CHAPTER XXXI: TEMPT FATE
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TRIAL TIME 17:32
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WANCHI
CLYDE
“Why?” Princess Maria asked, finally finding her voice, and it was angry.
“We got a message from the Gnomes asking for our help in destroying an elven Army to the south of here, and they will do the rest after that army is wiped out. The war is all but over. We have won. We will not beat one master only to swear to another.” Marvin stated vehemently.
“We have won, and now we plan to push our advantage. We plan to kill off the Gnomes once they kill off the rest of the elves.” Felicia smiled at Gunther. “We have won; after centuries of fighting, the end is in sight.”
“First and foremost, I do not plan to lord over our people; I plan to lead them. I am not a council, and while I plan to listen to your suggestions, I will be making my decision based on many more factors than that, at least military wise.” He looked directly into Felicia’s eyes. “You didn’t win this war, I,” He pointed to the monks and the Princess. “We won this war for you. I am not one to take credit, but this one was kinda all me. I may be new to this world, but I can’t imagine that fighting seven councilors for control of a nation is normal. Why are you changing your traditions all of a sudden?”
“This has always been our invasion protocol,” Marvin said.
Clyde got a ping from his map ability. He looked at it, and he saw a question mark on the massive palace in the middle of all of the waterfalls.
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< WARLORD EVENT ALERT >
EVENT NAME: Conquer Wanchi
DESCRIPTION: The Council of Wanchi has bent the rules of their own people for a chance at power. They have chosen to call you a hostile entity rather than a member of their race who can duel them individually. The people of Wanchi are not happy with this and have created an event making it easier for you to take command of the nation and its people.
Objective: Claim Wanchi by touching the City hall(Location on map.)
Objective: Defeat at least 4 of the councilor.
Rewards: EXP, Nascent Mermaid leadership, 100 Greater Rare Mana Stones, 1 Platinum Mana Stone, Wanchi Land deed.
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The Colonel chuckled at the rewards. If the Councilors knew that he was going to get over a hundred more of the Mana Stones just for beating them. He was pretty sure they wouldn’t even fight him. He also noticed that there was no failure penalty on the event, which probably meant failure was death.
He saw the councilors' eyes refocused, and their faces were a mixture of hesitation and pride. “You are going against your people too much, it seems,” Clyde said to the councilors. What are your terms for this battle?”
“They don’t know what is good for them,” Felicia said with conviction as she stood tall. She wasn’t a very large woman, but her Presence was strong and heavy. It stood out from the rest of them now that Clyde was looking for it. “We will show them like we always have. We have been the shepherd of our people from the inception of this iteration and will always be the leaders of our race.”
“You may not be the leader they need moving forward, Felicia; you seem way out of touch with your people. All of you do.” Clyde looked at the Councilors standing in his way. They, for some reason, felt like they could bar him from his Cultivation Focus. He was a Conqueror. “I mean, look at you. You came here to declare war on your champion. That has to be an all-time dick move for sure.”
Peck Joy stepped up next to him, with Oprah, Sheela, and Gunter joining instantly. All the other members of the group stood behind them for support.
Princess Maria walked past the councilors to join her Progenitor.
Marvin looked on in shock. To have their very own knights stand against them was treason, and in war, that meant death. They didn’t seem to mind that they were going to die. In fact, they seemed relatively comfortable with the fact; he knew that look; it was an honor.
“Know this, you traitors; we will hold your respawn for the maximum amount of time.”
“Felicia, why you got to be so... dickish.” Clyde admonished her again.
Her rage was so high her flushed face was not hiding it even with her centuries of political experience. She then schooled her features. “You have one day to surrender, and you will get the longest respawn time as well.”
“Wait.” Peck Joy said, his voice cutting through the Councilor's chatter. “We have not come to terms.”
“It is war terms, fool,” Marvin said.
“As the highest ranking voice of the Celestial on this island. I will accept the war terms, Councilor. Do you object, Progenitor?” A thundering new voice said.
