System Reset: Forged in Nightmare

Alex gave a grunty-sigh, settled against a tree's trunk, and sandwiched Hershey's chocolate between two graham crackers. After he'd killed Gloomy's would-be assassin, it became obvious who had left those blood-sucked corpses at the abandoned green supply. Vampires, who couldn't travel in direct daylight without burning, were the greatest abusers of the mist-navigation shortcut. Likely, Alex had been on that one's tail the entire time up until he'd reached Gloomy.

Though, rationalizing that didn't help his stomach settle. He skewered a marshmallow and held it to the flame. Of all the things it could've been, he remembered thinking. Across the fire, Gloomy's gaze darted from the s'mores and back to him, with a look he could only describe as perplexed disgust.

"You want some?" Alex asked. He examined the bag's description. "It's pretty low in calories…"

But no, of course she didn't. "What's on your mind?" he said. "This isn't me being fake. I'll admit I was forcing the niceties, but now you're the one staring at me. So what's up?"

They'd hiked for several hours after Alex had expelled the Lost Souls, and they hadn't talked about anything since. Her ill-intent towards him had gone from having all the bluntness of a dagger to something… more uncertain.

Her expression turned pensive. "What are you, Alex?"

He leaned over to poke the fire. "Well, what has you asking?"

"What has me—" Gloomy clicked her tongue, hissing. "You said if I share, you'll share. You already know I'm an herbalist! Now it's your turn."

"My turn, huh?" Alex slid the toasted marshmallow between the s'mores. "No, it's too late for that. I figured out you're a witch, Gloomy, not because you shared that with me but because you threw a doll of me at my head."

"So I could help you!" She snapped. "To the devil—I only made that doll in case you needed healing! Because your stupid contract forced me to!"

Alex frowned. Was that how he'd worded the contract? He'd made it verbal so she couldn't comb the finer wording, but it was plausible.

"And I'm an herbalist," She said pointedly. "So what are you?"

An anomaly, was the only real answer, and Gloomy was the only one who could see it. Jun had been easy enough to lie to, but Gloomy was a mage and she'd seen him enter Nightmare as someone completely different than he was now. She wasn't simply asking after his class.

"It doesn't matter," Alex said. "You had your chance, and you've expressed very clearly you're not interested in being friends."

"Friends? Is this how you make friends? Oh Alex," She shook her head in vicious pity. "May your house forever be as empty as a grave."

From the way she said it, it sounded like a graver insult than just 'You're a friendless-loser, Alex'.

"Fine," He relented. "You want us to be even? I'll tell you my class: I'm a Blacksmith-Warrior."

"I don't want to hear your stupid—" Gloomy paused.

She blinked. "Blacksmith? Don't fuck with me, Alex. Your mother's heart will twist into a knot for the lies your tongue tells!"

"It's true."

"You haven't touched a hammer once!"

"You seen any smithies around here?"

"Then what about your enchantments?!"

"I'm just a hobby-ist, as you so painstakingly made clear."

"I saw you stab yourself, Alex!"

"With a sword I made. You want me to make you one too?"

Gloomy shot to her feet. "Don't belittle me! You know too much to have been so weak! About vampires! About witchcraft! About—"

"And what about you, Gloomy?" Alex snarled. "It's the fucking apocalypse—everyone has their circumstances! How'd you get so far so fast? What did you steal from the Blood Lotus Clan? Why are you so miserable? There's an infinite amount of plausible answers but you don't see me prying, do you?!"

He stood in mock-rage to match Gloomy's. Sure, he'd have pried if he thought it might get him anywhere. He'd torture the next vampire they sent after her for the most important parts anyway, and once that was done…

"You're looking at me like that again. It's like I'm…"

"Like what."

Gloomy balled her fists and sat back down. "Who even cares. Your word is law, Alex. You're infallible. I'm just a stupid little girl, aren't I? Your dumb bird in a cage. And you… you shouldn't have succeeded in that ritual. How were you possessed in the first place?!"

