Roberson might be nearby. I wasn't sure. I honestly had expected the Challenger to survive the Spirit, but here we were.

The night was still young, and this young man had survived not one but two possible deadly encounters. He had managed to kill one of my Hunters and outrun a second. Watching him desperately trying to bring his breathing back under control as he was drenched in sweat, my hopes for him surviving a third were not high.

But I had to remind myself that I had been proven wrong in the past.

I suspected that Roberson would be seen soon, as the Hateful Spirit's screams had been an excellent means to identify the location and route of the pursuit. There had been no notification of the Challenger's death, so I knew that he would still be on the lookout.

As the Challenger pulled himself back to his feet, still breathing hard but bringing it under control, I looked around. No sign of him yet, but he might be hiding.

Turning my attention back to the young man, I noticed that he was inspecting his satchel. The lantern was still intact, though it looked slightly dented now. I saw a series of slashes along the flap. It seemed that the hateful Spirit had gone closer than I thought. The young man also had realised how close he had come to death again, and I noticed that his knees were shaking as well as his hands. I suspect it was a mixture of fear and adrenaline combined with the understanding that this was no game.

I knew he needed to get moving, or he would be easily found. He had not yet moved, as he was still trying to process everything that had happened to him so far. He was still shaking quite badly as he managed to pull the canteen out of the satchel and take another large gulp of water. What I assume was water. He put the canteen back, still shaking, but seemed calmer.

I caught the flicker of movement in the distance. Roberson, I was sure of it. The dark did not hamper my sight, but the number of obstacles did.

The Challenger had bent over and picked up his sword from the floor. He started along the pathway again, looking at the various turns and side routes. He was keeping to the main one, which was sensible as it was the best way to take him to the church. He had turned west and was following the path again. His direction was taken to the next junction, leading deeper into the Dungeon and the next ring.

Roberson was ahead of him and expected him to be preparing an ambush.

I was slightly above the Challenger as he walked, trying to spot my Hunter. The young man was tired, yet he remained tense and alert. He knew that he was still in danger, and I suspected that in his dreams, he knew that he would only find some measure of safety within the church.

I was starting to wonder if I had seen Robson earlier. I had expected him to make his move by now; we were several…

My Hunter appeared to the Challengers, left appearing from a hidden spot that had blocked him from being seen from the path earlier by a large gravestone. He charged towards the young man, aiming for a quick blitz attack. Once again, the young man's reflexes impress me as he turned with surprising speed and was already trying to move away.

The distance between them was very short, and as the Challenger turned, he was stepping to avoid the charging Hunter. Roberson was trying to adjust his angle as his momentum was now working against him.

This led to an unfortunate collision between the two. Roberson body charged the Challenger, but this caused them to inflict injuries on the other as their weapons were involved in the crash. The two collapsed to the ground, with the Challenger hitting the stone pathway hard, as Roberson drove him down with his weight.

The pile of bodies was a confused mess. The sword blade was sticking up and was slick with dark blood. The two were punching and elbowing as they separated. The Challenger was able to push Roberson off him. As soon as he was clear, he scrambled away from Roberson. I got a look at both of them.

My Hunter was wounded. The sword blade had sliced across his part of his stomach and cut deeply under his ribs. Roberson's dark clothes hide most of the blood he is losing. Roberson is struggling with the wound. Roberson was no longer human; he had undergone a transformation over the years. The wound would have crippled or killed a normal man.

The Challenger was not unscathed. There was a tear across his upper torso where his collarbone is. Again, the clothing was preventing me from seeing how nasty the wound was. His face was twisted in pain. His satchel strap had been cut free by the strike and was now on the floor.

Both were struggling to get up with their injuries. The Challenger was cradling the arm. Luckily, it was not his sword arm. The two were assessing themselves and the opponent across from them. In my opinion, neither was in good shape, but it seemed the Challenger had come out better in that encounter.

Would he win? It was hard to say.

The Challenger lashed out with his sword. He was in pain but was pushing through it. The sword strike was not as fast or coordinated as the earlier ones; it was more of a wild strike. Roberson got out of the way as quickly as he could, but he was in just as much pain as his opponent.

I could tell that he was calculating whether to continue or to try to escape. Out of all my Hunters, he was the most practical when it came to this. If this fight were looking like it would not turn out in his favour, he would beat a retreat with no problem from his pride.

The two combatants were slowly circling each other, trying to judge the condition of the other and look for an opening. When they had moved in a Half circle, Roberson quickly began moving away. He moves away, still facing his opponent, but it is clear he is beating a retreat. The Challenger did not pursue the matter, as his injury required treatment.

The Challenger moves over to his satchel lying on the ground, still keeping his attention focused on the direction in which Roberson had moved away. He can barely make out now in the dark as he continues to pull back. He kneels next to the satchel on the floor and begins to pull out what appears to be bandages. He opens up his coat while keeping his sword close to hand by leaning it on his leg.

