[YOU ARE DEAD.]
[Death Debuff:
100% Level Experience loss
Random item loss
1 x (Level) Hours of life loss
You are level 11.
1100 Available Karma loss]
<
[You died inside a Celestial Clash Match. Death Debuff reduced by The Arbiter of Games.]
[Death Debuff:
0% Level Experience loss
1 x (Level) Minutes of Life loss
100 Available Karma loss]
This time when Langa died, he did not feel the pull of Life and Death fighting over his soul. Instead, he felt the eyes of Death watching his soul as he floated along a river of stars towards the light of Adtonifulmin's Resurrection Stone bringing him back to Life.
He woke up on a bed in the infirmary behind the stage of Tishiba Stadium. The karma loss sucked, and he was left with only two more respawns on the 1st Floor now. At least he only lost 11 minutes of life instead of 11 hours, thanks to The Exuberant Arbiter.
"Langa!" A delighted voice called his name before Synn threw herself into his arms. If not for his improved reflexes he would have toppled over, but he managed to catch her as she hugged him. "I thought we'd lost for sure. Thank you!"
"We still won even though I died?" he asked.
"Of course! You took over the shrine!" she said, pulling away from him. "You should have seen Liv'Kungsadu's face when his sword struck you instead of the sovorb. I wonder if I can have that image Inscribed and hang it in my room."
"That's not very sportsmany of you," Langa said with raised eyebrows as he finally stood up.
She snorted. "Who cares? That bastard killed me."
The side door opened, and Vos entered, his face calm as always. He looked at both of them and smiled genuinely. "Well done, both of you."
"You too, you destroyed Cora!" Synn said, wagging her tail. "Ooops," she said, realising the tail had come out in her excitement, and the tail disappeared. "By the way, Vos, you're very creepy. I got chills watching you."
Langa was about to say that was a rude thing to say when Vos' smile widened and he said, "Thank you." One of the ushers came in, telling them to get ready because the crowd was waiting for them.
"Alright Towerpeople, please welcome our winners, Vos Kindaro II, Langa Zulu and SynnForessa! It's Team Kindaro!" Zavi announced and the crowd's roars were deafening when Langa and his team were called back onto the stage.
Vos kept his head down and walked straight ahead ignoring the noise. Langa looked at all the people clapping for them and waved, he was used to being in the spotlight after all.
Team Liv was already sitting on stage, looking both sullen and exhausted. Vavuciadsforenkka glared daggers at Langa, who just smiled at him smugly while Synn scowled at Liv and he shook his head at Langa. Coraloa and Vos did not acknowledge each other. The three of them sat down opposite the other team, with Zavi and Matt sitting at the centre.
"Welcome, welcome! You put on a wonderful show, players, but let's not waste time. Matt, pull up the Karma Points leaderboard," Zavi said.
"Certainly. Just to remind you, folks, this is treated as a Low Tier 1 League match, so there is no penalty for dying. The players get 1 point per monster killed, regardless of level, 20 points for stealing the enemy sovorb, preventing the enemy from taking over their shrine, 50 points per player killed, and 50 points for assimilating their sovorb with the enemy shrine and taking it over," Matt said, pulling up the leaderboard.
Player Karma Points Earned (Monsters Killed+ Players Killed+ Sovorb Stolen + Sovorb Assimilated) 1. Vos Kindaro II (Team Kindaro) 221 + 50 + 20 + 0 =291
1. Langa Zulu (Team Kindaro)
191 + 50 + 0 + 50 = 291 3. Liv'Kungsadu (Team Liv'Kungsadu) 146 + 100 + 0 + 0 = 246 4. SynnForessa (Team Kindaro) 189 + 0 + 0 + 0 = 189 5. Coraloa Aquarius Winter (Team Liv'Kungsadu) 172 + 0 + 0 + 0 = 172 6. Vavuciadsforenkka (Team Liv'Kungsadu) 157 + 0 + 0 + 0 = 157 Total Points: Team Kindaro 771 Total Points: Team Liv'Kungsadu 575
"Oh my fucking gods," Langa muttered. Where did Vos find so many monsters to kill? Why were the two of them tied in Karma Points? What did that mean for whatever bet Adtonifulmin and The Thousand Undead had made?
