Adam ihe crisp air before he donned his puthral helmet, c himself head to toe in his purple armour. He donned his magical shield, feeling its great magigle through even his gloves, before he gripped the handle of Wraith, his axe, and perhaps the greatest on he had created thus far.

  Eddard k in front of the half elf, though faced away, the older man praying lightly. ‘Jurot. Rot.’ The name sounded so familiar, though he couldn’t quite pce it. He stood and turo face Adam, noting the axe and shield, the shield which Adam had picked up when he went to don his armour. The shield was crimson, like blood.

  “Ten gold?” a Grave Sword asked.

  “I will bet on my brother,” Jurot replied.

  The Grave Sword, another northerner, heir head. They wrote within the book of bets, handing it to Jurot to add his ow, before the book tio be passed along the rest of those who were watg.

  The small field had been cleared for the pair for their fight, though many adventurers had stepped out to watch the fight between Bck Blood and the young punk in purple.

  ‘Should I rihem for all they’re worth?’ Adam thought. ‘Nah.’ “Are you ready?”

  “I am,” Eddard replied, gripping his bde in both hands while Adam raised his shield.

  Ohe bets were pced, Paul grabbed the book, closing it. “You may begin.”

  Battle OrderD20 + 1 = 2 (1)

  ‘I just have to-,’ Adam’s thoughts stopped as Eddard had charged him before he could even blink. He brought up his shield, skidding backwards as the older man struck his shield violently, before he side stepped another swing. ‘Damn it!’

  The pair cshed within the tre of the field, the adventurers watg near silently as their b through the air. Magical steel crashed against magical steel. Adam grurying to defend himself from the onsught of the older man. Eddard pushed through his limits to try and shatter the boy’s defeo teach him a lesson, a his bde only cttered against the puthral armour.

  Fighting Spirit: 3 -> 2

  Attack - Wraith (Advantage)D20 + 10 = 22 (12)D20 + 10 = 23 (13)Hit!Mana: 25 -> 24Ability: Divine Smite2D6 + 2D6 + 9 = 28 (2, 6)(5, 6)28 damage!

  Attack - Wraith (Advantage)D20 + 10 = 21 (11)D20 + 10 = 25 (15)Hit!Mana: 24 -> 23Ability: Divine Smite2D6 + 2D6 + 9 = 23 (2, 6)(2, 4)23 damage!

  Adam inhaled and focused, finding a moment to push back the older Aldishman, magical steel g against magical steel, though this time Adam took lead of the bout. Eddard brought up his mighty magical bde to defend himself, but as he stepped bad aside to try and deflect Adam’s blows, he could already feel the great burning within his arms as he tried to deal with the young man in purple.

  ‘The boy’s a guardian?’ Eddard thought, feeling the fsh of hot divine magi through him as the pair cshed.

  Jurot watched ily. He uood the thoughts going through Eddard’s head as the pair fought. Adam was a great warrior, that was for certain. He was sidered a guardian, one of those who could wield the magics of oaths, though Jurot khat to be foolish. Adam was a guardian, in the same way he was a warrior, in the same way he riest, in the same way he was a scribe mage, a wizard.

  Health: 91 -> 58

  Fighting Spirit: 2 -> 1Health: 58 -> 63

  Attack - Wraith (Advantage)D20 + 10 = 21 (11)D20 + 10 = 26 (16)Hit!Mana: 23 -> 22Ability: Divine Smite2D6 + 2D6 + 9 = 29 (4, 5)(5, 6)29 damage!

  Attack - Wraith (Advantage)D20 + 10 = 18 (8)D20 + 10 = 23 (13)Hit!Mana: 22 -> 21Ability: Divine Smite2D6 + 2D6 + 9 = 27 (4, 4)(5, 5)27 damage!

  Eddard brought his heavy might down against Adam, whht his shield up, ahe blow pushed through the shield and through his arm, causing him to take a knee. Adam barely mao duder another blow whiced off his helmet, his head pulsing as he focused once more, before he pushed forward, almost wobbling on his feet. Thankfully, with the moment to focus once more with his Fighting Spirit, it shook off much of the terrible blow Eddard had nded.

  ‘Damn!’ Adam thought, barely managing to force the older man back with his axe and smites, though the older man seemed t off some of the blow.

  ‘Adam is holding back,’ Jurot thought. Adam had yet to break through his limits as Eddard had, though Eddard’s flurry had been rather insignifit when in the fact of the tower known as Adam. Even if Adam didn’t have the abilities of all these distinct ways of fighting and magic, there was something else the young man had.

  Eddard tried to strike the half elf with his bde, and though his bde would have crushed any other warrior of Adam’s age, somehow his bde was uo find purchase against Adam’s puthral.

