Turns out, I didn’t love what Umbra scavenged for me at the bottom of the sea cavern. But, it was better than nothing.
Item: Barnacled Corinthian Helmet (Rare)
* Description: This ancient bronze Corinthian helmet is encrusted with barnacles and seaweed, showing the wear of centuries beneath the waves. Despite its aged appearance, the helmet retains its sturdy design and offers substantial protection.
* Armor Rating: 12
* Durability: 49/60
* Effect: Grants 10% resistance to water and ice-based damage.
* Weight: 2.5 kg
* Worth: 2,500 Denarii
Item: Barnacled Bronze Cuirass (Rare)
* Description: This battle-worn bronze cuirass is heavily encrusted with barnacles and algae, having rested on the ocean floor for centuries. Despite its rugged, aged appearance, it still offers exceptional protection. The cuirass hums faintly with residual magic, fortifying the wearer’s endurance.
* Armor Rating: 22
* Durability: 45/90
* Effect: Increases the wearer’s stamina by 5%.
* Weight: 6.0 kg
* Worth: 4,000 Denarii
The greaves and arm braces were too corroded to do much protection, Umbra said. Only these large pieces and this shield seemed worth it.
“Thank you,” I said, strapping on the cuirass and helmet. It was super uncomfortable with the amount of barnacles encrusted on it. But it would have to do. I retrieved the Hoplon Shield last, amused.
Item: Barnacled Hoplon Shield (Rare)
* Description: This once-majestic bronze hoplon shield is covered in clusters of barnacles and encrusted with seaweed. The edges are worn but reinforced by a faint magical glow. The center features a faint, intricate carving of a trident, barely visible beneath the layers of marine growth. Despite its weathered look, the shield is remarkably sturdy. Its surface gleams faintly in the light.
* Armor Rating: 18
* Durability: 53/70
* Effect: Reduces slashing damage by 10% and has a 5% chance to reflect 10% of incoming physical damage.
* Weight: 5.5 kg
* Worth: 3,500 Denarii
“What is it, love?” Cleopatra asked, looking approvingly at how tightly the armor fit around my muscles.
I couldn’t help but smile. “It just seems that I can’t get away from barnacle shields.”
It suits your crusty attitude, Umbra said.
I rolled my eyes. “Will you be ready when I summon you?”
Umbra also rolled his eyes, but with some dramatic flair of his whole head to go with it. Of course I will. How else do you plan to survive?
I turned to Cleopatra. “Please make sure he doesn’t go chasing female seahorses. I need him to be ready.”
“As long as you promise to come back,” she said, the confidence in her eyes faltering a little.
“I will,” I assured her, though there was no way I could promise. At the very least, I had the ability to lightning teleport away if it became that bad.
The futures solidified as I prepared to summon lightning. It was going to be a little bit strange not having my Boots of Mercury to assist in the descent, but with my Jupiter blessing, I wouldn’t suffer any fall damage. Still, it was really weird to just let myself all onto the palace roof. I could only pray a Chrono Loop didn’t occur where I had to fall face first or something like that.
Before I shot to the sky, I pulled in Cleopatra one last time, kissing her fiercely. “You make me feel like a man of consequence, you know?” I said after our lips parted.
She placed one hand lightly on my chest. “Don’t be too long, Maximus.”
Will you two get a room? Umbra said, jumping into the sunset sky to get some distance. It’s like Antony and Cleopatra here.
“I’ll be right back,” I said, activating my Lightning Pilum ability which summoned a lightning bolt from the mostly clear sky, hitting my spear. I seized it before it could disappear, launching into the orange and purple sky above.
The sudden rush of wind and flight sent butterflies into my stomach. I had almost forgotten how it felt to fly with such power, such freedom, when traveling one third the speed of light. There was nothing like it on earth. Not even flying on the back of a giant dragon could compare.
Moving so fast gave me little time to enjoy it. In faster than the blink of an eye, I was in Rome. Since my winged boots were not an option yet, I had to angle my flight perfectly so that I would land feet first against an elevated second story structure. Despite having no fall damage from such a blinding speed, I still made a noticeable thud against the wall before hitting the ground with a roll. As expected, there were two sentires on top whom I startled with my surprise visit.
