Returning to the tower, I sat on the steps alone as I watched the sun rise. No sound could be heard over the Battlegrounds, there were no animals, insects, monsters and now no people either. Lightning crackled from my fingers as I compressed a lightning crystal to pass the time. I compressed it more and more until it had enough energy to level a city to ashes. Putting aside the distraction I brought out the ingot of Celestial Gold tossing it from hand to hand as I thought. Finally, I bit the bullet, my indecision had gone on long enough, there was nothing to it but to do it.
“System,” I said. “I’d like to create a custom artifact as my reward now.”
Time froze, it was the only way I could describe it as every blade of grass seemed to pause in motion from the wind and the already eerily silent plains grew utterly void of sound.
As your reward for restoring cut off areas back to the System you are rewarded with a custom Artifact of IV, what the specifications you desire for your artifact.
“I want two items that work in tandem with each other…” I began describing the system exactly what I wanted it to create for me.
----------------------------------------
Guinevere jerked up as she respawned. I held out my hand helping her to her feet.
“Did we win?” she asked.
“Yes,” I said. “Arthur and everyone else died in the raid. They’ll have respawned about this same time as you so they’re probably going to regroup soon.”
“So, what do we do now?” Guinevere asked.
“Should be time for the rewards for today soon,” I said. “It seems the respawn time is taking longer and longer; you’ve been gone for nearly twelve hours the sun going to be setting again soon.” My hand fiddled in my pocket with the Artifacts I had chosen.
Exar’kun descended from the top of the tower. He landed awkwardly thrown off by the loss of his tail. He’d be at a disadvantage in the next fight without it but there was nothing I could do to restore it and the only way to get it back would be for him to die. With only one life left in the game that wasn’t an option for any of us.
A horn blew out across the Battlegrounds signaling the end of the day.
This is the end of the third day of the event, rewards will be distributed, and points gathered so far will be tallied and shown.
Points For:
Western Side: 3rd Place
Eastern Side: 2nd Place
The Warlord: 1st Place
Contestants Killed:
0
8
67
Standard Captured:
0
0
40
Standard Rescued:
0
0
0
Standards Held:
0
0
40
Strategic Points Captured:
0
0
0
Strategic Points Defended:
0
0
0
Only Guinevere had died giving Arthur second place with mere eight points he’d collected. I’d retaken his standard and held onto it giving me even more rank points but even without the standards we would have easily won this round. I blinked away the scoreboard and looked at the rewards as they spawned in front of us in a wooden box lined with soft satin.
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Distributing first round of rewards based on current points gathered.
3 (+3 for win streak) = 6
Ambrosia (boosts regen speed by +10 per second for one resource type.
3 (+3 for win streak) = 6
Manna Wafers (boost your maximum for one resource by 50)
3 (+3 for win streak) = 6
Ability Tokens (Boost the max rank for a standard ability by 10 ranks)
1 (Bonus Loot
Void Stone (effects unknown)
I picked up the void stone, something about it was magnetic my compulsion to reach out and take it unavoidable. It hummed louder and louder as I took hold of it. I expected it to do something explode, burst into light, pull in the surrounding energy but it merely continued to hum vibrantly in my hand.
Void Stone; Type: Magical Stone, Rarity: Mythic, Hardness: 9; Rarely objects will enter the void, even rarer will they return. How this stone entered the void and returned is not known but it has been drenched in its essences giving it unknown properties.
Quantity:
1
Weight:
2.4
I forced myself to drop it into my storage pouch pushing aside the alien compulsion to keep hold of it.
“Split the rest same as before,” I said taking two of each of the other rewards. As soon as I touched the ability tokens they melted into my hands, apparently, they would just be automatically used up now that I had selected my path. I tossed back the vials of elixir, and the manna wafers assigning them all to my Ethereal.
“What now?” Guinevere asked.
“Now, I need to talk with you; in private,” I said looking towards Exar’kun.
“I’ll keep an eye out from the top of the tower,” he said his tongue darting out grabbing his rewards before he climbed back up the stairs.
“What’s this all about?” Guinevere asked.
“We’re down to our last lives here in the Event,” I said. “So regardless of what happens next this might be my last time talking to you. After that we’re going back to the real world where I could die for real against any of the other champions or some monster created by the System. If this is my last time talking to you there are things I need to say and do before then.”
