Weapons of Mass Destruction

Chapter 552: [King]

What starting price do you wish to set for Manabound Javelin (Upper Epic)?

What starting price do you wish to set for Ironfang Warhammer (Mid Epic)?

What starting price do you wish to set for Bloodtide Cleaver (Mid Epic)?

What starting price do you wish to set for Shardspike Glaive (Mid Epic)?

What starting price do you wish to set for Tethered Bastard Sword (Upper Epic)?

What starting price do you wish to set for Ashenfang Dagger (Upper Epic)?

What starting price do you wish to set for Veinpiercer Spear (Mid Epic)?

Looking at all the items around me, I take a breather and check the timer. Not much time remains until the 1st event, and we should be getting more information on it soon. As for the items, even I find it amazing that I managed to craft three upper epic items.

I still remember how much effort it took to make a single one back on the 4th floor. But now? With my experience, skills, my manipulation of thermal and kinetic energy, plus the fact I can push myself to the point of dying—and actually did a few times, itʼs almost laughably easy.

I set the starting price at 10,999 shards for each upper epic. Then I set 6,969 for each mid epic. I set the duration of the auction at 2 days. I’ll probably get more shards than I asked for, but for now, I may as well lowball them to get as many people as possible to bid on them. If the shop is the same for all the rounds, there should be plenty of people placing bids, and I’ll always have the ability to check out the kinds of things the others are selling.

There’s just so much to do. Again.

Before confirming the asking price, I look the items over one more time. Of course, my personal experience tells me that they arenʼt really all that… good looking, but at the very least I can vouch for their performance.

I teleport and arrive at the training circle beside the huge tree. Sophie is still there, with the Golem Heart hovering in the air, resembling a lump of shattered clay. Black smoke drifts around it.

“Iʼm trying to improve my connection to it through my bond. Blackie should be able to take control and act with a fair bit of independence if I use enough mana,” she explains the moment she sees me.

“I see. Have you taken a look at the barrier around our hill?”

“Yes. We even got Lily to try and damage it, and as it turns out, she can’t—and it doesn’t seem like the other rounds fared any better. Currently, the system wants to keep the rounds separated.”

“It’ll probably come down on its own at some point. What happened while I was gone?”

“Well, Lily killed a lot of people. Some of them multiple times.”

“Anyone important?”

”Samuel, five times, until the guy finally shut up. His guild tried to help, so some of them died too. Apparently, they thought enough people from Hard difficulty could just pile on and take her down together. Lily didn’t even have to use her mana.”

“That’s what they get.”

“I guess. Then she killed Adam, Brainiac, BenDover, and Bard. It didn’t even look all that much more difficult to her than dealing with people from Hard difficulty, Nat. I think she would have done the same to Gareth if Maya and I hadn’t stepped in.”

“You should have let her.”

“Are you serious?”

“Yes.”

“Nat, we are trying to cooperate with these people, not fight them.” She puts whatever she’s doing on hold and looks at me.

I return her gaze, “Itʼs okay. Lily and I will be the bad guys while we make you, Maya, and Channeler look all the more level headed. Some of them probably forgot what we were capable of over the last year or perhaps they thought they just grew faster than we did.”

“I know you donʼt care, but do you want them all to hate Lily?”

Just that much betrays something. I shake my head and grab Golem Heart from the air and put it into her hand, “It seems like I know Lily better than you.”

The 1st event – Clash of Rounds will start soon!

In one hour, everyone will be transferred to the event area by round, all difficulties will be participating together. Terrain will be chosen at random from the system’s database.

The 1st round of the Earth tutorial will face the 2nd, the 3rd will face the 4th, the 5th will face the 6th, the 7th will face the 8th, and the 9th will face the 10th.

You, being members of the 5th round, will face the members of the 6th.

The 1st event will take place over the course of the next 24 hours, and the contenders will be rewarded according to their performance, time to victory, and points.

All participants will be granted the same fortress to defend and 12 hours for preparation. The remaining 12 hours will be taken up by the battle.

Your objective is to collect more points than your opponents. The winner will decided in one of three ways:

1st – Having more points than the opponent after 24 hours.

2nd – Fulfilling both requirements: taking over the opponentʼs Throne Room and eliminating their [King].

