Soul of Blades - Chapter 23: The Challenge (Patreon)

As they tiptoed towards the slumbering griffon, Ayla's eyes scanned the area, drifting over broken bones and brutalised corpses as her expression grew puzzled. "It's not like a griffon to hunt this aggressively," she whispered.

“Or hunt this many”

Finn, his gaze locked on the bear remains, added, "It wasn't the griffon. I was tracking a bear, a massive one, but lost the trail just before we got here." He gestured towards the bear's large carcass, nestled in a crater, its enormity dwarfing their presence, even now. “Most of the corpses here have been shredded by claws and teeth, not gouged by talons. This isn’t the griffon's lair- I reckon it’s the bears.” He thumbed towards the carcass once more.

They halted, the ground beneath their feet a mosaic of bones and remnants. To proceed any further would be to shatter bones both old and fresh, and create a cacophony that would startle and wake the sleeping griffin.

And so it was Finn's turn to move ahead silently. His form phased in and out of the shadows, soundlessly moving from place to place as he inspected the remains for more clues.

A crashing sound ensued, and shards of tree bark erupted in a spray, shattering bones throughout the clearing. The cacophony of splintering wood and shattering bones erupted in the tree line.

A bear, larger than any Alex had ever seen, burst into the clearing. Its fur lined streaks of metallic sheen and its claws and teeth glinted like cold steel. The ground was gouged with its every movement, and bones were crushed like brittle clay.

Finn, stepping back into invisibility, "That's not like any bear I've ever seen. The system truly warped it,” he remarked in surprise, as his form faded into darkness.

The griffon, awakened by the intrusion, staggered to its feet, a deep wound in its stomach oozing crimson blood into the grass and mud. It let out a screeching challenge, staggering under its own weight. The bear responded with a guttural roar, and the air burst amidst the chaos, rattling all present.

The two colossal beasts clashed, their roars and screeches intertwining in a deadly cacophony, their battle sending vibrations through the ground. Ayla, eyeing the griffon, said, "We can’t let it die," her voice tense but resolute. “Griffons can be peaceful, It’s not the one responsible for all this death.” She eyed the shattered corpses and bones while muttering the name of some skill under her breath. “This was the work of the metal bear.”

Lyra, watching the creatures exchange ferocious blows, nodded. "They are both beasts. But we target the bear," she commanded, her tone resolute. "Ayla’s right and Finn's already confirmed it. The Bear’s our mark. Take position.”

The group moved into position, the griffon's eyes shifting to them, warily registering their presence as it shifted and limped, unsure of their intentions. The bear, its metallic fur glinting in the light, roared a challenge to their intrusion.

Lyra, her stance firm, muttered words that sounded to Alex like “Stoneheart”. Her skin transformed into a stone-like armour, hard rocky, and grey, appearing ready to withstand the upcoming onslaught. Keir, with a fluid motion, summoned blades of water, the moisture in the air coalescing into lethal weapons. One blade, then another, then many more.

They charged.

And the bear charged too, its metallic claws gouging lines through the earth. Ayla reacted swiftly, her arms and shoulders morphing into powerful, bear-like appendages. She met the bear's charge, their clash resounding through the clearing.

A meaty thud sounded as they collided. Alex was shocked to see Ayla still standing, although injured.

“Umbral Step” Finn hissed as he vanished once more into the shadows.

Finn reappeared behind the bear, bursting from its shadow wrapped in tendrils of fading darkness.

He appeared with daggers as long as forearms, and twice as thick, and struck without hesitation. Alex noted his strikes were precise and silent, the only sound made being the bears' thrashing attempts to retaliate and its blood splattering against the surrounding earth and bone.

They’re… actually pretty good. Alex thought with mild surprise. He believed he could still take them, but it wouldn’t be easy. They were handling the metallic beast without great difficulty and moved with a cohesion that spoke to years and years of teamwork.

He had decided to step back and observe the battle at first. Having no idea of the average level of strength that existed in this world when compared to his own, an opportunity to witness a battle of experienced and somewhat famous adventures could be nothing but eye-opening.

And so he observed, with a loose grip on the edge of his resting blade.

“Stoneweavers Edge.” Oblivious to Alex’s ongoing assessment, Lyra shifted her sword into a massive hammer of some strange dark rocky mineral. She swung with all her might, the stone weapon colliding with the bear's side. The impact sent the creature stumbling, but it regained its footing, unfazed.

