Lyola left after some more chit chat. She requested that they all come to the city she runs, and his mother promised they would. She shyly left after a few more bows. Lyola was able to share her Comm information with his mother but not them. Something about not adding more fuel to the fire. Tiff was upset her fun was interrupted until Tosh came by and offered to take them shopping around town. The group was soon piled in the yellow flying school bus. Asher was surprised he forgot to make a Magic School Bus reference.
“Where is Tyranis?” Asher asked.
“Dealing with the fallout of your duel this morning,” Tosh said.
“He told me if something happened to Burill it wouldn’t affect his deal,” Asher said.
“I don’t know the details of their deal, I just know it is going to be a problem. Plarious is already saying you cheated somehow. Fetince used a grade A artifact to put you to sleep. You shouldn’t have had a chance,” he said, rubbing his temples. “Luckily everything was recorded. It was easy to prove there was no outside interference. Still, you really need to keep a lower profile. A level 30 killing a level 42 is unheard of. Levels really don’t matter so much when you’re in the 100s. Where we all are, every stat counts.”
“I’ll do my best,” Asher promised. “Where are we going first?” Asher asked.
“First, you all need better storage items,” Tosh said reluctantly, changing the subject. “Then we will see. We can look at potions, weapons, armor, accessories, new skill books. I’m sure you’re sick of the salads they feed you so we could get food. And I seem to remember someone saying they want a vehicle. You’d have to take a driving tutorial, but that shouldn’t be a problem either.”
They were brought to a specific building. A giant 50-story tall square block. Black steel exterior, and no windows. It looked like all the rest to Asher, but Tosh pointed out the sign that had some foreign language written on it. It was a lot of shapes and squiggly lines to him. The first floor of the large building was a lobby. So early in the morning they weren’t overly busy, but the group did get stares. Taking the platform elevator up they stepped out on the accessory floor. Tosh brought them to a part of the building specifically for Storage Items.
“Where is your biggest and best?” Tiff asked the storekeeper. A large set of rings appeared out of nowhere. The clerk smoothly went into a sales pitch on the rings.
“These are our Timeless Bands. With the Timefreeze enchant they are said to have no end,” the elderly woman said with a smile on her face. The rings shined in the light, he thought they had a silver platinum look to them. “They also have a Binding enchant on them.”
“What does that mean?” Asher’s father asked.
“You can circulate mana through it so you can feel where it is. If someone cuts off your hand you can find it later,”
Tosh explained. “What’s the size restriction for what can go in and out at once?”
“Anything smaller than this table,” she said pointing behind her. The table was about 5 feet tall, 4 feet wide and 10 feet long.
“How much?”
“1,000 Syscos,” the shopkeep said.
“Ha,” Tosh laughed. “150.” And the bickering began. He eventually got her down to 450 Syscos. Asher would have paid twice that for it, he would have paid much more in the System Store. He used Identification on one of them.
| Timeless Band | |
| Cost | N/A |
| Capacity | ???? |
| Enchant 1 | Time Freeze |
| Enchant 2 | Binding |
Asher counted everyone with him. They were 11 in total, he felt like Tosh had his own. “I’ll pay 4,500 Syscos for 11 of them.” The shopkeep happily agreed. Soon they each had their own rings. People began dumping stuff from their current storage items and putting them in the rings. “I know I can be a pain. I hope this makes up for any troubles I may have caused so far,” he announced.
“Works for me,” Abby said. A few others nodded. Even Atalanta couldn’t hide a smile on her face as she looked at the new ring.
“Do you have this in black?” Batman asked. Asher laughed. Nadir wanted to stay because there were many more storage items that were much cheaper than the System Store, but soon Tosh talked him out of it since he promised they would earn more Syscos if they did well in the Trials.
Soon they were all circulating mana into the rings as Tosh took them to the next store. It was an accessory shop, supposedly one of the best in the city. There were a few people shopping around, but not too many. They were able to walk around without being gawked at.
