Chapter 24: Plan of Action_The Vitaean Chronicles - Volume I: The Sanguine Prince

Arcturus awoke in the sanctuary of his own mind, clothed in a simple white shirt and black pants, lying atop the rumbled covers of his bed on Earth. A slow, relieved sigh escaped him as he looked around at the familiar posters and paraphernalia littering the space he’d lived in since childhood. There was safety in those memories; safety and recollection of better, and simpler times.

When he rolled off the bed it was with a slow roll of his neck, smiling at the lack of agony he’d found prior to his blackout. A shattered collarbone was, by any estimation, horrifying to live with — worse still if you were engaged in active and unrelenting combat. The memories of what he’d done to the simulacrums reared its head and he grimaced, fighting down ethereal nausea and shaking his head.

“They weren’t real.” He assured himself in the peace of his mind while standing up from the bed to enjoy a slow stretch.

Gotta hand it to you. That was some brutal work.

Arcturus snorted at his subconscious and waved a hand dismissively at the air as he slouched over to his desk, pulling out his chair and flopping into it with a lazy sigh of contentment. All too soon he’d reawaken in Terra, but for the immediate moment he could just be… free. In a manner of speaking.

His eyes turned down towards the waiting paper on his desk, and he grinned at the filled level up bar in front of him.

“I know exactly what to do with you.” He said confidently, before looking over his character sheet again — though this time, with a thought, he minimised the descriptions of his abilities.

INFORMATION PANEL

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BASIC INFORMATION

NAME Arcturus Valoura CLASS Ȁ̶̩͉̝̤͘͝r̴̥̥͕̐̌͒͝ć̸̫͓̿ͅä̸̧́̐̀n̷̲̏̌̀͜͝ẹ̷̜͙̈́̏ ̷̙̥͐̄W̴̮̘͂̓̊͝a̴̢͑͆͋ŗ̷̬̫̋r̵̪̯̋̓̅̕i̷̛͖̬͍ō̵͍͉͜r̸̡̻̗̜̿͒ RACE Nephilim AGE 21 GENDER Male LEVEL 5 TITLE(S) N/A

CONDITION

ANIMA 13 HP 133 / 133 2.5 Health Per Minute (HPM) AETHER 13 MP 133 / 133 2.5 Mana Per Minute (MPM)

ATTRIBUTES

Strength

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Agility

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Intellect

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Vitality

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Perception

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Arcana

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Willpower

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Charisma

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Luck

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CORE SKILLS

SKILL NAME

DETAILS

Aether Manipulation

(Passive, Infinite Scaling)

[Click to Expand]

Inspect

(Passive, Infinite Scaling)

[Click to Expand]

COMBAT SKILLS

SKILL NAME DETAILS

Unarmed Combat

(Passive, Level 2)

[Click to Expand]

Stealth

(Active, Level 1)

[Click to Expand]

Aetherblade Wielding

(Passive, Level 1)

[Click to Expand]

MAGICAL SKILLS

SKILL NAME DETAILS

Psionicist

(Passive, Infinite Scaling)

[Click to Expand]

Telekinesis

(Active, Level 4)

[Click to Expand]

TRADE SKILLS

SKILL NAME DETAILS

Cartography

(Active, Level 1)

[Click to Expand]

Arcane Linguistics

(Passive, Infinite Scaling)

[Click to Expand]

Enchanting

(Active, Level 1)

[Click to Expand]

Aethersmithing [Core]

(Active, Level 1)

[Click to Expand]

Aethersmithing Infusion [Branch]

(Active, Level 1)

[Click to Expand]

Aethersmithing Diffusion [Branch]

(Active, Level 1)

[Click to Expand]

LEVEL PROGRESS

EXPERIENCE 526 / 500 Level Up In Progress

“Huh. Nephilim now, eh? Took it long enough to update.”

Took you long enough to accept it, you mean.

Arcturus paused at that retort, and then nodded in agreement. That was true. It had taken him a while to accept. Perhaps that meant he was finally acclimating to Terra more fully.

