I returned to the castle and sat down on my throne. I was exhausted, I hadn’t slept in over a day, but I didn’t have time just yet.
“Bring every weapon and piece of armor in use to me,” I told Jeriah. “I need to upgrade them; with your reduced numbers you need every advantage you can get.”
“Don’t you mean with our reduced numbers?” Tobias asked.
“No,” I said flatly. “I’ll be fine.”
“With respect my lord you should be more cautious,” Jeriah said. “There is a woman on the other side who fights unlike anyone I’ve ever encountered. I don’t think your strategy of rushing in headfirst will work on her.”
“Your father thought the same thing when I challenged him,” I pointed out.
“Your abilities are much more advanced than most of ours,” Tobias said. “And she has some sort of direct counter to your Foresight, we couldn’t even see her or the effects of her actions with it.”
“I’ve encountered some counters to it as well,” I said with a shrug. “Even if she is everything you’ve said I’m not going to run from her.”
“We’re not asking you to run,” Jeriah said. “But be smart and don’t attack her alone.”
“I’ll think about it,” I said.
Realizing that was as much as they were going to get Jeriah and Tobias left to round up all the weapons they could. I took the time to pull out my two clubs, my ring of Auroch’s Strength and Cloak of the Forest Lord. Though my ability to merge earth and organics had come with a hefty price to me spiritually I could at least repair all my gear now.
Using a bar of compressed obsidian on both of my clubs. I smoothed and lengthened out the bone giving them each an extra foot-and-half of length, the bones glistened black now. I pulled out two magical rocks I’d been holding onto.
Fire Ruby: rare magical stone, hardness 8, Filled with the fires of creation, deals moderate fire damage on contact.
Frost Quarts: rare magical stone, hardness 7, Touched by the bitter cold of winter deals moderate frost damage on contact.
I broke up each gemstone into five sections using the pieces on each of the claws of the club. The claws were now directly merged into the bone instead of being lashed with the stone bindings. One had sky blue crystal claws with a faint mist as the air chilled around them the other were like rubies with a heat haze distorting the area around them. I’d focused my ability on adding Curse damage to the ice club and extra fire damage to the fire club.
I added a compressed nugget of uncommon metal to the Ring of Auroch’s Strength repairing the damage it had taken. Taking out pelts from my storage pouch I infused them into the Cloak of the Forest Lord, I focused on giving me a resistance to Curse damage since I was already resistant to fire. It still had its original tattered look but was less worn and its durability had been repaired and reinforced. Reequipping my cloak and ring I placed my clubs in storage. They were decent backup weapons but I had an artifact spear now so it would be my primary weapon.
Jeriah and Tobias returned with two dozen men each laden with spears, swords, axes, bows and arrows. I remained seated as I levitated the weapons over one by one, I didn’t need to add much more to them as I reinforced and improved upon my previous work. I focused on giving the weapon a mix of fire and curse damage before setting it in the finished pile. I kept at it for long arrows, I wasn’t putting much work into their appearance simply giving each a rugged, practical appearance.
It wasn’t until I got the weapons of each of the Dragonbreakers that I slowed down and put more work into them. I worked on their edges giving them some flare that if impractical was intimidating. There was no need for me to worry about the structural integrity of my weapons given just how hard they were to break.
“Did you enchant this?” Jeriah asked, looking over the sword I handed back to him.
“I could but I don’t have many enchantments that would do much you,” I said. “Unless you got some you could teach me.”
“Most magical items of quality are from dungeons not made,” Tobias said. “We got a mace from the dungeon that does a rotting attack on a hit. Its too small for any of us though.”
“Can I see it?” I asked.
Jeriah looked at Tobias who shrugged. They retrieved the mace and brought it to me. I examined the weapon.
Crushing Death: Type: Weapon (mace), Rarity: Rare. Whenever you strike a creature with this weapon you deal an additional major amount of Curse damage.
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Made from common steel by a master smith and enchanted by a journeyman enchanter.
Durability:
15-15.
Taking out my sketchbook I copied the runes and the formation they made for the enchantment. Then I did something I hadn’t been willing to do to any of my own gear. Focusing on the groove I felt the difference between the metal and the crushed gemstone that made up its pattern. Reaching in I compressed the gemstone separating it from the steel of the mace. It resisted me but my incredible Spirit Attribute forced my will upon it. When I was done, I was left with a pea-sized gemstone. Holding it up I analyzed it.
Mana-infused Obsidian: Type: Magical Stone, Rarity: Uncommon, Hardness: 12. A piece of pure condensed obsidian infused with mana giving it an affinity for enchantments that inflict curses of Curse damage.
My experiment was a success, I could pull out the gemstone residue in an enchantment to be able to replicate it. That of course would only be useful if I could replicate it with same skill as it had been made with. I was just an apprentice enchanter while the person who made this had been journeyman.
