Count Vhaernos had to be doing 200 miles per hour as he shot toward me. If not for my enhanced vision, he might have smashed right through me before I even realized he was around.

  No doubt he had ghostly minions watching the area and had spotted my battle with Syvelis. Fine. I might have lost the countess, but Vhaernos clearly had no intention of fleeing. Worked for me. I gladly focused all my frustrated anger on the new target.

  I accelerated right at him and set Tether Slide again, aiming the ethereal golden grapple for Count Vhaernos’s face. The huge fiery nymph lord had to be 3 times bigger than Nextharos, his entire body rimmed in crimson flames, and he held his enormous, giant flaming sword over his head, ready to smash me apart in a single hit.

  His gravelly voice, magnified like thunder, shook the area as we closed at insane speeds. First came a rolling laugh, then he said, “The sight of that spineless Syvelis fleeing from a human is a boon I will treasure forever, but you should have run. Even if I must deliver you to my queen with no attached limbs, your fate is sealed.”

  “I accept your challenge,” I shouted back, activating my Atreides title to make the contest an official duel.

  As we streaked toward each other like kamikaze fighter pilots, I triggered Tether Slide’s Implacable ability, doubling my speed. I tossed my blades back into my inventory, replacing them with Earthshaker Maul, the 3000 pound head already raised to mimic Vhaernos’s blade.

  In response, Vhaernos unleashed a firestorm of white-hot fire that exploded in front of him like the reverse tail of a comet. Intense flames totally engulfed me, making it hard to see the oversized, burly nymph lord closing in.

  It would have worked great if I wasn’t immune to fire. We smashed together so hard the world seemed to explode. I did activate the Core-stone of the Arcane Flux magical shield above my head to help deal with that enormous sword that he swiped down with a mighty heave just as I unleashed all my strength and momentum and lingering anger through my maul.

  As I swung, I triggered my Goliath title to double my strength, my Alexander title to add 25% maximum damage per title, and triggered that recently-created unique spell Devastation stored in my Tome of Callback. All of it channeled directly through my 3000 pound weapon as I smashed it into his giant chest, with the entire hit magnified another 500% by Implacable.

  Vhaernos took the hit as if expecting it to bounce off. Honestly, he probably expected the flames to have already charbroiled me pretty good or, at minimum, distracted me from hitting back properly.

  Instead, he basically exploded into a cloud of bloody mist. His giant, flaming sword still smashed into my Arcane Flux shield, shattered it, then drove right through the ethereal barrier of my Embersteel helmet as well. It proceeded to blast apart the final invisible helmet generated by my goggles too.

  His blade actually cracked my skull, but didn’t drive deep. The impact still knocked me back-somersaulting even as I kept flying forward. The multi-layered protection had been enough to keep me from getting my head split apart. Barely. It still hurt. A lot. More than a wound that size should have.

  My brain screamed with pain and I lost control over Water Flight and fell to the center of a ruined street, not far from one of the crouching demon intersection markers.

  “Auckland!” I swore between clenched teeth as I willed the giant sword still sticking out the top of my head into my inventory so I could regenerate. A river of healing power flooded in from my Tesla Coil bracelet, but my brain still hurt with white-hot pain.

  I was immune to fire, so what was going on? I cast Harvest, Loot, and Soul Feed even as I dropped to my knees, clutching my head. The bloody bits that had been a mighty count dissolved into stinky black smoke, while an ocean of white energy poured into me and boiled up into my brain.

  Most of it got consumed healing that tiny break in my skull. How was that possible? On a hunch, I checked my inventory and scanned the description of the greatsword.

  Blazemaw. Legendary. The perfect blade for a monster who loves slaughter. This massive greatsword with its jagged, flame-scorched edge is said to yearn for the taste of hot blood. The core of the blade is fused with an elemental emberstone, allowing it to unleash torrents of spectral fire. That's it. Sometimes a single concept, pushed to the ultimate evolution, is the best possible solution. The blade is not only a weapon of destruction but also a symbol of Vhaernos’s relentless, consuming rage.

  Passive Effect: Everburning Tyrant. The sword radiates an aura of oppressive heat, making nearby enemies feel drained and sluggish.

  Active Ability: Infernal Cleave. When swung, Blazemaw unleashes a scything arc of ghostly fire, searing through both flesh and spirit.

  Legendary Trait: Devouring Pyre. A fatal strike causes the victim’s body to combust into spectral flames, turning their very essence into fuel for Vhaernos’ power.

  “You tricky devil,” I growled as the pain in my head slowly subsided. I took a deep breath and glanced up at the spot where Count Vhaernos had died. “You almost got me too.”

