My eyes darted to a narrow wooden plank stretched precariously between the rooftop I stood on and the domed terrace of an adjacent building—a slender escape route, but fraught with peril. I didn’t hesitate. I sprinted toward the bridge, my heart hammering in my chest. The plank groaned underfoot, dry and sun-split, each step sending shudders through the fragile connection. I focused on keeping light, barely touching the wood before leaping to the next point.

Shouts erupted behind me. The guards’ boots thudded heavily on the rooftop tiles, their curses cutting through the cooling dusk. Their weight made the plank bend and sway dangerously. Panic tightened like a vise in my chest, but a plan crystallized in my mind. As I landed on the far side, I pivoted sharply, drew an arrow, and aimed for the thick hemp rope securing the plank to the terrace railing.

The bowstring whispered, taut with tension. The arrow hissed through the air, and the rope snapped with a sharp twang.

A splintering crack tore the sky as the shoddily made bridge collapsed. Two guards—Guard 1, a broad-shouldered brute, and Guard 2, a man with a jagged facial scar—fell with startled cries. Their screams dwindled into the bustling bazaar below, where they crashed amid a vendor’s display of copperware. Shattered pots and tumbling spices erupted in a bronze-and-saffron cloud.

Guard 1’s body lay still among the wreckage, limbs twisted at unnatural angles. He wouldn’t be getting back up. Guard 2 groaned weakly, alive but dazed and battered, buried halfway under a mound of dented platters and spilled cumin.

Guard 1 eliminated

Meanwhile, the wiry Guard 3 managed to latch onto a jutting ledge just before plummeting. His fingers whitened around the stone lip, muscles straining. With a grunt, he hauled himself onto a narrow balcony draped in faded silk awnings. His eyes flared with fury as he searched desperately for a way to regain higher ground.

I allowed myself one quick breath of relief—one guard dead, one incapacitated, and a third clinging to the fringes of the chase. But time was a luxury I couldn’t afford. A flicker of motion to my left twisted my gut with dread. Two more guards appeared on my rooftop perch: a tall man with a chipped shamshir, and a wiry woman whose eyes reflected cold steel. The last rays of the sun caught their weapons, turning the polished metal into slivers of gold light. They spread out, blocking every obvious escape.

Below, the marketplace hummed on, oblivious to the violence above. Merchants bartered in melodic voices, the air thick with the fragrance of roasting lamb and attar of roses.

I ducked behind a stack of clay amphorae, their surfaces rough and cool beneath my fingertips. Running wasn’t an option. My pulse pounded in my ears, a relentless drumbeat of fear and resolve. I drew another arrow, willing calm into my limbs.

The bowstring vibrated with energy as I activated Multi-Strike, a surge of power thrumming through my hands. Stepping from cover, I released the shot.

The arrow split mid-flight, a whisper of deadly grace.

The tall guard gasped, clutching his bleeding thigh, his shamshir clattering against the tiles. The woman’s sword dipped, knuckles paling as she struggled to steady her grip.

I couldn’t waste the opening. I bolted for the far edge of the rooftop, twilight creeping in. But the woman was quicker than I’d hoped. She lunged with a snarl, her blade a deadly arc of silver.

I twisted aside, breath catching. The blade whistled past, slicing through empty air.

I didn’t wait for her to recover. The edge of the rooftop yawned before me—one chance left.

The blade missed my flesh but tore through my cloak, its edge grazing my ribs. A searing line of pain flared hot. I hissed through clenched teeth—my health dipped dangerously low.

Health: 75/200.

I couldn’t let them catch me. The stolen scroll weighed against my side, reminding me of everything at stake. If the guards got it, all I’d risked would mean nothing.

Gritting my teeth, I snatched a loose roofing tile, its surface biting into my fingers. With a grunt, I hurled it at the nearest guard, a hulking man with a dented brass helmet. The tile shattered against his helm with a dull crack, and he staggered, eyes momentarily blank with shock.

Improvised Attack!

Guard 4: -20 HP [400/420].

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Status Effect: Stunned (2 seconds).

His knees buckled. His partner, a wiry woman with a scar tracing her jawline, snarled.

My fingers flew to my bow, muscles burning. I nocked an arrow and felt the hum of energy surge through the string as I activated Explosive Shot. Every heartbeat hammered the urgency: Miss this, and it’s over.

