I dodged back again but the assassin didn’t pursue or rather couldn’t pursue. The familiar blood red hair and the perfectly shaped backside of my friend and companion now filled my limited view.
“Honestly Jack, I can’t leave you alone for more than five minutes without you getting into some kind of trouble,” Rose chided me. I honestly didn’t care about the jab, I was just beyond happy to see her here. Talk about impeccable timing. “Now, heal yourself up, I’ll keep this . . . thing busy for a few minutes, just be quick about it.”
I looked to see the assassin was climbing out of a destroyed fish stall, and if looks could kill, Rose would have instantly been turned into fish paste. I guessed that Rose used her ‘Charge’ skill to knock the assassin into the fish stall which bought us both some time.
I immediately started chaining ‘Lesser Heal’ on myself.
Lesser Heal
Level: 19
Experience: 41.57%
Spell Heal: 45-55
Spell Cast Speed: 2.00
Spell Mana Cost: 48
Spell Effect: Heal a single target
Unfortunately, with the reduced healing bonus that came with being a Warrior Priest, I was only healing between 176 to 189 which was honestly fine for my small health pool of only 1900-HP. It still took a good 5-casts to get myself to a comfortable place. At that point I had to start healing Rose as she wasn’t fairing very well against the much higher-level assassin, she only had 1 level on me but 2 levels on Rose and it seemed that could make a big difference.
Satisfied that Rose’s health was sufficiently restored as was my own, I began buffing the both of us starting with ‘Lesser Holy Barrier’.
Lesser Holy Barrier
Level: 31
Experience: 69.06%
Spell Duration: 10 minutes
Spell Cast Speed: Instant
Spell Mana Cost: 81
Spell Effect: Create a thin barrier of Holy energy around a target that absorbs 31-points of incoming damage.
Followed by ‘Lesser Combat Blessing’.
Lesser Combat Blessing
Level: 25
Experience: 5.76%
Spell Duration: 10 minutes
Spell Cast Speed: Instant
Spell Mana Cost: 50
Spell Effect: Increase Stamina +8, Increase Strength +8, Increase Dexterity +8, increase Endurance +8
Then ‘Lesser Mental Fortification’.
Lesser Mental Fortification
Level: 22
Experience: 55.50%
Spell Duration: 10 minutes
Spell Cast Speed: Instant
Spell Mana Cost: 50
Spell Effect: Increase Intellect +7, Increase Wisdom +7, Increase Resistance to Fear 5%, Increases Resistance to Mind Control 5%
One more buff, ‘Edda of Light and Dark’ would start to debuff the assassin slowing her down while buffing us.
Edda of Light and Dark
Level: 3
Experience: 25.00%
Spell Duration: 10 minutes
Spell Cast Speed: Instant
Spell Mana Cost: 300
Spell Effect: Your next attack will slow your target attack speed 1.1% and increase your attack speed 1.1%. (Stackable x10) (Personal use only).
And finally, ‘Lesser Holy Imbuement’ for my spear.
Lesser Holy Imbuement
Level: 22
Experience: 13.36%
Spell Duration: 10 minutes
Spell Cast Speed: Instant
Spell Mana Cost: 50
Spell Effect: Imbued Weapon now deals holy damage causing an additional 11-12 damage per hit
Spell Effect: Imbued Shield now deals holy damage causing 12-13 damage per block
With all my buffs in place, it was time to attack, I lit into her without hesitation. No really, I lit into her with ‘Lesser Holy Fire’ and grinned.
Lesser Holy Fire
Level: 38
Experience: 12.33%
Spell Damage: 20-23 per second
Spell Cast Speed: Instant Cooldown: 10 seconds
Spell Mana Cost: 116
Spell Duration: 30 seconds
Spell Effect: Burn a single target with Holy fire. (Stackable x3)
After the first stack went up, I maneuvered behind the assassin with my spear in a two-handed grip at the ready, then I struck with my ‘Justice Strike’ skill.
Justice Strike
Level: 27
Experience: 4.51%
Current Damage Modifier
Damage: +13.50
Skill Stamina Cost: 77
Skill Effect: A righteous strike in the name of Justice. Increases damage or healing of next spell cast by 37.
I walloped her for -248-HP, effectively knocking off 5% of her health. And boy do I love what follows that skill. ‘Lesser Holy Shock’ not only hurt her, it also stunned her too.
Lesser Holy Shock
Level: 22
Experience: 4.51%
Spell Damage: 32-37
Spell Cash Speed: Instant Cooldown: 30 seconds
Spell Mana Cost: 138
Spell Effect: A shock of holy energy attacks the nervous system of your target stunning it and increasing physical damage received by 32 for 5 seconds.
That was another -189-HP and an internal cringe, I should have used that when I was running for my life from the assassin.
Trying not to focus on my stupidity, I instead let my ‘Two-handed Polearm’ skill go to work, ‘Power Thrust’, ‘Impale’, ‘Ligament Rip’, and hammering ‘Power Thrust’ as many times as I could before I began the skill rotation again. At the end of just one rotation, she was down a solid 15% of her total health.