  I should have prepared for the fact that the huge blade might deal direct spiritual damage. I had loved slicing monsters apart with Soulrend, but it wasn’t nearly as fun on the receiving end. If he’d sheared any deeper into my skull, he might have killed me. At minimum, it would have taken a helluva lot more healing to set right. Spiritual damage, especially in a vital area like the brain, was no joke.

  A welcome announcement distracted me from the grim thoughts.

  Congratulations, Lucas! You have defeated Count Vhaernos Dreadtide, the Scorched Tyrant. Level 99 Noble Brute Fire Nymph Lord. Experience doubled for winning in a single-combat duel. You have won his titles, holdings, and property and are recognized as the legal head of house Dreadtide.

  Congratulations, Lucas! For one-shotting one of the most powerful stage-4 monsters while still on stage 3, you receive a diamond Monster Hunter loot box.

  Congratulations, Lucas! Experience gained from defeating Count Vhaernos, coupled with your other experience streams have gained you another new level. You have reached level 46. Stat points allocated, plus 6 free points.

  Perfect. I was almost to the vital level 50 milestone. At this rate, I’d easily win those last 4 levels before we had to assault stage 4.

  That was 2 major brain traumas back to back, though. If not for superhuman regeneration, I’d worry I might end up with permanent brain damage. With my brain working again, I glanced back up at the spot where Count Vhaernos had exploded.

  “What just happened?” As awesome and satisfying as smashing the huge fire nymph lord to paste with a single mighty hit was, I’d done way more damage than I expected. Had he just been a paper tiger?

  “You just gave your fans a show to remember!” Cyrus laughed. “Way to stack your abilities, buffs, and advantages to a whole new level.”

  Then it hit me. Vhaernos was a fire lord. With my abilities that stacked on extra damage all jumping recently to level 15, my total damage potential was through the roof.

  I laughed and pumped my Maul into the air in victory. I should have thought through the ramifications of all those level-ups a bit more. My Fire Hand ability that I got after defeating Ashkaroth down on stage 2 gave me a whopping 50% more damage per level against monsters who used fire mana. It had been a nice, but mostly forgettable ability since I hadn’t fought many other fire-based monsters and the level had been so low.

  Now that ability helped me deal a staggering 750% extra damage to fire-based monsters. That was on top of the fact that my Strength was already nearly tripled due to my Alpha title bonus per follower and the extra boost since it was night time. Then I’d doubled my Strength again, added another 550% damage from my 22 titles, and piled on another 300% damage from my Heavy Weapons ability.

  My new Court Assassin title doubled my damage again, and added another 150% on top of that for having defeated 3 other nobles from their same world. All of that was before I added the might of that triple-stacked synergized spell, magnified by my Force Weaver ability, which doubled the spells’ starting power, then further boosted that power by another 225% before then adding on yet another 300% pure kinetic damage. All of that multi-stacked, many-times-boosted power was all focused through the 3000 pound head of the Maul, magnified again by 500% through my Implacable aura.

  I wasn’t sure how all of those boosts stacked and multiplied each other, but all those percentages added up to thousands of percentage points of more damage. The results were nothing short of mind-blowing. I’d one-shotted a monster who would have slaughtered me even a couple days ago. That was some seriously awesome power leveling.

  This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

  “Cyrus, I think I’m finally starting to understand the potential of everything we’ve been doing together. My class and these boosting abilities and titles just stacked way more than I ever imagined.”

  “Right?” Cyrus laughed, breaking his recent reservation about speaking with me much. He sounded even more eager than usual, as if the enforced quiet had been straining his self control. “With great power comes the ability to put on an epic show!”

  I chuckled. “Spider Man’s uncle would cringe to hear you butcher that famous line so badly.”

  “Not if he was watching the show,” Cyrus retorted with another delighted laugh. “I need to buy more stock in popcorn if you’re going to keep delivering like this.”

  “Is popcorn a thing in the multiverse?”

  “Not yet, but by the time I’m finished, it will be.”

  I smiled again, but my mind was still racing with the implications of what I’d just done. The higher Efficiency in my stats was massively boosting my base power, and all the magnifiers I now enjoyed were turning even everyday hits into potentially critical strikes. I needed to make sure I included as many of those magnifiers as possible in every fight moving forward.

  Another notification popped up.

  Congratulations, Lucas! For defeating Count Vhaernos, you have released the captured souls he kept enslaved to his will, acting as his ethereal minion spies. They have reunited with their split souls held in captivity in his holding cells below Queen Marisara’s castle. With the shackles lifted, they have 1 hour to wreak vengeance on all sentient life they find before fading into the eternal worlds. In recognition of your service, you receive a diamond Ghostbusters loot box.

