The palace had enchantments in place that addressed the subject of temperature. Earth had air conditioners as well as thermostats designed to regulate the temperatures of a room. The palace and practically any other house of sufficient wealth had weather based enchantments. Their design was to keep rooms at what was considered optimal temperature.

As a person rose through the levels, temperatures became less and less of a blessing or a curse. Heat and chill slowly became bygone concepts. They were not completely eliminated, merely suppressed. A person of a high enough level did not suddenly stop feeling these temperatures, it just required far stronger levels to feel them.

However, Aiden, at level 2, couldn’t feel the temperature being regulated in his room when he very well should. As he paced up and down his room, he could feel himself breaking out in a cold sweat.

What had he done? No, he knew what he had done. But what had he done?

A mere classless did not request the presence of the king on a whim. Even in his past life, as high as his level had gone, there had still been processes involved in gaining an audience with kings. Even when the kings knew he was not from this world.

Even when they knew I was standing in representation of the Order.

Aiden ran a worried hand through his hair. He stopped his pacing, ran both hands through his hair. He took a handful of hair and groaned in exasperation.

“What the hell have I done?”

On his bed Ted chuckled in entertainment and Aiden shot him a glare.

“Don’t look at me.” Ted tossed a grape from a plate on the bed into his mouth. “I’m not the one that told a powerful knight to demand an audience with his king like I was some important delegate.”

Aiden groaned and dropped his hands. “I did not demand an audience with the king. I kindly… requested for one.”

“Requested. Demanded.” Ted shrugged. “Sounds all the same to me.”

Aiden moved to the only table in the room and leaned against it. He looked at the top corners of the room where the runes and sigils for the temperature enchantments were supposed to be.

“How does the room feel to you?” he asked.

Ted looked to the ceiling.

“The temperature enchantments are working just fine, Aida.” Ted said, then tossed him a grape. “You’re just worrying too much. Brandis is just a king. It’s not like you’re facing off against a congress of Demon Lords or something.”

Aiden paused, catching the tossed grape. He frowned.

“How do you know about the temperature enchantments?”

Ted raised a brow. “What?”

Aiden placed the grape on the table carefully. “I asked how the room feels to you. I said nothing about temperature enchantments.”

“Your point?”

“My point is how do you know that this room has temperature enchantments? How do you know what temperature enchantments even are?”

Temperature enchantments were a normal thing in the palace. They were like the walls or the ceilings or a thermostat. Or a person’s mother. No one brought it up unless there was a reason to bring it up. You didn't walk into a persons house only to have them talking to you about the ceiling.

And since nobody from their world knew about temperature enchantments, no one was going to bring it up, so none of them was supposed to know. Even if one of them knew, unless it was pointed out that these enchantments worked optimally when placed at the highest points in a room as possible, they wouldn’t know where it was placed.

“Aiden,” Ted said carefully. “I’m not sure why you look like a ghost buster about to prove to the world that you’re not crazy, but you’ve got to breathe. You don’t want to be frazzled when you meet the king.”

It can’t be possible, right? Aiden worried. I’ve already ruled out the possibility that he came back in time, too. I only have the Sage to worry about.

“I don’t know how to put this, Ted,” Aiden said slowly, walking up to the bed. “But I need to know how you know of temperature enchantments. It’s very important.”

He searched his brother’s eyes, waiting. If Ted was just like him, he wouldn’t say anything specific because he would know that temperature enchantments weren’t the only enchantments not visible to the eyes in the room. He would know that they had to be careful of everything they said in the palace. So Aiden looked for it in his eyes. Anything that would tell him what he wanted to know.

There was a knock at the door. The sound pierced the silence of everything, but Aiden didn’t turn away, neither did Ted. They remained where they were, staring at each other.

The knock came again, once more. Then twice.

Ted pointed. “Anyone going to get that?”

Aiden said nothing. This moment was too important. If Ted had also come back in time, then Aiden could assume that the Sage had done the same. And judging from how Ted had handled their conversation in his cell that night, the Sage had been vastly more powerful than him then. Most probably over level 500.

It meant they had an active enemy and needed to be more careful than Aiden had been so far.

“Alright, then.” Ted broke eye contact and hopped off the bed. “If you won’t, I will.”

He walked up to the door, Aiden’s gaze trailing after him.

“Ted,” Aiden said and Ted paused to look at him. “I need to know.”