“Any recommendations on accessories?” Nadir asked Tosh.
“I tried to research Champion Trials, but they really are random. I would recommend one for the elements. So if you’re on a freezing planet or fire planet you won’t be bothered. Also a breathing one so you don’t need air. One to protect against Elemental Mana could be good. One for ailments, like sleep. I’d say one for poisons and toxins, but you can get potions for that.”
Soon Asher was stocked up with everything. He didn’t repeat his generosity at the other stores, and he forced his parents to use their own money, but he did buy he and Tiff the following.
| Pristine Necklace | |
| Cost | N/A |
| Enchant 1 | Immunity to hot and cold weather |
| Enchant 2 | Oxygen Generation |
| Mana Protection Ring | |
| Cost | N/A |
| Enchant 1 | 25% resistance to Fire |
| Enchant 2 | 25% resistance to Lightning |
| Enchant 3 | 25% resistance to Ice |
| Mind Protection Ring | |
| Cost | N/A |
| Enchant 1 | Resistant to Sleep |
| Enchant 2 | Resistant to Paralysis |
| Enchant 3 | Resistant to Psychic Attack |
Since he was one of few people that could buy in bulk he was able to get 2 of each for a total of 1,000 Syscos. Nadir ended up buying the Mind Protection Ring, and everyone bought the Pristine Necklace.
Then they went to the Alchemy Floor. There were some buff potions, but Asher wasn’t a fan of those types. He settled on 5 antidotes and antivenoms for himself. Then his mother guilted him into buying one of each for everyone since they were supposedly there to help him. Then he had to buy them all Immobilization cure potions, then each one a Health and Mana Potion. By the end he was down another 3,000 Syscos.
“Thank you sugar daddy,” Tiff said, giving him a kiss.
Asher looked to Abby and Batman. “Where’s my kiss?” He asked, but they turned away.
They stopped at the weapon store. Asher liked his Guts’ sword too much to care, but he did buy more throwing knives, and some cheap weapons that looked better than anything on the System Store. It was always good to have disposable weapons. Next was the armor shop. Again he didn’t buy anything for himself, but with a supposed bottomless pit of a ring he threw in some cheap armor sets.
Then they arrived at a grocery store. Tosh set them up with a menu, they tried lots of different food. By the end they were stocked with hundreds of hot and ready meals. With the Timefreeze Enchant there would be no reason to worry about making food, so they bought it all and threw them in. So far that was Asher’s cheapest shop. Since 1 Sysco was enough for someone to live on for a month, he only ended up spending 5 there.
The last store they stopped at was a Skill Book Store. Asher had forgotten skills could be learned from books. They had gotten a few Skill Scrolls in his first dungeon, but they were supposed to sell those. Did I ever get my cut? He wondered, he didn’t think he ever got paid for the carcasses they collected either. He would have to talk to Joan when he got back.
“The store is sectioned off by mana type. If you have that mana type you should be able to learn it. Batman you should be Shadow, Abby and Atalanta Energy, Mr. and Mrs. Whitmore Holy, Nadir Illusion. You might be able to learn more than one Ming, and I’m not sure on yours Vincent. Maybe ask the shopkeeper if they have ideas. You too Keera.”
“What about us?” Tiff asked.
“To be honest you’d be hard pressed to find books for you anywhere in this sector,” Tosh admitted.
Thinking Tiff said, “I have a Flight skill, does that use Sex mana too?”
“Really? Can you use it quick?” Tosh asked. Tiff began to float in the air. “That’s Wind Mana. Interesting, you must have an affinity. Check down that aisle.” Tiff happily did. After over an hour they left with a few books, even Tiff found one she liked. He made her pay for this one, but they were cheap so she didn’t mind. That was their final stop in the building. By the end of the trip Asher was left with 13,320 Syscos, and they still had to get vehicles.