3rd – Eliminating all of the opponentʼs forces.

To seize your opponent’s throne room you must occupy the space for 1 hour. This will net the conquering team 10,000 points.

All winners of their roundʼs first tournaments will be classified as [King]. Defeating the [King] will award you 5,000 points. If the winner of a roundʼs tournament is not present, the position of [King] will be passed to the next in line based on tournament placement.

Points will also be given for defeating your opponents as follows:

Easy difficulty attendee – 1 point

Normal difficulty attendee – 5 points

Hard difficulty attendee – 10 points

Hell difficulty attendee – 20 points

Beyond attendee – 100 points

After reading it over, I wave at Gareth, who seems to be watching me, then glance at Myrra as she moves among the guys from the lower difficulties. I wonder what he thinks about her being here. I’d be dying of curiosity—how is it possible that a native of the floors could be here?

Plenty of people recognize her as the Myrra from their 4th floor. There are also a lot of Easy difficulty attendees with phones who ask if she’ll take a selfie with them. Myrra, curious, lets it happen and stares at the screen with wide eyes. She then even poses and makes grimaces to the sheer amusement of her fans.

The problems start when some middle-aged guy with a shirt featuring an anime character on it asks her to say, “Nya.” But that I leave for others to resolve as I move toward the main group made up of our strongest members.

Tacita is sitting on a thick tree branch nearby, and even Savant seems like he’s decided to attend, though he maintains his distance— quiet, as usual, with the same long black hair tied into a ponytail, green eyes, and mole in the corner of his left eye. But he feels different; it’s hard to explain, and even as I look him over with my Mana Wavelength Iris, I find my scans. It’s not in the same method Tacita uses, in fact, it seems to be something even more annoying.

Out of everyone here, he’s the only one deflecting my probing so easily. Even so, I can tell that his body feels like a mess, the structure is incredibly chaotic, and even more than last time I find myself wondering just how much remains of his original self.

Lastly, his Sword of Aeons seems to be in better condition than before. Once known as the greatest mana battery in all of Eladore, the world where Lissandra ruled as Absolute, the blade is still broken with half of it missing, but the rest of the sword is in much better shape.

Surely at least low arcane, likely nearing mid arcane. My own Fracture is mid arcane, but a lot had to be sacrificed to reach that level, while Savant’s Sword of Aeons seems to be progressing differently, taking a slower path. Patience subclass indeed.

This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

I refocus on the conversation just in time to hear Sophie say, “I think this event is here to reflect the pairing in a small way. The king is absolute and the throne room is likely Earth itself or some important place it might have now after awakening. The [King]/Absolute having a worth of so many points likely serves to show the importance of that title.”

Itʼs an interesting thought, and I would say I agree with her. In any other situation, I would probably spend more time thinking about the intent behind the event, but I don’t really feel the need at this point. Instead, I continue to make my preparations. Leaving a small part of me to listen and observe the meeting.

Sophie and Gareth try to take the lead for the most part, as our Hell groups have the most members. Whitewing has 7 and group 4 has 9—well, 8 since Tess isnʼt here, but 10 with Myrra and Liss. Though knowing that neither of them will be participating, we can scratch that number down to 8.

Even if we had the same number as Whitewing, I wouldn’t worry about it. Group 4 is clearly stronger, with more Beyond attendees and Champion candidates. Out of theirs, only Gareth has been declared, and who knows by who.

There’s Tacita and Savant, each from their own group. IDK, with 3 members, BenDover included. TheGuild has 5; Swordmaster and AnotherOneHere are the most notable. And of course, there’s the mysterious missing group.

Then there’s the fact that during the previous tournament, we couldnʼt challenge the avatars of the winner of the 6th tournament since the rounds werenʼt synced, leaving us with no idea of what to expect.

Obliterate everyone in your way. Thatʼs the price Lissandra’s named for Tessʼs life.

And I plan to make that happen.

POV Min-Jae

We enter and find ourselves in what I can only describe as a throne room. Itʼs massive, and as far as I can see, only the other members of Hell difficulty are here; the others were likely moved elsewhere.

The throne room is square with four huge pillars supporting it. Each of these pillars is delicately ornamented and inlaid with gold. There’s even a thick red and gold carpet leading off toward the throne at one end of the room, while the floor itself is white marble with veins of light gray running through it.

