Beyond Chaos – A DiceRPG

[1123] – Y06.023 – The Duel II

“You must pay for your sins, you vile demon,” the Grand Commander chanted, his blade glowing deeply. Green and brown strands of magic swirled around Sentinel’s Rest, which gleamed even brighter under the noon sun. The half elf remained frozen as James charged forward, glad the half elf had accepted his fate. 

The screaming pierced through the air as the young audience began to cheer and cry for the start of the duel, one particular child screaming loudly, distracting her cousin for a moment, who dared to glance back for a moment. 

‘She certainly is aunt’s daughter,’ Tanagek thought, whose eyes quickly darted back to the fight, as the Grand Commander pressed forward.

There was also another set of cries, which pierced through the noise, almost drifting away with the cheering of their aunts and uncles. 

“Daddy!”

Wisdom Save
D20 + 5 = 20 (15)

The world returned to Adam, who noticed the Grand Commander had teleported right in front of him, having lost his senses for a moment. That moment was too long against the likes of a Paragon.

Unfortunately for Grand Commander James Greatwood, Adam had never lost in front of his sister or his children before. 

Mana: 34 -> 33
Spell: Shield
Defence: 24 -> 29

Fighting Spirit: 3 -> 2

Attack: Thunder’s Triumph (Advantage)
D20 + 11 = 16 (15)
D20 + 11 = 29 (18)
Hit!
Thunder’s Triumph: 3 -> 2
Critical Hit!
Mana: 33 -> 28
Ability: Divine Smite
4D6 + 2D6 + 12D6 + 9 = 69 (14)(5)(41)
69 damage!

Attack: Thunder’s Triumph (Advantage)
D20 + 11 = 24 (13)
D20 + 11 = 31 (20)

Onward Soar: 1 -> 0

Attack: Thunder’s Triumph (Advantage)
D20 + 11 = 15 (4)
D20 + 11 = 16 (5)
Miss!
Omen: 12, 17 -> 12
17 + 11 = 28
Hit!
Thunder’s Triumph: 2 -> 1
Critical Hit!
Mana: 23 -> 18
Ability: Divine Smite
4D6 + 2D6 + 12D6 + 9 = 75 (11)(7)(48)
75 damage!

Attack: Thunder’s Triumph (Advantage)
D20 + 11 = 18 (7)
D20 + 11 = 19 (8)
Miss!
Omen: 12 -> 0
12 + 11 = 23
Hit!
Thunder’s Triumph: 1 -> 0
Critical Hit!
Mana: 18 -> 13

The fool of a father, who would allow his children to bully him, was unable to resist. One might have wondered why he allowed his children to bully him so much. 

The Iyr knew.

He, who had lost his family, once, twice, and then, even though the Iyr had brought them back, thrice. 

One might have wondered what made Adam so dangerous. 

The Iyr knew. 

Adam wore the purple known as puthral, fashioned into full plate, an item one could only be granted through killing an Iyrman, or by having a special relationship with the Iyr. Adam did not have the courage to kill an Iyrman, but was it his special relationship with the Iyr that made him so dangerous?

No.

Within his full plate, Adam gained an additional bonus to his Defence, taking it from 18 with full plate to 19, from his training as a Fighter. Then there was the additional bonus from being a Forge Priest, bringing him from 19 to 20, even though he prayed to Baktu. Was his unique ability to possess the abilities of various different paths the reason why he was so dangerous?

No.

Adam wielded Strong Shield, a shield he had enchanted with a Greater bonus, increasing the Defence of the shield from +2 to +4. Was his ability to enchant the reason why he was so strong?

No.

Adam wielded Thunder’s Triumph, a sword he had crafted that was uniquely suitable for the likes of Oathsworn, those who could utilise the ability known as Divine Smite, even though it seemed innocent on the surface. 

Thunder’s Triumph (+2)
Requires Attunement
Deals 2D6 slashing damage.
Three time per day, on a hit, choose to Critical Hit instead.
On a Critical Hit, deal 2D6 lightning or thunder damage. 

Was his ability as a Chaos Enchanter, which certainly was dangerous, the reason why he was so dangerous?

No.

This entire time, only one person had accepted why Adam was truly so dangerous. Elder Peace did not dare to blink, even as the magical energies between the Paragon and the young man who was officially considered a Master, clashed together.

Was Adam dangerous because, as a Master, he could go toe to toe with the likes of a Paragon?

No.

