EPISODE 228: RED FUTURE 1

  — Federation of Farya, Year 7293. Season: New Beginning.

  Ade Oni was grinning; he didn’t know it yet, but the large smile on his face mimicked the one spread on his opponents. He threw punches, each swift with a blue flame locked within both gloves. Trails of Chi flickered like embers of a raging bonfire, their power kept at bay, if just barely, from consuming everything around them. His attention barely flickered to his Life Points as he fought, a plan of action developing that needed confirmation of all his resources. He suffered greatly for it.

  “This Chi of yours… it truly must be respected for its ability to restrict Power. Mind nor Energy can match such feats, not but for a single instance—(Earthen Forge: Rumbling Strike — Chi),” Mojo praised, taking advantage of the slight distraction in his opponent, he punched out, a large fist landing on Ade Oni’s belly.

  “(Oni Guardian: Fortification).”

  Ade spat out, and blood and spit gushed from his lips as the heavy blow landed. His Chi became disordered, unable to be brought forth by his best attempts. He’d barely reinforced his body, consuming a large amount of Stamina Points as he activated a skill. Even still, Mojo’s ability broke through, heavily punishing him.

  Blue steps flashed, taking to the air as they retreated, blood dripped onto the sand colored ground below—the instance broken. The floating platforms dodged, hugging the sides and blocking the view of those beneath them as they rushed out of the way.

  Energy rippled beneath, the earth surged, chunks of it leaving the ground and reforming into platforms that Mojo jumped from in hot pursuit, his laugh echoing all the while. “Hehehahahha.”

  Viviana’s eyes widen as blue flaming steps passed meters from her position, then a rumbling storm of assembling earth platforms followed just as quickly. The platform jolted, rising in hot pursuit as its controller followed. Her eyes widened, concern and more evident within them, and the [Arbitrator] next to the Envoys chuckled as she explained.

  “The Awni Pavilion is famed for a reason. Its highest-paying patrons have the pleasure of enjoying the battle at close distances,” she smiled gleefully, like a child with a new toy. “Of course, it’s rare for such battles to take place throughout the entire pavilion, but when they do, only excitement follows! It looks like Envoy Ade Oni is in trouble—he appeared distracted for an instant, and Mojo is one to capitalize on mistakes.”

  Amaya frowned, gaze tracking Ade as he swiftly rose in elevation. The magi-human dodged through the air, and random boulders thrown at him exploded on a barrier that protected the cheering crowds from harm. The dust and debris surged upward, following Mojo like a landslide. Their cheering voices grew in crescendo as he passed.

  “FIN-ISH HIM!”

  …

  “FIN-ISH HIM!”

  …

  “FIN-ISH HIM!”

  …

  Their chants attempted to worm their way into Ade Oni’s ears, but his mind was completely focused on the chasing Giant Dwarf, a bloodstained smile still on his face. This wasn’t any dragon. This wasn’t any insurmountable obstacle, Ade Oni held little hope or control over defeating. This was man— saphen — flesh and blood , same as he, with a power that wasn’t quite beyond what he could manage.

  “FIN-ISH HIM!”

  “Running so soon,” Mojo’s voice mocked. “Is this a warrior of the magi?”

  The concerned faces of Viviana, Amaya, and the others flashed in his eyes as he ascended past them. There was… a feeling that Ade Oni held a hard time describing rising in his chest. A feeling of challenge, of hope, of opportunity. For nearly three centuries, the magi hadn’t interacted with the world truly. Yes, their mercenaries and trade caravans made their way here and there, but not many ventured past the Warring Beastman Plains. Instead, by then, they would trade with others and return home with their bounties. The government itself remained quiet, focusing on internal issues rather than interacting with the world.

  “FIN-ISH HIM!”

  “I didn’t take the Goddess of War’s people to be cowards!”

  Here he was, a representative for the first time in centuries, able to dictate where and how he acted. Here he was with the hopes and dreams of glory that many warriors held. In a foreign land away from home, he represented the honor of his ancestors and nation.

  “FIN-ISH HIM!”

  “Hmph, coward —not worthy of Faryan hospitality.”

  Ade Oni roared, reversing his ascent into a rapid descent, catching his opponent off guard. Blue flames licked every part of his body—Chi burning to increase his overall strength by a factor of two.