The dealership, as Asher liked to think of it, was across the city. They walked into another large building, but inside was completely hollow. On the bottom floor there were vehicles just like the ones they saw flying around everywhere. They were the futuristic vehicles Asher had seen on his first trip. They mostly looked the same, besides different colors of course.
In all honesty they reminded Asher of the motorcycle from Akira. Studying a red one made for one person the sides were smooth. A spot was open for someone to get in, and there were tire-like circles on each end, but instead of being vertical like on a motorcycle they were horizontal. Using Mana Sight on one flying above them he noticed the blue glow of mana leaving the wheel like attachments.
A car salesman soon came up to them. He was a lizard man with brown scales for skin, and wore white robes. “Well if it isn’t the Champions themselves,” he said licking his lips.
Most everyone was poor by that point, except Ming and Vincent who refused to spend more. Tiff and his mother talked Ash into getting a few. They ended up choosing 3. 2 were personal Gliders, and 1 allowed a passenger. Asher’s was red, Tiff’s was blue like her hair, and the passenger one was purple. They fit in their rings as long as the glass encasement for the Gliders was down. Tosh did warn them they wouldn’t be able to use them in the Trials. Still Asher was happy.
They had an Engineer System on staff that was able to manipulate the form with mana to better match the Akira bike. He didn’t remember it well, but Keera’s phone had a picture saved and they were able to get close. All in all he ended up with 7,320 Syscos. The poorest he had been in a while. Yes he was supposed to save Syscos for a spaceship, but a part of him doubted they would have trouble earning more.
He was ready to ride his new Glider home, but instead everyone was forced to watch a training video and take a test. It was fairly simple. The flying bikes ran on mana so they had to prove they knew how to regulate how much mana they expelled. They were only able to match the speed of traffic in the city, but outside city limits they could go as fast as they wanted.
They were about to go take them for a spin outside the city but Tosh got a call from Tyranis. He said the Guild Master wanted to meet Asher, and it was best not to keep him waiting.
“I thought Tyranis was the Guild Master?” Asher asked as they got back in the school bus.
“He is the acting Guild Master. Tyranis’ father Tiberion is the Guild Master. He is much older, about level 120 I think. He is happy staying around the city in his later years.”
“Any idea how old he is?” Tiff asked.
“Well Lyola is 3,000 years old,” Tosh said. This made Tiff cough in surprise. Asher was too sometimes, he wouldn’t think someone so timid in the bedroom would be so old. “Tyranis is 5,000 years old. I would say Tiberion is 7 or 8,000 years old.”
“Jeez,” Asher said.
“Don’t let that number fool you either. Elves age slower, yes, but so do high level people. He is probably just as sharp now as he has ever been, so show some respect,” Tosh warned.
They were soon back at the palace. Asher was informed that only he was requested for an audience. He gave Tiff a kiss, but she and his parents jumped on their new Gliders. Abby made Asher cough up his Glider. Keera jumped on the back of Abby and the 5 of them were soon off.
“Stupid freaking responsibility,” he said watching them go. Tiff gave an extra loud ‘yahoo’, as they flew off.
When Tosh and Asher were the only ones in the elevator platform Ash asked, “Should I be worried?”
“When dealing with someone of a higher level you should always be worried,” Tosh said. “When you mess up a trade deal they’ve worked on for almost a decade, you should be very worried.” Asher’s heart began to pound. He forgot they were engaged for a decade. This might not end the way he wanted.
When they reached near the top floor of the palace Asher was surprised by a line of guards on either side of their path. A red carpet on the floor leading them forward, Ash and Tosh walked together to a large door. The wide doors were opened for them. Beyond the door reminded Asher of Lyola’s throne room, only this one was much larger in scale. It was a good long way to the throne. Nobles and soldiers littered the area. Some talking, others snacking. Most of them stopped what they were doing to watch him as he passed.
