9: Only Triumphs

“Un dur! Un dur! Un dur!”

Ten thousand voices chanted as one while a tall man raised his fist high. His hair was solid silver and he was naked from the waist up. His impressive physique gleamed under the lights and streamed with blood and Jason raised his eyebrows. Was this Charles Renault? He looked more like a street thug. His hair was cut short, several blade wounds marked his chest, and a bloodied opponent lay before him.

They had just arrived, entering a private box, and all around them the fans still chanted. He had learned that he spoke French, since arriving in Marseille. As for the chant, it meant something like tough guy. It was a reasonable moniker but he was surprised to see it applied to Charles Renault.

Amelie watched her grandfather with a proud smile, “His father gave it to him when he was young and it just stuck,” she explained.

“I see,” he murmured. He looked all around the stadium. Even in his day there were famous venues. The coliseum, for example, had already fallen into ruin. This was much smaller, similar to Madison Square Garden. There were massive screens, and soup can sized camera drones filming every angle, and currier drones, delivering all kinds of refreshments.

As for the center, there were no ropes containing boxers with gloves. Here there was a stone circle forty yards across with ten octagonal iron posts set around its perimeter. Each of these posts was inset with a line of epic grade mana stones, glowing purple, and together they projected an invisible shield, separating the crowd from the combatants.

The air suddenly trembled and the shield turned opaque, taking on a silvery gray color. It crumbled from the top and several people rushed into the circle. Three of them were healers that attended to the fallen fighter.

Jason observed him. He was dressed in full armor, now crushed and pierced in many places, and upon his chest was a tattered emblem. It was that of a shadowy reaper wielding a huge scythe. Appropriately, this was the symbol of the Reapers guild, one of the 4 mega guilds in North America. It was no exaggeration to say that they were 3x the size of Fortress.

As for the man himself, he was not old but older, with a full gray beard. Jason knew very little about their members but he had stepped into this ring with Charles Renault. This could only mean that he was above level 50. Everybody above level 50 was somebody, even among the Reapers.

Charles waited until the man was carried off then turned around. He pointed straight at a private box then made a beckoning gesture.

No one appeared and Charles turned to the crowd. He extended his arms and they suddenly erupted, “Coward! Coward! Coward!”

“SILENCE!” a thunderous voice roared, shaking the entire building. A man strode from the box and into the stands. Crimson flames surrounded him and he kicked off the ground, flying straight down to the circle. His powerful figure was covered from head to toe in shining purple armor and his red hair danced like flames.

Amelie looked serious. “That’s John Mason. He’s the vice guild leader of Reaper. ”

Jason, too, was sober. Charles was famous for his solo combat power but it would still be a tough fight. Looking at Mason’s gear it was entirely of epic items. He looked again. The massive hammer he wielded had a true golden glow. This indicated a legendary item. Aside from its massive stat bonuses, such a weapon would also have at least two special abilities, the primary and the secondary.

He thought of Amelie and how she had pierced the wolf king to his heart with a single spear throw. That was the special ability of an epic weapon. A legendary weapon could do the same with only its secondary ability. Its primary would be at least 50% stronger.

It was a basic principle of gear that the stronger an ability was the shorter it would last. This was a small consolation however as this principle had to be applied in context of the individual item. If a legendary item could triple a hunter’s strength for a few seconds, its secondary ability would be able to double it for 2 minutes. This might not seem like a great length of time but in a fight it might as well be five hours. How long could you last in a fight against someone with literally 2x your stats? Not 2 minutes, not by a long shot.

Charles laughed aloud and held out his hand to another private box. This one had the windows open and a silver lightning bolt shot into his hand. Jason’s heart beat faster. This was the greatest treasure of Fortress, the legendary sword Storm Bringer. It had a massive marquise cut sapphire for a pommel, within which lightning raged, and lightning crackled up and down the blade.

Mason looked furious, “Do you think you can beat me with just that!?”

Charles was still bare from the waist up with only rare grade trousers and boots below. He laughed again, “You spirit users, do you think I need more than one sword to beat you?”

Amelie looked tense. “Grandfather,” she murmured and Jason frowned. She was right. No matter how much of a battle maniac Charles might be, he couldn’t possibly win with only one weapon and no gear. Epic gear and above offered percentage based bonuses and each piece would increase a hunters primary stat by up to 50%. It was no exaggeration to say that a hunter without gear was merely a shadow of their true self.