  A lion’s roar reverberated with his voice, his blue flames surging from his body into the appearance of the legendary creature. The sound hit Mojo, stunning him for an instant, then the attack surged forth, ready to bring an end to the battle.

  An earthly light shone from Mojo’s armor, bringing him outside of his stunned state, the face of the blue lion centimeters away. He laughed, a callous thing—his eyes showed derision and a crazed red light within them. He had made a mistake, he could already hear Asan’s nagging voice—this was not part of their plan, well, showing their dominance was but getting caught up in the heat of the battle…? Well, it is what it is, he mentally shrugged. Mojo’s hands clapped in the pose of a prayer, the rocky platforms beneath him surging past the blue lion and into its unsuspecting caster.

  “(Earthen Forge: Cast Iron Fists).”

  Mojo’s grin widened as the last remaining Energy Points left his body. Blue flickered in his eyes, ideas and plans for the future formulating as it consumed him. Ade Oni floated there, the second charge of (Blue Lion’s Fists) approached his opponent. He felt himself relaxing, Mojo Kano was far too close for him to properly defend. The blue lion was large, nearly taking the circumference of the arena, even at the expanded height. Earthen fist approached from its edges, impacting into Ade Oni the second he relaxed.

  Awni Pavilion flashed, the arena taking precautions to ensure the fighters’ lives remained safe.

  Time paused for those watching, their breaths held. Then a massive roar of excitement surged through the watchers. Amaya shook her head while Viviana jumped from the platform, passing the protective barrier as she caught a defeated Ade Oni. Another figure flashed and caught the defeated Mojo Kano. It seemed to be an [Arbitrator] from the exclamations around them.

  “AND IT’S A DOUBLE KNOCKOUT. GOOD FIGHT, GOOD FIGHT!”

  Helios sighed, shaking his head. Ade Oni almost had it. The fight wasn’t bad, but neither he nor his opponent completely dominated throughout it. Unfortunately, he hadn’t secured the victory but a tie—not bad, but not great either. He rose from his sitting position, knowing that he would shortly be out in the arena. He took a glance at his status sheet to ensure everything was good to go.

  The fruits of nearly three years displayed themselves. “Not enough.”

  To Helios, such a sight wasn’t enough. He was one of the youngest over level 100 in the last century. The only ones who could be credited to be higher were perhaps the seven former [Heroes] of Great Edryan. No, not even they compare. Not even the Queen could compare. She was eighteen when she left home and was still rumored to be less than level fifty during the time. His mother, Margret, the rest… they didn’t level this fast—not until they began slaying men. A task that was much later in their journey.

  Helios Romus was nineteen.

  Asan sighed, “For once, it would be nice if Mojo could stick to the script. FOR. ONCE.”

  He grabbed his war-bow and left his room, shortly appearing before an excited crowd. To them, this battle meant little outside of what its appearance suggested.

  It was a contest, or a test of strength if you will. A showcase of Faryan might against the fabled magi—even as their closest neighbors, not many Faryans had interacted with magi. Unless they were from a city near a border or were well-traveled, most citizens didn’t leave as far as Theo village. To these people, their leaders were having a showcase of the next generation versus the next generation.

  People were always in need of a source of entertainment and gossip.

  It appeared that way to Faryans, but to the [Arbitrators] and other interested parties? This was a matter of national security, political intrigue, and dominance, presenting a chance to turn a losing argument on its head in one fell swoop.

  Mojo studied Helios, as did Helios study Mojo. It was no study of strength through Intent but a gaze of a man in a position where their words, actions, and abilities could decide the fate of others. The roars of the crowd didn’t seem to impede them as Mojo struck up a conversation, casually knocking an arrow into his bow.

  The war-bow was a massive mechanical construction that seemed to be a [Tinkers] invention rather than a crafted wooden bow of war. As Asan drew an arrow, the mechanism released a sharp suction that drew in air. Then, as he released, a powerful burst of steam hissed from four corners of the weapon.

  The steam spread in a circular cloud, enveloping the caster in its dense coverage. Helios stood there, spear and shield in hand. He appeared like a legionnaire ready to craft his legend, light around him seemed to intensify, and the crowd felt the sun’s radiance even this deep underneath the earth. Calmly, he raised his shield, the ping of an arrow reverberated through the shield for a moment, but Helios shook it off before casting his gaze into the steam that surrounded him.

  “Interesting,” he chuckled. “(The Sun’s Zone).”

