Ultimate Level 1

Max and Dexic stood side by side, listening to Tom critique them again.

“Dexic,” the older man said with a sigh. “Stop trying to do everything. Trust Seth.”

The woman groaned and nodded, not bothering to look at the young man she once brought into a troll dungeon and now knew could kick her arse.

“I’m trying, but it’s hard. You and I both know I’m used to doing the work up front. Even in the groups, everyone reacts to me.”

Tom stood there, arms crossed, as he tapped his fingers against his arms.

“You realize that as you fight and lead, Seth has reacted perfectly to you each time? I’m impressed by how well he moves even though he has never adventured with you before. Now, let’s try it again. Why don’t you try to follow his lead for once?”

The golden warrior muttered something, but nodded, motioning for Max to move ahead.

“This is why I fight alone,” she whispered as Tom moved back to where Everett was waiting.

“Would you prefer to do this alone?” Max asked as he swung the dueling sword a few times before him.

“No… I was an idiot, and I know that now. I was brash and stupid, but I can’t back out. You doing what you have done is the most selfless thing I can think of. I’ll ignore how I feel about this whole situation and do what I can to make sure both of us don’t die.”

Chuckling, Max nodded and motioned at the two older men waiting on them.

“I’ll feint for Tom, then go after Everett.”

Dexic snorted and nodded.

“Always pick the easy one.”

Laughing, they motioned for the bell and both charged as it rang out.

***

“I’ve done what you all have asked,” Everett said as Max’s party and Dexic sat in his office. “I’m willing to state that many of our own Faction members have placed bets on you two as well. My other offer stands. I can loan a few items to help in the coming fight.”

Max shook his head and waited to see what Dexic was going to say.

“Seriously? You’re not going to take anything?”

Grinning, Max pointed at the table, which had multiple items on it.

“I don’t want to sound overconfident, but you and I have sparred once already. You can wear whatever you want, but anything I take would hurt you more.”

Their golden warrior turned to stare at Everett, who gave her a single nod.

“Fine, I’ll take what I can and ignore the fact that the young kid whose ass I could have easily kicked not that long ago, now appears beyond my ability. Just remember me when you pass my team in the tower.”

Max chuckled and nodded, ignoring the look Tanila had given him.

“For your opponents, I’ve gotten a little bit of intel,” Tanila said, cutting off the current discussion. “Either you’re going to face two warriors or a warrior and a mage. If they go with the second option, their goal is to separate and burst one of you down.”

“Which means that whoever they root, cage or freeze is going to be left alone while the other has to deal with the pair,” Everett added. “The problem is, if you don’t separate yourselves, then the mage can start casting spells that will hit both of you and cause damage. I’m sure neither of you needs me to tell you how much that can hurt if left alone.”

“I’d rather face two warriors,” Dexic muttered. “At least that way, we can pair off and fight one on one.”

“It depends,” Tanila said. “There is a pair of warriors who are both at the fiftieth level in the tower and if they use them, they will be far stronger than the other. Each has fought side by side for a few years and knows the other well. Neither will need to call out for help. They will simply respond as needed.”

Everyone sat there quietly as the news of whoever they would face was considered out of their league.

“What are the odds they will stack items and gear like you offered?” Max asked Everett.

“They’d be fools not to and as any elf can attest, having lived longer than most of us and being one of the older Factions, their vaults will be much better than ours. I contacted a few other Factions to see if I could pull in some favors, but no one wanted to open up their vaults. Knowing that losing means the loss of items puts a kink in most of their desires to lend aid.”

Standing up, Max moved to where Everett was and gave the man a smile.

“So tomorrow night, then?”

Nodding, the older man leaned back a little.

“Yes… why?”

“Oh, don’t mind me. I’m going to go clear my head. I’m about as ready as I can be,” Max said as he waved at the others.

Time was his enemy, and Max wasn’t one to give up or surrender.

Forging and shaping the blade he was working on had been harder than expected. It was one thing to simply forge a piece of metal. Having to create tiny tubes that were so fragile until they hardened, then setting them on the hot metal and beating them into place while infusing magical power from the core took every ounce of concentration.

Tanila had come by and tried to talk, but after waiting an hour without him replying, she had left, seeing the sweat running like a stream over Max’s entire body.

Now he had finally reached the moment when this new endeavor worked or it failed completely.

You need to trust yourself. Both skills are shifting slightly as each one desires to lean more into its own. You are doing something I imagine few have ever achieved. Forming a new skill.

Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

Max nodded internally as he brought the power core and the fire essence together.

There was a tugging from both skills, one wanting more essence to be infused faster into the runes, while the power core desired to be set and freed, able to be the conduit the blade needed.

Both of his hands worked independently and at the same time.

Flames flowed to the blade, filling the runes while the orb he fought to keep from touching the metal socket designed for it sent arcs of energy up and down the blade.

