Tolik strode out from the shadows of the battle-marred corridor. The wrecked Squire’s Set he had worn in the Pits was replaced with a set of gleaming full plate, articulated and modified for maximum mobility and protection. The glowing yellow dot above his head, the sign of a Human Ascendant "player," was wreathed in streaks of black.
“Tolik? You’re the Mole?” Tony asked.
“Mole? No. Do I look like a naked rodent, Antonious?" Tolik let the bladed haft of a wicked halberd sink into the metal floor, punctuating his indignation. "I am the assassin sent by the Holiest to destroy the Ascendant Program from the inside! The perfect crime, don't you think? An Ascendant to destroy the Ascendants!”
While Tony couldn't see Tolik's face through the slits of his helmet's visor, he could hear the smile in his voice.
He really thinks this is the right thing to do. Tony’s blood turned to ice. An Ascendant to destroy the Ascendants?
“Why are you doing this, Tolik? Why work for Ignacious? After what he did to the Earth? What do you get out of it?” he demanded. Tony could feel anger building in his chest, a demand for action, to do something. But he had to know and if he could buy a few seconds he could figure out just how he was going to beat Tolik a second time.
> Name: Tolik Verräter Level: 16 Race: Human (Ascendant)
>
> Class: Squire Specialization: Myrmidon Essence: 4
“Why wouldn’t I? Ascendants are immortal! Only Ignacious and the Cadre of Judgement have the means to keep us dead,” the large man explained.
"So that's it? That's why? Because you don't want to be killed?" Tolik shrugged. Tony gulped. The ease of the gesture under at least fifty pounds of armor concerned him. Tony was still in starting gear, with the exception of his newly acquired weapons and the Pauldron of Vengeance.
"Do you wish to die? After knowing the power granted to us through Ascendance, this system, would you throw that away if you had the chance to preserve it?" Tolik's rebuttal caught Tony in the chest like a fist. "I will make this offer to you once, Antonious. Step aside, that I may end that false god. Let me bring you before Ignacious, Holiest of the Divine, and I promise no harm will come to you." His armored fist released from his weapon and extended an armored hand.
You have been offered a Quest!
Abandoned Post: Betray the Ascendant Program
Rewards: XP | Equipment | Safe Passage to Ignacious's Stronghold
Note: Accepting this Quest will resolve the Saga: War Against Heaven without rewards
Tony stared at the quest window for what felt like a long time. Demnas had given his life for Tony for some reason he didn't understand, Auren had lied to him, and he didn't know if there would be another shot at immunity, let alone one that would let him keep his powers.
He looked down at his hands and then back toward Auren and Maximus. Which answer is the right one? Tony's eyes passed over the carnage left by Tolik's rampage. Unmoving faces, expressions frozen forever in death stared back at him. There were so many of them, so many killed. "Did they get the same offer?" Tony asked.
"Why does that matter? I am making this offer to you now. You have potential, Antonious, it would be a shame to waste it." The concern in Tolik's voice rang hollow.
He's scared, I beat him before and if I beat him again he fails, Tony rationalized. Tolik shouldn't be afraid of him, but he recognized the behavior. Unseated champions frequently maintained an irrational fear of those that dethroned them; this could be manipulated or it could be a tremendous motivator. I'm going to have to be careful.
"I'm gonna have to pass," Tony said.
“That is a shame. You should consider yourself lucky, Antonious-"
"Stop calling me that," Tony menaced, temper surging back over his rational thought.
"I have been gifted the knowledge by our God Ignacious of how to grant final death. I will put you to rest, then the imposter, and I will be rewarded.” With that, Tolik snapped his gauntleted fist around the haft of his poleaxe, held it tight to his side, and braced a tower shield against his body.
Tolik rushed him and an icon flashed underneath his status bars:
Dire Battle – XP increased by 25% – Final Death will occur if defeated
Tony unslung Jorogu's Marital Blade and the Pauldron of Vengeance pulsed with blazing white energy.
> Pauldron of Vengeance – +20% Damage Resistance, +10% Damage Dealt per 10% HP Missing, +2 Lore per second
Was that what happened in the woods?