  Spell-Swords are fabled not just by their skill and prowess as knights who possess the power of magic, nor is it through their strength, reputation, or renown. Their fame extends from their ability to control a zone around them and deny all others access to its resources. Helios would end this quick or he would die for it.

  When a zone of control skill was activated, the magi played with fire—to most they would appear like unyielding fighters with the ability to become gods of war on the battlefield. Many didn’t know they hovered on a thin line between life and death.

  Scorching heat spread from Helios’ feet like rays of sunlight on a hot summer day. The steam, thick, clingy, like a heavy rain cloud, evaporated as the heat connected with it. In seconds, the entire arena’s ground was covered in a blistering heat that raised the temperature of the arena by a few degrees.

  Helios’s eyes narrowed, his gaze traveling around to spot his hidden opponent. It circled the entire arena to no avail, leaving the youth wondering.

  The watching crowd quieted down, also wondering at the disappearance of Asan Yola. Not much was understood about the prowess of an [Arbitrator] outside of tales of their leadership on the battlefield, a topic majorly discussed between the Giant Dwarves. What the people of Faria knew them for was their governance, as each controlled the thirteen regions of the nation. Through the governing of their clans, different customs and cultures were integrated throughout the nation, but not enough time had passed for these to be ingrained within the society on a fundamental level. That led to few outside of the Giant Dwarf population truly understanding their leadership.

  “So this is the famed (Zone of Control) skill of the magi’s fabled [Spell-Swords].”

  Helios stood still, the voice of Asan emerging next to his ears. He stood there like a silent guardian waiting for an intruder.

  “You magi aren’t much for talking, it seems,” Asan commented, disgruntled, his tone shifting to slightly provocative. It's harder to conduct business when your opponent didn’t play ball. “I’ll get straight to the point then, the Raven and Fist are looking to be the primary conductors of business with the magi—Ninjaro Ibadan is a dangerous man who is far less agreeable when conducting business.”

  Asan paused, waiting to see if Helios would answer back. He and Mojo, but primarily he, had come up with this plan to get the magi away from Ninjaro’s sphere of influence. His calculations ran deep, and the only way they could ensure his power didn’t influence them was by bringing the magi to a place solely under their control. The Yola family ran the Awni Pavilion, its location centered in their hub of influence. Every man here was their man, whether it was the workers who cleaned the pavilion, the fighters in the arenas, or the healers who tended to them. The mechanism here was theirs—the spell constructs—everything was outside of an equation Ninjaro could control.

  To the crowd, it appeared as if Helios stood there, calmly waiting for his opponent to show himself. Only seconds had passed since the battle began, but that was more than enough time for Helios to come to a decision. He was the second in charge primarily his primary focus was on challenges as such. In truth, it was he who should have stepped forward and not Ade Oni originally, but Helios didn’t care who initiated the conflict, as long as it was resolved with the magi on top.

  “Continue,” Helios finally answered.

  ‘Hmmm, let’s see what he wants. Have you located him yet,” Selene questioned, her voice curious and intrigued at what Helios told her.

  ‘Not yet,’ Helios mentally shook his head, his Intent carefully sweeping the arena floor. Assassins could hide beneath the smallest crevice or the shortest shadow. Little information was known about Asan’s Yola fighting style.

  ‘Check beneath you.’

  “We, those of the Raven and Fist faction, wish to ensure a prosperous future as the high-levelers of the world step onto the Path of Apotheosis,” Asan’s voice was smooth but direct as he spoke. “It is no secret your [Chosen of Madris] has designs upon the world itself. Such a quest has spread from the Temple of the Moon to that of the Sun—we Giant Dwarves are not without designs upon the world ourselves.”

  ‘…is what he said,’ Helios said to Selene. He focused beneath him, taking his sister’s words to heart.

  ‘Tell him we’re not opposed, but we will need to see Ninjaro regardless,’ Selene hurriedly responded as she sensed her brother’s intentions. ‘If the Giant Dwarves are experiencing a political turmoil and no single [Arbitrator] holds complete domination, who are we to not take advantage of this fact.’

  If Asan wasn’t hiding on the arena floor somewhere, then as a Giant Dwarf, his next best option would be…

  “(Sun Sent: Radiance),” Helios activated.

