I could somewhat walk upright with Andy's help. Healing my head had done wonders for coordination, but the rest was just quietly enduring what the beating had left behind.
We moved Steve's body under a blackberry thicket. Andy hissed and stumbled the whole way through, nearly dropping his end twice. He'd taken a few hits tonight, sure. But so had I. I didn't try very hard to hide my satisfaction at his pain, though.
I set up near the spot where they'd ambushed me: a cluster of trees with decent cover was perfect for that. I left my backpack where Kayla had thrown it, but took my hatchet, mask, and the ziplock bag with the carnivorous vine flowers.
"Okay," Andy said, glancing around. "I'm going."
He looked scared. Reasonably so.
"Wait." I hesitated, already half-regretting it. "Take my [Torch]. Show it as proof if they ask. Tell them you'll hand it over once the body's buried. That way they can't pin anything on you before the job's done."
He nodded. "Thank you, Chloe."
I pushed the torch out of my Deck to Andy and settled in to wait.
The moon was bright, but the forest had no shortage of shadows and sounds to keep the nerves going. I yawned into my mask. The tension was doing its best, but exhaustion was winning on points. I'd been up before sunrise, survived two fights, and bled more than I'd have liked. All I wanted was a quiet corner and enough time to fall apart properly. Good thing I was used to pushing through exhaustion.
I shifted my weight from foot to foot, debating whether to sit. My legs were, ironically, the least damaged part of me, but I hadn't appreciated how much load the back and core carried until both of them started objecting.
I heard them before I saw anything: voices, unsteady footsteps, getting closer.
I crouched, peeled the ziplock open, and pressed myself against the tree. I didn't trust my strength enough to knock someone out cleanly the way they'd done to me. The flowers were the safer bet.
"Why the fuck wouldn't you just burn the body?" A slurred voice, a few feet out.
"People would see the smoke," Andy answered softly.
"And where's Steve?" Kayla said.
They'd both come. At least they were drunk.
Too late to reconsider. I stepped out with the flowers extended and [Leaped] towards the group. But Kayla had already turned. Drunk as she was, something had tripped his instincts. I stumbled towards him, like a zombie with hands outstretched. And shoved the flowers into her face before her hands could move. In a fight [Steady Hand] against the drunk man, [Steady Hand] won.
After a few seconds, she finally shoved me aside, but the pollen was delivered. I stumbled into the tree, hitting my shoulder hard on the bark.
Behind me, I heard Andy fighting Dick.
Kayla grabbed me by the collar and yanked me back against her, sharp blade biting into the skin under my chin before I could move. She drew the blade frighteningly fast for someone swaying on their feet. Kayla's grip was loose, her other hand using my body as much for balance as restraint, but the blade was at my throat, and that was what truly held me in place.
Andy had Dick [Snared] and was standing above him with his knife drawn.
"Ste-ep away frm him," Kayla slurred.
Andy looked up, saw me, and stepped away from the man on the ground, raising his hands.
"Dro-op it," Kayla demanded.
The knife on my neck shifted, pressing against my collarbone. Only my [Splice] was currently off cooldown.
I met Andy's eyes and mouthed quietly, "Torch her."
Then I turned into the blade, let it open a scalding cut across my throat, and dropped. Even before my knees hit the ground, I pressed my left hand to the wound and activated [Splice].
Heat bloomed above me.
I rolled, taking stones and pine needles into every existing injury to get away from fire. Kayla managed to [Leap] away, but only far enough to hit the tree behind her. Andy's [Quick Reflexes] helped him to redirect the flame before she could recover, and he kept the [Torch] on the woman until the card ran out.
The smell of charred pork, singed hair and car tires stuffed my nose, making it hard to breathe.
I crawled to my hatchet. Andy stood frozen, pale and unsteady. I remembered that feeling, the first time the [Torch] wrung me dry. But there was no time to wait for him to come back to his senses.
I clenched my teeth and got up to my feet, using the tree for support.
Kayla was on the ground, rolling, her screams going ragged and hollow from the fire damage to the vocal cords. The leather jacket had taken the worst of it: charred and falling apart in pieces, but it had somewhat protected her body. Her face hadn't been so lucky.
Guilt twisted in my chest at the sight of her, and I made myself look. I caused it, even if she deserved it, and the day human suffering stopped meaning something was a day I didn't want to reach.
This was the woman who'd stood over me with a knife and enjoyed my fear. Who'd told a grieving man to murder someone without a second thought? Who'd promised to hunt us both down if we ran. And I had to shut her up before the whole camp came to help the wrong people.
I tightened my grip on the handle.
It was like stepping off a ledge. One moment you're still standing on solid ground, looking down, and the next you're weightless and falling, and there's nothing left to do but wait for the impact. No way back. No control. Only the cold observation of what follows: the gurgling sound, flesh parting under the axe head. The skill helped with the aim to make it fast for Kayla.