Finn, stepping out of the shadows, appeared out of breath, and spoke, "Its hide's tough as steel. Hit the soft spots and the areas already damaged, or the sections without a sheen of metal. It's the only way.” He vanished again, slipping into his shadow beneath him, and reappearing near the bear from the shade of a tree to strike swiftly.

As the battle raged, the griffon limped away in retreat. It watched them from a distance with tentative movements as it licked its wounds, a mix of caution and curiosity in its every reactive twitch.

Alex, still observing from a distance, noted the bear's agility as it twisted and turned to face every attack. "Faster than it looks," he muttered. Okay time to move, can't let them soak up all the experience. He observed as the bear suddenly snapped its jaws at an unsuspecting Kier, only for Lyra to hammer it away. With a lot more levels, that thing could be a real problem. He decided it was time to act.

Mana Blade.

The skill shone brightly, slicing through the bear's metallic fur with ease. His mana clearly depleting to his enhanced senses, thanks to Inner Focus. Phoenix Leap', he thought, immediately soaring over the melee as he deactivated the sharpened blade.

He landed gracefully beside Ayla, just as the bear's massive paw descended towards her. Without hesitation, he activated Boundless Dodge, and his movements blurred into a streak, snatching Ayla from the path of the blow.

Her eyes met his and although they briefly flashed with gratitude, her words were anything but grateful. “Thanks,” she said, “But I could’ve handled it.” She raised her ‘bear’ arm as if to prove a point, its ruffled fur and bulging muscles extending into oversized shoulders. It looked strange when compared to the rest of her dainty form.

“See.” She said, a slight grin forming on her freckles features. “No biggie. Nature's Embrace.” She reached out towards the raging beast, and as she did so, thick vines and flora sprouted from the ground in perfect sync with her movements. They snapped and grasped the creature, slowing its movements and causing it to stagger.

Alex stepped back to observe them once more.

In the clearing, chaos reigned as the group converged on the metallic bear with a flurry of coordinated attacks. Finn, a shadow among the trees, darted in and out of visibility, his strikes swift and precise, targeting the bear's vulnerable spots, distracting it from the others with sharp bouts of pain while Ayla grappled the creature with her beast-like arms, ensnaring it, her grip unyielding. Kier's control over water manifested as sharp icicles, striking from a distance, each icy projectile finding its mark on the gaps within the bear's tough hide with lethal accuracy. Lyra, her skin hardened to stone, absorbed the bear's retaliatory swipes, countering with powerful, earth-shaking blows. Her heavy blows caused deep meaty thuds to sound through the clearing, leaving visible dents on the creature's body.

The bear, caught in this relentless assault, reeled under the impact of their combined might. Its attempts to break free were thwarted by Ayla's constriction, Finn's elusive movements, Kier's piercing ice, and Lyra's unyielding force. In a coordinated flurry of action, each member of the team played their part flawlessly, seamlessly shifting between attack and defence, overwhelming the bear until it finally succumbed, collapsing onto the scarred earth.

The bear rose to its feet with a final roar and lumbered towards the group, staggering forward as they spread to surround it. To Alex, it appeared to be on its last legs, as if an errant wind could cause it to collapse. Its metallic fur, which had blocked blows from countless opponents, was now dented like fragile wood in places. It was a battered hulk of fur and scars, and one of its eyes was missing.

And yet, it moved towards them, heedless of its injuries, the ground trembling with each step.

Tough bastard, aren’t you? Alex thought with a strange kind of begrudging respect as he prepared to summon a mana blade and put the creature out of its misery.

As they all stepped forward to face the beast's final advance, a group of armed and armoured men burst through the trees and raced towards the massive creature.

Five men in full armor, who Alex immediately found himself thinking of as 'knights’. They raced on foot, armed with swords and shields. Ahead of them raced a man on a horse, a man wearing armour so heavily embroidered that it bordered on impracticality. He was clearly the leader of the armoured knights, and he yelled as they charged.

“The metal monster! It’s here!” At his provocation, the foremost member of the intruders yelled again, this time an order to “Charge!”, and the rest raised their weapons and followed. They hammered toward the wounded beast heedless of Lyra, Alex, and the rest of the group already in battle with their target.

They burst past Alex’s team without even so much as a glance.

