They assembled their formation with Kateriwil, Elnor, and Shiloh on top of Aphrodite's cage. There were four doors on the sides of the arena, so they couldn't set up proper lines and trust they wouldn't be fnked. Beck, Ara, and Viktora stayed on the ground, with the vampire fnked oher side by her more durable teammates. They would be tanking hits for her, with the help of Shiloh's healing aura, and only killing the slimes that got around them.

  Twil had Domain of os ready, but it would exhaust her mana reserves quickly if she had to stun huge groups of them. Elnor was not very well equipped for swarms, so she was keeping her eye open for any kind of bigger creature that might appear with the slimes. Katerine was ready as an emergency wave-clear. If they were getting overrun, Ara nning on throwing Viktora clear of the area aing Kateri her and Beck with one of her spells to wipe out massive amounts of the little goobers.

  Shiloh had suggested using his ability-enhang auras to let Viktora fight mostly on her own, but the idea was quickly shot down. They expended a lot of Lust, and there was no telling whether they would have a ce to "rest" and recover it. He instead just activated Emp Pool on Viktora, They had enced her to use it on Fortitude, but she insisted that it be put in her Endurance, since she said swinging the rge bde would quickly tire her out. So, Bed Ara would o be extra-careful to keep her safe.

  When they were all in position, Ara walked up to the slime pilr and pressed on a block that was stig out, pushing it in until it was flush with the rest of them. The crowd suddenly came to life, cheering and shouting and booing. The pilr slid into the ground with much rumbling and shaking, then each of the four doors opened and a tidal wave of slimes came quickly p in.

  They were kind of cute when they weren't trying to nibble you to death. About the size of a soccer ball with big, bck eyes and a tiny mouth with a fe teeth, they looked almost like a plushie. In such overwhelming numbers, however, even plushies be dangerous.

  "Audible!" Ara shouted from the ground. "Katerine, let them have it! Elnor, fire arrows! See if you burn a hole around your shots. Shiloh, Defensive aura NOW!"

  They all reacted instantly, and it was a good thing they did. Shiloh had only just mao activate the defensive aura when the slimes from the southern aern doors crashed into Beck, Ara, and Viktora. The Berserker and Bulwark weathered the attack well, but Viktora was drowned in slimes. She was smaller and leahaher two, and she cked the natural Fortitude they had. Shiloh just hoped his defensive aura would be enough to keep her alive while he activated Cleric's Radiance.

  There were two enormous thundercps, and huge ks of the northern aern hordes simply vanished as Katerine's doubled mana bomb took effect. Elnor let loose fire arrow after fire arrow, and Shiloh lease to see a lot of the slimes were burning, though the fmes didn't seem to be anywhere near as effective as they were on the slime that actually took the arrow.

  He checked ba Ara and Beck, and was shocked to see just how effective Ara's new axe was. She was carving through immense numbers of slimes with every swing, cutting them down as so much chaff. The fmes were as iive as Elnor's were, but the axe itself was about five slimes wide, so she was mowing through them.

  Beck, oher hand, was now a giant slime. They were c her head to toe, and she simply didn't have the damage to get them off fast enough. Shiloh checked her health bar, and almost ughed. She was full health. His Cleric's Radiance was literally healing her faster than they could damage her.

  Viktora still wasn't ao be seen, which was w him deeply. He was about to ask Beck to activate her Lost and Found skill just to locate the vampire a her up on the cage. Suddenly, there was a silehat fell over the arena. Darkness coalesced before all of their eyes. There was obeat of stillness, then a disgustingly loud SPLAT! echoed through the arena. The darkness lifted, and they were left staring at just a few slimes left standing.

  Shiloh deactivated his defensive aura then looked around and, sure enough, he saw Viktora panting hard right o Ara and Beck. He wao check her sheet, but she had refused to dispy it, so he just pulled the wand out and started eling more healing into her. She looked up at him and nodded, straightening up and helping to clear out the remaining slimes. It took only a minute or so more until the round was over.

