Amber reached Jamie and Mender first. Without slowing, she pulled two thick black cloaks from her ring and shoved them into her chest. "Get dressed."

Frowning, Mender stared at her for several seconds. "What's going on?"

"Follow me." Turning, Amber grabbed the cloak from Jamie and started forcefully dressing her. "We need to gather the others."

Mender felt her urgency and quickly slipped the cloak over his head. Lowering the hood, he summoned his quarterstaff.

"Put it away," Amber ordered, her voice calm and chilly.

Eyes wide, Mender quickly obeyed.

Turning to Mason, Amber nodded. The moose set a large chest on the counter that she quickly retrieved. Flipping open the lid, she found a dozen orbs filled with energy.

"I'll limit the destruction," Amber stated.

"Just don't destroy my bar, My Queen."

"Queen?" Jamie asked.

Adding the chest to her ring, Amber snapped her fingers and left the bar. Mender pulled Jamie with him as they blended into the crowd. She could tell they were filled with questions, but she didn't have time to answer them as she hurried them towards the tanneries.

The air became filled with the scent of tannin and raw leather as she forced the two cultivators to keep pace with her. The crowd was pushed aside as they sensed her urgency, and only a few people knew who she was. Those select few, passed her items that she added to her ring.

Once she reached the tanneries, the workers stopped. "Carry on," she told them before moving down the line of shops. Stopping outside Linda's workshop, she found the elf talking with the three Elson brothers. They were sharing tea as they laughed. It only took a second to notice Amber and they quickly set down their cups.

"What's happening?" Bronson asked. He quickly stood and grabbed his spiked club.

"Elson brothers," Amber said, "Linda. Come with me. We are moving."

Bronson quickly picked Linda up and carried her over. Amber handed out cloaks large enough for the oni and they quickly donned them. Linda was in near panic as Bronson handled her, dressing her without permission. Setting her down, he pulled her against his side.

"My Queen," Bronson started. "What's happening?"

"They are making a move," she answered.

"I'll lead the way," Bronson stated. "Boris, take the rear."

The middle child of the Elson brothers nodded and carried his club to the rear. Amber noticed Mender holding Jamie close as his worried gaze pierced her.

Snapping her fingers, she waved for them to head out. "We are moving quickly. Set the pace Bronson."

Nodding, the large man started to run, pushing through the crowd like a plow. The youngest Elson brother carried Linda in his arms, ensuring she kept up. Amber's feet hardly touched the ground as she followed. The atmosphere was tense as they approached the abandoned section of the city.

Bronson guided them expertly to a destroyed building and rushed inside. Amber slowed her pace and grabbed Jamie's hand. "We are nearly there."

"Nearly where?" Mender asked.

Not answering, Amber pulled them inside and to the waiting hatch that Bronson had open. Nodding to the large man, Amber pushed Jamie into the opening and down the stairs. "Take care of them Bronson. You're in charge."

"Yes, My Queen."

Her eyes met Jamie's just as she was disappearing into the darkness. What was going to happen next was not their fight. Amber did not rule the darkness for nothing. The coming cultivators did not know who they had angered.

***

James felt the concussive force strike him as he was launched from Luna's grip. The world grew dark as the very light was eradicated. Luna rolled across the ground next to him, her body breaking, much like his.

Coming to a stop, he found that they had crashed into the city walls, collapsing sections as the guards scrambled to help the elders.

Between his Regeneration and reserves, his body started putting itself back together. Bones cracked and groaned as his arm regrew. His vision returned suddenly as his ears popped and stopped bleeding. Seconds later, Luna lifted him up, her large nose pushing him to stand.

"Well, that sucked," he coughed out. Turning to the side, he watched the elders down potions as stone armor dropped from their bodies.

Bo shared a look with him, both of them knowing they couldn't fight for much longer. James knew his reserves were getting dangerously low as he turned back to the giant.

The monster's soul was down to half of what it started at. The flickering flames were still being siphoned into him and Luna as he summoned his sword. Taking a deep breath, he glanced at Luna and patted her nose.

