After spending most of his early teen years in the countryside just northeast of London, Nil knew the smell of rotting wood better than most. Damp from the regular drizzles and occasional overflowing canals often wore down the older structures in Hemel Hempstead. His father once worked as a civil engineer for the underfunded local council. As a result, Nil had learned to recognize minor structural issues and also recognize build history.

The fort appeared reasonably stable until the third floor. The ancient masons had done an excellent job of making the structure durable and long-lasting. Given the fantastical creatures and minor magic Nil had witnessed, it wouldn’t surprise him if the fort owed its longevity to arcane construction techniques. 

The fourth floor looked like a comparatively recent construction. It appeared that the previous owners wanted another level and used unskilled workers to slap a ceiling over the old roof. Uneven support beams grew out of random spots on the floor, and in a handful of locations, they had bunched several thin pillars together. The ceiling had holes, and it was clear rain had been through.

As Nil and Mila ventured deeper into the floor, the pair encountered recent collapses. They appeared no more than a week old. 

“The workers quit five days ago,” Mila explained when Nil asked her about it. “A bunch of them started getting hurt after they cleared the cellar and dungeons. The foreman said this place is cursed. We should’ve listened.”

Nil formulated a rough idea. Given their combined combat prowess, he and Mila had no chance of defeating the creature. However, if he triggered a collapse, perhaps they could slow it long enough to survive until sunrise. 

When they reached the floor, Nil had spotted a corner with a stone ceiling above. Since they were initially looking for a hiding place, he dragged Mila in the opposite direction. So, Nil targeted the opposite corner, hoping to find a patch of stone for his ward to take cover.

“Careful,” he whispered, pulling Nil closer when Mila brushed against a crumbling wooden pillar. The half-a-second of contact sent waves of creaks and groans through the ceiling. The noblewoman tried stopping when the wood complained even louder ahead. “What can you tell me about this thing, Mila? Any bit of information, no matter how mundane, might give us a chance.”

“Father said this land belonged to the wildlings,” Mila’s voice quivered as she spoke. She kept her volume so low it was barely a whisper. “Ilsa told me stories about them. They worship the spirits of nature. When the wildlings turned their back on the land and sky, the benevolent spirits turned their back on them, leaving the wildlings desperate and starving. The cruel and desperate turned to murder and cannibalism. The evil and darkness in their souls seeped into the land, and it cursed them.

“The monster—” Her face contorted, and her jaw clenched as she continued. “This filthy beast kills everything it sees. I suppose what it doesn’t consume comes back cursed.”

“Like Ilsa.” Nil sighed. “Probably those bat things, too.”

Mila nodded. Her silver-grey eyes shone in the darkness. “Like Ilsa. She was a good woman. Ilsa took care of me after Mother died. She didn’t deserve this.” She tightened her hold on Nil’s hand. “I know we can’t kill this thing, but can we at least hurt it?”

“I’ll try.” Nil slowed as they reached the floor’s far wall. “I’m going to need your help, though. It won’t be easy.”

“Anything. I’m not scared anymore.”

“That’s fine. I’m terrified enough for the both of us.”

The creature roared when it finally reached the top of the stairs. While waiting, Nil and Mila had prepared for the final countdown to sunrise. Mila stood under a patch of stone roof in clear view of the stairs. The cursed entity stumbled around momentarily, bumping into the broken furniture piled around the top of the stairs and making the entire floor creak. Its deep wheezing sounded alarmingly human. Then it sighted Mila and released a blood-curdling scream. 

Both Nil and Mila clutched their heads. The high pitch and volume hurt their ears, but it was the horrifying visions that almost forced the pair down onto their hands and knees. Nil had only heard the scream from a distance before and through several walls. Now, with nothing blocking the sound and the glowing red eyes staring them down, the discomfort was several times worse. It caused a headache worse than any he had felt before. In fact, the night he became a Summoned, Nil’s skull had cracked against the police van when the junkie threw him. The pain paled compared to what he felt now. 

Nil saw flashes of the half-devoured corpses left behind by the monster. Then he saw images of the drug-crazed Summoned battering the police officer, followed by the familiar woman in a white parka and jeans. He simultaneously felt rage and horror as his late mother and then father substituted the mutilated corpses.

“Make it stop!” Mila shouted, and Nil worried the creature would kill them with its scream alone.