Ted pointed a finger at him. “Okay, now you’re beginning to worry me, dude. You know you’re not the only one that uses the library, right? I got it from the library. Architecture section under building enchantments.”

With that, he opened the door without asking who it was as Aiden released the breath he had been holding.

Suspecting everyone is turning me paranoid.

When their guests walked into the room, Aiden turned and did his best not to run a frustrated hand through his hair.

“Hi, Aiden,” Letto greeted with a sheepish smile.

Behind him Drax stood with folded hands as Ted closed the door.

“In my defense,” Ted pointed out. “I was not a part of this. I’m just not surprised by it.”

“You’ve been avoiding us,” Drax said to Aiden, matter of fact.

Aiden turned to face them and folded his arms over his chest. Behind them Ted was doing his best impression of trying not to laugh and failing.

“I’ve not been avoiding you guys.” Aiden said. “I’ve been busy.”

It was a half-truth. He had been busy. He also hadn’t been avoiding the both of them, just Drax. Not talking to Letto was just something of a collateral damage of Aiden being busy.

“We’ve been here more than a week, Aiden,” Letto said. “And I only see you during… Actually, ever since you gained the mana manipulation skill, you’ve stopped coming to Nilhm’s magic lectures, too. So I only see you never.”

“And how have the lectures been for you?” Aiden asked conversationally.

Letto fell silent and looked away. “Still haven’t gotten the skill.”

Aiden nodded, not surprised.

“How about we do this,” he said. “I’ve been reading, and I have come to learn that not everyone has an affinity for mana. At least not in the way it is applied to magic.”

Letto paused. “And?”

“And you not being able to get the mana manipulation skill now doesn’t mean you can’t get it later. Some people have been known to get it after their classes. I read of a guy who got his at level 93.”

Aiden’s words didn’t help to cheer Letto up, but Letto was less crestfallen now. Aiden wasn’t sure if it was because they were talking or if it was at the idea that he wasn’t some kind of failure with magic.

“What I can do for you,” Aiden continued, “is talk to someone about it. I’m sure there’s some knight around here somewhere that’ll be willing to give you a hand in combat training.”

“He’s not very good at the martial arts either,” Drax said, his sternness going nowhere, eyes still fixed on Aiden.

“That’s because he hasn’t found his weapon,” Aiden countered. “The knight I train with told me that if you don’t have a weapon you can use, it is simply because you haven’t found one. If you can’t learn the fighting techniques they’re teaching you, it’s because they haven’t taught you the fighting technique for you.”

Valdan had told him no such thing.

Letto perked up at that. “And you think you can get someone to teach me?”

Aiden nodded. “How good are you with a dagger?”

“I’m not. Lady Denid says it’s a weapon only fit for rogues, thieves, and assassin. Apart from that, it is a support weapon at best. So she’s not teaching us. Sam asked about it when he couldn’t use the bow or the sword and that's how we know.”

Aiden rubbed his jaw in thought just as Ted walked over to his bed and plopped down on it. He was more than certain the Knight training them had been referring to the classes, but he had a feeling Letto had misunderstood it to mean the professions. The way he mentioned them had carried a derogatory tone to it. And while Aiden knew that there were classes disliked on Nastild, there was no class that was seen as bad in and of itself.

“Just out of curiosity,” Aiden said. “When she said rogue, thief and assassin, did she mean the classes or the professions?”

Letto and Drax exchanged a look.

“Probably the classes,” they answered.

“Probably, meaning you don’t know.” Aiden pinched his bottom lip in thought and dragged it.

“Hasn’t mom always told you to stop doing that?” Ted interrupted.

Aiden made a face at him. “Well mom’s not here right now, is she?”

He’d said the words randomly but a heavy silence settled on the room in their wake. It took him a moment to realize what he had done. To him it had been eleven years since he’d seen his parents and friends. Their absence in his life was nothing but a natural thing now, like talking about a loved one long dead.

But the people in the room with him were not the same. For them, it had only been a week and a few days. Not even a month.

Ted chuckled awkwardly. “Things got heavy fast.”

“Yea,” Aiden rubbed the back of his neck. “Sorry about that. I should’ve been more responsible with my words.”

Drax took a deep breath and let it out in annoyance.

“That!” he said, pointing an angry finger at Aiden. “That! Is what the problem is. That right there.”

Aiden looked at him, then Letto, then Ted, confused.

Ted’s only reaction was to burst into laughter.

Aiden looked back at Drax. “What did I do?”