Tosh grabbed his arm when they were a few dozen feet from the stairs that led up to the throne. At the top of the 20 stairs was a grand wooden throne. An older, but not ancient, elf sat at it. He had short light blonde hair, and a few wrinkles. Asher could almost feel the power the old elf held. This elf was the strongest person he had met. There must be something grand that happened to a System User at level 100, because he could feel mana pouring out of him.
“Lawful Good, welcome to my city,” the Guild Master said. His voice boomed in the room. Everyone quieted. Tosh bowed, Asher mirrored it. Once he was facing the Guild Master again Asher noticed Tyranis and his family were to the right of the Guild Master. All 3 of Tyranis’ wives, and his children, including Lyola, were next to him. “You have caused me an issue Lawful Good. Have anything to say for yourself?”
Asher was going to apologize, but then he remembered his first meeting with Lyola. She said the Roktai respect strength. He put on his confident persona. “I doubt you wanted someone so weak in your family anyway.”
The room was silent until the Guild Master cracked a smile. Then barked a laugh, he tried to hide a wider smile from his face. “Tell me Hero. I watched the video, but in your own words, how did you win your fight?”
Asher thought back. “To be honest I slept through most of it,” he said loudly. A few more chuckles around the room. “I’d have to say luck. And the fact that my sword was bigger.”
The Guild Master barked another laugh. He said something to Tyranis, but Asher couldn’t hear it. “Fair enough Hero. Since you have caused us issue, we have decided you must take the Roktai Trial.” Lyola tried to say something, but her father looked at her sternly. She meekly looked to the floor.
Confused, Asher said, “I have to take many Trials. Can I ask what makes this one so different?”
“With this one you will either pass or die,” Tiberion said.
Asher shrugged, that sounded like all of them. “Ok.” By that point it really made no difference to him. The stunned look on others' faces told him he should be more worried than he actually was. Asher was only excited for something new. 2 weeks on a spaceship had made him itch for a challenge, and if he could get stats from another trial, and experience, he was all for it. When the stunned silence ended Tiberion began laughing loudly. He was the only one that did.
Lyola left after some more chit chat. She requested that they all come to the city she runs, and his mother promised they would. She shyly left after a few more bows. Lyola was able to share her Comm information with his mother but not them. Something about not adding more fuel to the fire. Tiff was upset her fun was interrupted until Tosh came by and offered to take them shopping around town. The group was soon piled in the yellow flying school bus. Asher was surprised he forgot to make a Magic School Bus reference.
“Where is Tyranis?” Asher asked.
“Dealing with the fallout of your duel this morning,” Tosh said.
“He told me if something happened to Burill it wouldn’t affect his deal,” Asher said.
“I don’t know the details of their deal, I just know it is going to be a problem. Plarious is already saying you cheated somehow. Fetince used a grade A artifact to put you to sleep. You shouldn’t have had a chance,” he said, rubbing his temples. “Luckily everything was recorded. It was easy to prove there was no outside interference. Still, you really need to keep a lower profile. A level 30 killing a level 42 is unheard of. Levels really don’t matter so much when you’re in the 100s. Where we all are, every stat counts.”
“I’ll do my best,” Asher promised. “Where are we going first?” Asher asked.
“First, you all need better storage items,” Tosh said reluctantly, changing the subject. “Then we will see. We can look at potions, weapons, armor, accessories, new skill books. I’m sure you’re sick of the salads they feed you so we could get food. And I seem to remember someone saying they want a vehicle. You’d have to take a driving tutorial, but that shouldn’t be a problem either.”
They were brought to a specific building. A giant 50-story tall square block. Black steel exterior, and no windows. It looked like all the rest to Asher, but Tosh pointed out the sign that had some foreign language written on it. It was a lot of shapes and squiggly lines to him. The first floor of the large building was a lobby. So early in the morning they weren’t overly busy, but the group did get stares. Taking the platform elevator up they stepped out on the accessory floor. Tosh brought them to a part of the building specifically for Storage Items.