The first one nearest to me was too easy to take down. With a simple thrust to the crotch due to my prophetic precision, no amount of damage reduction could prevent a crippling blow there. The man screamed while I followed up with a perfect throw to the second man, hitting him perfectly in the face. Before the first guard could alert everyone with his screams, I silenced him with my gladius.
Stamina: 170/190
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An arrow flew from across the courtyard, hitting my shield just as I raised it to my face. Since the arrow damage was neither enchanted nor of a legendary status from the bow or shaft, my shield was sufficient enough to block it at the cost of some stamina.
Stamina: 156/190
Taking out the opposing archer would have been really simple if I could use the now deceased soldier’s bow next to me. If only archery was something I was gifted at. Even if I looked into the futures to see the best shot, I barely had any practice with it, focusing solely on my pilum. My shots would be very off and not pack the punch needed to take him out quickly.
However, there were plenty of rooftop tiles laying around. Time to be resourceful.
The first time I threw the tile, I hit the soldier in the crotch. While somewhat amusing, it only angered him. He would proceed to fire off two more arrows and shout at the top of his lungs.
I needed him eliminated.
Again, I thought, the future/present rewinding. Since my throwing ability was perfect, this time I hit him square in the face. The force of my tile throw must have killed him, for he collapsed the moment it hit him and I received glory for his downfall.
Stamina: 151/190
Strength (+30): lvl 25 (70/260)
Glory (+90): 5,760
Level: 55 (340/570)
Need to move, I thought, taking off in a dead sprint across the palace rooftops.
My lightning arrival would be noticed by the Pluto-blessed assassins, which I presumed were crawling the palace just as much now as they did when I reigned. It was the only reason that made sense as to why the hundred or so Praetorian Guard would be unleashed on me despite my mostly silent approach. If only I could talk to them, convince them that it was really me and not just some magical aberration. Caesar must have convinced them to be on the lookout for me, or something like me. And who could resist him? He had the power to enslave you in your sleep.
If my most senior men would betray me at his behest, who was to believe in a common soldier?
My room wasn’t very far from where I landed, only a handful of strides. Strangely, only five Praetorian Guards surrounded Titus and Livia, who were both blindfolded and gagged. This was most definitely a trap, but I had to try. Perhaps once the futures vanished from view, I could link their arms to mine and have Sporus hold my waist to lightning teleport to the darkening skies where Umbra would teleport to ride us away. It would be fast, and it could work. I would just have to be very careful.
Before I leaped down to take out the first three guards in rapid succession, I pointed down and made the number three with my hand to let Sporus know that those guards were mine. He, invisible just beyond in my private gardens, was watching me which I could see from our approaching meeting. If we teamed up, very few would have to die.
Spear in one hand and gladius in the other, letting my shield rest on the left arm, I dropped onto the string of guards below.
“You don’t think Caesar will give us another donativum now that he's the sole emperor?” one of the Praetorians said.
The one next to him laughed. “If you believe that then—”
His words, along with his life, were silenced as my spear penetrated his spine and my dropping weight slammed him dead into the ground. The other guard received a gladius to the neck, similarly collapsing.
The third guard did not wait for me to rise. He shoved me forward with his shield and prepared to cut me down with his gladius. Using my perfect foresight, I leaped back once I caught my footing and threw the spear as he made his arc. The Achilles’ Spear penetrated his shield, causing him to stumble forward from the weight. I used this to my advantage, igniting the gladius as I charged and stabbing him in the throat. If the critical strike didn’t take him out, then the flames which burst onto his flesh sure did.
Stamina (+20): lvl 15 (70/160)
Strength (+30): lvl 25 (100/260)
Glory (+150): 5,910
Level: 55 (490/570)
The other two guards made ready to attack, only for both of them to suddenly jerk as if stabbed from behind and fall dead.
