EPISODE 160: LIGHT OF THE END 6
— GREAT EDRYAN, YEAR 7291. SEASON: COLOR FADING.
Wrath, Greed, Lust, Pride, Envy, Sloth, and Gluttony. The Sins of Seven are present in all mortals—all saphens. They are usually kept at bay by the Gods, for they are… entities in an unusual state of life . We know they are not true living beings, but they are not just a collection of extreme emotions. They can grant power—power to rival Gods, should you completely follow their Path. Yet know that you become a slave to the Sin, its [Harbinger] upon the realm.
Each gives out different abilities. For example, Pride, Wrath, and sometimes Envy are known to increase your general power level. Although Envy and Pride can imbue other afflictions depending on what one desires.
They are… insidious through the way they twist the minds of their users. Their only goal is an invasion of the Mortal Realm and a conversion of its inhabitants to users of the Sins. To collect the faith of the people and use it for… well, not even the Gods know. Even here, in the Astral Above, you must be wary. Gods and Prestiges have known to call upon their power.
We know of the insidious nature of Sins… then… what of Virtues ?
— Excerpt from the Thaedon Rapport in the Free City of Juston.
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Simra pulled herself upward, the climb short and easy. The light from her body had dimmed partially now that she was no longer fighting, but the young woman still felt energized. There was an optimism and ambition that beat in her chest—matching the rate of her heart, no, it beat in every fiber of her body. She felt beyond confident, and it showed in her movements and actions as she prepared herself to re-climb the cliff. The plateau’s top was far different from when she left it. Three Challengers remained to fight for the honor of being the first victor in the Challenger’s Ring. Upon the plateau lay dead bodies, but not as many as Simra expected.
The five who challenged Zie and she lifeless bodies were still present, and of the twenty Challengers that made it to the top, only half remained behind. Their bodies cooling under the dim late evening glow of the dungeon's roof. The [Messengers] would deliver their souls to the Promised Land.
BOOOM!
An explosion rang out, and dust and debris kicked into the air from the force of the blast. Coro Ante easily shrugged the attack off, his body shifted to meet the face of a large club.
“CORO ANTE FIGHTS BOTH ZIE BREAKER AND KHALID JANKO TO ASSERT HIS DOMINANCE AS THE SUPERIOR CHALLENGER! A FOURTH PARTY—OUR UNEXPECTED CHALLENGER, SIMRA, RETURNS! HER LIGHT SHINES UPON THE BATTLEFIELD WITH BLINDING RADIANCE!”
The fight was intense, yet Coro Ante continued to dodge or block the attacks of his opponents. He did so with ease, and it was challenging to believe the young man was still under level fifty. Yet, those assigned to confirm the levels of the Challengers would not make such a mistake.
“Is that it? You are the final two, yet you’re this weak,” Coro laughed. He pushed against Khalid’s large club, making the larger man stumble as Coro walked into his space and headbutted him.
Khalid stumbled back, clutching his nose as red blood steeped from it. Zie fired off a few explosive spells, to which Coro raised his large shield and let the attacks hit. The expected explosions didn’t happen, as the spells fizzled out into nothingness. He prepared to step forward and deal the mage a blow, but a bright light emerging from the edge of the plateau made him pause.
The moment Simra emerged from above the wall, her presence was noticed. The three fighters paused, two with slight confusion and one with shock.
“ZIE BREAKER,” Simra yelled, her light taking on a stronger hue.
“(Imperius Combat Arts: Flash Step),” she activated. She held no worries about her mana cost, not while [Light of the End] remained active. Her body shot forward, her sword extended as she flashed for Zie.
Zie stared in shock, his expression a mix of horror and fear as Simra flashed toward him. A moment later, a decisive look entered his face and just as Simra’s blade extended toward his head, a bubble surrounded his body.
“BASTARD,” Simra snarled. Her blade slammed into the barrier, neither making a dent nor having much effect. Zie gave her a calm smile and nodded before the bubble broke down as his body disappeared.
Simra’s chest heaved up and down. She wasn’t angry, surprisingly, as her mind remained in a positive state. Yet, Simra could not forget the feeling of helplessness she felt when falling from such a high height. She didn’t possess the capability to fly through a skill, nor did she hold enough mana and ability to stop her fall—at least not like she did in the heat of battle. She fell nearly forty meters before hitting the ground. That fall truly made Simra understand how close to mortality she was. Her level just reached thirty-four, a far cry from being a high leveler at two hundred or higher. She was very mortal, and such an accident reminded her of it.
