Ethan shoved his right claw deeper into the toad’s eye socket while his left secured him, anchoring him to the bloody and weakened monster. It was lying on its stomach, occasionally twitching. It struggled to put its legs under itself while smoke filled Ethan’s nostrils, but he didn’t stop. After a couple of minutes of elbow-deep scouring into the creature’s head, it spasmed one last time, then stopped moving.

  You have defeated [Toad - Level 16]

  You have reached Level 12. 1 stat point awarded.

  Looking up, he saw Liz running to check on the unconscious Martha, while Gerald worked on tightening the sleeve he’d torn from his shirt around her severed limb.

  Liz had gained some levels as well. Level five, Ethan noted as he let himself slide down the toad’s back, panting and bloodied. He stepped around the creature, both awed at the size of it, then he leaned over and touched the purple tip of its tongue.

  Wand #1: 11 fragments collected.

  It was a good haul, though maybe not as much as he’d hoped. But he wasn’t in the mood to celebrate. He was aware he couldn’t guarantee anyone’s protection, and he had warned them, but he still wondered if he might have done things differently.

  Finding another path might have saved Martha’s arm. But if this is the kind of threat we’re going to face, I need the levels. And I need them fast.

  Logically, he knew he hadn’t done anything wrong. He didn’t start this tutorial and hadn’t put a giant monstrous toad in their way, but he still felt a bit of guilt at the state of the woman. He didn’t know her, but she seemed terrified by everything that was happening. She didn’t deserve to bleed out in the middle of nowhere like this.

  I hope there’s healing magic that can restore stuff like this… Fire-covered claws and crossbows were possible, so why not healing?

  Ethan sighed. This was why he preferred being on his own. He could be responsible for his own safety and not have to feel like this.

  I gotta adapt. Everyone has to.

  Ethan took a step forward and heard a twang, followed by a whistle, and before he could fully understand what he just perceived, he jumped back.

  Right where he had been a second ago, a blue, glowing arrow zipped by. It hit the stone floor and went clattering further into the room. It sounded as if it was made of unbreakable glass.

  Ethan stared at the arrow, then at where it had come from while he ignited his claws once more. “Arrows. Eyes up,” he called out and backed away from the tunnel.

  Ethan made his way to the other three, eyes peeled. He couldn’t afford to be on the defense against the monster, but with people… Well. He could try to cover for them.

  Less than a minute later, three people stepped out of the darkness.

  [Human - Level 9]

  [Human - Level 7]

  [Human - Level 6]

  The first and highest level was wielding a shortbow. A blue-glowing arrow was nocked as the middle-aged archer scanned the room. His cold gaze studied the toad, then flicked to the three huddled together, two of whom kept nervously glancing toward him and toward Ethan. Finally, the archer looked at Ethan and met his gaze.

  “Didn’t think there were people around,” said the archer as he lowered his bow, eyes still boring into Ethan’s. He was wearing black cargo pants and thick boots, and a vest that had its tag torn out. Ethan guessed the man worked security.

  A small smile lifted the corners of the archer’s lips, and Ethan noticed how the arrow was still knocked. “You folks need any help?”

  Great. One of those.

  Ethan was familiar with the archer’s type. The kind that’d take a shot at your back if you’d give them an excuse and then blatantly lie and act surprised when they fail.

  Ethan glared at the man while Liz and Gerald stayed quiet. They must have picked up on the tension, and must have realized the same thing as him. That arrow shot had been on purpose, and for what? Easy levels?

  The man that had shot him in the head seemed to have lost it, but what’s this guy’s excuse?

  Ethan wanted to pay him back for the attempt immediately, but he put his anger aside for now. There will be a reckoning. But for now, an innocent woman’s life could be saved.

  “Can any of you heal injuries?” Ethan asked as he eyed the other two. One was carrying a shield, a stout man still wearing thick pants, boots, and a plaid jacket, while the third was in dusty suit pants and shirt, and had a wand out.

  The archer slowly tilted his head back, eyes still on Ethan for a second before they flicked to his companion. They exchanged a couple of words before he looked back at Ethan. “We might.”

  Ethan kept the disbelief out of his face and waited. What a piece of shit, he thought while waiting for the “demands” to be voiced, but someone else cracked first.

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  “What is wrong with you people?” shouted Gerald and, for once, Ethan had to agree. “She’s bleeding out. If you can do something, just fucking do it.”

  Ethan, eyes still on the group, pulled up his wand upgrade menu and readied himself to duck behind the toad’s massive body. He didn’t trust these three, and he didn’t think they intended on starting a direct confrontation, but in case they started shit, he was going to be ready.

  Congratulations. After taking account of your performance, two options have been unlocked.

  Select a unique trait from the list below.

  Wand of the Lesser Fire Elemental: Allows the user better control over fire spells and provides fire resistance.

  Wand of Claws: Only the spell Claws and its upgrades as well as compatible modifiers can be used on this wand. In return, the Claws spell is empowered.

  Ethan quickly parsed through the options, alternating between his interface and the archer every second.

  “Well, this is all a competition. In case you didn’t know,” said the archer as he eyed his still-knocked arrow. “We’re within the first few hours and we’ve already had some of ours ambushed. You wouldn’t know anything about that, would you?”

  Ethan had already read both upgrades by the time the archer started speaking. Both traits would lock him in a direction. He was tempted by the Wand of Claws. It seemed like the stronger for the short term, while the Wand of the Fire Elemental would give him more control—whatever that implied—and more durability against other fire-users. Could he condense the fire over his claws and make it hotter? Could he project it outward?