"I—"

"Don't," She said. Her voice shook a little. Her eyes hardened in rage when she noticed. "Just… don't bother. I don't want your pretty explanations. I want your corpse lying at my feet, but I can't have that yet." Gloomy drew up her hoody, and rolled over. "May the spirits of the night come for you, Alex."

"Yeah… sweet dreams to you too, Gloomy."

Alex sat there, poking the fire a while longer, well aware that Gloomy was still awake. She waited, constantly on edge. He didn't know where she got her sleep, but from the way her condition continuously worsened, he guessed she didn't get much of it. It wasn't his fault she was making this so much harder than it needed to be.

Except, that was wrong. This was inherently his fault. He was the villain in her story, and he was torturing the poor girl when it would be most humane to kill her quickly. Most humane… but not practical.

Alex curled up in his blankets and turned the other way. Between the Lost Souls, his return to the past, this Divine core… Gloomy, even I don't know what I am anymore.

All he knew was this wasted time was bad for the both of them. Tomorrow, he was going to end it.

* * *

Danger!

Alex jolted awake, alarm bells ringing in his head; his danger-sense screaming. He threw off his blankets and summoned Nychta to his hand.

An intruder has Invaded your Path!

You have been targeted in a kill quest!

Gloomy was already up, holding that dagger-relic of hers in her hands. A shadow streaked towards her at astonishing speed. Alex saw a supply drop further up the mountain and instantly comprehended the situation.

"Gloomy! Get behind—"

Gloomy charged to meet their assailant—a man. Alex caught only a glint of his weapon but it looked to be an oblong-shaped short sword, paired with a shield in the other hand. His sword arced through Gloomy's neck. Her bracelet-relic shone and she turned immaterial for a brief second, diving through the swing. She spun around as soon as she'd passed him to stab his back with her dagger, but he wasn't thrown off balance by her unexpected play.

Damn it!

Javelin Throw

For a second, it seemed as though Gloomy was trying to kill herself. Then Alex summoned his halberd and threw it in the space between the two of them. He wasn't aiming to inflict a wound. The halberd wasn't a thing meant for throwing, and he was unaccustomed to its weight, but he was accurate enough to seperate them. Gloomy yelped, and their assailant dodged back.

"Are you trying to kill me?!" Gloomy shouted.

Alex ignored her, eyeing their enemy. He had brown eyes, normal teeth, unpointed ears—but it was night out; a vampire could hide those things if it desired. More importantly, he was strong. Enough that Alex knew it would be pointless to try Identify-ing him.

But since he's here…

He glanced at Gloomy. Identify

ERROR
Redacted - Level 19
Class: None

Alex saw Gloomy bristle, just as he felt something from their enemy Identify-ing them too. But his mind was too absorbed by Gloomy to focus on him. Redacted?

Why was Gloomy's name redacted from him? And that wasn't the only confusing thing. She was level 19, yet didn't have a class, so she must have been at that level before she'd come into Nightmare. But then, why had she acted so much weaker during the First Scenario? No preparation, perhaps? She was a mage; she should've been prepared. And she probably had her core, so when she accepted the System, it no doubt offered her a Class counterpart for her Witch abilities. So why hadn't she taken it?

Three seconds; that was how much time Alex spared for thinking before he summoned his glock and shot at their assailant. As expected, a barrier shimmered and caught the bullets mid-air. He could probably overwhelm it with the amount of bullets he had in storage, but he'd prefer not to damage it.

"Okay Gloomy, here's the pla—"

"Fuck your plan! He's mine!"

Gloomy rushed in—faster than one would expect, but recklessly. Alex cursed. Fine. Let's just see how this plays out…

Except, he couldn't. As soon as Alex had the thought, his soul started to burn. He noticed her about to receive an attack, and immediately rushed to her aid. He was contracted to. And she was just standing there!