"Well, at least you didn't beat me in Karma Points," Vos said, probably thinking the same thing.
"Yeah, if we're on equal footing, then neither of our gods can be mad. I mean, we both took first place, right?" Langa asked hopefully.
Vos raised an eyebrow. "Not if I get chosen as the Celestial. That would put me way ahead of you."
Langa glanced at him. "I'm the one who won this Clash for us, and it cost me my life. Why would they choose you?"
"Because I found and destroyed an entire den of lesser krakens after I defeated The Unrivalled's Blessed?" he stated matter-of-factly.
"Bullshit. I have this in the bag," Langa declared.
"Will you two shut up?" hissed Synn in annoyance. "Otherwise, you'll miss the announcement."
Vos and Langa straightened up as the announcer spoke again. "And now, by unanimous vote, all the deities have chosen the Celestial of this Clash. Are you ready?!" Matt bellowed and the crowd roared. "The Celestial of this match IS LIV'KUNGSADU!"
Trumpets were sounded, people screamed and Langa saw Vos curse under his breath. Liv himself seemed surprised, but as the crowd chanted his name, his face broke into a grin and he lifted his hand to wave at them.
"Good work, and congratulations to Liv'Kungsadu. It is hardly surprising that he was chosen, though, given his amazing performance in the Clash, Matt," Zavi said approvingly. "He took out entire hordes of monsters, killed two of his opponents, and if Blitzhunter had been a fraction of a second slower, he would have won the Clash for his team. He proved why he is the top ranker of batch 4."
While Langa was happy for Liv, this meant he hadn't managed to beat Vos after all. Adtonifulmin had bet on him, and he hadn't managed to deliver. He ground his teeth. He should have been faster, should have learned how to control his attribute better, should have put more points in strength to improve his stamina regeneration, should have put more points in Vitality to improve his health, and should have-
[The Deiwos Clan God: The Lackadaisical Herald of The Lightning Storm, is pleased with your performance in the Celestial Clash and brags about his Avatar's achievement to all the members of The Deiwos Clan]
[The Deiwos Clan goddess: The Red Flaming Blade of Menika, congratulates you on your achievement and thanks you for bringing glory to the Deiwos Clan]
[The Deiwos Clan goddess: The Lone WitchSeer of Kally, is annoyed by The Lackadaisical Herald's constant bragging, and ponders how she may get back at him.]
Langa blinked. What had he been thinking? Of course, Adtonifulmin wasn't like his brother-in-law, who always expressed his disappointment if Langa failed to earn a gold medal, no matter how good his time was. He had done his best in this Clash, and his master had been with him the entire time, so he was proud of how far Langa had come and how hard he had pushed himself.
"May the members of the winning team and the chosen Celestial please go and stand before the Exuberant Arbiter's altar to receive the rewards from their patron deities!" Matt said.
The altar was in a small room on the side of the stage and as soon as the words were out of Matt's mouth, Synn stood up and ran towards the altar first. Langa supposed she was eager to speak to The Nine-Tailed Fox after such a long separation.
She came out a moment later, shoulders slumped. It seemed the altar was similar to when he had gone to Adtonifulmin's domain and no time passed in the real world.
"What's wrong? Are the rewards bad?" he asked when she came to sit down.
"No. He used the most elaborate and sly plan to get out of having an audience with me," she said shaking her head. She looked up at the sky. "If you don't want anything to do with me, why don't you let me go?"
The Nine-Tailed Fox didn't respond. Now that Langa thought about it, the tutorial world of Zamone was cursed because she betrayed The Nine-Tailed Fox. Had he still not forgiven her?
"Sorry," Langa said as Liv went into the altar next, and then Vos followed after him. Vos cast a strange glance at Synn when he returned, but he seemed pleased with whatever reward he received. Finally, Langa was the last one to approach the altar.
As soon as Langa stepped onto the altar, he was ready to gloat to Adtonifulmin about his win. To his surprise, however, it wasn't Adtonifulmin or his Incarnation that he saw when he opened his eyes. Instead, standing in front of him was a two-legged serpentine creature with red bloats of blood all over his body. His face was skin stretched tightly over bone, and his eyes had an unending depth as they bore into him.
"Who the hell are you?" Langa asked, stepping back.