"Let's do this, Luna. After we are done, I'll pamper that tail of yours."

Chuffing, she rubbed her large nose against his head, nearly knocking him over. Recovering quickly, he took his first step out of the rubble. Luna followed a step behind him and Bo took up the rear. Jing struggled to follow, his body still broken as Tim stayed behind, glancing at the city with worry.

Calming his racing heart, James picked up his pace and met the giant only a few mere miles from the wall. The towering monster was breathing heavy as blood dripped to the ground, splashing black ichor over the forest.

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Luna rushed past him and jumped for the monster's thigh. Her soul flickered as she used Soul Rend to tear into its flesh, bleeding even more of its soul. James leapt for the opposite leg, slamming his sword deep into the muscle and dropping his body with everything he had. His Soul Sword carved through the muscle and tissue with ease as blood rained down on him.

The giant roared in pain as a hand crashed down like a meteor. James watched in slow motion as the claws neared his body. He wasn't dropping fast enough to evade.

Just before it connected, a large stone hand rose from the ground and grabbed the claws. The fraction of a second it took to appear, James ripped his sword out of the giant and landed near its foot. Rushing to the back of the monster, he slashed through the tendons of its ankle, severing them.

Bo grunted in pain as he used the stone hand to throw the giant back, helping collapse it as the ankle gave way. Luna rode the monster down, her teeth ripping chunks of flesh out of the giant as she swallowed everything she could.

James waded through the dust of the crashing giant. His sword flickered with life as he jumped onto the beast's stomach and carved through the flesh. Walking with his blade, he approached its chest as Luna joined him.

A hand tried to smack them off, hoping to crush them, only for two large stone hands to grab the monster and force it back down.

With a satisfied smirk, James reached the throat of the giant and raised his sword. Activating Soul Strike in conjunction with thrusting his blade into the monster, he shredded more of its soul, making it flicker dangerously.

Luna overpowered the flow of soul energy, dominating the link and ripping the life out of the monster. James pulled with everything he had as he sawed the blade back and forth, widening the wound and bleeding the giant out.

Time slowed to a crawl as he watched the last of the soul disappear, flowing into him and Luna. Gasping as the pain of the fight caught up to him, he dismissed his sword and dropped to his knees.

Body is low on resources. Eat and drink to prevent falling into stasis. Suitable source of nutrition in hand. Suitable water replacement in hand.

Mouth watering, James lowered his mouth to the giant and started ripping into its body. By his side, Luna had changed back into her human form and copied him.

Together, they sucked down the blood and at the flesh until their stomachs felt close to bursting. Their souls continued to grow, the influx of energy pushing them higher. He could tell that Luna had passed into level seven as a burst of energy washed through her being.

Once he wiped his mouth, he checked his notifications.

Soul absorbed. Soul Strength: 8.0015

New Soul Skill: Soul Puppet

New Skill: Concussive Resistance: Level 3/10

New Skill: Soul Resistance: Level 2/10

Rot Resistance: Level 10/10

It was a lot of changes and welcome ones at that. His Soul Strength had grown, shifting the air around him like a storm. His muscles bulged with power as he felt his body harden.

Soul Puppet was his new skill, and he instinctually knew what it did. He could make a copy of himself to help him fight. The flickering soul creation had his skills and would spend its energy until it dissipated. All of the energy it absorbed would flow into him, building his strength. But it also wasn't a skill he could use often.

Pulling up his character sheet, he looked it over in its entirety for the first time in a long time.

