EPISODE 155: LIGHT OF THE END 1
— GREAT EDRYAN, YEAR 7291. SEASON: COLOR FADING.
Sometimes… I want to run away… I want to leave it all behind. I want to be free of the burden. Then… I leave my dominion and see who it is depends on me—on Us. And, in doing so, I regain a strength I know not of… nor… where it comes from. A strength to stand before them— ALWAYS —for I am the Shepard created to guide them. It’s a funny thing… life that is. Oh… potential… oh… the soul… what a wonderful thing it is.
…
…
…
…what a cruel curse it is.
— ??? Unknown excerpt found in the Out Realm.
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Simra took long, heavy, deep breaths. She did one final check of her equipment. A standard arming sword all knights of the queendom were familiar with. A shield with a coat of arms that represented Imperius Academy and indirectly His Highness Lawruthian. Of course, there was her armor—two-inch thick steel in some areas covered in a matte black finish. It covered her from head to toe and made her indistinguishable from any other full-body knight. Finally, she held a secondary dagger, gifted to her by her seniors in the case she was disarmed.
Armament: Imperius Guard Set 1
Parts:
[Imperius Armor], [Imperius Arming Sword], [Imperius Knight Shield]
Function: Defensive Boost
Increase Base Defense by 100%.
Function: Damage Down
Negate 35% of all physical-based attacks.
Function: Temperance
When activated, purges any negative mental de-buffs affecting the user’s mind.
Function: Guard Boost
While stationary, increase defense by 150%.
Description:
The Imperius Guard Set 1 is an impressive, but standard armor set worn by the students of the Imperius Academy. It offers superior defense for its material and its items can save the life of its user through its versatility.
Deep breath in…
Hold it.
Hold it.
And out .
The process repeated. Once, twice, thrice , before Simra Enlar was satisfied with her state of mind. The nervousness didn’t fade, but it hadn’t fully dispersed. All she could do now was keep calm and prepare herself for the Challenger’s Ring .
“LAAAAAAAADIIIIIIIIESSSSS ANNNNNNNNNNDDDD GENTTTTTTTLLLLLLEMEN,” the voice of the announcer exclaimed. His voice easily penetrated into Simra’s room and the rooms around hers.
Her blue eyes locked onto the spell construct carved into the floor as she began her approach.
“We are gathered today… as the sun begins its rise into the sky and until the moon lowers at the dawn of a new day—to witness the rise of Challengers ! The rise of those who believe their skills to be superior in every aspect to their competitors!”
The roar of the crowd shook Simra’s room, their seats stationed above her. Their roars turned her blood hot, and she centered herself on the spell. An attendant entered her room to verify everything was set—he nodded at her and gave a thumbs up once his job was finished.
“Today we bear witness to Edryan’s first… battle royal —aptly named by our [Chosen], the Holy Prince Of Edryan — His Highness Lawruthian!”
If Simra believed the screams of the crowd couldn’t grow any louder, then she was surely mistaken, as the announcer spoke of Lawruthian.
Calamity Slayer…
His actions directly brought the death of a calamity. She was still in shock over it—as not one but two calamities fell to the forces of Edryan. Just listening to Lawruthian’s tale alongside Karla had been an adventure within itself. She still recalled how her best friend and she buzzed with excitement—yet each held excitement for different reasons.
“Stronger… I have to get stronger—and, right here , right now , is my opportunity to shine,” she exclaimed. Her fist tightened her grip on the [Imperius Shield], the leather creaked under her hold.
“Each round will have a hundred participants until only one remains! Each [Challenger] holds a single life-saving medallion, and their only goal is to survive until the end to be claimed winner. I am your host, Announcer Zuud —and with me is [Prestige] Liana Drumian and Akeem Oni as commentators representing the warrior profession. But fear not, our Edryans own new demigods—Demigoddess Margret Musa and Demigoddess Camilla Romus, are here for those who walk the path of mages. Please rise and give them all your blessings—for it was only yesterday they sacrificed not one but two calamities to our Goddess Madris.”
