Chapter 207

Chapter 207

Blood everywhere. Bodies strewn across the ground, limbs and arms overlapping. Armor reduced to chunks of metal and gaping flesh. A twin blade forged of dark iron and silver edges was cast aside, familiar.

She knelt at the center, both hands poised to compress the big adventurers chest. His head lolled off to the side, his eyes lifeless. But the woman didnt move. Almost like she was petrified. Her dark hair was wild, eyes wide, seeing everything but seeing nothing.

Thud

Thud

Thud

It felt familiar in a way I didnt like. A way that invoked a tunnel and another lone survivor, their world shattered, grasping at the threads to keep going and coming up short. Her hands glowed blue, and an imp manifested outside the palisades, blind rushing down winding the path Id just taken without looking back.

Come on come on come on fucking die already just fucking die- Barely audible words came out in a ceaseless ramble that never fully stopped.

The adventurer the woman tended was on his back, while the other two were on their stomachs, heads angled away from her, nothing before them but a sheer cliff. Ones arm extended upward, hand and fingers curved, as if hed tried to crawl away.

With all the powers, and flight charms, and fancy apartments, it was so easy to forget. That the odds were against us and more often than not, this was how it ended.

Obliteration.

I hated the Order for what theyd done. To Jinny. Sae. And this woman was there. I saw her, loading her kid out of the Escalade, and later, when she did nothing. The next step should have been as simple as checking a box. Crossing a t.

Maybe it was a holdover from whatever Hastur had done to my mind, but I couldnt bring myself to do what Id come here to do.

An alternative solution presented itself.

The Adventurers Guild still holding at the bridge? I asked Talia.

Yes.

Status?

Without the vampire pincer theyre stable, but not making progress. None dead. Some wounded. Probably why theyre not pushing forward. Hoping whatevers manifesting the imps will run out of juice.

Yeah. Im dealing with that.

Then deal with it quickly. Theyve noticed my presence, and are letting me be for now, but that could change at any moment.

Noted. Play it safe.

Good. That meant this could work. But I needed a Plan B. I sent a brief mental prompt to the vampires below and received an answer. One I needed but didnt want.

Another imp manifested beyond the barricade.

I unlaced my gauntlet, revealing Hasturs mark, and placed it in front of the womans face. She took a full second to look at it, then screeched, falling flat on her ass and scampering backward towards the barricade. Magic flowed down her arms and she prepared to cast.

One hand went to my inventory, with the other I extended my palm out towards her, taking a few careful steps. Im your backup-

W-who the hell are you? She said.

Your backup. I repeated evenly, making sure she could see Hasturs mark on my arm. We need to make tracks. Imps are pushing the other users back, so we have a window to the exit.

Stay the fuck away from me! She screamed. The magic in her hands pulsed.

I stopped in my tracks. Fought through her mental resistance and soothed a portion of the black, raging anxiety in her mind with The current still ravaged her. I tried again.

Whats your name? I asked.

Maria. Her voice was small.

For the first time, recognition flitted through her eyes. Sunny sent you? My messages got through?

Not about that.

Then what is it about? I ran a hand through my hair.

She hesitated. Grimaced. Then gestured to the men on the ground. My title lets me absorb life-force and convert it to mana.

Ah.

So she had drained them.

She spoke faster, trying to justify herself before I drew my own conclusions. They were all wounded. One was already unconscious, the other passed out the second he put him down. First one, I didnt know it would kill him. Never took it that far. Second one I guess I did.

Maybe she hadnt known, definitively, but there was no way it hadnt crossed her mind.

And now its big boys turn. I finished.

Her face turned dark. Just go. Get out of here.

Im trying to help you.

Maria snapped back. If I go back to the Order, theyre not just going to pat my ass and give me a better-luck-next-time-champ. Sunnys gonna ask. And because of this geas bullshit, I cant massage the facts. Her eyes trailed to the bag in my hand. If I come back with next to nothing and have to explain what happened here? Im fucked.

In that case, arent you boned, anyway? For doing this to members of the order?

She shook her head. All they care about is results.

So whats the alternative?

Her face was hard. This positions defensible. Hold out until everyone on this floor is gone or dead. Bag the artifact, grab as many planners as I can. Get out.

Just that?

I hammered her with poking as many holes in her strategy as I could. I felt her mind harden, shoving away the doubt, until I couldnt influence her at all.

With that, I watched Plan A crumble to ash.

I stood. Youve been honest with me, so Ill level with you. Im the Ordinator.

Her jaw dropped. I heard the rumors, but thought they were just people spinning bullshit. Sunny really brought you in?

I continued before she could regain her wit. Look, I saw what youre up against. Whoever they are, theyre here in number. And theyre not just going to give up. But crowd controls my speciality. If you can keep them distracted, I can finish them. Then Ill see myself out, and you can claim the artifact.

Marias eyes narrowed. Youd do that.

Of course, I looked to the side. For a few favors to be named later.

Im not blowing you.

Not the sort of favor Im interested in.

I watched her think. Consider her circumstances. Eventually, she nodded. Okay. You gonna do to them what you did to Region 6?

On a smaller scale. But its still difficult. Takes time to set up, otherwise things get unpleasant.

I can do that. Buy you time. Maria shivered. Her eyes flicked, navigating something unseen, and a few seconds later I got a prompt.



I accepted the prompt. As I navigated the team screen and searched for her level, I prayed. Prayed to no one in particular that she was the baby of her group, low-level enough that I could justify guiding her into the Adventurers Guild without putting them in danger.



Fuck.