The arrow screamed between the guards and detonated in a flash of heat and shrapnel.

Explosive Shot!

Guard 4: -70 HP [3300/420].

Guard 5: -60 HP [490/550].

Status Effect: Disoriented (3 seconds).

The rooftop shook beneath the blast. Dust and broken tiles whirled in a choking cloud. The bulky guard collapsed, clutching his scorched armor, while the scarred woman stumbled, eyes wild.

Now or never.

I sprinted toward the edge, pain knifing my side. A rope dangled from a nearby minaret, frayed but still intact. My breath caught. One chance.

I leapt into open air, the city blurring below in a haze of saffron and copper. The rope bit into my palms, fibers cutting deep, but it held. Wind howled in my ears as I swung, heart hammering, until the next rooftop rose up to meet me.

I hit hard, rolling through the impact. Pain flared, vision flickering. Don’t stop.

Health: 65/200.

I hauled myself upright, breathing ragged. The rooftop stretched out as a narrow plateau of crumbling stone. For a fleeting moment, there were no shouts, no blades—just the dying light painting the city in molten gold.

But it wasn’t over.

Behind me, silhouettes climbed into view. Guard 3, newly ascended, glowered with murderous intent. Guard 4 clutched his side, fury etched on his sweat-slicked face. Guard 5 bared her teeth in a predatory grin, her sword gleaming under the last rays of the sun.

Trapped again.

My gaze flicked left. A sagging clothesline, hung with fading silks, swayed in the breeze. Barely a hope, but hesitation meant death.

I slung my bow behind me, ignoring the grit beneath my boots. The guards’ shouts rose—an approaching storm.

I sprinted. I leapt.

The line dipped violently, fibers tearing at my grip. Breath caught in my throat. The world spun as I slid across, legs kicking empty air.

I hit the opposite rooftop hard, rolling. Pain screamed in my ribs, but I choked it down. Behind me, the guards raged at the edge, curses bright as sparks.

No time to gloat. A clattering to my right chilled my blood. Two more guards—one with a cruelly notched sword and a limp, the other resolute—emerged from a staircase, their eyes fixed on me.

This isn’t over.

I stood caught between them and the trio behind me. Five guards total, minus the one who lay dead below. I needed a plan. My gaze landed on a large awning stretched above Guards 2 and 3, now at a lower terrace. If I dropped it on them...

I drew two arrows, nocking them together, the bowstring singing with energy as I activated Multishot. My breath steadied, my mind crystal-clear.

Multishot Activated!

The arrows whispered through the air, slicing through rope in twin flashes of silver.

The awning collapsed with a muffled whoosh, engulfing Guards 2 and 3 in a tangle of thick cloth. They fell back, cursing, their limbs ensnared.

Guards 2 & 3: -60 HP (impact).

Status Effect: Trapped (10 seconds).

A grim smile ghosted my lips, but it didn’t last. I turned to see Guards 4 and 5 wrestling a wooden plank into place. Clever, determined.

I had to act fast.

I nocked another arrow, charging it with Piercing Shot. I aimed for the plank’s center, where the wood looked weakest.

Piercing Shot Activated!

The arrow struck true. Wood shattered with a sharp crack, the plank splintering beneath their feet. Guards 4 and 5 gasped and disappeared with ragged screams, their curses fading into the distant streets below.

I didn’t linger. I unrolled a small parchment tucked into my belt, inked with careful runes:

Stamina: 40/100

Health: 65/200

I was running on fumes, every breath a blade of pain. Ahead, a bell tower’s ledge jutted close enough—if I dared.

Below, Guards Two and Three fought the entangling awning. Behind me, the fallen guards moaned in the street. Somewhere out there, Guard One’s body lay still, a grim testament to the price of pursuit.

I gathered myself. One last jump.

I sprinted for the edge, rooftop blurring under my feet. Legs coiled, and I leapt, the world dropping away. My fingers scraped stone—slipped, then held. With shaking arms, I hauled myself over the ledge. Safe, for the moment.

The market thrummed on below, unconcerned. I unrolled the parchment again, the ink glowing faintly in the late light:

Health: 65/200

Stamina: 25/100

I gripped my bow tighter, breathing hard. Guard 1 lay dead, Guards 4 and 5 knocked out of contention, but Guards 2 and 3 remained, and they’d be free soon enough.

For now, I had height and distance. That would have to be enough.