“Everyone in the valley and the surrounding area looks up to a figure in the sky standing on a massive Manta Ray. He was too far for Colonel to Analyze, and for the first time, he realized the ability had a range. He shrugged; it looked like the story was about to get real good; now shut up and listen.” The narrator said, confusing the hell of Colonel.
‘I did realize the Analyze Ability had a range, right?’ Clyde thought.
“Progenitor?” Peck Joy sheepishly whispered.
‘Oh right, he asked me that question.’ He thought a little too late. “I am unaware of the terms of war, good sir. I am Colonel Clyde Jacob Junior. May I have your name in return, please?”
“I am the Arch-Cleric Rivers Colonel, and I will be the adjudicator of this war.
“Well shit, it's nice to meet you, sir.” The Colonel smiled up at the ancient-looking mermaid.
“Charming. Peck Joy, explain the terms and have an answer in ten minutes, or new terms.”
“Yes, adjudicator.” Peck Joy walked over to Clyde and activated a sound shield.
“Pretty cool. I am really getting into this stuff. How is my character out there?” Clyde said, smiling.
“This is the callousness of power; many don’t know it exists because many don’t ever get to your level of power, but you can see first hand in the Councilors. They can’t see beyond their power, even bending tradition in order to win and acquire more power. It is the cycle of capped power. When players in a capped zone get to the peak, they scarp and claw for minuscule advantages over their peers. You won’t have that problem, My lord.”
“So power is changing me?”
“Never Colonel. You are who you are. As a player becomes more powerful however, they show more people who they really are, even if they shouldn’t sometimes.” Peck Joy answered definitively.
“Okay, is that why leveling high feels so good?”
“Partly, but also every advancement a player has gives them just a little more freedom. But when you get to the Peak, where is the freedom, you are trapped. That is why they are the way they are.”
“The callousness of power... I can see that. What are the terms?” The legacy said, mentally tired already.
“No matter the terms of war, there is one goal.” Peck Joy said.
“To take the capital city.” The Colonel guessed.
“Any Stronghold that is conquered belongs to the player for a Common Period if they can hold it. If they can hold it for an Uncommon period, they can start collecting taxes.” Peck Joy said.
“So I just waltz in and take the city?” The Colonel asked, skeptical.
“I can imagine that you have quite a bit of Free EXP.” Peck Joy said. “I don’t know your racial rules, but I am pretty sure you can level up as much as long as you earned the EXP and the Titles to match with your accomplishment; I doubt that you don't have the titles you need to advance.”
“Are you saying you I should Level up to Seventy to match them?”
“I think tier 5 would be perfect. With your stats already as high as a tier 5 now, I can’t imagine what you would look like at Tier 5. More importantly, you will get access to -Will- I can’t see your -Will- being any less than them. Plus the Talents and Perks.”
“They are Level 70. How would my Level 50 -Will- be more than theirs?”
“Because a weak-willed player can gain levels, but only a strong-willed person can gain -Will-. You see, Colonel Tier 5 is where the real GREAT GAME begins for Elites. Tier 5 pools make players much more powerful in the short term. You got lucky, as you said, but any great hero story had to have a little luck. Those seven will use their stored-up -Will- like a weapon of mass destruction on us, and we will be crushed if your -Will- isn’t up to their level. If it is beyond it, even with Tier disparity, in battle, a single Tier can be jumped. Add that to your gear, and you should be a menace to their lower levels. After their -Will- assault fails. They have to wait until half the forces, or the highest levels players to join.”
Stolen story; please report.
“Which means I will be able to pick off half the army at my leisure,” Colonel asked.
“Not really; you will run out of Mana long before you get to fifty percent.”
“I have ways to getting Mana back.”
Peck Joy stared at his new leader. “Of course you do.” He sighed. “Don’t ever tell others that. Those are very sought-after types of powers. I can see that you are a fish fresh out of the egg, but that is not a normal effect at all. I am sure you were going to tell me that you have multiple ways to do it, right?” Peck Joy looked around conspiratorially, eyeing the leadership.
Colonel said nothing. He was really wondering how different he was from all the other players in the GREAT GAME.
“They may break tradition if you stand out too much, though. Too much is on the line for them. That one Mana stone could give us our first Queen or King in a millennia.”
