These woods are crawling with beasts, I bemoan after our seventh fight of the morning. On the one hand, it’s helping everyone apply their new learning in relatively low-risk fights. On the other, we have more important things to do than clash with every Tier two in the forest. At least the Tier ones without Tier two back-up have been steering clear of us. “How did you guys even manage to make it through to scout?” I ask out loud to the Dragon team.

  The two Warriors, Thiar and Nurisoth, are cleaning off their weapons and Sulir has already left to check for any beasts heading our way, so it’s the mage, Sorya who responds with a wry smile.

  “Smaller numbers are no difficulty for us. Anyway, with just four of us, we’re more able to avoid detection.” Her smile drops and a frown furrows between her brows. “But it’s definitely got worse. I’m glad that you and your Bonded are with us – I doubt the other teams are making much progress anymore if they’re facing the same issues. Yet we haven’t seen any of the rift beasts yet…”

  “Nicholas is there,” I remind her, knowing where her thoughts have gone. I’ve learned in the last few hours that Sorya is actually from Zlona, so she has vested interest in dealing with this beast wave at its source. “I’m sure the city will be fine.” Then I sigh. “Though we do need to find this rift or they won’t be.”

  “Of course, my lord,” she agrees. “Shall we continue?” she asks, a hint of impatience in her voice. I can completely understand it.

  “Let me just heal my companions,” I tell her, already moving over to Bastet who I know was injured in the fight with the alpins – a vicious goat-like creature with venomous horns.

  It got me on the wing, Bastet tells me and I quickly send Flesh-magic to the wound. We’ll save the potions for when I haven’t got the mana to spare. The rest of the minor wounds barely take longer.

  “Alright, we’re ready,” I decide once I’m done. Sulir returned while I was healing my companions and now steps forward.

  “The most likely spot for the rift is higher up in the mountain. There are two main options for routes,” he tells us briskly, unrolling the map and indicating the paths to me as he speaks. “This is topographically an easier route, but will take much longer. Not only is it about three times more distance, but it goes through forests that were full of helvens and greater milas when we went through it before. There are even more of them now.”

  Greater milas are similar to a big cat like a leopard or jaguar. Like the earth variants, they tend to be ambush predators, falling on their prey from above. For us, they’re not too hard to deal with as long as we notice them before they attack. At least my Inspect works fine on them. But we do have to eliminate them or they are likely to attack us from behind.

  “That would take a long time, then,” I muse. It’s already taken us hours to reach approximately halfway to the first possible location of the rift. If it takes us another few hours to make it the rest of the way, we’re definitely not going to be able to check out both spots today if the first proves to be a bust. Which means camping overnight in the woods. I grimace at the thought. “What’s the other option?”

  “Shorter, but perhaps more dangerous, it takes us on a much steeper route, including a section that is a sheer cliff face.” Sulir’s finger traces the pathway. It’s about a third of the distance, but from his description, it’s multiple times more difficult terrain. “I didn’t find any tracks of milas nearby, but there are some helvens and yelnas. Fewer in concentration than the other route, though.”

  Half a bear, half an owl, and the worst and most vicious parts of both, yelnas are creatures that most hunters steer away from if they have the choice.

  “What Tier yelnas?” I ask warily. Given what I’ve heard about Tier two yelnas, I’d hate to see a Tier three. Sulir grimaces.

  “Tier twos.”

  I pull a face. Not as bad as it could have been, but not fun either.

  “How many?”

  Sulir hesitates.

  “It’s hard to say for sure, but at least five.”

  I look at him sharply – and I’m not the only one.

  Yelnas are generally solitary. It’s not beyond the realms of possibility for there to be five in relatively close proximity, but it’s unlikely. Perhaps one of the Tier two yelnas has an Evolution that enables a community to live together? I theorise. Weirder things have happened, though that would probably indicate a particularly powerful variant who would most likely reach Tier three.

  If I’m right, the yelnas are likely to work together which makes them much more dangerous than they usually are. On the other hand, if a Tier three is developing, it will need to be dealt with sooner rather than later.

  Besides, I tell myself, time is our most important resource right now. And the other route wastes a lot of it.

  “Let’s take the shorter route,” I decide, rolling up the map and handing it back to Sulir with finality.

  “Yes, my lord,” Sulir agrees, tucking it away again.

  The two Warriors don’t say anything but push themselves to their feet, their weapons clean and ready to see action again. Nurisoth has also been occupying himself by adding the carcasses to a special storage space he has that doesn’t rip the Energy away at the cost of not being a perfect stasis. It’s a pity we couldn’t bring some of the better storage boxes from the wagon, but they break if they’re put into an Inventory with anything inside them.

