Amidst the ruins of the skulk village, two combatants stared at each other in silence. One was covered in futuristic armor, the other was naked below the waist.
Glancing at his quests, Kazuki grinned. The bounty on Skull had vanished: Priam had succeeded. If I don't hurry, he'll think I'm weak. This thought ignited Kazuki's competitive spirit. The hoplite was as proud as he was strong. Unfortunately, his strength was futile against the omnidirectional shield summoned by the Shaman. So, he chose to suffocate his opponent. Let's go with DPS rather than burst, as Priam would say.
[Breathless] had been active for nearly twenty minutes, and despite his breath-holding training, Kazuki's lungs were starting to protest. Nevertheless, he remained confident.
When his ability had banished oxygen in a large radius, the skulc Shaman had ignored the lack of air, thinking he was safe within his shield. Now, his red eyes and tremors betrayed the air shortage beneath the barrier. The battle was nearing its end.
Refusing to succumb easily, the skulc created a dozen red orbs with a flick of his wrist. They looked benign, but Kazuki wasn't fooled. Each one was capable of significant destruction. Twelve at once? He must want to end the fight.
With a snap of his fingers, the albino Shaman shot one of the orbs. Approaching within three ters of Kazuki, the attack penetrated the tornado swirling around the warrior. Born of his mastery of the wind, the air shield effectively protected him from the Shaman's fiery projectiles. A gust of wind deflected the fireball at the last mont, heading toward a barracks thirty ters behind Kazuki. His armor wobbled under the explosion's force.
The released heat triggered alarms in his cha. From the corner of his eye, Kazuki saw wood vanish and stone turn to lava. Imnse magical flas burned the air despite the lack of oxygen. The infernal furnace resembled the hells described by so hoplite religions.
The other destructive orbs vibrated before disappearing. Displaying exceptional agility despite his massive armor, Kazuki dodged or deflected them one by one. When the twelfth one exploded, he took advantage of the blast to leap into the air and target his opponent.
[Railgun - MK Javelin]. The projectile fired by the cha sliced through the air before hitting the Shaman's shield, creating a bell-like sound. It was the first ti the Boss's protection had reacted. Kazuki was briefly surprised before spotting a crack in the barrier. A predatory smile ford on his lips.
The eyes of the two adversaries t, and the Boss's lips began to move. The shield dissipated just before Kazuki felt a disturbance in his tornado. Without hesitation, he leaped forward, activating [Heroic Tenacity].
The world seed to freeze.
Kazuki's spirit left his body and armor to investigate. Around him, a hundred mini-suns had just appeared. The size of a passion fruit, they were extrely bright. The amount of aether injected into them by the Shaman was terrifying. It was an all-in move by the Boss.
Quickly, Kazuki passed through one of these suns, ignoring its heat, before approaching the Shaman. He widened his red eyes, a veined hand on his throat. The lack of air was killing him, and his defeat was evident. Kazuki observed his opponent's mad gaze for a mont before understanding. The albino skulc wouldn't flee. He intended to drag Kazuki into his grave. Typical of a pyromaniac lunatic.
Assured of his opponent's plan, Kazuki turned back. The suns had already doubled in size. [Heroic Tenacity] didn't stop ti; it slowed it proportionally to the hoplite's vivacity. Activating this skill was also an excellent way to drain his aether reserves.
Having his body again, Kazuki felt the second part of the skill trigger. His imnse will enveloped his armor, turning it as black as a moonless night. The next mont, a shockwave hit him. Terrifying heat and magical flas fought against his will to reach his armor. In vain.
Lvl Up: [Heroic Tenacity] lvl 6
VIVA 9
WILL 18
[Tribulation]: Six characteristics above 400 were detected in Tier 0.
A Tribulation is coming.
Ti: 15 hours 38 minutes 59 seconds.
A second later, his montum added to the explosion pulled Kazuki out of the lethal zone, and he retracted his skill. The heat wave made him grimace inside his cha, but he focused on his goal. Three ters in front of him stood the stunned Shaman.
