Ever since he'd unlocked [Liche Devourer] it had been a skill he'd had in his back pocket, but not something he'd prioritized. First, Logan had been running his ass off trying to complete tasks and quest after quest. Second, to experiment, he'd have to be in the middle of a monster swarm and clear of any people who could be accidental victims.

But for a skill the System rated as [Epic], it seemed a shame that he hadn't gotten more use out of it. And yet, it might not be due to the skill, but rather, Logan's reluctance to deploy it. It was possible that he'd missed the most important characteristic of the skill:

[This epic skill allows you to siphon Karma and lifeforce from your enemies and funnel the excess into a pocket dimension black hole. When the hole is fed, unleash obliteration. This skill is insidious, and the enemy will not be aware that funneling is in effect.]

Until now, Logan had used [Liche Devourer] the same way he'd used [Life Fabricator], siphoning Karma off monsters like the rabid humpback whale to grow trees or plants. And yet, nowhere in the skill description did the System say that he needed to utilize [Life Fabricator] to activate [Liche Devourer].

If that were the case, did that mean that Logan could keep [Liche Devourer] active and just… never stop? After all, he'd defeated the Silverdagger Clan by using the same strategy, draining their Karma until they dropped dead. The rats in the complex would also have Karma, and rather than growing another vine or a monster tree to drain them, what if he just—

Well, drained them.

Drained them and funneled their Karma into his black hole?

Testing this while in the middle of thousands of civilians wasn't ideal; Logan didn't want to accidently drain them and turn into someone like the Man in Black, but he believed that he had his tree canopy image down pat, and the risk to the civilians was moot.

And what better time to try this out than now? If Logan had any hint that [Liche Devourer] was doing something he didn't want, he'd deactivate the skill and go back to killing the fuckers the old-fashioned way.

Kicking off with his Pink Sock, Logan launched into the air and soared over the writhing Wisteria Spike Vine and over the wall. It launched two spikes at him on the way past, hitting the side of his leg and the bottom of one of his boots, but his exoskeleton armour held up. Logan let out a laugh as he knocked them to the side and then landed in the middle of the complex with a boom, dust flying and the ground shuddering.

He surveyed his surroundings and then blinked, his mouth dry. Around him were the remains of the rats he'd already slaughtered, blood and guts and the reek of something noxious like sewage making him wrinkle his nose. Scattered throughout the area were human bodies; an old man who was missing a torso, his throat slashed; two women who were missing arms and legs, their skulls caved in, and a severed child's arm on top of a table next to a burning barbeque. Blood pooled on the grass, making it slippery and wet. Beyond the immediate area were more corpses, so many that flies were already landing on them and swarming the area. Body after body, too many to count.

Logan ground his teeth, his amusement wiped away as his stomach sloshed. Clenching his fists, he glared, adrenaline rushing through his body as his rage surged.

What did these people do to deserve this? He was sick of this! Sick of death, sick of the unfairness of this world. These people had come here to escape, expecting the soldiers to protect them. In a normal world, a world that hadn't turned FUBAR due to a fucked-up AI and interfering System, they could have been safe, eating barbeque, children playing, having fun.

But no, instead they had to deal with this.

Not if Logan had any say in it.

The Wisteria Spike Vine was taking care of the invisible rats who had been pouring over the wall, which meant that the only thing left was the two hundred or so monsters already inside the area. There was still the threat of whatever was underneath his feet, but at least he could take care of the problem right in front of him.

Ding!

[You have defeated a Level 88 Sewage Rat!]

The Cursed Rope was at work, jumping through the air and swelling with blood and guts as it wrapped its long body around the neck of the rats.

Good job, rope, sent Logan.

The rope sent a feeling of pleasure over to Logan, a savage, murderous satisfaction that reminded him of Ernie. The rope can be good, the rope can kill!

Logan left it to it as he pulled up that image of the tree canopy, allowing his senses to disregard each warm aura that represented a person, and instead latched onto the rotting rat auras. He spread his tree canopy as if the tree were growing his monster trees, reaching each nook and cranny, searching for every little rat fucker. Rats who were rummaging through tents, others who were chowing down on the remains of people inside the huts. And the wily ones who'd activated their camouflage skill and were low to the ground, creeping closer to unsuspecting humans like a leopard getting ready to jump on top of prey.