He intercepted the man's downward swing with an upward one of his own. It was the weakest angle, and gave his swing very little momentum. The man's sword was also heavier than Alex's and when they met at the bind, his superior strength stat forced Alex almost to his knees. He'd even curled his shield-strapped hand beneath the other to lend the blow more force, forcing Alex to do the same. He'd almost never take an attack like that head on but Gloomy was still standing just behind him. What was she even—

"God be damned!" She yelled. "Stop getting in my way, Alex!"

Alex's eye twitched. Gloomy's voice—added to the chant their adversary began under his breath—lent him all the anger he needed. Nychta showed him a path to follow, and he realized he'd taken the blow on her sharp side when he should've used her back. Deftly, he relented his defense just slightly, changing the angling. Mana flowed through his veins and he used Nychta's backward curve to hook the enemy's blade, forcibly pulling it to the side through its own momentum. The motion was quick, his limbs snapping with greater efficacy than his stats should allow.

Weapon Mastery with Nychta has reached 43%

A Custom Skill has been learned!

As soon as Alex had control of the blade, he freed his left hand and summoned a wooden shield, punching the sword down—thus freeing up Nychta to slice directly at the man's ne—

Shit! Alex aborted his swing as Gloomy launched herself at the man. Her Ghostbead relic had regained its charge and she slipped right through his Shield bash, her dagger aimed towards his face. They both had smiles on their faces, and Alex trusted the other guy's more. His dangersense heightened as the man's incantation ended and Alex yanked Gloomy back by the scruff of her fabric.

"Guh—!"

Smoke Screen

Alex shielded the girl at another suboptimal sword-angle and a pommel smashed into his shoulder. He kicked the man's metallic abdomen, forcing him off. Then a veil spread from the other guy too and Alex's eyes widened. This little shit.

Summon Darkness

"Unhand me! I was—"

Gloomy cut herself when she realized how stupid it was to announce their presence in the dark. For what it was worth, the man's killing intent never dulled, so Alex reckoned he was seeing just fine. However, Alex was not.

Summon Darkness was an Earth-originated skill used by the Umbral Court, and its dark fog also skewed the senses—including his dangersense. He could still feel the intent, but its specifics were vague and his balance was off kilter. But… it didn't matter.

Gloomy hissed in his ear. "Unhand me…!"

Alex did, purshing her far off to the side. He waited two seconds, then whipped around and slammed forward with his shield. He hadn't even felt the killing intent when he'd started moving but he knew these bastard's timing well enough. There was a dull clang of wood against metal and a panicked grunt as the other man got caught off foot. He dropped his sword and tried to grapple Alex to the ground, but Alex had found his bearings. With a better grasp of the man's anatomy he drew Nychta against the armor gap in his pit, then vanished her to his inventory. Her length made her unwieldy in these conditions. Instead, he pulled his gun and shot the man's face point blank.

Congratulations! You have thwarted a Kill-Quest!

+20,000 Essence Crystals

Eilert Haas - Level 39 Dark Prowler

Status Deceased

Blood splattered Alex's hand. Then the veil of darkness lifted, leaving only smoke, which began to thin too as it had been a weak casting. Frowning at the name, Alex turned on his phone's flashlight and knelt, lifting the man's helm to…

Well, his face was too fucked up to really tell him anything, but yeah, it was him. Eliert was never so strong that he'd ever be Nightmare material. He'd been a reject like Alex, and he was neither a vampire nor a professional assassin. despite how "mysterious" the organization name sounded, the Umbral Court… Well, the Umbral Court actually didn't exist, strictly speaking. With this guy dead, it never would. How ironic. Imagine that, in a morning Alex had accomplished what had taken him a month to do…

He grunted in pain as he moved to unclip the bullet-shield from Eliert's body. Now that his adrenaline had faded, he noticed the state of his pommel-smashed shoulder. No broken bones, but it was bruised to hell and back. "And I guess that's your legacy, you sick fuck."

"Alex!"

Right. Gloomy.

Alex stood, facing her as she came stomping up through the smoke. The only reason the battle had even lasted this long was because of her.