“Where is your biggest and best?” Tiff asked the storekeeper. A large set of rings appeared out of nowhere. The clerk smoothly went into a sales pitch on the rings.
“These are our Timeless Bands. With the Timefreeze enchant they are said to have no end,” the elderly woman said with a smile on her face. The rings shined in the light, he thought they had a silver platinum look to them. “They also have a Binding enchant on them.”
“What does that mean?” Asher’s father asked.
“You can circulate mana through it so you can feel where it is. If someone cuts off your hand you can find it later,”
Tosh explained. “What’s the size restriction for what can go in and out at once?”
“Anything smaller than this table,” she said pointing behind her. The table was about 5 feet tall, 4 feet wide and 10 feet long.
“How much?”
“1,000 Syscos,” the shopkeep said.
“Ha,” Tosh laughed. “150.” And the bickering began. He eventually got her down to 450 Syscos. Asher would have paid twice that for it, he would have paid much more in the System Store. He used Identification on one of them.
| Timeless Band | |
| Cost | N/A |
| Capacity | ???? |
| Enchant 1 | Time Freeze |
| Enchant 2 | Binding |
Asher counted everyone with him. They were 11 in total, he felt like Tosh had his own. “I’ll pay 4,500 Syscos for 11 of them.” The shopkeep happily agreed. Soon they each had their own rings. People began dumping stuff from their current storage items and putting them in the rings. “I know I can be a pain. I hope this makes up for any troubles I may have caused so far,” he announced.
“Works for me,” Abby said. A few others nodded. Even Atalanta couldn’t hide a smile on her face as she looked at the new ring.
“Do you have this in black?” Batman asked. Asher laughed. Nadir wanted to stay because there were many more storage items that were much cheaper than the System Store, but soon Tosh talked him out of it since he promised they would earn more Syscos if they did well in the Trials.
Soon they were all circulating mana into the rings as Tosh took them to the next store. It was an accessory shop, supposedly one of the best in the city. There were a few people shopping around, but not too many. They were able to walk around without being gawked at.
“Any recommendations on accessories?” Nadir asked Tosh.
“I tried to research Champion Trials, but they really are random. I would recommend one for the elements. So if you’re on a freezing planet or fire planet you won’t be bothered. Also a breathing one so you don’t need air. One to protect against Elemental Mana could be good. One for ailments, like sleep. I’d say one for poisons and toxins, but you can get potions for that.”
Soon Asher was stocked up with everything. He didn’t repeat his generosity at the other stores, and he forced his parents to use their own money, but he did buy he and Tiff the following.
| Pristine Necklace | |
| Cost | N/A |
| Enchant 1 | Immunity to hot and cold weather |
| Enchant 2 | Oxygen Generation |
| Mana Protection Ring | |
| Cost | N/A |
| Enchant 1 | 25% resistance to Fire |
| Enchant 2 | 25% resistance to Lightning |
| Enchant 3 | 25% resistance to Ice |
| Mind Protection Ring | |
| Cost | N/A |
| Enchant 1 | Resistant to Sleep |
| Enchant 2 | Resistant to Paralysis |
| Enchant 3 | Resistant to Psychic Attack |
Since he was one of few people that could buy in bulk he was able to get 2 of each for a total of 1,000 Syscos. Nadir ended up buying the Mind Protection Ring, and everyone bought the Pristine Necklace.
Then they went to the Alchemy Floor. There were some buff potions, but Asher wasn’t a fan of those types. He settled on 5 antidotes and antivenoms for himself. Then his mother guilted him into buying one of each for everyone since they were supposedly there to help him. Then he had to buy them all Immobilization cure potions, then each one a Health and Mana Potion. By the end he was down another 3,000 Syscos.
“Thank you sugar daddy,” Tiff said, giving him a kiss.
Asher looked to Abby and Batman. “Where’s my kiss?” He asked, but they turned away.
