Jason knelt on the sloped roof with his eyes closed, channelling his sight and voice through Shade as he conversed with Aram. With his heightened senses and ability to sense both auras and magic, he was far from oblivious to his surroundings, but he only sensed the attack at the last moment. It came fast and seemingly out of nowhere. Jason only detected it as an aura bore down on him, trying to shock him with silver-rank suppressive force.
It was almost the exact same manner as the last time he was attacked out of nowhere by a silver ranker, but Jason was a very different person from the time he was kidnapped. The attacking aura smashed into the iron shell that was Jason’s own aura and rebounded, giving Jason a warning instead of freezing him in place as intended.
Even so, Jason’s silver-rank attacker was faster than him and already moving as he reacted. He managed to avoid the hand reaching for his head but was unable to avoid it gripping his shoulder.
You have been attacked. Attacker has been afflicted with [Sin].
Special attack [Dark Slumber] has inflicted [Sopor Toxin] on you.
You have resisted [Sopor Toxin].
[Sopor Toxin] does not take effect.
You have gained an instance of [Resistant].
You have gained an instance of [Integrity].
Special attack [Dark Slumber] has inflicted [Vulnerable] on you.
An instance of [Resistant] has been consumed to negate [Vulnerable].
Special attack [Dark Slumber] has inflicted [Sluggish] on you.
You have resisted [Sluggish].
[Sluggish] does not take effect.
You have gained an instance of [Resistant].
You have gained an instance of [Integrity].
Jason’s affliction specialisation paid off against the special attack. His stacked resistance effects and ability to ignore rank disparity allowed him to resist two of the three afflictions and negate the third.
He reacted instantly, slipping free of the hand and dropping off the nearby roof edge, not even bothering to take a moment to look at his attacker. His cloak formed around him as he dropped, but he didn’t reduce his weight to slow the fall. Instead, he formed a shadow arm and used it to grip the roof as he dropped, letting it stretch out before using it to spring back upwards. He leapt back over the rooftop just as his attacker peered over the edge. The attacker caught a raking slice across the torso from Jason’s conjured dagger, stumbling back as Jason landed lightly on the rooftop.
Special attack [Punish] has inflicted [Sin] on [Network Assassin].
Special attack [Punish] has inflicted [Price of Absolution] on [Network Assassin].
Weapon [Ruin, the Blade of Tribulation] has inflicted [Ruination of the Flesh] on [Network Assassin].
Weapon [Ruin, the Blade of Tribulation] has inflicted [Ruination of the Blood] on [Network Assassin].
Weapon [Ruin, the Blade of Tribulation] has inflicted [Ruination of the Spirit] on [Network Assassin].
[Amulet of the Dark Guardian] has bestowed five instances of [Guardian’s Blessing] on you.
Jason alighted back on the rooftop, his cloak floating around him. He eyed his opponent, satisfied at the silver-ranker’s failure to resist even a single affliction. His ability to identify people didn’t give him a name even after coming into contact with the man. His ability to extract information was hampered by the enemy’s superior rank, although the more generic label of Network Assassin told him a lot too. Just as Landemere Vane had been described by Jason’s power as a Builder Cultist, knowing their affiliation could be more useful than a name.
The silver-ranker looked to be around thirty, but there was no telling with an essence user. He had short-cropped hair and black, paramilitary attire. His tactical armour wasn’t magical and was easily sliced through by Jason’s dagger.
The man glanced down at the wound on his chest and back up at Jason. He looked startled that his silver-rank flesh had posed little more resistance than his non-magical armour.
“You should come with me, Asano. We want to work with you, not force you into anything.”
“I could tell from the way you sneak-attacked me on a rooftop,” Jason said. The man had a slight French accent, but that could have been a ruse. If Jason was a German assassin, he’d probably fake a French accent too.
“I don’t have time to convince you. We couldn’t take the chance you’d say no. Don’t do this the hard way.”
“You don’t know me, but the hard way is kind of my thing.”
“It isn’t a question of whether you get away, Asano. It’s a matter of how much you get hurt coming with me.”
“Pain I can handle. Your fate is to suffer.”
Spell [Inexorable Doom] has inflicted [Inexorable Doom] on [Network Assassin].
Spell [Inexorable Doom] has inflicted [Inescapable] on [Network Assassin].
[Amulet of the Dark Guardian] has bestowed two instances of [Guardian’s Blessing] on you.
“The hard way it is,” the man said, holding up his hands to conjure knuckledusters on each hand, with three sharp tines sticking out of each. He leapt into the attack as mirror images appeared around him, all springing on Jason.
Jason lifted his hand, which oozed blood from the palm. A cone of leeches sprayed out over the images. Most passed through illusory doubles, including one in the position of the original body. His attacker’s real body staggered back as leeches clamped on to it, while the rest of the leeches were scattered across the roof by the spray.
[Sanguine Horror] has inflicted [Bleeding] on [Network Assassin].
[Bleeding] already in effect, [Bleeding] is refreshed.
[Sanguine Horror] has inflicted [Leech Toxin] on [Network Assassin].
[Sanguine Horror] has inflicted [Necrotoxin] on [Network Assassin].
[Sanguine Horror] has inflicted [Bleeding] on [Network Assassin].
[Bleeding] already in effect, [Bleeding] is refreshed.
[Sanguine Horror] has inflicted [Leech Toxin] on [Network Assassin].
[Sanguine Horror] has inflicted [Necrotoxin] on [Network Assassin].
Jason regretted that Colin didn’t trigger his amulet, but he was satisfied enough with his familiar’s storm of afflictions. Jason was a true affliction specialist now, able to lay on plenty of afflictions himself.
The enemy was only briefly startled and didn’t bother futilely plucking at the leeches easily biting through his clothes. He didn’t fail to notice Gordon manifest into being and nimbly dodged the four beams of energy firing at him from Gordon’s floating eyes.
The assassin jumped back while throwing out his hands. His own swarm of creatures appeared. Tiny metal hummingbirds with long needles for heads buzzed with the flapping of their tiny metal wings as they darted, spreading out to engulf Jason.
“Gordon,” Jason said calmly. Two of the familiar’s orbs launched forward, coming together just as they met the swarm. The resulting explosion of resonating-force annihilated the metal creatures, although many of the leeches scattered over the roof were likewise eliminated.
The assassin used the explosion to mask another special attack, with a storm of needles raining on Jason. His cloak intercepted the projectiles, but their silver rank power still pushed through more often than not. Their damage was diminished, however, and by the time they chewed through the Guardian’s Blessings, the damage was minimal.
An instance of [Guardian’s Blessing] has been consumed to absorb damage. [Guardian’s Blessing] has bestowed [Blessing’s Bounty] on you.