LIGHTNOVELONLINE Chapter 252 - A Choice
Chapter 252 - A Choice
Max couldn’t help but admire the stone-like expression etched upon the Elven woman’s face.
Her red hair and green eyes were locked on him.
Flowing robes of red and white hid her tall figure and multiple rings, earrings, and a red circlet decorated her. There was a wave of power that radiated off her. Something that Max knew was far greater than that of the woman before.
Unlike Daelina, the Elven mage Aria gave off a presence of true energy.
“I offered mercy to your friend. She denied it and insulted the woman I love. I will make the same offer but will do far worse to you if you make the same mistake when you speak.”
Max could tell his voice almost came across as a growl. If she was foolish enough to repeat the same mistake as Daelina, she would suffer even more.
“I will not surrender, but neither will I disrespect the woman you obviously care about,” she shouted back. “Part of me would prefer to not stand here, but surrendering is not an option. One in my position must honor those above me. Just know I will hold nothing back.”
Max understood that most likely that her queen had given them commands and expected results. The only way out for either of them was by winning or in death.
“May Thuyja grant your soul kindness as you pass to the other side.”
The smallest of reactions was only noticeable because of his sonar skill, and Max recognized that Aria hadn’t expected those words.
Magic swirled around her as they waited for the bell and he pulled out his shield, sensing the growing power behind it.
As the bell tolled and Max moved, tendrils of flame came out from the woman’s weapon and the second the bell rang a flaming staff appeared.
Max had tried to cover the distance in an instant, yet the magic from the staff was faster, wrapping flames around him like rope, binding his body to the ground.
Pain from the fire came and the magic she had used was one he had not seen before.
[ Regeneration ]
Massive burns began to appear, and the skill seemed to struggle to keep up with the damage that was being done.
Standing there, unable to lift his weapon or shield, trying to drive with his legs that had tendrils of fire coiling around them, Max watched as Aria raised her left hand, a large fireball forming as an object he recognized floated by her side.
She has a familiar!
Slowly the elf mage backed up, putting distance between them as Max had removed twenty of the thirty yards separating them before he was immobilized.
The fireball grew larger and larger as the woman poured more and more mana into it.
His life wasn’t dropping as she might have believed, still at about ninety percent as the flames fought against the healing of his skill. They ignored his armor, somehow passing through and touching the skin.
Aria’s right hand appeared to be burning as well as she held onto the staff that was blazing like the sun. Massive amounts of light came from it as the flames grew.
Slowly his legs were able to move himself forward a step, falling behind her retreat as she continued pouring more and more mana into the spell.
Her eyes widened as the staff was engulfed, watching as Max managed a second step and then a third, the cords of flames somehow stretching, not holding him as she believed they should have.
Grimacing with effort, Max forced himself to smirk.
Aria’s eyes grew wider as the woman unleashed the fireball on him.
Pain came from the impact.
The spell was almost ten feet wide and Max had known the elf had most likely invested the majority of her mana pool into it.
Flesh melted away, a little bit of his skull appearing, yet Max took another step and then another.
His life had dropped to one third, which meant this combination of spells should have killed almost anyone else.
Max, however, wasn’t anyone else.
Fifty percent resists… How powerful will that become at the top of the tower? No… how powerful will I be?
“How?!”
Her shout would have filled his ears if the fire hadn't burned most of his ears away, but Max still smirked. He still had more hit points left than most people had in total that weren’t warriors at this level.
The flames began to vanish and the ground he had been standing on was smoldering, parts of the sand that had been in the dirt now turned to glass while the rest was blackened and crunching under his boots.
“It would appear you failed,” Max growled, his voice struggling from the damage to his vocal cords.
Aria’s right arm shook, the staff she held now vibrating and almost impossible to look at as the flames turned a pure white.
She screamed, tossing it down as the fire vanished, the wood that had once been there now gone, nothing more than a smoldering twig.
Immediately, the chains of fire that had been holding Max were gone, sending him forward a few steps as he broke free from their binding.
Regeneration continued to heal him as he moved, watching the mage scramble backward, pulling out another item.
She pointed a wand at him, and a bolt of fire raced toward him.
His shield came up, no longer held down by the tendrils of flame, blocking the spell and sending it washing over and around him.
Aria scrambled backward, finding herself pressed against the barrier as she unleashed another fire attack and then a third, tossing down the wand as it appeared to be out of charges.
Each spell washed over Max.
His face was back to normal, his bald skin glistening in the colosseum's light.
Panic filled the woman’s eyes as she realized nothing she did was having the expected outcome.
There wasn’t a need to race over. She was broken and whatever items her Faction had given to ensure victory lay discarded on the ground.
“One last chance,” Max said as he lowered his shield. “Surrender, and I’ll make it quick.”
He watched as Aria’s eyes darted to where the Elven Queen was at.
Turning his head, Max saw the woman was standing. Her hair and eyes seemed to be glowing and there was no doubt by her expression that she wasn’t happy at this outcome.
“I yield.” Aria’s voice was almost a whisper. “Forgive me… I had to try…”
Max turned back and nodded.
“Undress and leave everything on the ground. Do not try to hide any items or pull something from storage. Then I shall give you mercy.”
Aria now appeared to have no qualms about taking the easy way out. She deposited everything of hers on the ground, stood naked before the entire colosseum, and gave Max a nod.
