."

  The words barely left his mouth when his eyes flicked up as two more bird-like invaders appeared in the sky. One wielded a bow, the string pulled tight; the other, smaller, gripped a hand axe in one hand and a shield in the other.

  Kael summoned forth his next ally. A misty, black horse, its hooves making no sound as it materialized next to Kael, the air around it swirling like dark smoke.

  "Let’s go, Shadow," Kael whispered.

  With practiced ease, he swung himself onto Shadow’s back. In the same instant, the horse and rider vanished, dissolving into the shadows. When they reappeared, it was behind the Ardurans.

  Kael swung his frozen hammer, its head cracking through the air with an icy shriek as it slammed into the nearest Arduran. The creature's body froze, the frost spreading across its surface in jagged, spider-like veins. Its eyes widened with surprise, its body tense as it tried to shake off the unnatural chill.

  Kael moved swiftly, already retreating into the shadows before the Ardurans could react. He appeared again, this time behind the second Arduran, his hammer swinging low and fast.

  With a mighty blow, Kael’s hammer struck the second Arduran across its back, freezing its limbs in place. The creature roared in frustration, its stone body buckling under the weight of the ice.

  The Ardurans were slow to react, their massive bodies struggling to turn around fast enough. Kael didn’t give them a chance to recover. His eyes were already searching for the next opening, and as the Ardurans turned to face him, he disappeared into the shadows once more.

  Hit and run. The technique was simple but effective. Kael’s hammer found its mark every time, his strikes coming from unexpected angles.

  As Kael reappeared behind the group, he swung his hammer once more, crashing it into the legs of the third. It fell to its knees, helpless in the grip of the unnatural cold.

  The fourth Arduran, more aware of Kael’s trickery now, began to turn and twist, its eyes narrowing as it scanned the surrounding shadows. Kael could see it—this one had learned. It wasn’t going to fall for the same trick again.

  Kael grinned to himself. He had prepared for this.

  The large arrow flew with a force that was too much to track, a blur of motion in the chaos. The Arduran turned, but it was too late. The arrow struck with brutal force, the tip of the projectile puncturing the giant’s chest. Stone cracked, and the force of the blow shattered the Ardurans’ rocky exterior.

  Blood, not red but pale and sickly white, sprayed out from the wound, the liquid leaking from the creature’s stony body. The giant stumbled back, its massive frame buckling under the weight of its wounds.

  Kael had dispatched numerous invaders but the battle in Kael’s square was far from over. Above him, Kael saw Blue and the other wisps clashing with the two bird-like invaders in the sky.

  "Blue!" Kael yelled, his voice cutting through the chaos. "Brighten!"

  Blue, understanding the command with instinctive ease, flared brighter than ever before, his form glowing like a miniature sun in the dark sky. The light bathed the battlefield, making the shadows seem deeper, the figures in the clearing sharper.

  In the blink of an eye, Kael and Shadow disappeared, swallowed by the shadows themselves. They reappeared behind the two bird invaders, midair, who were unprepared for the assault.

  Kael slashed at the first invader, his sword clean and quick. The blade cut through the air with ease, slicing through the bird’s wing. Its remaining wing flapped wildly, but it was no use. The bird plummeted from the sky, crashing into the earth with a violent thud.

  The second invader wasn’t as easy. It saw Kael’s attack coming and raised its shield in time to block the blow. Kael’s sword met the shield with a harsh clang. And Kael and Shadow began to fall toward the ground.

  But Kael was prepared.

  In his other hand, he swung the hammer down hard as they descended, smashing it into the bird invader’s shield.

  The bird’s shield was encased in ice, its surface frosting over in an instant, the cold seeping into the creature’s body. The bird screeched in pain, its talons scraping at the frozen surface, but it was trapped.

  Kael and Shadow disappeared into the shadows once again and emerged gracefully on the ground, sword and hammer in hand. Kael’s eyes looked around his square as the frozen bird invader crashed into the ground, shattering into millions of tiny bloody ice crystals.