"What the hell were you doing, Gloomy?!"

"Do you always have to get in my way, Alex?!"

They'd spoken at the same time, and just stared at each other. Her words left him so dumbfounded he didn't know what to say, then he noticed tufts of Eliert's blond hair in her fist.

Gloomy coughed. "This smoke…"

"It'll clear soon," Alex said, "But we can drag his body out…"

She strode past him, ignoring first looting rights once again. There was zero point in pressing the issue and Alex had already taken the bullet shield—mostly undamaged, since his last shot was fired within its radius. More importantly…

Alex opened his mouth, then closed it. His dangersense had faded but that alarm that had gone off in his head was still ringing. He walked up to an alarm enchantment hanging by a tree and—which was practically useless for a man with his trait. Unsure how to turn it off, he just snapped it, wincing again at his injured shoulder.

This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

"Damn it, Gloomy!" he cursed. "You need to tell me if you're going to put yourself in danger like that!"

"Hah?! How is this my fault? Grow up! it's only a bruise."

"It could've easily been more than a bruise! Don't you know I'm obligated to protect you?"

She jerked to her feet, clearly bristled. "Oh, so you thought I needed protection, is that right? Well I didn't you old ox! You're the one who put that restraint on yourself. It's not my fault you're trying to hog all the essence!"

"It's called trying to end things quickly," he told her.

She just rolled her eyes. Of course she wouldn't listen. Alex was needlessly riling himself up, so he walked off to cool his head. It was night, as it always was these days, and the wind carried an uncomfortable chill this fine morning. The adrenaline from being rudely woken had worn off, and now he could really feel the cold settling in his bones. He found a tree and traced the clawed marks engraved in its bark. He'd been keeping an eye out and had called for a rest the moment he'd spotted them. One way or another, things would end today.

He glanced back at Gloomy. She had frozen, her expression pensive.

"What? You find another relic on him or something?"

"No…" She said, "Just more paths."

Alex grimaced. Things… would end today, but there was still a proper order. Short of handing over his path-forger's stone, Alex would give negotiation a fair shot. Maybe she'd surprise him. But he didn't hold out hope. And the second he told her he was after her quest, she'd know he aimed to kill her. So before that…

Gloomy sneered as Alex walked over. "Done with your beauty sleep?"

"Even I'd have trouble getting back to sleep after that," he said. "Besides, we have other important business."

"And what's that?"

"We need to practice our teamwork."

"No."

She crossed her arms, daring him to say more, and he could just taste how ready she was to pounce on any excuse to pick a fight.

"It's been five days, Gloomy. Your vampires are nowhere to be seen."

"Yeah, I fucking noticed. No thanks to you, Alex. Wretched crow."

"Damn it, Gloomy. Don't you see what this means? If they're taking this long, it means they're marshalling a large-scale offense! It won't just be a lone assassin this time. Not even just a handful!"

Gloomy hid it well, but her eyes widened just a smidge, and even under the moonlight, he swore she went a little paler. Alex had just been trying to scare her, but the fact that she so readily believed it was briefly unsettling.

"They are coming for you," he affirmed, "And look, I'm probably getting in your way somehow as much as you're getting in mine—I understand that. I'm not asking you to like me. You want to kill me when all this is over? Take your shot, but you have to get there first. If we don't start working together—"

"I don't need your help, Alex! I've never needed your help! I'm not some pitiful weakling who can't fight her own battles!"

Gloomy snapped to her feet in a flurry of rage. She only came up only to his chest, yet she glared up with such unbridled defiance. Alex returned the look. "That sounds exactly like something someone who's weak would say."

"I said I'm not—"

"You might not be weak, but you are weak-minded, Gloomy!" Alex shouted. He felt his blood rushing to his head, his rage becoming real. "If you really saw yourself as strong, you wouldn't have to keep fucking repeating it! And you wouldn't say it like a child in denial! You think you're not weak?! Then puff out your chest and tell me that with some fucking pride! Tell me you're—!"

