บท 35: Gauntlet Of Champions
***
"Ah, my fellow warrior! The Great Jar wishes only to test your mettle—do not shy away from such a challenge! Embrace it, for this is the way we prove our worth!"
Alexander tried to convince him, but Godrick was about to distance himself, only to be stopped by the odd voice that rumbled in his mind.
Apostle Candidate! Fear not, for thou must pass through mine being to claim the right to stand 'fore the Apostle's seat.
And so Godrick allowed the Great Jar's rocky, rough hand to lift him up in the air and bring him over its gigantic red seal on its opening that transformed into a swirling black hole.
"Good luck, fellow warrior! Do not let yourself be shattered though we are all made to be!!!"
Alexander's encouragement was the last thing he heard before he was swallowed by the bottomless whirlpool that was the maw of the Great Jar.
***
Gauntlet of Champions
The Great Jar's voice jerked Godrick awake. He found himself in a pitch-black void. He was not floating, but stood upon nothing, though 'nothing' felt more solid than anything he had met so far.
"Where am I?" Godrick shouted into the darkness, and to his mild surprise, received a booming, but familiar response.
Gauntlet of Champions
"I grasp thy meaning, yet what is required of me?" A flash of dark gold briefly lit up the void as the Crystal Greatspear found its home in his hand once more.
Fight or Die
"Simple enough." Godrick grinned before he spotted a small piece of the void light up in the distance.
As red as blood, the tear, in reality, began to bleed akin to a wound, red particles swirling out and forming into an unusually large human warrior. Muscled and scarcely clothed, it was clad in only leather pants and held a non-descript club.
Jar Champion, its character sheet read, but Godrick was confused, for the Champion looked pathetically weak, yet Godrick's [Observe] failed to give him the Champion's stats.
(Character Sheet:
Jar Champion
[Stats unavailable])
With a silent roar, the blood-red apparition shot toward Godrick in a frenzy, silent screams and curses flying his way. But however large and muscled the apparition was, Godrick was simply bigger. Not only did he tower over the apparition, but he also made it look like an armed child throwing a dangerous tantrum.
[Jar Champion Killed. +150 EXP]
Godrick didn't care to use his spear. A single slap disintegrated the apparition into a smattering of reddish particles.
"Was this a Great Jar champion?" he thought, disappointed, before remembering that he was a Demigod. Mortals were bugs, and champions were nothing more than slightly louder and bigger bugs.
A second tear in reality appeared, and another apparition formed.
"Hope thou art stronger," Godrick thought hopefully as the second apparition formed, now clad in a thin layer of leather-steel armour and wielding a short sword.
[Jar Champion Killed. +200 EXP]
His Greatspear pulverized its head and returned to his palm in but a second.
Surely, becoming the Apostle was harder?
The third apparition rose, now wearing full body armour and wielding a metal mace. Its bodily strength was superhuman, similar to one of his Blessed Knights, but superhuman did not equate to divine.
[Jar Champion Killed. +250 EXP]
The Greatspear met little resistance and the apparition dissolved. Perhaps the Gauntlet of Champions did not consider a Demigod running through it.
For the fourth time, an apparition rose, and for the first time, he felt a twinge of danger. The apparition was no longer blood-red, but a deep black, as though it had fundamentally changed in quality.
Had the Great Jar realized that it was getting too easy for him?
The now blackish-grey apparition was a mountain wrapped in torn black leather and steel, its greatsword—a monstrous slab of iron—slung across its back like a burden only a demon could bear. It was the biggest one so far, standing at an impressive seven feet.
Spiky hair and with an eye missing, it was the very embodiment of a warrior. Scarred, weathered, and broken—yet standing.
[Observe]
To Godrick's surprise, he could read the blackish-grey apparition's skills, but his stats remained obscured.
(Character Sheet
Apostle, The Black Swordsman
Age: [N/A]
[Stats unavailable]
Skills:
[Greatsword Mastery (Passive) Level 8: Highly proficient with wielding Greatswords]
[Death Defiance (Passive): In the end, the winner is still the last man standing. Never fall, never break, never bend. Will unbreakable.]
[Mind Over Body (Passive): Struggle, endure, contend. For that alone is the sword of one who defies death. Your will is your strength, and impress that upon reality itself.])
The sheer jump in power from red to black was staggering. A Level 8 weapon skill was the highest he'd ever seen. Was he even fighting mortals anymore?
He raised his Greatspear and looked down upon his opponent, still towering over it.
He locked eyes with it, and without a word, they surged toward one another.
