Cataclysm War | Chapter 83: Quest Advancement (First Draft)

Sunday, August 7, 4 S.E.

Leonidas stared at the screen silently and felt the [Aetherium] and Experience flow into his reserves, grimacing at the fact that his experience malus meant he only progressed most of the way to level 22. His eyes fell on the chest thereafter, and he bent down to it, retrieving the purple-cloth-wrapped [Bulwark of Radiance] and, more intriguingly, the [Map of Albion], which was itself encased in removable, tempered glass.

“Husband?” Aylar asked curiously as she drew closer. “What did you receive?”

“Something I’ve got a feeling you’ll love, Aylar,” he said wryly, and held up the immense tower shield as he examined it more closely.

BULWARK OF RADIANCE

[Type]: Tower Shield

[Quality]: Epic

[Requirement(s)]: N/A

[Slot(s)]: Main Hand, Off-Hand, Two-Hand

[Description]: This shield possesses a potent essence of [Light] Affinity, allowing it to be wielded in stalwart defense and restoration of its owner. Forged from the rare alloy Aethersteel, this tower shield is nigh-unbreakable and is naturally resistant to all forms of damage.

[Effect 1]: Harness [Light] Affinity to create a 10m [Dome of Invulnerability] for 30 seconds

[Effect 2]: Harness [Light] Affinity to heal yourself or an ally for the Mana invested

[Soulbond]: N/A

Leonidas offered her the shield with a shake of his head, smiling wryly as Aylar stared at him.

“Aylar,” he said to her as she glanced between him and the immense tower shield, “I had a [Radiance Core] on Elatra. I know how well this would synergize with you, and I’ve seen you fight. You may have foregone a shield in the Rite, but I know you were trained with one. This suits you. Take it. I prefer to have my off-hand free whenever I can.”

Aylar hesitated still, looking between him and the shield.

“But it could keep you safe, Leonidas,” she objected, her fingers twitching faintly as she gently reached out, touching the wrapped shield without taking it.

“It could,” he agreed, “but I’m a blademaster. My defense is my offense. You need this more than I do, Aylar—besides, I can always borrow it if the need is truly dire.”

His wife hesitated for a moment longer, and Leonidas eventually just pressed the massive, covered shield into her hands. The Queen peered at it when she accepted it, and then looked back at him, a warm blush spreading across her cheeks as she finally smiled in concession.

“You’ll be rewarded for this,” she promised him innocuously, though he didn’t miss the sly twinkle in her eyes when she said it, and promptly cleared his throat, nodded, and turned back to the [Map of Albion] in his hands while Aylar wandered over to Bardulf and Synthra, and the three of them exclaimed over the shield when she revealed it.

“What do you have there, Your Majesty?” Uriel asked when Leonidas peered at the map, and then glanced up to the Duke.

“A piece of a puzzle, I think,” Leonidas answered readily, shifting the map so that Uriel could see it. “I received a [Lineage Quest] during my Tribulation, and I don’t think it’s a coincidence that I received two items my closest companions could wield while also receiving this map. I think the Administrator I met is pulling strings.”

The Dawn-Lord raised a golden eyebrow at his words.

“It is not unknown for Administrators to take a direct hand in things,” the Knight murmured, “though I cannot read this. It just appears as shifting, impossible lines to my eyes. If this is truly an Administrator’s hand at play, the implications…”

“I know,” Leonidas concurred, “but I can’t explain it any other way.”

Before saying more, he focused on the [Map of Albion] and examined it.

MAP OF ALBION

[Type]: Map

[Quality]: Legendary

[Requirement(s)]: Blood of Pendragon

[Description]: This map holds the secrets to the lost nation of Albion, long-sundered by the veil of time and history. Only a trueborn child of Pendragon can read its contents, and only a trueborn scion of Pendragon can reveal its secrets at the appropriate time.

Before he could say a word, a new alert appeared in front of him.

