Siel followed him into the shop, her eyes going wide as she took in the haphazard stacks of weapons and armour. It appeared Arther had been liberal with his acquisitions, as Sam saw a wide array of styles represented. Most were fairly mundane in nature, but he could detect a few items with distinctly magical properties.
The Warden soon trundled out from deeper within the hut, hands and face covered in soot. He was attempting to wipe off the worst of it with a rag, but it was so dirty the effect was neutral at best. He gave Sam a wide smile that flickered somewhat when it settled on Siel.
Sam wasn't sure if he’d imagined it, as the smith immediately broke out into a warm greeting, bustling over to take stock of them.
“Well, well, look who's back, and conscious this time, that's certainly an improvement. And with a party member to boot! I saw the notification, but some things need to be witnessed with your own two eyes.” He turned to Siel and did a peculiar bow, with a hand flourish that mimicked opening and shutting his eyes.
Siel looked surprised, but immediately returned the bow, adding a slight variation. “It is a pleasure to meet you, Warden. Sam has told me a great deal about you. It is an honour to accept your guidance in this War.”
“The pleasure is mine, Oné’ko. Thank you for saving my charge. He was in quite a bind before you stepped in. I appreciate you helping to keep this old man’s dream alive.”
“Of course. That debt has been repaid twofold. Sam assisted me in a most dire hour of need.”
Sam felt his face go red and quickly attempted to redirect the conversation. “Yes, well, it all worked out right? Anyway, Arther, we have news, loot, and spira to spend. We could use your help.”
Arther gave him a wink. “And you'll have it. First though, we should watch the Memoria, I assume you two haven’t seen it yet?”
They both shook their heads. “Didn't have a chance to, and figured you’d want to watch it together,” Sam replied.
“Yes indeed, let’s see just how productive your week has been.”
The group settled into the main living room, and Sam pulled up the Memoria on the display crystal. The now familiar music washed over them, and he found his heart pounding along with the drums.
He knew it was stupid, but for some reason, the recap made him nervous. Ever since he’d seen himself projected in front of everyone, it was as if he needed to judge his own actions more critically. It was different when he’d been out alone in the woods. He knew, in theory, people could be watching him, but it was entirely different knowing that anything he did could be broadcast to thousands.
It added an additional level of pressure that he hadn't fully addressed. The little sleep he had gotten was often filled with vivid dreams. It was reminiscent of showing up to school in your underwear, only far more stressful.
The worst part was knowing that if he did die, it would surely be shown to the masses. There was no chance that Zetos would pass up an opportunity to gloat.
He shook his head as the footage began to roll, and once again, he was subjected to clip after clip of Warriors meeting a grizzly death. Despite only a single week having passed, the variety of monsters had increased dramatically.
Sam saw what appeared to be a horde of shrimp people crawl from a lake and begin tearing apart a party of Tzen. Another group was ambushed by what appeared to be a flock of harpies, while another was run down by a herd of centaurs.
Sapient monsters appeared to be much more prevalent, as Warriors pushed farther and farther up the cliffs of Elysium. He saw more crude weapons featured, as well as creatures that hunted in packs, and utilized more complex tactics.
The Arbiter once again made an appearance, their flowing robes sparkling from the center of their celestial abode.
“Welcome, Citizens of Olympos. Another week has passed, and thus, we must pay our respects to the dead and praise those who have brought glory to their gods. This has been one of the bloodiest starts in recent memory, as the increase in not only monsters but also Warriors has shown that the mortal races are well acquainted with violence.
“Despite the truce still being in effect, you have shown that you are capable of many creative ways of dispatching your fellow competitors. We applaud your ingenuity.”
Recorded cheering joined the music, and Sam felt his stomach go cold as the footage changed to show various groups of Warriors ambushing one another. While they were careful not to kill, he saw quite a few competitors left without limbs, or with bones shattered beyond repair.
Somehow, it was worse than watching them die.
It was one thing to see a monster do what it was programmed to do, created to do. It was another to see acts of cruelty perpetrated by people who were supposed to know better, supposed to be better.
Again, it solidified in his mind his desire not to engage in that portion of the War. While yes, he would defend himself if attacked, he felt absolutely no desire to hunt down other Warriors.
He looked over at Siel, realizing they hadn't spoken about it. Given that she’d saved him, he assumed she shared similar convictions. Still, it was something they'd need to discuss sooner or later.
Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.
In his heart, he knew, no matter how long he put it off, at some point he’d need to kill another Warrior in order to survive. He didn't have to like it, and he didn't have to instigate it, but the longer the War went on, the more he knew it was inevitable.
The weight of it settled onto his shoulders, and he found he couldn't keep watching as the footage rolled, only looking back up when the Arbiter reappeared.
“And thus, as those unworthy fall, Champions rise. Once again, we honour the best among you. I give you your Proelium Honorum!” They waved their hands, and a list appeared, and once again Sam felt his heart drop.