His eyes swept down the list of skills and he noted the addition of Aetherblade Wielding to his Combat Skills. That would make things easier in the future, and he was sorely tempted to dump points into it immediately. After his experiences with the training chamber, he had a feeling that fast-tracking his weapon skill was going to be crucial — but he didn’t do it. Not simply because he had things that were even more pressing, but because he realised that knowledge was different to execution. Taking extra levels in Aetherblade Wielding wouldn’t give him the experience to use them.

It was just like borrowing preternatural insights. Useful, but still requiring practice to work properly. Adam’s hypotheses about the System also correlated to that logic; and he rarely knew Adam to be wrong.

His Telekinesis had also leveled from 4 to 5, which was remarkably useful. He was sorely tempted to increase that as well, given how well it’d served him where his aetherblade had failed. However, he’d known what he would do going into the level up and he wasn’t about to be diverted by pleasant surprises.

Instead he went straight to his Anima and Aether, and tapped both twice.

Anima increased by 1 Point!

Health increased by 10% Compounding!

Anima increased by 1 Point!

Health increased by 10% Compounding!

Aether increased by 1 Point!

Aether increased by 10% Compounding!

Aether increased by 1 Point!

Aether increased by 10% Compounding!

The numbers on his sheet shimmered from 13 to 15, and Arcturus saw his Health and Mana leap up to 160 / 160 with a regeneration rate of 3 per minute for each. That was a small but significant change. It meant he could regenerate sixty points of health and mana with each twenty minute break Tylariel gave him, and fully recharge both his health and mana in just under an hour.

With that done the experience bar dropped to just above half, which was fine. He already knew where the rest of his points would go.

He tapped Strength twice, bringing it up to 23 and hopefully increasing his physical resistance and offensive power enough to be more capable of dealing with the Minions, and then reached over and dumped all four of his remaining points straight into Agility for a total of 19. He’d considered it even as he was fighting, and the conclusion he’d come to was one he stood by: He needed to keep increasing his power, but his biggest weakness against the simulacrums had been his inability to out-maneuver them.

All the power in the world was moot if he couldn’t land a hit, and that had made his decision for him. He would work hard to improve his Aetherblade Wielding skill, but without the speed and reflexes to properly make use of the weapon… well, anything else was just bloody pointless in Arcturus’ eyes. He knew that the increases would still require honing and practice to make use of, but it was a quick way to give himself a bit of a ‘leg up’ for the next time he fought the Minions.

Besides, he was sure there was a gym somewhere within the Rubastra Estate; and he fully intended to make use of it to further increase his physical attributes.

With his points allocated, he glanced over his status sheet one more time.

INFORMATION PANEL

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BASIC INFORMATION

CONDITION

ANIMA 15 HP 160 / 160 3 Health Per Minute (HPM) AETHER 15 MP 160 / 160 3 Mana Per Minute (MPM)

ATTRIBUTES

Strength

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Agility

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Intellect

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Vitality

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Perception

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Arcana

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Willpower

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Charisma

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Luck

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CORE SKILLS

SKILL NAME

DETAILS

Aether Manipulation

(Passive, Infinite Scaling)

[Click to Expand]

Inspect

(Passive, Infinite Scaling)

[Click to Expand]

COMBAT SKILLS

SKILL NAME DETAILS

Unarmed Combat

(Passive, Level 2)

[Click to Expand]

Stealth

(Active, Level 1)

[Click to Expand]

Aetherblade Wielding

(Passive, Level 2)

[Click to Expand]

MAGICAL SKILLS

SKILL NAME DETAILS

Psionicist

(Passive, Infinite Scaling)

[Click to Expand]

Telekinesis

(Active, Level 5)

[Click to Expand]

TRADE SKILLS

SKILL NAME DETAILS

Cartography

(Active, Level 1)

[Click to Expand]

Arcane Linguistics

(Passive, Infinite Scaling)

[Click to Expand]

Enchanting

(Active, Level 1)

[Click to Expand]