Clyde put his hand on Peck Joy’s shoulder. “I don’t know much about the GREAT GAME Cleric, but I do know those councilors can’t beat me. Is that my feeling, or is that this callousness of power?”
“A little bit of both, Colonel.” He said, looking at his Progenitor. “Tiers of power are good barometers for power levels. Even identification powers always go with the highest-tiered path. In the game, there is more nuance to pure powe, however. For instance, gear offsets tiers. A Level 1 player with a Rare weapon would probably be fighting at or around a Level 20 player, without the spells of a Level 20, by the way, but the power of one. For a Level 10 to match that same Level 1, they would need an Uncommon weapon, at the very least. I can see your gear is of very good quality, and if I were to guess, I would say Peak Platinum or Low Diamond. If it is above that, don’t tell anyone... Ever!” He sighed. ”They say gods would descend for Epic and above gear. Before today, I would have thought that saying was hyperbole, but after seeing what I saw, if I were you, I wouldn’t tempt fate. You already have enough powerful enemies.” Peck Joy added.
“Would the Adjudicator step in if they cheat?” The Colonel asked, avoiding the gear statement. He did understand why he was so effective against higher tier beings now, even the ones with centuries more of experience. It was his legendary gear. If gear could raise your tier artificially, then Colonel figured he had been fighting at Tier 7 from the second he got his first legacy set piece in the Dungeon.
“I am uncertain. I have not seen my master in quite some time, and decades can change a person. As your Tiers rise, you will get more life extension in the form of Vitality. Humans have one of the lowest lifespans in the multiverse, but as you evolve through race quest, that slowly changes. We mermaids get over 150 years per tier; some, like my master, have been alive for over a thousand years. He was alive for when the world turned Runic. That is how he became an Arch-Cleric. If the seven councilors overwhelm you, I am unsure he would be ABLE to help you in time for it to even matter. If you are a corpse, what would he be saving?” Peck Joy thought out loud for a second. “We get to offer up a prize. I recommend a Mana Stone and a high-tier monster Core. They have to offer up something of equal value. Of which they don’t have, so they will pool something together.”
“So the Mana Stone is really game-changing?” Clyde asked, thinking.
Peck Joy read something in his HUD. Clyde saw his unfocused eyes and knew it. Peck Joy frowned, not a look Clyde liked.
“What?” He asked concerned.
“The Arch-Cleric sent me a private message with a style.” He looked up to the hovering Manta Ray.
“Can you share it?”
“No, Style messages are very limited; they can be intercepted very easily, have a limited range, and cost too much compared to a party, team chat, or even Communication abilities. A style message is basically guaranteed, even if it isn’t as private as it should be. It would be very confusing without context, anyway. It is about the Gnomes' full message. They asked for the head of the person leading the army that destroyed the two elven armies for a bonus Peak Platinum item each.”
“Well shit, that isn’t good for me at all, is it?” Clyde postulated.
“No, it is not.” Peck Joy sighed and looked at the seven as they made their way back to their armies. “They will absolutely cheat, and that was my master's way of telling me he can’t or won’t help.”
“What is the value of a Peak Platinum item?” Clyde asked, starting to form a new plan. He grew up in a very prosperous time in the United States. He could always smell a deal. He had dealt with greedy people all over the globe. The best part of being in the world’s most heavily funded military was that he always had funds to bring rebels over to his side, which stopped more bloodshed than actually fighting people’s ideals.
“Depends on the item type, a sword and spear could give completely different stats and bonus effects, but both can increase a Councilor's power over the other.”
“Right, it is about power over the others. Now that the Gnomes are willing to turn on the Imperium they believe this is the time to find a new head of the people. Then here I come, and do all the work for them and I am also weaker than them. So now they can kill two birds with one stone...” Kekere nudged him. “It is an idiom, girl, just a saying from my world.“ He patted her head; she relaxed on his shoulder. “And all they have to do is bend some small traditional rules. A fair trade-off for a chance at more power and a chance at more life. Because no matter how much life extension a player gets, your time will come someday unless you can advance past this part of the world, I’m guessing.” The Colonel surmised.