  Helios’ motion was simple; he took his spear and stabbed down into the ground. Such a simple move, yet its effects were profound. A beam of sunlight was summoned from above, superseding upon his spear before its radiance vaporized the ground beneath him.

  The sun-lit beam eradicated everything before it. Asan barely dodged to the side, swimming through the ground like it was a pool. Two arrows left his bow, each flying smoothly as if there was no ground. Helios jumped, angling his shield down and preparing his defenses. Fire-like light superseded his weapons and defenses, making the man appear like a demigod.

  “(Dawn’s Armaments).”

  The crowd gasped, eyes lit with excitement and wonder as the battle began in earnest. Helios sent another (Sun Sent: Radiance) beam in response. He kept his mana usage low, sending only probing attacks to try and understand the radius of Asan’s descent. He chuckled, responding to the Giant Dwarf, his voice radiating with as much might as his body, his attacks not stopping.

  “We’re not opposed to such a corporation between us, however… are you worthy ?”

  Helios fired another beam, his understanding of the underground of the Awni Pavilion slowly concluding. He continued to speak and not let up in his attacks, a new skill activating for flight.

  “Two parties must be on equal footing or strength if any agreement should be made,” Helios’s eyes tracked an unseen object within the ground, his voice reverberated throughout the Awni Pavilion—Asan’s magic broken. “The question isn’t if you’re worthy but whether your nation, your people, are worthy—are able to be the allies of the Magi.”

  The surroundings were quiet for a moment at his words, before subtle connections were made as a roar of outrage resonated primarily by those of a dwarven inclination. Helios heard none of it, his Intent locked onto Asan. The archer seemed to sense this; he had gotten serious, several powerful skill-enforced attacks made their way toward Helios, who floated like the sun itself.

  Asan sensed danger as Helios floated there. He couldn’t sense mana, but saw the shift in the atmosphere and how the world began to respond. He’d created distance, preferring to face his opponent outside of his Zone of Control. The skill was fabled for its ability to lock down an enemy while enhancing its caster. Asan had noticed immediately how its descent into the ground was weakened, not extending more than a meter or two.

  …

  That was a mistake.

  …

  Helios’s skill (The Sun’s Zone) suddenly expanded, nearly taking up the entire arena—nearly five minutes had passed, had the bloodline skill (Magic’s Embrace) not been a core trait of the magi, Helios wouldn’t have had confidence to keep up his skill for so long. Fortunately, with its legendary grade, Helios received 25% return on all skills or spells that used mana. He was firing off magic like he didn’t have a limit and with the passing of each minute his health continued to decrease.

  ?

  His eyes spewed flames, their target locked onto Asan. The dwarf slapped his bow onto his chest, the weapon transforming and connecting with his armor, emerging as an X-shaped device. It was a mechanism, a production style of his demigod, taught to the best smiths of the Federation. Asan didn’t hesitate to feed all his Energy into the device, his target locked on the magi floating above. Helios did the same.

  Helios summoned the mana to him, his shield tossed to the side. His arms were spread like an upside-down V; his eyes seemed half-glazed. The fire left his body, and the heat reacted—all of it concentrated at the point of his spear. His chest rose slightly, his breathing steady. His arms were bare, revealing sun-kissed, brown skin that glistened with perspiration. This was going to take everything from him.

  “(Raven’s Claws: Iridescent Shot).”

  The beam shot forward, its light black with shades of iridescent colors like that of a raven’s feathers. Time seemed to slow, and the affected area trembled. The roars of the crowd were sedated, their voices at a peak. Asan trembled, not expecting a conversation with the magi to be this… explosive. His dark eyes revealed hints of madness, but a strange excitement was present as well. Thus far, there was one thing he could confirm about every magi he interacted with or viewed for an extended period of time.

  …

  Direct and to the point.

  …

  ARE.

  …

  YOU.

  …

  WORTHY?

  Was the Raven and Fist, Asan was damned if he let Mojo’s title be before his. Were the Raven and Fist worthy to be the ones to interact with the magi—to make deals on behalf of their nation?

  Asan laughed, the beam nearing Helios, who seemed half asleep or dazed. He was finished.

  “(Sun Light),” a soft voice whispered.

  It was soft, like a brother’s word of warning. It whispered into the ears of all present, its heat like that of the sun on the summer solstice. It reached a zenith that those present could only gaze at in wonder, shielding their eyes from its brilliance.

  …

  Then the sun’s light came.