  ‘Yes,’ Jurot thought, noting how Eddard had taken a step back before Adam had evealiated. Eddard finally uood.

  The puthral pte mail had been payment to Adam as part of his enting of a shield for the Iyr, the same shield which Jurot now possessed.

  Defence: 18

  Adam had taken a particur ability from his system called Defence, whicreased his defence whenever he wore armour.

  Defence: 19

  He had retly bee a man of faith, taking several abilities which beloo priests. One such ability was called Blessing of Fia, which allowed him to pray over a on or armour to increase its effectiveness.

  Defence: 20

  There was another ability Adam had picked up in his time withiher world, where he had engulfed himself in fire often. Soul of the Fe, whiot only granted him the ability to hahe heat, but also increased his defensive capabilities when he wore heavier armour.

  Defence: 21

  Such abilities allowed him to gain the defence which almost matched Jaeryael, the a golden dragon which protected the capital of Aldnd. There was another shield which beloo Adam, a shield which had been gifted to the half elf by Turot, who had received it from his grandfather, Jarot. It was the same shield the old man had used during his time in the north, whienised.

  Strong Shield.

  Defence: 25

  ‘Adam is holding back,’ Jurot thought, firming it within his mind. Adam had yet to break through his limits as Eddard had, nor had he cast one of the spells which could defend him to eveer heights. Adam possessed the ability to gain such a high defence, a defence which could, perhaps, even match the likes of Lord Stokmar.

  ‘That shield,’ Eddard thought for a moment, before his thoughts fell still as he tried to defend himself from Adam’s blurring axe.

  Fighting Spirit: 1 -> 0Health: 63 -> 68

  Attack - Wraith (Advantage)D20 + 10 = 15 (5)D20 + 10 = 30 (20)Critical hit!Mana: 21 -> 20Ability: Divine Smite4D6 + 4D6 + 9 = 38 (2, 3, 4, 5)(2, 3, 5, 5)38 damage!

  Adam focused intensely as his axe blurred through the air, the young half elf stepping forward as his bde mao barely bend over the old man’s sword, and struck him harshly against the side of his helmet, denting it.

  Eddard stumbled back, feeling his vision fade, his entire body growing heavy as he tried tht himself. His mind rang wildly as he swayed, barely able to keep the grip on his bde.

  “Do you surrender?” Adam asked, still gripping Wraith tightly.

  “Boy,” the old man began, inhaling deeply as he maht himself. “Young man. I’m a northerner.”

  Attack - Wraith (Advantage)D20 + 10 = 15 (5)D20 + 10 = 24 (14)Critical hit!Mana: 20 -> 19Ability: Divine Smite2D6 + 2D6 + 9 = 17 (1, 3)(2, 2)17 damage!

  Adam swung his axe with surgical precision, striking the old man across his helmet again, though the old man had pulled his head bapen the blow. Yet, Eddard dropped onto the floor, his sword still gripped tightly in hand, though he remaiill.

  Victory!XP Gained: +200XP: 10 600 -> 10 800

  Quest plete: Northern RespectXP Gained: +100XP: 10 800 -> 10 900

  A gasp filled the air as Adam, a retive newbie, who wore a tag of bronze, knocked out Bck Blood, the man who wore a tag of silver, stamped quite some ways through. The same Bck Blood who had sin such a rge number of drakes, who had even cshed against Bck Bde, the Bck Bde, for his title, who had even demanded respect from members of the various orders.

  ‘Adam held back,’ Jurot thought. ‘The first blow against his helmet would have struck him down if Adam had decided to use Wraith reater smite.’

  “Young man,” called a Grave Sword, tossing a pair of gems to the half elf.

  ‘A pair of tiger eyes?’ Adam thought. He had alsht a few, being a gem worth fifty gold a piece, so he didn’t o carry a ton of s with him. It was also one of the most pems within the Iyr. “This the one hundred gold?”

  “What else do you think it is?”

  “How I be su-,” Adam stopped as he felt a hand against his shoulder, gng aside to see his brother beside him.

  “It was a good fight,” Jurot said, nodding his head to the Grave Sword, who had begun narrowing their eyes towards Adam.

  “Yeah,” Adam replied, gd Jurot had grabbed him. ‘Seriously, I was so good during the fight, and almost cocked it up.’ “It was my honour.”

  The Grave Sword nodded, allowing the half elf to step away from the fight, while the bets were all paid out.

  ‘I ’t believe there’s a time I win ten gold from a bet and think it’s more like copper,’ Rick thought. He had already made so much from betting on the half elf the previous year that ten gold seemed like almost nothing, even if it was about a month’s sary freat number of people he knew.

  “That fight got me all hungry,” Adam said, slipping Wraith to his side. “Why don’t we grab some bread?”

  “Okay,” Jurot replied, far too eagerly.

  Thank you, Jurot.