“This is ridiculous,” Chandice said as they hid in the tunnel, waiting to see if their ruse worked. “Why would anybody go to this length to harm harem girls?”

“It feels like a grudge,” Evalynn replied as they stared at the section of the wall that was Jaina's body. “Some kind of revenge against harem girls. Maybe for rejection.”

“It’s cowardice,” Roric interrupted.

“How do you figure?” Chandice asked.

“They are targeting women who are wearing a device that handicaps their power,” Roric explained. “This makes them an easy kill and experience reward. These two are nothing more than opportunistic cowards, and now that I realize that, I know their weakness.”

“They have a weakness?” Gisley panted as the tension mounted.

“Yes, they think you girls are all hindered by your collars,” Roric said. “They have no idea your collars are unlimited, and you have full access to your powers.”

“How does that help us?” Chandice asked.

“Just what Evalynn said a minute ago,” Roric said. “We don't pull any punches. We get them in that larger room and go at them with everything we have. They are expecting harem girls with little to no teeth in their attacks, not fully capable girls who can unleash hell. With our numbers and power, we should be able to overwhelm them.”

“But that stupid bug can blink around and drop us in one attack,” Chandice reminded. “Don’t forget the poisons.”

“I can purge negative effects from the girls,” Roric reminded. “It's just you I won't be able to protect, but you can protect yourself. Summon a devil rogue and have it stand directly behind you in stealth.”

“And what do we do about the fire witch?” Chandice asked. “She’s at least ten levels higher than me, more likely twenty.”

“Cast your bugs on her,” Roric replied. “Then Evalynn and I will double-team her with a hail of power attacks. I nearly fought them both to a standstill when I cut loose. You focus ranged attacks on the insect man while we take the ranged caster into melee.

“And who fights the bug?” Evalynn asked.

“Jaina and Gisley,” Roric replied. “Gisley is our highest level, and with Jaina protecting her back, they can match him.”

“I can’t keep up with him,” Gisley said. “He’s too fast to hit.”

Roric went to her and took her hands before dropping to a knee to stare deep into her eyes.

“You are the highest level among us, and you once held an entire town in awe at your power,” Roric said. “Nobody was willing to anger Gisley, the barmaid, for fear of what her true strength was like. He can leap around, but you have ranged attacks that he can't avoid, and if he risks coming in close, Jaina will destroy him.”

Jaina listened to every word as the insect man slowly stalked toward her. It was clear he knew the tunnel was missing and was cautiously coming to investigate. Roric's plan sounded like their best option by using the fact that their collars were unlimited to surprise the enemy. Still, Gisley was right; the insect man was going to be the problem. It appeared he could blink about with no limits, striking and vanishing in an instant. What they needed was a way to anchor the man in place, and that gift was about to be delivered.

Jaina stretched a long tendril of herself down the tunnel to where Roric and the others plotted to attack. She used the tendril to form a mouth and whispered to the group.

“Roric, the insect man, is coming to inspect the wall,” Jaina said.

“Oh my god, that's disturbing,” Chandice said as they turned to notice the mouth.

“We don't have time to discuss that,” Jaina said. “I think Gisley is perfect for dealing with the fire woman. I will deal with the bug, but it will all happen in the next twenty seconds.”

“How are you going to deal with a man who can keep blinking away?” Gisley asked.

“Simple,” Jaina said as her mouth smiled. “I can be very sticky.”

Roric's eyes went wide as he realized what Jaina was talking about. Her fluid body could become adhesive like glue, making it impossible for him to evade her. All she needed was a chance to ambush him and get hold, which was seconds away from happening.

“Jaina,” Roric whispered. “Let’s really abuse our powers.”

Jaina nodded as Roric took a breath and reached for his full power. He glowed with red light as he finally delved into the thrall keeper class and unleashed hell.

[Lvl 1 Thrall Keeper Skill: boost] Grant your slaves a 5% boost to their strength and stamina for every happy slave in your collar. Lasts 1 hour.

[lvl 1 Thrall Keeper Skill: Health buffer 1] Grant your slaves a 30 health buffer over and above their regular health. Lasts 1 hour.

[lvl 2 Thrall Keeper Skill: Proximity] passive power. While your thralls are within thirty feet of you, you all gain a 3% bonus to your stamina recovery.

[lvl 4 Thrall Keeper Skill: Protect 1] Grant your thralls 10 armor and a 10 health buffer. Lasts 1 hour.

[lvl 5 Thrall Keeper Skill: United as one] Create a shared health pool between you and all your thralls. This pool is 2% larger per happy slave. Any healing a thrall receives is applied to the pool. Poison and magical effects do not affect the entire pool unless they do pure damage.

