Human Livestock

The night air was silent.

All the monkeys in the gigantic demon tree seemed to have fled.

Achilles and Medea were surrounded by their splattered corpses, but they did not show even a hint of moving.

Medea looked dazed. “That surge of power,” she said. “I’ve felt it before.”

Achilles nodded. “I think we both just hit 2nd Level. I did, at least.”

Virgil transformed back into a sword, and Achilles lifted him to let moonlight reflect off his edge. “That’s one of the abilities Virgil gives me. I can see people’s classes and levels. You’re a 2nd Level Rogue now. But that ability you used during the fight wasn’t a Weapon Art, was it? Usually I can see the abilities people have, but I couldn’t see that one when I looked at you.”

She nodded, putting out a hand to the demon tree to steady herself. The black crescent blade in her hand disappeared. “My mother trained me to hide it. A lot. Far more than she trained me for anything else. It’s important no one knows it exists.”