Levi took the lead. The Armalgam fidgeted on his back, eager to be used. Colin hurried after him, while Isa trailed, as usual. Still, she pressed her fingers to her lips, and every now and again, licked them thoughtfully.

  “Cannibal village, time to die. Cannibal village, heads will fly. Cannibal village, won’t you be mine…” Levi sang along to a mysterious tune, sometimes humming rather than continuing the verses. Colin bobbed along to the tune. He knew he didn’t know it, but there was something familiar about the song anyways. Something ear-wormy and vital to the nature of the song, even if he didn’t recognize the song itself. It sounded like an advertisement jingle, or a recruitment shanty. A song that was catchy for the purpose of being catchy.

  The two cannibals they’d killed earlier shambled at the back. Levi hadn’t said what his plans for them were, and frankly, Colin was afraid to ask. He was sure Levi had a plan in mind, and that was all that mattered.

  Levi froze. He put his hand out, then gestured for them to take to the forest. Colin hurried behind the nearest tree. The zombies staggered into the undergrowth. Isa melted into shadow, as if she’d never been there at all. Levi executed a combat roll into the nearest bush, coming back to his feet and waiting, a hand on his sword. If he had normal human strength and speed, or low stats, the maneuver would have been noisy, but at Level 35, he had enough stats to move freely. Even ridiculous combat rolls came out smooth and silent.

  For a few seconds, there was nothing. Twittering birdsong. The wind in the trees. And then, in the distance: footsteps.

  Holding his breath, Levi watched through the leaves of his bush. Three cannibals walked into view. Two held pitchforks, while the third held a rusty but serviceable sword. Warily, they proceeded down the path. The rearmost cannibal carried a bundle on his back and a spare lantern in his free hand.

  Coming to check out the cave? Or maybe relieving the guards? Heh. A bit late for that. I’ve already relieved them. Permanently. Levi adjusted his grip on the sword and waited. Drawing on his old skills, he drew the shadows close around him and faded into the shifting darkness of the undergrowth.

  The cannibals approached the bush. The first two passed it by without noticing him. Before the third could pass by, Levi leaped out of the bush. The man threw his hands up, instinctively defending himself. Levi grabbed the cannibal’s swordhand with his free hand, locking it over the man’s head, and thrust the sword into his solar plexus. The man grunted, then wheezed his last. He collapsed without another sound.

  The first two cannibals turned. Before they could, Levi spun and stabbed the nearer one in the back. The remaining cannibal whipped around and lowered her pitchfork at Levi. Levi grabbed ahold of the one he’d backstabbed. She shouted and thrust her pitchfork, and he threw her compatriot’s body onto the tines. Weighed down, the end of the pitchfork dropped toward the floor. Levi dashed in. He sliced, taking her head.

  A roar from behind him. Without him needing to command it, the Armalgam released from his back. It hit the floor and leaped into the air, intercepting a fourth unseen cannibal’s sword strike with one of its meaty arms. Two more arms grabbed the man’s shoulders. The final two reared back, then slammed swords deep into the man’s ribcage. Skewered through, the man gasped, gagged, spat blood, then finally hit the floor, dead. The Armalgam hopped back, gazing at its deed, then looked up at Levi for approval.

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  Levi patted it, but at the same time, he frowned sternly. He pushed mana into it, healing the sword strike to its arm. “You can’t risk your flesh like that in battle. You’re my tool, and I won’t allow you to break yourself! That’s on my command only, alright? In the future, don’t harm yourself for victory. Find a route to victory where you don’t take damage. Only if there is no victory without damage, do you allow yourself to be injured, understood?”

  The Armalgam crumpled like a toddler told off for snitching a cookie. It nodded its upper arms.

  “Good. Now that you’ve learned your lesson, let’s loot some bodies!” Levi cheered, instantly upbeat again.

  The Armalgam nodded. It capered off to pick through the pockets of the downed cannibals.

  Levi crouched by the man with the bag. He peeked inside. Hard cheese and a hunk of dark bread awaited him, along with an apple and a waterskin. “Hell yeah. Free lunch.” Without hesitation, Levi reached inside and started munching.

  “Is it safe to come out?” Colin asked nervously.

  “Yeah,” Levi muttered through a mouthful of cheese.

  “There was one more.” A thump. A limp, pale body dropped from Isa’s hand as she sauntered from the shadows. She wiped her chin and licked the blood off her fingertips. “I took care of him.”

  “Nah, I left him deliberately. A snack for you. Never say I don’t watch out for my friends,” Levi said.

  She gave him a look. “You knew at a glance that he was a virgin?”

  “I figured you could cope, as hungry as you looked. But hey, lucky you,” Levi replied.

  Isa chuckled under her breath. “I do not… cope.”

  “That’s what they all say, and the next thing you know, they’re over there huffing copium,” Levi said, shaking his head at her.

  “Copium?”

  Colin cleared his throat. “It’s, um… not worth learning.”

  Isa’s eyes widened. She nodded. “Crude children’s slang. I understand.”

  The Armalgam bounced back over. It held one hand skyward like a happy puppy with a toy. A ruby bracelet glittered on its wrist.

  “Very nice,” Levi said. He patted its hand.

  The Armalgam twisted happily, then hopped onto his back. He turned to the cannibals and clapped. “Let’s see how many of you I can rez, huh? Up and at ‘em, boys and girls! Rise and grind!”

  Four of the cannibals twitched. Green light glowed in their eye sockets, and their jaws gaped. They arced their backs, screaming silently as an unseen power coursed through them, then dropped back to the ground. Slowly, they climbed back to their feet.

  “Huh. I still have mana, but I couldn’t rez the one you killed,” Levi commented, nodding at Isa.

  She thought for a moment, then frowned. “It’s probably because he’s already a ghoul.”

  “What?”

  “If I drink someone to death, there’s a small chance they become a ghoul. Ghouls are mindless, weak beings who will follow my every order, but they don’t last long. Only until the night ends, usually. There’s ways you can acquire permanent ghouls, or prolong their unlives, but it never interested me.”

  “Sooo… free undead, is what I’m hearing?” Levi asked.

  She frowned at him. “Certainly, but what do you want them for?”

  “You’ll see.” Levi grinned. He took a big bite of the bread.

  “No more details?” she asked.

  He muttered incomprehensibly through the mouthful of bread, gesturing vigorously. Crumbs flew.

  “Forget I asked,” Isa replied, disgusted.

  Levi washed down the hunk of bread with a splash of water and winked. “Trust me. It’s gonna be fun.”