Alex stood in slack-jawed surprise and watched as the newcomers made short work of the already-beaten beast. It soon collapsed in a bloody mess on the ground, a blow from the man in embroidered armour denting its metallic fur as if it were made of nought but wood. The beast had fallen for a final time, joining the rest of the carcasses as one of its own.

[You have defeated a level 33 Direforged Bear.]

There it is again, but without an experience bonus. Probably because it’s now taken 10 of us to collectively defeat a single beast. Through the notifications, Alex was beginning to understand how the system distributed experience. It seemed that so long as he defeated a higher-levelled beast alone or with a significantly smaller number of people, the level difference bonus would be applied. But in this instance, the beast had suddenly been grossly outnumbered.

A bulk of their experience had essentially been stolen.

The leader's knights surrounded the massive carcass, pulling out tools and cutting instruments, intent on harvesting large swaths of undamaged and clearly defensive metallic fur. Two knights stood watch, eyeing them with unspoken intensity; an intensity that radiated from between the slits in their silver helms.

They were stealing the loot, too.

Lyra's voice, sharp and indignant, cut through the tension. "Thieves! You waltz in here with your fancy armour, claiming to protect our town, but all you've done here is steal what's rightfully ours."

The leader of the group, a man bearing impractically decorative armour, turned. His gaze was disdainful as he retorted, "Your town? I assure you, I am the guardian of these lands. We have the right to harvest the spoils of our hunt, and that includes this beast."

Kier, his fists clenched, interjected, "Your hunt? We bled and fought against this creature, and now you claim the prize? That's not justice or protection; that's robbery."

The leader's knights, clad in armour that gleamed with arrogance, brandished their weapons, ready to defend their lord's claim. Lyra, undeterred, stood her ground, her eyes ablaze with defiance. "You're not the saviour you pretend to be,” she spat, her hand on the hilt of her sword.

The man’s gaze narrowed, a predatory glint in his eyes. "You dare accuse me? I am Baron Frostthorne of house Winterfall, and my authority surpasses your petty grievances. The town's prosperity is my charge, and you, Lyra, regardless of your fame, would do well to remember your place."

“Even so.” Lyra, unyielding, stepped forward, her voice laced with conviction. "Your authority doesn't grant you the right to steal from those who shed blood for this town. We won't bow to your arrogance."

A knight, with swift motions, unsheathed a long dagger, the blade catching the dappled sunlight. "Commoner rabble. How can you talk to our lord like that? It's insane!" He flanked the baron with stern movements, his back rigid and body stiff, as if every muscle beneath the metal seethed with anger at the perceived slight. "What gives you the right to insult him?”

Another knight, clad in glinting armour, drew his sword with a metallic rasp, eyes locked on the group with an unspoken threat. His gauntleted hand held the blade loosely, as if he considered a battle with the adventurers beneath his notice or care.

A third knight, his visor down, moved forward with measured steps. The clinking of armour resonated, creating an ominous rhythm that underscored the slow drawing of his blade.

And another knight, the rear guard, positioned himself with a bow at the ready. With his arrow notched, he aimed with precision, eyes cold and calculating yet filled with indignation. "Put your weapons down or deal with the fallout of your disrespect." His sharp voice sounded from within his helm, cutting through the clearing with a hollow cadence.

The fifth, a bulky figure in knights armour brandishing a broadsword, shifted his weight as his deep voice boomed, muscles tense beneath the metal. "Indeed, insulting our lands Baron won't go unanswered. Prepare yourselves.” His gaze swept over the group, a silent assessment of the impending confrontation, as if he was judging who he would slay first.

He stepped forward.

But the Baron raised a commanding hand to stop his armoured men, a subtle yet firm gesture that silenced and captured the attention of the entire group. He held a wickedly calculating look in his eye.

"A Baron such as myself would never need to steal anything." He pointed at the town, a gesture laden with implied responsibility. "I am the guardian of all its citizens,” His gaze turned cold and imperious, sweeping over all present as he spoke with an air of authority. “Even you."

In a deliberate continuation, his gauntleted hand motioned towards the group, armour creaking subtly. "We've been hunting this beast for an entire day," he declared, his voice carrying through the forest. Baron Frostthorne rose to his full height, shoulders squared and chest puffed out, the metallic embroidery on his armour glinting in the light as he shifted. "I extend my thanks for your assistance in the hunt."