Aethersmithing [Core]

(Active, Level 1)

[Click to Expand]

Aethersmithing Infusion [Branch]

(Active, Level 1)

[Click to Expand]

Aethersmithing Diffusion [Branch]

(Active, Level 1)

[Click to Expand]

LEVEL PROGRESS

EXPERIENCE 26 / 600 5% Progress to Level 6

Satisfied with his choices and knowing he was stuck with them regardless, Arcturus stood up from the table and stretched his arms over his head with a groan of pleasure. He glanced at his bed and the inevitable return to Terra, before turning instead to look at the door to his room. He’d never bothered to try opening it in his previous two visits to the strange construction within his mind’s eyes, yet something seemed to pique his curiosity this time. Wandering over nonchalantly, he reached out and placed his hand on the silvery handle for the door.

His room vanished.

Darkness surrounded him.

Arcturus barely had time to be confused before pressure assailed him from every side, compressing and attacking him with immutable universal force in an attempt to crush him like a bug. At the exact same moment, he was pulled in what felt like every direction at once. Compression and Expansion tore at him with perfect equality, and it was all he could do to retain awareness of himself. His screams echoed around the emptiness like a siren, and then with staggering abruptness the pressure upon him from both forces vanished.

Instead, something gargantuan filled his vision. A monochrome being, scintillating faintly with scales that seemed at once made of pure light where they were white and abyssal darkness where they were black.

TOO SOON. YOU ARE NOT READY.

Arcturus barely had time to comprehend what he was seeing or hearing before a maw large enough to swallow a fortress opened before him, and he felt some irrevocable force push him.

His hand released the handle of his door easily, and he chortled at himself. Of course the door was locked. Why wouldn’t it be?

W̶i̴l̷l̷p̸o̵w̷e̷r̵ ̶C̵h̵e̴c̵k̷ ̶f̶a̷i̶l̴e̷d̸!̶

W̷̼͛́ì̸̮l̷̙̃l̷̻̱̀p̸̢̠̒̈́o̵͖̅̐w̸̡̻̏ë̴̗̳́r̵̙̉͝ ̸̯̜͝C̶͕͚̏h̷̗͊e̷͕̾́c̸̘͆̔k̵̥͗̇ͅ ̵̮̊f̶͚̖͒̅a̷͓̍i̵̬͖̊̔l̷̫̖̈́̀e̷̢͇͗d̶͓̔̑!̴̙̝̀͒

Ẅ̸͖̹͍͘ͅỉ̵̛̩̥l̶̟̖͔̃l̶̫̱̫̾p̷̪̘͋̃̾̈o̴̲͒̇w̷̫̥̿̆̊́ḛ̶͈̤̜̈́r̵̬͉͓͐ ̵͈̓̒C̸̙̈́͜h̸̲̻̦̘̊̈͊͘ȩ̵̲͉̀͆͘ç̸̞̪̉̾͂̽k̴̬̜̳̯̂̀̌ ̴̝̚f̴̙̺̔ǎ̵̪̞̱̝̈́͘i̵̡̛͉͇̣̅̄̔l̸̳͌ȩ̵̯̱̐d̶̪̬̪͓̀͛͝!̷̧̨͍̪̚

S̷̡͎͈̟̲̝̈́͑̈́Y̸̹͖̜͛͛̉̈͊S̸͍̘̐T̸̟͍̩̮̙̳̼̋̊̎̃́̕Ȩ̵͓̜͌̂̍̄M̵̮̭̪̤̬̃͂́͛̅͌͠ ̷̨̹̼̤̞͙̹̒Ȇ̶̢̺͙͖͇̂̃͌̆͒ͅR̴̛͔̱͖͑͗̂̑̓̕R̶̛͓̪͚̺̙̝͚̃͂̆̂̍͝O̸̻͉̥̳͕̤̘͐̉͐͋̇̚R̷͎̦͗̉̿͌̆̕ ̶̧̣́̑̈̈́D̶̯̟͍̦͕̼̤͌̀Ȅ̸͖T̶̹͗͐̅́͆̃E̸̟̒C̸̝̽̌͒͝T̸̛̮̖̤E̵̠͓͍̬̮͘Ḓ̷̛̤͍͇̺̟͂͒!̵̡̓̈̐

