"Who are you?"

I slowly moved my hand to show the club behind my back and show that I meant no harm as I'd been taught, but he seemed to take that the wrong way...I wasn't sure if this was sun now though, since this demon lacked sun's (rather stupid in my opinion) black glasses that covered his eyes.

"Boys, we've got a tail!"

As soon as the fake sun said that, many demons came from behind and in front of me. I was surrounded.

"I dunno who you are, but I'm sure we'll find out soon. Drop that club and hold still, or else!"

I would have asked 'or else what,' because the demon didn't look like he was going to finish that sentence, but...I couldn't talk.

More importantly...this seemed...difficult.

I couldn't fight off this many at once. My club would hit the walls around me probably; I'd had plenty of times with my club just hitting something around me if I wasn't paying attention (one especially embarassing failure had been hitting another demon who was sparring near me). Even if I wanted to fight, I would be better off with just my hands. At least they couldn't come in two at a time.

Slowly, I dropped my club before turning and running at the one behind me. It was time for what the instructor had called the greatest tactic known to sapient beings - a tactical withdrawal.

If I could escape, Styx might know what was going on!

Yet, I felt my foot slip on some weird colored water and fell. Then, they were on me, and I felt my arms get pushed against my back, and a rope was slipped around my legs.

I quickly started to corrode the rope, but then realized that I would lose again if I fought now. And corrosion was to be kept hidden I remembered. This was hardly dangerous to me so no reason to panic.

I held still and let them finish tying the ropes, relaxing.

Could I fight them now? No.

Could I kill them one on one? Almost definitely.

Could I do it without them calling for friends? Probably not.

Then, it was...there was really only one thing to do. Wait and see.

I would have plenty of time. A fight didn't need to be won right away. Not when I could kill them in their sleep. Patience, was what I had learned in my life, and I would be stupid to forget that. Also because less effort was nice. Getting beat up was only fun if you won.

No rush.

Everything was fine. All good. It was all going to go according to plan.

My head smacked against the stone street beneath my head as they dragged me through the dark alleys.

I counted 10 that slipped in and out of view, not including the fake sun who I when looking closer, realized didn't look much like sun...

I waited for them to stop somewhere, but the few other people I saw, nodded to them or looked away.

One of the attackers, a Lupine, looked my way, but there were no worries. I had gotten a metal mask that filled in the gap between my helmet and torso and stuck it in. It had taken time, but it was now part of me - though I wouldn't be able to grow it back, it was just stuck in because I had grown my body around it to hold it in place.

No one could tell if I was looking or not like this anyway. I was at least good at pretending to be dead.

It just meant not moving my body at all.

I heard a mutter from the one carrying me.

"Sounds hollow..."

A mistake. I hadn't realized that one...I would need to find a way to fix this sometime.

Soon, we were in a building that looked weird.

The outside was wood, something that was already different from the normal stone buildings. Then, it was strangely loud, with many people.

It was dragged around to the back though, and then taken down a staircase underneath a section of floor.

Then, I was thrown into one of the stone...jail cells?

I wasn't sure if this counted as jail though. They weren't guards.

"Hahahaha, we've got another toy for ya Cletus! Come on, let's strip that armor and see what he's got!"

Thinking some more, I was now sure that demon...was probably not sun. Just looked a lot like sun. Which was weird. Azaraath line? Probably. But I had seen Azaraath line demons before...and they didn't always look that similar...but he didn't have sun's glasses - or any glasses for that matter - so it was very unlikely that was sun.

Ah, but, if they checked my armor I couldn't pretend anymore...well, there were only three people down here right now.

Me. Cletus. And the one that dragged it along. That head banging would be avenged.

Yes, this was good enough. One at a time was fine too.

My club was not here, but...

I carefully checked where I was. It was rock, rock, and more rock. The only way out was the rock stairs, and of the five jail cells along the right side, mine was the only one filled. The cell was small.

Maybe for three adult demons at best. I...could do this.

The bars looked...rusty.