  Whe slime died, the crowd immediately ceased and became motionless. The Apostles looked around quizzically as Shiloh deactivated Cleric's Radia seemed like their spectators were... probably not real people. No way would real people all stop simultaneously like that. heless, the round was over. They climbed off the cage and sahrodite, soaked in slime, gring at them. Shiloh smiled weakly, and she narrowed her eyes even further.

  "Sorry?" He offered.

  She huffed. "There's nothing to be do's not like there were enough of you to keep them away. Just... Just get me out of here quickly, please."

  "We will. As quick as we ." He promised.

  Shiloh turned around and checked in with Viktora, who still looked worn out.

  "Are you okay?"

  "Yeah... just... a little tired." She said, trying to catch her breath.

  "That ectacur ability." He said, smiling. "You sure deal a lot of damage."

  "At a price." Viktora winced.

  "Should I turn my healing aura ba for you?" Shiloh asked, looking at her worriedly.

  "If you have the resources to spare, it would be appreciated."

  Shiloh turned Cleric's Radiance ba, and they waited for Viktora's health to fill back up. It didn't take long, but the relief was evident on her face.

  "Thank you, Shiloh." She said. "That's much better."

  "No problem." He replied. "Did you level up?"

  She grinned. "Five times. I must've gotten at least a hundred and fifty of them with that."

  "Five times?" Ara snorted. "Looks like Shy finally has a tender."

  Viktora looked at Shiloh and raised an eyebrow. Shiloh blushed.

  "I... uh... I level up through..."

  "We fuck levels into him." Ara interrupted, tossing an arm around Viktora. The vampire stiffened and looked sideways at her, then she registered what the Berserker had said.

  "You fuck levels into him?"

  "Cleric of Aphrodite." Shiloh shrugged, still blushing. "It es with the territory, I guess."

  "So what does that have to do with me gaining five levels?"

  His blush deepened, but one look at his girls told him nobody else was going to bail him out, and Katerine didn't even know about it. "In the first trial we found ourselves in, we found a safe room. They decided that I o power-level and... uh... Well, they were pretty thh with it. I woke up with five levels from them and one from the enter with Aphrodite beforehand."

  Katerine's eyes looked like they were going to pop out of her head, and she was so red in the face that Shiloh didn't think she'd even be able to speak at this point. Viktora, oher hand, simply gave him a deadpan stare.

  "You're trying to tell me you fucked the goddess of sex?" She asked, disbelieving.

  "Teically, I fucked him, sweetie." Aphrodite chimed in from her cage. Viktora startled, having fotten that said goddess was literally right behind her.

  The vampire turned around and was bashful enough to only look at her ow. "I'm sorry, Lady Aphrodite. I meant no disrespect."

  "It's quite alright dear. The fact that nobody believes him wheells them makes it all the more eaining when I set the record straight." Aphrodite replied airily, winking at Shiloh.

  Viktora turned back to the rest of the party, trying to fight her blush down. "Well, let me pick my skills and we move along."

  "Hang on a sed." Shiloh said, looking at her seriously. "Are you pnning on staying with us?"

  Viktora met his eyes, and he saw something like fear in her expression.

  "It would be a good idea, Viktora." Aphrodite called from her cage. "But it is your choice. They will treat you fairly either way."

  Elnor looked over at Aphrodite and raised an eyebrow. The goddess shrugged. Viktora kept staring into Shiloh's eyes.

  "Yes." She finally responded.

  "Then you should know our skills." Shiloh responded. "You don't o tell us yours, but you might want to choose differently based on what ours do. For instance, Bed Shiloh both have damage multiplying effects that their allies trigger, which synergize incredibly well with Elnor's high siarget damage output. Hang onto your skill choices until you see ours."

  Viktora nodded, and Shiloh dispyed his status sheet first, then his skills. Beck we, followed by Katerihen Ara. When she showed her status sheet, she did so with a mischievous grin. She had gained a level in that fight. She fshed up her skill choiext.

  Sweeping Edge

  Project your sshing attack fiftee past the end of your on.

  Berserker's Rage II

  You build up Rage while taking, dealing, blogor avoiding damage. While out of bat, yeslowly drains to 0. You gain 2 point of Strengthfor every 10 points e, rounded up.

  "Sweeping Edge would have been incredible for that fight." Beented.

