Ultimate Level 1
Chapter 510: Rewards

Chapter 510 - Rewards

[ Skill Description - Heaven’s Storm ]

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Heaven’s Storm - Legendary Skill: The user can summon the wrath of the heavens in the form of a lightning storm. This storm grows stronger with each cast, quadrupling the cost of mana with each cast. The spell lasts thirty seconds and requires a minute before being cast again. The power and damage will be reset if not used within ten minutes.

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[ Skill Description - Personal Barrier ]

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Personal Barrier - Legendary Skill: The user gains a magical protective barrier that can stop most physical and magical spells. It requires 5% of the user's maximum mana pool every minute. If the user's mana runs out, then the barrier ends. Extreme, sustained damage can break or penetrate the barrier.

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Max reread the notifications and tried to figure out how strong these new abilities could be.

I’m assuming you have an opinion on them.

Both will need to be tested. I’m very curious about Heaven’s Storm. That cost and the method it must use explains why Savantus only cast it twice. And then factoring in how much mana that barrier uses, I think he was toying with us, trying to draw us into range of his Blood Domain.

Which I’m assuming is not something most people could contest like we did.

You saw the reactions of both gods. That was a wise move on your part. The breaking of it seemed to tear apart the domain and space itself came in, freezing the two of you. All I can come up with is that the blood he had to pool from was ruined and destroyed, leaving him just as broken and shattered as you were yet with no real way to regenerate.

Any other possibility leads me to believe we would have died in there eventually. You saw how much blood there was.

Max grunted and Tanila turned to look at him.

Smiling he kissed her cheek, gently squeezing her waist.

A laugh came, and then Max felt Dexic's grip tighten.

“What’s it like being in the middle?!”

Snorting, Max turned his head so see the golden warrior grinning from ear to ear.

“Honestly, I never imagined being the little spoon!”

Both women howled in laughter as Rakonath flew toward the Faction grounds.

So your skill is right? That you escaping was pure luck?

Luck? I don’t know… everything I have seems… almost as if it was planned sometimes. Other times I wonder if anyone could have put all this in motion. Did your Father know I would get a dragon egg? Is that why he gave me the mark? The possibility of all that happening by his hand is impossible to comprehend.

Some parts of life are luck and others are because we are led down paths. You, Max Hoste, were lucky to have gained the skills you did. In the same way you were lucky to have gained me. Anyone else on this world would have turned it into a desolate wasteland.

Could someone else have defeated Savantus if they had acquired you?

Bob was silent as he pondered that question while Rakonath thrummed.

All I know is that since I’ve been bonded to you, the odds and things you face keep getting stronger. Then I saw that elven god do what she did… her fingers squeezed you like a rabbit in my talons.

Considering all those questions, Max held Tanila tighter, his pinky gently stroking the baby bump.

***

Cheers filled the grounds as Max and the others climbed off Rakonath.

Waiting twenty yards away were Fowl, Batrire, and Cordellia, along with everyone else in their faction.

“Max!”

His dwarven brother and friend rushed forward and embraced him, lifting him and shaking him a few times.

“You bastard! Making me wait this long! And then having to find out you met Ockrim… AGAIN!”

“Yeah… he told me to tell you he loves me more.”

Laughter from their healer and ranger came as the duo joined in the hug.

“Good work, you three. I heard great things from Rakonath and can’t wait to hear what happened,” Max said.

“Oh gods no,” Cordellia groaned. “His head's already big enough after Aerthen praised him before everyone.”

Max looked around and saw the red dragon in her humanoid form, laughing and drinking with Tom nearby.

“Can I interrupt?”

Max and the others turned to see Everett a few feet away, grinning at them.

“Sure, what’s up?” Cordellia asked.

Nodding with his head, the older man smiled. “There are about a hundred adventures here that want to celebrate, and the city is already preparing for a holiday in two days. Everyone who fled is returning home, and I doubt there will be any alcohol in this town by the end of the week.”

“What about the other Factions and the adventurers who helped?” Max asked as he moved to Tanila’s side. How many did we lose?”

Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.

Frowning just a little bit, Everett shrugged. “I’m not sure of the exact numbers but not many. You six prevented the destruction of the capital and saved so many lives. Even the army that got past you only did superficial damage to the outer north edge. For now, let’s celebrate. Trust me you all need it.”

“Did he say six?” Fowl asked and got a bonk on his head from their healer.

“He did you fool. Dexic!” exclaimed Batrire.

“Oh, that’s right. Shame she wasn’t as gifted as I was.”

Groans came from both women who had been with their warrior, and Max gave them a quizzical glance.

“I’m not telling the story,” Cordellia muttered. “Ask him or the dragon. I’m going to go get myself a drink.”