SYSTEM MESSAGE

Your [World Map] has been updated!

Almost immediately after he dismissed both screens, the one he’d expected to pop up did so, and Leonidas read over it quickly while Uriel—seemingly recognizing what he was doing—remained patiently silent and waited.

SYSTEM MESSAGE

Congratulations Leonidas! You have advanced your [Lineage Quest]!

INHERITANCE OF PENDRAGON

[Quality]: Mythic

[Description]: You have learned that your bloodline’s ancestor, King Arthur Pendragon, was a Cultivator under the tutelage of the Saint rank worldwalker Merlin. To discern the truth behind the secrets of your bloodline, you must find and claim the Inheritance of Pendragon, namely King Arthur’s sword: [Excalibur].

Upon opening a reward from the System in the form of a [Platinum Chest], you have been gifted the [Map of Albion], a unique item bound to your bloodline. As a trueborn child of Pendragon, only you and those who share your blood may read its contents. The [Map of Albion] has revealed to you the hidden entrance to [Camelot], located in what was once Cornwall, in the land now known as the [Empire of the Lion].

[Quest Objective(s)]:

Travel to the [Empire of the Lion] and gain access to [Camelot]

Discover the true history of your Lineage

Claim rightful ownership of [Excalibur]

[Optional Objective(s)]:

Reclaim the [Worldwalker Grimoire]

Discover Arthur Pendragon’s Fate

Leonidas let out a quiet sigh and glanced at Uriel, who simply quirked an eyebrow at him in silent question.

“New quest objective,” he answered quietly. “It wants me to go to the [Empire of the Lion], as the System calls it, which I’m guessing is a Dominion here on Terra, where Great Britain used to be. The problem is, I have no idea how I’d even get there, nor what sort of reception might await me—especially now that I’m a Monarch.”

Uriel nodded with agreement.

“It would be unwise to undertake this journey prior to your Fifth Tier, if not later. Once the Kingdom is more secure, I believe this will be worth your effort, and I think Ceruviel will agree—but first, you need to ensure the stability of the Realm. I know it may be difficult to resist the temptation, but—”

“Don’t worry, Uriel,” Leonidas said wryly, stowing the [Map of Albion] into his [Spatial Storage Ring]. “I’m eager, but I’m not an idiot. I’ll wait until I’m stronger. The last thing any of us wants, especially me, is for me to gallivant off and end up dead in Britain.”

The Dawn-Lord relaxed subtly at his words and nodded in approval.

“Where are you going to end up dead?” Bardulf asked curiously as he, Aylar, and Synthra rejoined them. Aylar was holding the unveiled shield like it were a treasured item, and Leonidas took a moment to properly examine it: noting the scutum-style design, the angelic wings patterned across its top, and the gold-veined silver sheen of its surface. A massive, perfectly-cut topaz resided at the shield’s core, and he could almost sense the [Light] Affinity radiating out of it.

“Nowhere,” Leonidas assured Bardulf after his glance at the shield. “But eventually, we’ll have a fun new adventure to head off onto, because of a Quest I received. Probably with Kairi, Parnym, and Synthra—but not right now. I’d say we’d want to be at least Elite rank as standard before attempting it.”

Bardulf let out a low whistle, and Aylar arched her eyebrow as Synthra frowned.

“What sort of quest would require that level of minimum strength?” the Sorceress questioned, to which Aylar nodded in agreed curiosity.

“A [Lineage Quest],” Leonidas responded with a grin. “I’ll explain on the way back to the Palace. I need a shower and probably a nap. The Tribulation felt good immediately afterward, but damn, I need some rest.”

“In that case, Your Majesty,” Uriel said after a moment, “I will see myself back to the Dawn Watch. I need to continue reviewing the necessary changes for the Aegis of Avalon.”

Leonidas turned back to the titanic Haelfar and smiled at him warmly.