  "Yeah, it would have." Ara agreed. "I think the upgrade to Berserker's Rage is better overall, though."

  "Definitely." Shiloh said, nodding.

  "It literally doubles ye." Elnor looked almost green with envy. "That's going to make you so powerful."

  "Y-you should d-definitely pick the u-upgrade."

  "It is the statistically better option."

  With everyone else's agreement, Ara looked to Viktora.

  The vampire shrugged. "It seems the best to me, but I'm no expert on skill sele."

  Ara locked in her skill, and Elnor showed her status sheet . She hadn't quite mao level up yet, so she just dispyed her skills for Viktora to read before letting Twil show hers. The mage hadn't leveled up either, since she had doerally nothing the entire enter.

  When she had seehieammates had, Viktora let out a huge sigh and whispered. "In for a copper..." Then, she dispyed her status sheet.

  ViktoraMarkovCss: NightstalkerHP: 170/170Level: 1MP: 100/100 Strength: 18Ara: 0Finesse: 20Divine: 0Fortitude: 17Resistance: 15Endurance: 15Focus: 10 "How the fuck are your stats that high?" Ara demanded.

  Viktora startled at the sudden e and looked at the Berserker. She wasn't angry, but jealous.

  "I... I don't know. That's what they were when I unlocked my css." She said, blushing.

  "Those are stats equivalent to a level five adventurer in the southern nds." Twil assessed. "I would assume the higher level of stats es from you being a vampire."

  "Oh, yeah, maybe. Vampires are always stronger, faster and more durable than others." Viktreed. "I guess that's reflected iats."

  "No way." Shiloh refuted. "You are way faster than you have any right to be with twenty Fihe only person I've seen move as fast as you is Beck, when she uses Drop Yuard. I think that you've been blessed with your stats. Is Nightstalker like an avatar css?"

  Viktora shrugged again. "I don't know. I was taught by my mother until I was seventeen, but most of what she taught me was herbalism and alchemy. Once I was ensved, I wasn't allowed to sleep most nights, let alo down and read a book. All I know about Nightstalker is that it's incredibly rare and everyone who has received it was ridiculously powerful. It very well might be a blessed css, for all I know."

  "Well, I'm definitely excited to see what kind of skills it gives you when that's what your base stats are!" Elnor said encingly. Viktora offered her a small smile and showed them her first skill.

  All is Darkness

  Cloak your surroundings in darkhat onlyyou see through. While in these shadows,your Finesse and Strength are multiplied by 10.Cost: 150 HP per sed

  "Oh my gods..." Beck whispered.

  "That's insane." Ara agreed.

  "You only get one sed at your current Fortitude level, but that is obviously enough to do some amazing things." Twil ented. "If the rest of your skills revolve around using your health as a resource, though, we'll o figure out a better way to heal you during bat."

  "I o get better healing skills." Shiloh mused quietly.

  Viktora blushed at the praise, and dispyed her first choice from leveling up.

  Shadow's Embrace

  While in shadows, you take 50% less damage.

  Life from Death

  When you sy an enemy, restore HP equal to10% of the sin enemy's max HP.

  "I wonder if Shadow's Embrace reduces the amount of life spent on All is Darkness." Elnor said, furrowing her brow. "I don't know if paying the cost for a skill would t as damage you're taking, though."

  "I think they're both excellent, though." Shiloh smiled at Viktora. "I think you'll want to pick them both up at some point, but Shadow's Embrace is probably better for now, though. It would let my current rate of healing keep up with any damage you're taking."

  "Life from Death would let me heal myself, though." Viktora replied, raising an eyebrow.

  "Yes, but only on a kill. If our interpretation of the pilrs is correct, there's only one more enter that has multiple enemies." Shiloh tered. "I think it's safer to take the damage ion and be from my stant healing."

  "I see. That's a good point." Viktora said, nodding. The reed, and she moved onto the choice.

  Vampiric Resolve

  Gain +5 Endurand Fortitude.

  Vampiric Defense

  Gain +5 Fortitude aance.

  "These are... way worse." Viktrimaced. "I should just take Life from Death, right?"