I'd assumed it would be instant. It wasn't. She opened her eyes, hands twitching to stop the bleeding, but there wasn't enough left in her to focus on anything. A few seconds, and it was done.
My whole body was trembling in a way that had nothing to do with cold.
The notifications piled up, and I dismissed them without reading. The clearing had gone quiet, and it was just me, the bodies, and whatever I was turning into. Andy had called me a murderous bitch. Maybe he wasn't wrong.
He was wrong. I helped people. Andy, Liv, Tim. I ran through the list like it could balance the scales. It almost worked, until Liv's face became my sister's, and then I just missed her. Missed having someone who knew me. I rubbed at my eyes before the feeling could take hold. Not the time. There was still work to do.
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Andy was sitting against a tree trunk, staring at Dick. The last thug was on his side, bound by the [Snare] strings, like a piece of pork roast.
We should kill him, too. He was going to kill me, happily. His eyes met mine.
"Please." He whispered. "Please, I'm begging you, don't—"
My legs were too unsteady to stay upright, so I sat down next to Andy instead of answering.
Andy sent me [Torch] back, and I accepted it. I opened my Deck mostly to block out the scene. My [Heal Wound] timer had reset, and I used it on my gut. When breathing stopped feeling like swallowing glass, I looked at Dick.
"What cards did you get from Jeff?"
He kept whispering his pleadings. Desperately out of patience, I slapped him across the face with my left hand; the axe was still in my right, and my fingers wouldn't loosen regardless of how much they hurt.
"What cards did you get from Jeff?"
"What Jeff?" He finally answered, straining to lift his head.
"Man, you picked up near the grocery store. Tall, balding, spider bite on his foot."
"Right, Jeff." He licked his lips. "He didn't have much. [Heavy Strike], [Dodge], [Poison Tolerance]."
"Who ended up with what?"
"I've got [Dodge] and [Heavy Strike]. Kayla had [Poison Tolerance]."
"Khm, I've received [Poison Tolerance] card, and already merged it into my [Corrosion Resistance]," Andy said from beside me. "Also got his [Danger Sense], [Light Steps], and [Field Knife]."
"So you have ten cards now?" I asked, only slightly annoyed, that I won't be able return Jeff everything he'd earned,
"Yeah. I've received a notification for class selection. I figured I'd wait until we sorted this out. You know, decide what to do with him," He waived at Dick.
I looked at Dick. The loathing that rose in my throat was almost physical. I didn't want to make any more hard choices tonight. I was so tired of deciding. But if a decision is made for me, I'll still have to suffer the consequences.
"We take his cards and walk him out of camp. He tries anything, we deal with it. Hard to resist without cards." I said.
"You can't," Dick said, voice climbing. "Out there without cards — I'll be eaten alive. Please, please don't take them, I'm begging—"
"Would you rather we take your life?" My voice came out flat, empty. I could see now why Andy had thought I didn't care. I sounded like I didn't. But I was so full of feeling I had nothing left to show for it.
I turned to Andy. "Can you heal me again? We need to get to work."
We traded cards back and forth so Andy could slot [Heal Wound]. I had him use it on my fingers: we were about to be using our hands a lot.
We dragged Dick further from the camp, tied him to a tree with a rope and a second [Snare], gagged him with a rag from my bag and covered it with duct tape. Then we moved the bodies to a spot not visible from camp and cleared the scene as best we could in the dark. I could only hope no one came looking before nature handled the rest.
With the shovel they'd brought to bury me, we dug a shallow pit in the rocky soil. The irony kept me entertained while we worked. The pit we managed to make before running out of energy was barely deep enough; when we laid the bodies on top of each other, there were only a few inches of clearance for the soil. We stood over it for a moment of silence.
"They've got Starting Fluid in the tent," Andy said. "We have to clear their things out anyway. Make it look like they've left the camp."
"Fire's going to be bright and smell terrible," I commented.
"We're far from camp. And Dick has an obfuscation card. Hopefully, it'll be enough to keep anyone curious from wandering over. It's past midnight. If the patrol hasn't noticed us yet, I doubt they pay attention at all."
"Fine. Go pack their things. You were part of their group; no one will think twice about seeing you there."
Andy nodded and walked off into the dark.
I sat down to wait. I was exhausted, but there was still work to do.
Kayla's card selection had been sitting in my queue for over an hour. I hadn't been able to open it until now. Not because I'd forgotten, but because I hadn't been ready. The churning guilt filled my mouth with acid every time I thought about what I had to do. But one thing this week has taught me: you can get tired enough to outlast almost any feeling.
First, I opened the skill selection. Unsurprisingly, [Tissue Splice] was there, along with [Merge] and a new blue card called [Slumber Dust]. I suspected the last one had something to do with the flowers, and in a different situation, I would have taken it. But I had Kayla's cards waiting, and I didn't want to waste any of it. I chose [Merge] and moved on.