‘This has to be my opportunity,’ Simra mentally stated. ‘I have to complete the quest on this stage. The citizens of Edrya are watching—what better place to announce the Enlar still exists.’
In truth, Simra wasn't very knowledgeable about the Enlar—only that both her father and mother advised for the young woman to never reveal her relations to anyone. Simra wasn’t certain what her mother did, but outside herself, no one could see her last name. No matter if they (Examine), (Inspect), or used another form of observation skill. What she knew came from the history of the Queendom. How, in their greed for more power, the Enlar had acted outside the bounds of their station and attempted to manipulate the throne of Edryan.
The loud cheers continued, vibrating the room as she stood within the formation. A Battle Royal… or a giant group battle in which a hundred participants of the first group would be dropped into the transformed area as they strove to survive. The hundred thousand seats at the relatively still new Imperius Colosseum were packed to the brim—and, outside, thousands more sat on the soft grass around it. Mages transmitted the images of the event that occurred within to the outside. Simra was certain at least half the city was present, if not all of it paying attention in some format.
“Fifty groups per division—five divisions in total—one winner from each to enter a tournament and prove themselves the superior combatant of their level range! There can only be one winner per division to give us five champions who will meet our [Chosen] and receive a gift bestowed by him personally! WHAT AN OPPORTUNITY—WHAT A BLESSING!”
“This is my chance. It would have been nice to talk to Lawruthian first, but he’s too busy— no , I’m too far away. I don’t possess the necessary qualifications to be a figure by his side,” Simra whispered aloud. Simra opened her quest panel and glanced once more at the sole quest contained within it.
Quest: [Light of the End] — Divine
Quest Details:
The Enlars are brothers and sisters to the Edryanis—blood intermingled through generations of marriage alliances. Goddess Madris has tasked you to reestablish the Enlar Clan to their rightful place as protectors of the Edryan State and more—to reestablish yourself as the [Light of the End].
Make a name for yourself amongst the populace of Edryan. Reveal your title.
Rewards:
Second Function of Titled: Light of the End.
Failure:
Goddess Madris — The Sage lost favor.
“This will give me that qualification… I’m sorry, mother, father… your daughter is not filial. I have a dream—a desire for strength and more,” she began. Her words, once a whisper, were filled with strength and a strange emotion. Within moments, Announcer Zuud would call for the start of the first battle of the Copper Division.
“…a word from one of our special guests, OUR PRINCE—OUR CALAMITY SLAYER, A BEACON THAT SHINES THE LIGHT OF OUR GODDESS ON EDRYAN.”
Simra’s attention snapped back to the words of Announcer Zuud at the mention of the [Chosen] speaking. Her heavily armored body relaxed slightly as the voice of her friend echoed through the arena.
“My Edryan, it is through you that our great nation has risen to such heights. It is through you that I hold the confidence to complete our divine mission and bring peace and unity to our world. Today…,” he began, his voice light. Simra imagined his actions, she knew that sweet talker enough to picture him perfectly.
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He stood there flashing a smile, perhaps he may have paced back and forth a bit as he talked. She knew his eyes would constantly roam the crowd, as if he was attempting to make eye contact with every single person present to show that the [Chosen of Madris] had seen them.
“Today… Sacrifices… Must… Be… Made .”
His voice, which was once light to Simra’s ears, took on a heavy undertone. She shivered, unconsciously, at his words and continued to listen.
“Our contestants—our Challengers —will stand on a stage the whole of Edryan will come to learn about. Their names, futures, hopes , dreams, aspirations, goals, all of it shall be brought to the forefront and honed, no, grounded against those of a similar nature,” he said, pausing to let his words sink in.