Was Adam dangerous because he knew that he was too strong, so he pretended to be cringe and stupid, but was smart enough to place limitations on himself, chaining himself to the Iyr?

No.

The Iyr knew. 

Adam wasn’t dangerous because of one of these reasons. Adam wasn’t dangerous because of all these reasons. Adam wasn’t dangerous because the Iyr did not know his limitations. Adam wasn’t dangerous because he didn’t know his limitations.

The Grand Commander’s blade clashed against that crimson shield, his magic threatening to explode, to bury the half elf who had caused him so much grief. Adam willed forth his magic, shielding himself further with one of his greatest spells, increasing his Defence to surpass even the likes of Lord Stokmar, the Lord of Earth. Even so, that was not the reason why Adam was so dangerous.

Adam inhaled, focusing intensely upon the battle, feeling the way the wind gave in to their weapons. The world around him almost slowed as he side stepped another terrifying blow from the Grand Commander, spinning his blade over the back of his hand, the half elf twisted his torso, spinning upon his heel. Within his intense focus, he could press the Grand Commander back, and thanks to his blade, turning a typical blow into a much more grievous wound, he could do so much more. His blade flashed white, something which the Grand Commander was very familiar with, and crackled blue with lightning. 

Even as he was about to miss, Adam plucked a Thread of Fate, shifting the world’s Fate, the good fortune cancelling out the bad fortune. 

Even being able to shift the world’s Fate and indirectly causing two civil wars to split the lands in half was not why Adam was so dangerous, for the inevitable was the inevitable. 

As the Grand Commander tried to cleave the half elf in half, the half elf’s blade swung across, slipping between the chinks of the Grand Commander’s full plate. 

Adam wasn’t dangerous because within the span of seconds of duelling the Grand Commander, the older man’s head landed behind the half elf, while the rest of the Paragon fell in front of him. 

[Would you like me to split the XP with your companions?]

‘Yeah. Please.’

Victory!
XP Gained: +1 000
XP: 24 000 -> 25 000

Adam wasn’t dangerous because he had something no one else in the world really understood which allowed him to possess all these various abilities which should have gotten him killed.

Adam wasn’t dangerous because he blocked out the world, or from allowing the joy and relief of killing the Grand Commander to fill his heart. 

For even as the Grand Commander’s headless corpse fell into the earth, Elder Peace was certain of it. Adam, surpassing all expectations, had certainly held back. What she wasn’t so certain about, was whether Adam himself had understood he had held back.

Adam was dangerous because there was a chance.

She stared at the half elf, whose head hung down, needing a moment to collect himself.

It was tiny.

Minuscule.

Nearly impossible.

It would not even appear if his life was in danger. 

It was not something, but nothing.@@novelbin@@

The half elf reached up to wipe his eyes, for though the young half elf had spent time in the Iyr, and though he worshipped Baktu so dearly, he did not like killing, and not just because his wife was a Ray of Life’s Rose.

It was that.

‘I’m glad it was quick,’ Adam thought, hoping he hadn’t corrupted the children, even if the Iyr wanted to show them something more gruesome. 

If nothing stopped restraining Adam, he would be too dangerous to allow to live. 

The silence filled the air. The hundred of eyes upon Adam remained completely focused on the purple half elf.

Tanagek remained frozen, unable to draw his eyes away to see the shock upon his father’s face. One moment he had been looking at Lanarot, and the next moment, he saw the half elf spin and cleave the Grand Commander’s head clean off.

Though Tonagek had gone along with Adam, watching him create a miracle, he hadn’t expected the half elf to kill the Grand Commander this quickly. Even in his heart, he was only half sure Adam would kill the Paragon. 

The laughter broke the deafening silence, causing Adam to return back to the world. He heard the crying and squealing of joy from afar, and the half elf flexed his shuddering body, before letting out a soft exhale. He sheathed his bloody sword, before reaching down to grab the magical sword, not thinking about the sheath as he turned around, coming face to face with the shocked expressions of the Iyrmen and the Aldishmen.

The old man continued to howl with laughter, before he was joined by a chorus of cheers and shouts.

“Daddy!” Jirot cried aloud, tears flowing out from her eyes. “My daddy is stronger than the Stars!”

Adam filled with guilt, before he inhaled sharply once more, and he raised his shield and Sentinel’s Rest. However, as he did, the Aldishmen reached for their blades.

When you remember that Adam is perfectly balanced.