“Thanks, Uriel,” he said appreciatively. “You’re the GOAT.”

Uriel stared at him for a moment, sighed, then slowly nodded and saluted formally, bowing to him and Aylar both, before turning to stride away.

“Why did you call the Dawn-Lord a farm animal?” Aylar asked in confusion.

“Huh?” Leonidas said, and then sighed in realization. “Oh. Right. Nomenclature. GOAT actually means ‘Greatest of All Time’. It’s a compliment on Terra.”

“Someone should tell the Dawn-Lord that,” Bardulf murmured, at which point Aylar rolled her eyes and hurried after the Duke, while Leonidas watched guiltily.

A smack on his shoulder from Synthra followed a second later.

“Bighead,” the redhead muttered, to which Leonidas could only agree.

I probably should have explained that one, he lamented.

*

Xarina observed in silence as the Cataclysm and his merry band of fools departed the Arena half an hour after the end of the nightmare that had wracked it, flanked by so many golden-armored Contenders and Elites that it baffled her mind. Had they not all seen what had happened? Had they not borne witness to the calamitous force of what the nearby observers had informed her was a second Tribulation?

The very idea of an Initiate Tempering incurring a Tribulation bordered on unbelievable, but it had happened before her very eyes the second time. She had seen the clouds, seen them cover the arena, seen them striking at it with such force that even through the shield defending the Thronehold, the earth had shaken, and buildings had rattled as if the inanimate objects themselves felt existential terror.

This goes beyond mere madness, Xarina thought to herself as she observed the Archon-King departing, his wife on his arm, and his companions at his side. This veers directly into the realm of sheer suicidal disregard. The man is a walking weapon of mass destruction, as these Terrans call it, yet they treat him like he is anyone else.

The Bladedancer gritted her teeth and turned away, striding back toward the Cartellis mansion. She had resolved to bring the Cataclysm into her control, but how she would achieve that entirely eluded her. The man seemed utterly inured to the temptations of flesh; he was too well-guarded to kidnap, and by all reports, his Archon class would render even the most ardent attempts at reeducation pointless.

Frustration gnawed at her while she walked away from the Prosperity Quarter, toward the Peacock District, and her lambent red eyes narrowed in thought. She needed to consult Yarilla, ward off the attack, and then make a plan of action. She couldn’t share what she knew—she was bound by oaths and secrecy that predated any other pledge of loyalty—and she couldn’t rely on her sisters to aid her in her task.

Xarina had considered abducting one of the King’s family members, but had dismissed that idea quickly, as well. That would only incur his lasting ire, and if the Prince-Royal was any example, that would prove decidedly lethal far faster than she’d like. There were so many options, but so few of them were truly open to her.

If she exposed herself as a Starhold agent to win his trust, that terrifying Venerate woman would expose her scheme swiftly—and if she tried to sabotage the duel against Baron Cartellis in the King’s favor, it would only anger his pride as an Archon, by what she’d been able to ascertain.

Turning public opinion against him, even if she had years, was a losing prospect given how hero-worshipped he was, and the Queen at his side was about as liable to turn on him as Xarina was to embrace being a Haelfar. There were no good options, no ploys, no ways to truly bring the man into her control in a manner that achieved anything remotely resembling success.

I could reveal my Quest to him, but that would just lead to more questions.

Her mind churned as she walked, and she felt her eye twitching in a reactive, habitual answer to her burning frustrations.

She needed an answer. She needed a way to ingratiate herself with the man.

When Yarilla meets me for the report, I’ll ask her for advice, Xarina finally resolved. She’ll probably give it gladly when I help the Starhold avert the disaster that attacking this Kingdom would bring.

Yes, that was the best way to begin. Yarilla would have ideas.

If nothing else loosened her sister’s tongue, saving the Starhold from certain doom definitely would.

Hurry up, Yarilla, Xarina implored within her mind, and don’t let Yvrain make any foolish choices.