Simra’s heart thumped—the room, the Colosseum, was quiet enough to hear a pin drop. As he spoke, those dreams, futures, hopes , aspirations, goals… all of it came to the forefront of her mind. She wanted to make a name for herself, not just out of a desire to fulfill her quest, but out of a desire for more. A desire for greatness—to prove the strength she grasped held a place in Edryan society. Simra wanted to understand the true history of the war to keep Edryan whole. Why did the Enlar, once known as brothers and sisters to the Edryani, betray their oaths and pledges? What was so dastardly that Queen Titiana not only killed every single member of her clan—brothers, cousins, aunts, uncles, and more, but every single member of the other three ducal houses? She wanted answers—and, there was only one way to get them.
“ FIGHT! Show that it is your way which is right! Show that those who chose to stand against you are mistaken, through steel and magic! FIGHT! If you are a magi-human, then you know our oldest martial tradition belongs to the battlefield. You know that sometimes, the only way to get your point across is through the fist and not the quill! FIGHT! Right here, right now—pit your… EVERYTHING on the line and rise to be known throughout Edryan lands— I Will Ensure It! Fighters, warriors—mages, ready your blades, wands, staves, and fists—ready yourselves to become new champions— Challengers representing Edryan. FIGHT! ”
The teleportation was sudden, jarring, and for a single moment, Simra was disoriented as her feet hit the ground. Soft chirps, both from birds and insects, lowered in volume for just a second from the appearance of their sudden guest. That moment left as Simra squeezed her shield’s grip and adjusted herself to her surroundings.
Her lungs sucked in a deep breath of air, and the forestry scent entered her nose. This was still the Imperius Colosseum? Simra shook her head and began to move, slowly, carefully, but at a measured pace that allowed her to react to anything. She kept her ears peeled as she observed her surroundings. Simra found herself in what appeared to be a forest, but she knew the battle took place in the Colosseum—right now, she couldn’t worry about her actual location. Tall dark trees allowed just enough light for the participants to see by. Harden brown-black dirt covered the ground alongside a large root network that seemed to connect tree to tree. It was only now she noticed a notification box ready to be selected in the corner of her vision.
You have been transported to the Artificial Dungeon: Green Forest — ★ ★ .
Well, at least that explained everything.
Simra kept her blade close at hand, it remained in sheathe, but her palm lay resting ready to remove it at any point. She carefully waited, straining her ears as far as she could to hear something of note, and right away, she received what she was listening for.
boooom!
A distant explosion rang, and Simra understood two of the hundred competitors found themselves clashing.
‘Do I go…,’ she mentally questioned. Simra knew that sound would attract participants to that loca-
Simra jumped forward, the low whistle of an arrow passing the location her head was once at. Her blade was drawn immediately from her sheathe and shield raised, as she crouched low. She remained calm, the training provided by Imperius Academy made her more than prepared for ambushes and strange situations. The second year of the academy was all about understanding your class and using it in multiple situations. Her summer clearing beasts from the path of the Rail System all put her in these situations.
She waited patiently for a second arrow to determine the location of her attacker. The first was far too sudden for her to do anything else aside dodging. A few seconds passed, then a dozen went by as nothing happened. Simra cocked her head, immediately deducing her opponent was most likely positioning themselves elsewhere to set up a trap.
Simra smirked, the action hidden by her helmet as she looked left, then right, before shrugging her shoulders and bolting. The words of her master, Sword Saint Aurora, echoed in her head.
‘Should you not know the location of an ambush and have no item to protect or guard, then you have two options. The first is to wait for your opponent to attack again and determine their location through skill. The second is to run, guide them into making a mistake during the chase of the hunt.’
She moved quickly, but without using any skills to boost her speed. She’d remain full on Life Points, although each Challenger was allowed two potions of each Life Point category on their person. Regardless, wastefully using her Life Points was not an option for Simra.
HP: 390/390
SP: 360/360
MP: 480/480
Two arrows swiftly approached her back, the wind howling as one sped faster than its counterpart. Their direction gave Simra the opportunity she was looking for as she activated her first skill.
“(Imperius Combat Arts: Flash Step).”
