Ramsel quietly cursed his luck, but he had accomplished most of what he needed to do at the blademaster academy. The scentless poison coating his steel sabers should start weakening the dwarf students soon enough.

All except that Jakon.

Maybe.

But as a beast elf, even in wood elf form, the poison wouldn’t affect him in the slightest. Not without s solid scratch from the blades.

A scratch none of those dwarfs would be strong enough to inflict on him. Not ever again.

Soon the countless gemstones throughout the ceiling would soon belong to his kind. Wealth that would buy the freedom of his clan from the lower slave ranks. His ample skill in bladework was the only reason he was granted such a coveted position beside such a precious vixen like Frostine.

His thin leather boots didn’t make a sound against the granite floor. He was more than silent enough for his next task. A task connected to Frostine being more clever than she let on. Letting that tigermite elder send one of their better warrior females to seek out another attack route, as if Frostine would humor any of their warriors escaping the carding they were destined for.

All he needed to do was follow the faintly glowing outline of an orange cat girl swimming through what seemed solid rock, but what, he already knew now was another secret passageway in and out of Dirlop Mountain.

A passageway Frostine had prepared him to use—to escape.

After he carded that tigermite girl.

The tunnel opened up into a huge cavern. With walled craters full of beautifully blue water. Crates that ceiling spikes were dripping water into. Drip drip drip.

Like blood from a freshly hanging corpse.

Right now there were too many dwarfs. All shopping and going about their daily business. For now.

Once the attack began, once the dwarves fled, he could finish his task here.

Summon the handful of tigermite warriors, all from living monster cards. Frostine granted him the temporary boost in magical power needed for it.

That she’d trust a lowly dog like him, he wouldn’t let her down.

He would die before failing.

But losing that orcubus archer … despite his … difficulty in summoning her … Frostine would not be happy. The orcubus archer could of been used for alchemy parts, if nothing else, especially since she wasn’t undead like the other orcs in Frostine’s monster card deck.

But no matter.

The tigermite girl was getting closer and closer, and Ramsel quietly headed over to the crater she’d headed toward, no doubt would surface in. Try to remain hidden until the preordained attack.

But going back through the route—not possible for her.

Not with the spell his next card casted on the surface of the crater’s water. She couldn’t wield any magical techniques—until she was properly carded, as she should of been weeks ago.

Soon she’d replace that treacherous orcubus archer, whether as a warrior, or just for alchemy parts, she’d play her role in the downfall of Dirlop Mountain.

Whether she wanted to, or not.