Two-Handed Polearms
Level: 69
Experience: 99.09%
Current Damage Modifiers
Damage: +34.50
Critical Strike Chance: +3.45%
Subskill: Ligament Rip
Reduce Enemy Movement and Attack Speed: 50% Target Receives Increased Damage: +17.25% Duration: 15 Seconds Bleed Effect: 4 Damage per Second
Skill Stamina Cost: 25
Subskill: Impale
Damage: 34-36 Bleed Effect: 4 Damage per Second Duration: 15 Seconds
Skill Stamina Cost: 20
Subskill: Power Thrust
Damage: +69.00 Chance to Stun: 10%
Skill Stamina Cost: 50
Subskill: Jab
Damage: +34.50
Skill Stamina Cost: 20
Subskill: Rapid Striking
Damage: -2 Strikes: 29
Skill Stamina Cost: 100
Rose was no slouch either, her combination of ‘Shield Bash’ and ‘Pierce Defense’ worked in tandem to regularly interrupt the assassin’s attacks and keep the focus on Rose as the tank.
As the assassin’s health continued to drop, I know as much as I wanted to kill the assassin, I needed answers. So as soon as her health dropped to 9%, I let ‘Order: Surrender’ shout from my throat. It only caused the assassin to hesitate for a moment before she attacked again. Another 3% off her health and I tried again but got the same reaction. At 1% health remaining I tried one more time.
The assassin finally dropped to her knees, arms raised in surrender, or I thought it was surrender right up until a smoke bomb dropped from her mouth to explode on the ground in front of her. When the smoke cleared she was gone much as I expected would be the case.
“Now what have you gotten yourself into, Jack?” Rose asked, trying hard not to grin at me.
“I’m not sure,” I answered honestly. There were only a few possibilities that I could come up with. The assassin was going through some kind of initiation and I ruined it for her which sounded as unlikely as it was stupid, what kind of assassin would have to pick pockets for an initiation. Option two, the assassin was after me, very possible. It could be due to my class or the quest my group was currently embarked upon to guard the Duchess. If it was about my class then it was kind of stupid, at worst I would be sent to the graveyard
to revive. However, if it was about the Duchess . . . that was a lot more complicated. The final possibility was Rhyes.
As if I had been shocked, I started looking for the guard that was supposed to be my escort for the day only for him to not be where I left him. I ran quickly to where I last saw him, Rose was right behind me. “I was here with a guard,” I explained to her before she had a chance to ask. “I left him right here when I went to confront the old woman pickpocketing.”
“What old woman?” Rose asked, confused by my poor explanation.
“The assassin was disguised as an old woman. Rhyes was helping me learn a new ‘Perception’ Subskill, ‘See Injustice’. I spotted the old woman stumbling about and bumping into people and thought it was odd. Rhyes confirmed she was picking pockets, so I went to arrest her, which is when she attacked me. Rhyes should have come to my aid, he could have easily handled her at his level,” I explained a bit more thoroughly.
“Did he betray you?” she asked.
I frowned, the thought had crossed my mind, but I almost immediately shot it down now that I had a chance to think. “I don’t think so, he received a blessing from Issara and I can’t see my Goddess blessing someone intent on harming her servant.”
“Then we’d better look around for any clues,” suggested Rose, I could see she was trying not to grin at the little bit of excitement we’d found our way into.
I tried to relax my eyes, using some of the ‘Perception’ training exercises I had learned while in Hurlig Ridge. It didn’t take long before I spotted a small glow from the cobblestones a few feet away from me, indicating something important was there. I moved closer and leaned in to see if I could identify whatever it was. Blood, no the start of a blood trail, I spotted another splash a few feet further away. “I’ve got a blood trail,” I called to Rose.
Quest Alert: Blood Trail to Where? 1 (Recommended Level 6-8)
You have located a blood trail leading away from the ambush site. But who’s blood is it? And where is Patrolman Rhyes?
Reward: Experience
Do you accept this Quest?
Yes
No
“Lead the way, Jack,” she said with a grin, her sword and shield at the ready and the quest accepted for the both of us.
The blood trail was actually pretty easy to follow which was both nerve-wracking and exciting in equal measure. I was especially on edge after the last time I had been ambushed, every time we passed a dark alley or blind corner I expected to be attacked again.
Eventually, we followed the trail to a large warehouse with an open courtyard that was severely lacking in cover with one exception, a large and conveniently placed crate with Patrolman Rhyes hiding behind it and peering around the crate toward the warehouse.
“Rhyes,” I hissed softly at the man.
Rhyes turned sharply to me. He quickly put a finger to his lips warning me to be quiet, then motioned Rose and I over to him.
“What happened?” I whispered once we were closer.
“Three more of those assassins popped up and jumped me. It was not anything I could not handle, I wounded one of them, he left me a nice trail to follow which brings us to the warehouse just over yonder,” he whispered, jerking a thumb over his shoulder toward the building.