While I look around, steps echo through the room as one of the others starts walking.

I turn and watch as Nathaniel walks across the marble floor, steps on the carpet, and heads towards the throne. He takes a step onto the elevated platform and sits on the throne, which, unlike the room, is very simple—a huge block of pitch-black stone that almost seems to absorb the light, with bits of gold and copper veins running through it.

There is a simple line of text floating above his head, a single golden word: [King].

Nat sits there as if it were natural, and his lance forms over his shoulder, just a single one. The one with a white and golden core, swirling with pale blue and violet hues. That lance seems almost alive, pulsating in sync with something unseen.

The crown that had vanished from his head when we entered reappears. And he just sits there. And no one complains or tries to talk to him.

(Kim, letʼs go, you will be coming with me; Maya, you can go with Gareth and make sure Samuel doesnʼt do something stupid, as usual. You can let Samuel lead—people from Hard and Normal difficulty seem to like him, but make sure he knows his place. Lily, you…)

(Iʼm sorry, Soph, but I’ll be staying with Nat to help with the preparations. I will join you guys later.)

(Okay, do you guys need Dennis and Aaron?)

(Not this time.)

(Good, Dennis, Aaron, you two will be working with me to set up the defenses. Kim, please look around for anything you could throw later. Since we’re missing Tess, you will be our sniper and I will be marking the targets for you.)

(Sure! I can do that,) I reply.

We head out, and the door just opposite the throne opens, a massive two-part door made from what looks like a single piece of dark brown wood, as thick as I am tall. Once outside, we move through the hallways for a while before exiting the building.

When I look back, I have a hard time taking in the scale of the massive building we just left—the majestic, towering stone building that seems like it could stand forever.

Passing through the courtyard, we see people from Hard and the other difficulties moving around, and some of us split off to help while I use [Telekinesis] and pull myself to the first of the elevated walkways. Itʼs so tall, thick, and stretches so wide I donʼt think anything like it could even be possible on Earth.

Underneath, I see another courtyard that is also mostly empty, and looking down the hill we find ourselves on, I see another wall, even thicker and taller than the last. The area we are in is cloudy, and the sun rarely breaches the clouds, like an ugly day from a snowless winter.

I use mana to bolster my sight in a way Tess taught me and observe the exact same place mirroring ours that is a few miles away, also at the top of a hill that is exactly the same as ours.

In between us, there is that empty plain where, once in a while, leafless trees and boulders appear, as well as craters adorning the area. I fly higher and notice multiple expressions of envy from some attendees from Easy difficulty. Itʼs almost to the point where I can feel it. Flying maybe longer than I should, I reach the highest place I can find and land there.

A ring of communications for private channels sounds to me, and I allow it to connect.

(Kim, Nat says he’s going to make some mana projectiles for you. Iʼll be making some javelins from my bones, so I’ll have some of those sent over as well.)

(Thank you, Lily.)

(No problem! They’ll probably create a barrier to defend against our attacks, but he said heʼll be breaking it, so Iʼll just have to make sure he doesnʼt die while doing so. You know him...)

(I’ll see it done. If he needs anything…)

(Itʼs okay. Lissandra’s requirements are simple and direct, so itʼs mostly up to him. I already spoke to the others, but please donʼt be too offended by the way Nat acts during the tournament.)

I move closer to the edge of the wall and sit with my legs hanging over the edge much like Nathaniel likes to do when he finds a high place.

I ask Lily carefully, (Is… is he okay?)

(He is the angriest I have seen him in a long while,) Lily sends back.

(Sorry, I have to go,) I reply and quickly sever the connection.

Next to me sits a beautiful woman with long silver hair and hazel-brown eyes. She lets her legs dangle over the edge as she gazes toward the second fort.

Lissandra remains quiet for a moment, her gaze steady, as if lost in thought. The wind tugs at strands of her silver hair, carrying with it the distant sounds of battle preparations. A faint smile plays across her lips—amusement or… perhaps something else, I can’t quite tell.

Then, finally, she speaks, “Envy directed at a single person can be truly powerful, especially if that person is deserving of it. But at the same time, that envy will crumble the moment that person loses.”