“I am grateful for this act of kindness.”
A single tear rolled down his cheek as he moved to where she stood, bringing his hands up to her head and snapping her neck in a single motion.
Cold power flooded him and the notifications piled up behind the ones he had resisted checking after the last fight. For now, he had one last task to complete.
Gently, he lowered her to the ground, pulled a blanket from his storage, and covered her.
After that, he picked up her items and stored them.
Standing, he realized the crowd was silent.
Unlike all the other fights and the horrific way people found their end, this death had seemed to shock them as it was far different from what they had expected. Everyone saw he had no anger or hatred for the woman.
He had defeated her.
He had broken her completely without launching a single attack.
She had agreed to his terms, and Max had given her a clean death. An exchange was made. Her body would return to her people whole, unlike the others before her.
As his name was called out as the winner, cheers erupted and soon the sound of his name echoed across the entire building.
Seth Pendal!
Seth Pendal!
Seth Pendal!
Waving once, he moved to where two guards waited for him.
“The Queens wish to see you.”
***
Walking through the hallway, Max took a moment and glanced at the notifications he had waiting for his attention.
[ Consume has Consumed a Skill ]
[ Skill Consumed is Equal to Current Skill ]
[ Power Stored for Future Use ]
[ Consume has Consumed a Skill ]
[ Skill Consumed is Equal to Current Skill ]
[ Power Stored for Future Use ]
[ Consume has Consumed a Skill ]
[ Skill Consumed is Equal to Current Skill ]
[ Power Stored for Future Use ]
[ Consume has Consumed a Skill ]
[ Skill Consumed is Equal to Current Skill ]
[ Power Stored for Future Use ]
[ Consume has Consumed a Skill ]
[ Skill Consumed is Equal to Current Skill ]
[ Power Stored for Future Use ]
[ Consume has successfully Consumed a skill ]
[ Would you like to learn [Fire Familiar]? ]
[ Yes / No ]
None of them were strong enough to give me a single point in a stat… only one skill…
Knowing Tanila would be glad his appeared to only be for one type of familiar and not the elemental one she had received, Max selected yes and felt the magical knowledge enter him.
A thread of fire seemed attached to him now. There inside him was a connection to that magical element and he could sense it and knew that this summoned creature would become an extension of him.
The sound of boots in the empty hallway slowed down as they came near the place Max recognized from before.
Six guards in red armor stood outside, giving the pair that led him a nod before swinging it open.
***
“Who are you?” Molly asked, her eyes sparkling red as Max stood next to Everett.
Both he and Niccolo were present and yet Sylvandra had apparently either not been invited or declined the invitation.
“I am but a simple member of the Golden Axe Faction and a warrior who protects those who are his friends.”
The white-haired elf seemed ready to say something, but a wave of power washed over him.
“Who are you really?”
[ Consume has Resisted a Skill ]
Notifications continued to scroll for a moment until they stopped, and Max smiled.
“I told you who I am. Just someone who wishes to climb the tower and see how far I can get while protecting my family.”
Both queens reacted to how he spoke and the tone of his voice.
There was no shift in it from before and another wave of power came at him, this time from both of them.
“Tell us the truth!” Macy exclaimed, her eyes glowing red.
Everett and Niccolo both appeared to struggle to stand, while Max never flinched.
Even the guards in the room who were nearby shook.
Taking a step forward and then another as if nothing was a threat, Max ignored the half dozen notifications that repeated the same thing as before.
[ Consume has Resisted a Skill ]
“I am just a warrior who wishes to not be threatened.”
Both of their eyes dimmed slightly and the pair of queens leaned back in their chairs slightly, mouths open for a moment, and then they glanced around the room.
“How?! How can you resist?!”
Macy’s outburst seemed to catch her sister off guard as the black-haired twin turned toward her sister and shook her head.
“I found a stone in the tower. It makes me immune to any form of mind control or attempts to override my will,” Max lied. “A handy thing for a warrior who doesn’t have to fear intimidation or other attacks like that.”
Macy opened her mouth again when Molly’s hand flicked out before her.
“Enough!”
Both sisters turned and gazed at each other and Max wondered what was taking place in that moment of silence as the two sat there for a few seconds.
Everett and Niccolo were both breathing heavily, and Max could feel the older men struggling to recover from whatever had emanated from the queens.
They are scared and now they are trying to decide on their next step. Each of them thinks they are the predator, but after watching you dismantle those elves with ease and now resisting their power which is what keeps them on those thrones, they must decide if making you an enemy is worth it.
Are we strong enough to stand against them?
You could strike them down right now. Doing so would make things very difficult, as you are not strong enough to truly protect those you say you love. Yet each woman knows that you defeated three tower climbers on your own and made it look like child's play. Whatever they decide, know you must play the path of one who is not interested in them or their power. That is how you protect your allies.
Max considered those words and knew his skill was right.
Now was the time to try and be an ally and content with what he had. Anything else would be a possible stone that might cause him to trip and lead to his friend's destruction.
“Queens Macy and Molly, if I may, perhaps I can tell you what I really am desiring at this moment and for the future.”
His words and tone caused the pair to turn, each with a mirrored expression of one eyebrow cocked low as they gazed upon him.
“Tell us, Seth Pendal. What do you desire,” Molly replied.