They stopped at the weapon store. Asher liked his Guts’ sword too much to care, but he did buy more throwing knives, and some cheap weapons that looked better than anything on the System Store. It was always good to have disposable weapons. Next was the armor shop. Again he didn’t buy anything for himself, but with a supposed bottomless pit of a ring he threw in some cheap armor sets.
Then they arrived at a grocery store. Tosh set them up with a menu, they tried lots of different food. By the end they were stocked with hundreds of hot and ready meals. With the Timefreeze Enchant there would be no reason to worry about making food, so they bought it all and threw them in. So far that was Asher’s cheapest shop. Since 1 Sysco was enough for someone to live on for a month, he only ended up spending 5 there.
The last store they stopped at was a Skill Book Store. Asher had forgotten skills could be learned from books. They had gotten a few Skill Scrolls in his first dungeon, but they were supposed to sell those. Did I ever get my cut? He wondered, he didn’t think he ever got paid for the carcasses they collected either. He would have to talk to Joan when he got back.
“The store is sectioned off by mana type. If you have that mana type you should be able to learn it. Batman you should be Shadow, Abby and Atalanta Energy, Mr. and Mrs. Whitmore Holy, Nadir Illusion. You might be able to learn more than one Ming, and I’m not sure on yours Vincent. Maybe ask the shopkeeper if they have ideas. You too Keera.”
“What about us?” Tiff asked.
“To be honest you’d be hard pressed to find books for you anywhere in this sector,” Tosh admitted.
Thinking Tiff said, “I have a Flight skill, does that use Sex mana too?”
“Really? Can you use it quick?” Tosh asked. Tiff began to float in the air. “That’s Wind Mana. Interesting, you must have an affinity. Check down that aisle.” Tiff happily did. After over an hour they left with a few books, even Tiff found one she liked. He made her pay for this one, but they were cheap so she didn’t mind. That was their final stop in the building. By the end of the trip Asher was left with 13,320 Syscos, and they still had to get vehicles.
The dealership, as Asher liked to think of it, was across the city. They walked into another large building, but inside was completely hollow. On the bottom floor there were vehicles just like the ones they saw flying around everywhere. They were the futuristic vehicles Asher had seen on his first trip. They mostly looked the same, besides different colors of course.
In all honesty they reminded Asher of the motorcycle from Akira. Studying a red one made for one person the sides were smooth. A spot was open for someone to get in, and there were tire-like circles on each end, but instead of being vertical like on a motorcycle they were horizontal. Using Mana Sight on one flying above them he noticed the blue glow of mana leaving the wheel like attachments.
A car salesman soon came up to them. He was a lizard man with brown scales for skin, and wore white robes. “Well if it isn’t the Champions themselves,” he said licking his lips.
Most everyone was poor by that point, except Ming and Vincent who refused to spend more. Tiff and his mother talked Ash into getting a few. They ended up choosing 3. 2 were personal Gliders, and 1 allowed a passenger. Asher’s was red, Tiff’s was blue like her hair, and the passenger one was purple. They fit in their rings as long as the glass encasement for the Gliders was down. Tosh did warn them they wouldn’t be able to use them in the Trials. Still Asher was happy.
They had an Engineer System on staff that was able to manipulate the form with mana to better match the Akira bike. He didn’t remember it well, but Keera’s phone had a picture saved and they were able to get close. All in all he ended up with 7,320 Syscos. The poorest he had been in a while. Yes he was supposed to save Syscos for a spaceship, but a part of him doubted they would have trouble earning more.
He was ready to ride his new Glider home, but instead everyone was forced to watch a training video and take a test. It was fairly simple. The flying bikes ran on mana so they had to prove they knew how to regulate how much mana they expelled. They were only able to match the speed of traffic in the city, but outside city limits they could go as fast as they wanted.
They were about to go take them for a spin outside the city but Tosh got a call from Tyranis. He said the Guild Master wanted to meet Asher, and it was best not to keep him waiting.
“I thought Tyranis was the Guild Master?” Asher asked as they got back in the school bus.
