Chapter Thirty-Nine

  Harmony was uo pay attention to the st pet battle before. The annou and au pulled at her, setting her skills on edge. Her soul involuntarily readied for flict, from the desire to kick or dodge every problem to the icy cold numbhat battled with the proper etiquette of the situation. [Manipute Dead] even fred up as she gripped the bohrone allowing her fio create iions like she’d squeezed soft ever had she internally felt so out of step. As stressful as the situation oised to be, it felt unfair that her internal chaos should add so much to it.

  [Familiar Bond] reyed Hyath’s fidehe shadow toad was always there for her. She felt a tidbit of pride that made no sense. fidence was ohing, but pride? It was like Ambrosia’s smirk. He’s not a shadow toad. He’s a damned shey’ve done something, the bastards. She took a slow breath and delved into her stat of e. She felt something there and searched inside herself. A css or profession ge could get her out of this mess. Mythical elixirs were rumored to exist and could cause that, at least in fairytales. Those devils dosed her with something, didn’t they? What had both her familiar and friend gloating?

  “That’s it! What a match! The kind you’ll tell yrandchildren about! Now on to our special annou. Let’s give a warm wele to the duke and guild master.”

  “Bones.” The neancer swore as she ripped her attention away from herself.

  The pair was already walking out, waving to the crowd, rger-than-life projes of them formed as they reached the ter of the Colosseum.

  Guild master Hemlock smiled, and Harmo a skill’s effect creep into her for the sed time that day. A familiar, agreeable state, the st time it had taken equipping her armor as she raged against the skills maations. This time pushing against the effect worked, it was too familiar, and there was no spaside her for it to take hold. Was it weaker, having been stretched far and over the crowd?

  “Wele, great citizens of Hazeldown. The dungeon and the guild that ma has pyed an honored part in your daily life. It is with great pleasure that I annous near future expansion thanks to the generosity of Duke Darren Gnomstock. Appud him, please.”

  The crowd in the benches uhe guild master’s skill cpped enthusiastically. About half of the au attendees, including Ambrosia and her bandmates, joined in. Lord Tyler had a slow, forced cp, while many of the more iial people looked irritated.

  The duke swelled at the attention, forced as it were. “This is a historient where all who participate will be recorded for posterity. I, Ag with authority given to me, will usher in a new age for our small kingdom.” He pulled off a medal, a badge of authority, from his chest and poi towards Hemlock. “With this, I give guild master Hemlock the authority to iate on behalf of the kingdom with the dungeon.”

  Harmony could hear the quiet rumble of a rising storm tered around the badge of authority. It was the first time she’d really felt the effect of authority in use. Lord Tyler strengthened his skills with the aristocratic trait, but she hadn’t felt any vibrations then. Power was granted, and the poor duke added nothing to the act, relying on the borrowed authority of the totem.

  “With this authority, I call on the bargains of old. Spirit Ha’zel Ri, where the terms otiation apply. A challenger, a sacrifice, a fated destiny!” The duke tinued, and the badge’s authority rumbled again. This time, the duke added a little whistle to the rumble. “I feel it, my authority.” The man was giddy, not g about broadcasting his excitement to the crowd.

  Harmohe toe-tingling domain of the dungeon rise up from below; death, decay, and a power carrying the threat of violend a final end. “I only got this maid’s uniform this m.”

  It didn’t break her heart, but damn, was he disappointed. Her armor, Night, snapped into pce, sing with her more modest and finally professional-looking maid uniform. The manor’s new gift was destio be turo scraps.

  It wasirely shog when the skeleton rose from the ground before her. Standing up from her chair, she kicked it. Not an ordinary kick. This was the first time she could truly get her current frustrations out in an acceptable manner. She could almost hear her skills merge. [High Kick] synergized with Grace, Bearing, and even the defensive aspects of [Small Armor] to perfect the strike. [Renew Spirit] to add a bit of extra oomph, frost tipped her Night’s metal-tipped shoes, hardening it, [Manipute Dead] sent a ripple of grinding energy to destabilize the bone, making it brittle moments before the strike nds. A perfect blow, empowered by [Mana Rotation] and using all her current stats, skills, and knowledge.