  "They're not terrible for level three skills." Elnor said fairly. "But yes, Life from Death is far superior."

  With another round of agreement, Viktora moved on.

  Vampiric Force

  Gain +5 Strength and Finesse. Increased to+10 while in shadows.

  Shadow Step

  While in shadows, you teleport to any othershadow that you see.

  Cost: 50 HP

  "That's a bit tougher." Ara said. "Your css seems to really focus on shadows, and All is Darkness would make Vampiric Force +10 while you're i. It would also let Shadow Step teleport you anywhere in its radius."

  "Yoing to o get more Fortitude if your skills keep requiring HP to use." Shiloh murmured. "We don't need you killing yourself just trying to fun."

  Viktave him a small smile. "Thank you for your . I think Shadow Step is the right choice for now, however. Telep would let me dodge huge attacks instantly, which could definitely save my life."

  "She's right." Twil added. "If she flickers All is Darkness for the briefest of moments, she would be able to teleport to the other side of the coliseum, well out e of whatever she o dodge."

  Katerine, Elnor and Beck had nothing else to add, so Viktora locked in Shadow Step and moved on.

  "I should put my stat points in Fortitude, yeah?"

  Everyone unanimously agreed, and she showed her skill choice.

  Master of the Bde

  Killing an enemy with a swives you 1 Strength.This ability stacks up to 100 times, and ends whenyou leave bat.

  Close Call

  When reduced to less than 20% of your max HP,all healing used on you is increased by 100% forten seds.

  Cooldown: 20 seds

  "Two more amazing skills." Shiloh said, patting the vampire on her back. "Yoing to be a real powerhouse."

  Viktora blushed and looked at her feet.

  "I think Master of the Bde would be better over all, but Close Call is better for our current circumstance." Elnor added. "Master of the Bde would probably help on the fourth round, but we o beat two more enters before then."

  The rest of them nodded in agreement, and Viktora went for Close Call. One more skill to go.

  Blood Pool

  You gain a resource called Blood. You gain Bloodby dealing damage and losing HP. Your store ofBlood degrades over time. You may use yourBlood to pay for the costs of your skills.

  Vampiric Determinatiain +10 Fortitude, Resistance, Endurand Focus.

  "That's a lot of stats." Beck said.

  "It's got to be Blood Pool." Shiloh responded. "That seems like it's a eic for her css."

  "It is absolutely something she'll want to get." Twil agreed. "However, I don't think it will be very useful in the wo fights. Vampiric Determination would have a more immediate effect."

  "That's what I was going to say." Viktora murmured. "I want to take Blood Pool, but I think I he defenses and Endurao stay in the fight lohen I should be able to switch Emp Pool to Finesse and move lightning-fast."

  "Shy will o use Emp Pool on Elnor for the wo fights." Ara stated. "She's our best option for taking out siargets."

  "Oh, well, I still think I could use the defenses and Endurahen. Especially if I won't have Emp Pool to cover Endurance."

  Viktora looked around, and nobody argued with her assessment. She locked i skill, and showed them her ss.

  Viktora MarkovCss: NightstalkerHP: 320/320Level: 6MP: 100/100 Strength: 18Ara: 0Finesse: 20Divine: 0Fortitude: 32Resistance: 25Endurance: 25Focus: 20 All is Darkness

  Cloak your surroundings in darkhat onlyyou see through. While in these shadows,your Finesse and Strength are multiplied by 10.Cost: 150 HP per sed

  Shadow's Embrace

  While in shadows, you take 50% less damage.

  Life from Death

  When you sy an enemy, restore HP equal to10% of the sin enemy's max HP.

  Shadow Step

  While in shadows, you teleport to any othershadow that you see.

  Cost: 50 HP

  Close Call

  When reduced to less than 20% of your max HP,all healing used on you is increased by 100% forten seds.

  Cooldown: 20 seds

  Vampiric Determinatiain +10 Fortitude, Resistance, Endurand Focus.

  Viktrinned as she examined how much more powerful she'd bee after her first fight. She looked up, and Shiloh saw excitement aermination in her eyes. He smiled at her, and she nodded.

  "Let's fuck 'em up, Shy."