We collapsed into Morrigan's converted chamber like refugees from a war zone, which wasn't far from the truth. The familiar comfort of the furniture and steady crystal lighting felt like luxury after the burning nightmare we'd just escaped.
"Well," Kira said, setting her hammer aside with obvious relief, "that was significantly more exciting than I'd planned for today."
"Exciting is one word for it," I replied, still checking myself for wounds or signs of lingering spider venom. The Queen's ichor had worked perfectly, no trace of the grayish tinge that had been creeping up my arms remained. "Terrifying, life-threatening, and completely insane are a few others."
Morrigan was already moving around the chamber with practiced efficiency, lighting additional crystals and checking her various storage areas. "First things first, we need to catalog what we gained from that expedition. Both the tangible and intangible benefits."
She pulled out the carefully sealed vials of Spider Queen ichor, holding them up to the light. The dark liquid seemed to move on its own, swirling with an oily iridescence that made my stomach turn just looking at it.
"This alone is worth more than most adventurers see in a year," she said with obvious satisfaction. "Spider Queen essence is legendary among alchemists and magical researchers. The transformative properties, properly controlled, have applications for healing, enhancement, and protection magic."
"Assuming we can find buyers who won't ask too many questions about how we acquired it," Kira pointed out.
"My dear, I know buyers who specialize in not asking questions." Morrigan carefully returned the vials to a reinforced storage box. "Trust me, this will convert to coin without difficulty."
I was only half-listening to their discussion about the monetary value of our haul. My mind kept drifting to the receipt tucked away in my pocket, the twentyfour hundred points burning like a secret fire. The largest single reward I'd ever received, and it had come from protecting my companions rather than watching them die.
The Guardian's Path was definitely changing how the system responded to me. But what did that mean for the future? What kind of abilities or items became available at higher point totals?
"Jin?" Kira's voice broke through my distraction. "You're being unusually quiet. Even for you."
"Just processing," I said, which was true enough. "That whole experience was... a lot to take in."
"Indeed it was," Morrigan agreed, settling into her chair with a satisfied sigh. "But now we need to discuss our more immediate concerns. The Velvet Knives are still hunting you, and they'll have noticed that you didn't return to your usual haunts last night."
She pulled out the documents about the assassins' operation, spreading them across the table once again. "By now, they'll be expanding their search patterns, checking with their informants, possibly even involving additional resources."
"How long before they track us here?" I asked.
"They shouldn't be able to, but I've learned not to underestimate professional killers." Morrigan tapped the warehouse location on her map. "However, this gives us an opportunity. They expect you to be hiding, running, reacting to their moves. What they won't expect is a proactive strike."
Kira leaned forward, interest sparking in her eyes. "You're suggesting we go after them?"
"I'm suggesting we turn the tables. Use their own surveillance methods against them." Morrigan's smile was sharp. "I've been watching their operation for days now. I know their routines, their shift changes, their weak points."
She traced a route on the building plans. "Tomorrow night, two of them will be on patrol while the other two rest at their base. If we can isolate one of the patrol team..."
"Interrogation," I finished. "Find out who hired them, get proof of the contract."
"Exactly. And with the right leverage, we might even convince them to terminate their contract entirely."
I studied the maps and schedules, my mind automatically analyzing the tactical situation. The trap detection skills I'd developed were painting potential problems and opportunities across the information Morrigan had gathered.
"It's risky," I said finally. "Professional assassins aren't going to be easy to take alive."
"No," Morrigan agreed. "But it's our best chance to end this threat permanently. Running and hiding only works for so long."
Kira was nodding. "I'm tired of being hunted. Time to become the hunters."
I felt that familiar shift in my thinking, the same change that had made me volunteer to investigate the cries for help in the Sanctum's depths. A year ago, I would have been planning our escape from the city, finding some way to disappear until the assassins gave up or found other targets.
Now I was seriously considering launching an attack on trained killers.
"What about equipment?" I asked. "Fighting spiders is one thing, but human opponents with professional training..."
"Different tactics required," Morrigan agreed. "Less about brute force, more about preparation and advantage."
She moved to one of her storage chests, pulling out items I hadn't seen before. Smoke bombs, caltrops, what looked like alchemical sleeping gas, and several devices I couldn't immediately identify.
"Information broker is only part of my skill set," she explained, noting my surprised expression. "Sometimes information needs to be acquired from reluctant sources."
"Torture equipment?" Kira asked bluntly.
"Persuasion tools," Morrigan corrected primly. "Though I prefer subtler methods when possible."
I was weighing our options when I remembered the receipt in my pocket.
"For now, though, we all need rest," I said, stretching and moving toward one of the side chambers. "Fighting spider queens and planning to hunt assassins on the same day is exhausting work. We'll discuss the best methods tomorrow."
Kira nodded, gathering her gear. "Good idea. I can barely think straight after everything that's happened."
As they settled into the sleeping arrangements Morrigan had prepared in the adjacent chambers, I made a show of organizing my own gear, waiting for the sounds of steady breathing that would indicate they were truly asleep.
Time to see what twenty-four hundred points could buy when you needed to hunt assassins instead of fleeing from them.
The Velvet Knives had made this personal. Time to return the favour.