  Crack! Foot met skeleton. The skeleton didn’t budge a bit. Harmony’s foot fred up like she’d stubbed her toe kig a solid anvil. Nothing broke only due to the skill of her overpowered strike. [Poise and Bearing] kept her holding back a stream of public profahe immobile grim smile on the skull seemed wider to her eyes.

  The skeleton in front of her wasn’t the only one. Matched with every guest was one, and as she looked out, the stands were filled as well, the bony panions apparently having been able to rise out of the structure as well as the ground.

  She wasn’t the only one who’d chosen to attack them. Max sshed iively at his. Lord Tyler punched out of surprise, and Harmony could hear the authority behind his blow. A skeleton jumps out at you, or in this case, rises out of the ground in front of you. Attag was the reasohing to do. Those were the kind of reflexes that kept you alive when you dove into the dungeon.

  The maid khat after the skeleton had survived that strike, she could do nothing to harm it. A lot of people started to notice that and stopped. Max tio fil against the skeleton near him. The evolved people in the room hadn’t moved against theirs. Lady Coodly merely stared at hers, irritated.

  “Fear not. You are all honored as withese spirits represent e and calling. For there is finally a challenger. Your belief in me makes me strohe marked will e forth, and the bargaining will ence.”

  The skeletoended a hand to Harmony as though she was a guest to be escorted.

  Of course, this was going to happen today, Harmony fumed. Hemlock clearly had this pnned. Why buy the cow when you get the milk for free. Washing his hands of the o buy her employment tract. Saying no to the guild master was ohing. Refusing an invitation from the dungeon in its domain was another, not that the old spirit hadn’t seemed ined to wait. This act of authority forced everyoo e together.

  She took the skeleton’s hand and allowed it to escort her. Hyath hopped by her side, and together they stepped out of the guild’s viewing room and into the arena.

  “Hey!” Her princely pet cried out.

  Don’t get involved. Don’t get involved. Don’t get involved. Internally Harmony found Adric’s bond and anded him to stay. No one else seemed likely to interrupt this act.

  “Put me down!”

  That drew a gnce from the neahe skeleton had grown in size, thrown the prince over his shoulder, and hauled him along like a damsel in distress. The man tio scream and struggle, but it was no use.

  ‘Harmony did her best I-don’t-know-this-person fad tinued on her way. Admitting she khe raised prince was a recipe for trouble. Through her bond, she ged the instru to him to calm down. There were many reasons why the dungeon might want to cim a free undead iy. The duke was even on a mission to find him. She hoped others were to be escorted. No others came, though.

  The crowd was starting to break out of their shod talk. Harmony walked away from those barely audible versations across the sand. Above, lights began to flicker and spark until, once again, she found herself projected for all to see, her armlittering with stars in darkness even in the midday sun.

  The pet battle fans in the croed at that as their versations became a rumble at the events unfolding. Harmony could feel their fusioement, and wonder as if this was only an unusual performahat art of the mid-tour eai. The neancer k was gravely real. Once again, she felt the ter of attention.

  The masked man being hauled into the picture only brought fusion. The skeleton holding him dropped Adrito the dirt he group. The duke looked perplexed, and havi guild master Hemlock a few times, Harmony could see a slight twitch to his right brow on his otherwise rexed and pleasant demeanor, a cra the facade.

  The duke smoothed his fiailored clothes. “Well, let’s see who we have here.” He walked over and ripped off the bck privacy mask with three steps. Now here was the mnizable fa the city. Sketches, posters, dolls, es, and the long parade of a funeral procession had burhat oh-too-pretty visage into the collective sciousness of the people living in Hazeldown. Except here he anting, flushed, with a frustrated smolder in his eyes, hair muffed yet perfe a wild way and looking oh-so-alive.

  The crowd went wild, ign the skeletons at their sides. The roar caused Duke Darren to stumble a moment, his face w out how he should react to this revetion. “The…” his voice projected out, but the crowd’s noise eclipsed his projected voice. With a few irritated breaths, he huffed until it died down. “The dungeon has gifted me with the missing prince. Helping me plete my mission here and proving my worthiness.”