Name: James Matson

Soul Strength: 8.0015

Soul Skills

Soul Siphon

Soul Strike

Soul Blade

Soul Vault

Soul Senses

Soul Puppet

Soul Crafting: Level 6/10

Soul Water: Level 4/10

Skills

Regeneration: Level 10/10

Pain Resistance: Level 10/10

Heat Resistance: Level 10/10

Poison Resistance: Level 5/10

Rot Resistance: Level 10/10

Corruption Resistance: Level 6/10

Corrosion Resistance: Level 8/10

Piercing Resistance: Level 6/10

Slashing Resistance: Level 3/10

Concussive Resistance: Level 3/10

Soul Resistance: Level 2/10

Improvised Weapons: Level 3/10

Crude Tanning: Level 6/10

Crude Leatherwork: Level 6/10

Crude Armor Crafting: Level 6/10

Tanning: Level 1/10

Enchanting: Level 1/10

It was marvelous, knowing that he was growing stronger. He felt like nothing could stop him as he stood and wiped the blood from his mouth. In the distance, Bo stood with the other two elders, judging the destroyed wall. He could feel their emotions.

Bo was excited about the fight and wanted to celebrate. Jing was upset over the wall and destruction of the forest. Then there was Tim. The man continued to look towards the city with a smug feeling to his soul. Something wasn't right but before James could confront the man, the giant's body spasmed.

Frowning, James pulled Luna to her feet as they jumped off the monster. The body continued to spasm as a flicker of soul energy built in its chest once again. Eyes wide, James backed up as the skin split and a human-like arm emerged from the wound.

The giant should have been dead. The fight should have been over. Then why was a new monster emerging from the depths of the giant?

Amber walked through the narrow streets of the slums. Only a few drunk demi-humans and drugged up residents wandered with her. She listened to her surroundings, pulling her cloak tight as the first cultivator reached her section of the city. Moments later, dozens of cultivators stepped onto the streets.

She could tell most of them barely had movement in their dantians. Nearly all of them didn't have a solid core. Only three did, and they led from the back.

Slipping into an alleyway, Amber pulled out her whistle. The cultivators were oblivious to where they had wandered. This was her kingdom, and they were not welcome.

Seconds passed as the earth Qi in the air stirred and the cultivators searched the alleys and streets. The core cultivators stayed back, not entering much to the disdain of Amber. Still, she had dozens of targets.

Bringing the whistle to her lips, she blew three short bursts. The cultivators froze as they scanned the area for her. With a smile, she slipped into a building and climbed the stairs.

Just as she reached the roof, the first explosion went off. Qi unlike anything the cultivators had experienced before ripped through the slums. Children of all ages, ran from the alleys and into the streets, throwing marbles filled with power. Many of the cultivators had the marbles slipped into their robes where they exploded, shredding their bodies and dantians.

Panic filled the slums as bodies dropped to the ground. All of the early stage cultivators were down, their dantians destroyed alongside their bodies. Those that had liquid in their dantians were only cracked as the liquid seeped out.

Smiling, Amber brought the whistle to her lips once again. A long burst filled the air as the children fled into the slums. It was the adults' turn to stand as they stepped into the open.

The recovering cultivators didn't stand a chance as rifles were raised towards them. Bullets infused with Qi detonated against their bodies, shredding flesh and destroying their cultivation fully. Each adult only had one shot, and they had made them count.

Dropping their rifles, they scattered as the core cultivators rushed into the slums. The three men crashed through buildings as they tried to reach their fellow members. It was too late.

Amber watched from up high as the men scrambled to save as many lives as they could. Potions were forced into the mouths of those they reached, restoring flesh, but their dantians were already gone, destroyed for daring to attack her people.

Pulling out one of her own orbs, Amber looked it over. She only had a dozen of the orbs and now it was time to put them to use. Walking to the edge of the building, she looked down on one of the men,

Pushing the button on her orb, she counted to three and dropped it. The cultivator had a moment to watch it strike the ground. She didn't give him enough time to flee as the orb exploded. Shrapnel filled with Qi ripped through his body, destroying his core and throwing him through the nearby building.

She could smell his fear and pain as she smiled. Pulling the cloak tighter around her body, she stepped back as the other two cultivators reached their friend. Their rage filled shouts filled the air as she retreated from her building and walked down the alley.

The first part of her attack had been a success. Now it was time for the second phase. With her ears twitching, she listened to the core cultivators carry their friend away as they retreated to gather reinforcements.

It was all part of the plan. She would remind them that they didn't rule the demi-human district. She did. And they should be terrified to step foot onto her land.

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