I held my arm out, and Novi's insect hopped on, crawling on top of my head. A moment later, I realized that was a weird thing to do automatically. It just felt like she wanted me to.

I put that fact out of my mind and headed towards the door.

As I walked up to Samantha, I realized that all I could see outside my room was just a black wall. It looked like they had removed the existence of light from that direction.

"What's your actual name, because I've just been calling you Samantha in my head. Except that's obviously a pseudonym, right?" I asked.

"Huh? Oh, right, obviously I wouldn't use my real name around all those people. My actual name is Sam," they replied. To which I didn't even know what to say. Was this a second pseudonym? Were there layers to this, or was it really that stupid? "And you?"

I reached my hand out towards them, "Ellie."

They took a very long moment to register what I wanted before taking hold of my hand. The moment they did, I could see outside the room.

It didn't look anything like it did during the day. The whole room was wreathed in impossible shadows, and it looked like there was a haze hanging in the air.

"So, Sam, what's your objective?" I asked.

"Ensure every other player is dead," they replied, then hummed in thought. "Or I guess be the last one alive with you since you said that was possible with your Role."

Why did it have to be the hardest one? I let out a huff of air. What else would I expect? I was surprised I didn't get that Role myself, honestly. "Alright, we can make it work. What passives and actives do you have?"

"Mmmm, before that, what are yours?"

"Fair, I'll tell you while we go to that room. Wouldn't want to waste the night," I said with a chuckle, pointing to the blonde guy's room. I wanted to start dismantling the cult, and he seemed like someone important in it. Then I explained what Oathsworn's abilities were, except I avoided mentioning any of my rules.

Thankfully, they didn't ask about them, so I didn't need to divulge.

When we arrived at the room, I checked the time. We had three and a bit minutes to finish here. Sam just threw the door open, ignoring the fact that I was pretty sure they were locked at night, just like they did mine.

There was nobody in the room. It was definitely the right room, and he was absolutely alive. His Role must allow him to

"Uhh, okay. Let's try that one," I said, pointing to the door to the room of the rough guy. It was obviously an inference that I was making, but I was pretty sure he was the one who killed me last night. I might be wrong, but we had to choose someone.

The door automatically closed as we walked away.

Next on the priority list was the doctor whom I owed the favour. I didn't know what that favour could be used for, so it needed to be removed from the field. Except I didn't even know who the doctor was, so seeking them out was pointless.

I was glad Sam was happy to engage first, so I didn't have to tell them about my Rule relating to defending them. They yet again went with the minimally subtle option of slamming the door against the wall as they opened it.

Suddenly, there was a knife sticking out of Sam's skull, and they collapsed on the spot. A moment later, one was also embedded in mine.

"Damn, what if we weren't here to kill you? That would have been incredibly rude," I asked the man sitting on the table in the room. Then pulled the knife out and tossed it on the floor.

"Then you would have knocked, or at least that's how it works for—wait, how did you survive?" he replied.

That was way more information than I expected to receive. Why he thought a knife to the head would kill me, I had no idea. Did I look like I had a brain?

I assumed Sam was fine, but he was clearly taking up arms against them. Which meant I was free to do whatever I wanted as long as I preserved his brain. I signalled for Novi to fire.

With a whump, the coil gun went off, but the man dodged to the side the moment I sent the signal.

Danger sense? Or is he able to read intent?

Novi jumped off my arm and scuttled out of the room. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a little green wisp crawling out of Sam's head. Still alive, good.

Activating [Argent Flow], I ran into the room.

A knife appeared out of nowhere in his hand, and he flung it at me. I didn't even bother dodging. Instead, I threw up a wall of Winter. The knife went straight through it as if it wasn't there, before sinking into my arm. As I went to pull it out, the knife exploded, shredding my internal circuitry. My arm dropped limply to the side.

Don't just tank hits, gotcha.

Another three knives were already sailing towards me. With a bound, I threw myself to the side, then halted my momentum completely to avoid another set of knives.

I had to back up as the man was completely controlling my movement, and he hadn't even stood up from the table.

He wants to play catch with projectiles, I see. Well, two could play that game.

Manifesting thorns in the air around myself, I took a moment to note they had an almost metallic sheen to them before launching them at him.

This time, he had to move, throwing himself behind the table and kicking it over. My thorns clattered against it harmlessly. Damn, what the fuck was that table made of?

Expanding my Authority outward, I began to create thorns that completely surrounded him.

Only to realize I couldn't actually fire them at him. He wasn't threatening my liege anymore behind the table.

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"Hey, Sam! I need you to tell me to kill him!" I yelled at the green wisp that was flopping on the floor unhelpfully.

The guy took the opportunity to poke his head out from under the table, and seeing that I wasn't about to skewer him, began throwing knives again. Except instead of throwing them at me like a regular person, he was throwing them at weird angles and bouncing them off surfaces in ways that shouldn't have been possible if not for a Skill.

He really specced into knife throwing. I'd be impressed if he wasn't throwing them at me.

I had to run back to Sam, performing acrobatics I didn't even know I had in me to avoid the knives. It turned out that being able to pause mid-air on a dime was rather useful. It was hard to predict my movement when I didn't even know where I was going.

As I scooped up the green glowing thing that was Sam, I realized they probably couldn't even speak in that form. They waved a little hand at me.

Turning around, I dove towards the guy. I just needed to shove Sam in his head, and it would be fine. That wouldn't count as harm, since I wouldn't be the one to kill him. It would be Sam. Right?

I let out a long breath, then sent [Argent Flow] through my sensory circuits. The world took on that silvery sheen, but there was a difference from the last time I used it.