  That was one way you could distantly stretch the situation if one had a healthy amount of ego. The man could take all the credit and attention.

  Harmony knew what was ing as the rising feeling from below took on a more plex depth to the sense of terror it produced. Talking was a waste of energy. Internally Harmony focused on her skill [Renew Spirit] and the supportive physical skills, letting herself rex into a standing position where she’d stay on her feet even if she lost sciousness, aligning her spine aing her weight floith almost no effort.

  “The dungeon es!” Duke Darren yelled as though it hadn’t been obvious enough.

  A screaming pilr of white energy shot out into the sky, and Harmony lost a sed or two as the force of death overwhelmed her. Her preparatio her upright on her feet as she felt her brain re-awaken. Blinking her eyes, Old Bones appeared not as a rge fluffy dher her size but a lean white wolf nearly twice the height of the duke.

  “Well, I wasn’t expeg this. Old cuses in py.” Old Bones said with a hint of amusement.

  Guild master Hemlock stepped forward and bowed low to the dungeon. “I’m the iator for this meeting. Granted authority by the highest representative of the gover present. When it es to discussing terms, it will be my honor to have you deal with me.”

  Harmony could hear the old spirit grumble the word “Climber.” Us breath, not loud enough to be picked up and projected to the crowd.

  Before Hemlock even straightened, Gnomstock stepped forward. “I have initiated this challenge. I have brought the required marked and will have my authority reized. I am ready for my role.”

  The oversized wolf looked to Harmony with her shadow toad, then to prince Adrid gave an amused tilt to its head, then around to the spa the immediate viity, searg and finding only the duke and the iator. “Are you sure?” The dungeon asked the man.

  “I have been waiting for this moment my whole life! I will be a part of history.”

  Ha’zel Ri looked at the desperate man before him. “Those are some old cuses from a harsher time. You have an appointed iator who modify them.”

  “No dey. I want it now! I brought this forth for a challenge and have the marked you want. Authority, challenger, and sacrifice. That is the tract. I insist!”

  Harmony watched the iion. She knew why she was brought here, even guessing that her bonded pet wasn’t exempt from the procedure. Hyath probably would have been carried due to their bond if he’d tried to stay behind. The duke’s spoiled excitement wasn’t unusual. She’d seen the same energy from Tyler at times. Where no oed except for the man and their wants. She puzzled how he said challenger, but the sideways gnce he gave her when he mentioned sacrifice made everything click. He thinks that… Do I say something?

  “Well, if you insist.” The dungeon replied. Then it was too te.

  A spirit of death, even without an enormous mouth, has no trouble ending a life. Still, it used those jaws, and as quick as Old Bones accepted the insistehe duke was snapped up and swallowed whole. The collective gasp from the watg audience could be heard, and the neancer found herself joining them.

  “Now, my challenger, Lady White, we have the challeo discuss.”

  The perception of time slowed. ostasis allowed her to think quicker than she could act. Internally the pressure of the attention and the swelling of her soul spaces sogether. It has been making room, all the disfort, all the feelings of eyes ohe es came s in. It was too much to fight. Like with rapids, sometimes you have to let go and accept it. People had expectations of her that surpassed the roles her profession and css gave her. Those expectations granted authority to her, and now her damned friend’s aade perfect sense. She could almost pick out their expectations among the nearly innumerable ones flooding into her and adding to her skills and powers.

  Ambrosia had pnned or at least hoped that she’d transform. The songs, the performahe dedication it was all obvious now. All those books Tyler ighat his grandma had lent him about making es, friends, and an image for yourself tthen your authority. Gaining a noble css or profession was more on when you evolved. The rare spontaneous gains were footnotes or parts of legends and fairy tales.

  Hyath’s pride and Ambrosia’s excitement. The unending feeling of attention and ck of trol over her skills since she woke up. Hearing the authority ag today when she hadn’t detected anything before. Even Old Bones saw what was going oantly Harmony accepted what was happening.