T̸̡̹̮̭͍̻̿̃͂̀́̾ͅͅH̶̨̙̠̜͊́Ȅ̴̯͍̱̩̹͓̦̎̀͌̈́̐ͅ ̵̦̲̄̈̋͝S̵͔̞̳̀͂L̵̢̮̤̰̖̟̟̀̍̿Ę̴̨̰̖̦̿̀̓̆͛̑͝E̸͕̳̘̠̿̃̐P̷̖͌̆̒̈́̕͠É̷̖̲͓͒̑Ṙ̴̩͉̲͉̈̽ ̷̦̫̓̏̕̚̕M̴̞͙̪̦͇̀̀̒́͜U̶̢̩͓̣͙͍͒̇̈́͋͊̌͌̀Ŝ̸̛͈̈́̊T̸̹́͐̀͂̍ ̸̤̲̮͖̳̜̄̀̊͑̾͛͘Ą̴̹͕͕̭̖̩̀̾̂W̷̗̯͜͝͝Ḁ̴̧̨̱͓̗͎̺̄K̴̗̻͈̯͉̍̀͛̈́̂̂̐͘͜È̵̛̮̽͘͠͝N̶̢̠̱̻̘̺͐͒̒́̚͝ͅ!̶͍̟̊̃̐̀͠

Arcturus sighed as he made his way to his bed again, annoyed at his inability to access the door but paying it no heed. A locked door in his own questionably sane head was hardly something to dwell on. As he reached his bed and sank down atop it, he paused momentarily as something faint reached his ears.

“Am I hearing screaming…?” He murmured as he looked around, a frown of consternation on his features. The sound had grown quieter, but it almost seemed as if he could feel it, like an itch under the skin. Another moment’s hesitation and Arcturus dismissed the matter entirely, shaking his head at his overactive imagination.

Now’s not the time.

His subconscious, for once, had an excellent point: Now was definitely not the time to be wondering about phantom screams. His level up was complete, and he had three months of training to see through. He was surprised to find himself a little excited to go toe-to-toe with the minions again after his level up. Perhaps he’d track down Adam and ask him about some tips for trying to eke out maximum performance. When they’d played Dungeons and Dragons, Adam had always been the best source for advice on how to ‘break’ the systems at play.

With thoughts of rampaging across the training room thanks to a broken ‘build’, Arcturus smiled as he let his tiredness take over and drift into dreamless sleep…

...to awaken a moment later to the faint, golden spillage of sunlight across his face. Blinking against the brightness, he turned in his bed to find himself with company in his room. A pair of striking sapphire blue eyes watched him from under carefully curated bangs of golden hair as Vivienne offered him a polite smile.

“Welcome back, Prince Regis.”

“What…” Arcturus frowned at the croakiness of his voice, and the raw feeling of his throat. That wasn’t normal. The damage from his vomiting should have been healed by the Level Up. He cleared his throat. “I need water.”

His HUD clock happily informed him it was 0703 as Vivienne rose smoothly to glide over and pour a glass of water from the magically chilled jug of water in his living room; returning with the glass and bending down to offer it to him. As she did, Arcturus noted; he received an eyeful of pale cleavage, thanks in no small part to the classical corset-topped ankle-length dress she’d chosen for the day. The black and gold colouring, he noted distractedly, made her eyes and hair pop spectacularly.

Arcturus shook his head slightly to clear it and firmly averted his eyes from her presented cleavage: Accepting the glass of water with thanks and turning away, uncaring of how impolite it was, to stare out his open window at the morning sun washing the Rubastra Estate in its light.

“How long was I asleep?”

“Almost sixteen hours, Your Highness.” Vivienne responded dutifully.

“Was Tylariel upset?”

