"Did I not kick you hard enough?" I asked.

  Cobra's eye's opened in time to see the blur of my leg approaching. My own roundhouse kick decapitated the goblin. His head exploded against the wall, then the body slumped to the side of the throne.

  There was a magic circle under the cushion, I kicked it and Cobra's body out of the way. The runes were chiseled onto a stone disk.

  A lightening like hairline crack went up from the bottom of the disk, too easy. I stopped my fist short of impact... several party members did land hits...

  . . .

  Cobra's fourth revival (I'd needed time) opened its eyes. He sprung up only for me to shove him to near Evelyn. I stomped the magic circle to pieces through the cushion which remained intact to hide the broken circle. Cobra came at me in a boxing stance, I slapped aside his fists then headbutted him back to near Evelyn.

  I bound across to Cobra to start royally wailing on the so-called prince. My punches were very held back. I paid close attention to his health bar. Shugging off attempts to fight back a, I changed from punching, to a final careful slap.

  Cobra swayed about with rolled back eyes. Health very low. This state doesn't last long, when enemies are like this, special, very show off, attack moves can be used. Assassins don't get to show off as much, all our finishing moves are quick, clean, precision strikes.

  I healed, then revived Evelyn, slapped Cobra again while she woke up. Revived the wizard in hopes he knoew healing magic.

  I had insisted Layla learned basic healing, so she was next. Having reached the limit of my pretend mana. I switched to potions. I made a show of charging and slashing Cobra as he came around. Extremely difficult to pull off such a weak slash whilst making it look like I was exceeding my limits.

  "Your guy's attacks got him real weak, I survived one hit and caught him off guard, I don't understand why he is like this. It seems I can keep him like this, attacking with everything I've got— watch out he's coming round!" I shouted, weighing down my word with as much panic as I could.

  Good, Baz was last to be revived by Evelyn, he was just coming round. Split between all of us, the Xp shouldn't be too hard to explain.

  Coming back from the low health stupor enemies typically wake up to 10% their health. As Cobra woke, Audovald, Terrence and Layla were first to attack, all three struck at the same time. Unseen to them, I flicked splinters of wood I'd carved off the door.

  Of course my party's attacks did almost nothing, Cobra would have killed them all again. My flicked splinters striking cobra's punches or kicks before they impacted, created the illusion of the attacks failing, while also causing enough damage to notch down his health.

  I concealed my left hand flicking splinters behind my held out right fist, and the pink glow from my ring.

  Cobra went into low health stupor, I relaxed, left it to the party. All attackers were triple boosted by me, Evelyn and even Lucus.

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  Terrence gripped one arm, Audovald the other, as Layla hung off cobra's back, claws embedded in his head. Baz had wrapped himself around Cobra's legs.

  Isabelle driove both her blades into the brawler prince's gut then backed away. Mohandas leapt up to bring down his largest chakram onto Cobra's head.

  A messy and desperate finishing take down that took six attackers and three support. It was a strain to maintain my poker face, I wanted to burst out laughing...

  "Indeed a sporting trifle!" I shouted grinning at Terrence, before collapsing laughing.

  The rest of the party start laughing too as the doors opened and portcullis rattled its way up.

  Even laughing, I knew I had something important to do. I crawled over to Evelyn, composed myself, then whispered maxxed out Deception into her ear.

  "You saw the goblins' health go down when everyone first attacked. You saw my health go very low, but I didn't die when I took that kick. I just whispered congratulations in your ear."

  I pulled back smiling, clapping her shoulder, all appeared friendly. She looked at me dazed as the lies rewote her memories. I felt really terrible again...

  No one wanted to stay in the dungeon after the boss fight. Cobra's body melted away revealing an item drop. A large crystal, plus his spinal cord and skull had shrunk, fusing to make a bone shillelagh/ fighting stick. Too high level requiremed for anyone within the extended party, it was to be sold and money split evenly.

  Within the room was an empty podium, whatever treasure should be there likely only regenerated once the dungeon had fully reset. We had to leave before the wall sealed back up.

  From the entrance to the room were obstacles only I secretly had the skills to overcome, and so it was back through the exit, down the rope.

  . . .

  Everyone had gained plenty of XP. My party was now in the high teens while Evelyn's were in the low twenties. Heading back to the nearest village I had to endure the dorky wizard explain to everyone what fatality and finishing moves were.

  "...I believe Audovald's axe strike was a critical hit, and thanks to the stealth bonus when Harvey snuck up to Cobra, that's how..." No need for a web of lies when big brain Lucas is so keen to explain everything.

  I feel a tug on my sleeve.

  "Hey, fall back with me, OK?" I slow down alongside Evelyn.

  I hide my concern and act aloof as usual.

  "Thank you for your help today. I was wondering... Is there anything between you and Layla or Isabelle?" She asked.

  OK... so not about inconsistent health bars... "Uhm... What do you mean— romantically? No... we're just in a party together— and friends— I hope."

  "So would you maybe like to go out with me sometime?"

  Did I give this girl brain damage using Deception on her!? "Uhm... I think you're very pretty and capable but..."

  The only valid reason to turn her down, I couldn't say! Her grandfather knew or at least suspected too much, protecting his granddaughter sure, but dating... even if it got him killed he'd likely make sure I suffered!

  She was attractive, mature and interesting. I wanted to say yes. I'd lost my poker face and being genuinely dumbstruck I looked toward the party seeking inspiration for good reason.

  "I see... Nothing between you and Layla or Isabelle right now...Oh! Or is it Audovald— It's cool if you're—" She insinuated.

  "It's not Audo! But yeh..."

  Interest in one of my party members, seemed as good a reason as any other.

  "Well... Guess I'll accept that for now... but I'm not accepting any excuses if we meet again, and we're both still single— OK!?"

  "OK."

  Damn her confidence and determination were fierce. Alas...