***

“There I was, all alone before ten thousand elves, calling out for my blood!” Fowl proclaimed, standing on the table in the middle of the gathering, waving a mug of ale around. “Was I afraid?” Sure! Did I shite myself? Maybe!”

Laughter came as everyone listened to the dwarf tell the tale for the tenth time, not caring that he added more each time he told it.

“I’m glad he’s the hero,” Max whispered into Tanila’s ear as they reclined on a couch someone had borrowed from the Faction. “He does a much better job of making himself look bigger.”

“Fowl’s having a blast and so is Batrire,” Tanila replied. “Still, I can’t imagine what my mother thought about his newest ability.”

Nodding slowly, Max wondered what it would be like to have the one their warrior had gained from the last set of skill potions.

“Spell Magnet didn’t sound as cool until then, did it?”

“Nope,” she replied. “But I guess that’s why she fled so quickly. Hard to stand up to a group where every spell you cast hits him and does nothing. Besides, how many of their archers killed themselves from his thorn aura?”

“Millions based on the last telling,” Max said. “So… your mother… what should I do?”

A sigh came from Tanila as she snuggled into his embrace.

“Nothing… let her be for now. She has no army. Her people will not allow her to run over them like mine… Savantus did. Perhaps she can rule until another one can replace her. From what you say, it will be 100 years before Thuyja can return, and in that time, who knows what will happen.”

“Two kingdoms with queens… hopefully the dwarves won’t make the same mistake.”

She turned and glared at him. “Are you saying queens are bad?”

Max shook his head and grunted. “No… just that those three queens aren’t the best example of them. You my dear would make a great one.”

She snorted and turned back around. “I don’t want that role any more than you want to be a king. Besides… I’m more interested in what Ockrim and Phaius said about our child. Do you think they could be… right?”

Taking a deep breath, Max sighed.

“Honestly… I would have to assume they both told the truth about how a child who is carried while they are unborn in the tower would be stronger. All of us have changed because of what our bodies have gained. Still… I’m more interested in what they attempted to say but couldn’t.”

“What happens after the tower?”

Max nodded. “Part of me wonders if there will ever really be a day I can just enjoy being marri–” he stopped himself and felt her shift in his arm.

“Max…”

Slowly, he lifted her, using both his natural strength and some wind magic to ensure her support, and sat her on the couch. Next, he slid off it, kneeled before her, and smiled.

He saw her gold eyes tremble as he summoned a tiny metal box.

“You…”

Holding a finger to his lips, Max opened the ornate metal box and showed a ring pinched between two green cushions.

Three different bands were intertwined to form a pattern of gems.

Diamonds ran along the top one, with emeralds on the bottom.

Between those two rubies were cast with a pair of black gems and a larger diamond in the middle.

“Tanila Gilmenor, love of my life and mother of our child. You are the anchor that keeps me safe amidst the storms of life. Like this ring, both of us have power that wants us to be something we don’t desire, yet together, we are perfect like the one in the middle.”

Pulling the ring free, he took her shaking hand, slowly slid off the first ring he had given her, and replaced it with this one.

“This time, I ask because I want nothing more than to do it on my terms and with a ring I designed. I don’t ask because our friends are here or because I feel like I’d hurt you even more if I didn't.

“You are my everything, and if you’ll say yes, we can be married in just a few days.”

Tanila blinked and looked up from the ring he had placed on her finger at him.

“In a few days? Why in a few days?”

Smiling, Max kissed the hand that he held.

“Because in a few days, we celebrate the changing of our world and I want everyone to know that without you, it wouldn’t have been possible. Also because I don’t want to wait any longer,” he admitted. “If you need more time, I under–”

“I do!”

Blinking, Max looked at her, saw the smile amidst her tears, and reached up to wipe them away.

“You’re certain?”

“Are you asking me if I want to back out and keep the ring or if I’m certain about being married in two days?”

Snorting, Max grinned like a fool. “The latter of course. Only my wife gets to keep the ring.”

Tanila leaned forward, grabbed his neck and pulled him close.

“In two days you’ll be my husband or you'd better have one hell of an excuse that tops even Fowl’s current story.”

Laughing, Max kissed her, feeling her kiss him just as passionately back.

A loud cheer and roar came from around them, and they both turned to see the entire faction shouting and yelling.

Rakonath was belching fire into the sky and no one seemed to care about how dangerous it was.

All Max could think about was how special this moment seemed.

For once in so long, there was a true joy in the air and he wouldn’t trade anything for it.

“Took you long enough,” Fowl proclaimed as he and the other two of their party came forward first. “I was beginning to think you didn’t have a pair down there.”

“Oh, I do,” Max replied. “And you’ve seen how big they are.”

Groans and laughter came from everyone as the crowd rushed forward, wishing the two of them congratulations.

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