“Quite the contrary. Lady Tylariel seemed delighted at your performance in the training room when we spoke. She did ask me to keep that to myself, but I don’t see the harm in trying to lift your spirits given what happened while you were asleep.”

“What happened?” He asked as he turned back to her.

“You were… screaming. Screaming and hollering something I admit I couldn’t quite decipher.”

“That must be why my throat feels so raw.”

“I would say so.” Vivienne agreed as he drained the glass of water.

“Thank you.” Arcturus said as he handed her the glass back. “Is Tylariel waiting for me in the training hall?”

“So eager to return to your practice, my prince?”

“Eager to no longer be reliant on anyone else.” Arcturus clarified. “I was taught to stand on my own two feet, and while I admit to some level of naivety on my part, I have no intention of being a doe-eyed passenger in my own tale. I plan to steer the ship.”

“A noble goal.” The Estate Mistress stated approvingly.

“One I cannot fulfill in bed.” Arcturus said definitively as he threw off the covers, crushing the flush of shame and embarrassment that being only in his underclothes instinctively drew out. His body felt… lighter, and yet more powerful. It was a strangely contradictory feeling, but one that also made sense. His muscles were bigger, and just slightly more defined — but it was within him that he truly felt the change. Each movement as he stood up was… easier. More connections and neural pathways seemed to work in tandem for his movement, and he could have sworn he’d grown extra tissue to assist with his ease of motion.

Given how System-enhancement worked, he very well might have.

He was by no means superhuman, but his reflexes and physical strength were definitely far, far above the human average for his age. He felt like he could deadlift four hundred pounds with only a mild strain.

“Your healing truly is remarkable.” Vivienne said as his thought refocused on the moment, and he stopped looking at himself and flexing his arm in curiosity.

“Nephilim have many gifts, I suppose, that I am thankful for. My recovery accompanying my growth in power is one of them.”

“Healed without blemishes, bar that scar on your palm." Vivienne flicked her eyes to his hand. "It truly is enviable.”

“The process needed to become isn’t worth the result.”

“Some might disagree.” Vivienne said conversationally.

“Ignorance is bliss, I suppose.” Arcturus said dismissively as he prowled into his closet and pulled on his equipment. He forewent any pretense towards casual attire and garbed himself in the form-fitting underlayer he’d worn the day before, brushing a hand over his covered torso as he felt the material mould itself to every muscle and curve of his body.

“May I offer you some assistance?” Vivienne asked from the doorway, her voice hinting at a sultriness that Arcturus decidedly ignored.

“I would not refuse the aid, Estate Mistress, though I am perplexed as to why a Maid is not in your place. This seems kind of beneath your level of responsibility.”

“You’re the true heir to the Valarian Throne, Arcturus Regis.” She answered as she stepped into the closet and moved to pull his breastplate from the armour rack in the middle of the room. “In truth, even the Patriarch of a High House would be honoured to serve as your aide in fitting your armour.”

“Armour specifically?” He asked as he picked up on the special mention of that particular duty.

“Yes. While most Archons eschew armour usually, one of the few times it is expected for them to wear it is during House Wars or Imperial Crusades.”

“Crusades?”

“When the Church of Light decrees a holy war against an external threat at the behest of the Emperor or, far more rarely, the Theocratic Council.”

“Crusades against who?”

“The southern nations, the demi-human beast tribes, the nightmares of the Blighted Lands… There’s been several Crusades in the last two millennia. They usually occur when things are just a little too peaceful, and people start forgetting why it’s important to have an Empire where brute force is the underlying reinforcement behind all authority.”

“A coincidence, I’m sure.” Arcturus responded sarcastically.

“Of course, Your Highness.” Vivienne said with a smile as she stepped around to his front and looked up at him. “Our noble clergy and implacable Emperor would never create a senseless conflict for the sole purpose of political stability. That would just be wasteful.”

