As the sounds of Willem's fight with the lizardman echoed through the camp, Greem's focus remained entirely on the elven diviner. She was the main target of the red-star mission. If she escaped, then it was a disaster. Not just for the Black Widow Association, which would be garnering more attention than wanted, but themselves too.
Unlike Elizabeth who possessed magical artefacts and a strong network, most of the Black Widow Association members were locals with talents in dark arts, who had covers. If they needed to relocate, Greem would lose his home. As apathetic as he was, it was the only thing he knew. Vanessa would have to leave the Town's guard. And Willem his clan.
Elizabeth's punishment, too, was something they did not want to experience. Greem still remembered how she casually mentioned that one of her curses had been enough to kill a local intermediate-rank acolyte, the Stone Titan, who controlled the ressource site. Two years ago, a famous party messed up greatly in a similar mission, and ended up as Ronnie's nourrishment.
This should be a scary situation, yet Greem felt little but pride and joy at this point.
[You have killed a [Lv. 2 Soldier]. You have gained 5 EXP]
[You have killed a [Lv. 2 Soldier]. You have gained 5 EXP]
[You have killed a [Lv. 2 Soldier]. You have gained 5 EXP]
[You have killed a [Lv. 2 Soldier]. You have gained 5 EXP]
...
[You have killed a [Lv. 4 Knight]. You have gained 15 EXP]
His little act of poisoning and ambush had earned him over 60 points of experience already, and the rest of the convoy would soon follow.
'No witnesses', was what Elizabeth had written on the parchment
Thermiona stood her ground, her silver eyes wide but not with fear—with a hyper-awareness that saw the world in threads of probability.
Greem knew his greatest weapon, [Dark Illusion], was likely useless against a seer. He cast it anyway, summoning a wave of terrifying phantoms to claw at her mind. Thermiona simply closed her eyes for a second, a soft silver light emanating from her. When she opened them, the illusions shattered like glass.
"The magi at the Magical Court mentioned dark path acolytes, walking the arcane path but stopping at nothing" she stated, her voice calm, "Acolytes gifted in shadow elements like yourself, are especially wicked. The elemental particles shape your personality and make you truthfully cruel, devoid of human emotions"
Greem heard such a theory for the first time, but could not care any less.
A crossbow was in Greem's hands in a fluid motion. He fired. The bolt, infused with the corrosive energy of his [Ombre Curse], shot toward her heart. But Thermiona was already moving, a subtle sidestep that looked like luck but was the result of her agility and [Fate Sight] spell. Besides dispelling illusions, it expanded her senses. The bolt hissed past her, but the bolt was fast and accurate. It scratched her shoulder, the shadow elemental particles sipping in.
Her beautiful face contorted in pain, but she possessed enough experience to focus on the fight.
[Thermiona - Lv. 7 Acolyte]
[Kaelen - Lv. 4 Acolyte]
[Lyra - Lv. 5 Acolyte]
He had chosen Thermiona, or so she was called, because she was the strongest. Stronger meant more experience, after all.
She closed the distance with common speed. A slender, average pair of daggers appearing in her hands. Greem had plenty of time to drop the crossbow and draw his own shortsword. The clang of steel was sharp.
Compared to Emma's beatings, Thermiona's strike felt like that of a child. There was no force behind it, no trickiness or feint. It was straightforward, and lacked form.
As their blades locked, Greem channelled [Ombre Curse] again, this time through his sword. A palpable shadowy aura wreathed the steel, and the air around it grew cold. Thermiona's eyes widened in alarm. She disengaged instantly, avoiding the cursed blade like it was plague-ridden. She had already been barely scratched by the cursed bolt to know of this curse's effects. Her body seemed to have lost 10% of its stamina from one strike. If she was hit for real, then she knew she would not last long in close combat.
Seeing her hesitation, Greem pressed his advantage. He remembered Emma's drilling: "The thrust is a single, fluid motion. Don't telegraph it."
He feinted a slash, and as Thermiona flowed to evade it, he lunged forward in a clean, direct thrust. It wasn't fast, but it was perfectly timed and placed. The shadow-wreathed tip of his sword grazed her arm, slicing through her robe.
She cried out, not from the pain of the injury, but from the wave of nullifying cold that shot up her limb. The [Ombre Curse] seeped into the wound, disrupting her magical flow. Her silver eyes flickered.
This was the moment. As she staggered back, Greem created the distance he needed. He dropped his sword and thrust his hands forward. From the shadows at Thermiona's feet, a gnarled, clawed hand of solidified darkness erupted—[Shadow Hand]. It was too fast for her compromised senses. The hand clamped around her throat, cutting off her air and her spellcasting.
She clawed at the construct, but it was like trying to grasp smoke. Her silver eyes, wide with panic and lack of air, fixed on Greem as he calmly walked forward and retrieved his sword. There was no malice in his expression, only cold calculation.
He ended it quickly. A single, precise thrust.
[You have successfully killed Thermiona (Lv. 7 Acolyte). You have earned 80 EXP]
A cold, triumphant laugh escaped Greem's lips as the blue screen materialized in his vision. The EXP was substantial. He looked at the fallen elf, then toward the rest of the clearing. The mission was nearly complete.
[Log entries...]
[Your swordsmanship has risen in proficiency...(23) → (25)]
[Your spell [Shadow hands] has risen in proficiency...(63) → (65)]
[Your spell [Ombre Curse] has risen in proficiency...(25) → (29)]
[Your spell [Dark Illusion] has risen in proficiency...(80) → (81)]
[Your skill [Crossbow Mastery has risen in proficiency...(5) → (9)]
[Greem Southport - Lv. 7 Beginner Rank Acolyte (218 / 800 EXP)
Strength - 3 | Agility - 2 | Vitality - 4 | Magic Power - 7
Perks: Grade III Shadow Elemental Affinity
Spells: Dark Illusion (80) → (81), Shadow Hand (63) → (65), Ombre Curse (25) → (29)
Skills: Shadow Elemental Knowledge (58), Magical Knowledge (45), Swordsmanship (23) → (25), Crossbow Mastery (5) → (9)
Miscellaneous skills: Accounting (60), Eloquence (35), Charm (25),
Magical Artefact: Soul Ring [SSS]]