One after another, too numerous to count, Logan latched onto each and every one of them and dug into them with his invisible fingers.

And then with a blink, he used [Threshold Shift] to jump, sending himself fifty feet in front of the bulging line of soldiers. The line had advanced far away from the wall, hundreds of civilians taking shelter as best as they could. Unfortunately, even though Hawthorne and the rest of the soldiers had climbed down the wall and joined Emily and the others, there weren't enough to go around.

A dozen higher leveled civilians had tried to make up the difference, but they had no guns, only wood planks to function as shields. A few hefted crowbars, others holding up kitchen knives and barbeque skewers. If Logan hadn't been here, that line would have collapsed in minutes. Minutes if he were generous.

Even worse, it took dozens of the soldiers firing on the same rat to bring it down, which meant that they were low on ammo. Although their faces were grim and resolved, their expressions held a hint of resignation as if they knew their fate but were determined to see it through.

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Logan took in the scene with half his attention, the rest devoted to latching onto the auras of the rats around him. And yet… Logan narrowed his eyes, concentrating on Emily who was at the front of the line.

Hawthorne was sidling over to Emily, two of his soldiers providing covering fire, but rather than shooting the rats and contributing to the fight, they were guarding the general.

"Soldier!" exclaimed Hawthorne as he wiped his sleeve against his sweaty forehead. "Your men have done an excellent job, an excellent job!"

"Sir," Emily grunted while sighting in on a level 90 rat who was closing in on the group, its tail swaying from side-to-side like an excited cat. "Watch this one!" she shouted to the other soldiers. As one, twenty men sighted their rifles on the high leveled rat. But at level 90, they'd annoy it more than anything.

Hawthorne took it in with a swallow. "A commendable job. But we must face the realities of our situation."

"Sir?"

Hawthorne had swung his rifle over his shoulder, and he was holding his handgun in a loose grip. "I'm out of ammo, sergeant. We have minutes left until we're shooting shit. If we want to survive, a strategic retreat is our best bet."

"Sir?" Emily repeated, confused. "There are too many civilians. Without reinforcements, retreat is impossible. It would leave them exposed. Our men can hold. Even if we run out of ammo, we've got knives. There are civilians here who are carrying weapons. They can help."

Hawthorne scoffed. "Are you hearing yourself? They can't help us. Once we're out of ammo, none of you soldiers stand a chance against those high leveled rats."

The white's of Emily's eyes were showing. "We can do it, sir," she said, expression mulish.

"And who are we dying for, sergeant? Half of these people haven't leveled yet! We tried. We tried our best to save them, but I'm not going to see my men die for a lost cause."

"There are children in the crowd!"

"I know. I know. It's a hell of a thing, a hell of a thing. But these children were never going to survive. You know that, sergeant."

"Sir, the high ranker! Logan. He can—"

Hawthorne laughed. "He's doing this to level up! He's not going to help these people."

Emily swallowed. "With all due respect, I disagree, sir. He saved our lives!"

"Watch your tone, sergeant."

Emily looked from Hawthorne's face to the crowd of civilians behind her, her face torn. "I can't do it, sir."

Hawthorne's hand clenched on his Sig Sauer. "Are you disobeying a direct order, soldier?" he snapped.

Logan glared, flexing his hand around his sword. He'd given Hawthorne a pass because he'd been useful to the civilians. Although he'd assaulted Logan's ears with abuse, he'd saved lives by helping to shoot the rats.

But not now.

Not when self-interest was about to contribute to a decision that could get thousands killed. Logan didn't know much about the military, but he knew there was a chain of command. Although Emily and the other soldiers might not like the order Hawthorne was about to give, they'd obey it, since going against it would be going against a commander who had kept them alive. In a way, he could relate it back to war. How often had the military followed a derelict commander into battle only for that commander to lead them to their deaths?

Logan didn't have the same restraints.