When Nil stepped in front of Mila and channeled Absorb, the headache didn’t cease, but the screaming stopped a couple of seconds later. The monster started its advance, grunting and snorting like a challenged bull. Nil finally got a clear view of the creature that had made the past few hours the second-most terrifying time of his life.

The entity stood at least a meter taller than Nil, and ugly black-brown matted fur covered its body. Its knees bent backward and had hooves instead of feet. The creature walked with a hunch as it advanced toward them, and its long arms almost dragged on the stone floor. 

“Get ready,” Nil whispered as he slipped out of the creature's path, giving it a clear view of Mila. The defenseless noblewoman trembled but stood firm.

Very human-looking hands gripped the unstable furniture piles as the creature stumbled toward them. The monster’s torso featured a bulbous, furless abdomen that appeared mostly human. The odd shape and weight distribution made it front-heavy, and Nil wondered how it kept upright without constantly needing support. Its spindly fingers reminded Nil of a tarantula’s legs, and the jagged claws left gouges on the surfaces it touched. Then the creature passed the window, and Nil finally saw the ugly head.

It was once human.

A man’s face peeked out from under the giant stag-skull helm. The wearer hadn’t bothered cleaning the bone or curing it first. Rotting tissue stuck to it, explaining the ugly-sweet smell in the air. Limbs and the organs of its victims hung from the antlers. Given the monster's appearance and tale, Nil guessed it resembled Wendigos from Native American mythos. 

“I don’t want to stay here,” Mila shouted. Despite the unnecessarily loud protest, she remained standing in the assigned spot. Her bravery paid off a moment later when the creature wandered into the trap.

Nil had used his stored energy to weaken several pillars between the stairs and Mila. They did nothing to deter the beast. However, the rotting wooden beams buckled as its limbs and disproportionate torso brushed against them. The creaks and groans overhead grew louder. The sounds alarmed Nil but did little to deter his opponent. The monster didn’t slow when wooden scraps rained on its head and back either.

Then, it passed Nil’s hiding spot, and he leaped into action. He raced towards a cluster of wooden beams just behind the beast. He burned stored energy just for a moment as he kicked off the ground and threw himself into them. The force shattered the rotting wood and carried him through it. Nil landed on his face. 

Fortunately, he had successfully switched from Absorb to Expend just after breaking through the pillars. Splinters had scratched his cheeks, but the rough landing resulted in no further harm. He ignored the discomfort and scrambled forward on all fours. Nil just about reached the stone wall and threw his arms over his head before everything came down. He screamed in pain as his internal battery reached capacity, and pain arced through his shoulders and across his back.

Expend has progressed to Mortal 2!
Brutal Battery has progressed to Mortal 2!

Mila didn’t make a sound, and he sat immobile while the creature roared its angry protests. Several minutes passed before the cries ceased and the dust cleared. The sun had risen over the horizon, and its rays peeked over the mostly intact stone walls. 

Nil climbed over the unstable debris and weaved his way to Mila. He found her squatting with her arms folded above her head. Mila screamed when he placed a hand on her shoulder.

“It’s sunrise,” he said. “We made it.”

“Is it dead?” She asked, looking up.

“I doubt it. But the quest said you need to make it to sunrise. That must mean it's over, right?”

“I don’t know,” Mila replied, looking past Nil at the mountain of wood and rusted metal behind him. “I’m not sure how quests are supposed to work. Father said the cursed must rest when the sun rises. Maybe the beast has gone to sleep.”

A Schema notification flashed in the corner of Nil’s vision. Before checking it, he dispelled all the spikes buried underneath the rubble. He immediately felt lighter, and the mental fatigue somewhat faded.

You’ve completed your quest! 

You have gained 100 Schema Credits. 

Escort Mila Stark to the fort’s stables to trigger exit teleportation and earn the remainder of your reward.

“Let’s get out of here,” Nil said, offering Mila an arm.

Mila nodded. She tightly gripped his right hand. The pair moved slowly, carefully climbing the rubble and toward the stairs. Much to Nil’s horror, the debris moved just as they crested a mound. A deep growl made the ground vibrate under their feet. He pushed Mila. The young noblewoman screamed as gravity and unstable footing forced her forward. Before he could follow, the rubble rose between them, and the monster’s torso burst free.

The crimson eyes met Nil’s, and he was sure he saw the ugly maw under the stag helm grin. The beast half turned, and its long arm shot forward. Mila screamed as the beast’s monstrous hand grabbed her around the waist. 