“He is the acting Guild Master. Tyranis’ father Tiberion is the Guild Master. He is much older, about level 120 I think. He is happy staying around the city in his later years.”
“Any idea how old he is?” Tiff asked.
“Well Lyola is 3,000 years old,” Tosh said. This made Tiff cough in surprise. Asher was too sometimes, he wouldn’t think someone so timid in the bedroom would be so old. “Tyranis is 5,000 years old. I would say Tiberion is 7 or 8,000 years old.”
“Jeez,” Asher said.
“Don’t let that number fool you either. Elves age slower, yes, but so do high level people. He is probably just as sharp now as he has ever been, so show some respect,” Tosh warned.
They were soon back at the palace. Asher was informed that only he was requested for an audience. He gave Tiff a kiss, but she and his parents jumped on their new Gliders. Abby made Asher cough up his Glider. Keera jumped on the back of Abby and the 5 of them were soon off.
“Stupid freaking responsibility,” he said watching them go. Tiff gave an extra loud ‘yahoo’, as they flew off.
When Tosh and Asher were the only ones in the elevator platform Ash asked, “Should I be worried?”
“When dealing with someone of a higher level you should always be worried,” Tosh said. “When you mess up a trade deal they’ve worked on for almost a decade, you should be very worried.” Asher’s heart began to pound. He forgot they were engaged for a decade. This might not end the way he wanted.
When they reached near the top floor of the palace Asher was surprised by a line of guards on either side of their path. A red carpet on the floor leading them forward, Ash and Tosh walked together to a large door. The wide doors were opened for them. Beyond the door reminded Asher of Lyola’s throne room, only this one was much larger in scale. It was a good long way to the throne. Nobles and soldiers littered the area. Some talking, others snacking. Most of them stopped what they were doing to watch him as he passed.
Tosh grabbed his arm when they were a few dozen feet from the stairs that led up to the throne. At the top of the 20 stairs was a grand wooden throne. An older, but not ancient, elf sat at it. He had short light blonde hair, and a few wrinkles. Asher could almost feel the power the old elf held. This elf was the strongest person he had met. There must be something grand that happened to a System User at level 100, because he could feel mana pouring out of him.
“Lawful Good, welcome to my city,” the Guild Master said. His voice boomed in the room. Everyone quieted. Tosh bowed, Asher mirrored it. Once he was facing the Guild Master again Asher noticed Tyranis and his family were to the right of the Guild Master. All 3 of Tyranis’ wives, and his children, including Lyola, were next to him. “You have caused me an issue Lawful Good. Have anything to say for yourself?”
Asher was going to apologize, but then he remembered his first meeting with Lyola. She said the Roktai respect strength. He put on his confident persona. “I doubt you wanted someone so weak in your family anyway.”
The room was silent until the Guild Master cracked a smile. Then barked a laugh, he tried to hide a wider smile from his face. “Tell me Hero. I watched the video, but in your own words, how did you win your fight?”
Asher thought back. “To be honest I slept through most of it,” he said loudly. A few more chuckles around the room. “I’d have to say luck. And the fact that my sword was bigger.”
The Guild Master barked another laugh. He said something to Tyranis, but Asher couldn’t hear it. “Fair enough Hero. Since you have caused us issue, we have decided you must take the Roktai Trial.” Lyola tried to say something, but her father looked at her sternly. She meekly looked to the floor.
Confused, Asher said, “I have to take many Trials. Can I ask what makes this one so different?”
“With this one you will either pass or die,” Tiberion said.
Asher shrugged, that sounded like all of them. “Ok.” By that point it really made no difference to him. The stunned look on others' faces told him he should be more worried than he actually was. Asher was only excited for something new. 2 weeks on a spaceship had made him itch for a challenge, and if he could get stats from another trial, and experience, he was all for it. When the stunned silence ended Tiberion began laughing loudly. He was the only one that did.
