The blade bit deeper. Blood ran warm.
Shadows exploded.
They erupted from Jona like living smoke, wrapping the bounty hunter in absolute darkness. The man's grip faltered. Blind. Choking on void.
Jona twisted. Drove his elbow into the hunter's throat. Cartilage crunched wet. The masked figure staggered, blade clattering.
[Shadow Burst: Instinctive Defense]
Jona's sword found ribs. Pierced leather. Drove through to heart.
The hunter's eyes went wide. Then empty.
Three kills. Jin's arrogance. Krell's bloodlust. This nameless greed.
How many before mercy becomes weakness?
He dragged the corpse into shadow. Covered it with debris. Someone would find it. By then, sanctuary would shield him.
[Shadow Grind: 4/5]
One more fight.
***
Morning came with iron taste and exhaustion.
Jona stood in the preparation area, every muscle screaming betrayal. Three hours of nightmare sleep. Blades and blood and empty stares.
Renna pressed a flask into his hand. "Stimulant. Tastes like sewage, works like magic."
He drank. Fire spread through his veins, sharpening vision, dulling the bone-deep ache.
Marcus nodded toward the bracket board. "Your opponent."
Jona Mozzeri vs. Garron Stone - Endurance Mastery, Tier 2
"Endurance mastery," Jona said flatly.
"Worst possible matchup when you're half-dead," Renna said. "They don't feel pain. Don't tire. Garron's twelve wins, nine by attrition. He outlasts everyone."
Perfect.
The official's voice boomed. "Final matches! Jona Mozzeri versus Garron Stone!"
Jona checked his gear. Sword. Knives. Armor chafed against scabbed cuts. But he was standing.
That had to be enough.
"End it fast," Marcus advised. "Or don't end at all."
Jona walked toward light and noise.
Garron Stone was a wall given flesh.
Six feet of scarred muscle wrapped in reinforced leather. Gray hair. Weathered face carved by decades. Massive shield, short spear. Eyes holding mountain patience.
Steam vents dotted the arena floor. Hissing white clouds at random intervals. Extra chaos for finals.
The official stepped between them. "Standard rules. Begin on my mark."
Jona drew his sword. Shadows curled weakly around the blade. His stamina was guttering like a dying candle.
Garron raised his shield. Said nothing. Just watched with those patient, eroding eyes.
"Mark!"
Garron advanced slowly. Shield up. Spear ready. No rush. Just methodical pressure grinding forward.
Jona circled left. Looking for openings. Found none. The shield covered everything. The spear maintained perfect distance.
He feinted right. Garron didn't bite.
A steam vent erupted between them. White clouds hissing fury. Garron walked through without flinching. Didn't even blink.
[Stamina: 52%]
[Warning: Exhaustion Imminent]
Can't outlast him. Can't outfight him. Need an edge.
Jona watched the vents cycle. Three near the eastern wall. Two center-arena. Forty-second intervals, staggered by ten.
If he could time it right...
Garron thrust. Jona twisted. The spearpoint grazed his ribs, tearing leather.
[Health: 60%]
[Stamina: 48%]
Minutes. Maybe less.
Jona threw a knife. Garron's shield blocked it easily. But it made the man stop. Hesitate for one heartbeat.
Jona used Shadow Slip.
Three heartbeats of formless dark. He phased behind Garron, reformed, slashed at the back of his knee.
Steel bit deep. Blood flowed.
Garron spun, completely unfazed. The wound didn't slow him at all.
Endurance masters don't feel pain. Injuries don't matter unless they cripple.
Jona backed toward the eastern wall. Counted silently. Thirty seconds since last eruption.
Garron followed. Shield up. Patient. Relentless as erosion.
[Stamina: 44%]
Ten seconds.
Five.
Jona dove sideways.
The vents erupted. Superheated steam blasted upward in white columns. Garron walked straight into the inferno.
His skin scalded. Blisters bubbled across exposed flesh. Water vapor coated his eyes until they watered. But he didn't scream. Didn't even slow.
No pain. But still human.
The steam had blinded him. For one heartbeat his shield lowered, water streaming down his face.
Jona struck.
He drove his sword through the gap. Not at Garron's chest. At his shield arm. The blade pierced muscle, severed tendons. The shield fell from nerveless fingers.