Simra closed her eyes, refocusing her mind, exhaling and inhaling gently, but loud enough to be heard. By the time she reopened them, only one Challenger remained. It was clear without the support of Zie Breaker, Khalid Janko held no confidence in beating Coro.
The War Paladin gazed at her, his face covered by his helmet. The silence extended between them, neither being the first to make a move.
“You’re light… I sense… an interesting power radiating from it. I can sense the touch of our Goddess Madris, but… mixed with more…,” Coro said—breaking the silence between them. “Who—no, better yet, what are you? A Titled, [Harbinger], or worse… a [Fallen] returned to the Mortal Realm from a grievance?”
Coro Ante grip tightened on his blade and heavy shield. His stance shifted ever so slightly in preparation to activate a skill should the need arise. He studied the armored woman before him. She wore the armor of the Imperius Academy, which is how Coro knew she was one of the three students from the institution to compete in the Challenger’s Ring. She was short, at least a head and a half shorter than him, but that didn’t diminish her presence. Her matte black armor held a white shine to it—she literally radiated light. The light felt… comforting to Coro—like a warm, welcoming neighbor greeting you from across the street as you return home from work. That only made him raise his guard higher. Cultist, things of demonic nature, and more always did their best to give a comforting feeling before they killed you.
“I am Simra… of Imperius Academy,” came a response.
“You were here before… why did we spot you crawling up from the edge,” Coro questioned, still suspicious of Simra.
“Zie Breaker my… fellow student,” she said after some thought. “…pushed me down.”
Coro’s grip tightened while a frown appeared on his face. “You still haven’t answered my second question.”
Simra sighed, preparing herself to take a stance as well. “I am…”
“THE FINAL CHALLENGERS FACE OFF AGAINST ONE ANOTHER. THE WINNER WILL BE THE FIRST OF MANY BUT THEIR NAME WILL BE CEMENTED IN HISTORY AS THE FIRST CHALLENGER TO WIN AGAINST ALL OTHERS. WILL CORO ANTE CONTINUE HIS DOMINANCE… OR WILL SIMRA, STUDENT OF IMPERIUS ACADEMY, SHOW EXACTLY WHY SHE’S SURVIVED UNTIL NOW?”
Prince Lawruthian moved aside after opening the entrance, and Queen Titiana entered the room. The audience still seemed to have not noticed their Queen as they stayed hooked onto the screens displaying the Challengers. The Demigoddess of Love smiled at her favorite son before glancing toward Princess Allura and her steward. She looked away shortly, uninterested in the pair.
Those within the room quickly rose to greet the Queen, an action she waved off shortly. “No need. Continue with your task.”
“Your Majesty,” Lawruthian greeted.
The Queen frowned, “Too afraid to call me mom?”
Her aura increased, showcasing the love she radiated, and the prince ruefully shook his head. “Never. Are you here because…”
He trailed off, before glancing at the screen and the Challengers who faced off on it. His face was calm, but his red-gold eyes held a questioning light the Queen could not ignore.
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“ That is the [Light of the End], a Titled of the Enlar clan .”
Lawruthian audibly took in a breath, before he swallowed heavily. His eyes turned away from the screen and toward the Queen.
“There is more to the story I haven’t told you. Of the clans who ruled Edryan with the Edryani, of their history, their importance, and more.”
“Why?”
The Prince’s question was open, and those present continued to do their work, seemingly ignoring the Queen. The beautiful woman sighed before waving a hand, and a dark barrier of shadows wove itself around her and her son. It allowed them to see out, but none in.
Lawruthian’s question was open, and it could be answered in multiple ways.
Why hadn’t she told him?
Why was she only speaking now?
Why else were these clans destroyed?
Why…
Why…
Why.
“Edryan has many secrets. Edrya has more… and the Edryani have the most. There are secrets even kept from me as the Queen. Known only when certain actions have happened or events have taken place. The Enlar were the closest to us, both in blood and ideals. But even before we speak of them, it is best you know more of me—of our family,” she said, watching the screen with her son.
They stood side by side and if compared they could nearly look like siblings. The Queen was in her sixties but still appeared young, while Prince Lawruthian was maturing into a young man. Their features were far too similar, as Lawruthian appeared to be a masculine version of his mother.
Their eyes were different.
Not in color, but in character.
“Five children were born to my father from my mother. My eldest brother was named Jodri. Should nothing have happened, then it was he who should be King. The second was Karuuthian—he was my favorite, always sneaking me snacks and sweets. You are partially named after him. Lawru was my third brother—the troublemaker, but the sweetest when it came to looking out for his younger sisters .”