  I laughed. Two diamond loot boxes from one fight! That might be a first. I applied my 6 free points to Constitution and Strength again. Dexterity was falling a bit behind, but I’d needed the survivability of Constitution and the raw power of Strength more lately.

  I summoned King Corvath’s Luxury Throne of the Bastion and relaxed on the soft, comfortable throne with a sigh of relief. A moment’s work with my Voidscript Finbone Quill and a small block of wood got me a rune-generated dome shield to hold off the rain, allowing me to relax even more.

  I consumed a meatball sub and another bucket of fries, then a couple steins worth of Sam’s delicious Dewdancer Lager. Feeling so much better, I made a beckoning gesture and grinned.

  “Bring out the loot.”

  The 2 huge, glittering diamond loot boxes appeared hovering in the air in front of me, casting shafts of rainbow lights across the dismal ruins. I was tempted to find a stairway down to Echo City to rest, but I didn’t want to take the time and energy. If another of Queen Marisara’s court wanted to crash my party, they were more than welcome. I’d be happy to experiment multi-stacking more damage multipliers on their faces.

  I did pause to check my messages. Sure enough, I got nothing else from the court chats other than a single message from Marshal Thalorian himself, directed at Count Tydrion.

  Thalorian: I do not know how you stole access to this account, but know that you are marked. Countess Syvelis swears that you somehow defeated both Tydrion and Nextharos and she barely escaped with her life. No longer will I allow my queen to toy with you. Know that your remaining hours are numbered. I will hunt you down and remove your head. That alone will be delivered to my queen. This I swear on my honor.

  So all my machinations had shaken up the court pretty well. What extra havoc might the ghostly minions of Vhaernos be causing as I sat in my comfortable throne? The thought warmed me more than Sam’s ale.

  I’d love to try twisting the situation around to my favor again, but no doubt Syvelis could show him the messages she got about the duel.

  Lucas: Bring it any time, Marshal. Syvelis is a coward and I will require her to return to duel me again. Once I remove her head, you’re welcome to challenge me too.

  Thalorian: She will meet you. Do not trouble yourself about that, only about the short span remaining to your life.

  Lucas: Funny. That’s what Vhaernos just said. He was wrong too.

  I probably shouldn’t have revealed I’d already killed Vhaernos, but it felt great. And they were probably already getting a swarm of angry ghosts in the face, so they’d figure out Vhaernos had lost control over his minions sooner rather than later.

  Thalorian didn’t answer. That was kind of disappointing. I sent a direct message to Syvelis.

  Lucas: Countess Coward, get back down here and finish this duel.

  She did respond immediately.

  Countess Syvelis: I do not know how you forced me into a duel, but I refuse to acknowledge your right.

  Lucas: You’re not the only one who can force people into a compromising situation. Go ahead and ignore the time limit. I’m happy to take your titles, domain, and possessions by default anyway.

  Countess Syvelis: I would never agree to wager so much.

  Lucas: Too bad. Let me know when you’re ready, but don’t wait too long or I might not be able to fit you in.

  Countess Syvelis: You impudent slave!

  I really wanted to annoy her, but the wily nymph devil would never lose control badly enough to rush back down here to attack me. I wanted her titles and domain, but I wanted that censer relic more. I’d get another chance at Syvelis one way or the other, but I couldn’t afford to risk not finishing the quest.

  Lucas: I’m willing to make a deal. You don’t want your titles and domain included in our duel. I want that relic you stole from this level. Hand that over and I’ll reduce the stakes of the duel.

  Actually, I had no idea if I could do that, but I wasn’t about to tell her that.

  Countess Syvelis: I will take your offer under advisement.

  Lucas: Fine. I withdraw my offer.

  Countess Syvelis: No you don’t. You need this relic. I will be in touch.

  She didn’t say the obvious. She could easily pass the relic to someone else or just leave it on stage 4 when we met again. That way, even when I defeated her, I wouldn’t get it. No, she’d twist that bit of leverage to the max.

  And I had no doubt, she was already plotting an ambush or other means of attack to take me by surprise. In a straight-up duel, I’d wreck her, so she had no motivation to face me again. The time limit would force it, unless she could get someone to kill me first.

  So maybe I’d get the chance to take out someone else from the court. I’d have to stay alert for an assassination attempt, or another forced teleportation trap.

  If I played my cards right, I could still get the censer. I’d dealt some pretty major blows to Queen Marisara’s organization, but they were far from defeated. If anything, Thalorian and Syvelis were both motivated to kill me now more than ever.

