The three of them returned to the place they’d been attacked. Levi whistled, and the large axe-wielding cannibal emerged from the undergrowth.

  “Holy fuck—” Colin whirled, raising his staff.

  “Hey, calm down. He’s on our side now,” Levi said, patting Colin’s shoulder.

  Still maintaining a death grip on his staff, Colin stared up at the giant hulk of a zombie. It stared back at him. Its eyes glowed faintly green. Its lips turned up into a sort-of smile, which only revealed huge fangs, and it gave a friendly wave.

  Colin turned to Levi, who was doing the exact same smile and wave as he puppeteered the zombie. “Ha.”

  “What? I’m just being friendly,” Levi said. He lowered his hand, returning to business. “Here’s the plan. We send big boy in there. None of this other-side-of-the-village nonsense, that was a throw last time. Charge in, dead ahead, and start tossing his axe around in the center of the village. While he’s drawing eyes in the heart of the village, we pick off the cannibals on the edge. Bonus points, if we need to flee, we can cut and run easily. Leave big guy behind in the village and run for it. What do you guys say?”

  “Sounds as reasonable as any of your plans,” Isa said dryly.

  “Oh, and I’ll need you as support. I can’t fight these guys alone. Colin, you’ll have to watch out for yourself. Don’t be afraid to run, just let us know you’re hoofing it.”

  Colin nodded and tossed a sloppy salute.

  Isa nodded. “It will cut into your EXP.”

  “I only need one more level. I’ll take the cut, if it means I keep all limbs intact.” Levi took a deep breath. He nodded at the cannibal, and the huge man stomped forward, speeding up as he gained momentum. He rushed out of the forest path and into the village. A cannibal turned, startled to see the big man rushing up on him. Without a word or a shout, the huge cannibal took the other cannibal’s head. It flew like a ball, trailing blood after it.

  Cannibals screamed. Some fled, while others drew their weapons and chased after the large cannibal. The large cannibal kept on running. He cut down everyone he encountered, carving a bloody trail through the village.

  “Wait… wait…” One of the cannibals raced toward their path, and Levi jumped up. “Now!”

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  Levi and Isa raced toward the town. Colin trailed at the rear, looking around for a place to hide even as he ran. The cannibal who’d been fleeing the huge man saw them coming at the last second, just long enough to reach for his sword, but not long enough to draw it. A sword cut into his neck from the left, and long claws from the right. His body hit the floor a full three seconds before his head did.

  Some of the nearer cannibals turned toward the two of them, but most kept their eyes on the big guy. Levi and Isa split up. Each of them chased after their own cannibal. The ones who hadn’t been targeted turned as well, following Levi or Isa. Three of them grouped around Isa, and two around Levi.

  Levi raced directly toward the cannibal he’d locked onto. He didn’t so much as acknowledge the other two. The man raised his sword, waiting for Levi to close in.

  Levi never did. The Spinal Cord shot out from his cloak and impaled the man in the gut. Wrapping the cord around the dying man, Levi spun, taking him with him. The makeshift morning star of dying cannibal and Spinal Cord knocked into the other two cannibals, flooring them. Levi retracted the Spinal Cord by way of pulling himself in, toward the cannibals. It finally shivered out of the man’s body and jerked free as Levi stomped on one cannibal, spun a sword in each hand, then slammed them both down into the cannibals’ solar plexuses, killing and pinning them in one stroke.

  A roar alerted him to a cannibal coming up from behind. Levi didn’t turn. His cloak flew aside, and the Armalgam burst forth. It grappled the cannibal with three arms, and Handy dealt a brutal killing blow, splitting the man from nuts to neck. It jumped free, releasing him. The man staggered backwards, then hit the ground with a grunt.

  Levi freed his swords with a twist, just to be sure, and stood. The Spinal Cord retracted, blood bright crimson against its stark white. Scurrying up behind him, the Armalgam dragged its bad arm like a tail and reared high to give Handy the best angle at stabbing whoever they next encountered.

  He took a moment to survey the scene. Isa gripped a man’s shoulders in her hands and tore, splitting him much as the Armalgam had, but from the top this time. Colin danced backward, dodging the gore. In the town’s center, the cannibals battled the beefy cannibal. The huge cannibal was quickly getting overwhelmed, but he hadn’t been overcome yet.

  “Alright, ladies and gents. Up and at ‘em.”

  The cannibals Levi had slain rose, their eyes glittering green. They stumbled for a few steps, then found their feet and charged, racing to the first zombie cannibal’s rescue. The living cannibals weren’t expecting an attack from the rear, and the first two or three of them went down before they even knew what was happening. The others eventually realized and turned, but then were forced to fight a two-directional battle as the giant cannibal swept his axe. Blood flew, and the cannibals fought one another. Some even directly bit their companions, losing track of who was who in the ruckus.

  Levi took a deep breath, puffing his chest up. “Ahhhh. I love the smell of EXP in the morning.”

  Colin glanced at him. “It’s not morning.”

  “Yeah, I know, I was—” Levi sighed.

  “EXP’s a wasting,” Isa pointed out, nodding ahead.

  He shook his head at Colin and raced in. “Then let’s go get it!”

  She nodded back. The two of them raced in, leaving Colin behind. He tilted his head. “Did I say something wrong…?”