Chapter 154: All, In

Chapter 154: All, In

154:

As Tom’s party cut across the throng of people crowding the Nexus City’s plaza, Tom could not help but notice the attention they were receiving. The Deathforged Remnant Armor had proven to be even more eye-catching than he’d expected, but that wasn’t all that stood out. The unconventional longsword that was sheathed at his side would make running cumbersome, atleast without it unsheathed.

Aleph’s lustrous silver hair that was dotted with strands of amethyst made her appearance stand out and coupled with her azure eyes and striking physique, her appearance was hard to forget.

Zirel was the one who stood out the least amongst their group, but his piercing alabaster white eyes and the effortless grace he carried himself with would tell a keen eye that he was no ordinary climber either.

A healing potion was strapped to all three of their waists, with extras stored safely in their inventory.

They were as ready as they could be.

Tom allowed his gaze to sweep across the plaza, hoping to avoid any needless encounters yet still finding it prudent to assess any people that could prove to be troublesome.

The first two groups of climbers seemed to be independent, groups of three and four respectively. None of them were people he’d seen before, which made sense considering that the person he’d used Maya on had been intending to accept a Nexus Quest with his party.

Tom’s keen eyesight was able to determine that none of them were wearing the Neem Guild’s pendants. As Tom had found out after using Maya on both Rowan and Lorcan, the pendants were created with a card ability and the rarity of the metal used in the forging process signified the status of the pendant holder.

If Rowan, Lorcan and the middle-aged man that had welcomed them to the Nexus City: Bulwark all wore pendants, it was more than likely that their possession was mandatory as a proof of identity.

What Tom found more interesting was the makeup of the groups. Each group seemed to have at least one archer, the four man group having two. One of them had a bow strapped to the back while the other had a small, compact crossbow strapped to his side, both clearly a step above the run of the mill artifacts.

Swordsmen seemed to be a popular vocation as well, though perhaps it would be unwise to consider them such just because one person in each of the groups had a sword strapped to their waists. For all he knew, they relied on their cards entirely for combat and had the sword as a last ditch defense weapon.

Requirement for completion: Slay five deathless sentinels as an individual or fifteen deathless sentinels as a party OR slay one Nether Shaman OR break the adaptive shielding around the Stygian Titan.

Rewards: 3 Nexus Points, 10 Uncommon Ranked Side-Fragments, 1 Uncommon Ranked Core Fragment OR Six Nexus Points and three Uncommon Cards OR Ten Nexus Points, One Rare Card, One Rare Artifact and ???

Would you like to accept this quest as an individual or party?]

Tom read the description for a second time, his lips pursed in thought. While the Nexus Quest itself, on the base level didn’t seem beyond the capabilities of their party, the valuable rewards being offered for dealing with the Nether Shamans or the Stygian Titans were a matter of concern.

He did not want to get caught in the crossfire of the Stygian Titan, but from what he’d learned about the Nexus Quest’s difficulty, three nexus points should be well within the capabilities of their group.

“So, uh, what are we thinking?” Tom asked, his own tone thoughtful as he turned to look at Aleph, who seemed a little pensive, before his gaze flickered over to Zirel.

‘Well that was a mistake,’ Tom thought, somehow having forgotten that Zirel was the one who was prepared to fight his way across kingdoms to reach the tower, the eager smile stretching across his visage saying more than words ever could.

“Finally,” He softly whispered. “A crucible where I can test myself. No politics. No games. No Nottrakon besides I. No status to protect me. This is what I’ve been searching for all this while.”

It was in that moment that Tom realized that perhaps the real reason why Zirel wished to climb the tower was because he wanted to truly, without a doubt be rid of the long shadow his father, the Nottrakon King, had cast on his entire life, a feeling of inescapable control that had been suffocating him all this while.

“Everyone is free to make their own choice,” Aleph said, her voice solemn. “But I’m not going to run from this. Not today. Not anymore.”

Tom sighed, before shaking his head and letting a small smile tug at his lips, “We get access to some advanced portal shenanigans and the first thing we agree on is to throw ourselves into the midst of some neverending war. Fuck me, I’m in,” He replied with a chortle, his hand resting on the hilt of his blade.