They could be used to stab, maybe, if I snapped them or corroding them into shape, but then I could do that with a rock too. Everything is a weapon the instructor said. I don't know if the others got it, but...that was true.

The door was still open, but I needed to make it one to one first. Either was definitely stronger than me. I was weak physically. Something fourth period made me feel strongly.

But I couldn't be killed. If I had teeth or claws this would be especially easy...Cletus walked in first.

A large, grey skinned, Alopin. There was a box in his left hand, and his right pushed open the door.

Behind him, the annoying dark dwarf, sword away. Doable.

As soon as the dwarf was part way in, I used my mana to push the back of Cletus' legs and make him fall (I didn't have strength but I had mana, which when I realized it, made fourth period bearable) and then ran at the dark dwarf as the ropes fell off.

Since the one wasn't sun...or in sun's body...no need to take prisoners for information (courtesy of first period! Also because I wouldn't be able to ask any questions anyway)!

I tackled the dark dwarf while Cletus quickly got back on his feet and turned around.

Unfortunately, my tackles wasn't too heavy on its own, but with some mana to add there, the dwarf was pushed back and the door closed.

It would open easily enough, but as the dwarf kicked and punched, and started to push me off, I turned us around and slammed his head on the ground, stopping the door from opening past that in the process. I liked using my hands and the dwarf was luckily still in them so it worked out.

That was just luck. I was just trying not to have my back to Cletus, but...that was still a good thing.

He had a helmet as most dark dwarves did, but, unlike me, that kind of injury was pretty bad for normal people.

So I did it again and again.

There was some noise coming from upstairs, but I...was I making a lot of noise too?

I felt the dwarf's weakness as a punch went sideways and missed my head.

Fools. My head was not a weakness.

Again and again, I slammed his head down, even as Cletus on hand managed to close around my head from where he'd stuck his arm through the door and wedged it open.

However I let go of my head, and Cletus fell back as he pulled on it. My head was something I protected normally because I'd seen others do it, but when I realized I didn't get 'concussions' or the like, I remembered the head was the same as the rest of the body - unimportant.

Both stopped and looked hard at where my head should have been while I, without pausing, continued to slam the dwarf's head.

I felt the dwarf's breathing and heart change to less, but I wasn't sure what that meant except that if he wasn't dead, he needed to be beat some more. But, Cletus was coming too fast!

In what I recognized as frustration, I quickly threw my body against the door and let Cletus hit me through the gaps in the bars and push the door. My own attacks did nothing. But...right, I did have attacks that worked.

I had corrosion on my side.

His neck, the back of it, where the spine was (period two!) and as it was eaten through, his body slumped. Dead.

Strength or not, if you died, you died.

Efficiency was the best.

I didn't want to use more mana though, even if I felt stupid for not remembering to just do it to the dwarf too, as I was slamming his head.

It seemed I still needed experience. Remembering and remembering during a fight, and then remembering how to use it in a fight were very different things.

I slammed the dwarf's head more, and while blood came out, it would take too long like this. A waste of time since he didn't even try to fight back. I had seen what was in Cletus' box though, and after pulling out a suitably long, sharp, rod thing, jabbed it into the dwarf's eye through the hole in the mask. After some angry swirling with it, I was sure he was dead too. It always felt more satisfying to kill physically then with corrosion.

My head had been aveng - oh right. My head. I needed that. The mask would need to be bought again otherwise. And I already owed money to Styx but had no way to make any.

It was bent out of shape by Cletus, but I placed the head back where it belonged and took the dwarf's hammer. It was smaller then my club, but metal, and best of all, free.

There was a lot of stuff here...in fact, the bodies could cover my mana costs for a while if needed...I hadn't seen many monsters around here yet, so...yes, this was good. Mine. My things.

Still, now I could probably try to just escape again, but there seemed to be many of them. I would just get caught again. Instead, if I kill them off, I'll have an advantage. And it's fun.