“I don’t like it when you talk like that,” Guinevere said. “You shouldn’t be so indifferent about your own death.”
“He who tries to keep his life will lose it, but he who loses it will keep it,” I said quoting what little I remembered from my times attending church.
“That doesn’t make any sense,” Guinevere said.
“Sure, it does,” I said. “I’m not going to give up the chance to truly live and experience what this world has to offer out of fear of losing my life. I’m not going to backdown from Arthur and give you up to him without a fight.”
My hand reached into the storage pouch taking out a silver scrying mirror and I held it out to her.
“I want you to have this, If you need, you can use this to check on me and remember I’m coming for you.”
“And what are you going to do Mordred?” Guinevere asked exasperated. “Go to war with all of Camelot, that’s a fight even the Warlord can’t win, much less you alone.”
“I’m not going to start a war, I’m going to fight in the tourney,” I said. “You’ve already given me the key to freeing you.”
Guinevere looked above my head as my description changed.
Sir Mordred, Champion of Kelesa; Gifted- humanoid/human, Veteran, Rank: 445
“Just because you’re technically a knight of Camelot doesn’t mean they’ll actually let you fight in the tourney,” Guinevere said. “The rest of your description marks you as an enemy of the state.”
“I’ve got ways to change that,” I said.
“Even if you get in you will still have to beat Arthur,” Guinevere said meeting my eyes. “In a one-on-one duel, that’s a fight you can’t win. You’re the Warlord, he’s the Duelist he has all the cards on his side, he’s beaten you every time you’ve fought.”
“I’ve been holding back,” I said.
“Why would you do a thing like that?” Guinevere asked sighing. “why would you let him keep beating you?”
“Because this fight doesn’t matter, not to me,” I said. “You asked me what happens if I win the gods game, if it means being separated from you, I won’t.”
“You’d give up godhood?” Guinevere asked her breath catching. “That’s blasphemy if your goddess heard you.”
“Only you matter,” I said. “I started to fall in love with you the first time we fought, you are unlike anyone else in this world. There are hundreds of gods and goddesses, there is only one you.”
Setting down the mirror I removed the artifacts from my pocket as I took her left hand in mine.
“This is a tradition from my world,” I said my right hand held up the ring. “It signifies my love and commitment to you, by taking this you agree to be mine and I agree to be yours. In your world it would signify our betrothal.”
Guinevere ran her left hand over the ring her eyes widening in amazement as she read the description.
Ring(s) of Devoted Love, Type: Jewelry (ring slot) (Artifact IV) A bound pair of rings that link the wearers together if they trust eachother. If the wearers harbor ill fillings, mistrust, or animosity the effects of this ring cannot be used.
As long as the wearers are in the same universe, they can summon the other to their side for 150 mana, cooldown 24 hours. (cost goes down by 5 mana per rank and cooldown by 5 minutes per rank to minimum cost of 50 mana and a cooldown of 1 hour).
While within 20ft of eachother the damage of the wearers is increased by a Major amount.
The wearers can draw on the other’s resources to fuel their abilities while within range of the other.
Made from celestial gold and enchanted by the System itself. The ring can only be removed willingly by its wearer.
Weight:
< .5 lbs.
“You used your artifact from the System on this?” she asked. “But what if we didn’t really love eachother what if I wasn’t near you, you’ll have wasted it.”
“This is not a waste,” I said. “This is me showing that I trust you. I believe in us now I need you to believe in me, believe that I won’t even let death stop me from getting back to you.” I said.
“I do,” Guinevere said tears running down her face. “I’m just afraid for you.”
“Guinevere, will you marry me?” I asked.
“Yes,” she said.
I slid the ring onto her finger and slid its twin onto mine. A shout echoed across the plains. There was no time to rejoice. Standing I swept Guinevere into my arms pressing my lips against hers. She returned the kiss, her hands running through my hair. We broke away gasping for air both of us smiling. Turning to the doors of the tower, we raised our helms and slid them down over our faces buckling them in place.
It was time for me to face Arthur again one last time in this Event, he’d probably beat me, but today that didn’t matter.