"I am Hmüšithü, the Incarnation of The Demon King of The Thousand Undead Knights," he replied, voice echoing in the darkness. "Mortal, bow down to receive the edict of The Thousand Undead."
What was the Incarnation of the Kindaro siblings' god doing here? Langa knew that the Ilhuicatl-Omeyocan Clan and the Deiwos Clan did not get along, so he was suspicious that they had hijacked him.
He folded his arms, "I don't bow down to anyone except Lord Adtonifulmin," he said unflinchingly. He wasn't going to break his promise to his master.
Brown tendrils of suffocating karma emanated from the Incarnation as his anger filled the room. Langa felt his Shroud activate to protect him from the karma pressure as Hmüšithü spoke. "You dare stand upright in the presence of-" he started to shout, then stopped, eyes going blank. He then released his karma pressure and said, "As you wish, Master."
The tendrils disappeared, and Hmüšithü's hollow eyes fixated on Langa. His posture changed and his karma seemed to tighten around him until it reached a point where Langa could no longer feel it. "Hello, child of Adtonifulmin," he said hoarsely.
Instinctively, Langa knew that The Thousand Undead had Descended into the Incarnation's body. Even in the absence of the god's karma, Langa's knees felt like jelly, his karma suddenly overwhelmed. He felt the essence of Adtonifulmin stir up inside him as his Shroud surrounded him again, keeping him upright. He took a deep breath.
'I am in control,' he told himself.
"Eh...Mr Thousand Undead? What are you doing here? Where's The Lackadaisical Herald?" Langa asked, his voice surprisingly normal.
Mictlantecuhtli tilted his head to the side. "Your master and I could not agree on what rewards to give our bonded should they win the Clash. In the end, The Nine-Tailed Fox suggested we do a random draw in the presence of The Eternal Scribe. My die landed on you."
"Lord Adtonifulmin agreed to that?" Langa asked sceptically. He'd gotten the impression that his master could be very stubborn. "Aren't your clans enemies? What if you give me a bad reward?"
"Fret not, child of Adtonifulmin. The system is watching. She will ensure that the rewards are neither too little for the achievement earned nor too much." The Thousand Undead's tone was amused. "You see, teams in Celestial Clash matches usually consist of players belonging to the same deity or, at the very least, allied deities. It's uncommon for enemy deities to have players on the same team; hence, this is an opportunity for our bonded to obtain skills, items, or Legacies from our enemies."
That made sense. Langa doubted that The Thousand Undead would willingly offer him a Challenge knowing that Langa might one day encounter his bonded players in a divine war. This was the only way he could obtain anything from him.
"Okay, so what are you going to give me? I don't like death magic or mental magic. Isn't that all you are about?" he asked suspiciously.
"You just don't like the way Fi uses death magic and mental magic. Let me see, what can I give Adtonifulmin's Avatar that the system will consider a good reward, but may turn out to be harmful for him in the long run?" he mused.
Wow, he wasn't even hiding it, was he? "Seriously? Listen, since I took first place, I should be able to make requests, right? I want a Mana Manipulation skill or something to improve my Stamina," Langa said at once.
"You are rather direct, aren't you?" Mictlantecuhtli asked. "Should you not ask me to give you what is best for your growth, since I am a god and know everything?"
Langa shook his head. He knew what he wanted; whether that was good for him or not, didn't matter. His choices did, and if he made the wrong decision, then it would be his screw up, and a learning experience. He would deal with the consequences as they came. "No, I want a skill to help me manipulate my mana since I don't have a mana core."
The god smiled. It was a gaunt, haunted look on the Incarnation's skeletal face that sent chills through Langa. "Very well," he said and a black book materialised in his hand. He reached out to give it to Langa but when he tried to grab it, his hand went right through it.
[Error! Skill: Death Mana Manipulation (A) is too excessive a reward for the player's achievement. Please choose a more appropriate reward.]
"That blasted woman," Mictlantecuhtli cursed.
Langa had honestly expected The Thousand Undead to do the opposite and give him a reward too low for his achievement, but the system was saying the reward was too much. Something suddenly clicked in his mind, and he narrowed his eyes. "I have full lightning affinity and you were going to give me a skill for death mana? That's incompatible with me!"
Mictlantecuhtli roared in laughter. "Precisely. I wish I could have seen your face once you learnt the skill and discovered you had wasted a skill slot with something useless for you."