  Hot, overpowering, yet gentle enough that, should you avert your gaze, it would not burn. It appeared from Helios’s spear point, a blazing sun in a city underneath the ground. The arena trembled, and several figures suddenly appeared. Their beards were long, decorated with gold and jewels. Their Prestige could not be denied, nor could it be neglected. There were only two, as two was all that was needed, but the gazes of others couldn’t be denied from seeing what occurred within.

  “How audacious,” a woman growled, her voice was quaint with a hint of posh.

  “It’s fine, Lady Yola, just a spat between the younger generation. Asan will live and learn,” a red-bearded dwarf responded. “Grandfather Isiro desires this, so let them play their games.”

  The (Sun Light) radiated down. There was no beam or concentrated blast—simply the sun’s light shone like any normal day. It provided light to everything, nurturing but also possessing the ability to decide death should its light increase ever slightly. Throats grew dry, lips cracked, and skin turned hot.

  Helios descended to the ground, mana exhausted, and his body feeling lethargic from his actions. His opponent was in the hands of a woman, his eyes closed, and his body covered in boils and other mishaps from the attack. His life was secured, as the pavilion held stronger battles within, and its mechanisms and magic were rated for such.

  Helios’s gaze flickered for a few moments, exhaustion nearly overtaking him as the heat of the sun’s light radiated from his attack. He felt like he was in an oven, but his defenses were enough to protect him. He turned and left, having ascertained who the woman likely was.

  “Red Future…,” Ninjaro chuckled to himself, having finished reading the report of the results between the magi and their bout. “Stronger than I expected but not overwhelmingly better—however, if you take their age into account…”

  Ninjaro hummed to himself, his fingers placed on his abacus as he ran calculations. Their chances of reaching Prestige are high—should they not die early… and the opportunity to become something more…? Well, that is left up to faith.”

  His eyes roamed, seemingly to look at the unseen. His right hand wrote. This process continued for nearly an hour before Ninjaro sat back in relief. He’d gained another percentage of understanding. Tomorrow, tomorrow, he would see the magi and gain their measure.

  “It is fortunate those fools tested their strength for me.”

  Ninjaro stood, watching a setting sun. Its light was red mixed with hues of orange and purple, a beautiful sight.

  “Tomorrow… tomorrow will decide if we’ll have a Red Future.”

  Marskidris Patreon!

  AN: If you actually keep track of the numbers (I do), I want to let you know I changed Blue Chi Steps activation cost/requirement: 200 CP Activation — 150 SP per five minutes. Nothing major. Please tell me if you like or dislike the {Debuff} effects in the skills. I AM THINKING OF KEEPING IT! However, I don’t want to overwhelm people with information which is why I always hold back. Technically there should be a cooldown tab but it starts to get like a lot.

  You can overdraw your skills to provide more damage/defense. The calculation is the same no matter stamina/energy/mana/or the rest of them. It is 0.3 x Stat = Value. Value + Base Attack = New Base Attack/Defense. All % increase calculations happen after. This is not related to drawing on your attribute points themselves only Lawruthian and a few others know how to manipulate their attributes beyond just adding more points in one section.

  If you are curious why I stated high levels are able to destroy cities/areas by them selves, a skill like Sun Sent/The Sun’s Zone is why. I usually don’t include these to not be overwhelming and I never explained properly. Let me just say this story involves a LOT of math. Hell, its mainly algebra but I think the later stages might involve some calc depend on how I decide to introduce some stuff. This is exciting to a nerd like me but I’m also aware most readers won’t care.

  Also an Instance is different for every person. It’s been about since book 1 but I never found a place to slap in an explanation. Hopefully as book one is edited to go out I do. Or maybe I’ll make a FAQ page and just post the calculations and stuff there. Anyway an instance is (0.375 x Self) / (0.125 x Intent). Let’s say you have 500 Self and 250 Intent (ONLY BASE STATS NO TITLES) you would get 187.5 / 31.25 = 6 seconds. Yea lol. Changes for everyone! Try calculating Helios’s instance length! Do known the higher your Intent the lower your instance but the slower your regeneration mwhahahaha!

  Asan

  ?

  Mojo

  ? I won’t get into calculating the zones range but it in most average zones we’re calculating the zone size by area volume by the average mana in that area. Mana is like air, there is a lot by square meter however no human/beast can use all of that.