Fighting Spirit: 3 -> 2Health: 68 -> 73

  Attack - Wizard’s Axe (Advantage)D20 + 10 = 13 (3)D20 + 10 = 24 (14)Hit!Wraith: 3 -> 2Mana: 24 -> 23Ability: Divine Smite2D6 + 2D6 + 2D6 + 9 = 31 (2, 6)(2, 5)(3, 4)31 damage!

  Attack - Wizard’s Axe (Advantage)D20 + 10 = 23 (13)D20 + 10 = 26 (16)Hit!Wraith: 2 -> 1Mana: 23 -> 22Ability: Divine Smite2D6 + 2D6 + 2D6 + 9 = 24 (1, 3)(1, 2)(2, 6)24 damage!

  Onward Soar: 1 -> 0

  Attack - Wizard’s Axe (Advantage)D20 + 10 = 24 (14)D20 + 10 = 24 (14)Hit!Wraith: 1 -> 0Mana: 22 -> 21Ability: Divine Smite2D6 + 2D6 + 2D6 + 9 = 22 (1, 3)(2, 5)(1, 1)22 damage!

  Attack - Wizard’s Axe (Advantage)D20 + 10 = 15 (5)D20 + 10 = 20 (10)Hit!Mana: 21 -> 20Ability: Divine Smite2D6 + 2D6 + 9 = 27 (4, 5)(4, 5)27 damage!

  The Princess’ eyes remained focused on the pair in their spar, who fought he entrahe tables having been pushed aside by the servants with assassin like stealth whilst they had prepared. Though she expected the Cuard to all but put Adam down like a damn dolphin, Sir Safu barely mao keep her wits about her as Adam swung his axe with such force, he threateo break the magical trident within her hands. Though Sir Safu was rger and held greater strength, somehow this young half elf was f her to step back with his great blows, as though threatening to cut down the Cliffs of Avor.

  Safu inhaled deeply as her muscles flexed, doing her best t off Adam’s powerful blows, but his blows were greater than her own, the magic of the Divine fshing through her body, as well as the siing chill of Wraith. The pair tio crash together like a storm, with the Cuard doing her best to try and find a way to slip through Adam’s great defence. Had it been any ure in typical pte armour, she would have already skewered them, but there was a greater force at wainst her.

  Mana: 20 -> 19Spell: ShieldDefence: 25 -> 30

  Health: 73 -> 55

  Jurot watched as his brother mao easily deflect great blows which would have killed Experts twice over. He was uain of how he felt about his brother revealing his great abilities to the Princess, but sidering the mermen always kept to the Undersea, his heart remai ease. In many ways, Adam had great strength. His abilities with a on was great, not quite as great as the best of the nd, but great. His abilities with magic was great, not quite as great as the best of the nd, but great. However, Adam was one of the few who could utilise magid bde in such a way, eveer than Paragon Oathkeepers.

  Jaygak sipped at her milk, letting out a soft sigh. The young Iyrman thought back to a few years ago when they had first met, when they were all eightee, within the span of a handful of years, Adam had brought himself to the level of fag a Cuard, and not just to csh with them, but to have such a high ce of winning.

  ‘What kind of abilities do you possess, Adam?’

  Adam’s arms began to throb as he engaged with the Cuard, but he pushed away the thoughts as he tio csh against her, his magical steel against her magical steel. Even though she had ma off some of his strength, charging forward with a greater passiorident striking against his puthral, Adam tio step forward towards her too.

  Fighting Spirit: 2 -> 1Health: 55 -> 60

  Attack - Wizard’s Axe (Advantage)D20 + 10 = 11 (1)D20 + 10 = 27 (17)Hit!Mana: 19 -> 18Ability: Divine Smite2D6 + 2D6 + 9 = 25 (1, 6)(3, 6)25 damage!

  Attack - Wizard’s Axe (Advantage)D20 + 10 = 11 (2)D20 + 10 = 27 (15)Hit!Mana: 18 -> 17Ability: Divine Smite2D6 + 2D6 + 9 = 24 (1, 6)(2, 6)24 damage!

  Wraith struck against the woman’s breastpte, fshing white hot with divine magic, f the woman back. Safu let out gasps of pain as the rest of the Cuard remained focused upohe entire group watg as she stepped backwards, catg the axe with her trident. Her heart pounded wildly within her chest, her vision beginning to blur, but she refused to fall.

  “You are no normal Priest,” she mao pant out, realising how weak her voice had bee, it shuddering almost as much as her arms.

  “You’re pretty strong too,” Adam replied, casually, though he could feel how much effort it had taken t her down this low.

  ‘So this is what you meant, Morky,’ Karza thought, not taking her eyes off the pair who were still engaged in their fight, the ringing of steel filling the air, though it grew weaker and weaker. She didn’t dare take her eyes off the fight, now uanding the deeper meaning behind Morkarai’s words.

  “Adam,” Morkarai called as Adam’s axe smmed between the forks of the shaking trident. The Prince leaned back within his chair ily, as though he hadn’t caused the mess that was about to occur. “Will you sider it a draw?”

  Adam dared to gnce aside, giving the Cuard an opening for an attack. However, she didn’t aot when the Prince had spoken up on her behalf, and she remaiill, slowly withdrawirident. She he look in Adam’s eyes beh his visor and she paused, another wave of shock filling her.

  Adam inhaled deeply, before letting out a soft sigh. “I like these clothes, but I suppose I like you a little more, Prince Morkarai.”

  Princess Miza could hear it. The softness within Adam’s voice. The pyfulness of his tone, even when speaking to royalty. She was still uain of what Morkarai’s gift was, but her sight suddenly fell upon the young half elf, who was no doubt a part of what Morkarai wao gift her.