“That is a fairly accurate statement.” Peck Joy started. “At some point, a capped player has a choice to be a big fish in a small lake but only have a short life, or to head out into the ocean and become a small fish again, but seeking the ultimate prize: immortality. Weak-willed people stay where they are and never see the world, coming up with ways to justify their lack of culture and blaming the outside world for all their problems. Weak-willed people never take responsibility. They seek big wins over steady progress. Weak-willed people want to be leaders but don’t know how to lead, just how to tell people what to do. They often want credit for doing their jobs constantly, yet they won’t reciprocate that back on their peers or subordinates. Weak-willed players never ascend. But if they get items that allow them to do so, in their final years, they are more than likely to try than go quietly into the night.”
Clyde slimed. His plan was coming together. “I think I am ready for this then.” Flush with loot, he could do some serious damage by just using the Mana Stones.
“Do you want to tell me your plan, or are you just going to surprise us all?” Peck Joy asked, getting a feeling about his Progenitor, he was kind of a show-off, but also he was calm and calculated.
“Can they reject what I offer? And is everyone in the army in a full five-player team?” Clyde asked, causing Peck Joy to sweat a little, hearing the team question for a second time in a day. The last time he answered that question, Gunter died fighting.
“Of course, they are full teams; it is the only way you are allowed to serve. They will reject the offer if the value is too low. They would also just rush us and kill us. Your terms are really there for a fair fight, not anything else. You are paying for honor, ” Peck Joy said.
“I don’t know if that is how honor works, but I am fine with that. It is pretty straightforward. Drop the sound barrier.” The Colonel turned around to face the armies, straightening out his uniform even when it was already pretty straight. An old habit.
Peck Joy turned off a device and put it away in his storage ring. Clyde’s eyes narrowed at it. ‘That’s pretty cool it just disappeared as it touched the ring.’
“Are your terms ready, Progenitor?”
“Yes, Adjudicator, they are,” Clyde answered the voice from above.
“Speak them out loud. We will all hear your proclamation as law if accepted.” The entire valley stilled as Clyde was given the stage.
Sheela coughed as she choked on a piece of jerky she was hurriedly eating before the battle. The small piece of meat didn’t give up and fell perfectly into her airway, causing the Mermaid to go into a full-on panic. Apparently, the universal choking motion was... well, universal. Clyde walked behind her, and even though she was taller than him by a little, he easily picked her up and gave her abdominal thrust from behind, which finally dislodged the offending piece of cured meat.
Sheela fell to her knees, coughing and gasping for air. Clyde patted her on her back. “Don’t worry, I’ll handle it from here, trooper. He looked back at the armies as the quiet stretched on. “I offer two perfect Platinum Mana Stones for the war terms,” The Legacy said as he could feel the smile on the seven faces.
“Terms have been accepted, and you have one Common period to prepare...” The adjudicator stopped talking when he saw and felt the red glow appear in Clyde’s hands.
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< ANALYZE >
{1 Greater Diamond Mana Stones(Equal to 100,000 Diamond Mana Crystal(1/10,000)
Rare Bonus: Times 6 for mental Attributes
Platinum Bonus: Adds plus 8% per level to any skill and element.
Diamond Bonus: 50% increase effect of any creation.
{Item Name: Diamond Mana Crystal
Item Type: Consumable, Ingredient
1/10000 ratio on Mana Pool 10 uses daily.
1/10 ratio on XP 10 uses per level.
10/1 ratio on Attributes: 10 uses per attribute per level
Mana crystal can be used by Any Class and for many different rituals, Activities, and Skills. It can be used to refill your Mana Pool but that is the most basic use of mana Crystals and has major debuffs if overused. They are the currency of The GREAT GAME.}
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“I will offer one of these...” as six more red mana stones appeared in his hands, “to the players that kill at least four of the Seven Councilors. He pulled out the vile wyvern’s monster core.
