Forged Destiny [Book 7: Ch. 12]

I groaned and clamped a hand down on the shaft, burning through it in one motion. With my other hand, I slammed the ingot up and into the person's jaw, breaking it.

Something snapped within me.

Not anger, not rage, not some mad bloodthirst, but a primal wish to live. A desire to survive. I fell on the stunned person, ripping and tearing with my bare hands, beating them with the iron bar with reckless abandon. Blood flew, bone gave way and I couldn't make out any of it. All I knew was that this person wanted me dead, for no other reason than the Exp I was worth.

And I…

I didn't want to die…

The rush of Exp told me my foe was dead. My body felt a little lighter as I gained a level. My first of the day, the second in two days. I dry-heaved and fell off the dead person, dropping the bloodstained ingot to the sand and retching.

—Forged Destiny [Book 7: Ch. 12]