This god was diabolical as fuck. No wonder Fi Kindaro loved him so much.
"Let's see. If I cannot prank Adtonifulmin through you, perhaps I should stir things up for my ally's son," Mictlantecuhtli murmured to himself. "He does seem to care for him, and I could use you as leverage against that boy should the alliance fail. Demigods can be so unstable, after all. It might interfere with Xolotl’s plans though… but it will be interesting to watch him fail… Yes, I'm sure the system will accept this gift."
White smoke swirled around the black book in his hand, turning it into a scroll. This time, Langa did manage to touch the scroll. Before he could even open it, pain shot through his head and images filled him. Knowledge packed into his mind like a speeding train and he gasped, falling to the ground and clutching his head.
[You have learned the skill: Two Eyes of Nahuke (Unranked)
Active Skill
Effects: A skill created by the demon hunter Nahuke during his time in Mictlantecuhtli’s second hell. The Left Eye grants the ability to see through the demonic fog of hell as far as (Mind/2) metres and observe motion in detail, making it easier to see an opponent’s weakness and anticipate their movements.
The Right Eye can only be opened in the presence of demons.
Cost: Left Eye: 5% of total mana per second + 5% of total stamina per second.
Cooldown: 30 seconds.
This skill is Unranked, and is therefore permanent to the player and cannot be unlearned.]
Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.
Langa had read about unranked skills before. They were skills that didn't follow the normal Beginner to Grandmaster Rank routes. Instead, they remained static, and could not be switched out. The skills could either turn out to be complete trash or be as unique as some attributes in rare cases.
"It's an observation skill," Langa said, unsatisfied. He already had his Avatar title for sensing life.
"The power of the skill depends on the player," the god said. " One can use it to elevate themselves to the highest of Tiers, while for another, it becomes a useless burden they cannot utilise correctly."
"If you say so. What's the catch on this one?" Langa asked him suspiciously.
"I told you, Lady Unrivalled is watching. There is no catch," Mictlantecuhtli promised. "Here are the rest of your rewards."
[Congratulations! For your performance in the Celestial Clash, you have been awarded
+3413 Karma
+ 1180 EXP
+3% Renown]
"Thanks," Langa said. He was close to reaching the 10 000 karma he needed to clear the 1st Floor. The experience was excellent, too.
"I have only given you what you deserve. You may leave now, child of Adtonifulmin," Mictlantecuhtli said.
"My name is Langa," he corrected him with a frown.
"Your name does not matter to me," he informed him. "I only look forward to seeing you grow strong enough to become a stepping stone for Fi."
"Sorry, but that son of a bitch won't ever have me on my knees again. I swear on The Lackadaisical Herald, that when I kill Fi Kindaro III, I will make sure he suffers first," Langa snarled.
The Thousand Undead let out another hollow laugh. "You are confident, I will give you that. But to me, you are not important as anything more than fuel for Fi and perhaps, given your future together...as a weapon to keep Liv'Kungsadu in check. That skill should help supplement the large gap between you."
"I don't care about being important to you," Langa told him. "But if you think I will be content to be an extra in someone else's story, think again. I walk the Path of Lightning. I like to blaze through my path to the heavens so I will not allow anyone to walk ahead of me. I will run faster, and strike through anyone that dares to stand in my way, mortal or immortal."
"Oh? How nostalgic. You may not believe this, but nearly 100 000 years ago, your master said something similar to me. He was a mere mortal like yourself and rejected my Sponsorship. He called my rules suffocating to his whims," Mictlantecuhtli smiled. "He proved his strength and worth in Achievements. Although I am loathe to admit it, he went further in the path of power than I would have been able to take him. I shall watch you, child of Adtonifulmin, to see if your conviction is worth anything."
"Watch away, I don't care. But this is so weird," Langa muttered.
"What is?" the god asked, even though Langa was sure he could read his thoughts.
"You're scary looking, and a bit of a dick, but otherwise you act normal, even though in the legends of our world you were kind of evil. Besides, you're a demon god, and your followers are arseholes, so I'm sure you are evil," he said.
"Evil?" The skeletal face let out a hollow laugh. "Mortals like to distinguish things in such extremes. There is no such thing as good and evil, only intent and action. Whichever side of the spectrum your actions fall under is largely dependent on your intent."