I knew from the futures that my Helmet of Maximus would suddenly emerge from thin air, tossed to me from behind the dead guards. Since my spear hand was empty, I caught it and swapped out the barnacled Corinthian helmet for it. As soon as it snapped into place, Sporus appeared. Clad in a midnight hood, he wore a weathered and studded leather tunic, cut short to make him more flexible. He wore simple, metal reinforced bracers and greaves. He couldn’t take on a lot of damage, but he could move as adaptly as an assassin.
The enchantment for the helmet allowed me to see hidden ones within a thirty meter radius. While not overpowered, it would be much needed to fight against Caesar’s Pluto-blessed.
Sporus hesitated for a moment, studying me with his dark eyes as he waited with bow in one hand and a glittering, bloody dagger in the other. His once boyish face seemed more gaunt, as if he hadn’t been eating. Bruises shadowed his cheeks.
“I almost didn’t believe my eyes,” he whispered, believing it was me. “I watched your body burn.”
“I can explain later. Right now, we need to get them out of here before more men arrive.”
Just as the words came out of my mouth, angry shouts emerged in the near distance, both in the buildings behind us and the halls connecting to my room.
It was time to go. It was also time for my Historical Insight to cease. I braced myself for the cognitive obscurity, sheathing my weapons before I cut the binds around Titus’s hands, mouth, and eyes.
My prophetic mind shut off as the present charged forward.
Titus, with short, cropped hair and blacksmith scars on his bare arms smiled when he first saw me. I hadn’t seen him since he gave me my Cleopatra necklace right before I was assassinated. Relief flooded my veins to know he was okay. In the corner of my eye, Livia the Huntress smiled as well after Sporus freed her.
Then, Titus seized me and Sporus by the throat.
I was too shocked to react, and so it seems was Sporus, whom I could see struggling against Titus’s strong hands as we were both raised in the air. My electrical aura kicked in, electrocuting Titus who appeared not to feel it.
“A pity,” Titus said, squeezing my neck so hard that I feared my throat would snap beneath the pressure. His face twitched from the continuous shock. “I expected more of a fight.”
Hundreds of Praetorian Guards began pouring in as mine and presumably Sporus’s health drained from strangulation. Livia crossed to keep my arms from grabbing my weapons, now showing no emotion.
“W-what?” I managed to eke out.
“They fell asleep after torture,” Titus said causally.
They?
“While I can’t explain your reappearance,” Titus continued, “I am relieved to see how easy it is to kill you. It’s nothing personal, I assure you. Rome needs a leader, Maximus, not a hero.”
Caesar!
“I do not know where that harlot wife of yours remains, but I will find her eventually.” A sinister smile twisted across Titus’s face. He didn’t need to say anything more for me to get the message.
My heart pounded in my chest, fearing a second death and losing everything again, especially Cleopatra. Several Praetorians approached on either side of us, spears raised. Caesar was going to see to my second death personally.
Seeing the electricity roll off his skin gave me one, though reckless, idea to escape. The guards prepared to thrust, an easy kill.
Now!
I activated my Jupiter blessing to increase my speed and agility, swinging my dangling legs forward onto Titus’s chest. With all my strength, I attempted to leap off of him and activated my lightning dash. The sudden electrical surge tore me away from his grip, sending me and Livia crashing into the men behind me, thankfully not into their spears. Livia collapsed beneath me. Quick as lightning, I leaped with Jupiter strength on top of Titus and kicked my knee into his face while activating my Friendship Key. With a cry, he dropped Sporus and stumbled backward. Blood gushed from his nose as he cursed.
Umbra teleported midway through the roof, sending an explosion of dust and brick that crushed a dozen guards at least.
Sporus was similarly blinded by the sudden influx of dust from Umbra’s entrance. I didn’t waste any time explaining.
Before the guards, and my former friends, could recover, I scooped Sporus up in my arms and leaped onto Umbra’s back. He had almost crushed Titus with his descent, though he smashed dozens of other guards. With a powerful leap, he launched us into the dark skies, passing by several stunned Pluto-blessed lurking on the roof.
Sporus clung uncomfortably close to me as we ascended, though I wasn’t as disturbed by that as I was Titus. Caesar, using my most loyal friend as a puppet, grinned at me as we flew away, as if he knew he was going to win in the end.