Quest Alert: Blood Trail to Where? 1 (Recommended Level 6-8) - Completed
You have located a blood trail leading away from the ambush site. But who’s blood is it? And where is Patrolman Rhyes?
Reward: +1,000-Experience
That was too easy . . . well easy if you have the ability to track the blood trail but that was neither here nor there. Almost free experience was free experience and only a fool would complain about such things.
“Ours retreated too,” said Rose, peeking around the crate at the warehouse.
“Rhyes, this is Rose Thorns, a good friend,” I introduced her.
“Good friend, huh? Is that all I am?” Rose asked, giving me a look, I had no idea how to interpret.
“What? I barely know him. I don’t go telling everyone my personal business like that,” I tried to defend myself. “Besides, we haven’t exactly defined what we are beyond planning to go on a date at some point in the near future.”
“Uh huh,” she said, putting a hand to her hip.
“You two can flirt this out later, I need you both to be serious right now,” interjected Rhyes.
Rose rolled her eyes but relented. “Fine,” she whispered. “What’s the plan?”
“There appear to be two guards hiding in stealth, one right outside the door, and one on the roof to the left,” he started. “I do not have anything to deal with the sniper on the roof but the one at the door should be easy enough to deal with.”
Quest Alert: Blood Trail to Where? 2 (Recommended Level 6-8)
You have followed the blood trail to a warehouse and found Patrolman Rhyes alive and healthy. Now, you need to eliminate the guards quietly so as not to draw additional danger down on you.
Reward: Experience
Do you accept this Quest?
Yes
No
“We can do it,” said Rose, accepting the quest for both of us.
Meanwhile, I looked to the left corner of the roof trying to spot the sniper but didn’t see anything, at least not at first. Letting my eyes relax and take in more of the surroundings, I was eventually able to make out an outline which took on a red tint a moment after that. The sniper,
“You have a plan,” Rose stated, a matching grin in place.
“I do,” I replied. “I can take out the sniper, but I need a distraction until I can get close enough.
“I can be the distraction,” Rhyes volunteered. “But we need Miss Thorns to charge the guard at the door. We cannot let him get inside or call for reinforcements.”
“I can do that,” said Rose confidently.
I looked toward the door trying to spot the hidden guard. The
“Okay, let us get this done, quiet and efficient,” instructed Rhyes, a large mace now equipped in his right hand.
I activated my own weak ‘Stealth’ skill and began my approach to the left side of the warehouse. I didn’t like how slow I moved while ‘Stealth’ was active, but I didn’t have much choice, I definitely should have trained this up more last month.
“This is the Root City Watch, drop your weapons and come out of hiding with your arms raised,” shouted Rhyes, sauntering from behind the crate which provided the only cover. Surprisingly, neither of the guards moved, in fact, the guard at the door cocked his head to the side as if studying the approaching guard before smirking and shaking his head. He just leaned back against the wall unmoving. I looked up at the guard on the roof and he was at least drawing his bow, but he wasn’t aiming at Rhyes, instead, he was targeting Rose as she followed out of coverage.
Rhyes repeated himself loudly, clearly expecting some kind of reaction.
Then I caught a flare of red outline and froze. Just 10-yards from where I stood was another hidden enemy,
Now I had a real conundrum. Try to stop the higher-level assassin and probably die or hope that Rhyes spots him before it was too late. Oh, who was I kidding? I still had to deal with the sniper but there had to be something I could do to the assassin. Then I remembered the other off-hand skill I had learned last month.
Net
Level: 3
Experience: 16.68%
Subskill: Net Toss
Capture Target: Below 25% HP
S
kill Stamina Cost: 50
Preparation Time: 4 minutes 57 seconds
Skill Effect: Slow netted target by 50% for 30 Seconds
I removed my net from my inventory, slowly as to not draw the attention of the assassin who would no doubt one-shot me if he spotted me. With my net ready, I swallowed nervously and took aim before he got out of my limited range. I cocked my arm back that was holding the rolled-up net and let out a slow breath and shot put the net toward the assassin.
The net opened in the air as expected and landed perfectly on the previously hidden assassin, revealing his presence and tripping him up. “Get the assassin,” I called loudly to Rhyes, turning my attention to the sniper who was already retargeting me.
“Ah, hell,” grumbled Rhyes, seeing the revealed assassin. The bear of a man vanished a moment later only to reappear, his shoulder ramming into the assassin. I saw Rose do the same thing to the guard at the door.
I cartwheeled to my left just in time to dodge the first arrow, but the sniper was already nocking another and I still needed to close the distance. I dived forward low, under the next arrow and rolled up to my feet running as I came back to my feet, only to suddenly halt and roll to my right to dodge another arrow. I wasn’t quite fast enough to dodge the next arrow as it sliced through my right arm, the glancing blow dealing -54-HP.
World Tree Online: The Duchess of Hammers: 2nd Dive Begins Page 8