Knives flew like flies through the air, their buzzing disturbing the sanctity of the stillness. The rogue was throwing them as fast as his arms could move.

With a hop forward that automatically transitioned into a roll as my reflex system kicked in I avoided several knives. Using the momentum of the roll I kicked myself off the ground to the side twisting in the air as a blade skimmed past my ankle. Another clanged off the wall and I bowed low to avoid it, transitioning into a jump towards the wall.

Freezing my momentum right as I came close to slamming into it. I shoved my feet against the surface of the wall as hard as I could the moment I unpaused. Launching myself through the air over the man, I halted my velocity and tumbled towards him. A bullet from Novi stopped a knife thrown directly towards me.

Falling, I dunked Sam directly into his head.

Then I slammed into the ground, incredibly eloquently.

"Did I do it?" I asked, and deactivated [Argent Flow].

"Yup, you did it," Sam replied.

"So do you keep Role abilities from the person whose body you're inhabiting?" I asked, peeling myself off the floor.

"Technically, no, I don't think the game was designed for non-human players." That made sense. I didn't think this game was made with the fact that I had multiple bodies in mind.

Novi's other body could leave my room if she wanted to, which obviously wasn't supposed to happen. We didn't have any use for her doing that right now, though.

I would kind of like for both of her bodies to come along with me at nighttime in the future, though.

"I think I need to get back to my room. You know how to pretend to be him, right?" I asked, just needed to make sure we weren't fucking ourselves over.

"Oh, yeah, I get memories from whoever's mind I overcome… Thanks, by the way. Being stuck without a body really sucks," Sam said, blushing. It looked really odd in the guy's body they had taken over. Especially given that he had just been trying to kill me.

"You're my liege, obviously, I will do anything I can to protect you." Because I need you to win. "I'll see you in a bit."

I gave her a salute, then walked out of the room, back to mine. The night requirement to return to my room activated the moment I left their side. Once inside, I pushed the table up against the door. I couldn't trust that nobody would try to invade my room as well, and for some reason, they made the tables completely indestructible.

Sitting down, I opened up the kill notification.

[Kill Assist Human I-63 / Perch Knifer Lvl 74 / Edge Conjurer Lvl 53] Contribution 90%

That made sense. It was a little sad I'd given the last hit away, but there wasn't much I could do in that regard. Unless I shoved Sam in the way of one of the knives, but that might count as harming Sam, which I couldn't do.

Nah, I think I handled that as well as I could.

Class Level (Neophyte Conduit) Increased +4 (51) +8 Wit, +12 Spirit, +8 Fortitude, +12 Arcana

Woo! Killing humans was a great way to level. They were always incredibly high-level and provided a lot of Eidos.

I was going to level up so much through this game. I really needed to take advantage of it. This might be the last chance I'd get to kill things at around my level. The outside world was… Going to be rough. If I couldn't cheese bosses, I didn't know if I could even kill anything.

Maybe weaker minion-type enemies? If I found some to farm that were in Second Ascension, that could work as long as I was careful.

On to Skills!

[Skill Option] Name: [Everwinter's Shield] Tier: [Wrought] Description: [By embracing the aspect of the Argent Bastion, you have begun learning the art of shielding your shell against disabling strikes. In recognition of your attempts, the Strand has woven a Skill it deems fitting for you.] Effect: [Through channeling Nature Mana aligned with the Winter of the Argent Bastion, you are able to create a near impenetrable shield. Any projectiles that enter the territory of the Bastion will be stilled.]

Sorry, what was that about the Strand developing a Skill for me?

Why is the Strand thinking? Is it thinking? Is that what it's implying?

Or was it more of an internal subconscious thought?

"Hey, Novi, did you make this Skill for me?"

"Nope," she replied while climbing up my cloak and plopping herself over my head.

Alright, I'll just judge the Skill on its own, ignoring the description then. A shield Skill would actually be fairly useful. I could throw up Winter Mana, but it was proven that it could be pierced relatively easily with the right Skillset.

I guess [Everwinter's Shield] was designed to prevent that from happening by mixing the Strand in with the Winter Mana? Somehow? Argent Bastion aspect Mana was weird to use. The Catalyst said my Nature Mana was aspected with it, but it felt like I couldn't actually access it without using a Skill relating to the Strand like [Argent Flow].

Or when I made those thorns for some reason.

[Skill Option] Name: [Seasonal Reclamation] Tier: [Wrought] Description: [As a Friend of the Forest, you are aware that Nature does not sleep. It waits, patient and inexorable, for a chance to rise again. By allowing the current of raw Nature Mana to flow outward, you awaken that quiet persistence in all that still holds life.] Effect: [Nature Mana can be used to realign your aura to a Seasonal aspect of your choice. Within your Authority, plants under your direct control will sprout and embody that Seasonal aspect. Any plants within your Authority will bow to your will.]

Oh, great, it's already a hard decision. The other Skill would enhance my defensive capabilities, while this one would help with area control.

I could already manifest plant material within my aura using Nature Mana, but I'd just been using it as projectiles. This would give me a lot more options and make me incredibly deadly within a forest.

The thought of me moving an entire forest to my will was very tempting, an icy metallic sheen spreading over the whole world so that it might return to stillness.

There's something wrong with my mind, isn't there?

Oh well. I'll just gut the person who made me feel this way and move on. There's nothing I can do about how I think.

[Skill Option] Name: [Sap Surge] Tier: [Embla—

Nope, no thanks, not picking that one, no matter how good it is. Fucking sap, trying to infiltrate my soul. Of course, it would try to do that. It's sap, what else would it do?

Alright, a defensive Skill or an area control Skill? Which do I pick…

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