Ultimate Level 1
Chapter 522: Take it All

Chapter 522 - Take it All

Zisathass stared at him.

“I said, take it.”

“I heard what you said,” the lizard replied, his voice gruff and harsher. “You do realize that when I take the experience and levels, you will also lose all the stats you have gained from them.”

Chuckling again, Max shrugged.

“So be it. I’m ready. Stop stalling and take it.”

Zisathass frowned, tapping a talon against his scaled chin.

“Are you certain? I think you do not understand how much this will impact you.”

He doesn’t want you to take the offer. Whatever happens, this must cost him a lot of power! He gains what he has from those who think they can give more but aren’t willing to endure the grind or loss of everything. Imagine returning home, weak as a babe, and people challenge you. Artifact or no, they would be easily conquered by enemies they had made in their rise to power. He, however, is bound to rules and must abide by them. This is why he is pushing you not to do it.

“Zisathass, take it unless you will break the rules and our agreement. I’m going to assume that the system would not like you breaking them, and you wouldn’t like the consequences.”

A snarl came from Zisathass, who leaned against the anvil, teeth barred.

“You do not realize what it will cost me to keep my part of the bargain!” Zisathass shouted.

“And yet I kept my part. Giving what was most dear to me, almost all of my body and now all my levels, experience, and stats gained from my levels. It is your turn to pay the price of our bargain.”

Growling, the lizard's hand snaked forward, grabbing Max’s wrist.

“I shall enjoy this!”

Black tendrils came from the scaled hand, rising up Max’s arm and wrapping around his throat.

Pinpricks inside his soul came, and Max felt the smallest amount of something being drained from him.

[ 937 Experience Collected ]

[ Error - No Levels to be Collected ]

[ Error - No Stats to be Collected ]

Zisathass’s eyes blinked in two directions as lids that went sideways and up and down twitched.

“Impossible!”

Once again, his hand sent out black tendril,s and they repeated the process.

[ Error - No Experience to be Collected ]

[ Error - No Levels to be Collected ]

[ Error - No Stats to be Collected ]

“How?! How can you have nothing?!”

Max smiled, reaching over with his other hand and prying off Zisathass’s tightening grip.

“That’s not true. I had 937 experience, which you took. The truth is I’ve always been level 1.”

“Impossible! I can sense the power in you! You must be blocking me, thus breaking our deal!”

It was his turn to frown, and Max intentionally made his voice deeper.

“This might be your home and domain, but I have played by your rules and you have lost. The problem, Zisathass, is that you do not know who I am. You do not know what I possess. And if you do not keep your part of the bargain, I may see if the system will allow me to attack you and kill you. Because if I can, my skill, Consume, will take everything from you.”

Zisathass stumbled backward, crashing into some chests lining the wall and floor behind him.

Fear began to radiate from the lizard as he stared at it,

“You! A black skill holder?! Impossible! You are not–”

‎ “Crazy? Bloodthirsty? No, but I am more than happy to let my skill have free control and do whatever it wishes to you if you do not keep the bargain we set and I kept. Now choose. No more stalling, no more games. Admit I have paid the three prices. Make the artifact you promised. If for a moment I feel you are cheating me or my skill says that you are, I promise you, it will consume you completely.”

The scaled neck puffed out, and then Zisathass slowly nodded.

“Very well. I acknowledge you have paid the price. I will craft what I have promised. Now tell me, what item would you desire?”

“Any piece of equipment? Like a ring or weapon or armor?”

Closing both eyes, Zisathass massaged his head.

“Yes. You choose. I can make anything you desire for yourself. Know that it is bound to you until death. If you die, then whoever kills you may take it for their own.”

What piece or slot?

A true artifact… such a decision is not one we can make without considering all the options but I sense what you are wondering. Ask him.

“I have a question. Can I offer an item to be used to make an item?”

Only the left eye of Zisathass opened, a glare of what Max assumed was content directed at him.

“You really think you could offer me anything better than what I have? Do you not realize the power of what I can create? How could you–”

Wekime’s tooth appeared in Max’s hand and the lizard’s mouth stopped moving.

Slowly, the lizard began to move forward, stopping at the anvil, both eyes now locked on the gift given so long ago.

“That… how…”

“None of that matters. It’s mine. Either I will one day craft something with it, or if the moment has come when it can find its true purpose, I am willing to work with you to craft an artifact from it.”

“Work with me?”

Max’s weapon appeared in his other hand, the standard spear he often kept it.

“I made this.”

Scaled lips moved in a funny way as the lizard blew a raspberry.

“The weapon has power. I can sense it, but–”

Zisathass stopped talking as it shifted shapes over and over instantly.

Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

“I’m a legendary crafter. This is a named weapon. What I’m asking isn’t some silly request,” Max stated. “I’m offering a chance for you and me to work together to create what may be the greatest artifact you will ever construct. Perhaps your name will be known throughout the system because of it.”

“May I hold it?”

“Only if you promise not to keep it or use it for anything other than what I want.”

A chuckle came from Zisathass as he nodded.

“I will not steal it or use it for anything else. The power it has coming from it shouldn’t be possible. For a dragon tooth to be that strong… it would have had to have been given, as you could not have defeated it.”