  Meanwhile, Karza, who had spoken with the fire giant, uood the puzzle pieces of their versations over the past few days. Somehow, Adam would e up now and again, and Morkarai would smile in a particur way, and would speak slightly less vaguely about Adam, but he promised that she would see what he meant soon.

  Victory!XP Gained: +1 000XP: 6 400 -> 7 400

  Adam slipped his axe into his belt at his side, his throbbing arm shaking slightly. "It was a good fight."

  Safu narrowed her eyes towards the half elf, feeling moments away from dropping. Her head was also pounding, as though she had been struck by a hammer across her head, and she phe trident firmly on the ground to support her. If she had fought Adam for a moment longer, she surely would have fallen.

  ‘I lost? I, who mao pass my trials? I, who was gifted the coralsteel ented by Dux Imanoch? I who came face to face with Lord Sorrow?’ Safu clutched her trident tighter, her heart ag from such a terrible loss, especially to some little brat who held no name. If she had lost against Prince Morkarai, that was ohing, for he rince, a fire giant, who had spent twice as long as this boy’s lifetime training with his bde, wielding a grand bde that would put even her own trident to shame. The frustration washed over like a maelstrom.

  “Thank you, Adam,” Morkarai said.

  “Any time,” Adam replied, casually saluting the Prih two fingers boung against his helmet. He bowed towards the Princess before retreating back to the table, removing his helmet, and beginning to unstrap his armour.

  Miza caught Morkarai’s eyes, the Prince smiling ily, with expet eyes curiously gazing back towards the Princess. ‘…’

  “How scary,” Adam said, pg down his gaus, inhaling deeply as he flexed his muscles.

  Tough Spirit: 1 -> 02D6 + 7 = 11 (4)Health: 60 -> 71

  “It was a good fight,” Jurot said, bowing his head towards his brother.

  “Make sure you tell it properly once we get back.”

  “Okay.”

  Luced between the Princess and then the rest of the people around. ‘…’ There was an awkwardness in the air, the silence bringing forth a greater disfort than the unknown. ‘Did he decide to take away all the attention from us?’

  “Prepare the long table,” Princess Miza anded her servants, who worked with a swifthat was only seen in the Iyr. “Executive Adam, you and your panions may join the long table.”

  “ht? Thanks-, thank you,” Adam mao stutter, remembering she was royalty half way through.

  The table was quickly set for the group who had joihe long table, with mountains of food quickly arriving for them, each within goblets made of the seasteel. Adam sipped the wine from the goblet, with the wine holding a softer fvour, slightly saltier.

  “I had not expected you to hold such strength,” the Princess admitted. “How did you meet my betrothed?”

  “Prince Morkarai and I met when he was on the way to the Iyr, a few years baow,” Adam replied. ‘I probably ’t say much more than that.’ “I didn’t know he rind almost got myself into trouble.”

  “When we first met, I had no idea you were so skilled,” Morkarai admitted. “Although, back then, you weren’t quite as strong as you are now.”

  “Yeah, well I wouldn’t like to face you again, even with how much stronger I’ve grown,” Adam replied, unsure of how to feel about the fire giant now upon seeing him grow se. “How’s the-,” Adam began, before quickly sipping the rest of his wine, managing to stop himself from being an idiot.

  “Even if I stopped holding back, I do not think I could defeat you,” Morkarai admitted, choosing against speaking like a noble for once.

  “You could not defeat him?” Miza asked.

  Morkarai smiled. “One might say it’s impossible for him to defeat me, but when it es to Adam, I might lose again.”

  ‘You lost to him previously?’

  “I was just lucky, that’s all,” Adam said awkwardly, not liking how much he was being praised by royalty.

  “Just lucky?” Morkarai asked, raising his brow, feeling a fire grow within his eyes.

  “How else could I defeat you, Prince Morkarai?” Adam smirked in response, sipping his sea milk, already feeling the alcohol loosening him up, too much for a meal with two royals.

  “You seem so young. How old are you?” Miza asked, gng across the rest of the Iyrmen and the Demons, each who seemed rather young too.

  “I just turwenty two this year.”

  ‘What? He is not even forty?’ Miza’s heart skipped a beat from the shock of Adam’s words.

  “Adam…” Morkarai began, catg Miza’s eyes, noting the shock within them, “refused my offer to bee a Hill Lord.”

  “Why did you refused such a great boon?”

  “How could I abandon my little sister who adores me so much?” Adam replied, as though he seriously meant it.

  “He is a Nephew of the Rot family,” Jurot spoke up, cutting into his meal. “He is my brother.”

  “Your brother? He is no Iyrman.”

  “He is no Iyrman, but he is my brother,” Jurot said, not for the first time, and not for the st.

  While the Priurned her attention to the Iyrmen, Adam wondered when he could mention it. He tio eat quietly as the Princess spoke to the Iyrmen, paying keen attention to Jurot, and though she mostly ignored Lud Mara, she did speak with them every so often.

  “So…” Adam said, annoyed about hearing the old geezer’s name so much. “How is Princess Mina?”

  Silence filled the air.

  Adam froze as he cut into the meat oable, staring at his meal, feeling a chill run through his back. He had felt the attention of everyone upon him previously, but this time the attention was different. His eyes slowly floated over towards Miza, who stared at him with a questioning gre.

  “How do you know of that he threat within her voice was evident enough for them all, with even Prince Morkarai heavy with tension.

  The Iyrmen tio eat away as though nothing was wrong, sihis was all very Adam like.

  I legitimately keep fetting how strong Adam is.