“The shared health pool,” Evalyn said as she glowed briefly.

“Yes,” Roric said. “Now, all of you borrow from Jaina. Copy her regeneration.”

[lvl 20 Thrall Keeper: Mirror power][Boosted 10] Empower a thrall with any one power from another thrall or yourself. This power is at the same level of ability as the source. The effect lasts 1 minute plus 1 more for each point spent. Boosted 10 effect – Your thralls gain this power themselves and can choose a power to borrow from each other.

Gisley and Evalynn glowed as they copied Jaina's power of regeneration. Now, all three of them were regenerating into a shared health pool, creating a constant flow of health.

“What about me?” Jaina asked. “What should I take?”

“You take from me,” Roric said. “And you rampage.”

Jaina understood what he was getting at and nodded as she turned her attention back to the insect man. He was only a few steps away, reaching toward her with a short sword that glistened with a blue liquid.

“Now, let's see how fast you are,” Jaina mused as she suddenly became fluid and reached for him with a dozen tendrils. The man reacted fast, slashing wildly and cutting tendrils, but he wasn't fast enough to avoid them all. Jaina latched on, quickly coating her body with a glue-like substance as she attempted to flow over him.

“What the hell!” the man cried in his clicking voice, and instantly, he was gone, dropping Jaina in a mass of fluid to the floor.

“It didn't work,” Jaina cried as Gisley raced out of the tunnel, glowing brightly with moonlight. Her wings were unfurled, and she put the room's height to good use, flying up so there was nowhere to teleport behind her. She saw the insect man appear in a corner as a red arrow hovered over his head.

[lvl 11 Thrall Keeper Skill: Marked for death] Mark an enemy. For the next 30 seconds all your thralls have a 10% bonus to hit, damage and crit the target.

Gisley unleashed her moon ray, striking the man before he could react. He vanished a second later, but Roric and the others were spilling out of the tunnel. Roric focused on the battle, watching it instead of participating. He would be far more useful in boosting his girls than directly intervening and needed to focus.

Evalynn charged the man, using her powers to turn her rush into a blur that closed the ground quickly. The insect man blinked away, arriving behind Evalynn to attempt to stab her. Roric anticipated this and acted the second he saw the blink.

[lvl 15 Thrall Keeper Skill: Team up] Instantly teleport one thrall to another, giving the teleported thrall 5 seconds of invulnerability.

Jaina vanished in a flash, arriving right behind Evalynn just as the swords stabbed out. They bounced harmlessly off her flowing mass, and Jaina quickly lashed out, caustic ropes of slime latching onto his insect hide. Gisley hit him with a hail of glowing bolts even as he tried to jump away.

“Not this time!” Jaina growled as mouths appeared all over her body and reached out to bite him.

“What the hell are you?” the man cried and vanished again, this time arriving thirty feet away with his arms spread wide. His hide produced wisps of smoke from where Jaina had been burning him, and droplets of black blood splattered to the floor. Roric was quick to react, calling on his powers as he pointed to the wounded man.

[lvl 17 Thrall Keeper Skill: Focus fire] Force all thralls with a ranged attack to fire on a single target, delivering a massive barrage. This attack has a 10% bonus chance to hit.

Evalynn lifted her spear while Gisley put her hands together. Jaina ripped mass from the floor, turning it into a stone bolt. Magical red spears fell from the sky as a ray of moonlight blasted down, and a hail or stone was fired like a shotgun. The insect man was too slow and found himself pelted by the combined blows. They heard him howl in pain just before he vanished again, this time appearing behind Chandice. He thought he had an easy strike, but he howled again as the devil rogue struck first, burying a long dagger in the man's shoulder as it came out of stealth. Chandice was pulled out of harm's way by Roric, who told her to stand back to back, so the insect man could no longer ambush them.

Gisley chased him around the room with rays of moonlight, forcing him to blink wildly as he desperately tried to avoid the attacks. Jaina and Evalynn chased him, but they were too slow to catch a man who could teleport. He managed to blink behind Evalynn and score a hit, but Roric was quick to the defense. He used purge to wipe away the poison, and then his thrall keeper's heal to quickly restore the damage. It seemed the fight was well in their favor until the far tunnel lit up with flames, and a new player entered the battlefield.

Two dancing women of fire rushed out, hurling bolts of flame at Roric's girls. Roric wasn't about to let his girls be burned, so he acted quickly to intervene.

[lvl 14 Thrall Keeper Skill: Self-defense] You gain 120% of the armor value of your most heavily armored thrall. So long as you stand still, you reduce all incoming damage by 25%.