As if to confirm his diagnosis a slender blond haired woman walked into the circle and pulled an epic chest plate from her inventory, “Fortress will not allow this match to go forward unless you gear up properly,” she announced.

Charles scowled but the woman stared him down. “Fine!” he finally said and he snatched the silver cuirass from her hand. He put it on with practiced speed and Mason actually looked mollified. Jason understood. With Charles unclothed it wouldn’t matter what the results were. If he won, it would be because Charles was insanely undergeared, if he lost he would be humiliated beyond measure.

He observed the woman, pulling item after item from her inventory. She was familiar, in fact she looked almost exactly like Amelie, albeit a bit years older.

Amelie nodded, “She’s my mother.”

Jason smiled, “And apparently the real head of Fortress.”

She rocked her head, “Truth be told, she has more followers than him, though his are the strongest among us.”

“I didn’t realize…”

She laughed and waved a hand, “It’s not like that, it’s just that my grandfather has little interest in administration and can be stubborn. He would never hurt her,” she smiled warmly, “I’m his favorite and she’s my favorite after all.”

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“I see.”

Very quickly Charles was geared from head to toe. “Good, now we can have a fair fight!” Mason shouted loud enough for everyone to hear.

“Yeh! Let’s see how long you last!” one man jeered and everyone joined in.

Charles held up his a hands, “Alright! Everybody out!” he decreed.

Everyone obeyed and the shield went back up, first opaque then invisible, vanishing away as if it wasn’t there at all. Jason watched closely. It wasn’t every day that you got to see a fight between two level 60 hunters, both of them with legendary weapons.

“Come on then!” Mason roared. Flames exploded around him then he began to chant.

Charles watched him sardonically.

“Oh ancient flame! Oh great destroyer! Come! Let your wrath be loosed! Set all the world to blaze!” The more he spoke the hotter his flames raged and Charles frowned in annoyance. The flames rushed from his body. They took on shape and a mighty dragon was formed. It did not have a physical body, but was entirely of flames, and yet when it stalked around the circle the protective shield quivered.

It spoke in a deep and gravelly voice, “You human, you dare threaten my charge?”

Charles laughed, “Who is threatening? This is just a game, a game where I destroy you like the puppet you are.”

The dragon growled. It was a sound so deep and menacing that the entire crowd shrank. Even Jason clenched his jaw, but not in fear. Mana was burning hot in his chest. What a presumptuous chant! Set all the world to blaze!? What right did he have!? He stood up instinctively. He checked himself. Was he crazy? Did he seriously think he could interfere? He had come there to meet Charles Renault, but that was an entirely different thing from interfering in a level 60 fight.

He shook himself. He knew it was mad but everything in him was telling him to get in that circle. To stamp that impudent lizard into dust. He exhaled and sat down. There would be plenty of time. For now he would just watch the fight.

Lightning exploded around Charles and he charged straight at Mason. They came together in an explosion of flame and lightning that rocked the entire building.

“Die!” roared the dragon and it pounced at Charles. It missed and Jason gripped the rail in front of him. This wasn’t right! He knew Charles could handle himself but this wasn’t how it should be. Humans combatting spirits with human powers? This wasn’t how it was supposed to be!

Charles and Mason and the beast blasted around the circle like comets of lightning and flame, the shield trembling all the time, the crowd roaring.

Something caught his eye and he suddenly stopped. A new figure had appeared, at the edge of the circle, one very familiar. The figure turned around and Jason blinked once. He looked different from before, with a human countenance, and yet his cloak was unchanged, shining about him. No one seemed to see him but he beckoned Jason forward.

He was about to obey when he paused, “Come on,” he called. Amelie’s gaze had never left the ring and she looked confused.

“There’s someone you need to meet,” he said and he beckoned her on. She followed reluctantly and they made their way down towards the center. Ten feet from the circle was a perimeter of guards. Amelie showed her ID and they instantly gave way. Jason led the way. He instinctively took her hand then they reached the circle. At its very edge was the figure he had seen. He turned and Amelie’s mouth fell open. This was because the figure looked exactly like Joshua.

Suddenly the noise grew distant. “Lord,” Jason said as he inclined his head. He turned to Amelie, “this is my lord, Kyrios, the God of all spirits” he introduced.