The Tier 1 had sacrificed a significant portion of his aether to create an infernal attack capable of turning iron into gas. Yet, Kazuki erged unscathed.
How could he understand that the hoplite's will was indestructible? His entire civilization relied on him. He was their Champion, their Spear, and their Shield. His Legendary skill was based on Kazuki's ideals, granting him near invulnerability.
Taking advantage of his opponent's astonishnt and fatigue, Kazuki grabbed [Dry]. Pointing his spear at the skulc, Kazuki prepared for the final blow.Micro I, Mastery I - Spear, [Death Sentence].
Without a shield to stop it, the weapon easily penetrated the Shaman's heart and began to glow. The conditions were t. Even before the Shaman could ignite his aether reserves, [Death Sentence] condemned him. His spirit disappeared, and the corpse fell at Kazuki's feet.
A notification chid in his ears as a white token appeared before him. The hoplite grabbed it before collecting the javelins scattered on the ground.
A few POT points were awarded to him, but most of the deaths were the work of the Shaman. The terrifying explosions he triggered in the underground had caused the tunnels to collapse. Females and juvenile skulcs had perished at that mont.
While waiting for the flas to subside, Kazuki distanced himself. The Shaman's final attack had destroyed half of the village. Only the runic-covered nhir seed intact. His armor was not.
[Knightmare Status:
Critical state of thermal protections
Damaged armor plates (5)
38% of sensors are out of service
Low energy reserves
Microprocessors overheating
Damaged superconductor cooling system
...]
The list of problems was long, and Kazuki sighed. His armor needed repairs. [Symbiosis - Off]. Knightmare disappeared into a ntal space. As a linked equipnt, it would regenerate on its own, awaiting its next summon. I hope it will be ready soon, he worried.
Despite his temperant, Kazuki shivered. His Tribulations were starting in just over fifteen hours, and he was afraid. Afraid of dying, leaving his family and civilization behind. In this new universe, they needed him more than ever. His duty was to take risks to gain the strength to lead his people.
"But the line between risks and death is thin," he sighed.
Most of the flas quickly vanished with the Shaman's death, and Kazuki headed toward the nhir. Skull was dead, and Priam wouldn't be long.
"So we ca for this..."
The hoplite scrutinized the stone carefully. The skulcs had worshiped it; hence it must have had a purpose. These creatures weren't the type to worship a useless stone or god. Kazuki and Priam weren't either.
His findings were ager. The stone emitted a powerful aether field, undoubtedly thanks to the runes covering it. The material it was made of was imperable and refused to give any information to his sensors or skills.
[Multi-Analysis]
[??? - ???] - ???
After ten minutes, Kazuki finished inspecting it by studying the stone's angles. It seed to have belonged to a more significant structure.
Faced with the lack of results, Kazuki resolved to take a riskier approach. He placed his hand on the nhir's surface.
...
blzZ-x-jllk-bltrt-rbl-nrglh-blmpf.
...
Hello, Kazuki, Champion and Heart of the Hoplites.
Do you accept communication with the Guardian of Secrets (No. 37 458)?
Kazuki hesitated for a mont before affirmatively responding. The last two sentences were written in hoplite, and the stone communicated in the sa way as the System. If it wanted to harm him, Kazuki was pretty sure he wouldn't be able to do much about it.
"A language I don't know It's been a long ti. Welco to Elysium."
Kazuki quickly turned upon hearing the new voice. His hand closed where his spear should have been, and he grimaced. The Shaman had turned his wooden spear into ashes.
Before him stood a strange biped. About one ter twenty tall and robust, wearing a white toga that reached the ground, he was smiling. His features could have passed for a hoplite's if one forgot that his skin seed to be made of jade. That is, green and with a rocky texture. His two quartz eyes convincingly asserted that the creature was no hoplite.
The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.
Nor alive.
"Are you the Guardian of Secrets?"
Despite the texture of his skin, the stranger easily nodded. "Indeed," he replied in perfect hoplite. Kazuki frowned.
"I don't hear your heartbeat," he remarked neutrally. He was wary of undead since his encounter with Seth and the Necrowolf.
The Guardian remained silent.