Langa snorted. "Spoken like a true villain."
The Thousand Undead tilted his head, "If in your mind, I am evil, does that mean Adtonifulmin is good?"
Langa frowned. Was that a trick question? "He is to me."
"Do you even know why he Chose you? Well, you will find out in time, I suppose. Shall I tell you a story about your master, child of Adtonifulmin?" He continued without waiting for Langa to respond. "A little under 200 years ago, during a divine war, my brother Xolotl's Visage killed the Avatar of Adtonifulmin's Incarnation. They were both seraphim, so it was a fair battle. Death happens every second of every day, but Adtonifulmin must have cared for that child."
There were very few stories of Adtonifulmin's achievements in his Relgte, so despite not trusting The Thousand Undead, Langa listened intently.
"As a high-ranking god, Adtonifulmin couldn't interfere directly with the life of a seraphim without just cause, but that did not stop him. He gifted the dead Avatar's lover with Stars and unleashed her upon Xolotl's Visage. She killed him brutally, setting his soul alight and burning away his karma and part of his existence. Adtonifulmin dared to hold a mere Incarnation's Avatar's life on the same level as a god's Visage... over a war he started. Tell me, who is good and evil in this story?" Mictlantecuhtli asked.
"The Avatar's lover was good—I mean, she got her revenge, right?" Langa said, digesting the information.
"They defied the rules, though. She got away with it because that rule only applies to mortals and seraphim, and after killing Xolotl's Visage, she Ascended and became a constellation. She couldn't be judged according to mortal laws anymore. Adtonifulmin couldn't be held accountable either because she wasn't his Avatar. He knows The Unrivalled better than anyone else, including her brothers, so he is very good at bending the rules without breaking them," Mictlantecuhtli explained.
Langa understood what he was trying to tell him but he refused to be baited. "This isn't fair, I don't know the whole story. For all I know, you're painting a different picture from the truth. You're telling the story from your perspective, which is not the only truth," he said.
"So you agree that from Xolotl's Visage's perspective, Adtonifulmin is evil?" he asked, his face ripe with interest.
Langa shrugged. "I guess, but I probably would have done the same thing Master did. I will always put my friends and family's lives above everything else, even above right and wrong," he said. "And in that fashion, Fi Kindaro III took my friend from me, so to me, he is evil and must be stopped. He did this to get stronger and please you, so to me, you are evil."
"Why do you think Fi is doing it for me? None of those five children does anything for my glory. They all just want the power that comes to whomever I choose to be my Visage," Mictlantecuhtli said, shaking his head.
Langa frowned. When Fi Kindaro told him his motivations during the tutorial, that he was in a contest to become a god's Visage, he didn't really understand what he was fighting for. However, now that he understood, he found it more unbelievable. "So Fi Kindaro is doing all this shit, hurting innocent people, just so he can become your Visage?"
"You are new to the Tower, child of Adtonifulmin, so perhaps you do not understand the significance of being a god's Visage. I have existed for over a billion years, yet in that time, I have only ever had two Visages. Neither of them managed to Ascend," he said. It was hard to tell with the bony face, but he looked slightly pained. "For a god to share a part of himself, not just his power, with a mortal...to give the mortal insight into his Being and to give a mortal that much power over the entirety of his people's Faith is truly unthinkable. It is a risk beyond any other, therefore, I will accept nothing but the very best for my Visage."
It was something so precious and important, yet Adtonifulmin had just casually asked Langa to be his Visage after knowing him for barely a week. Was his master foolish or optimistic?
"Oh, is that so? Well, he has always been impulsive, your Master," The Thousand Undead said.
"Don't read my mind!" Langa snapped.
"Do not worry, I cannot share the information with anyone unless you reveal it yourself. So, will you accept his offer?" Mictlantecuhtli asked curiously.
"It was nice meeting you, Thousand Undead," Langa said, stepping back, and willing himself away from the altar. "Goodbye."
The god's laughter faded into the background as he left the altar.
*
The bright lucent lights of the stadium shone down on Langa as he sat on stage with his teammates, lost in thought after his conversation with The Thousand Undead. They received their payment from Celestial Clash League participating in the Clash, according to performance, and Langa was happy with the 150 silver he received. The crowd's cheers and applause echoed in his ears as Zavi handed each of the players a jewel-encrusted vicomcer.