Alex suddenly stopped. Gloomy looked aghast, more damaged by this than anything else he'd ever said to her. Her eyes scrunched in the corners with the same look Alyssa always had when she was about to cry. But Gloomy wasn't Alyssa; that look quickly gave way to a searing hatred that assaulted Alex's senses. She stomped off. He dragged his hand down his face, thinking about what he'd been about to say.

Tell me you're strong.

This wasn't good. Being woken by a blade always put Alex in the wrong sort of mood. But he shook himself out of it as Gloomy returned, fully outfitted in her leather armor. None of this was some whimsy, and he could see it in her face, a kindred determination. She knew she couldn't go on like she had been either. It made Alex wary.

Gloomy had never once let her guard down around him, despite her youth. That might not have mattered if she were a simple warrior, but she was a witch and all contracts had their loopholes. She might have an ace up her sleeve that could help her escape, or worse. Too many things weren't right with her. It was time to drag her secrets out into the open.

"I have conditions," Gloomy said.

Alex shook his head. "Look, I already know you're a witch. There's not a lot left that could shock me, is there? And if we're pressed by our assailants, it'll just come out during battle anyway. So take me to hunt some ghouls or something—you can even choose the spot, as long as it's not far. Then we can practice a combo or two and call it a day. How about that?"

She looked at him skeptically.

"Remember the contract? If there's one time you don't need to worry about me backstabbing you, it's during battle."

She glowered, but accepted the logic, leading the two of them into the mists. As they went, Alex continuously searched the trees for scratch marks, leaving behind a wooden slat whenever he saw one.

Two hours later, cleaving Nychta through the head of a ghoul, he glanced beside him at Gloomy. She moved faster and hit harder than someone at level should. Since she was level capped at 19 until she chose her class, she couldn't have gained that power in Nightmare. But the System simply measured and organized what already existed, so core concepts were the same with or without it. Including her endless stamina, all of Gloomy's physical attributes were high enough that Alex might've thought she'd focused solely on improving her physicality… if she weren't a witch.

If it's a bloodline… maybe Apex Hunter?

He pretended to struggle with the next two ghouls, watching her out of the corner of his eye. She stabbed a ghoul with that strange dagger-relic of hers and it shimmered as a trace of blood seemingly got sapped into the steel… then disappeared. She'd done that to every dead and undead thing they'd come across and he still had no clue what that did.

It wasn't Apex Hunter in anycase, she didn't have the natural instincts and her handling of the dagger was clumsy. There were too many options that were far more likely. And too many to narrow down.

Three minutes later, Alex stood over a handful of dead ghouls, watching them dissipate into ashes. He glanced at the nearby trees, confirming the territory markers were still there.

Gloomy came over. "Satisfied?"

No, Alex thought. They'd pretty much stopped trying to fight together from the very start, after he realized how pointless it was. She had only used the capabilities of her relics, and had stubbornly avoided revealing anything beyond that. But he'd expected as much so he nodded his answer.

"Yes, that's good enough. Shall we head back—"

Suddenly, he was interrupted as a powerful roar boomed from within the forest. A shiver went down his spine, then the mountain shivered from thudding footsteps. Undead birds fled from canopies, and amongst them Alex saw the one he was looking for.

"Alex!" Gloomy hissed. "Something's approaching!"

About damn time.

Behind his back, he held a perverted enchantment with two simple runes: Detect and Warn. That was all that was needed, given whose territory they'd encroached on. Trees cracked and groaned as something massive made a mad charge in their direction. It was too late to get out of its way, and a seed of doubt—of fear—wormed its way into Alex's mind.

This had been the only way. His contract forced him to protect Gloomy during battle. She would never show her hand as long as that was the case, so there was only one way he could think of to put her through the wringer:

He picked a fight with something they'd both struggle to beat.

UNDEAD CHIMIK Lordling - Lvl 54

* * *

Request for Spectatorship of Wild Boss Encounter 3,489 has been processed.