I dragged the dwarf's body into the cell and locked the door using the key in Cletus' pocket, before slightly lifting my head and tossing the key inside.

Carefully, I slid my hand along the rough stone wall to balance myself and slowly crept up the stairs. I had made a lot of noise already, but that was no reason to simply give up stealth yet.

If I could afford to be stealthy, then I would. Why? Because Styx said assassin's were dangerous, and stealthy, and useful. And because stealth was useful in general. Styx had told me all about what one person could do and why lookouts were important.

The top would be hard now. While I could push aside the wooden slab easily enough...I quickly peeked with my true body and confirmed that there were indeed two people watching. Both regular, red demons.

Two at once...would be hard. Not quietly...both were unarmed though. Idiots. Too relaxed.

What could I do? I needed to pick them off. Or...right, what if I brought them down here? No, even then, I would lose my physical body in the fight likely...I could...ah.

I pushed the slab up a little, and then laid down on the stairs, releasing my grasp on the hammer, before using my true body to push the one guard's mouth closed (classic assassin move Styx said) and start corroding his spinal chord before pushing off the stairs and rushing the second.

He'd just turned to check on the one who had started flailing his arms when he heard the clatter of the slab hitting the ground, just in time to see me run at him and wrap both hands around his throat.

He kicked me and struggled desperately, but as soon as the first was down, the second soon followed.

I looked down and kicked the second guard's body.

I felt quite annoyed as I took the time to survey the room I was now in.

There was no door to close the gap, and the room had no decorations, just shiny wooden walls.

Too bad I couldn't use fire magic or regular arson would have worked just fine.

Or rather, too bad I was me.

If I could afford to waste more mana, I could have immobilized and killed both without a sound, or if I could actually walk quietly, without making that ting noise with every step, I could have dealt with this more...smoothly.

Or, if I could use ice magic or earth magic, a magic spear through the throat would have worked and still been quiet.

These idiots weren't equipped with much armor, just leather, so even if they dropped there wouldn't have been a clatter.

Still. Such was the struggle of one as unskilled as I.

Oh woe. Even my mana stayed disappointing...no increases while I was doing the change. If anything, the change was only making me lose mana and health. I would still do it, of course, because pseudo from what I knew now, was never better than void. And it would only take time to spring back.

It was nice indeed that my true body at least, was quite stealthy in normal circumstances.

The corridor outside was clear.

The wall to the left side was a dead end (unless I slowly broke through the wall) but to the right, I could see doors, and hear loud sounds.

This was...maybe a bar? Inn? I hadn't been to an actual one before, only read in books, but...I felt like this may be the sounds from one. Shouting, yelling, talking, singing.

Well, I would have to be careful not to kill anyone unrelated. That would be illegal, even if so far I was in the right.

Even if it would be hard.

I let my true body drift off as far as it could from my physical one as I dragged the corpses in and tossed them down the hatch.

I felt like I was forgetting something as I tossed the bodies down the hatch though...

Actually, for some reason, I was really enjoying this whole...collecting bodies thing. There was just something about tossing the bodies and loot into a little place where it was all mine.

I knew for a fact now that bodies rotted, but that wouldn't affect me anyway...food was food.

Well, even if I didn't touch the attacker's friends, so far, I had killed four. Cletus wasn't part of that original ten. The dwarf was. The two guards, only one was.

That meant...there were eight and also the fake sun to go.

Ah, it was always nice to see all the places where I could use math.

Alright.

I had a good idea of the building now. There was a floor above here and the first floor where I was, was fairly large. I was at the back though, and I had found four of the guys I wanted to kill.

Two were doing something weird in a room with some others.

The other two were also in a room and drinking.

However, I knew I couldn't deal with that many people.

The two who were drinking though...and Styx said drinking was bad. Everyone drank things though so...it was confusing. Two was easier than...well, more than that though.

That was only...six to go! Plus fake sun.

But, I had to end the fun today it seemed. St-un were here. I could hear Styx yelling something from the front of the place.