[lvl 13 Conqueror skill: Not while I live] For the next minute, any ranged attack directed at one of your slaves targets you instead. The attack is a slight penalty to hit and does 50% less damage. Does not count against area of effect attacks that would have hit you anyway.

The firebolt turned as if under magical control and raced for Roric. He set his feet, defiantly holding his ground as they crashed in, singing his fur as they did a combined seventy-five percent less damage.

“What are you doing?” Chandice asked in shock as he stood his ground, taking bolt after bolt.

“I can prevent them from attacking the girls,” Roric grunted. “And I can absorb most of the damage. Their combined regeneration is healing nearly all of the rest. I am hardly being hurt.”

“Is this a last stand?” came a woman’s voice as the pyromancer stepped out of the tunnel. “How very brave of you.”

Roric wanted to rip the woman's throat out with his bare hands, but he needed to remain still and focused. So long as he directed the battle, boosting his girls, they were far more dangerous.

“Jaina, leave the bug for Evalynn and Gisley,” Roric shouted. “Eat that woman alive!”

“Ha!” the pyromancer laughed as Jaina's liquid mass raced across the room to devour her. She raised her hands and produced a spiraling ray of fire that suddenly turned away and struck Roric instead.

“What?” the woman cried in surprise as Jaina came rushing in. She created a hail of flaming darts, but these, too, rushed to Roric, striking him and causing him to cry out.

“Roric!” Chandice cried as she turned to hold him up.

“Just keep me standing,” Roric groaned as the woman’s fire attacks did far more damage.

“I can do more than that,” Chandice said as she snapped her finger at her minion. “Kill those flaming wenches.”

The rogue nodded and vanished, moving in stealth after the fire minions. Roric took another fire ray and a few bolts as the health pool drained and was rapidly replenished by the regeneration. He only needed a few more seconds as Jaina was nearly on the woman.

“Get away from me!” the pyromancer shouted as Jaina became a wave of mouths and hooked claws. The woman created a wall of fire, but Jaina crashed through it, taking the burn as she fell on the woman. The pyromancer cried out as she took dozens of bites, and then suddenly, she flared with fire. She had a blazing aura scorching Jaina, forcing Roric to reach for more power.

[lvl 16 Thrall Keeper Skill: lesser heal] Heal a thrall for 50-80 health or mana, plus 10 stamina.

He focused on healing Jaina, then realized it was going to the pool, helping himself in the process. The insect man was now hurling clouds of red darts at Gisley, who used her flight to prevent melee, but those darts were twisting and coming to Roric. Chandice stepped into the path and raised one of her magical shields, absorbing some of the darts before they broke through. Gisley barraged the man with moon rays and chromatic blasts, forcing him to keep moving. A moment later, Chandice's rogue devil came out of stealth, burying his sword in the back of a fire girl.

Poor Evalynn wasn't having much luck, unable to catch the insect man with melee or ranged attacks, but Roric had a better idea.

[lvl 12 Thrall Keeper Skill: double strike] Choose a thrall; the next attack that thrall makes hits twice.

Evalynn glowed with orange light, and she looked confused for a moment until Roric cast his second ability.

[lvl 15 Thrall Keeper Skill: Team up] Instantly teleport one thrall to another, giving the teleported thrall 5 seconds of invulnerability.

Evalynn vanished and appeared before Jaina, instantly being caught in the fire aura. She wasn't harmed by the blazing fire, and without mercy, she attacked, using her most devastating skill to score lethal damage. Roric's power caused it to land twice, the first blow shattering the woman's magical shield and the second drawing blood.

The look of shock and surprise in her eyes said everything they needed to know. She never expected the slave girls to be combat-effective since they were wearing collars. She was a coward, picking off easy targets for rich experience rewards, and now she would pay for her mistake.

With the protective shield down, she was completely vulnerable, and Jaina wasn't giving her a second to recover. Two glowing red spears formed in her hands as she borrowed another power from Roric's skill set.

[lvl 20 conqueror skill: disciple] Your slaves gain access to your weapon skills. While wearing your collar, your slaves can manifest a magical copy of your weapon and use it at 80% of your skill level.

Jaina was a flowing wave of acidic rage and deadly spears as she rushed at the woman. Using the mirror power ability, she reached across and copied Roric's rampage.

[Lvl 9 conqueror skill: Rampage] [Boosted 3] You gain super strength and damage absorption for 30 seconds per collared slave. While under this effect you have 50 more strength, 50% damage absorption and deal 5% more damage with all attacks and cannot be stunned, held, or slowed. Your stamina bar slowly depletes while this effect is active. If it ever reaches 10%, the effect ends even if you have time left.