That made me wonder where the system got its loot. This description implied that it didn’t actually make its loot or at least not all of that it distributed in loot chests. My pauldrons were another example of that, I’d gotten them from a loot chest, but they hadn’t been created by the system for me.
Looking over my gear I considered harvesting some of them for their gemstones but put it off. I was going to be in a battle soon and couldn’t risk not going in fully geared. I powdered the obsidian again and reapplied the enchantment, but the results were less than great.
Crushing Death: Type: Weapon (mace), Rarity: Uncommon. Whenever you strike a creature with this weapon you deal an additional minor amount of Curse damage.
Made from common steel by a master smith and enchanted by a journeyman enchanter.
Durability:
25-25.
The durability had been increased but the rarity and amount of curse damage had also gone down.
“Your weapon already has curse damage so I can’t really add much with this enchantment, but I will be able to apply it to future weapons,” I said.
“Did you just steal the enchantment?” Jeriah asked.
“No,” I said rolling my eyes. “I copied it.”
“The guilds would call that stealing,” Tobias said. “You shouldn’t be able to just copy and apply enchantments without them teaching you their secrets.”
“That’s their problem not mine,” I said with a shrug. “Now if you excuse me, I need to pass out.”
--
Leaving the room, I went to the room reserved for me, when I entered Katlyn was making the bed. She stood straight quickly and curtsied to me.
“I’m sorry my lord I didn’t mean to intrude,” she said.
“It’s fine,” I said waving her off. “I’d like to be alone now.”
Katlyn nodded and went for the door then stopped. “If you don’t mind me asking Mordred, why don’t you take me or any of the other women as your concubines? You have the power to fulfill any desire you want, do you not like women?”
“I find you very physically appealing,” I said to her. “But any relationship with me will leave you in pieces. I’m not capable of being in relationships with others without eventually falling into a cycle of abuse.”
“A cycle of abuse?” Katlyn asked confused.
“It’s where I’d hurt you, apologize, try to change but inevitable go right back to what I did before,” I said. “I can’t change who I am, but I won’t be my father either; this is the best I can do.”
Katlyn curtsied again and left.
I didn’t lie down in the bed but sat in meditative position on the floor. Focusing on the burning of my spirit, I let my anger soothe the pain. My mind drifted and I lost hold of my anger and drifted off to sleep.
---
Arthur walked over the shattered remains of Dragonhold’s gate. Behind him the army began to pour into the city and over the walls. The defenders couldn’t hold the massive city walls at all points, and they’d broken in quickly. Now all that was left was to take the palace.
Swinging into his saddle Arthur led a battalion of knights up the streets. They cut down anyone who stepped into their path to challenge them. They reached the palace gates and Kay used a short-range teleport to pass through the steel gates to the other side. Cries and the sound of steel rose up before the gates began to slowly open.
Dracon knights tried to hold it closed but Arthur stepped up and gripped the edges of the gates. Hauling back and shoving them wide enough to slip through he slipped inside. Excalibur swung about in an arc cutting through the armor and flesh of three knights.
Lancelot joined him and he and Kay helped him cut through the guards and knights to the palace doors. Smashing through, they ran past cowering and fleeing servants. They entered the throne room and a portcullis slammed down behind them cutting them off from the rest of their army.
King Palamedes stood in full plate armor with a massive halberd in his hand.
“So, the Prince of Camelot has come in person to kill me,” Palamedes said. “I suppose someone as lowly as mere man should be honored three champions have come to kill him.”
“Stand down and you need not die,” Arthur said stepping forward.
“You’ve slaughtered your way through my kingdom,” King Palamedes said his voice rising and thickening with anger. “Killed thousands of my subjects, maimed my daughter who even now is on death’s door.”
“It can all end now,” Arthur pleaded.
“They have a saying in the Cursed Forest,” Palamedes said. “The only Law that is absolute, is the Law of Strength. If you want my crown you will have to take it from my corpse.”
The battle was brutal. King Palamedes was at the cusp of reaching Hero rank. He was a full rank above the three men, but they were Champions. They had abilities whose strength hadn’t been diluted by generations of being passed down. Their god tier abilities put a quick end to the fight. Despite their strength though they couldn’t take the king alive. Palamedes’ body slumped off Excalibur his lifeblood spreading out over the palace floor.
“This is the end of the royal line of Dracon,” Kay said with a bit of remorse. “He should have surrendered. If his daughter dies his entire lineage will be gone.”
“It is for the good of Camelot,” Arthur said flicking Excalibur’s blade removing the blood from it. “I will do anything I must for the safety and security of my kingdom. Now that kingdom extends to these lands, intime they will come to respect our rule.”