Tony activated Knight's Charge in response. From a neutral standing position, he was parallel to the ground and halfway to the traitor. Tolik faltered by half a step, not expecting an under-geared opponent to meet his advance so readily. The split-second of hesitation was exactly what Tony needed.
He dodged to Tolik's shield side and swept his blade up in a vertical slash against the surface of the tower shield, halting Tolik’s momentum and rocking him back onto his heels. The muscles in Tony's back, shoulders, and arms strained under the force of the impact. Tony adjusted his grip, bringing his sword overhead to bring it crashing down onto the shield.
I might not be able to get past that thing, but if I can keep it busy and keep Tolik from making slashing attacks, I might be able to get him to drop it.
The spear tip of Tolik’s halberd snuck out and glanced across Tony’s side, leaving a deep red gash despite the crackling white energy that deflected the blow.
Tony’s Lore bar shot up to three-quarters full as the pain burned through his ribs. Fifteen percent of his HP bar emptied; even with the damage reduction offered by the matching set of Squire gear and the bonus from the Pauldron of Vengeance.
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He wouldn't be able to take many more of those.
Tony reared back again in an exaggerated motion, baiting a counterattack or a shield slam. In the instant that Tolik moved from the guard, Tony willed the Marital Blade to affix itself to his shoulder and summoned the Dreadblade into his waiting hands, slashing down at the off-center shield with a roar.
As the blade collided with the steel wall Tony activated Adamant Slash. Activating the ranged Talent in immediate proximity was something he should have tested before trying it in combat where death was final. Gotta pull out all the stops when you're the underdog, he rationalized.
The Dreadblade thrummed violently in his grip and the blade glowed a deep violet before the blast discharged.
Lore Feedback: -10% HP
Tony was sent sprawling and off-balance. His skin burned with pricks and needles as the Lore's natural flow was disrupted. Tolik slammed into the far wall, shards of tower shield embedded in his armor and the wall he wrenched himself from. Tony could see the maddened glee in the traitor's eyes and the rictus grin plastered on his face through the newly made holes in the helmet's visor.
For someone wearing fifty or more pounds in armor, Tolik was back on his feet and after Tony faster than he would have liked. The large man attacked relentlessly, a flurry of a dozen rapid jabs with the spear tip of the weapon, some landing, others serving to put Tony on the defensive and keep him there.
Unable to gain purchase against the juggernaut, Tony realized he was about to run out of room to go backward. A pile of debris and broken bodies lay just a couple of paces behind him, jagged steel and splintered bones protruding in all directions. Tolik was setting him up for a final charge, to impale him on the spear and then on the pile. With the nicks and cuts that he’d suffered already, the charge would likely take the last of his health pool, and the rest would be overkill.
Mind racing in the moment before Tolik's attack, Tony found an answer. Why that's crazy, Tony! So crazy, it just...might...work... he mimicked the line from a terrible classic The Master of Disguise to himself.
Tolik leveled the tip of the weapon at him and surged forward. “This is where you die, little King!” Spittle flew from beneath the remnants of the helm's visor.
Tony sidestepped the charge to Tolik’s inside, slamming against the man’s bulk and armor, hitting twenty percent HP and activated Fatal Resolve. He slammed into the pile of sharp objects. Blood, bone dust, and the contents of Tony's stomach covered the front of Tolik’s armor. The large man relaxed as Tony's body slumped onto the pile. His task completed, the traitor turned to face Auren.
Maximus tried furiously to wriggle out of Auren's grip, whining and snarling. The nearly recuperated God held the pup tightly.
“And now, I kill the false deity. Are you ready to die, 'Lord' of Auras?” Tolik sneered. His gait was a confident swagger, like a linebacker who had just sacked a quarterback and wanted to gloat between plays.
“Look, Tolik,” Auren started, getting up to his feet.
“Begging won’t save you!” the large man shouted. Something caught in the corner of Auren's vision and he couldn't help but smirk.
“No, I literally mean look, behind you. You’re not done yet.” He pointed over Tolik's shoulder. Maximus stopped struggling and barked.
Tolik turned violently, his helmet finally succumbing to the wear of combat, flying off and clattering to the ground. “No, this is not possible! How are you-”
Tony's feet slammed to the metal floors, the echoes of the impact soon drowned out by the erratic electric snapping of the violet aura shrouding the Dread Knight. Jagged steel and splinters of bone protruded from his flesh.
