Chapter 34: Backstabbed
Coop had been backstabbed.
The Empire’s Chosen were trying to steal his settlement, but that wasn’t what he meant. There was a literal knife in his back. He had been stabbed right below his shoulder blade in a surprise attack while he contemplated how to leave the Zombie Lord and what the Empire’s plan actually was.
Coop spun, not willing to let the rest of his meager 125 health and 100 mana be drained by the opportunistic ambusher. He turned with his sword drawn and swept it ahead while he spun to face his attacker. His shield quickly followed. Coop wouldn’t go down without a fight.
The wild sword swing lopped off the offending arm, still extended from the backstab. The bone wasn’t reinforced like the Strength zombies’ had been. Coop cut through it with barely any resistance. There was a lot of blood.
Coop identified the culprit.
[Human (Level 26)]
[Infiltrator (Agility)]
[Chosen of the Endless Empire]
[Darkness]
It was Parker, from Camila and Charlie’s party. Hostile looks were one thing, but what the hell was this?
Parker stared pale-faced at the stump of his arm that ended just beneath the elbow. Then he looked at the rest of the limb that lay uselessly on the floor still gripping the jeweled dagger.
“How? You should be dead… that was the perfect Assassin’s Execution…” Parker wondered as the shock of losing a limb clearly set in.