  He looked up at the trio. Wand of the Claws would allow him to deal with them easier, but he wasn’t allowing them to force his hand into his choice. Plus, considering the “lesser” mentioned in the name, it could probably grow stronger, and Ethan had already gotten a powerful trait for the short term. Enduring Brawler was probably enough to guarantee this fight.

  He made his choice.

  His clawed hands warmed up and twitched as a rush of energy surged through them and through the rest of his body. Up ahead, the wand-wielder lifted his arm and whispered something to the archer, who began raising his bow, an excited glint in his eyes.

  In that fraction of a second, Ethan remembered what this new world was. A world where someone can shoot you in the head as you turn a corner for easy levels. A world where this archer who’d just made an attempt on his life was yet again raising his bow.

  This was a world where, if he hesitated, he’d be wand fragments for another. It made the next words easy to process and commit to.

  “You attack me or anyone here, and you are dead,” Ethan simply said as he stood his ground, though he was still aware of the toad’s body. He could be behind it in the blink of an eye.

  His voice echoed in the hall, and the three strangers frowned.

  “Is that a threat, boy?” asked the shield carrying man, eyes narrowed in a mighty frown.

  Ethan shook his head lightly. “No. That’s a promise.”

  The archer stopped raising his bow, but he didn’t lower it just yet. “My friend here says you’re up to something.”

  Ethan smiled at them. It was a cold thing that didn’t affect the even stare he was giving the trio. “A small, little upgrade while you three waste the time of that poor woman. Nothing to shit your pants about.”

  It had been a while since Ethan felt such smoldering anger in his chest. Frustrated and irritated, sure. That happened often enough when you worked in a gas-station shop. But targeted fury like this?

  Stay calm. Breathe. Fighting right now won’t help anyone, he told himself as the magic finished sinking into his hands, and Ethan felt the tingle run down his arms. He might need some time to test his newly acquired control and see what it was capable of, but for now, he’d rather put a lid on his hostility and try to de-escalate things a bit. Especially if they could heal Martha.

  Ethan nodded to those behind and decided to move things along. “They were captured by lizardlings. That explains the low levels. I got ambushed by someone who shot me in the head, but I already had a few levels, so that didn’t take. I also cleared the lizardling camp they were in, and I killed that thing,” he said, pointing at the dead giant toad. “That’s how I got my levels. Not by ambushing people. I don’t know about your people or who got to them. Now, are you going to heal our friend here or are negotiations over?”

  The archer eyed him for a few more seconds, while the two behind him shifted nervously. Finally, he lowered the bow. He whispered back, and the wand using man stepped forward.

  “Let me see,” said the man as he approached Liz and Gerald, while Ethan kept the archer in his field of view.

  He didn’t expect to ever be able to trust this man, but he could start learning a few things.

  “Do you guys have a large group? Find a lot of survivors?”

  If there were a lot more people, Liz, Martha, and Gerald could be fine among them. Things might be tense and they’ll absolutely have to watch their backs, but Ethan couldn’t afford to stay and watch over them. They were adults as well, and they could make their own decisions. The odds that this douche-bag was in control were low.

  The archer shrugged. “We do. We’re setting something up and we help each other out. Why, you’re looking to join?”

  It was clear from the tone what he thought of that. “No. Just looking for a spot for them. But it wouldn’t hurt to trade. Food and tips and whatnot.”

  “We’ll see,” said the archer noncommittally.

  Ethan approached the injured woman—while still keeping the archer in his vision—and saw the man pointing his wand at the gruesome stump. Green, smoke-like light was wafting off the tip of a simple-looking wand, and the injury was slowly closing up.

  It wasn’t pleasant to look at. But it was an extremely interesting spell to have.

  Within a few minutes, the man slowly pushed himself up to his feet, sweat beading his brow, while Martha remained unconscious. She was still covered in blood, and must have lost quite a bit of it, but now she had a healed stump that ended around her left shoulder.

  “Well, I guess we’ll be on our way. Our little camp is down that tunnel, then two stairs down. Can’t miss it,” said the archer as he finally dismissed the arrow. He looked from Ethan to Liz, then to Martha. “We expect you to repay this favor, by the way. But we can talk about that once you join us.”

  Ethan watched them leave and disappear back into the corridor. They were all quiet until Gerald spat. “Bastards.”

  Ethan nodded. “Yup. But honestly, I’m starting to think all groups will be like this. There’s no group win here. Everyone’s going to be out for themselves. As should you. And we’ll have to be careful on the way there, in case they’re full of shit and someone tries to ambush us.”

  Liz went to bite her fingernail, then grimaced when she got the taste of grease in her mouth. “If it’s real, it might be good for food and water, at least. A good starting area. And Martha can recover safely.”

  Ethan nodded.

  Gerald looked up at Ethan and it seemed that, for once, that there was a begrudging speck of respect in his eyes. “Are you going to stick around once we get there?”

  Ethan met his eyes, then Liz’s, then shook his head. He needed levels. He needed to push himself, or he’d fall behind the likes of the archer and he would end up in their dust and worst of all, their word might become law.

  Over my dead body.

  Ethan wasn’t surrendering his will to no one. “I’ll be leaving to explore the area, but I might check back on occasion. We’re here for a week. I intend to make the most of it.”