Chương 59: Chapter 61: Minionship (I)

The searing whirlwind of fire enveloped the assassin. No matter where he ran, the flames pursued him, burning him alive. Even as he rolled on the stony earth, there was no reprieve. Ember was uncertain if his eyes were deceiving him, but there seemed to be a dozen strings of blistering letters swirling within the inferno to snap the burning man in place, rendering all his struggle futile. The characters were akin to those of the runic script of the System window, though completely unreadable. Sunburst.

This is definitely no ordinary spell. Ember retreated on his hips, the heart-wrenching agony forgotten momentarily as his eyes stared at the unextinguishing flames. The intense heat alone was more than uncomfortable. His gaze shifted to the girl. She was younger than Elin, her face pale and illuminated by the burning Sunburst, the signs of her tender age evident in her round cheeks. However, there was nothing tender about the spell she had manifested. Ember now questioned where exactly her expertise lay.

This display alone suggested her firepower far outstripped her healing capabilities, even though that likely required a more careful hand. While he stared at her in utter bafflement, Dawn's gaze lingered on the pillar of flame until finally the screams died down. It barely took a couple of seconds. Then, without warning, she collapsed onto the rigid earth; the spell had likely taken too much out of her. [Enemy slain: Shadowstalker (Tier 6).] [Advanced Swordsmanship (Copper) +8 → 9] [+90 EPs.] The great inferno dissipated, its intensity waning the moment the notification appeared. The air was still hot, crisp with the smell of burned flesh, even though there seemed to be nothing remaining of the assassin. Ignoring the blistering pain and the notification confirming his complicity in the act, Ember swiftly rushed to her side. She appeared conscious, struggling to sit upright. He steadied her, supporting her by the shoulders.

"Still too difficult..." Dawn mumbled, "Activating my bloodline power."

"Are you..." Ember was speechless.

"I'm fine," Dawn interjected, batting his arm away.

"I'll need some rest to return to my fighting shape. That's the price I pay for using a restricted spell." It was evident she was about to collapse again, but he managed to catch her in time.

"I don't know your definition of 'fine,' but you certainly don't seem like it." Besides, she had just burned someone alive. Ignoring the fact that the man had been intent on killing her, this didn't seem like a common occurrence for her.

"I thought I told you to run away," she said, fixing him with a stern gaze.

"As you can see, I could have dealt with him alone. Now look at you, getting yourself wounded for no reason." She heaved a breath.

"I can't help you right now. Drink a potion already; even if you won't die, your situation will be far worse than mine." Only then did Ember examine the deep, gushing wound on his chest. It ran from his torso to his midriff, bleeding profusely. Had it not been for the protection of his hunter's attire, the force might have already killed him. I really am abusing healing potions now. Smiling ruefully, he didn't hesitate to bring out two vials of healing potion.

He poured one down his throat and sprayed the other over his chest. With that, he was left with only one more healing potion. Hopefully, this would be the last time he sustained such an injury.

"Although I could have dealt with the assassin alone," Dawn said once he had finished tending to his wound, "your help is appreciated." Her voice was clear and direct, not shying away from speaking her mind. Ember, however, could not help but think she was unaccustomed to thanking people.

"It's nothing," Ember replied.

"The least I can do with my minuscule ability." She gestured, pointing towards what remained of the assassin.

"Your sword seems to have broken. See if there is anything salvageable." A frown creased his brow as he swiftly took hold of his Tier 4 blade. It was still in one piece, but it would likely snap in half where it had made contact with the dark bladelight. Then there was the ruined rune formation; it would require an expert hand to restore it to its original form. If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Returning it to its sheath, he crept towards the remains.

If Ember had expected to feel repulsed by the sight, there was nothing left of the assassin for such a feeling to surge within him. As for the thought of assisting in an act of murder, he was unsure what to think. It did help that he was not the primary offender. Even so, it felt no different from dispatching packs of goblins. It seems Mind Wall is still dulling my emotions. There was little to nothing left of the cloak or anything else on the assassin's person. Everything had been burned to a crisp.

All that lay before him was burnt charcoal and ashes. Only his sabre lay to the side, not completely unaffected, but still in a usable condition.

"It's a Tier 6 item," Dawn said.

"Clearly not one of the superior ones, but it's suitable compensation for your sword." Ember held it up, feeling it weigh in his palm. The dark sabre was a few inches shorter than his sword, lighter too, but the weight seemed to increase as he poured mana into it. After a few test swings, Ember was more than satisfied, though he still turned towards her as a little shame welled up in his heart.

"This is too great a compensation. I can't take it." She stretched out her arms to collect the staff that had fallen from her grasp.

"You seem to like it, though."