[Stamina: 40%]
Garron transferred the spear to his other hand. Thrust without hesitation.
Jona rolled. Sand sprayed. The spear gouged where he'd been. He came up behind Garron, shadows wrapping his blade despite exhaustion, and slashed across the back of both knees.
Tendons separated. Legs buckled.
Garron crashed to his knees. Still no pain showed. But his body wouldn't obey. He tried to stand. Failed.
[Stamina: 35%]
[Critical: Movement Impaired]
Jona's sword pressed against his throat. His arms shook. Vision blurred at the edges.
"Endurance?" Jona managed. "More like endless embarrassment."
The crowd erupted. Some cheered. Others jeered. "Unbreakable Stone broken!"
Garron looked at him. Patient. Understanding. "Well fought, shadow."
"I yield."
Arena quaked. Dust cascaded like grim hail from the ceiling. Stamping feet and howling voices.
[Combat Complete]
[Victory: Jona Mozzeri]
[XP Gained: +200]
[LEVEL UP]
[Underworld Mastery: Tier 1 → Tier 2 ADEPT]
Power surged through him. Different from Tier 1. Deeper. The shadows responded stronger, coiling with new hunger.
[New Ability Unlocked: Shadow Bind]
[Description: Manifest shadow restraints to immobilize targets. Duration: 10 seconds. Cooldown: 60 seconds.]
[Fusion Potential Detected: Bind + Slip = Enhanced Mobility Control]
The notification made him grin despite exhaustion. Restraints from darkness. Another tool for the climb.
[Stats Updated]
[Strength: 8 | Agility: 23 (+5) | Willpower: 15 (+3) | Perception: 17 (+2)]
[Sacrifice Incurred: Stamina Reduction -10%]
[QUEST AVAILABLE: Endurance Trial]
[Objective: Complete Wastes endurance run to reverse stamina debuff]
[Reward: Full stamina restoration + minor perk]
[Achievement Unlocked: Tournament Victor]
[Bonus: +15% Reputation Gain with Houseless Factions]
[Daily Quest Unlocked: Survivor's Login]
[Reward: Free health potion daily (claim from Fennec quartermaster)]
[Quest Complete: Prove Your Worth]
[Reward: House Fennec Permanent Sanctuary Granted]
[Loot Drop: Minor Primer - Endurance Insights]
[Item grants +5% resistance to fatigue effects. Fusion research potential.]
Jona barely registered the official raising his arm. "Winner: Jona Mozzeri! Three victories! Fennec recruit!"
His legs nearly gave out.
Marcus and Renna caught him.
"Easy," Marcus murmured. "You did it."
"Barely."
"Doesn't matter." Renna grinned fierce. "You're one of us now."
They half-carried him to the preparation area. Other fighters watched. Some nodded respect. Others glared jealousy. Jona didn't care.
He'd earned his place.
Boss Ren waited at the tunnel entrance. Arms crossed. Expression carved from calculation.
Jona straightened despite screaming muscles. Faced him.
Ren studied him. Long. Assessing. Then smiled sharp as broken glass.
"Clever. Using environment against Endurance mastery. Most try brute force. Fail. You thought."
"Seemed smarter than bleeding out."
"Three wins against escalating difficulty. You've proven yourself." Ren's smile widened. "Welcome to House Fennec. Permanent sanctuary. My compound is your home."
Relief flooded through Jona. Finally. Safety. Foundation to rebuild from.
"But understand," Ren continued, voice dropping. "Sanctuary isn't charity. You work for it. Missions. Jobs. Whatever I need." He leaned closer. "Stick with me, shadow-boy. I'll teach you to forge shadows into weapons that break Houses."
Jona's breath caught. That promise. That path.
"Understood."
"Good." Ren clapped his shoulder. Nearly broke bones. "Rest. Tomorrow we discuss your first assignment."
He walked away, smoke wisping from his coat.
"Congratulations," a booming voice said.
Jona turned. Lomenol grinned down, warhammer gleaming. The big man had advanced through his bracket like a natural disaster.
"You too," Jona said. "Let me guess. Crushed everyone?"
"Obviously. Metal mastery versus Tier 1s? Boring." Lomenol's grin sharpened. "Speaking of which. Remember that favor from the Hollows?"