Arcturus’ lips quirked in amusement, and he found himself staring at the slightly-parted pink flesh of her own mouth as she stood before him adjusting and belting on his breastplate. His heartbeat spiked, and he felt heat flush his cheeks red as he tore his eyes away from her — looking instead at the plethora of clothes he’d been gifted within the walk-in closet.

“How did you come into the service of House Rubastra?” He asked while she brought his breastplate on over his head and then set about buckling and tightening it to fit.

“I was referred to their service by a friend of Lord Rubastra’s.”

“That’s far more normal than I was expecting, honestly.”

“What were you expecting?” Vivienne asked with an imperious eyebrow arch.

“Given the melodramatic tenor of my life? Something wild and exaggerated, with stories about being saved by the valiant Lord Rubastra.” Arcturus answered wryly.

“You have a very overactive imagination, Arcturus.”

“Yeah. Can you blame me, though?”

“No.” She said with a wry smile of her own. “I suppose I cannot.”

Arcturus grunted as she tightened his breastplate and immediately worried it was too tight, checking his frame of movement before letting out a sigh of relief. Despite his momentary doubt, she’d done the job well.

“Satisfied, my lord?” Vivienne asked demurely.

“You know I am.” He responded drily. “Shall we be about the rest of it so I can attend to my mad Masquerade marathon?”

“Your what?” She asked as she collected his sabatons, her blue eyes showing genuine confusion. It was strangely endearing to see.

“It’s what I’m calling this drive to gain power enough to stand on my own feet by the time of the Masquerade. I didn’t think I had a snowball’s chance in Hell, but after yesterday… Well, I actually might be able to do it. Especially if I can convince Tylariel to let me go Dungeon crawling with my friends.”

Vivienne laughed at his words. “You were a precocious child, weren’t you?”

“How could you tell?” He asked with a smile.

“I can see that in you, still. That childlike wonder and desire to know.”

“Ah, so I am but a babe in your eyes?” Arcturus asked in a mock sad tone.

“Heavens no.” Vivienne said with a slow, intense smile. “I very much see you as the impressive man you are.”

Arcturus’ cheeks inflamed at her words, and he cleared his throat. “Thank you. I think.”

“You are most welcome, Your Highness.”

The rest of his armouring proceeded quietly from there, with no more words shared between them. It was a comfortable silence, and one Arcturus was grateful for. His mind was filled enough with thoughts of tactics and ideas for the training day ahead, and the distraction Vivienne caused through her unique manner of flirtation was not conducive to his ability to focus.

Only because you enjoy it so much.

Arcturus ignored his subconscious and considered his next steps instead. Completing ‘The Uncrowned King’ was one of his priorities, as well as acquiring a Seat of Power; which he assumed referenced a holdfast or castle of some kind to call his own. How he was going to acquire something like that was another matter entirely. He wasn’t exactly in a rush to add more responsibility to his plate, and that seemed like it would do precisely that.

In that moment, he remembered one of his other objectives: Acquire a Weapon.

In excitement Arcturus pulled up his main quest, and true to his suspicions; acquiring Perdition had firmly fulfilled that particular objective.

⚜️MAIN QUEST UPDATED⚜️

QUEST NAME The Dragon Resurgent (Updated!) DIFFICULTY Legendary STATUS On-Going

DESCRIPTION

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Having found yourself thrown into mad situation after mad situation, you have finally reached some sense of equilibrium and stability within the Source.

Despite your first experiences on Terra being awful enough to conceivably turn you into some sort of megalomaniacal villain, you have managed to stay grounded and true to the man you were raised to be.

Having found a Mentor in Tylariel Rubastra, and new friends in a group of people initially trying to bag you for a quick profit: You have also reunited with your friends from your source-shard, and made a new friend of their companion.

Despite the revelations about your former flame and her newfound allegiance to the one man on Terra you cannot conceivably befriend, you are in an enviably good position to continue your adventure.

Armed with several new outfits courtesy of your estranged grand-uncle Maurice, and better equipped with the knowledge and allies necessary to find your way in the Source; the time has come to take the next step on your journey.

PREVIOUS OBJECTIVE(S)

Survive (Complete!)