"Well, I like your staff too, but that doesn't mean I will take it away if I could." Dawn narrowed her eyes, then snorted a laugh.

"The staff will be useless to you, even if I give it to you. Just take the blade. Although you won't be able to use its enchantment to the fullest, it will still be useful to you."

"Are you sure?" Ember asked tentatively. Although he was grateful for her offering it, it was still her bounty.

"It could still fetch a considerable sum of coins."

"Do I look like someone who lacks wealth?" she shot him a pointed look, eyes filled with disapproval. Holding the staff aloft, she continued, "Do you know how much this thing costs?" Ember inclined his head. A shit ton, that I'm sure.

"I don't know the actual price," Dawn said, "but I'm certain it's worth more than dozens of those flimsy swords combined."

"Still..."

"Take it or leave it. Even arguing with you is giving me a headache."

"I'll keep it for now."

"Whatever." Dawn rolled her eyes while sitting upright, supporting herself with her staff.

"We should leave now. Although my spell was more localised, the fight created a disturbance in the ambient mana for high-rank creatures to take notice." Ember shuddered.

"Yeah, let's depart before the basilisk gets wind of us." He offered his arm to pull her up while awkwardly holding the sabre in his other hand. The sheath had melted with the assassin, leaving Ember with nowhere to stow his newly acquired sabre.

"Use the sheath on your back," Dawn said, noting his dilemma.

"Then where would I keep my own blade?"

"Just leave it behind. It's unusable anyway." Ember stared at her flatly. He wished he could be as irresponsible with wealth as she was.

"I don't see the problem."

"The sword..." he sighed.

"It's a gift from my sister." She cocked an eyebrow.

"Will your sister make a fuss about it if you explain the situation to her?" Powerless or not, she definitely had her reasoning straight. Ember wouldn't win an argument here. Still, he was reluctant to give up on the blade. It had kept him company through so many training sessions, not to mention it was still repairable. Even if he grew out of it, he could still give it to one of his siblings. Noticing him dither, she clicked her tongue.

"Give it to me. I will keep it safe for now." Ember peered at her in confusion.

"See this." She wiggled the staff in her palm when a dark light emanated from nowhere. As the aura receded, the staff was nowhere to be found.

"You... you have a System inventory?"

"Something like that," she said.

"Now give it to me already." He accepted, and his old sword vanished into her spatial storage as well. A moment later, the staff returned to her arms as Dawn used it to support herself on the walk.

"Let's go." Ember joined her, though he couldn't help but turn his head to shoot a last glance at the remains.

"By the way, if you don't mind me asking," he asked, "who was that man, and why was he after you?"

"I have no idea who he is," she said.

"I only met him by chance a few days ago." She bowed her head, pausing.

"As for the reason he targeted me, he might just be an opportunist looking to score some high-tier equipment."

"Damn. I have heard of Ascendants robbing and killing each other for riches, but how did he get in here?"

"That's not something I would concern myself with right now," Dawn said. Then her lips curled into a grin.

"But now that I have no pressing danger to worry about, I have no problem taking you as my underling." Ember shot her an unimpressed gaze. Even though it seemed to take a great deal of effort, she still raised her free arm to pat him on the shoulder.

"Isn't that what you wanted?"

"Ha, ha. Very funny." He clapped his palms in a very dispirited manner.

"We need to find someplace I can take a nap."

"There might be a crevice like the lair you found around here, though it's better if we move further."

"Mhmm, you have to protect me like a good henchman once we find one." With unsteady feet, she carried on, but her legs wobbled every once in a while. Ember crept behind her, providing support whenever she was about to collapse again.

"What kind of spell did you use for you to be so powerless?"

"Didn't I mention? It's a bloodline power. Using it once in a while wasn't so draining, but not so much when I use it twice within a day."

"Are there any injuries?"

"None. I'll be back to fighting shape in about an hour or two." Ember didn't doubt that. Even if she couldn't muster her full strength, after that display, he was sure even a fraction of her power could match his. He considered offering to carry her, but seeing her so determined, he continued to pace behind her.

"Would drinking a potion or something help?" She shook her head, then retrieved a waterskin from her inventory. After quenching her thirst, she passed it to him. The water, although warmer than usual, was more satisfying than anything he had had in a long while.

"Thanks."

"I'm not injured in any way that would require a healing potion. Drinking any kind of rejuvenation potion would be like forcing my body to recover. They might rejuvenate me temporarily, but after their effects wear off, I'll crash harder. There's no point risking that when we're not in danger." He nodded.

"Still, that's quite some bloodline power."

"It's alright," Dawn shrugged.

"I'm no expert in magic," he hesitated to ask, "but I couldn't help but notice some runic scripts were swirling around the spell."

"There were," she affirmed.

"It's just how some bloodline spells work."