Jona's stomach dropped. "I remember."
"Good. Because favor time." Lomenol pulled out folded paper. "Got a job. Scouting run in the Hollows. Old Vex territory. Dangerous. Need someone sneaky."
"When?"
"Three days. After you stop looking like death." Lomenol's eyes gleamed. "Don't flake, shadow-boy. Or I'll collect with my hammer. We split pay fifty-fifty. Might find interesting loot down there."
Jona took the paper. Details sparse. Location marked red. Warning: High-risk zone.
"I'll be there."
"Excellent." Lomenol wandered off, whistling.
Jona stared at the paper. A favor called in already. The chain he'd chosen. But through that chain, allies. Resources. The foundation for rebuilding Mozzeri.
Three kills now. Jin's arrogance crushed. Krell's bloodlust bled out. Hunter's greed rewarded with steel. Each one necessary. Each one justified.
But Mom always said Mozzeri protects. We rebuild with mercy where we can afford it. With ruthlessness where we must.
I spared Vessa. Offered Garron yield. I'm not Jin. Not yet.
[New Quest: Hollows Scout]
[Objective: Survey Vex Territory with Lomenol]
[Time Limit: 3 Days]
[Reward: Unknown]
[Warning: Extreme Danger]
***
The compound feast hall buzzed celebration.
Jona sat with Marcus and Renna, forcing down stew. Rich meat. Vegetables. Actual seasoning. Better than months of scraps.
Other Fennec members congratulated him. Clapped backs. Offered drinks. He was one of them now. Proven. Worth keeping.
Boss Ren sat at the head table, watching everything with smoke-wreathed eyes.
"Eat," Renna urged. "You need recovery before Lomenol drags you into Vex insanity."
"Hollows scouting," Jona said between bites. "How bad?"
Marcus and Renna exchanged dark glances.
"The Hollows are controlled chaos," Marcus said quietly. "Vex territory especially. House Vex plays games. Layers of deception. If Lomenol's going there, it's for something valuable. Something lethal."
Jona took another bite. Warmth spreading through him. Not just food. Community. Fighters who'd survived their own hells.
This is how it starts. One ally at a time. One mission at a time. Build something worth protecting.
House Mozzeri rises again. Different. Stronger. Not through cruelty alone. Through bonds that hold when everything else breaks.
He thought of his mother's stories. Festivals. Masters training together. Community protecting its own.
Gone. All of it.
But not forgotten.
He'd rebuild that. Piece by piece. Starting here.
Far above the compound, in a box seat overlooking tournament grounds, a figure watched through a viewing scope.
Thin. Unremarkable. Servant's clothes making them invisible.
They'd documented every match. Analyzed every weakness.
Now they pulled out a small crystal. Communication artifact glowing faint.
They whispered. "Target confirmed. Three victories. Tier 2 advancement. Shadow mastery with tactical thinking. Currently in Fennec compound."
A voice crackled back. Cold. Female. Absolute authority.
Kiarra Priolo.
"Understood. Continue surveillance. Report movements outside compound walls."
"And the secondary objective?"
"Proceed. Make it subtle. I want him weakened, not dead. Not yet."
The spy smiled. Pulled out a vial. Liquid inside swirled green-black. Poison. Slow-acting. Would mimic natural illness for days.
They descended through servant passages. No one looked twice. Servants were invisible.
The compound kitchens would be easy.
Jona finished his stew. Pushed the bowl away. Exhaustion pulled at him like weighted chains.
"Go sleep," Renna said. "You've earned it."
He nodded. Stood. The world swayed but he steadied himself.
Tomorrow would bring new challenges. The favor owed. The path toward rebuilding.
But tonight, for the first time since killing Jin, he could sleep without hunters at his door.
He had sanctuary.
Allies.
A future.
Even if that future means more blood. More fights. More darkness.
One step at a time. Climb until the Great Houses can't ignore me.
Jona headed for the barracks, shadows curling contentedly around his fingers.
Behind him, in the feast hall kitchen, a servant added drops of green-black liquid to a pot of stew.
Set aside for tomorrow's meals.
Silent. Efficient. Invisible.
The poison spread through the mixture. Undetectable. Waiting.
Poison waited. Hollows called.
One mission from empire's start.