“That responsible maturity,” Drax complained. “That’s not you.”

Aiden folded his arms. “You know we weren’t really friends, right?”

“Yes. But Letto spent more time around you than I did, and he says it’s not you. Heck, I knew how you reacted when you found out about Tasha and you guys broke up.”

Aiden and Ted shared a look, then they shared a grimace.

“He’s right,” Letto said. “You’re usually quiet, Aiden. But never busy and responsible. Just... quiet.”

Aiden had almost forgotten about Tasha, she had been his ex as at the time of his summoning. They’d been dating since they were sixteen. Then they’d broken up.

Aiden couldn’t believe it hadn’t even been up to six months since their break up in this timeline.

He looked at Ted, remembering why they’d broken up.

Ted shook his head. “Oh, no, don’t look at me. How many times do I have to tell you I didn’t sleep with her? Like I said, no offense, but that bitch was crazy. I sure as hell wasn’t trying to catch a case. I know she’s fine but when I look at her, all I see is that sixteen-year-old my brother had a crush on.”

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

“And not everybody gets to date their crush,” Letto said as if on a side note.

“Besides,” Ted continued. “When your younger brother’s hot girlfriend makes a move on you enough times, the first thing you do on each occasion is find the nearest exit and dip. It’s brother 101. And that’s what I did.”

“Wait.” Drax looked from Aiden to Ted. “It wasn’t just once?”

The bad thing about your girlfriend being famous in college was that her business was everybody’s business. And everyone liked to talk. So when Aiden had walked in on her trying to seduce Ted in his room when Ted had come to drop somethings off and broken up with her, he knew the entire school was going to find out.

Aiden knew Ted hadn’t done anything. But he’d been young and stupid when he’d found out all those years ago. So when Tasha had told him that it wasn’t the first time when they were breaking up and claimed she had done something with Ted before, he’d believed her. Why? Because she'd had no reason to lie. They were broken up and telling him wasn’t going to help get them back together.

God, I was young and stupid, Aiden thought, running a hand down his face. Technically, you’re still supposed to be young and stupid.

And in this timeline he’d only been hating his brother for six months.

Aiden shook his head as if displacing cobwebs. That was enough drama for one night.

“Back on topic,” he said, terminating that line of conversation. “Regarding what Denid said, in this world there are people who look unfavorably on some classes. But the belief is that if it can be a class, then it can be used for good.”

“The way you have good hackers and bad hackers?” Letto asked, easily returning to the conversation of getting something he would be good at.

“Exactly," Aiden said. "I’m sure I can get someone to teach you how to use a dagger and maybe an array of more diverse skills. They’re teaching us how to be great warriors of justice but not everyone has to be some diplomatically correct class to save the world.”

Letto looked at Drax.

“I’m going to be useful,” he said excitedly. “I can be useful.”

Drax smiled at him. “You were always useful, Letto.”

“Maybe.” Letto shrugged. “But now I’m going to be useful useful. Like really useful.”

Drax placed a hand on his shoulder. “You were always useful, Letto. Always have been. Always will be. And you don’t need some fancy class or some fancy skill to tell you that. You’re perfectly alright just the way you are.”

Aiden just stared. Definitely what you’d expect a hero to say.

Unfortunately, Aiden knew powerful people that would definitely say otherwise.

Ted snorted. “Philosopher’s consolation.”

Everyone looked at him.

“What’s that?” Letto asked.

Aiden knew what it was. He knew it very well. It was something their parents liked to say whenever someone told themselves something to make themselves feel better about where they were in life when they could be better. They called it an excuse to not move forward. To them, it was people escaping their reality, choosing to delude themselves into acceptance rather than progression.

Aiden didn't entirely disagree with them, but he wasn't a hard supporter of the idea like his brother. To him, sometimes people needed the motivation. Unfortunately, there were also those that abused the entire thing and comforted themselves into stagnation.

“Just something our mom used to say,” Ted answered Letto.

“And what does it mean?” Drax asked.

“Just that—”

Aiden pointed a warning finger at his brother, interrupting him.

“No!” he chided.

Ted cocked a brow. “You sure? Because it sounds like Letto might benefit from knowing what it means.”

Aiden pressed his lips in a thin line. “I’m sure.”

In this world, Drax was the kind of person that would hate the term and everything it stands for. As such, since Ted was a strong believer in it, Drax would likely end up hating Ted. The last thing Aiden needed was to give Drax more reasons to hate Ted in the future.