- Armedus Cantor – 52,950
- Gret Ui – 51,740
- Tellerin El’elim – 50,680
- Darek Chambers – 49,310
- Elein Ol’cor – 48,960
- Tarok Dessiq – 48,105
- Agrin Ixo – 47,555
- Samuel Lin – 46,215
- Prot Eq – 45,420
- Helga Vallan – 44,385
Despite what he’d considered a pretty mediocre week, he’d not only retained his spot in the top ten but had actually improved upon it. Clearly, Arther had been correct that the Warriors tended to come out swinging in week one, but slowed down significantly once the initial achievements and titles were distributed.
It probably helped that he’d remained solo for the majority of the time. As the video played, it became clear that many had formed parties. In a terrifying development, it appeared that Derek and Elein had joined forces. The sylvan was a potent teammate, using her webs of crystal magic to ensnare enemies while Derek blasted them with lightning.
A few had fallen off the list, with new names taking their place. Only one had been killed outright, crushed to death by an enormous cyclops.
When Sam’s turn came, he was sweating buckets. He’d been so shocked the first time, that the gravity of the situation hadn’t really hit him. This time around, he was acutely aware that everyone was watching him.
Mercifully, the only footage showed their battle with the Cliff Adder. Arther flinched upon seeing it, and Sam wondered if it was due to his reminder about avoiding them or the prospect of having to clean all those scales.
The fight was much more chaotic in retrospect. At the time, it had seemed as though they'd developed some precise system, but watching it back, Sam could see at least a dozen potential points of failure.
More than anything, they’d simply gotten lucky.
The scene transformed, but rather than proceeding to the ninth-ranked Warrior, a different graphic flashed across the screen. Sam was reminded of “Breaking News” bulletins from his local TV station.
The Arbiter’s voice once again rang through the crystal. “And in a unique turn of events, after the killing of the Eastern Iron Tier Boss, we have a sighting! As you know from your tutorials, each Ring has its own series of bosses, ranging from Dungeon Bosses, to Tier Bosses, to Ring Bosses. In the past, we’ve seen the first Ring completed without seeing a single dead Tier Boss, so to have one slain in week two is quite an accomplishment…however, that's not the real news.”
The image shifted to show a glimpse of golden carapace descending from a ruined castle high upon the cliff. The video continued to offer only a brief glimpse of the monster as the forest exploded into a mess of wood and stone. Shrapnel flew hundreds of feet in the air, and the sound continued to swell, slamming through the speakers to the point Sam had to manually turn it down.
“In a shocking twist, it appears that the Boss battle was so destructive that it actually lured the Ring Boss all the way down from their lair! Which means we can now announce this Ring’s Celestial Bounty. A unique boon will be bestowed on the party capable of killing this force of nature…but good luck, for this War’s Elysium Ring Boss is none other than the Devourer of Worlds, the Wyrm Titan of Olympos.
“This insatiable tyrant has consumed entire civilizations and left thousands of dead in its wake. Even the mightiest heroes tremble at its passing. Only the bravest, or most desperate, attempt to slay such a beast. Unfortunately, not in a thousand Wars since its addition to the Ring have any been successful. Never once has its bounty been claimed.”
Sam winced as the video flashed to the ravine, and the looks of abject terror on their faces as they fled into the cave. Luckily, it seemed that however [Apostate] masked their presence, it didn't show on whatever recording devices the Arbiter used. From the perspective of an outside viewer, it appeared as though they simply got lucky.
The sight of the Wyrm was no less terrifying the second time, and Sam could feel his nails digging into his palms as he watched it and its brood consume the adder. Eventually, the Arbiter finally continued with the Honorum, but Sam found he could barely focus.
He and Siel had reached an unspoken agreement not to discuss what had happened in the cave. They knew how close they'd come to death, and it had felt like tempting fate to talk about it. Now, it seemed, they'd have no choice.
They exchanged a long look as the Memoria concluded, and silence fell over the group. Blessedly, it was Arther who chose to break it.
“As a general rule, when discovering massive, world-eating dragons, it's best to tell your Warden about it. We had a bet going on which Ring Boss we’d have this cycle, and I could have made a lot of spira with that insider info.”
Sam let out a sharp laugh, and even Siel gave a small grin. “Sorry about that,” Sam replied. “We were honestly just glad to make it out alive. I figured we’d talk about it when we got back.”
“Oh sure, sure, I get it. Next time, though.”
“Next time,” Sam agreed, leaning back in his chair. The weight of the past week pressed him down into the seat, and he felt a fierce headache coming on behind his eyes.
Arther seemed to have noticed, and he once again jumped in to fill the silence. “But of course, where are my manners! You must be tired, Miss Siel. There's a bathhouse out back, you’re welcome to as much hot water as you can use.”
“That would be much appreciated, Warden. I also spotted a lake as we approached. Could my familiar also use it to bathe?”
“The War Boar?” Arther replied. “Please. I know how much they hate getting dirty. Feel free to leave its armour with me, I'll get you an estimate on replacement and repairs.”
“Thank you, Arther,” Siel said with a smile. “Your hospitality is much appreciated.”
“Any time, any time,” he responded, getting up and leading her towards the door.
Sam heard the clunk of heavy armour hitting the floor before the back door swung open and shut. After a moment, Arther returned, his face serious.
Sam frowned, sitting up in his seat. “What's wrong?” he asked, noting the tenseness in Arther’s shoulders.
“We have a problem,” he said quietly. “We need to talk about the girl.”