Request Granted.

Scenario Model: Path of Buried Ghosts, Misting Valleys

Progress:

13 days, 3 hours, 28 minutes, 6 seconds

16 days, 20 hours, 31 minutes, 54 seconds until the Scenario Three ends.

BATTLE

Alex Smith and [ERROR] vs Undead Chimik Lordling

THIS IS A SYSTEM-HOSTED BATTLE. UNSANCTIONED BETS AND INTERFERENCE WILL NOT BE TOLERATED.

Please Enjoy.

* * *

The Constellations have taken interest in your fight.

At the notification, Alex searched the skies again but a cacophony of yipping cheers and shrill howls stole his attention. The Chimik Lordling barreled through the last of the trees between them and it, rearing back on its hind legs to unleash malevolent roar.

It was the picture of its smaller brethren in almost all ways: its eyes were red and beady, its hind legs outstretched its body like a jerboa's. It's tail was spindly and dexterous, and its snout was elongated like an opossum's, with a maw that stretched its entire length. Its lines of teeth culminated in two sharp, deadly fangs—not to be shown up by it's razor claws.

But that was where the similarities ended. Because this was the mother. And unlike her children, she towered twenty feet tall on her hind legs, and all those terrible features were scaled up to size—including her pouch, which ran crooked along both sides of her spine like fault lines on a rocky volcano. Countless beady eyes peeked out, craving flesh.

"Gloomy—Listen closely! We'll flank—"

"Good luck!" She shouted.

Alex watched Gloomy turn her back, skidding frantically down the mountain. Before he could even warn her, the Lordling's roar cut short, and one by one, her children shot from her pouch. They spread-eagled in the air, webbing outstretched between their limbs as they coasted the breeze in chase.

You never turned your back on a gang of rabid chimiks—and especially not if the mother was present. Alex kept his sword pointed at the mother, menacingly. They locked eyes as he slowly shifted in the direction Gloomy had gone.

Never turn your back on…

Alex's soul began to sear from his contract. He grimaced, then ran after Gloomy, compulsion overriding his instincts. He literally couldn't let her fend for herself. Not against a threat like chimiks.

He'd expected the mother; He hadn't expected her whole brood to come with her!

But his lament didn't undo the damage of that sacred Chimik law. By turning his back, he established that the chimik Lordling was his predator, and now no amount of intimidation would undo that. She unleashed a higher-pitched roar, and the song of her children's yipping changed melody to a war cry. Their flapping wings accentuated their song like the beats of a drum as even more went flying after him.

Following his dangersense he halted his momentum down the mountain, turning on his heel. Nythca gave him a path to follow, and he swung upwards, meeting the claws of three chimiks. He ducked, letting their momentum carry them over, and sliced them through their bellies. He twisted back up, avoided a fourth and fifth chimik honing in on his left side. Nychta's path continues and their snout-like heads rolled down the mountain past him.

Level 15 Chimik has been Cleansed!

Level 17 Chimik has been Cleansed!

Why are even these ones high-level?!

Alex swung and swung his sword again, the path continuing. The path never ended. Chimiks didn't relent, their numbers endless, their care for their lives null next to their care for the pack. Green blood splattered his new shiny chest piece. Red beady eyes stared at him like a storm of stars in the night sky. More of the fuckers launched up from the Lordling's pouch and Alex knew right then that he would get nowhere like this.

Moreover, he couldn't leave Gloomy alone. He turned his back once more on the mother, and he felt—more than saw—the Lordling's maw twisting in an ugly smile.

Stealth

He lost her gaze, for now, but there was a promise to her intent: she would find him once more. So be it. Let her think he was hers for prey. Let her come to regret it.

He twisted through the forest at breakneck pace. Gloomy had a head start on him and was somehow faster to boot, but efficient footwork triumphed over raw speed on uneven terrain. It wouldn't be long before he reached her. But it still could be too late.

