Grey Skill 6

“Ascents are dangerous.” He shrugged. “A lot of us—not just our lovely escorts—have been through enough that we’re fed up with them. The smarter ones have realized that there are easier ways to make money.”

“Like leading poor mages just trying to become ascenders into dark, out of the way alleys and mugging them?” I asked innocently.

Quinten blinked before stifling a laugh. “When’d you notice?”

I looked around, ignoring the ascender calmly leaning against a brick pillar supporting a bridge several stories above us. There wasn’t a single ascender in sight aside from my amicable mugger.

“Early enough,” I said, lowering my gaze to meet Quinten’s. “I assumed you would have a group of other thugs waiting to help you, though.”

He let out a chortle. “Why would I need a group to handle one little wogart?”

Quinten’s form blurred as he rushed toward me, a blade of condensed stone coalescing around his arm.

‘Need help?’ Regis asked lazily.

I got it.

I reached for the stone blade that had manifested over Quinten’s entire hand. Gripping his wrist with my left hand, I guided the blade safely past, stepped back with my left foot, and brought my right elbow up into his chin.

With the momentum of his own dash, I barely had to use any strength aside from shrouding myself in aether.

Quinten’s head snapped back and he crumpled to the ground, his stone blade dissolving.