Theron took deep breaths. Checking his Mana reserves, he realized he had no more than 10% left.
"It's enough."
The core of the compound lay below him, and a string of corpses lay behind him. Ahead should be the location of the target.
With light steps, Theron slipped ahead. Without the rain, he had to be more cautious with his movements. Any unnecessary sound could alert the enemy.
So, using his Water Mancy, he expelled all the rain from his cloak and clothing, carrying it all in a small orb that floated behind him—silent but deadly.
What Theron didn't expect was for the target to be sitting on a plush reclining chair, looking right at him with an amused smile on his face.
The target was known as Merchant Greycoat. He was a heavyset man, much like many others of his profession, but he lacked the bejeweled, blinged-out appearance to match. There wasn't a single speck of wealth on him that wasn't inlaid right into his green and gold robes.
"You assassins are all so amusing, coming here to die on your own. Don't you know how foolish you are?"
Merchant Greycoat slowly stood to his feet. There was a rush of wind, and green mist whirled around his body. The man was so relaxed that he was using his Wind Mancy to stand.
"There is no one on this compound capable of sneaking up on me. You know why I built such a large, hollow hall outside. There's a clear rush of wind that runs across it. With my abilities, could you sneak up on me even if you wanted to?"
Merchant Greycoat smiled—a sick, self-satisfied smile. Was it giggling his neck, or was it his chin? It was hard to tell.
"You can die now."
The merchant raised a hand, and a rune flashed on his finger. A ring hidden in plain sight manifested and glowed with a green light. The wind around it swirled, and a rotating arrow of wind took shape, exuding a jade color.
The skill finished forming instantly, rushing toward Theron in a whirlwind.
Theron's expression changed, and he turned to run, the ball of water behind him becoming a shield.
A hint of surprise formed on the merchant's face, but not enough to change anything. There was a huge gap between formless Mana and one focused with a skill.
As expected, the swirling arrow blew the shield of water apart. It lost some of its glow, but it still collided with Theron's back, sending him sprawling out of the window he had come from.
A mouthful of blood came from Theron's mouth as he rolled. He rushed to his feet and bolted down the open-air hallway, moving with the greatest speed he could muster.
Laughter came from behind him as more rings began to manifest from thin air on Merchant Greycoat's thick fingers. He glided on a current of wind, closing the distance on Theron so fast it seemed he might swallow him whole.
Theron twisted back and threw his dagger, startling the merchant. They had been in no-man's land during the chase. The merchant wasn't yet close enough for Theron to do something so drastic, but he wasn't far away enough for the fact that the dagger wasn't a flying dagger to matter.
A sheen of blue coated the common treasure, and it appeared before the merchant with great speed, taking advantage of the latter's forward momentum.
Another ring lit up on the merchant's finger, and a whirlwind of jade wind appeared around him, shattering the dagger.
Merchant Greycoat was stunned before he let out a hearty laugh.
"You came to assassinate me with mere common weapons? You just might laugh me to my death."
Theron didn't respond, using the short lull of time he bought himself to reach the end of the hallway and burst out into the rain.
The smell had hit him long ago, but the fresh coat of moisture was like a tonic to his veins.
He spun around, letting his momentum glide him backward across the soft, wet grass. Locking onto the merchant, he began to gather up the last of his Mana, an icy glow pulsing in his irises.
Merchant Greycoat suddenly came to a stop at the end of the hall. He looked down at the sputtering line of moist concrete and shook his head with a chuckle.
"Do you know why you're especially foolish? I chased after you just for a bit of fun, but if you're asking me to get wet, you're asking for too much. I do not need to kill you personally."
The merchant pulled at his sleeve and revealed a bracelet hidden underneath. With a swipe, a signal was launched into the air, ignoring the ceiling entirely.
Then, he stood there and waited in the warmth with a smile on his face.
Time ticked by, and yet, even after several seconds, nothing came.
"Do you know why you're especially foolish?" Theron spoke for the first time.
His voice was gentle. It was the kind one would expect from a scholar or professor, not from an assassin. Although it had the deep cadence of a man, it lacked any sort of forcefulness.
"You can't even realize you're being led by the nose. Your guards? They're all dead."
Theron's short sword slipped into his palm as he accelerated forward. A lance of Water Mana formed around it, and it seemed to contain everything Theron had left.
The merchant was shocked and moved to block, but he remembered too late that he had already used the shield cast on his right hand, and it was already too late to use the one on his left.
Theron's short sword drove into his chest, only to be met with substantial resistance. The blade bent into a crescent and could have snapped if it hadn't been a Bronze Soul treasure.
BANG!
The merchant's robes exploded, revealing a now-damaged inner armor. Its runes flickered, some blinking out entirely.
"Ha… haha…" Merchant Greycoat chuckled in his shock. He had forgotten that he wore inner armor.
He looked up, ready to bask in Theron's despair, only to find a flash of gold instead.
Theron drove Lyn's Bronze Soul dagger right through the blinking runes of the inner armor.
An explosion of lightning cut away the last of Merchant Greycoat's life.