Chapter 43.5 - The Last Thing You See (Patreon Exclusive Bonus Chapter) (Patreon)

Hey everyone! Unfortunately, I simultaneously was incredibly busy and got sick this weekend - not a fun combination. I'll have to delay Chapter 44 by a day, two days at the very maximum, in order to recuperate and catch up on my writing. To tide you guys over, I whipped up this short bonus chapter. It's basically filler, but I've always liked peeks into how a main character's enemies view them, so I think it'll be fun regardless.

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Anaya watched in horror as the Human’s summoned knife sliced through Ricard’s neck in one motion, her sword and his spells just a hair too late to stop it. Ricard, who she had trained with for decades. Ricard, who spoke with soft conviction and had always been honest with her. Ricard, who had handed her Ganedrayda flowers last week and gazed at her with beautiful blue eyes and a shy smile on his face.

A wordless scream echoed in her mind as she stabbed her sword through the Human’s heart. The fucking animal gasped, its body stilling in shock. Piteous vengeance filled her, a tooth-filled snarl spreading across her face as she got a front row seat to the Human’s dying moments. She wanted to see the light fade from its eyes as it realized the magnitude of its sins.

Then her sword vanished in a flurry of strange blue light.

Anaya blinked, then blinked again, but no matter how many times she stared at her hands, the sword was still gone. She peered up to find the Human, a fair distance away from her, his wounds closing rapidly and her sword held in his hands. It struck her again that he was tall, much taller than herself or anyone she knew outside of the Dragonkin, and his musculature was more defined than an Elf’s would be. With his feral stance, strange-colored hair, and gaping chest hole that had disappeared in a matter of moments, the Human came across as a wild beast, undaunted by pain and out for blood.

The sight shook her for a moment before she soothed herself with logic. It had been a long time since she’d witnessed a person shrug off a heart-stab, but a feat like that was hardly impossible. The Human must possess some Vitality Skill she was unaware of. Considering that he was only Level 28, that meant that he’d spent most of his points into Vitality and neglected his other stats. It was a choice she would make him regret.

“That’s mine,” she hissed. Her suspicions were confirmed in short order as she led the Human around by the nose for the next thirty seconds. He wasn’t a total novice with the sword, but was clearly a newcomer, and his Dexterity couldn’t match hers. Anaya played defense until his Step of the Wind faded, then activated her own and went on the offensive. She channeled her rage and sorrow into her fists as she dismantled the Human with ease. No broken bones, surprisingly, but she bruised him enough for him to drop the sword. Anaya scooped it up in a flash and took a moment to breathe a sigh of relief as she looked it over.

I didn’t want to lose you, too. Her blade had been her most constant companion since she first began walking down the path of the Swordmaster. It had seen her through battle after battle; at this point, it felt more like an extension of her arm than a simple implement. Only Ricard had been a longer touchstone in her life. Losing both of them in one day...it would have been too much to bear.

Her moment of reconciliation was cut short as the Human materialized a shortsword into his hands. What in the world was that Skill? Did he have some sort of portable Storage Crystal? It was possible that the Village had whipped up an enchanted item and outfitted him, the treasonous bastards.

“Aren’t you supposed to be a Swordmaster? You certainly pack more of a punch than I expected. Quite literally.” The Human adjusted his posture and sneered at her, his eyes dismissive. “What say you and I have a friendly swordfight? Been a while since I tasted Elven blood. You really think whatever trials and tribulations you’ve gone through are going to be enough to overcome Fast Learner?”

I’ll fucking kill you. So the Human had an enchanted item? Well, he wasn’t the only one. Anaya focused on the Blink Crystal attached to her wrist, willing herself to appear just behind the Human. The world went pitch black for a single instant, and then she was there, staring at the fucker’s back. Anaya empowered her sword with Power Slash and Cutting Edge and aimed for the Human’s neck.

Her sword, to her complete and utter stupefaction, did not cut the Human’s head off. It didn’t even scratch him. The blade pushed him aside like he’d been given a minor shove, bouncing off his neck like she’d struck metal, only without the accompanying sound. Before she could get her bearings, the Human materialized the dagger that had killed Ricard and threw it at her, charging forward in the same instant.

She panicked. Instead of dodging the knife and putting some distance between her and the Human – who clearly had a bigger bag of tricks than she’d given him credit for – Anaya deflected the impromptu throwing weapon and unleashed a Cross Slash. It slammed into his chest, scoring two deep cuts that he ignored entirely. Finally, she came to her senses and did the thing that had been working the entire fight: dodge.

Unfortunately, she didn’t do so quickly enough. The Human’s shortsword cut into her shoulder as she jumped back. Anaya winced and put pressure on the wound to stem the bleeding. It hurt like a bitch, but he hadn’t cut any vital muscles. She’d still be able to wield her blade. That didn’t concern her.

The Human’s demeanor did.

“Thanks for leveling Platelet Party.” The Human was grinning wide, an unnatural smile splitting across his face. “The Rangers might actually appreciate it more than I do.” Blood poured out from the wounds on his chest, but apparently no one had told him that; he walked forward without a care or any hint of pain in his stride. He took slow, unconcerned steps towards her, delight dancing in his eyes as he left a trail of blood behind him. His gait had an air of inevitability about it, as if she wouldn’t be able to escape no matter how much higher her Dexterity was.

Memories of the Scouring, long-since seared into her brain, sprang unbidden as the Human stepped forward. Images of monsters cloaked in the guise of a man, the blood of friend and foe alike coating their blades and faces as they advanced. Their minds broken, lost to the euphoria of leveling, the same crazed grin echoed on every last one of them.

For a brief instant, Anaya felt a shiver run down her spine. She Identified the Human in a panic, but reaffirming that his Leveling High had remained Mild did little to quell the growing unease in her chest. It’s just a Vitality build, she chanted. It’s just a Vitality build.

Her body froze.

Anaya thrashed against the spell, genuine terror building in her chest. For a brief instant, she blamed the Human, before remembering the Village Elder being a high-30s spellcaster. She struggled in vain, several horrible realizations slamming into her one after another. Did...did Audin actually lose? Did-

The Human stood before her.

Gone was the manic grin and his fervent glare. They’d been replaced by something far worse: nothing. He stared at her with a hollow gaze that chilled her to her core, a complete lack of emotion on his face as he lifted his shortsword. Tears welled in her eyes as Anaya begged wordlessly for mercy.

He considered her for a single instant further, crushing the last vestiges of her hopes as he looked away afterwards. She was no longer worth his time.

Please please no no no-

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Thanks for reading, and for your patience!