Every action caused him to hiss in pain. He manages to open his coat and quickly pads the wound with several bandages. His face lost colour as he was dealing with the pain. Over the next ten minutes, he does what he can to stem the blood loss and treat the wound. He has not removed his coat, doing his best to work with it still on. This prevented me from getting a clear view of the injury, but I did what I could to assess it. He seemed to have stopped the bleeding for the time being.

He leaned down and picked up the cut strap of the satchel, placing it into the hand of the wounded arm, wrapping the strap around it, and then gripping it. He then grasped the handle of the sword and stood. There was a low groan of pain. I saw him for a few seconds. He was stationary for another minute before he started back along the path.

Rigger was the next Hunter up.

As I followed just behind him, I looked at his condition again and compared it to the Hunter that was ahead of him. I was not optimistic about his chances of making it to the church now. He was over halfway through the maze. He would have a period of safety until he made it deeper into the graveyard. I knew that Rigger would be notified of Roberson's withdrawal. I wasn't sure if he would stay in his normal hunting area or move out to see if he could track down the Challenger.

The young man was walking, but I noticed that all his injuries were taking a toll on him. His stride was no longer filled with confidence but had become more hesitant. I suspected the pain was intense and only reminded him of its presence with every footfall.

This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

I watched as he passed through the next ring. He had made a few wrong turns now and was forced to backtrack. He was struggling to identify the main path that passed through the graveyard. The deeper you went into the maze, the more turns were presented to you. It was easy to lose your way here, as the gravestones, other structures, and trees all work together to hamper your sense of direction and location.

Still no sign of Rigger.

"Where are you?"

I asked myself as I moved up slightly to get a better look around. I couldn't see him, but that didn't mean he was not in the area. Hiding locations were abundant here. All of my Hunters were starting to develop different kill methods. All they were still experimenting with ideas.

Stealth and ambush kills were still the favoured. However, they were starting to explore different means and styles. Blackstone didn't bother with ambushes; he just appeared and beat opponents to death. Harrington was playing with shadows and manipulating them to gain an advantage. Roberson favoured Blitz attacks while McGregor favoured ambush and taking his time with the kill. Of my Hunters, McGregor was the most cowardly, retreating when the fight turned against him most often. Rodriguez was looking to ambush points from above by jumping from places of height advantage.

This is how they killed at the moment, but I wondered if they would change. Rodriguez used to do blitz attacks, but he had started experimenting with his new style. I notice changes with Rigger as well. At first, he generally killed in the most efficient manner possible, but he was leaning towards ambush kills more. I noticed that he had become more aggressive, but that wasn't the right term; sadistic was a better description, given his recent kills.

Of all my Hunters, Rigger was the furthest along with his changes. Physically and mentally, he underwent the most significant changes. I knew the others were catching up with him and that…

A flicker of movement caught my attention.

I realised he was ahead of us on the path, sizing up his opponent as he approached. I knew he had better night vision than a normal person. The Challenger was unaware that he was approaching my Hunter. I lowered myself back to my position just behind the Challenger as he walked.

I wondered what he would do, and my answer came rather quickly.

Rigger came charging down the path, not bothering to ambush his opponent, sensing that he was wounded and that he could make a fast kill. The Challenger reacted by turning and running into the graveyard from the path. He was using the mausoleums and graves to slow my Hunters' approach. The problem was that the Rigger was not at a disadvantage in the dark.

Rigger was pursuing him with a gleeful smile on his face.

The distance between the two was closing quickly as the Challenger could not move as fast as I suspected he could have been in the past because of his wound. I suspected he was in agony due to the wound and being forced to move so quickly. His legs were kicking the satchel as he pumped them while running, which was not helping him.

He ran towards the mausoleum, ducking around the other side. He might be in pain, but he was thinking. Soon, he was around the corner, and he stopped, backing up two steps. Behind the mausoleum, a row of large gravestones created a natural, narrow pathway. You could jump over the stones, but instead, the Challenger braced himself with his sword, pointing forward at waist height.

Rigger came running around the corner, seeing the danger. He couldn't stop his momentum in time and impaled himself on the sword, pushing back the Challenger as he cried out in pain. Being this close to Rigger and not being news to him was a most unpleasant experience for the Challenger. Rigger was unable to use the short distance as an advantage, as he was too busy dealing with the blade in the stomach. He had dropped his Bowie knife as he impaled himself on the blade. It had gone straight through him and was protruding out of his back. The Challenger then twisted the blade violently, causing Rigger to scream in pain.

The Challenger received a punch to his wounded shoulder, which knocked him back, causing him to let go of the sword handle as he now screamed in pain. He staggered for several steps and was forced to reach out and grip the side of the mausoleum to keep himself upright.