Nil desperately scanned his surroundings. He was hoping to find something long enough to stab the creature in the neck or face. Brute force and burning all of his stored energy wouldn’t do. Then he saw his answer. A section of the roof hadn’t collapsed. The wooden beams were bent but still held it up. He scrambled toward it as the beast pulled Mila toward its expanding mouth. He hit the supports with an empowered punch, burning a third of his stores, and successfully broke the rotten wood in a single blow. Nothing fell on the monster. However, it lost its shade.

The beast instantly dropped Mila and screamed. Its fur immediately caught flame, burning away like toilet paper. The skin underneath bubbled and burned, too, revealing flesh and bone. A giant heart glowing with the same light as its eyes throbbed within the rib cage. 

A familiar feeling stirred inside Nil. His instincts told him to take the opportunity to flee, but some of him believed damaging the heart would end the beast. Fields of tall grass surrounded the fort in every direction. Unless she ran into a patrol or sympathetic travelers, he guessed Mila would need to ride for at least a day and a night before finding someone capable or willing to help her. Nil saw the visage smiling out of the corner of his eye as he made his decision.

Apparently, the monster was speedy and agile when the night started. Combat and gluttony had made it slow and imbalanced. If Nil didn’t end the beast, it would probably take cover and then pursue Mila through the night. The noblewoman would perish with no one to protect her. The same could happen because of wildlife or outlaws, but Nil wanted to give her the best possible chance.

Nil picked fight over flight. He scrambled over the shifting wood, moving on all fours when necessary. Fortunately, the beast was too busy protecting its head from the sun and wriggling free of the rubble. It didn’t see him coming. Nil ignored the flames licking at his exposed skin and grabbed a slimy rib. He held his breath to avoid breathing in the acrid smoke and plunged his hand into the monster, firming his hold. It blindly swiped at him, but Nil pressed himself against the torso and avoided the blow. He didn’t dare get hit without Absorb active. Switching between the two abilities would make him too slow, so he imagined the balloon and holding the mouth closed with two fingers.

After taking a moment to steady himself, Nil released the restraints, channeled Expend, and struck the beast’s chest. The blow opened a gouge in the chest, drawing scalding blood. Black clots accompanied it and stuck to his skin like tar. Everything stung and burned, but he continued fighting. The punch had damaged the remaining hide and flesh, but the bones underneath appeared unharmed. 

The creature thrashed and swiped at Nil, forcing him to switch from Expend to Absorb. The awkward angle and the injuries ensured it didn’t get any clean hits off. As a result, a single blow wasn’t enough to inflate his imagined balloon all the way. Instead, he got the chance to launch another strike. Unfortunately, the monster found another burst of strength and redoubled its efforts at shaking Nil off as soon as he switched to Expend. He had no choice but to desperately grab at the exposed ribs and hold on for dear life. 

Much to Nil’s surprise, the bone in his grasp and the surrounding flesh exploded. Shards shredded his arms, and a chip sliced his cheek just below the right eye. Any higher, and he’d be half blind. It wasn’t his grip strength that inflicted the damage. He had failed to switch from Absorb to Expend and squeeze the balloon’s mouth shut. All of his stored energy rushed free through his now uncomfortable, hot, and slightly burnt palm. He had released the battery’s contents through touch alone. Something not included in Brutal Battery’s wording occurred to him, too. The bone shrapnel had damaged every exposed bit of him except his palm—the surface releasing the energy. The injury it suffered appeared connected to Expend.

Nil stuck his hand through the fiery wound, grabbed the heart, and pulled with all of his strength. Then, a thrashing limb struck his side and threw him off the beast. Mila was on him the moment he landed. The little girl had removed her blouse, leaving her top half only protected by a pink undershirt. She wiped at the blood clinging to Nil’s face and arms. The skin stung in the affected areas. It felt as if Nil had opened an oven set to steam and not moved away while the angry vapors assaulted him.

Behind them, the creature stood immobile like a statue, burning blood flowing from its open chest. The heat left its heart, and it crumbled like ash in Nil’s scorched hand, leaving nothing but an eyeball-sized sphere full of ugly orange, brown, and yellow flames.

“Now, it's over,” Mila said, throwing her arms around Nil. He winced as she squeezed his bruised ribs. The beast’s final blow had cracked several somethings in his body. If not for his increased Might, Nil was sure he would’ve lost consciousness. “Thank you.”