Lawruthian looked toward the Queen, and her gaze remained fixed on the screen, but it was clear she wasn’t seeing the Challengers upon it. Queen Titiana saw her brothers in their purest form and her fondest memory of them.
“I was the first princess, born nearly twenty years after my youngest brother, and when I was thirteen… my youngest sister was born and it is unfortunately when my mother passed,” she said in a whisper. Her face was complicated, filled with remorse, sadness, but it still held an iron determination.
The Queen and her son hadn’t looked at one another, preferring to watch the ongoing events. The stood side by side, their heights an identical match. The Queen sighed before she continued. The atmosphere taking on a heavier setting.
“Her name is Kema Nidra Verlio Edryani—she is still alive, and she is the mother of your friend,” the Queen finished.
“LADIES AND GENTLEMEN— MAGES, WARRIORS, AND MORE…! WE HAVE THE FIRST WINNER OF THE CHALLENGER’S RING. SHORTLY, THEY WILL BE TELEPORTED TO THE PLATFORM BELOW AND CROWNED WINNER BY OUR CHOSEN!”
Prince Lawruthian closed his eyes, nodded, and turned. Queen Titiana turned and watched him as he left, her expression slowly took on a cold, no, indifferent look. The same look the face of her son replicated.
The audience of the Colosseum roared as the runic ward in the center of the platform glowed. Soon, it would return the champion of the first Battle Royal. It would return a winner who would cement themselves as the first Challenger to win in the Challenger’s Ring. Their journey was far from over, as another fifty Challengers of similar levels would quickly be chosen through the same process they went through. After, the fifty would compete in a tournament meant to select who was the superior fighter in their division. Yet right now, none of that mattered. The crowd's volume increased as a figure appeared in the center of the platform. It grew to another crescendo when a figure began his descent from above.
Prince Lawruthian smiled down on the winner and the audience. He waved, causing the crowd to increase in volume once again, before he landed before the winner. The cheers continued, and the winner bowed before him. Prince Lawruthian raised his hands to the crowd for silence and once an adequate level was given, he spoke. His voice was amplified to be heard even to those outside of the Colosseum.
“My Edryans, the Imperius Grand Summit has only just entered its sixth day, yet since its beginning we have had exciting events and opportunities for those who should qualify. A Great Age is coming—no, it is already here, for I Have Established It. A Golden Age is coming, one in which we will change the fundamental operations of our society. A chance where we are no longer strictly bound to repeat the classes of our forefathers. Where a [Shoemaker] descendants no longer have to be [Shoemakers] should they choose not to. Where they can become a [Warrior] or [Mage]. Maybe a [Scholar] or [Miner]. A freer form of class choice and evolution is upon Edryan and you, my people, are the leaders of this change.”
Prince Lawruthian turned to the kneeling Challenger. His face was indifferent, as to hide his true thoughts and feelings at the moment. Yet, his aura was all encompassing.
“Stand Challenger—stand and state who you are to the audience. Stand and proclaim your first victory as the first Challenger to achieve superiority over their competitors. Show them who you are!”
The Challenger stood, slowly removing their helmet to reveal a youthful face covered and a head full of curly hair. Piercing blue eyes gazed at the Prince of Edryan before turning to the crowd. For several moments, they stood there in silence, perhaps basking it all in. Thousands watched them, and they understood thousands would hear them the moment they spoke.
“ I am Simra Enlar — Light of the End. ”
Status Effect: Buff
Name:
{Hope} — Common
Function:
Enhance focus and mental resistances to the Sins, mental de-buffs, and other negative symptoms. While active, the user’s mind cannot experience negative emotions.
A new function has been unlocked!
[Light Of The End] — Titled
Function 1:
Dim Radiance
This function can only be activated when the user is below 25% Health Points or a majority of their surrounding allies meet the required condition.
—
Resist all negative ailments and mental de-buffs. While activated user’s attributes are increased through the {Hope} they or their allies possess by increments of 50% as their connection to {Hope} deepens. Increase regeneration by 1000%.
Function 2:
Bright Illumination
The Light that shines in you, now shines in others.
—
Allies under this light in the range of your Intent gain the same attribute increases and resistances from Dim Radiance, empowering them with the shared {Hope} that fuels your own strength.
Description:
There is always Light at the End—even when nothing but Darkness surrounds you. Should Darkness exist, then there will be Light to Challenge it. There will be Light to resist Oblivion and guide the way… You are that Light—express it through actions and resolve. They look to you for guidance. They look to you for {Hope}.