"... You're not alive?" Kazuki asked when he understood that the Guardian didn't intend to comnt on his statent.
"I fear your definition of living and mine may be sowhat different. I have consciousness and reasoning. I cannot say more without revealing secrets, and... I live up to my na."
Now it was Kazuki's turn to keep silent as he analyzed the Guardian's response. It was likely that the latter was trying to convey a ssage. Each race, each civilization had its ways of life, and the Guardian of Secrets was not a hoplite. Kazuki had questions and didn't an to insult the individual before him.
"In the eyes of my race, that makes you a person. What can I do for you?"
Despite his stony skin, the Guardian's smile widened. "You have questions, and I have answers. You have a physical body, and I am but a projection."
"You propose a collaboration," summarized Kazuki. He was a hoplite of few words.
"That implies a privileged relationship, and I'm afraid I cannot offer that now. Every Guardian will make you the sa proposition: I will exchange the secrets I keep in exchange for Coins."
"I have many questions."
A gleam shone in the Guardian's eyes. "Tier 9s seek our services."
"Oh." Kazuki couldn't help but look up at the three suns shining on Elysium. Priam had told him that one of them was the ancestor of the Phoenix. Such creatures must be Tier 9, right? If that was the case, the Guardian in front of him knew a lot. If hes speaking the truth.
"Why is soone like you trapped in a stone in the middle of a skulc village?"
"This secret costs twelve Bronze Coins. For this modest sum, you will learn much about the place where the System transported you," as he spoke these words, the Guardian displayed a bright smile. His teeth shone way too much, like diamonds.
"... Suppose I want to pay, how do I obtain these coins?"
"These Coins," corrected the Guardian. "My civilization fought to earn that capital letter."
"How do I get these Coins?" Kazuki asked, trying to focus on the capital letter. It seed to satisfy the Guardian.
"By completing so quests."
"So Quests?"
The Guardian shook his head, making his quartz eyes sparkle. "That capital letter is reserved for the System. Just quests. For example, I am curious about the customs of your race and its culture. I have analyzed your brain to facilitate our communication, but my code of ethics prohibits from scanning the rest of your mory."
Kazuki remained silent before sighing. A Tier 0 had no power in this universe. "I guess I should thank you for not violating my thoughts." The hoplite's gaze drifted to the burning village. Life was hard in this world; only power mattered.
And information was a weapon.
"Your proposition is interesting, but I don't yet know what I want to know."
The Guardian's smile beca radiant. "This information will cost you zero Iron Coins. You want to know how to survive your Tribulation. You want to know how to survive the Necromoon. You want to know how to make the most of Tier 0 and then advance to Tier 1. You want to know if you can entrust your family's lives to your rival. You want to know how to save your race. You want to know where your daughter is."
The last flas reflected in the Guardian's eyes, giving him a demonic appearance.
Kazuki's fist tightened. "I thought you hadn't analyzed my thoughts."
"The first rule of a Guardian of Secrets is to never lie. Nothing prohibits from cross-referencing information. Let make an investnt: other Guardians have spoken to hoplites, and one of them spoke to your daughter."
"Where?! How is she?" Kazuki cried.
"The answer costs a Silver Coin."
"... How much are my mories worth?"
"There's only one way to find out..."
Status: (Average value for a Homo sapiens male before integration: PHY 10 / N 10 / TA 0)
PHYSICAL:
Strength 419
Constitution 724
Agility 432
Vitality 547
Perception 637
NTAL:
Vivacity 341
Dexterity 444
mory 140
Willpower 673
Charisma 450
TA:
ta-affinity 371
ta-focus 261
ta-endurance 208
ta-perception 131
ta-chance 219
ta-authority 15
Potential: 1073
Tier 0
[He Who Eludes Death] charge: OFF. Reloaded in 19 hours 8 minutes 32 seconds.
[Tribulation]: Five Tribulations pending.
Future Tribulations delayed until:
Ti: 175 days 19 hours 41 minutes 45 seconds.
Next thresholds: 12 attributes > 400 / 6 attribute > 600 / 1 attribute > 800
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