The clash was thunderous. Godrick's Greatspear met the slab of steel in a shower of sparks, the force of the blow sending shockwaves through the air. Godrick staggered back, his knees buckling as the void beneath him shook. The strength of his opponent was monstrous, far greater than even his.
He loved it.
The greatsword screamed through the air once more, the muscled warrior moving far faster than his size belied.
Connecting with Godrick's shoulder, the Greatsword shattered bone and drove him to one knee. Pain exploded through him, but he grinned through bloodied teeth. "Good," he growled. "Fight harder."
The [Blessed Dew Talisman] and a cast of [Heal] softened the blow, but the Black Swordsman didn't let up.
The Greatsword whipped up out of seemingly nowhere and chopped through his left arm while also shattering his ribs. If it were not for his hefty Vigor and moderate Endurance, he'd have been ripped in half.
"Ragh!" For the first time in a long while, Godrick let out a grunt of pain. The rough, dull edge of the Greatsword left a jagged wound that tore rather than cut.
Joy and pain shot through Godrick as he rolled out of the way of what would have been a killing blow. The [Blessed Dew Talisman] worked furiously to seal the wound, as Godrick simply had no time to cast [Heal] while busy dealing with the flurry of blows from the apparition's swordsmanship.
His mastery over the Greatspear was laughable compared to the sheer force and ferocity of the slab of iron that seemed to defy reality itself. The apparition was no mere mortal. It was a beast clothed in the armour of men.
'Good.' If death were to come, it would come in glorious battle.
A feral grin spread across Godrick's face despite the searing pain in his side. Red-gold Lightning crackled in his only remaining arm as his Greatspear lay abandoned.
(HP 198/300 -> 112/300)
[Lansseax's Glaive]
[Heal]
An explosion of Ancient Dragon Lightning, followed by a [Heal], barely managed to keep Godrick standing. The attack, however, only lightly charred and burned the Black Swordsman. Godrick's battle lust soared upon seeing the dust clear and his opponent standing nearly unscathed.
[Lansseax's Glaive]
Another devastating strike hit the Black Swordsman, this time drawing blood from his arm and scorching his flesh. Yet his eyes blazed with an unyielding fury and will, holding his broken body together through sheer determination.
A crazed laugh escaped Godrick as his emotions peaked. His bloodied and broken form—missing an arm, burnt and torn—rose to shaky feet. With a battle cry, he charged, thrusting the Greatspear with every ounce of his strength, ambitions, blood, and will.
He gave the Greatspear everything.
And it answered.
[Greatspear Mastery (Passive) Level 5->6: Adequately proficient with spears. Assists with wielding it and provides 30->45 per cent extra damage when attacking with the aforementioned weapon.]
The apparition moved to parry, but the dark-gold tipped spear struck true, piercing through its armour and embedding itself deep in its side. Blood sprayed into the air, but the knight barely flinched. With a snarl, it backhanded Godrick with an armoured fist, sending the demigod sprawling across the void.
Godrick's vision blurred, stars danced in his eyes, and the taste of iron filled his mouth. He spat blood, grinning as he struggled to his knees. Before he could rise fully, the Greatsword came crashing down again, smashing into his side. The sound of cracking bone echoed through the air, and Godrick felt his ribs shatter under the weight of the blow. Blood poured from his mouth, and for a moment, he tasted death.
It tasted of gloom, of every failed dream, ambition, and emotion.
It tasted of the same grey emptiness he felt inside him.
And he did not like it.
(EXP 490/13,000 -> Gained 1 stat point and 1 skill point)
(HP 3/300 -> 300/300)
A flash of dark gold restored him to full health. His eyes locked onto the Apostle, who now stood above him, sword raised for the final blow.
As the Greatsword descended, Godrick moved with the swiftness of a predator. He rolled to the side as the blade crashed into the void floor with a deafening crack. In that same moment, Godrick surged upward, thrusting the Greatspear deep into the Apostle's exposed throat. The spear pierced flesh and bone, emerging from the other side in a grotesque spray of black particles.
The Apostle gurgled, clutching its Greatsword as it staggered back. Its eyes burned with the fury of a dying warrior, still trying to swing its weapon in one last, desperate attempt, but it had lost too much. Its flesh had become charred and blood vaporized. The only thing holding it together was sheer will.
Falling to its knees, it looked up at Godrick and pointed to the giant slab of iron that was its sword. Then, to Godrick's surprise, it spoke. Its voice was deep and gravelly.
"This sword is proof that I have lived."
[Apostle, The Black Swordsman Killed. +15,000 EXP]
***
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