His party, armoured figures standing in disciplined formation, emanated an aura of strength. The clinking of their gear added a percussive undertone to the forest sounds, underscoring their claim. "However," he continued, the metal plates of his armour rustling with the movement, "we've dealt significant damage, earning us rightful claims to the bounty, harvest, and experience."

"If you truly dispute the claim," he announced, his voice carrying a sinister edge, "one of you may challenge me to the rights at a time and place of my choosing according to the law.”

A hushed murmur spread among the baron's men, their anger momentarily subdued by the prospect of a legal resolution. “And as for the time and place; I choose here,” The baron, confident in his convictions, fixed his gaze on Lyra, and drifted from each member of her group to the other, challenging them to take the next step.  “And now.”

His gaze lingered on Alex for a moment, and a look of unfamiliarity briefly flashed across his features before he returned his gaze to land on Lyra. His eyes settled on her with unnerving focus.

At his provocation, Kier, Ayla, and even Finn seem to falter and reconsider. But Lyra stepped forward without hesitation, drawing her sword in agreement.

At this, the Baron smirked and asked, “I challenge you to a ‘Wager Of Battle’, do you accept?”

Something about the way he said those words caught Alex’s attention. He'd said it as if each word carried weight and was capitalized, as if they were more than just mere words. As if he was saying the name of a skill, he thought.

“Of course,” Lyra said before blinking in confusion, “I see no message, where is your challenge?”

The baron's smirk expanded into a full-on smile as he replied, “I did not challenge you, but him,” he pointed a gauntleted finger in Alex’s direction with a self-satisfied sneer. “He was a part of your hunt, no? Some new member of your group, perhaps?” He seemed to size Alex briefly before appearing unimpressed with whatever internal appraisal he'd clearly come to. “I have never seen him before, and I know everyone worth knowing. He will represent you, or you will forfeit the rights.”

“I'm giving you a chance.” Another sneer, his words seeped in disingenuity as he relished the confrontation.

[Designation ‘Baron Frostthorne’ has challenged you to a Wager of Battle. As a combat class, refusal will result in a penalty. Do you accept?]

Alex blinked in surprise at the notification and hesitated. He was tempted to immediately agree, but was unsure about cultural faux pas and needed some clarity. The prospect of a duel, however, held no uncertainty to him. He had observed them slaying the beast, and while they were all surprisingly strong, their strength did not seem intimidating.

He just wanted to be sure it was the right decision.

Alex whispered back a question to Lyra, addressing his main concern of the systems ‘Penalty’. “What happens if I refuse?” he asked. Lyra pursed her lips in response, hesitant to answer, before finally responding. “Then he will steal some of your experience. It's a paltry amount and he can only do it once, as less is stolen if you're far below his level. ”

At her words, Alex’s eyebrows arched in surprise. That was practically a cheat; to gain experience from mere challenges. “You said less is stolen if I'm far below him, but what if I refuse the challenge when my level is higher than his?” Lyra looked at him incredulously, as if he'd just said something stupid, before she muttered a response. “Then he'll steal more- a level, maybe two- and all the stats the stolen levels provided. But you don't have to worry about that, we estimate his level at being almost twice that of most.”

Loosing two levels? And 36 stats? That was unacceptable.

Lyra looked at him with concern, “It's dangerous, Alex. More than it seems. The duel is to first blood, but he will probably look to kill you and frame it as a mistake. In fact, he will definitely try to kill you, for the experience. And if he somehow fails, he will hunt you down. He has one of the higher levels among those in town, and during the tutorial his skills were among the most dangerous.” she hissed in hushed tones.

“He uses light as a weapon, changing its form and even imbuing himself with its power. It’s deadly. He's a ‘Solar Knight’, we think, but he refused to confirm. Whatever his class is, it's dangerous, indefensible. You can refuse if you want. We'll find another creature to hunt and make back whatever we lost instead.” Lyra seemed to beg Alex to refuse with her eyes, her gaze filled with frustrated sympathy.

Alex looked over to the man's smiling and smug features as he dismounted. The baron appeared to view them all with disdain and impatient irritation, as if he'd already won and the action of the duel was nothing more than an inconvenience. He then looked to Lyra, Kier, Finn, and Ayla's worried expressions.

[Duel of Wager: Accepted]

Alex made his decision, and willed his acceptance to the system.