  We set off through the trees, moving as quickly as we dare. Noir, Sirocco, and Sulir are our scouts to ensure we’re not surprised by anything, each watching a different plane – Noir glides above the canopy, Sirocco flies between the trees, and Sulir prowls at ground level.

  As expected, the going gets increasingly tough. Leaf-strewn dirt is replaced in places by rocks and gravel-like scree that threatens to slip and send me to the ground. Of course, the felines have no issues. Catch and Pride seem to be having the same difficulty I am.

  Helvens up ahead, Noir warns me, sending an image of a group of the wolf-like creatures, half-seen through the canopy.

  Sirocco, can you get closer? I ask the bird. She sends me back her assent and shortly after I receive a better image. It’s a medium-size pack of nineteen individuals, all Evolved except for the four smallest – three-year-old juveniles. Unusual to see so many Tier twos with so few Tier ones, but not out of the realms of possibility in such a competitive – and cut-throat – environment. Though this is probably one of the strongest helven packs on this mountain.

  I relate what Noir and Sirocco have communicated to those with me, knowing that the three scouts don’t have access to the Bond network. Neither does Sulir, but I have to trust that he’s aware of the danger – he’s experienced enough.

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  They outnumber us, but I’m not worried – this might have been a challenge to me a year ago, but not now. I’m more concerned about the time this will mop up. We’ll need to get through this as quickly as possible.

  Before approaching, we quickly agree on a battle plan. Seal stops my words from tipping the helvens off. Then we start moving again.

  You’re close, warns Noir a few minutes later. They can hear you. He sends me an image of the helvens standing tensely, their pointed ears pricked.

  I nod at my companions and, as agreed, they melt into the undergrowth. Not all of them have magical stealth, but they don’t need it – they’re practised enough at mundane concealment techniques.

  I wait a little until the others have had enough time to get into position. Then, bringing my magic to my fingertips, I pull out my spear. The two Warriors from the Dragon team flank me and Sorya walks just behind.

  Pushing through the bushes, we step out into full view of the pack of helvens. Descriptions and illustrations really don’t do them justice. They look rather like large timber wolves with grey and white brindled fur, pointed ears, long muzzles, and blunt-clawed paws. The smallest helvens stand as tall as my waist and probably as long as I am tall. The Tier twos are almost as tall as I am just when standing on four paws.

  For a moment, they don’t attack. Perhaps they’ve had experience with humans, enough to suspect a trap.

  “I will not attack you if you swear to let us pass peacefully and not to join the beast wave,” I offer with Animal Empathy actively helping me to be understood.

  I know that the Dragon team members still don’t entirely understand why I’m doing this, but I’m determined to at least give the beasts the chance to survive. If a creature proves itself capable of controlling its base instincts enough to resist attacking a group of humans, they’re smart enough that I’m willing to leave them alone. Or even offer them a place in the pack, for all that I don’t want to dramatically expand our numbers right now. And, honestly, in this situation where time is more precious than the Energy from their deaths, I’d rather not get into unnecessary battles. Unfortunately, so far, I’ve only encountered two groups that were wise enough to accept it.

  I can’t hear the communication between the helvens, but I sense it. The front helven, the biggest male of the pack, steps forward, a snarl rumbling in his throat and I tense. Then the slightly smaller one at his side nudges him and he stops. She sidles forwards, her head tilted slightly to one side.

  She doesn’t seem to have any telepathic ability, but I kind of get what she’s intending to say. Still, I have a cheat on my side.

  Kalanthia? Lathani?

  She accepts, and promises to comply, Lathani tells me.

  Careful, Kalanthia warns. I sense resentment. I cannot tell more without extending my domain to cover her. And since doing so would let everyone and their dog know that there’s a powerful Tier three present, I’d rather save that for emergencies.

  Alright, I’ll be careful, I agree. “Very well.” I project to the helven. “Leave peacefully.”

  I keep my grip tight on my spear as the helven begin to shift slowly. Even without Kalanthia’s warning, I would be tense – something doesn’t feel right. And it’s not the first time something has pretended to accept my mercy only to turn around and attack.

  My vigilance pays off – their movements somewhat obscured by the pack padding fluidly around and in front of them, five helvens, including the two leaders, explode out of the pack towards us. Clearly, their attention is to take us by surprise.

  But, they’re the ones surprised. I don’t bother to move – the shield that appears only an inch before me stops the helvens easily enough. I smile grimly at their wide eyes as they splatter on it like it’s a pane of glass.