I've received six cards from Kayla. Combined with Andy's four, that meant she'd had a full Deck and likely a class, which explained why alcohol and sleep-inducing pollen had barely slowed her down.
All six were blue: [Leap], [Quick Draw], [Track], [Detect Weakness], [Extortion], and [Invigorate].
I accepted [Leap] and merged it in. It was only the first level, so instead of jumping straight to Leap III, a note appeared at the bottom: Progression towards the next card upgrade 1/2.
I skimmed the remaining list, annoyed again that I couldn't preview descriptions before accepting. Two obvious merger candidates were [Track] with [Pathfinder], or [Invigorate] with [Rapid Recovery]. The first was a more predictable pairing; the second, in theory, could have a more immediately useful outcome. I was going to need every scrap of energy I could get to survive the next twelve hours. I accepted [Invigorate] and read its description.
Channel a small burst of vital energy through touch, restoring physical stamina and removing magical exhaustion. Cooldown 1 hour.
I used it on myself before doing the [Merge]. A rush of warmth moved through my shoulders and into my cramped fingers. The grit behind my eyes dissolved. It wasn't quite a power nap, more like a decent stretch and a strong cup of coffee, but I still loved it.
I slotted [Invigorate] and [Rapid Recovery] together.
The result was a blue card, named [Invigorating Recovery], with a little image of a spring bursting from the ground.
Channel a small burst of vital energy through touch, increasing recovery from injuries, magical and physical fatigue by 20% for the next thirty minutes. Cooldown 1 hour.
A net neutral, more or less: the 20% boost for thirty minutes offset by an hour wait. I used it immediately since it was off cooldown and let the freshness settle over me. It had a high likelihood of becoming addictive.
That had left me with two free slots and four cards: [Quick Draw], [Track], [Detect Weakness], and [Extortion].
[Extortion] I passed on, same reason I'd passed on [Shakedown]. [Detect Weakness], though, that one gave me pause. It reminded me of [Predator Instincts], the offer I'd turned down before. I pulled it into my Deck just to read the description.
Assess the target to identify exploitable flaws and vulnerable points, increasing critical hit chance by 5%. Cooldown 3 hours.
In a world full of alien things that wanted to eat me, knowing where to hit them mattered. The card seemed usefull and I kept it.
Next, I pulled [Track] into my Deck — Follow tracks and signs left by creatures or people, revealing their path and direction. Cooldown 3 hours.
It was interesting on paper, but useless to me right now. I wasn't hunting, and the meaty things in this forest had no trouble finding me on their own.
I tried to push it out of my Deck, but nothing happened. The card sat there like it had always belonged. This was the first time I tried to get rid of the card, and it wasn't working the way I would expect. I pulled the last available card [Quick Draw] into my Deck, and the prompt appeared.
Deck is full. Would you like to replace an existing card with it? Yes/No
I swapped out [Track] and made a mental note: the only way to get rid of something was to put something else in its place.
Draw weapon 15% faster, if it's within arm's reach.
As soon as I dismissed the notification confirming [Extortion] could be discarded, a new prompt appeared.
Your Deck is complete. Class selection available. Enter Class selection now? Yes/No.
I closed it. Andy wasn't back yet, and I've already spent a lot of time toying with the system.
Chloe's Deck (10/10):
-
Blue Card: [Leap II]
Instantly leap forward up to 10 feet. Beware of obstacles. Obstacle impacts deal reduced damage. Cooldown 20 minutes.
Progression towards the next card upgrade 1/2
-
Blue Card: [Heal Wound II]
A medium burst of healing for a single target area you touch. Cooldown 1 hour.
Progression towards the next card upgrade 1/2
-
Green Card: [Polearm]
Intermediate proficiency with polearm weapons. +7% damage, improved accuracy, and reduced stamina cost when wielding spears, halberds, poleaxes, or glaives.
-
Blue Card: [Pyromaniac Torch II]
Fire recognizes a kindred spirit. Go on. Light it up, and the fire will stick to your target. Just be careful what you feed it. Cooldown 10 minutes.
-
Blue card: [Pathfinder]
Read the landscape and identify the safest routes by using subtle signs like animal tracks, worn earth, natural markers, and subconscious knowledge. Cooldown 6 hours.
-
Blue Card: [Tissue Splice II].
Fuse two edges of tissue up to 1 inch deep. Cooldown 45 minutes.
-
Blue Card: [Invigorating Recovery]
Channel a small burst of vital energy through touch, increasing recovery from injuries, magical and physical fatigue by 20% for the next thirty minutes. Cooldown 1 hour.
-
Green Card: [Steady Hand]
5% Better accuracy when aiming or throwing.
-
Blue Card: [Detect Weakness]
Access target to identify exploitable flaws and vulnerable points, increasing critical hit chance by 5%. Cooldown 3 hours.
-
Blue Card: [Quick Draw]
Draw weapon 15% faster, if it's within your arm's reach.