Max watched as Zisathass studied the tooth from every angle, touching his mouth and licking it a few times. Each lick made the lizard shudder and moan.

“This… is from–”

“Do not say his name.”

Zisathass clamped his mouth closed so fast, Max was afraid he might cut off his tongue.

“I shall not. But a gift… from him…”

Immediately, Zisathass’s hand was extended.

“This is your custom. I promise to do whatever it takes to work with you and this tooth to create the greatest artifact I have ever made or will most likely make. This I swear on the system, or may it take away all I have and am.”

That sounds like a good promise.

For him that is probably an oath unlike any you will ever hear. To lose everything would be like a normal person reverting back to level one.

Grabbing the scaled hand, Max shook it and watched as Zisathass’s smile grew.

“Now then, let us see what you can do and I shall show you what I can create. Come, inspect the items in my chest and tell me what you desire to create. The time has come to make something gods shall fear!”

***

Sweat ran down his bare chest as Zisathass pounded the section of metal he held between tongs.

Over a week had passed in this place, yet Max didn’t care. Watching the lizard work was intoxicating.

Magic of a kind he couldn’t recognize exuded from the lizard's body. Zisathass had been surprised and excited to learn that Max could do something similar, merging the mana and magic from his world and elements when it was needed.

They were making more runes, crafted from a special metal that only a few supposedly could create, things that cost more than worlds, according to the maker of his artifact.

A few of the items he had collected had been laughed at, but the coin that Ockrim had given had already been melted down and turned into a rune.

“Now, pour the fire magic into it!”

Max did as he was told, watching Zisathass weave the thread of his magical energy, intertwining theirs as the metal was shaped and formed.

“Good! Good! Almost, keep it steady! See what I am doing. You could do this in time. Embue the metal first, then form the rune. Much easier this way.”

Zisathass laughed, excited at the opportunity to share and work together, teaching Max things he hadn’t even considered.

***

Breathing was difficult, the vast pool of his mana almost dry as Max gave everything he had been instructed to give.

On the other side of the crystal table Zisathass had summoned, the lizard looked ready to pass out.

“Almost… just a little more… one last thing.”

Max nodded as he felt the pain of running out of mana draw near.

You can push through. We are almost there. This… this is a weapon that even Wekime might fear.

Nodding to no one but Bob, he watched as Zisathass put the last rune into place. The tooth was almost hungry or thirsty. Gladly absorbing every bit of power he offered. Now it was just as happy to take the runes and the magic they possessed. Each one had been absorbed, sinking into the pearly white weapon, something far beyond what Max had ever imagined.

A small hammer tapping the rune into place was like thunder. Every tap felt like a storm was contained in this tiny room, power reverberating through their very being.

“One more, you do it!”

Blinking, Max saw Zisathass holding the hammer out.

“What?”

“Hurry… I cannot… hold on much longer.”

Max took the hammer and saw the spot where a single talon tapped.

“Here… now.”

The strike didn’t have to be hard. It just needed to happen.

Like a lover gently brushing the cheek of the one sleeping next to them, the weird stone hammer tapped the last metal rune and a shockwave of power blew his hand back.

[ Crafting Complete ]

[ Artifact Crafted ]

[ Error - Entity does not possess skill for Crafting Artifacts ]

[ Presence Detected ]

[ Zisathass - Entity possesses Artifact Crafting Skill ]

[ Determining Power ]

[ … ]

[ … ]

Max waited, still panting, eyes locked upon the display before him.

[ Power infused from Zisathass Calculated ]

[ Power infused from Max Hoste Calculated ]

[ Artifact Power Level Determined ]

[ Error - Power Exceeds Approved Limits ]

[ System Request In Process ]

“What… what is that?” Max asked.

“I’m not sure,” Zisathass replied. “I never made anything that–”

[ System Approval Granted ]

[ New Tier Created ]

[ Error - Power Level Deemed to Great for User ]

[ Setting Limits ]

[ System Override ]

[ Unlocking System Created ]

[ Tiers of Power Created ]

[ New Artifact Tier Adjusted ]

[ Artifact Level Finalized ]

[ Congratulations - Artifact Created Starts at Paragon Tier - Potential Evolutions - 3 ]

[ System Detection - Hidden ]

Zisathass began to speak in a language that Max understood and immediately knew the lizard was cursing.

“Is that good?” Max asked as he stared at the weapon on the table.

“Good? GOOD?! Gods will kill for this! If they ever learn of the power it possesses. What this can do… what this can become… I’m surprised they allowed it even to be made.”

“Who allowed it to be made? The system?”

“The archons, they are–” Zisathass choked, unable to speak for a moment, gasping for air. “You’re not aware of… I cannot speak anymore. The system will not allow me.”

“Still, why would they allow it? What purpose does that serve?”

Zisathass slowly shook his head.

“I cannot answer. Rules. Rules bind us all. But for this to be allowed… someone may have bent a rule.”

Max reached out, putting his hand on the shaft of the weapon he had just helped create.

“So… ready to find out its stats?” Zisathass asked.

Laughing, Max nodded.

‎