"Now that you have your rewards, we can discuss the match fully. And what a match it was out there tonight! How are you feeling after that incredible performance?" he asked, looking at Liv.
"Thank you, Zavi. It was a tough match, but we worked hard as a team and, although we didn't come out on top, I couldn't be prouder of my teammates," Liv answered. The neutral answer elicited an eye roll from Langa.
Matt the commentator raised his eyebrows. "Wow, you're more benevolent than I am, Liv'Kungsadu. If one of my teammates ignored my order to stay close to the lighthouse and protect the shrine and instead flew into the sky on an ill-fated hunt that cost my entire team the Clash, I would be pissed!"
Laughter resounded from the crowd and Vavuciadsforenkka's face reddened as he shifted his permanent glower to Matt.
"Don't be too hard on the rookie Matt, we all have to start somewhere," Zavi said, stifling his laughter. "Now, let's see the beautiful final moment of the Clash again."
The large lucent tile in front of them replayed the scene where Langa entered the lighthouse and placed the sovorb on the shrine until the moment Langa stepped in front of the sovorb, taking the hit of Liv’s sword. It was crazy that the entire sequence in the shrine was less than thirty seconds since it had felt like a lifetime to him. He looked like a mess, but even when the sword struck him, he had a shit-eating grin on his face.
"Blitzhunter." Matt looked at the tile before asking. "You took over the shrine in the final seconds of the clash. Walk us through that moment."
It had been a while since Langa had done any interviews. Back home he'd been throwing his races, so there hadn't been room for him to brag about his performance. "One thing you need to know about me is that I hate losing. Liv had me pressed hard on my back, and I had to stop him, even if it killed me," he paused as this earned him a few chuckles. "On a serious note though, Liv has always been in my way, and fighting against him was the biggest challenge of this Clash."
Vavuciadsforenkka snorted loudly. “It was the only challenge of this Clash,” Langa stated.
“What the hell did you say, you filthy hu-” Vavuciadsforenkka barked at him.
“Voetsek. Did I fucking stutter?” Langa asked, arms folded. The scowl that filled Vavuciadsforenkka’s face made Synn chuckle in satisfaction, and he considered cheering her up a win.
The dragonkin stood up and stretched his arms, as though ready for a fight.
“Now, now, settle down, boys. Your turn will come, Vavuciadsforenkka, you can give your opinions and talk your shit then,” Zavi said.
Vavuciadsforenkka growled but he sat back down. Pity, Langa wouldn't have minded killing him again. He had a punchable face.
Matt focused on Vos and Synn next, praising their efforts throughout the clash. On the lucent tile was a calm Vos wielding his scythe elegantly, even as he faced off against both Coraloa and lesser krakens. His expression barely changed, but the power he showed was incredible, and Langa thought Coraloa’s skills were awesome too. She would have won against him with that mental attack.
“You bravely defended your team's territory and managed to steal the opposing team’s sovorb. Was it challenging?” Matt asked.
“No. It wasn’t hard at all,” Vos said with a shrug.
Thankfully, Coraloa didn't react to his statement. In fact, she didn't look at Vos at all. If Langa's opponent said that, he would have been upset. Matt waited, thinking Vos was going to continue, but he stared straight ahead and said nothing. Unfortunately for him, Vos was an elf of few words.
“Oookay… SynnForessa, your manipulation of mana is out of this world. I saw the Administrator of The Incantatrix Sorcerers salivating when she was watching you. A guild offer from them wouldn’t be surprising. They only accept mages in their guild after all. Are you interested?” Zavi asked.
The lucent tile showed Synn, fire surrounding her, her face fierce as she shot a fireball towards a startled Liv, who hastily defended with his shield.
“I’ve heard of them,” Synn said. “I’m not taken, so who knows if I might agree. It depends on my mood. If any of you think you can hold this firefox down, you're welcome to try me.”
"Whoa now, I gotta ask, my dear lady," Matt said flashing her a charming smile. "Are you only accepting guild offers?"
"Like I said, Matt. If you think you can hold this firefox down, hit me up," she said, blowing him a kiss.
