The Achievement Junkie

Bowzer's flame body trembled. It suddenly started to grow rampantly and uncontrollably. The tinge of red in Bowzer's flames was growing darker and darker, nearly becoming black. The Hell-flame Fox soon grew to a height well above the trees', terrifying everyone below.

Trank's men were shaken. Not only had they lost their boss, but now, just like in legends, a Hell-flame Fox was about to rampage against them.

The party members were also mortified, especially Dirk who didn't know about Bowzer or his origins.

All Bowzer could think about were the people who caused all of this. He pictured General Toms and the army that forced Jack to take action without any real support from Trodar. He pictured Trank's men and how they forced Jack to fight alone against Trank. And he also pictured Trank, but he was only angered further by the fact that Trank was already dead, not letting Bowzer have the chance to slaughter him.

While Bowzer was turning his full attention to Trank's men, who had already begun to run ion fear, the other party members heard a distant laugh that sent chills down their spines.

They looked away from Bowzer as the enraged fox chased after the frantic bounty hunters and Trank tilted his head to get a better look at them.

"My, that was close…" Trank removed his hand from Jack's chest and kicked the limp body away, forcing Jack's sword out of his own torso. "That has to be closest anyone's come to doing me in."

"B-but… How…" Eliza's eyes were already overrun with tears. "How are you…"

"Take a look."

Trank ran his claw along his torso, revealing the wound that Jack had just given him. It was a clean jab on the right side of his chest, not the left.

"I may not have been able to dodge it with my phasing skill, but it allowed me to redirect it." Without wasting another second, Trank retrieved a fancy bottle from his storage and downed its contents in one go.

Everyone was mortified as they saw the opening in his chest start to close up.

"That full potion may not be able to heal all the internal damage that boy caused me, but it restores enough HP and mana to play with the rest of you," cackled Trank.

"Huh?"

One more voice broke the party's stupor and caught Trank's attention. "So, you did have a means of resurrection like your lady friend."

Red energy dispersed from around Jack's newly revived body, just as it did when Eliza revived before. But he and most of his party members were far more shocked than Trank.

"But before I deal with you, let's even the playing field a little."

As Trank laughed, Jack was suddenly reminded of the threat he and the others faced but his confusion upon revival already gave Trank an opening to attack.

"Do you have another one?"

That question warned Eliza of the danger looming behind her. She did her best to move away from the twisted man, only to see his hand reaching for her chest.

But that hand never reached its target.

Blood was spilled as the hand bore into its victim's flesh, claiming yet another life. The corpse was falling on top of Eliza, having anticipated Trank's attack and pushed Eliza out of harm's way.

Trank stepped back and licked his blade clean. "Smart move. I'll give her that."

"Keela!" Eliza's watery eyes were given no rest as she looked at Keela's paling face. Even as the blood left Keela's cheeks, Eliza could feel the warmth in Keela's slight smile.

Jack was already back on the warpath, having received more health and mana somehow upon his unexpected revival.

Trank smiled delightfully as he parried Jack's attacks. And since Jack hadn't yet reactivated his flame body, he didn't have to waste any mana to use a skill and evade.

"You're feisty. I like that. Maybe I should kill all the others to see how reckless you become."

As Trank finished his taunt, he created another blinding flash to hide his next movements.

Jack turned and rushed back to his party, making sure to get close enough to use Sudden Death and protect anyone who would need it. However, as he darted for his companions, Jack spat up blood. A bladed claw had pierced his side.

Falling to his knees, Jack looked back to see Trank licking Jack's blood from the removed claw.

"You're still too green and easily goaded, my toy," stated Trank. "Don't worry. I'll make sure to play with your friends while you recover."

Not giving Jack a chance to react, Trank disappeared again, unafraid of Jack's interference.

'Drink a potion, now!' Rydel's voice echoed in Jack's mind.

Jack followed it out of reflex and noticed Rydel throwing a slew of knives at the reappearing Trank. Jack put the potion to his lips while Rydel dove to cover the vulnerable Daliea.

"Close." Trank scoffed at Rydel's vain attempts to slow him down. He allowed the knives to phase through him before Trank struck with lightning speed. "But not close enough."

In a fraction of a second, Trank thrust his claw into Rydel, Daliea's meat shield.

Without any hesitation, Trank moved quickly to the other side of Daliea, effectively flanking her. He swiped for her neck with the aim to kill. Based on how much the team focused on protecting her, Trank assumed that she had no means for resurrection.

"NOOO!!"

Jack was back in action after healing enough to fight with his wounds and he was already halfway through a Blood Thrust toward Trank's side.

Trank side-stepped again, narrowly avoiding the blow and creating a small space between him and Jack. Then he laughed, "You were so close."

Not understanding what Trank meant, Jack squinted angrily at the man. But he suddenly felt something hit the back of his leg.

"Go ahead, look. I won't make a move," Trank chuckled. "Remember, I'm a man of my word."

Curious what that was, Jack stole a peeking glance at the back of his feet only to find himself unable to look away.

There lied Daliea with blood running from a slit in her neck.

Trank continued to mock Jack, "Oh, and you should take a look at the other one too. I thought she'd be back up by now considering how she threw herself to save that woman."

Jack looked back to Keela, only to see that no red energy had gathered around her. She remained lifeless in Eliza's arms.

"You… What have you done?" muttered Jack.

"Me? I'm just doing my job, so why get so flustered," Trank's laughter got louder. "If anything, you should've expected me to be a heartless killer that always gets my prey. Didn't Dirk warn you?"

"Shut up…" Flames burst forth from Jack. "Shut up already…"

"Oh, and if you want to save your little pet you should hurry," added Trank. "He'll kill my men but he'll eventually be done in by General Toms if he continues--"

"Shut up!"

Jack charged Trank directly again, which the lanky man narrowly avoided like always. However, Trank still felt a burning sensation in his side.

Trank looked down to find that the fist which never made contact still caused him damage, leaving a terrible burn in his side.

Looking back to Jack, Trank noticed that something was off. Jack's flame body was still growing, and it wasn't bright red flames like before. The flames were now white-hot with streaks of dark red coursing through it, exactly like the rampaging Hell-flame Fox that was setting the forest ablaze by simply walking through it.

"You and that fox… How are you--"

"SHUT UP!!"

Jack barrelled his way to Trank, getting faster and larger all at once.

Trank could still evade the blows but had no way to counter the sheer heat that Jack was giving off. Every time the man glided past a thrown punch, the residual heat from the nearby fist would still cause serious burns.

The confidence in Trank's eyes started wain. It was the first time, for as long as he could remember, that he felt the true threat of death looming over him.