The hilt he had built was perfect, with a hole where the orb would sit. A crossguard provided all the protection one would need for one’s hand.

His eyes saw the moment the energy and the flames began to dance together. For a while they had been pushing the other away, fighting for space along the blade. Now they seemed to know that they were meant to be forged as one.

Slide the essence to the core!

Max’s hand was already moving before his skill told him what needed to be done.

Pour your magical fire essence into it!

As the commands rang out in his head, Max again was already summoning vast amounts of mana, causing the fire essence in his hand to flare to life, flames erupting over every inch of the thirty-inch blade.

Arcs of electrical power began to crackle and pop from within the flames, turning the orange fire blue.

His left hand pressed the shrinking essence onto the orb and sent a burst of fire magic from his body out of both hands as the orb clinked into position in the area where the blade and hilt came together.

As if a tornado had appeared, the sword stuck to both hands and began to drain mana from him.

Like a giant hole being created in a cask full of ale, his body felt like a hole had appeared via his hands and their connection to the weapon.

Fight it! Cut your flow!

Max’s teeth were grinding against each other as he fought to yank his hands free from the weapon that seemed to want his power. Inside his mind, he sought a way to stop the pull of power.

Suddenly, a pair of hands touched his temples.

They were soft, warm, and familiar.

Blinking, Max saw Tanila had returned. He wasn’t sure when she had arrived, but there she was, standing behind him, her hair glowing and eyes blazing with power.

“Fight it!”

Her words emboldened him as power seemed to come from her and into him.

Inside, he found the switch, cutting the flow of mana, and found himself thrown back a few feet. He spun in time to catch Tanila, whom he had slammed into.

Notifications appeared, but Max’s eyes didn’t seem to work for a moment as he blinked a few times.

Gasping for air, Max saw her face and the way her eyes watched him.

“You ok?”

Nodding, Max felt himself trembling and realized she was holding him up.

“What… how long was I like that?”

“Four hours,” Tanila replied slowly, leading Max to a stool. “You were in that state and I could feel the mana coming off of you. I called multiple times, and you never responded. Once I tried to touch you earlier and the pain was too much. Only in the last minute did things change when the flames started to die down on the sword. What is it?”

Max shook his head, trying to clear the sensation in his brain. It was like he had been pulled apart and put back together multiple times.

There notifications waited for him.

[ New Skill Created ]

[ Engineering & Tinkering has been combined with Weapon Crafting ]

[ Magical Mana Infusement Detected ]

[ Skill - Magical and Power Core Infused Weapon Creation Crafting Acquired ]

[ Magical and Power Core Infused Weapon Creation Crafting - Rank being determined ]

[ ……… ]

[ Magical and Power Core Infused Weapon Creation Crafting - Rank Epic ]

[ New Epic Sword Created ]

[ 50 Experience gained ]

Max felt his mind still working to understand what it had just done. There were multiple other ways to combine crafting with engineering, but at the moment, the thought of it felt impossible to consider.

On the table lay the sword he had created. It wasn’t one he planned on using, but had hoped Dexic could use in the colosseum.

Moving to it, Max lifted it up and studied it. The blade had turned red, yet white runes stood out against the color of the metal. No longer did the orb have a silver metallic appearance. Instead it was a deep red color, almost like a ruby. The handle and cross guards were still silver, creating an impressive sword for anyone who would see it.

[ Inspect Weapon ]

*****

Powered Sword of Flames

 70 Strength and Constitution

 Fire Infused - 25% Fire damage bonus applied to all strikes

 Powered Slash - Stores up to two charges of Power Strike. Takes eight hours for each charge to regenerate. 2/2 Charges Remaining.

*****

Words failed him as Max saw the potential in the weapon. Part of him didn’t want to give it away.and yet the other part of him knew a weapon like this in Dexic’s hands would allow her to do considerably more damage in their upcoming fight. Having the ability to launch two extra Power Strikes in a moment was beyond broken.

“Your eyes are almost radiating with excitement,” Tanila said as she watched Max gaze at the sword. “Do you want to share?”

Slowly Max grinned and handed it to her, watching Tanila’s eyes widen. Her green emeralds were larger than ever.

“Skills?! You added skills to a weapon?!”

Apparently I did,” Max muttered.

He yawned and glanced at the clock on the wall.

“That can’t be right, can it?”

Tanila nodded and sighed.

“You have been in here all night,” she replied. “I tried to rouse you, but for some reason, nothing would bring you from that state. Now we have about four hours before you and Dexic need to be at the colosseum. Are you going to make it?”

Shrugging, Max moved and began putting away all the supplies he had out and nodded.

“I will. Are you willing to get Dexic and Everett? I’ll be upstairs in a couple and want to give her this.”

“Personally? Are you sure that’s wise?”

“At this point I do. What we’re about to face means we need to be more honest than before, and I want our famous golden warrior to know I’m willing to help her in any way I can.”

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