Rigger was breathing rapidly as he gripped the sword handle. Snarling in pain, he began to pull it from his stomach. I no longer felt pain, but I winced in sympathy. He was breathing, snarling, and pulling as he did so, he turned away from his opponent. It wasn't quick, and it wasn't easy, but he managed to pull the blade free. As soon as he did, the Challenger attacked him with his own Bowie knife. He had picked it up and now used it on its owner.

Rigger saw the strike coming and twisted his body, but not enough. The blade hit him in the upper chest, going in deep. He screamed out in pain again as he fell back several steps and collapsed. The Challenger was breathing hard, but showed a remarkable presence of mind to bend down and pick up his sword that Rigger had discarded as soon as he pulled it from his body. The young man didn't wait around to see if my Hunter was still alive as he turned and ran.

I looked over Rigger's wounds quickly before I set off after the Challenger. He was not in good shape, and I hoped you would make it back to his lair. When I left him, he was coughing up blood. I think a lung had been punctured.

It didn't take me long to catch up with the fleeing Challenger.

He was moving as fast as he could, keeping the spire of the church as his north star. That was the briefest first fight yet, and the one I was most surprised by in terms of the result. Rigger has seen a wounded opponent and thought it would be a quick and easy kill—another case of arrogance on the part of my Hunters. I was going to have to have words with them after this. Again.

He was still moving the sassy could, which was not exactly a run but a desperate jog. He was deep into the maze now, but off the path. He was cutting through, looking for shortcuts or more direct routes to the church. He found a few, but most of them turned him away, and he was forced to return and rediscover the path he was on.

No death notification yet for Rigger.

I knew that the hunting grounds would not shift unless Rigger had decided to bow out. With those injuries, he was not able to continue, and if you hadn't, I would be shocked. With the Challenger's location in the graveyard, now Rodrigues would be the next Hunter to take their shot at him.

I was thinking about raising my position slightly this year if I could spot the approach of the fourth Hunter. This was interrupted by the Challenger making his way out of the graveyard into the central ring of the maze. He stood before the church. I could see the doors. He continued to move as fast as he could, and he reached them.

Staggered up to the doors of fun, then opened them. As soon as you cross the threshold, the sense of peace and end of hostilities passes through me.

"Well done, you made it. You're halfway there." He closed the doors behind him. He leaned back against his chest, heaving as he tried to control his breathing. He was covered in sweat. I think his wound had reopened with all the running. He was very pale. I was concerned that blood loss might be doing him in. As he leaned back against the door, his daughter's eyes were closed, and as he spent a few minutes there, I waited.

Eventually, he opened his eyes and looked around.

The room was very dark, and I doubted he could see anything at all. There was light coming through the windows, but it was not enough and only illuminated small areas. With effort and a lot of grunting, he managed to get the lantern office satchel. After a few attempts, he managed to light it.

The lantern had not survived the fights and abuse its owner had gone through. It was dented and scratched, with a crack in the glass around the flame. Luckily for the Challenger, it still worked.

He walked down the centre line between the pews. He was still tense, scanning his surroundings for any potential threats, and as he ventured deeper, the tension began to ease.

His path led him to the altar and the statue. Here he paused for a few moments.

He looked at the altar, then up at the statue. The light from the lantern casts weird shadows and illuminates the area differently than it does during the day. He turned and walked over to a pew, placing the satchel on it. He put the lantern next to the satchel, then opened it with his right hand and searched inside. He pulled out something wrapped in cloth, which he held in his left hand, and used his right to pick up the lantern again.

He turned and walked over to the altar, where he placed the cloth. He placed the abuse lantern onto the altar, using his right hand to open up the fabric. Inside was a small silver crucifix. He lifted and put it upon the altar.

As soon as it made contact, I received a flood of images and emotions. I saw a man and a woman, and I recognised the man as Augustus. I suspected the woman was his wife. As suddenly as they appeared, the emotions and images disappeared.

[Challenger's offer has been accepted.]

He picked up the cloth and the lantern, walking back to a satchel, leaving the crucifix behind. He sat on the pews with the lantern next to him, and I watched as he struggled to take off his coat and then the shirt beneath. Both were heavily stained with blood. He was forced to pull the bandages off the wound, causing him pain and it to bleed again.

He reached into his satchel and pulled out a small flask. He opened it and poured some of the contents onto the injury. He cried out in pain, and I could see tears in his eyes. He then took a big swig from the same flask. I suspected it was not water. He pulled out a needle and thread, and then, after a couple more swigs from the flask, did a very rough job of sewing the wound. He rebandaged it correctly this time. He was going to have a scar, which was a prediction I was confident in.

He didn't put his shirt back on, but he did put his coat back on. He ate and drank from the supplies he brought with him, and I watched until he eventually drifted off to sleep after a few more drinks from the flask.

Next chapter will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.