She reaches out and taps the tip of a finger against my forehead, observing me like a particularly interesting animal. “People with envy like that either become the best followers, worshipping the subject of their envy until the end of their days or, given the opportunity, they become the worst of all traitors. I wonder which one you will be, little one.”

With that, she leaves as she likes to do.

I think of her words as I watch Sophie, with the help of the others, form the web. Maya, Gareth, and Samuel organize the others; they even make plans with the help of Savant and the rest of group 4.

The doors to the throne room open only once, and Channeler rushes in with a few people from Easy difficulty, and they start carrying out a vast multitude of items: swords, javelins, spears, orbs, arrows, and others. All made from mana and bone. Much of it is eventually brought to me as well.

While holding one of these orbs, I watch the last minutes tick down.

The world feels frozen, the wind barely stirring the dust along the ground. The sky remains an endless gray, the light dim and cold. Even time itself seems to hesitate, dragging out the final moments.

A barrier forms around the other fort. Dark blue mana coiling tightly, its surface covered in shifting inscriptions that pulse with power. It doesn’t flicker or waver. It stands firm like a wall of pure will, likely fueled by the efforts of countless individuals. The sheer density of it makes it feel less like a shield and more like an unbreakable fortress.

While we hole up in our base, the other round sends a few thousand people our way. They now stand, spaced broadly apart, in the great plain surrounding our base. I count thousands, and there they seem likely to attack in one fell swoop.

They are led by two men. Neither one bears the title of [King] hanging over their head, but out of all the people there, they look the strongest. Even if only by the way the others react to their presence.

One of these two men has a [Mana Crown] over his head and a long staff with a big mana stone at the end.

And the other one has a different crown. This one is bigger, rougher, and it looks as if itʼs made of iron, but I donʼt think it has anything to do with metal. The crown feels… strong. That man is also wearing black armor with no contrasting color and he holds a helmet under his arm. He carries no weapons, but he clearly seems to be the strongest.

10 seconds remain when the door to the throne room opens once more.

I feel a change in gravitational waves and Nat lands next to me.

Simple clothes, a calm face, and that lance floating over his shoulder. Just the way the gravitational energy reacts to it sends a shiver down my back.

“Hey,” he greets simply.

“Hey,” I respond awkwardly.

Five seconds remain.

Nathanielʼs face grows even calmer, his expression untouched by the tension in the air. Below, the two men glance up at him, their gazes sharp, questioning, but he barely acknowledges them. He just gives them a fleeting look before turning away, as if their presence were meaningless. As if they were nothing.

One second.

The system’s barrier around our fortress vanishes, not shattered or overwhelmed, but simply gone, dismissed like an afterthought.

Nat fires a single orb toward the enemy fortress, likely stretching one of his Ley Lines along behind it. The moment it moves, they react. Shields flare, forces surge, and unseen defenses lock into place. The air bends as something fights back against him, a final line of resistance, but none of it matters.

None of it holds and he simply teleports through.

Over the enemy fortress, beyond the dark blue inscriptions pulsing with unbreakable power, light erupts in gold and white, streaked with violet and deep blue. It flashes only once, a single moment of perfect radiance.

And then, like glass struck at its weakest point, the unbreakable barrier shatters, its intricate inscriptions unraveling into nothing before the entire structure collapses, fading like it was never there.

A notification follows soon after.

Noname (Beyond, King) ⟶ Nova (Beyond) +100 pts

Noname (Beyond, King) ⟶ Rico (Hard) +10 pts

Noname (Beyond, King) ⟶ UltraAlpha (Hard) +10 pts

Noname (Beyond, King) ⟶ Baron (Beyond) +100 pts

Noname (Beyond, King) ⟶ DuskDuke (Hell) +20 pts

Noname (Beyond, King) ⟶ sahgjtxcvdsa (Hell) +20 pts

Noname (Beyond, King) ⟶ CatHater (Hell) +20 pts

Noname (Beyond, King) ⟶ Hellfire (Hard) +10 pts

Noname (Beyond, King) ⟶ SupremeFurry (Hard) +10 pts

Noname (Beyond, King) ⟶ xxx_420_69_420_xxx (Hard) +10 pts

Noname (Beyond, King) ⟶ StormChaser (Hard) +10 pts