  The walls kept flickering red. More. There would always be more.

  Before Kael could finish his thought, galloping hooves were heard approaching. Just as Kael looked up, three creatures burst into the clearing, emerging from the shadows.

  Three creatures, their lower halves the sleek, muscular bodies of horses, and their upper halves human. The first two were armed, each with a scimitar held high. The third, however, was different.

  It was armed with something far more dangerous. Magic.

  The invader was ceaselessly reciting an incantation under its breath, the air around it crackling with energy, the words flowing.

  The first scimitar-wielding horseman flared with a reddish glow, his aura burning red. The second shimmered with an unnatural vibration. Kael’s mind instantly recognized it. The Haste Spell—the same one Lorran had used in the battle of Highhaven.

  Kael’s instincts kicked in, and without a second thought, he urged Shadow forward, vanishing into the shadows. The horse invaders followed quickly, far faster than Kael had expected. The hasted one was already on him, waiting for Shadow to emerge. Kael’s sword clashed against theirs, the sound of steel on steel ringing out through the clearing.

  The other, the one surrounded by the reddish glow, swung its scimitar with brutal force. Kael barely managed to block the strike, but the blow sent him staggering back, even while on Shadow. The invader’s strength, bolstered by magic, was overwhelming.

  They were powerful, skilled, and prepared. Possibly the best of the Introductories. But Kael had his own tricks.

  "Gerry! Flubs! Merge!"

  The mechanical golem nodded once, its movements stiff and deliberate. It gripped its left arm, still holding a sword, and with a powerful wrench, it severed it at the shoulder. The arm fell to the ground with a heavy clang.

  Flubs, the green slime, wriggled toward the severed arm and enveloping it. Then, the slime climbed up Gerry, melding with the golem in unison. The transformation completed.

  This strange fusion worked in the Ascension Trials, it would work again. Gerry’s new flexible slime arm shot out like a whip, snapping toward the horse-like invaders.

  The vibrating invader, fast as a blur, tried to block the strike with its scimitar, but the force of Gerry’s arm was too great. The strike was deflected, but the momentum sent the invader staggering back.

  Gerry rushed forward, closing the distance with unrelenting fury, his mechanical body moving like a battering ram, slamming into the invader with all the strength of his golem form.

  The other horse invader with the reddish aura growled in frustration, stepping in to attack once again, but Gerry was already on it. With an unnatural stretch of his slime arm, Gerry’s sword came down at an awkward angle. The horse narrowly parried the swing, sending the invader crashing onto the ground.

  Kael, though, faced the real danger. The reciting horse invader. The one chanting and vibrating.

  It was powering up the others, channeling magic into them, speeding up their attacks and bolstering their strength.

  He urged Shadow forward again, the horse’s hooves striking the earth like thunder as it galloped, teleporting between shadows to gain speed. Kael’s grip on his sword tightened as Shadow charged forward, their momentum building. The shadows themselves seemed to bend as they gained on the reciting horse invader.

  Kael held his sword out, its tip aimed directly at the invader. Impact Thrust.

  But this wasn’t just Impact Thrust. This was something more.

  Impact Charge.

  Kael’s body moved with incredible speed, the sword cutting through the air. The sword plunged into the reciting invader’s chest before it could even react, the force of Kael’s blow driving the sword deep into the creature’s body.

  The invader’s mouth snapped shut, and its chant faltered. Blood sprayed in a sickening arc, the deep red staining the air around them. The combined power of Shadow’s speed and Kael’s strike was too overwhelming.

  The other two horse invaders began to fall to Gerry and Flubs’ relentless pressure. The steel and slime hybrid proved too much for the horse invaders once they lost their buffs.

  Kael's breath steadied.

  The fight wasn’t over, but he had bought them a moment. More would come. Kael could feel it.

  And Kael would make sure it was the last mistake they ever made.

  ******