Her eyes grew even wider then they traveled over his cloak. He knew, she was seeing him, really seeing him, for the first time.

He smiled at her very warmly and extended a hand to her. “Hello, I’ve been wanting to meet you for a long time,” he said.

She trembled and glanced around. Strangely, no one else paid them the slightest mind. “Lord, are you Kyrios? The one they call the God of spirits?”

Kyrios only smiled but a thousand amber stars flickered in his eyes. “Tell me, do you want to live?”

She drew a shaky breath, “I want to succeed. I want to reach floor one hundred.”

He chuckled, a rich sound that strummed the entire universe, “That is what I meant. Do you want to triumph? Do you want my power?”

She opened her mouth but suddenly stopped. Not five feet away from them fire and lightning raged. They could even see the dragon roaring. And yet all was distant and quiet. She looked back to Kyrios, “What is the cost of this power?” she asked, “Jason told me that he had to die to acquire it.”

Kyrios nodded, “He was right,” he extended a hand over Jason’s chest, “his very heart has been replaced with a portion of my power. It is from this that he draws unlimited strength.”

She was quiet, “But you can keep me alive. I do not need to die merely for my heart to be replaced.”

“Why do you fear death? Do you have anything in this life worth keeping? Are you not trapped in impotence? Wasting way to such paltry distractions?” With this he gestured to the fight, and she drew a breath.

“You are right, without you I stand no more chance of conquering the dungeon than they do.”

She was entirely right. Even the greatest of hunters would reach level 60 sometime in their forties and could go no further. This was because of two simple realities. At level 60 there was a sudden change in the XP system. From then on only monsters one level higher than you would yield any XP at all. This alone would not be enough to stop determined hunters, but there was one more problem. Every monster above level 60 had an absurd amount of authority. Every drop of mana on floor 60 and above was under their control and there wasn’t a single thing anyone could do about it.

She gathered her courage and looked into his face, “Was this always your intent? That no hunter should complete the dungeons without your help?”

He did not deny but nodded, “You are right. The dungeons were always intended as a training mechanism for my servants. I have allowed others to gain some small advantage within them, but they certainly shall not see the full.”

She was quiet and Jason spoke, “The dungeons and everything within them are his. Just because he’s generous enough to share its lesser blessings, doesn’t mean he owes them everything he has.”

She stared at him and he nodded.

“He is a good master,” he assured. It was true, he had only met Kyrios that morning, but if he had learned anything it was that he was good. He knew simply from the pure, bright power burning in his chest, if only from the dungeons he created, and the breadth of his strength. If he wished them harm the world would be a much darker place. There was great darkness, conceived by the vile minds of men, but the world was full of light. No evil God would create such a place.

She turned back to Kyrios, searching his face. Her expression firmed. Finally, she spoke, “Lord. What must I do?” she asked.

If it were possible, his eyes warmed even more, “Just this, you must determine in your heart to trust in me and only me, in my mana and only mine. If you can do that, all things can become yours, even eternity.”

She closed her fists, “I can… I will,” she vowed. Visible light bloomed in her chest and Jason’s heart leapt. She caught her breath and her knees buckled. In a moment Kyrios caught her. He held her upright in his arms until she found her feet. His strong hand touched her hair then he wrapped her in his arms again.

Jason understood. Kyrios was ancient, older than time itself, if such thing could be quantified. When he held her in his arms, it was as if holding a little child.

He stepped back and braced her arms. There were tears in her eyes. She looked at her hands then into his eyes. “I won’t fail,” she promised and he laughed.

“There will be many hills and valleys, but only triumphs, for all those who trust in me.”

She laughed merrily, “Only triumphs,” she agreed and Kyrios squeezed her wrists one more time. “Until we meet again,” he said and he suddenly vanished away.

She turned to Jason and he laughed with her. “Welcome to the club,” he said as he stuck out his hand. She looked at it then smiled softly, laying a hand on her chest. “This power, it’s unlike any other.”

“Yes,” he agreed firmly. His hand was still there and he was about to withdraw it when she looked at it. She took it and squeezed it firmly. Somehow there was much more to this gesture and she smiled anew.

He was just about to speak when the noise suddenly rushed in.

BOOM! Mason slammed into the barrier right beside them and slid to the ground. His armor was shattered, his hammer cracked, and his familiar nowhere to be seen.