  As confident as I felt facing any of the other court members, the marshal still scared me. I’d prefer racking up a few more kills so my Court Assassin title granted me as much extra damage boost as possible before I met him again. He probably wouldn’t come after me personally, but I couldn’t rule out the possibility.

  I considered the best ways to prepare against traps or ambushes from Syvelis or the marshal, but there were too many variables to make any concrete plans yet. For now, I turned back to my loot boxes. The glittering, diamond Monster Hunter loot box opened with a typical crescendo of fanfare, then exploded in shards of multi-colored light before fading and leaving behind a tiny shield-shaped piece of metal and a single scroll. I laughed when I saw the description of the little metal shield.

  Fyrvaldir Cuirass of the Berserker. Rare. Part 4 of 5. Attach to your Embersteel Battle Helm shard to double the entire set’s defense and extend protection around your entire torso. Gain the new ability Breach Spear.

  Breach Spear. Epic. If the ethereal defenses are broken, automatically release an explosive invisible spear of pure force targeting the nearest enemy. Collect the final piece of the Fyrvaldir set to unlock the ultimate set bonus and become a universally-feared juggernaut.

  Note: Synergy discovered between Embersteel defense, your convergence mana, and tier-1 Mana Control. Gain the additional ability Standing Bastion.

  Standing Bastion. Rare. Draw directly from your mana pool to extend Embersteel shielding to create free-standing energy shields that last for 15 seconds.

  “Very cool.” I could see a lot of uses for that last new ability. It could have helped me block off avenues of attack against Nextharos in the canal. Even better, I could use it to help protect my team during a big fight.

  Now the Embersteel Battle Helm was more like an invisible suit of power armor that covered everything but my legs. It was nice to know my groin had another powerful defensive layer. And that was just the first piece of loot. I turned to the scroll with high hopes.

  Ability Scroll. Gain the new tier-1 ability Victor’s Rights. Legendary. Level 1. You’ve defeated more than half a dozen enemies from higher-tiered worlds, proving you can take from the strong and keep the best loot for yourself. Now combine that loot into something even better. With your history of mighty victories, coupled with your class’s unique synergistic abilities, here’s your chance.

  Once per day, sacrifice an item to transfer 1 enchantment from it to a similar item within 1 quality grade. 10% chance per level for the enchantment to be altered slightly to best fit the new item.

  Note: Due to your Intergalactic Guardian title, starting level increased to 2.

  “Whoa,” I breathed as I read the scroll. My first brand new tier-1 ability. The scroll flashed, and knowledge filtered into my mind, confirming I’d read it right. This was awesome!

  My inventory was getting pretty full of amazing gear, and almost everything had at least 1 enchantment that I totally loved. Most of the gear were honestly not things I expected to make part of my core build, but now I could pull enchantments from gear I wouldn’t use much to make my core gear even better.

  Having to destroy the gear I took the enchantment from kind of sucked. If the item had more than one enchantment, the rest would be lost. Then again, once I took the enchantment from the item, it wouldn’t be as great anyway and I’d probably just sell it.

  I definitely planned to think long and hard about how best to leverage this new ability. Maybe my team would have some good ideas.

  That 1 box alone would have left me feeling well rewarded from the fight, especially since I got vaults from both Nextharos and Vhaernos that would probably contain at least some good stuff. I’d never say no to another diamond loot box, though.

  The Diamond Ghostbusters loot box dropped a pair of rings. That made me smile, imagining what Ruby would say if I gifted her another ring. The first was made out of a hard, but non-metallic substance with a smoky blend of light and shadow that gave it an ethereal look, as if it might disperse at any second.

  Moonlight ring of Spirit. Unique. Condensed life force from the freed spectral slaves of Count Vhaernos, melded with beams of moonlight from a Death Night Blood Moon, this ring grants plus 50 to resistance against all spectral, spiritual, ethereal, or ghostly powers.

  That was amazing. I had a lot of great resistances, with a base resistance to most things of 50, but spectral and ethereal attacks were definitely some that I felt most vulnerable to. This ring would help a ton, and would have saved me a massive headache from the spiritual damage from Vhaernos’s sword. I slipped the cool band onto an available finger.

  Bounceback Ring of Justice. Epic. Rebound 100% of a single tier-0 spell or 50% of a tier-1 spell that would otherwise deal more than 50% damage back on the caster. Cooldown: 4 hours.

  Another great win! Diamond loot boxes were just awesome. With the new Bounceback ring added to my Death Catcher Waffles and my Last Chance Ring, my defense against the strongest attacks was looking great. I might just have a chance against the rest of Queen Marisara’s court after all.