Matt clutched his chest and pretended to faint. The crowd cooed and Langa laughed. At least she seemed to have gotten out of her funk.
“Please don't encourage this sleaze, SynnForessa," Zavi said shaking his head. He turned to the other side. “Now. Liv’Kungsadu, how does it feel to be the Celestial?”
The lucent tile showed Liv mercilessly pummelling Synn, his close combat skills on full display along with the power of his aura. It then showed him and Langa fighting outside the lighthouse. Langa cringed, he looked terrible in that clip.
Liv smiled. “It feels great. I honestly didn't think I would get chosen considering that my team lost. I would like to thank The Sun God for his grace, and all the deities who chose me to be the Celestial, despite amazing performances from their own players. I am truly humbled.”
Humbled? Langa couldn't believe his ears. This was the same guy who'd bragged about being the best.
He noticed Synn was scanning the crowd with a determined look on her face. "Are you looking for someone?" he whispered.
"It's futile; there are too many people; it's just that my Sear tells me she's close."
"Sorry."
“What would you say was your favourite part of the Clash?” Zavi asked Liv.
“It’s hard to say. SynnForessa fought very well, and her mana control was outstanding. I can only hope to be that good one day,” he said with a smile. Synn looked up and raised her eyebrows as though unsure whether to be flattered or annoyed by the compliment. “So did Langa. He has actually improved a lot. You wouldn’t believe it, but back in the tutorial, I could take him down without any weapon or armour.”
“That was just sparring!” Langa protested indignantly, much to the crowd’s amusement, laughter ringing out as Liv shrugged. Why would he hang him out to dry like that?
"Ah, a fight between friends is always the most exciting, isn't it?" Matt said with a smile. "Is that why you chose Langa to be your teammate, Second Prince Vos?"
"Correct," the dark elf said.
"Great strategy, and it paid off for you. Now, before I move on to the others, Liv’Kungsadu, you made a bold statement to Blitzhunter, that you would surpass some of the biggest players in this Tower. Were you just saying that to stir up some controversy?” Zavi said.
“I wasn’t trying to be controversial, Zavi. I’ve seen a lot in this Tower that needs fixing, and as I am now, I am limited in how I can help the people that need me, so I have to get stronger,” Liv said. “I will prove how wrong the assumption that demigods burn bright for a time and burn out quickly is, by being the first person to clear the 1773rd Deiwos Tower. Langa is someone who likes to challenge himself, so I was just letting him know that it’s useless to waste his time chasing after people I’m going to overtake anyway, and just follow me.”
Langa couldn't tell if the noise the crowd made was positive or negative, but it seemed Liv was using this stage to establish himself and make it so that people became interested in both him and the guild he would form.
Matt laughed. "What say you, Blitzhunter?"
If this was the stage Liv chose to draw attention to them, then Langa would double down. “I’ve heard the names The Pioneer, Anarchist, and Merreddyd, among others a lot since coming here. To me, these are rankers that I have to reach and surpass at some point," he said. "I know there are many other people who are much stronger than me who aren’t on that list either. I don't know if I can surpass them, but believe me, I will die trying.”
“Are you both idiots? What if they come down here and crush you to put you in your place?” Synn said.
Langa shrugged. “I know I can’t take them all now, but I will climb as fast as I can to reach them. There’s no need for them to come down here. As long as there is someone ahead of me, I will keep running forward until I surpass them and the path I'm running on is clear.”
“That is a bold statement indeed! Some might say you’re still green, and that’s why you can say that with ease,” Zavi said. He sounded delighted. “Given how disappointing Batch 3 has been since their Rankers besides Anarchist are either voidents or complacent fools who pay to win, this Tower could use a bit of a shake-up.”
"I couldn't have said it better myself," Matt agreed. "As a member of Batch 3 myself, I am ashamed of our lacklustre performance and presence in this Tower, Zavi. I hope these rookies can really set the Tower on fire and humble us. Give us the motivation we all lost four years ago."
"Now, there's a challenge for all the Batch 3s in the crowd," Zavi said. "Are you going to let Batch 4's rookies overtake you?" The crowd roared.
Finally, Zavi turned to Team Liv again. “So, Coraloa, Vavuciadsforenkka, what did you enjoy about this Clash? Were you disappointed in how it ended?” he asked.