  The es came in. Everyone’s expectations represented power, creating the authority a a brutal world. Authority’s voice was what the books called it. It was what separated adventurers grinding away from heroes needing support to defend against tides of flict. It added sound to the maid’s inner space as the rapids rushed, and her skills had their own songs. They sang.

  Harmony accessed the new notification as the ge settled in

  Profession ged from Maid to Lady Maid.

  Thankfully not a dy neancer. Aristocracy was bad enough without the threat of some misuanding about a potential future of her being a queen neancer or sn of the dead. But once again she found herself, and the limits of her abilities ged.

  Tyler’s books talked about the use of authority. Even then, she hadn’t paid much attention to the topic, skimming the text for potentially useful things that were not on that topic.

  Perception snapped back to its slow pace. Stuffed with granted authority, Harmo out a groan that even her social skills couldn’t suppress.

  “gratutions, my dy,” Hemlock told her with a smile she wao kick off his face.

  Prince Adric started screaming.

  Harmony didn’t eve the urge to ruo her pet. Cold logic told her she shouldn’t. She fought that desire to stay frozen. Damn that side of her. Authority made his g expectations of her so clear that it tugged at her heart aled there. So, she let her feet take her to him and took the rge man into her arms. All she could do rop him from sitting. His screaming died into a whimper.

  “Your primal bond will be fiheir profession ge is long overdue and more arduous.” Old Bones assured her. “And an iing choiade for a pet.”

  The echo of that voice let Harmony know that the dungeon blew her secret as the Colosseum’s sound proje delivered the o everyone. Would having the dungeon’s blessing save her from angry royals? She could have a meltdown or accept the revetion with some level of dignity. “You’re honors me, Ha’zel Ri.”

  “Now that’s a fasating profession, The Lady’s Pet Prince. One I’ve never see horopriate.” Old Bones added.

  That was enough of a prompt to cause the audieo cheer again, even after watg Duke Darren’s grisly demise. Through her e to them from authority, she could tell some still doubted the reality they saw in front of them.

  Ohe crowd died down, the dungeon spirit spoke again. “Shall we discuss the challenge?”

  This was already a challenge. Harmo as exhausted as she had when she woke up in Old Bones’s presehe first time. “A wise spirit oold me to solidate my gains before taking a challenge. I o do just that. The iator will handle all the details.”

  She watched the guild master puff up excitedly at this. It was clearly the aplishment he ress. She khis whole mess was his fault, including misleading the duke about the challenger and the sacrifice. She wao kick him between the legs. But right now, she was exhausted and needed his skills.

  “Very well.” The dungeon answered with more amusement.

  “Please take him with you. I’m sure the iations will be extensive, so take days, months eveiate privately, away fr eyes. I ’t think of any pce better than the heart of your domain to have them in.”

  She watched Hemlock’s eyes widen as if he wao yell, “wait!”

  “Of course.” Old Bones said with even more enjoyment.

  As quick as he’d snatched up the duke, a fsh of white pulsed, encapsuting the spirit and guild master Hemlock. She could feel the thick presence of death retreat quickly deep into the dungeon’s domain. The skeleton panions crumbled into dust.

  Harmony could feel prince Adric slowly e to his sehe pair rested at the ter of the arena floor, watched over by a sizeable haughty toad. Beside them was a red stain in the sand representing the former duke. Her eyes cast up to see the proje of this h above for everyoo see. This was not how she expected the day, the week, or the season to go.

  KitFalbo

  Link: https:///series/1176978/tale-of-the-creation-of-the-heavens/

  Geion/Adventure/Fantasy/LitRPG/Progression/Martial Arts

  Synopsis:

  Two heroes fight bravely to defeat the most powerful being in the universe, the Celestial Emperor. However, all they mao do is separate a piece of his diviifact, the book Tales of the Creation of Heavens ah. Uedly, Tristan, a kid who has been locked up in a dungeon for two years by his stepmother, ends up receiving a fragment of this book.

  Although this doesn't seem to be able to ge his life immediately, the fme of revenge in his heart is rekindled.