He’d already seen the campaign lengths Drax had been willing to go to when he hated Ted for just being the Demon King. If Aiden’s plans failed, he didn’t want to see the lengths Drax would go when he hated Ted as a person too.

Besides, Letto wasn’t that kind of person. What Drax was doing was showing kindness in his own way whether Ted approved of it or not.

As for Letto. Aiden knew what the boy became. His usefulness in the war had been unquestionable.

It was a pity that he’d met the end he’d met, though.

Everyone was standing in silence, possibly contemplating if they needed to push more on what Ted had said when a knock came from the door.

“Lord Lacheart,” a voice they did not recognize called.

It was young. A child’s.

Drax turned and opened the door. “Yes.”

A boy stood quietly in old clothes, worn from age but cared for so that they did not look ragged. He had deep dark hair and grey eyes.

“I am looking for Lord Lacheart the Younger,” the boy said, calling the entire thing like it was all a single title.

Aiden just stared at the boy. He knew the face, knew it as the dead know their end. He staggered forward without knowing.

“This is Lord Lacheart the younger,” Drax said, giving way for Aiden.

“How may I help you?” Aiden asked, hoping he didn’t stumble over his own words.

“The King has requested that you see him in his chambers," the boy said in a soft, almost timid, voice. "It is my honored duty to lead while you follow.”

Ted clapped and got up from the bed. “No way in hell am I going to miss this.”

Aiden looked between Ted and the child. He repeated the action once more. Fear held him tight and worry seized him. He had thought it wouldn’t be for another year or two before he would have to worry about this. It reminded him of the fact that he knew far too little of the microcosm of things that happened in his earlier years on Nastild.

One of his plans that he had considered not yet needed had just been shattered right in front of him. As Ted walked up to join them, only one thought came to Aiden.

He could not let Ted and this child become friends.

………

A man stood in front of the door the young boy led them to. He wore the clothes of an attendant, but one of high class. From top to bottom, his entire attire carried with it a touch of red and black. However, it was more red than black.

Ted and Aiden stood side by side as the attendant at the door simply stood there, unmoving.

Ted leaned into Aiden.

“You’re acting funny,” he whispered.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Aiden whispered back.

Ted gave a carefree shrug before tilting forward to wave at the young boy standing on the other side of Aiden.

The door in front of them opened gently, and a scribe in a red robe walked out and proceeded down the hall in the direction they had come from.

Before the door closed, the attendant stepped in. It only took a short moment before he stepped back out.

“The king will see only Lord Lacheart the Younger,” he informed them.

It seemed 'the younger' was slowly becoming a part of his official title.

Aiden shared a look with Ted, but his brother didn’t seem to care.

“Do you intend to wait for me?” he asked.

Ted snorted. “Gods no. Just standing here, doing what? Would you like the attendant and I to play chess?”

“I’m sorry, Lord Lacheart.” The attendant bowed apologetically. “But I cannot play chess.”

A mischievous smile split Ted’s lips and he looked like he’d just found something fun.

“And do you know what chess is, sir?” he asked the man.

“I do not, my Lord. And ‘sir’ is a title far beyond myself. I am Nandaka.”

Aiden looked to his side and found the young child was gone. When he looked back at his brother, Ted was fully engrossed in what seemed to be a troubling conversation with the attendant.

“And if you have no idea what chess is, then how do you know that you cannot play it?” Ted was saying as Aiden opened the door and stepped into the room.

King Brandis sat on a simple chair beside a large reading table. Books filled the table, stacked on both sides and a light orb rested on top of what looked like a candle holder. The light orbs that hung from the high walls were currently lit, casting the room in a gentle sunlight glow so that Brandis did not need the one in front of him.

The king sat regally, long blonde hair almost the color of gold packed back. He had a simple beard of the same color that was kept neat, and he watched Aiden with amber eyes as he walked in.

To Brandis' right, standing just beyond the table, was a knight. He had short brown hair and an expressionless face. He was without his helmet and his armor was a deep blue that could easily conceal itself in the dark.

“Lord Lacheart,” Brandis greeted in a welcoming voice as Aiden walked in.

Beside him, the knight placed his hand on the pommel of his sword and said, “Kneel.”

Out of nothing but stubborn defiance, Aiden took two more steps from where he was standing before going down to one knee.

Three seconds in and he already knew the knight was going to be a problem even if he couldn’t recognize him.

“I greet the king,” Aiden said on one knee.