Screams echoed from the walls that were splattered with blood as Jaina and Evalynn tore into her. She lashed out with fire spells, but the two women hardly noticed. She was punctured a dozen times, her legs torn open, and her body burned acid. She must have been significantly high because she endured, taking the injuries as she reached for more power, throwing the girls back with terrible force. It did her little good as now Evalynn could use her charge and, in seconds, was on the woman again. Roric doubled her attack again, and the pyromancer screamed as a critical hit was scored.

Jaina went to rush in, but the fight was over. The woman was coughing blood as she clutched the shaft of the spear that had impaled her. The point stuck out her back, dripping with gore as she looked Evalynn in the eyes.

“How?” the woman gurgled, unable to believe she had been defeated.

“You should have studied your targets better,” Evalynn snarled. “We are the elite harem guards, and Roric is its most powerful master.”

“I yield!” the woman moaned with a hand out, begging for mercy.

“Oh, it’s too late for that,” Jaina replied as she snapped into a human form. “You are going to pay for what you have done.”

Behind them came a crashing sound as Gisley struck the insect man. Chandice had reduced the spaces he could blink to by filling the room with fire, and now he was forced into a small area where Roric, Chandice, the devil rogue, and Gisley could focus on him.

“Your ally is about to fall,” Evalynn said with a wicked smile. “Your campaign is over.”

“I will yield!” the woman said again.

“Yield?” Jaina repeated as she realized what the woman was saying. “Evalynn, she is saying she will accept Roric’s spoils of war collar!”

“She doesn't deserve it,” Evalynn growled, shaking the spear to make the woman suffer. “Not after what she has done.”

“Please!” the woman begged as more blood spilled from her lips. Suddenly, there was a flash behind them, and Jaina looked back to see her family looking around, confused.

“He’s gone,” Roric said.

“He used a magical item to escape,” Chandice added. “Probably a single-use recall stone. He must have a safe point somewhere nearby, and the stone called him back to it.”

“We nearly had him,” Gisley said. “He was bleeding badly.”

Roric nodded, then set his sights on the tunnel. He, Chandice, and Gisley walked over to see the pyromancer holding on as Evalynn twisted the spear.

“I will yield!” the woman cried as she held a pleading hand out to Roric.

“Oh, take her and make her bow before Rajeen,” Chandice said wickedly. “I want to see what Rajeen makes her do in punishment for this.”

“For hunting and killing harem girls?” Gisley said as her eyes glittered with blue light. “She will be furious.”

Jaina winced at the idea of turning this woman over to Rajeen. She didn't even want to imagine what punishment awaited her and how terrible it could be. She looked to Roric to see his eyes locked on the woman who was moments away from dying. He sighed and raised a hand, creating a magical collar that glittered with red light.

“You understand you will be a sex slave,” Roric said as he held the collar before her face.

Jaina saw a tear run down the woman’s cheek as she nodded her acceptance, her throat too choked with blood to speak. Her hands fell at her side as her life began to fade while Roric snapped her into the collar and began to heal her.

Evalynn yanked her spear from the woman's body, allowing her to drop into Roric's arms. He lay her down and focused on healing her terrible wounds, but she was still unconscious.

“Why did you take her?” Evalynn asked. “Are you going to make her pay?”

“I want to know why,” Roric replied, looking at the woman with compassion. “What drove her to do this?”

“She cried at the thought of becoming a slave,” Gisley said. “She’s terrified of this.”

“She’s damaged good,” Jaina added. “She hunts women she knows can’t fight back.”

“But why?” Roric asked as he stood up to look over the sleeping woman. “Why would anyone be this cruel?”

“Is she cruel, or is she brilliant?” Chandice asked. “Harem girls are huge experience dumps that are easy to kill. There is probably no faster way to level.”

“Not all harem girls are that easy to kill,” Evalynn corrected.

“Let’s take her back,” Roric said. “I want to see if we can get her to admit what is truly motivating her.”

“And what about the insect man?” Chandice asked.

“All we can do is alert the harem to his presence and put a bounty on his head,” Roric replied. “Right now, he is probably in hiding to lick his wounds.”

Jaina couldn’t disagree with his estimation and helped Roric lift the woman. He insisted on carrying her out even when Gisley offered to summon a disc to put her on. She lay limp and lifeless in his arms as they worked their way back to the exit, slowly heading for her fate. How would Rajeen and the others react to the news? What would be the punishment for hunting harem girls?