Reward: 150 Experience

CURRENT OBJECTIVE(S)

Acquire a proper Weapon

Acquire a Seat of Power

Complete 'The Uncrowned King'

???

COMPLETED OBJECTIVE(S)

Acquire a proper Weapon

Reward: 200 Experience

Arcturus let out a low whistle as he saw the reward. That would be helpful in hitting his next level, especially with how much experience the Minions gave him.

“Thank you, Arcturus.” Vivienne said demurely, momentarily distracting him from the status windows. “It’s nice to know you approve.”

Momentary confusion replaced his satisfaction, and then he realised he’d whistled at something only he could see. Vivienne, giving him a very appealing view of her cleavage thanks to her choice of dress, very likely thought he was whistling at her.

Arcturus hesitated, and then decided to let it be. No point confusing her with more ‘Nephilim gibberish’ as Tylariel called it. “You’re welcome, Vivienne.” He said as politely as he could. “But do excuse me a moment, I have, ah, divine insights to parse through.”

A look of mild confusion passed over her elegant features, before Vivienne simply nodded and resumed the final touches on armouring him.

With time to think over his tactics without interruption, after that, Arcturus came up with his plan. First he would ask someone to send his friends to the training room to observe, so he could get Adam’s thoughts during the rest break. Second, he would go into the fight with his Psionic abilities pre-activated. There were no rules that he recalled against going into the bouts magically prepared, and when he considered the nature of an Archon’s elemental armour; it wouldn’t have made sense if those rules did exist.

Not when they were expected to have it going every hour of every day.

A new advantage he was pleased about was that, thanks to his improved Mana reserves; he’d be able to use his [Telekinesis] in tandem with his aetherblade properly. If all went as he hoped, he’d do much, much better against the simulacrums than he had the day prior. If he watched his Mana usage for the first two back-to-back rounds as well, his twenty minute rest break — assuming Tylariel kept to the previous day’s pattern — would allow him to restore as much mana as he expended.

“Done, Your Highness.” Vivenne interjected mid-thought.

Arcturus flexed his arms and legs and realised she had, indeed, finished armouring him. He had been so absorbed in thought that he hadn’t even felt her put on his thigh armour, though that was perhaps for the best.

“Thank you, Vivienne. Your help gave me some much-needed time to think about what’s to come.”

“Is there anything I can do to help you prepare?” She asked a little too innocuously.

“Yes.” He said with a firmness to his tone that — he was pleased to see — startled her a little.

Charisma Check successful!

“I would like my Nephilim companions Adam, Andy, Danica, and their friend Caeara found and guided to the training facility.”

“Of course.” Vivienne said with only a small hint of disappointment. “Is there anything else?”

Arcturus glanced at the mini-map in his HUD, and then nodded as he looked back to Vivienne. “I need a full, detailed, and floor-specific map of each level of the villa, and a full map of the Estate grounds from wall to wall. No detail is too small. I’d like another map like that of the City, and of any major or important buildings — including the Palace and Cathedral — within its bounds.”

Vivienne’s eyes widened at his requests. “That is…” She hesitated. “That is a lot of information, Arcturus. Are you sure you—?”

“Nephilim secrets, Vivienne. Once I read them, I’ll be able to call on them whenever I need to. Can you do this for me?” He put as much of his charm as he could into the request, even flashing a smile at the Estate Mistress.

Charisma Check successful!

“Yes.” Vivienne said with a faint amount of red to her pale cheeks. “I will have it all to you by the midday meal.”

“Thank you, Vivienne.” Arcturus said with another warm smile.

“Of course, my prince.” She replied politely before offering a quick curtsey and hurrying out of the room.

Alright, I’ll admit it: That was pretty impressive.

Arcturus couldn’t help but smile in satisfaction, turning to grab his helmet and — after a minute to give her a headstart — head out into the hallways himself, aetherblade on his arming belt and a lightness to his step.

It was time to kick some Simulacrum arse.

Chapter 24: Plan of Action

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