“And the king greets one of our saviors,” Brandis replied royally. “Now enough with all that wish-wash, you may be within my kingdom and under its protection, but you’re more of its savior than my subject. Please rise.”

Aiden obeyed, getting up to his feet. The knight chose then to reveal his first expression of the meeting: He frowned.

“Do not mind Sir Derendoff,” Brandis said with a casual wave. “He’s one of those knights you hear about in the tales bards tell. You know, the ones who are loyal to a fault. They’d sooner strike a simple man down for looking at the king funny and send the kingdom into chaos than pause and await orders.”

Aiden ran his mind through his memories and found nothing about a Sir Derendoff. But he did find a house Naranoff. They boasted the largest collection of legal military arms in the kingdom, second only to the palace.

“You requested an audience with me, young Lord,” Brandis said. “Now you have it. And while I have been apprised of the reason for your request, I would like to hear you speak of it as if I were not aware of it.”

Aiden took a deep breath. The games had already begun. Brandis had taken it upon himself to inform him that he had the advantage in the conversation, and yet, he had also commanded him to play pretend, testing him to see how best he could play the games of court.

He wants to know if my mental acumen is as good as my martial prowess.

Brandis would be surprised to learn that he had none. Word games were more of Zen’s specialty when Aiden had been working for the Order.

“I am here to speak on the subject of Unique skills,” Aiden said simply. “Specifically, the reason it has been kept from my companions and I.”

Sir Derendoff’s hold tightened on the pommel of his sword. If Brandis noticed it, he gave no sign of it.

“And if I ask how you came to know something that has been intentionally kept from you, what would be your response?” Brandis asked.

“It is no secret that I have befriended the palace library, your grace. It holds many truths.”

Brandis stroked his beard. “I see.”

Sir Derendoff’s presence was beginning to possess a meaning to Aiden now. He was about to have a conversation with the king about something he should not know. Derendoff could as easily be a witness to this conversation as he could be Aiden’s executioner.

But Brandis king had been fair and kind to them in his past life. Up until the end. What were the chances that things were going to be different this time?

Aiden’s hand inched towards his soldier’s belt, regardless.

Brandis’ gaze followed the action and the king leaned forward. “It’s always good to see a foreigner adjust to life in my kingdom so quickly, Lord Lacheart. But it seems you are wearing your soldier’s belt wrong.”

Aiden’s hand paused.

He was wearing the belt wrong, but it was intentional. The pockets unlocked from above, so he wore it upside down so that he didn’t have to pick his items from inside the pockets. Instead, when he opened them, the items would merely drop into his waiting hands. It shaved off a fraction of the time it took to reach inside the pockets for the items. It was a fraction of a second, but those counted greatly in a fight. The only part of the process considered stressful was developing a mind that remembered which pocket held what enchanted item.

Aiden nodded. “I am aware, your grace.”

“So it is intentional.” Brandis rested his back against the chair. “I see. But back to important conversations. Yes, I asked that all subjects regarding unique skills be kept from you and your companions.”

A true and honest man. Brandis was not one for the games of politics. He would rather challenge a man to a duel than talk around subjects, even if he knew how to talk around subjects.

“And may I ask why, your grace?” Aiden asked.

Brandis paused in barely concealed surprise at Aiden's choice of title.

Derenenoff's hand trembled on the pommel of his sword and Brandis spared the Knight a subtle look, then shook his head in what looked like dismay.

“Do you know what a unique skill is, Aiden?” Brandis asked. “May I call you Aiden?”

“You may, your grace. And yes, I know what a unique skill is. From what I read, it is what happens when a skill is tailored specifically to the user or allows them perform the actions intended of the skills in their own unique way.”

“The same skill, but used in a way unique only to the user.” Brandis nodded. “They are amazing skills. Not necessarily powerful, but amazing, nonetheless. However, the scriptures tell us something in its foretelling of you and your companions’ arrival.”

Brandis paused there, and it seemed intentional.

Aiden felt compelled to fill the silence. “And what does it teach, your grace?”

“Well, teach is a strong word. But what it tells us is something we are yet to share with you and yours. Although from the rumors climbing about the palace walls, you and your friends have already figured it out.”

Derendoff spared the king a quick look.

“Yes, Aiden,” Brandis continued. “I am talking about the advent of the Demon King. It is the reason you and yours are here. This Demon King is the end result of the rising darkness. As such, you have been summoned to prevent his rise or end it if it cannot be prevented.”

