"Well, shit," Jason said, a low chuckle escaping his lips.

  If Maggy couldn't fix him… his gut tightened at the thought. The pain kept getting worse, and the cuts were visibly getting wider. He had to force down the panic as the realization that he was experiencing the start of soul separation. His body and soul were forcibly being separated; the pain was beyond anything he had experienced before. It reminded Jason of pulling your fingernails off, just all over your body, and to top it off pouring salt on the fresh skin just for fun.

  Jason’s heart pounded as the thought of this pain escalating. Calm down; panic won't solve this. What do we have that could solve this?

  He went over a mental checklist of items they had. None would be of immediate help, but what if? He looked down at his hand, still holding the core.

  "Take this." Jason wheezed, pain jolting with the movement.

  "What is that thing? It looks disgusting," Maggy asked.

  "Hopefully the solution to this problem," he grunted, handing it to her.

  "What the hell, Jason?!" she yelped, dropping it. "This thing just asked me if I wanted to change my class."

  "Read the rest," he wheezed. "It caught me off guard too."

  She eyed him, but trust won out as she picked it up. Sure enough, there it was: Skill Upgrade.

  Glancing at Jason, she sighed. "Let's hope this works."

  You have chosen to consume the Core of the Dread Lord to upgrade a skill.

  Select a skill:

  Maggy went down the list.

  Spirit Bolt. (Uncommon) upgraded to Shackles of the Damned (Rare)

  Conjure an ethereal bolt of spiritual energy that deals soul damage. Increased damage from Intelligence.

  Additional Effect – Shackled: Each successful hit binds the target with an ethereal shackle, reducing their movement and casting speed by 10%. Stacks up to 3 times.

  Cooldown: 5 seconds.

  Cost: Weak bolt 10 Mana, Half Charge 15 Mana, Full Release All remaining Mana.

  She thought about the past fights and how close they had come to dying. This one upgrade could have drastically changed each fight, but ultimately, it would not help Jason.

  Teleport to a location within 150 meters, leaving behind a hollowed soul effigy at the origin point. The effigy draws aggro from enemies for 5 seconds and explodes afterward, dealing soul damage in a small radius. On arrival, you and allies gain Soul Fortification, reducing soul-based damage by 30% for 15 seconds.

  Cooldown: 48 hours

  Cost: 35 Mana

  This was a powerful upgrade, but one that did not hold her interest. She needed immediate power, not something with such a significant cooldown.

  Mending Touch(Uncommon) upgraded to Spirit Stitch (Rare)

  Heals the body according to the memory of the soul. If the soul remains intact, the physical form may be restored.

  Body Heal: 50 HP/sec | Cost: 10 Mana/sec

  The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

  Soul Stitch: Repair the soul. | Cost: 20 Mana/sec

  This is what she had been hoping for; without a second thought, she selected Mending Touch.

  The core shattered in her hands with a sound like cracking bone, splintering into jagged shards of shadowed crystal. From the broken pieces, tendrils of dark mist unfurled, thick, cold, and pulsing with ancient power. They twisted through the air like serpents, spiraling around Maggy in a tightening vortex.

  Her eyes widened as arcane knowledge surged into her mind.

  Mending touch (uncommon) upgraded to Spirit Stitch (Rare)

  Maggy placed her hands on Jason. "You are the luckiest person I know."

  Jason let out a pained chuckle. “Yeah… if that's what you want to call it.”

  She sent her energy into him, finding the first tear. Feral energy tore at the wound, widening the tear further. Maggy breathed in deeply and then activated Spirit Stitch. Her energy split into dozens of strands, weaving through the damage and suturing the soul.

  Sweat dripped down her face. Mana: 40/110

  Her vision blurred. Mana: 12/110

  Maggy collapsed forward. Mana: 2/110

  Jason caught her as she fell. "Don't push yourself so hard," he whispered, staring at his healed arm. "I'll be okay."

  Her shaky fingers reached up, brushing against his arm. It had taken everything she had, just to heal his arm.

  "Jaso–" was all she could manage before blacking out.

  Jason sighed, holding her limp form. She had pushed herself too hard… and he worried she'd push herself too far one day. A blinking notification caught his eye, one he had somehow missed earlier.

  Quest Update: Defeat the Three Bosses of the Triumverge Citadel

  Umbraxis, the Shrouded Betrayer, has been slain. Bosses remaining: 2 of 3 Days remaining: 18 of 30

  Eighteen days is all the time they had left, and he was battered and broken. It would take more than a day to heal at this rate.

  He felt overwhelmed by the thought of defeating two additional bosses in eighteen days, and to top it all off, he had to figure out how to get the tear for the ritual.

  Time was short, stress was high. Despite it all, he couldn't help but smile at the challenge ahead.

  Euphoria rushed through the Reaver as the screams finally died down, fading into the stillness of the night. It had been ages since he had felt the thrill of true prey—the kind that could challenge him. But this... this was different entirely. The thrill was sharper, more intoxicating.

  A grin split his face, blood still dripping from his hands. To his delight, a surge of power rippled through him. His class– Blood Bound Reaper– had evolved with the kill of a fellow Forerunner.

  A low, satisfied laugh escaped his lips. This... this was true ecstasy.

  The hunt had been more satisfying than any in recent memory. Almost—almost brought him the same joy as the first: the rush of killing his father.

  It wasn't just the challenge he craved. It was the look in his prey's eyes—the exact moment when hope fled them. The Reaver could still see it: the old man's defiance crumbling as realization set in, as he grasped the futility of resistance. The Reaver relished it, savoring the fear, the resignation.

  He lived for that fleeting moment when the strongest-willed finally understood they were doomed.

  If he was being honest, the old man would have killed him—should have killed him—if he'd known what he was truly facing.

  But that was the beauty of the hunt, wasn't it? The thrill of walking the edge. One wrong move could mean death.

  The biting cold of the snow had vanished with the warmth of the Forerunner's blood. He looked down at the body, his grin widening. The lifeless eyes stared back at him, empty now. Devoid of the fight that had burned within them just moments ago.

  New Skills available.

  The Reaver grinned as he selected his new skill. "Thank you for the gift."

  The Reaver wiped the blood from his blade, letting the last drops fall to the snow. The crimson pooled beneath his feet, stark against the pale frost.

  He stepped away, his senses sharpened, his muscles stronger. He was already thinking of the next hunt, the next Forerunner, the next taste of power.

  This rush had given him a new purpose.

  A new reason to exist.

  The wind howled through the ice-covered peaks, carrying the scent of fresh blood far into the night.

  These games truly were a gift. And they had just let him know there were others who were worthy prey.

  Quest Update. 2/3 Sovereigns remain. Umbraxis, the Shrouded Betrayer, has fallen.

  A twisted smile spread across his lips, the next hunt awaited. Next time, he'd savor the hope before crushing it.

  really costs in a world like this, and how much both of them are willing to sacrifice for each other.