Garnax let out a cry, as he realized what had happened. Sam felt a bloom of Dao energy above the man’s hand, but he ignored it. Next came Dyvan, who for the first time, had a Dao already suited to him. He was a follower of the path of Charisma, which made sense, given the accusations leveled against him by the king. Even if they weren’t true, they still had a grounding in reality. He was a man who could talk his way out of anything, highly attuned to the realities of life in the court. It fit him almost perfectly, and all Sam had to do was add a few minor suggestions, mainly about possible usages.
Anna and Malara were last, and their Daos could not have been more different. Malara was following a path similar to Dyvan’s, but more narrow, related to using her beauty and charms for social elevation. It was perhaps the most niche Dao Fragment Sam had ever seen, and he was forced to suggest significant changes to its pattern. The core of the Dao, the concept of using one’s appearance and personality for gain was fine, but the objective was extremely narrow. Instead of the idea of social elevation, only befitting a noble who had no wish for any personal power, Sam changed it to that of general opportunity. No longer was Malara’s goal some wealthy suitor, but anything that could empower her.
Meanwhile, Anna’s Dao was combat oriented, like her mother’s. Hers focused on sharp, precise motions. Hidden in a fold on her dress was a shortsword, but Sam’s E Rank senses could see it as clear as day. Her Dao was quite complete, but still weak in that it was only an early stage Fragment. There was always room to improve.
After making a few minor adjustments, he withdrew his skill, and smiled slightly. “I hope that helps you over the coming years.”
“What was that?” Dyvan nearly shouted, rising from his seat. “How did you do that?”
Garnax quickly pushed his son back into his seat. “What Dyvan means to say is: thank you for helping us like that. We will be forever in your debt, even more so than before.”
Sam waved his hand. “Don’t worry about it. It doesn’t cost me anything to do that. Just a skill I picked up along the way. You can repay me by using my gift to help yourselves.”
Garnax bowed low before Sam, a radiant smile on his face. To the beleaguered F Rank noble, Sam’s appearance and help must have seemed like a godsend.
***
The next day, as the sun rose over the horizon, Sam left the Marn family compound to head to the arena. Although they were out of the woods in terms of the threat to Dyvan, there was still a lot on the line. If Sam did not succeed, then they would never regain their standing, and the same thing would undoubtedly happen again. Rather than using the teleportation arrays, he decided to travel through the city. It wasn’t often that he was able to explore a world beyond the bounds of his own universe, or even Earth.
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The Marns scurried along behind him, and he started to rein in his speed, feeling a bit guilty.
The building that the lesser nobles lived in was truly monumental, built in a grandiose baroque style. It was divided into thousands of smaller suites, each similar to a penthouse on Earth.
Carpeted halls linked them, and gilded elevators allowed for those wishing to take a bit more time to enjoy the sights on display. Crystalline fountains sprinkled water into pools filled with exotic fish. Sam found himself marveling at the sights, but the Marns were clearly used to them, and seemed anxious about making it to their destination.
It took a few minutes to leave the building, but luckily for Sam, his power allowed him to take as much time as he needed to savor the sights in subjective time. Had he truly wished to, he could have traversed the entire building in the time it took for his companions to reach the door.
The doors opened slowly, twin constructions of wrought iron and silver, covered in reliefs showing Granthar fighting against various monsters. Even the exploits of a man as petty and cruel as the king were legendary, given that he was still a D Ranker. Pictures of the man beating dragons to death with fragments of entire continents rested beside scenes of him flying through the dark places between celestial bodies, spreading his empire to new planets.
Sam took this all in in the blink of an eye, saving the mental image for later. It was always important to study your enemies, even if you never had a chance at beating them.
Then his mind went to other things, as soon as he saw the city proper. Prax was a planet whose surface was dominated by one giant city, and the buildings took the place of natural features. Many were around a mile in height, looking like mountains as they pierced the clouds above. In the distance, a vast oval squatted on the horizon, casting a vast shadow across the land. It was the arena that Sam would be fighting in soon.
He turned his gaze to the street, which was absolutely filled with people. Most of them were G Rankers, some not even above level 10. It was a far cry from what he was used to, and even the barest hint of his aura sent them cowering. He reined it in completely, but there was something about him that went beyond simple power, and he actively repelled passersby as he walked.
“Is there anything worth seeing here?” Sam asked. “You guys know the city after all.”
“The palace, I suppose,” Garnax replied. “Though, I doubt you would be welcome there.”
Sam nodded. “Fair enough. It’s not my fault the king is such a coward.” If before, he had been repelling others on the street, now he had a fifty foot ring around him at all times. Insulting the king was the easiest way to die on Prax, but Sam knew that nothing would happen to him. Besides, it was certainly warranted.