Aiden had never gotten a clue as to how Ted had become the Demon King aside from the fact that he had gotten it as a title. But it seemed the King was about to share something important.

Even if it isn’t specific, it might be a clue.

“And what have the scriptures said, your grace?” he asked graciously.

“It has said that the demon king will rise from among the humans,” Brandis answered. “Not the elves or dwarves or any other of the many species. The humans. It could be anyone, anyone at all. However, his adversary will rise from amongst the summoned. It is why you all are here.”

“One of us is destined to slay the Demon King?” Aiden asked.

“Yes,” Brandis answered. “With the assistance of the rest of you. However, do not misunderstand. While you are all kids. Valdan has vouched for your consistent display of maturity beyond what is to be expected of a child. As such, I can share this piece of information with you and only you, knowing that it will not cause a panic and that you know how to keep secrets.”

Aiden wasn’t sure what his response was supposed to be, so he said, “Yes, your grace.”

Brandis nodded. “Good. Now, while the scriptures agree that the Demon King's adversary will come from the summoned, it does not say that the demon king will not come from the summoned. Ergo, we have accounted for the possibility that one of you might become the enemy we seek to stop.”

Aiden gulped. So the king had already considered that possibility.

If only he knew how correct he was.

“But we do not worry,” Brandis said. “Because the scriptures give us a hint on how to… dare I say predict the Demon King.”

Good. If I can find out how Ted becomes the Demon King, then I can prevent it or act accordingly, if it is avoidable.

Though, Aiden still wasn’t sure what acting accordingly would be.

“And what do the scriptures say on the subject?” he asked.

“What it says…” Brandis placed a gentle hand on one of the books on the table. Something felt very solemn about the action. “What it says, Aiden, is that the one who is to become the Demon King will be a classless who develops a unique skill.”

Aiden froze.

His eyes darted from the king to Derendoff. Then back to the king. Ted may or may not be waiting for him behind the door, but none of that would matter.

“Y-your grace?” he stuttered.

Brandis sighed. “The scriptures also say that he will be a resourceful one. Now, you have said you learned of unique skills from the library, Lord Lacheart. However, I put it to you that we have been certain to clear the library of all texts relating to the acquisition of unique skills long before your arrival, so you could not have learned of it from the palace library.”

Brandis leaned back and folded his arms.

Aiden paled at the obvious error of his ways. His hands slowly inched closer to his soldier’s belt. His mind struggled to remember what enchantment was in which pocket as it also struggled to find a way out of the room alive. And as intimidating as Derendoff looked, Aiden knew that King Brandis, while a king, possessed a significantly higher level than all his knights.

“Tell me, Lord Aiden Lacheart,” Brandis continued, his voice calm but heavy. “Against all our precautions, have you acquired a unique skill?”

Aiden gulped. There was no use in lying. Valdan knew he’d gotten a unique skill, which meant that so did the king.

He’d messed up. He’d messed up terribly.

Aiden lowered his stance ever so gently, prepared himself. “Yes, your grace.”

The words barely left his mouth when everything seemed to burst into action.

Derendoff took a single step forward, sword already drawn with lightning speed. He held it high and above his head in an executioner’s stance and dark green aura flowed from it as magic crackled through the blade.

Aiden had no idea if he would be fast enough. His hands unlocked a pocket each and a cube and an orb fell in them.

He was already channeling mana to his hands even before the enchantments dropped to them. But he had no idea what would happen. The enchantments felt like they were taking forever to activate. He was no fool. He couldn’t survive a knight without any buffs.

Aiden’s eyes had never left his opponents, but Derendoff was suddenly standing in front of him, still in the stance of an executioner. It seemed that even in this life he was to become the enemy of the kingdom. Just for a different reason this time around.

Derendoff’s crackling sword cleaved through the air to take Aiden's head before he could react, ripping through anything in its path. The knight had proved faster than Aiden’s enchantments. But Aiden would not go down without a fight.

The Knight’s blade was Aiden’s last sight as he realized that his enchantments would not come to bear fast enough. Survival wasn't what was important anymore right now. What was important was not dying from the Knight's blow, and Aiden didn't know how to do that.

In the bleak world of hopelessness, his interface flashed in front of him.

You have activated [Orb of Lesser Speed]

Effect: 3% increase in movement speed.

Duration: 00:00:12.

…

You have activated [Cube of Lesser Endurance]

Effect: 8% increase in endurance.

Duration: 00:00:04.