Two arrows thudded into the trees ahead, one ripped its way through the soft bark and through the other side, collapsing the tree in the process—she needed to hurry as the noise would attract Challengers. Simra was already a few meters away, headed southwest to further pinpoint her attacker's location. Her steps flashed again, and she was down sixty mana points in a matter of moments, but the flash of a steel arrowhead was all she needed to see to justify the expenditure. She pivoted, right as another two arrows were released toward her. It was clear her opponent was a Wind user by the initial attacks. Unfortunately for them, Simra was trained against both ranged and near opponents. Within moments, she was dashing toward her attacker, her blade trailing behind, glittering in the dim light.
The attacker was well-trained, but not quite at a level Simra couldn’t handle. Two more arrows headed in her direction, this time at a distance Simra couldn’t react fast enough to dodge—not without wasting more mana. She didn’t, instead she raised her shield in preparation for the attack. She judged whatever slight damage she may take was nearly negligible. Especially as her attacker hadn’t used magic with the final two shots.
THUMP-THUMP!
-26 Health Points.
Both arrows impacted nearly simultaneously, causing Simra a bit of damage, but what was in an acceptable range. Her calculated risk now put her less than six meters away from her opponent. Like her, he was a youth barely considered an adult in Edryan—however, the moment your System Day activated, you were considered grown within the world. He wore a light green-brown hunter outfit that helped him blend into the forest. On his back were two quivers of arrows while two long daggers, nearly short swords, were equipped at his waist. A large green-brown bow remained in his hands, and two knocked arrows were aimed directly at her.
Her mind remained calm, the youth before her was only a Copper Knight. That meant he’d be below level fifty and thus on an equalized stage as her. From his gear alone, Simra could tell he was a noble's son. Nothing like the ones she held the opportunity to interact with at the academy, but a son of the nobility regardless.
Wind swirled around him, traveling from his boots and upwards—surrounding his body in a gale as he prepared a powerful skill. Simra held no doubts that he would hit. The distance between them was just too close.
‘Dodge… Flash Step…? Or… attack?’
Those were the only two options she held—at least at such a close range. Time seemed to slow, but less than a second truly passed when Simra made her decision. Three skills activated in quick succession—four, if her opponent’s skill was counted.
‘(Imperius Combat Arts: Battle Tremor), (Imperius Dash), (Imperius Strike).’
(Imperius Combat Arts: Battle Tremor)
Function:
Break the ground and interrupt your opponents. Cause the ground to tremor upon your next step.
Cost:
30 MP, 30 SP.
She stomped— HARD , causing the ground to tremble and crack right as her opponent released his arrows.
(Imperius Dash)
Function:
Increases movement speed by 150%.
Cost:
40 SP.
Simra was a trained [Spell-Sword] and belonged to a rare branch created for the students of Imperius Academy—they were the most famed classes in all of Edryan for a reason. Feared by mages, and other swordsmen alike for their prowess and special zone of control skill that only reinforced that fear.
(Imperius Strike)
Function:
Increases attack damage by 100%, plus an additional 10% of the user's remaining mana as magic damage.
Cost:
45 SP, 30 MP.
-151 Health Points.
One arrow broke through, the second scattered. The powerful skill propelled the successful arrow forward until it deflected against Simra’s armored waist—denting her armor, but transferring its damage into her body. She stared at the youth before her, having crossed the distance at that moment from her movement skill. He stared back, but not at her. Instead, his eyes were focused on the sword piercing through his chest—his red blood bubbling to the surface like a shaken, fizzy drink.
CRITICAL HIT!
You have slain Shun, -706 HP.
Blood splashed against Simra’s armor as her opponent threw it up. Slowly, he looked at her, disbelief in his gaze as his eyes grew dull. Simra lifted her left foot forward and kicked the slain man from her blade. She bent down for the pouch at his waist, only taking a cursory glance to ensure his potions were present, before taking off. Too much noise was made, and who knew who was approaching. The young woman didn’t even spare him a glance as she left—instead, she checked her Life Points and prepared to take a potion for recovery. More would be coming, and she would slay them regardless .
HP: 213/390
SP: 245/360
MP: 360/480