I Have a Task Log

With a two-handed effort, Colin swung his blade down, deflecting the incoming Scimitar he’d originally intended to block at his throat.

At the same time, the Drow’s freed left hand reached for his waist.

He drew a light Hand Crossbow from his waist, fired a Poison Dart with a SWISH, then slid the Hand Crossbow back into the Crossbow Quiver at his hip, catching the deflected Scimitar with that very same hand.

The entire sequence was over in an instant, a blur of motion too fast to follow.

Colin felt a sharp pain in his thigh. He’d been hit.

’This is it!’

As the thought flashed through his mind, he stepped forward with a horizontal slash.

The Drow’s pupils shrank. He hastily brought the Scimitar, which had circled into his opponent’s blind spot, back to defend.

With a flick of his wrist, Colin changed his blade’s direction, relying on his Power and his weapon’s design, and simultaneously activated Emerald Flame Sword.

With a sharp CLANG, the flaming blade cut deeply into the Drow’s wrist.

The Drow leaped back several steps, disengaging. His wrist had been nearly half-severed by the blow.

Colin started to give chase but felt a tingling numbness spread from his thigh through the rest of his body. He glanced down. The Poison from the dart had fully seeped into the wound.

’Drow Poison is famous on the black market for being the good stuff...’

Colin panted, pulling out an Antidote and downing it in one gulp.

The Drow across from him reached under his collar, pulled out a flexible tube, and put it to his lips.

A moment later, the wound on his wrist began to heal before Colin’s eyes. ’He must have drunk a Healing Potion.’

In that instant, out of the corner of his eye, Colin spotted a familiar, small figure appear beside the Drow Caster.

The Drow opposite him saw it at the same time.

’Dorn? I didn’t see the flash of a silver Mind Dagger. How did he get over there?’

As the thought crossed his mind, Colin dropped the Antidote bottle, pressed his thumb to the hilt of Burning Blood, and lightly sliced it with the edge of the blade.

Even after drinking the Potion, he didn’t feel his energy slowly returning; his legs still felt weak.

’Looks like the Antidote failed,’ he thought. ’An Ordinary one like this can’t neutralize the toxin completely.’

Colin took a deep breath to compose himself.

He spoke, trying to distract his opponent. "Coming all this way to deal with us for a few sacrifices seems like a bad deal."

"If it weren’t for that red-skinned mongrel, you’d already be dead." The Drow’s expression was calm, as if he, too, welcomed more time to think of a strategy. "What Evil Skill did you use to fool the Prophetic Technique?"

Hearing that, Colin instantly understood why the Drow had been so unprepared for Daylight.

’Prophetic Technique is a Tier Four Divine Technique that allows a Priest to contact a Deity or Divine Servant and receive the answer to a single question.’

’The Magic’s answer, however, doesn’t account for all circumstances that could affect the outcome; it only gives a generalized answer.’

’These Drow probably used it to learn that we’d left Mist Harbor and to track us all this way.’

’They must have asked about the party’s strength, too. I bet the answer they received was that Orelia didn’t have the ability to cast Daylight.’

Feeling that Burning Blood had drunk its fill of his blood, Colin took a deep breath.

He deliberately glanced over at the Drow Priest on the other side of the corridor and began reciting a Spell.

Seeing this, the Drow Warrior across from him also snapped his gaze toward the Priest on the high platform.

Of course, Colin had no intention of teleporting over to deal with the Drow Priest just yet.

Thanks to his Street Spy Specialty, the act was utterly convincing, as if he really was about to use Misty Step to join his companion and take out the Priest.

Silver mist swirled before his eyes. Colin set the teleportation destination right at his feet while simultaneously throwing himself to the ground. His Armor struck the floor with a muffled CLANG.

Before the mist had a chance to dissipate, a blade flashed before Colin’s eyes as he lay on his side, shredding the silvery vapor.

’That Drow is fast,’ Colin thought. ’Good thing I dropped when I did.’

As this thought crossed his mind, Colin began Casting another Spell from his position on the floor.

The blade in his hand glowed with the effect of an enhanced Emerald Flame Sword. He then thrust it forcefully toward the Drow’s chest.

The blade of Burning Blood pulsed with red light, turning the Flame that wreathed it a deep crimson, as if it were truly burning blood.

Empowered by Silver Light Sharp Words, the strike could not possibly miss. With a wet SQUELCH, the blade punched through the Drow’s Leather Armor and pierced his lower abdomen.

Warm blood trickled down the blade into the palm of his hand.

The Drow stared in disbelief at his opponent on the ground. Colin slowly rose to his feet, raised his arm, and withdrew the blade.

The Drow immediately fell rigid and collapsed to the ground, his life extinguished.

’A trick I learned from that Frostland Druid from the World’s Roof...’ Colin turned to look at the Drow Priest on the other side of the corridor and recited the Spell again. The mists of Misty Step once more enveloped him.

In the next instant, the scene before him changed to the high platform.

The Drow Priest was the same Female Drow who had berated the tavern owner. She wielded a Snake Whip, and her Scale Armor glinted with a cold light.

With a flick of her arm, the curved Snake Whip shot toward Dorn.

CLANG!

Snake scales clashed with the Dagger’s edge, sending sparks flying. Dorn, who had blocked the Snake Whip with his Dagger, yelled, "Nicely done, kid!"

The Female Drow’s lips trembled as her other hand formed a gesture.

Colin cast Counterspell without a moment’s hesitation.

The Magic Net, which had just begun to stir from the Priest’s actions, was instantly disrupted by another force. The Magic was snuffed out in its cradle before it could fully form.

The Female Drow responded with a backhanded lash of her whip.

Colin glanced over, and his scalp prickled with fear.

The sentient Snake Whip adjusted its course in mid-air, its three heads striking from three different directions... ’It’s impossible to block them all!’

Colin had no choice but to slash upward at the incoming Snake Whip while simultaneously casting Shield.

The lowest whip was deflected by his blade, while the highest was repelled by the Magic.

The final Snake Whip struck his Helmet with a loud CRACK.

Colin could feel the venomous snake that formed the body of the whip coiling tightly around his neck. A sharp pain immediately followed, striking a spot unprotected by his Armor.

The muscles in his neck spasmed violently from the toxin.

Colin clutched his neck, taking great, ragged gasps of air.

His body grew heavier and heavier, forcing him down to one knee. He braced himself with a hand on the ground, feeling as though a tentacle had shot up from the floor, wrapped around him, and was forcefully dragging him down.

The sounds in his ears grew more and more distant, slowly becoming muffled.

For a moment, Colin felt as though he’d been dragged into a soundproof room.

’I must be poisoned.’

Colin lifted his head. His brain felt like mush, his thoughts a chaotic jumble.

He looked toward the battlefield on the other side of the corridor.