Two weeks ago, he never would have thought himself capable of this. Kill a man in cold blood? But he'd come too far, and the stakes were too high. In a life-or-death fight, sometimes, there wasn't time to be diplomatic or to argue. If Logan didn't do something, this man would cause the death of thousands. The deaths of children.

Holding back a growl, Logan used [Threshold Shift] to jump directly in front of Hawthorne. "Hello," said Logan with a grim smile as he grabbed the man by the front of the shirt and dragged him away from the line of soldiers.

"What—" Hawthorne tried to say.

Emily's eyes widened. "Cover the—"

Logan had moved so fast Hawthorne had no time to react. Logan didn't bother with his sword; the man didn't deserve it. Grabbing him by his throat, Logan dug his talons into the flesh of Hawthorne's neck and twisted.

Logan didn't do anything extreme, nothing that would cause too much pain. After all, he was in front of the man's army, and he needed them focused on the fight, not on fighting Logan. Hawthorne had already poisoned their minds against him, but no sense adding fuel to the fire.

Hawthorne's body dropped to the ground like a sack of flour.

Ding!

[You have defeated Edward Hawthorne! Triple experience granted for defeating a member of your own species!]

Emily blinked and sucked in a breath.

"Don't try to shoot me," Logan warned and blasted his aura outwards in a killing intent, radiating every ounce of his attributes. If the effect were anything like last time, it would stop them in their tracks. "It's a waste of bullets."

Emily trembled, Hawthorne's former bodyguards gasping and looking faint.

Logan pulled back on his aura slightly, and Emily sucked in a breath. She looked from Hawthorne's body to the rats behind him, her mouth in a grim line. "Why did you kill him?"

"You couldn't do what was necessary, but I could," said Logan, his voice soft. "You know he was wrong. I've gotten hints that you might be a good leader underneath the bullshit that Hawthorne forced you to follow."

She bit her lip. "You're a murderer."

Logan raised an eyebrow. "Do you truly believe that? Truly? He was going to force you to abandon these people. Who's the real murderer, soldier?"

She hunched her shoulders and then blew out a breath before scowling.

"I think I might like you, Emily," said Logan. "Don't be like Hawthorne. Don't fire on me. Fire on the rats."

With a blink, Logan threw Hawthorne's body into his spatial storage and then deployed [Threshold Shift] to send himself another fifty feet away.

With one more blink, he jumped to another area fifty feet in the other direction.

And then jumped again, in front of the soldiers. Their eyes widened and they shifted their grips on their weapons before Logan sent himself back again.

And again.

And again.

He'd jumped in rapid succession before, but that was in the midst of battle. This time, he was doing it for another purpose.

Each jump cost 500 Karma, and Logan had 3,600 Karma in total. Although his Karma pool regenerated at a rapid rate, at 587 per minute, it was per minute, not per second.

Logan was draining his Karma.

With another blink, he felt his airways constricting, that feeling of a noose tightening around his neck.

That was it.

Logan activated [Liche Devourer], envisioning his tree canopy sucking the Karma from each rotten spot of life like a milkshake with hundreds of straws.

Pulling up his Karma pool, Logan studied the totals, his heartbeat thrashing in his ears, anticipation eating away at his stomach.

600/3600.

1900/3600.

3400/3600.

It was jumping so fast he couldn't keep up!

Feeling his pulse racing, his feet alight and barely able to keep standing straight, he waited with bated breath for the System message.

Ding!

[You have defeated a Level 91 Sewage Rat!]

[You have defeated a Level 90 Sewage Rat!]

[You have defeated a Level 92 Sewage Rat!]

[You have defeated a Level 98 Sewage Rat!]

[You have defeated a Level 90 Sewage Rat!]

[…]

[You have leveled up!]

[You have leveled up!]

[….]

[You have leveled up!]

[You have leveled up!]

[You have fed the blackhole! Liche Devourer at 4% satiation.]

[You have fed the blackhole! Liche Devourer at 8% satiation.]

[You have fed the blackhole! Liche Devourer at 13% satiation.]

[You have fed the blackhole! Liche Devourer at 16% satiation.]

Around him, the rats were dropping like flies.

With his eyes alight with pleasure, Logan swiveled around, taking in the carnage as more and more System messages poured in like the tide.

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