No, she'll be fine. She had a stealth skill of her own and a relic that could turn her immaterial—however briefly. And hell, even if she did kick it, the contract had no punishment clause should he fail to protect her. It just… felt wrong to let it happen like this. It was probably the compulsion lodged in his soul that made him feel that way.

Further down hill, Alex started coming across the decaying corpses of chimiks. When he saw a dozen or two congregated in a small swarm, he pushed his perceptions stat, focusing on a human-sized blur of movement in their center. His second instinct was to overwrite his first and tell himself Gloomy wasn't really there. He trusted his gut, and then saw through her Stealth.

"Fuck off, Alex!" She yelled. "I don't need your—"

A chimik flew at her head—a three-foot condensed ball of fur and fury. Gloomy turned immaterial, grabbed its tail as it passed through her, then slammed it against a tree hard enough to crush its skull, which is enough to kill most undead. But there were still countless more. They swarmed around her in a flurry. She dodged as many as she could, weaving between claws and snapping jaws, but even with her small frame and relic, she still collected shallow gashes across her skin.

Rather, it almost seemed like she invited them from time to time with how reckless her movements were. Her performance wasn't anything so graceful as a dance. She moved like a boxer, ducking and weaving, accepting blows, and for every scrape she took, her dagger found purchase in another chimik's flesh, sapping its life and leaving droplets of green blood floating against gravity like aimless bubbles.

Despite what Gloomy said, Alex decided his help was welcome and quickly stepped in. But the chimiks seemed to swarm in greater numbers without end. An especially beady-eyed one narrowed in on Gloomy's neck just as she came back into physical form. Alex dove in, slicing it apart and dicing as many others as he could. He tried to avoid their claws. Nythca could pass through organic matter just fine, but it wasn't as effortlessly through touch keratin or chitinous material as it was through flesh.

One of them wove past his sword faster than he could react, forcing him to slam his metal-helmed head into it, then subsequently cleansing it. Another latched onto his neck for a bare second before he threw it off. He'd never really been great against small, swarming creatures, but he'd be damned if he was going to struggle against some stupid chimiks!

"I thought I told you to fuck off!" Gloomy yelled. She twisted beneath the sweep of his sword, skewering a chimik between the eyes.

Alex cursed as he stumbled to twist around her, clipping another in its wings. "And I thought I told you I'm contracted—" he grunted, swinging upward, "—to protect you!"

"I don't need your protection!" she said as a chimik scraped her neck.

"Are you fucking kidding me?" he said, protecting her from the next.

"You're just getting in my way!"

Alex nearly tripped over her feet as they blurred into shadows. "No, you're getting in my way! Your stealth's doing jack shit to help you—turn it off!"

"Don't tell me—" She cut off, snatching and tearing the head off a squealing little one. "—Devil! Just go take care of the mother already!"

"Huh?! What makes you think I can take that thing alone?!"

"Can't you?!"

What? Why the hell did she think that? It was a Chimik Lordling for christ's sake! Was that why she had abandoned him instead of aiding him? She was contracted to, so it had to be. Forget contractual loopholes, her perception was so skewed it was a loophole in itself.

Alex raked another chimik's claws off the blunt side of his sword. "Fucking hell, Gloomy! Even I have my limits!"

"Don't lie to me!" She yelled back. "And fuck off already and let me do my—"

They both heard the loud thwoom sound at once. They stopped, catching their breaths—more winded by their argument than their battle. As they took in the slaughter of chimiks that lay around them, they only just realized they'd stopped coming. Then a shadow fell over them, and they turned to the sky.

In the heat of the moment, Alex had forgotten one fact. The big one can fly too. "Gloomy! Listen to me this time! Whatever you do, don't turn your back—"

Gloomy ran, and Alex cursed, sprinting after her. Further down the mountain they went, with more yipping screams and howling chimiks hurtling after them. But this time, the mother wasn't going to let her children hog all the fun. With her springy hind legs, she vaulted down the mountain to reach them in a single leap.