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< ANALYZE >
{Monster Core Name: Vile Wyvern
Monster Core Tier: Peak Ancient
Monster Core Description: Monster cores are the accumulated power and EXP of a fallen monster. Most of that EXP is returned to the source when the monster dies, but a piece of the monster stays around. Players can use these Cores to level up Classes, Trades, Skill-trees, and Techniques. They can also be used in a myriad of crafts, buildings, rituals, and spell components. Monster cores have many more uses in the GREAT GAME.
Monster Core value: 10,000,000,000 EXP 10% chance to unlock Vile Wyvern Bloodline trait(50% if the killer uses the Core.)}
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“I will give this to those who kill all seven. You have an hour to comply. I will level up in that timeframe.” He put them away.
He sat and looked out over the valley as the tension grew quickly. The Councilor no longer felt safe and confident in their plans. Their smiles turned to frowns as they looked around.
The amount of power in those mana Stones alone could bring an entire team up to their level of power. The Monster Core could level a Platoon to Cap level if they cleared their quest and upgraded their Titles. The Colonel knew they were caught between their greed and their life. Pride could only take you so far, and when you have compromised your values too much, at some point, you get to a breaking point. Today, the Seven Councilors realized that they were weak-willed.
“We surrender. Wanchi is yours, Progenitor.” They all turn to him and take a knee in unison.
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< WARLORD EVENT COMPLETE >
EVENT NAME: Conquer Wanchi
DESCRIPTION: The Council of Wanchi has bent the rules of their own people for a chance at power. They have chosen to call you a hostile entity rather than a member of their race who can duel them individually. The people of Wanchi are not happy with this and have created an event making it easier for you to take command of the nation.
Objective: Claim Wanchi by touching the City hall(The City was surrendered to you by the Council)
Objective: Defeat at least 4 of the councilor. (For surrendering without a fight, you have defeated all 7.)
Rewards: 7,000,000 EXP, Nascent Mermaid leadership, 700 Greater Rare Mana Stones, 10 Platinum Mana Crystals, Wanchi Land deed.
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< CLASS QUEST UPDATED >
{QUEST NAME: Conqueror’s mission I
QUEST TYPE: HYBRID (Class/CASTE/RACE)
Quest Tier: Legendary
DESCRIPTION: Your legacy has Shocked the Island of serendipity and its planet’s Legacy, but that isn’t enough to leave a long impression. Your brutal entry into this world will only be truly a legacy if you win.
Requirements: Win the war within one Uncommon period.
Objective 1: Capture or Control 90% of the Island. (90% Controlled)(Complete)
Objective 2: Create a type of government suitable for your lands
Objective 3: Have at least 50% of the population survive the Period. (100%)(Complete)
Time remaining: 6W:6D:14H:13M
Temporary bonus: EXP Boost on conquered and warring lands.
Rewards: EXPERIENCE, Class upgrade, Spell tome, 100 skill points ~+20 to all except magic, +1 to Magic, EXP Boost.
Failure penalty: Path forward cut off. -50 from all stats expect magic}
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< DUNGEON COMPLETION OBJECTIVE LIST >
{1. Make a Stronghold. (Complete)
2. Win the war.
3. Gain access to the respawn system. (Complete)
4. Choose a side in conflict. (Mermaid side)
5. Solve the puzzle.
6. Face the final boss.
7. Don’t Die more than once.}
{100% Completion Bonus is a rank upgrade.}
< 35% Completion >
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Clyde smiled. “Okay, we will rest a day, then head south to finish off this war by taking out that Elven army.” He was about to open his map ability when the booming voice spoke again, getting everyone’s attention.
“Terms must be maintained. While they had the right to surrender, Progenitor's offer for the next hour was still in effect. If the Councilors survive the next hour, only then can they speak for our people.” The Manta started to descend to them.
A wave of killing -Will- and -Intent- fell over the Councilors from the armies as they started to rush at them. The Councilors looked at each other, and then they all ran in seven different directions pulling out escape and defensive items quickly using them.
“Oops,” Clyde said, then he pulled up his Character Sheet to level up, shrugging at the chaos he had brought upon his new people for the next hour. “Sometimes Order requires a little chaos.” He mussed the words of the fundamental TRUTH of Order.