He was one angry pin-cushion.
“Fuck you, that’s how,” he answered. Tony held his hand out for his Dreadblade and it obeyed, soaring from the floor into his waiting grip. “You can’t kill me, Tolik, you never could. Seeing you fight in the arena was all I needed to figure you out.” Tony's eyes flicked to his HP, which was still draining.
Bleeding: You have been impaled or cut badly. -1% HP per second x 5 [30 seconds Remaining]
Pauldron of Vengeance: Divine Damage Resistance has Activated
Divine Damage Resistance: Damage-over-time durations are doubled and damage effects are halved
“No! That’s not true! I have been gifted by the divine! Die!” Tolik swung the meaty ax-head at Tony. He didn’t bother to dodge as the blade bit deep into his left shoulder. The light that rose in Tolik’s eyes was soon replaced with terror as Tony reached up and removed the blade from his body, letting the blade slam to the ground under Tolik's bulk just past his shoulder. Status effects continuing to damage him through Fatal Resolve was not something Tony had accounted for. Even with the reduction of damage, the extended duration would still kill him if he didn't end this fight.
I'll keep pressing the intimidation factor, see if he won't surrender, he thought.
“I told you, Tolik. You. Can’t. Kill. Me. Surrender now, while I'm feeling generous.” Tony slammed his Dreadblade across Tolik’s chest and activated Adamant Slash again. The large man slid back, blood seeping from the forming cracks in his armor; another Adamant Slash shattered the cuirass and put him flat on his back. “Now get up,” Tony growled.
“No, please, mercy!” Tolik begged.
Tony bent down and grabbed Tolik by the scraps of metal left on his chest and hauled him to his feet. He opened his mouth to list the conditions of the large man's surrender and Tolik pulled a dagger from behind his back and drove it into Tony’s chest. His Dreadblade clattered to the marred flooring.
Tony looked at the dagger, briefly to his debuffs, and then back to Tolik.
“Really? And here I was about to accept your surrender.” Tony pivoted and threw Tolik into the wall, then ripped the dagger from his chest and threw it into the man’s gut.
Tolik yelped in pain and surprise. “Mercy!”
“How many people here begged for mercy?” Tony screamed, his violet aura snapping with discharge. Bone shards and steel ejected violently from his skin, slamming into the steel floors and walls. Tony's blood splattered onto the floor. “How many?”
Tolik had no answer.
Tony held his right hand out for the Dreadblade and caught it halfway up the pitted edge, advancing on the defenseless traitor. Tolik held his hands up in surrender, mumbling incomprehensible pleas. The Dread Knight closed the gap between them and grabbed the hilt of the dagger in his left hand, twisting it in the Myrmidon's guts.
Tolik screamed.
Tony slammed his Dreadblade into the traitor’s open mouth and straight through to the metal wall. Tolik's eyes went wide before rolling back into his head. As his body started to slump, it dissolved into gold, white, and black motes of light.
Quest Completed!
Crimson Guard Duty: Protect Auren while he is vulnerable
The system told him as a rush of scarlet flame washed over Tony's body, forcing the wounds in his torso closed. He watched the Bleeding Debuffs fall off and with the end of Fatal Resolve, his HP rested just over half full. Tony rolled his shoulders and cracked his neck before turning back to look at Auren. "So, now what?" he asked.
Auren looked back at him, eyes hard, and mouth a thin line. Maximus was still in his arms. Auren had one hand over the pup’s eyes. “You killed him.”
“Yes? What else was I supposed to do?” Tony answered.
“No, he was Ascended. Traitor or not, I should be getting a notice that an Ascendant has died and is in the queue for respawning. He’s not.”
"Did you get any of those notifications when he butchered everyone on board?" Tony was annoyed. A lot of this could have gone differently if Auren had just been honest with him.
"I only got notifications for Ascendants off-world in a queue to respawn here. You didn't activate any talents when you dealt the final blow, did you?"
Tony’s brow furrowed. “I didn’t do anything to him that I-”
Just then, a notification flashed in his vision.
> Congratulations! Your Dreadblade has consumed an Ascended Soul!
>
> Your Dreadblade has reached Level 5!
>
> Customization options are now available!