While the others readied themselves for the battle, I saw to my own preparations. Turning my attention inwards, I acknowledged the waiting Game messages.

Status of bounty 674 updated. You have slain 2 / 20 stygian beasts. Time remaining to complete the bounty: 7 days.

You have reached level 86!

Your dodging has increased to level 58. Your sneaking has increased to level 66. Your telekinesis has increased to level 52. Your telepathy has increased to level 48.

Your chi has increased to level 50. Congratulations, Michael! Your chi skill has reached rank 5, allowing you to learn tier 2 abilities.

I’d gained more levels, and while I couldn't derive any benefit from my increased chi rank yet, I had gained two attribute points.

How to spend them? My Magic had reached a comfortable level and didn't need to be increased further—not until I obtained my third Class. Dexterity was the next best choice seeing as how I had only a few ability slots remaining in it. Decided, I invested in the attribute.

Your Dexterity has increased to rank 30 (+5 from items).

Opening my eyes, I returned my attention to the surroundings. The party had begun its advance on the hydra, and it was time to join them. Drawing the sword Jasiah had loaned me, I admired its length.

Clouds of gray billowed across the surface of the blade, giving it an indistinct appearance not unlike the stygian creatures it had been forged from. It was a beautiful weapon. Deadly too, and I wished I possessed it’s like. Yet it is only Jasiah’s spare blade. Which begged the question, how much more powerful were the duelist’s primary swords?

I shook my head in wry realization. I had a long way yet to go in the Game. Time to be about it, I thought and strode forward to join the others.

~~~

Barac, Jasiah, and I spread out to surround the hydra. Weapons held at the ready, we approached from three different directions while Simone and Moonshadow hung back.

From what I understood, the archer and mage would be the party’s main damage dealers. It was up to Barac, Jasiah, and me to keep the beast distracted so that the other two could do their work unimpeded.

According to Simone, Moonshadow’s most lethal spells were multi-target ones that hurt everything in the field of effect, but to protect his companions in the upcoming battle, he would restrict himself to seeking spells only.

I hadn't even known such spells existed, but it seemed some higher-tiered spells were advanced enough to differentiate friend from foe. But despite the limitations, the party was sure that the mage and archer combined could deal enough damage to whittle down the hydra’s health fast enough.

“Remember, we take out the head on the right first,” Simone whispered.

The plan wasn’t complicated. We would cut off the hydra’s heads one by one. That would slow the beast’s regeneration and deprive it of its most potent offensive weapons—its six deadly jaws. Without its heads, finishing off the creature would be simple, or so the others believed.

I held back slightly, waiting for my companions to engage first. While I did, I summoned psi and reached out to the hydra's mind. I didn’t expect my spell to work, but it was worth a try.

Weaves of energy spun out from me and towards the beast, attempting to blind it to my presence.

A level 180 stygian hydra has passed a mental resistance check! You have failed to hide your presence from your target. Your mental intrusion has been detected!

One of the hydra’s heads turned my way, and the beast hissed angrily—or was that mockingly?—in my direction.

My lips thinned. As expected, even with my high Mind, slaysight had failed. The beast was more than double my own level, after all. I guess there is going to be no easy way to see this done. Hefting the blade in my hand, I advanced on the creature. Meanwhile, the others were concluding their own opening attacks.

With an ear-splitting warcry, Barac charged the monster from the left. Using his bulk to good effect, the centaur pushed the hydra off-balance, causing it to stumble momentarily.

Barac has staggered a hydra. Target dazed for 10 seconds.

Exploiting the distraction created by his companion, Jasiah dashed in from the right and slashed open a jagged cut down one of the hydra’s necks.

Jasiah has struck a hydra with a glancing blow.

The beast attempted to retaliate, but before its striking heads could descend on the duelist, Moonshadow lowered his staff and cast.

A widening beam of white light expanded outwards from the mage, passing harmlessly through Jasiah to envelope all twelve of the hydra’s eyes.

Moonshadow has cast moonbeam. A hydra has failed a magical resistance check. Target blinded for 10 seconds.

Hissing in fury, the beast reared back. An eldritch arrow blurred past me, striking the targeted head that—just for a split-second—had perfectly framed itself.

Simone has crippled a hydra. One of twelve eyes permanently blinded.

“Wow,” I murmured, impressed anew by the party’s level of coordination and skill. Time to play my own part.

Sprinting forward, I wove psi, and my left hand flashed forward, releasing the astral blade that materialized in it.

The hydra, though, was no longer an easy target. Realizing its vulnerability—the beast was still blinded and dazed—the creature flung its necks into motion, swaying them back and forth. Despite this, the hydra didn’t see the incoming projectile, and the ethereal blade found its mark, if not quite where I intended.

You have struck a hydra a glancing blow, dealing psi damage.

I wasn't disheartened. With the creature still blinded, there was ample opportunity for me to do further damage, and I kept running.

Peripherally, I was aware of the others continuing their own attacks, but I had eyes only for my target. My feet pounding against the road, I kept my gaze fixed on the hydra's swinging heads.

A heartbeat passed, then another, and I judged myself in range.

Springing off my left leg, I went airborne. A second later, I pushed off again with one-step, correcting my trajectory mid-air to follow the motion of the swaying head I’d picked out.

I’d timed the leap perfectly. My outstretched left arm wrapped around the creature’s oily neck, and my legs quickly followed, anchoring me firmly in place.

Sensing my sudden weight, the hydra reared back its neck, but I was clung on tenaciously, and it failed to dislodge me. Before the creature could react further, I attacked with the stygian blade in my right hand.

You have cast crippling blow. A hydra has passed a physical resistance check! You have failed to cripple your target.

While my first blow had failed to cripple my target as I’d hoped, I kept striking, activating my other abilities. Energy gushed into my arm and weapon, empowering each hit.

You have cast whirlwind, increasing your attack speed by 100% for 3 seconds.

You have cast piercing strike, doubling the damage dealt on the next attack.

Once. Twice. Thrice. In rapid-fire fashion, I plunged the shortsword through the hydra’s neck.

You have injured a hydra.

You have injured a hydra.

You have injured a hydra.

I didn’t stop there. With whirlwind, my attacks were a blur, and I kept going, stabbing into my foe with berserker frenzy. Each strike caused blood to spurt and the beast’s head to sag further.

You have injured a hydra.

You have injured a hydra.

You have…

Hissing in pain from the damage, the hydra withdrew two of its heads from its battle with the others and sent them racing towards my own position.

I’d anticipated the attacks, and the hydra had not regained its sight yet, forcing it to strike blindly. Loosening my grip momentarily, I flipped around to hang off the underside of the creature’s neck and evaded the seeking heads.

Then I flipped back over and kept stabbing.

You have injured a hydra.

You have injured a hydra.

…

One of your target’s six heads has been permanently damaged. You have crippled a hydra!

The flurry of attacks proved too much, and eventually, the neck I clung to sagged as the head at its end died. The hydra roared in fury and pain and, abandoning all its other attacks, sent five snarling jaws hurtling towards me.

It was too little too late, of course.

Focusing on Simone, I shadow blinked to safety.

You have evaded a hydra’s attacks. You have teleported eight yards.

I emerged from the aether at the party leader’s side and found Moonshadow staring at me aghast. “You’re crazy,” the mage pronounced, his gaze roving over my gore-spattered form.

I admit I did look a sight, but it was only blood and none of it was mine. I opened my mouth to retort, but before I could, Simone intervened. “That was insane, agreed.” She pinned me with her gaze. “But can you do it again?”

I grinned wolfishly. “Of course.”