In Langa’s opinion, that wasn’t a very tasteful question, and Vavuciadsforenkka seemed to agree with how his already annoyed face soured even more.
Coraloa was the first to answer. “Thank you for having us here. I have never seen this many people in one place in my life,” she said. “Before I answer that, Mr Zavi, I would like to express my disappointment in everyone here. Look at all these lucent lights. I was in Feiran Village last week, where there was only one lucent light in the entire village, yet you sit here and waste them here for aesthetics?”
"Uh, hold on now-"
“How much mana does this stadium consume to run? The 9th Floor regulates the usage of mana fiercely because of the shortage of lucents in the air, yet you waste it like this?” she asked, standing up.
Langa shivered. Damn, she was one of those. Admittedly, he always avoided activists and justice-mongers pushing their agendas (noble and important as they may be) on him. The crowd seemed to agree as boos filled the stadium mixed in with some clapping.
He heard Vos snort with disdain beside him, while Synn looked amused. Liv was smiling at Coraloa proudly.
“Mock me all you want, but the wealth gap on this Floor is nothing to scoff at. Many of you have this sense of superiority just because you are players and are kintolerant against NPCs. It’s like there’s a Tower vs 1st Floor gap. I know some players view themselves as travellers, just passing by, but would it kill you to give back to the Tower? Is it so hard to help develop the Floors you visit?” she asked.
"Um, you're going a little off-topic there Miss-" Zavi started.
“Huh! Develop? Wow, spoken like a true Guardian, pretentious as ever,” Vavuciadsforenkka said with a laugh. “Unfortunately, just because you are happy to sacrifice your personal growth for the greater good of lesser beings doesn’t mean the rest of us players are as foolish as you. The only thing that could help this Floor develop would be if the den-mother brought her forces here and the Dragonslayer tore down the current useless regime to take over the-”
“Shut up, and sit back down,” Liv said sharply.
A bright, oppressive force of karma suddenly pressed down on the entire stage. Even though it was not directed at him, Langa felt his karma stirring up, ready to protect him from the pressure. He looked up to see that Liv was standing, surrounded by a golden aura, as his karma pressure descended on Vavuciadsforenkka.
All six of them got up on their feet and Vos took out his scythe. At the same time, Coraloa’s whole body vibrated with anger. "Is this really the type of world we want to build in this Tower? One where the strong hoard power and oppress the weak and innocent?" she asked the crowd at large.
Liv's karma pressure was oppressive, and Vavuciadsforenkka struggled to stay on his feet, releasing his own karma pressure. Unfortunately for him, Liv was a demigod, and there was no way he could beat him in karma. He fell to his knees, gasping and baring his fangs in anger as he fully transformed again. The crowd's noise was deafening, probably hoping to get another battle on top of the Celestial Clash. Honestly, Langa wasn’t opposed to it. He wouldn’t mind another go at Liv, or maybe to see what Vos was made of.
Unfortunately, the security of the stadium, the members of a mercenary guild, made their way to the stage, weapons in hand, watching them like hawks, which was fitting because they were hawkkin.
“Okay, we’ll end the interviews here. Do you see how much fire the rookies have? I hope Liv'Kungsadu is right and he doesn't burn out on the 6th Floor like the last demigod who tried to save this Tower. I want to see them shake things up!" Matt said, looking at the six of them with a grin. "Once again, welcome to the Tower, all players of Tutorial Batch 4. We look forward to you doing great things."
As the mercenary security guards walked them off the stage, Langa wondered if Neo, Khaya, or his sister were watching right now. His heart lurched in his chest with worry, but he reminded himself that Adtonifulmin had promised that he would make sure they received Sponsorship Contracts—those who were still alive, at least. He shook his head. There was no point in winding himself so tightly when there was nothing he could do.
"To all of you old folks, before you go party with the rookies tonight, don't forget that while the Floor Overlord may have permitted you to be on this Floor, some of you are wanted by the Federation Police," Zavi said. "Don’t be overconfident, and remember, the longer you spend on this Floor, the more of your skills are sealed. Oh, and I know it's a festival, but drink responsibly, Towerpeople.”
Today was a good day. Langa had fun and received a good reward, and finally, it was time for him to party with his new friends and celebrate his victory. He would not be drinking responsibly tonight.