Requirements: Unawakened essence ability.
Effect: Awakens an essence ability.
You have 5 unawakened essence abilities.
You are able to absorb [Awakening Stone of Absolution]
Absorb Y/N?
The stone vanished into Jason’s hand and his eyes started shining with golden light, which darkened until they were black orbs before returning to normal.
You have awakened the doom essence ability [Blade of Doom]. You have awakened 3 of 5 doom essence abilities.
Ability: [Blade of Doom] (Doom)
Conjuration (unholy).
Cost: Moderate mana.
Cooldown: None.
Current rank: Iron 0 (00%)
Effect (iron): Conjures [Ruin, the Blade of Tribulation]. Attacks made with Ruin will inflict an instance of [Vulnerable] and refresh any wounding effects on the target. Wounding effects refreshed by Ruin require more healing than normal to negate. Ruin is an unholy object.
[Vulnerable] (affliction, unholy, stacking): All resistances are reduced. Additional instances have a cumulative effect. Consumed to cleanse instances of [Resistant] on a one to one basis.
The others were in Jason’s party and could see his ability description. They were all quiet for a moment as they looked at it.
“Uh… Jason?” Humphrey asked, breaking the silence.
“Yes, Humphrey?” Jason asked.
“That was an awakening stone of absolution,” Humphrey said.
“Yes it was,” Jason said.
“Didn’t it say something about containing the power of redemption?”
“I think it did, yes,” Jason said.
“And it gave you the power to conjure a cursed weapon,” Humphrey said.
“Strictly speaking,” Clive said, “it’s unholy, not cursed.”
“My mistake,” Humphrey said. “You used the power of redemption to create an unholy weapon.”
“It, uh, it does look like that, yeah.”
“How did you manage that, exactly?”
“I’m not entirely sure.”
“I don’t want to go accusing anyone of being evil.”
“Very fair.”
“I feel compelled to ask, though,” Humphrey said. “Jason, are you evil?”
“I think everyone has dark urges,” Jason said defensively.
“Yes, but not everyone has the blade of doom.”
“I only had unawakened ability slots from the dark and doom essences. It would be a bit odd if I could conjure the wand of sunshine and rainbows.”
Jason held out his hand and an elaborate dagger appeared in it, made of black obsidian and blood-red crystal. The blade was jagged, slightly curved, and the single most sinister object he had ever seen.
“How did you get that?” Humphrey asked. “The awakening stone was absolution.”
“Well,” Jason said, turning the knife over in his hand. “I’m absolutely going to mess up some monsters with it.”
89
Anti-Pirate Operations
Cassandra Mercer awoke to the sound of crockery and cutlery being laid out in the next room. She swung her legs out of bed and got up, stretching. She didn’t want to put on fresh clothes before she had a shower, so she put on the only article of clothing she could see at a glance: Jason’s shirt she had tossed aside the night before.
She stepped out onto the balcony to look out on the guild district street, busy with early morning traffic. Her normal routine was to start the day with physical training, but with the sand barge expedition, she would get exercise enough.
“Morning,” Jason said, carrying a large tray onto the balcony. He paused to take in the sight of her leaning against the balcony rail in his shirt. Her delicate features were fresh-faced, despite having just woken up. Her long, dark hair was slightly mussed, which somehow was all the more appealing. A pair of toned, athletic legs emerged from the bottom of his shirt. She turned to give him an inquisitive look and he set out breakfast on the table under the shade awning.
“This is what you look like first thing in the morning?” he asked unhappily as they sat. “You realise the rest of us don’t look that good even when we try our best?”
“I didn’t hear you get up,” she said, ignoring his question. “Are you an expert at sneaking out of bed in the morning?”
“Breakfast the next morning is my signature move,” Jason said. “It’s how I convince people they haven’t made a horrible mistake.”
He started lifting the covers off the trays he had laid out on the table, introducing them one by one.
“Scrambled egg hash brown nests; stewed apple oatmeal; cream cheese pancake balls with butter and syrup.”
She picked out a pancake ball and bit into it. Her little moan of pleasure crawled into Jason’s ear and gave his hindbrain a coquettish wave.
“Just keep bringing the pleasure?” she asked.
“That’s the basic idea.”
“And how many people have you tried this signature move on exactly?” she asked, teasingly. “Am I not the first girl to visit the Asano lodgings?”
“You’re the first woman,” he said. “Girls don’t interest me.”
She let out a low, sultry laugh.
“You really are good at people, aren’t you?”
“I have my moments.”
“How about back in your world?”
“Nothing you haven’t heard before,” Jason said. “Heart-shattering first love, followed by a series of empty, self-pitying encounters. A few real relationships, here and there, but I didn’t leave anyone behind, if that’s what you’re asking.”
She smiled, finishing off the pancake ball and reaching for one of the hash brown nests. He poured two glasses of spiced milk from a pitcher. They took to the food, conversing in glances as they ate.
“You’re not going to ask after my sordid past?”
“You’re here now,” Jason said. “I don’t see how the rest matters.”
She tilted her head, considering him, curiously.
“I’m still trying to unravel you, Jason Asano.”
“I’m not going anywhere,” Jason said.
He glanced at the clock on the wall.
“Actually, not true,” he said. “We have to be at the marshalling yard in about an hour and a half. I should jump in the shower.”
“Oh,” she said with a smile, “I think we can figure out something much better to do in the shower than jump.”
The Adventure Society campus was only a short walk from Jason’s lodgings, so they walked in the late-morning sunshine. She had her adventuring gear in her storage space, so she didn’t need to detour home. There were around two dozen people assembled for the expedition, and they were not the last to appear. Their arrival at the marshalling yard together did not go unnoticed. Cassandra went off to speak with friends, while Jason headed for a clump of Gellers. Cassandra’s gently brushing over his arm as they parted likewise caught the attention of prying eyes.
Jason walked across the marshalling yard under the unhappy glare of several young men. He felt several bronze-rank auras press rudely down on him, but ignored them as he greeted Humphrey, Phoebe and Gabrielle, the acolyte of knowledge. Others he recognised from his time in the mirage arena.
“I think you just made a lot of enemies,” Phoebe said. “Do you know how many of the bronze-rankers have designs on her?”
“You can’t live your life afraid of who won’t like you,” Jason said. “Speaking of which…”
Rick Geller and his team joined them. They exchanged greetings, although the healer, Claire, gave Jason a spiteful look. Her twin, Hannah, cast a gaze in the direction of Cassandra Mercer, who was chatting with her own friends. Cassandra glanced their way, eyes twinkling, then turned back to her own group.
The big man, Jonah, had squared himself in front of Jason.
“I have to admit,” Jonah said, “you can fight. You know we would have pasted you in seconds on open ground, though, right?”