Sun's mana was also clear as it sounded like a fight started.

The doors opened and more people ran out, luckily overlooking me, who had ducked back into the two drinker's room when the doors started opening. No one paid any attention to the open door until one of the other people who had been with a group came by to check.

He was alone so a hammer to the throat while I grabbed his arm was enough.

It really seemed like these people were weak when I thought about how easy it was to kill one of them.

But I knew they were stronger than me. This was just...skill. Skills made a difference.

Though...my own were a bit good.

Nothing like real heroes. Like the Overmind. True he was a threat, but one I'd love to...learn from. Whether he liked it or not.

I'd dragged the three corpses into my new (because I said so) home before a guard came to check the corridor.

There'd been some idiots who tried to run away and hide in my den too, injured and scared, and I made quick work of them.

Well, it seemed St-un had won though, as a blood-covered sun walked over looking pretty mad.

"We get one day off and you manage to get yourself kidnapped by some undercover spy ring! HOW!?"

In my defense. The leader looked like you at first. On that note...I carefully examined sun and confirmed he did indeed have stupid glasses. All clear.

"I DON'T CARE! STYX JUST TOOK HIS HEAD OFF! AND HE LOOKS NOTHING LIKE ME!"

The other guards who had come with sun looked like they found this funny.

"ARE YOU BLI - oh wait, no, that's possible. Are you...are you just bad with not just faces, but bodies too?"

...possibly. To be fair, he looked like you in the crowd and then after that it was just normally walking after him. How was I to know he would so rude as to attack me instead of even confirming whether I was or wasn't after him.

"Ugh. That's so...I can't even. Levels?"

Two.

"That's already pretty good. The experience you get from people of a lower rank, even if their stats are higher, is terrible. Oh well. Consider it a learning experience. Plus we got money and accolades for uncovering a spy ring. Nice."

Wait, really?

"You'll get the lion's share, because you, quote, 'risked life and limb to reveal the enemy plot.' Yeah, as if you were smart enough for that..."

Hey! Also. I have many bodies that are now mine and was wondering if the new possible den could be mine.

"What? Oh, there's a secret room here?"

I led them into the room and lifted the hatch to show them the place.

It was as glorious the fourth time I saw it again as it was the second.

The plain grey stone had blood and gore spattered all over and five corpses were scattered down and around the stairs.

The guards and sun blinked and looked down at my work.

"Uh...wow, bet they regret that huh..."

"Regret wh - oh." Styx walked in behind us and looked over sun's shoulder.

I nodded proudly at Styx.

He'd taught me well.

I'd put all his teachings to use.

And my skills.

I was quite impressed with myself.

Sun, this loot is mine.

"Uh sure...hey, it said it wants the bodies and their possessions as loot."

One of the guards, his face covered with a shiny metal mask like mine, cleared his throat.

"Yeah, he can, uh, keep those. We'll just...check down there once."

Sure whatever. I was already running down the stairs and feasting on the remains by the time his words ended and two guards stepped around me and down the corridor as I ate and piled their belongings.

"Uh...fun!"

Fun indeed.

I should take these...day offs more.

"Eh, I got some live targets. Why not. Let's do this again next time, eh?" Sun smiled happily as he shook his robes and stretched, while Styx slowly sheathed his sword and nodded.

"Yeah, I think I want to try using an axe next."

Ah, yes. It would also like to be kidnapped again. Looting the kidnappers was fun and a good way to authentically practice certain skills.

Kidnappers...a valuable training resource.

Spoiler: Status Unnamed Pseudo-void Spirit Level: 6/10 Species: Pseudo-void Armor Avatar of Soul Bewitching Shadow Domain Spirit (C-) Affinities: Darkness, Death, Pseudo-void, Pseudo-Space Age: 664 years

Titles:

Body Status:

Normal

Status Points: 50 Health Points (HP): 440/440 Mana Points (MP): 440/440 Intelligence 74 Wisdom 19 Strength 10 Dexterity 9 Endurance 15