Alex and Gloomy threw themselves aside in opposite directions, dodging her. But chimiks were dexterous. She wrapped her tail around a thick tree, swinging and redirecting herself back toward them.

No—toward Gloomy.

Where Alex had flung himself, he was too far away. His compulsion sent him to his feet regardless as he tried to reach her, but there was nothing he could do but watch. The Lordling's claws swiped at incredible speeds to rip the girl to shreds.

At least, until the Chimik Lordling suddenly froze. Alex saw it's longest claw draw a pinprick of blood at Gloomy's throat. Then he saw the doll in her hand. Not carved from wood, but… woven from hair. Chimik hair. When did she gather all that?

The First Scenario, Alex guessed, but it didn't matter at the moment. By the time he reached Gloomy, the Lordling seemed to be straining against some invisible constraints he couldn't perceive. Her outstretched claw shook strenuously. Gloomy was frozen too for some reason, so Alex tackled her, sending them both tumbling down the mountain just as the monster and its claws hurtled past where they'd been.

Despite being undead, the chimik children who'd watched what unfolded all swerved, changing direction to check on their mother in concern. Alex, on the other hand, had no doubt she was already rounding back for another blow and immediately entered Stealth.

Gloomy stumbled to her feet, spitting dirt. "Damn it, Alex! Couldn't you have been more gent—"

He covered her mouth. "Don't shout," he hissed. "This is our chance to buy some time to talk."

Gloomy nodded, slipping into stealth with him but before she could run off, he grabbed her wrist.

"Not back to the path," he said.

"Not to the… oh, may God strike you, Alex… you wanted this to—"

"No, it's not that," he interrupted. He searched for the words to explain himself, and even as he did, he heard a distant howl; sensed a searching, seeking presence. "There's a reason you never turn your back on a Lordling Chimik."

"Hah?"

"They're creatures of the hunt. As long as she thinks we're prey, she'll always be able to find us, and she'll just do so faster if we turn tail back toward our path. It's their innate ability once they become Lordlings. We only have a minute more at best, and that's if we stay still."

"Then go kill it, Alex," Gloomy hissed. "Why are you making such a fuss?"

He stared at her blankly. "Gloomy."

"What?"

He shook his head. "Why, in all the gods' names would you think I could kill a Chimik Lordling twenty levels above me?"

It was her turn to stare blankly. "Cause you're fucking creepy, that's why."

"I'm… Gloomy, what are you…" Alex sighed, feigning disappointment and hiding the trace of the hubris her opinion made him feel.

"Fucking what?" she snapped.

"I'm contracted to protect you—"

"By the blood of the moon, I know that! You don't have to keep—"

"Ssshhh!" He hushed her, sighing. "You don't get it, do you? I didn't know you had the ability, that—whatever you pulled back there."

"Well, obviously," she said. "So what?"

"So I didn't reach you in time. Despite being contracted to protect your life?"

"Oh." she mouthed. "Oh fuck."

"Yes, oh fuck," he told her. "Where has your head been all this time? Can't you see we're in a pinch here?"

"Shut up!" she snapped, "You shouldn't offer something you can't even do, you— you damn—"

"Sshh!" Alex covered her mouth again. "Don't—"

It was too late. They looked up and a massive shadow passed over them once again. So be it. The time to make good on his promise and show this fucker who's top… top Chimik? Whatever, the time was now.

"I know what I said, Gloomy. But I really do think we can beat her together. It's our best chance. So will you promise me not to run?" he said.

He removed his hand from her mouth and found himself seeing the girl as more of an equal than he had before. They met eyes. A moment passed, but in that moment, they saw each other—perhaps more than they had all week.

Alex shared a twinge of a smile.

Gloomy smirked.

The monstrous chimik landed in front of them, roaring. He leveled his sword.

"No," Gloomy said suddenly. "But I can promise I'll be back."

Alex whirred around only to find her missing.

God fucking da—