  My companions don’t need any more cues.

  A blur of black fur crashes into the biggest helven as Lathani strikes. A glimpse of green feathers tells me that Bastet’s also in the fight. The flash of steel on either side and the sudden inability of several helvens to move as their paws are ensnared by vines are the Dragon team joining in battle. That leaves the sly female for me.

  I dismiss the shield – it will take less time to recharge if I don’t wait for it to run out by itself – and thrust my spear at her. Being a Tier two, her reactions are good and she leaps out of the way. Not quite fast enough, though – the tip of my spear rips a gouge in her side and she snarls and leaps away.

  I glance briefly over the rest of the battle. The rest of the helvens have joined the fight – except for the four juveniles and a single Evolved who seem to be actually retreating. I ask Sirocco to keep an eye on them – if they turn around, she’ll kill the juveniles with her Fire Wing at minimum.

  The helven I’m facing lunges at me again, this time blurring faster – she must have some sort of speed enhancement; I bring my spear to bear.

  I could easily kill it within moments – wreck it from the inside with the poison on my blade, burn it alive, open a crevasse below it and consume it, wrap water around its head and drown it, among others. But the rest of the battle is under control and will be done soon enough; I decide that I might as well get some benefit out of this annoying interlude and test my spearmanship in the heat of battle. Instead of magic, I focus on making my strikes ever more effective and efficient, keeping Mathis’ instructions in mind.

  We dance for a while, the helven’s speed enhancement making it more challenging than it would be otherwise. She bleeds easily – no body enhancement in that way – but as her speed keeps increasing, it becomes harder and harder to actually land a blow.

  But that’s fine. It offers me the opportunity to do something else I’m actually a little excited about.

  While for my companions, I commissioned three tattoos each – an unlocking, shield, and offensive ability according to their preferences – for myself, I replaced the offensive ability with two enhancements. And it’s one of those that I activate now for the first time in a genuine battle.

  In less than a second, I almost double in speed. My feet move faster, as do my hands. It only takes me a fraction of a second to adapt to the speed increase – that took a few practice sessions to achieve. The helven, who had previously had the edge, is now a poor shade in comparison. My strikes land, and even though I haven’t activated the power-enhancement tattoo, the sheer fact that I’m moving faster means that more power is delivered to each blow.

  The only thing is that my mind’s processing speed isn’t enhanced too which means I have to be a little careful not to move faster than I can think. Fortunately, since my Intelligence is still drastically above even my combined Strength stat, as long as I focus, I don’t end up stumbling over my toes.

  The female helven’s eyes go wide and she seems to push her own speed to the maximum. I see small tears developing in her skin as she moves faster than her body is actually capable of. For a moment, her speed eclipses my own. But she’s on a timer – either her enhancement will run out, and faster than my own, most likely, or her own body will give up.

  She seems to realise that she’s not going to win this as she backs away very briefly, her head swinging from one side to another.

  I see the moment she acknowledges the carnage that surrounds her – the remains of her pack strewn upon the ground, the last members currently fighting for their lives.

  Tipping into madness, the helven attacks with utter viciousness, willingly accepting blows that previously she would have avoided if only they buy my blood and injury.

  Feeling ever so slightly sorry for the wolf-like creature who made such a stupid choice, and seeing that almost all the other helvens have been put down, I decide to end this.

  With a precise strike to its chest, the helven’s life is brought to an end – and our martial dance with it. She flails for a little longer, desperately trying to reach me with her claws or teeth. If not for the vicious forwards-facing barbs I grow in the bone head of the spear, she would have tried to run up it to get at me.

  But this is the end for her and, before too long, her body accepts it even if her mind doesn’t. She goes limp, her eyes beginning to cloud over in death.

  I sigh heavily and look around the clearing that now stinks of blood and worse things. I shake my head – the helven was smart enough to try to trick me; if only she’d been smart enough to recognise that her pack was utterly outclassed.

  I nod in appreciation at the Dragon team – working together, they accounted for five of the helvens alone. Sorya’s crowd control combined with Nurisoth’s axe and Thiar’s swordwork is a deadly combination. And there are a few arrows sprouting from carcasses – Sulir’s work.

  My target wasn’t the last to die, but there’s little in it. After the final helven expires from the wounds Artemis and Orion have collectively torn into it, silence falls once more, the whistle of wind rustling through the treetops merely making the absence of any other sound even more obvious.

  “Alright everyone,” I say heavily, adrenaline leaving my system. “Anyone hurt, come to me. Otherwise, let’s get the Cores, clean up the carcasses, and then continue moving. We have a rift to find.”

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