MTLNOVEL Chapter 75: 75—Tripartite and Traits
The Grey Keep burst with activity. The servants stormed through the halls, their voices rumbling through the grey stone.
Outside the Keep, Lucen was lying in the grass, ignoring the explosion of activity inside. Many people were still in the camps some distance from Castaway. The Halo's light intensified, and Lucen realized he had been up all night.
But now he had two fewer problems—and one very ominous quest.
He sensed Selene coming before he saw her. But he still turned around; he couldn't see faces through mana sense. Her blonde hair gleamed in the morning light, a wide smile on her face.
She jumped on him, laughing. "Why are you lying down here?"
Lucen's ribs groaned, but he ignored the annoyance and answered. "Too tired to climb the stairs, and the Keep is too noisy."
"The King's Voice coming is a big deal," Selene mused. "I wonder why he's here?"
She tilted her head, a sly smile playing on her lips.
"He gave us a quest," Lucen said. "Thirty squires crossing the region to lay siege on the Red Keep."
Selene blinked, waiting for a laugh. Then she frowned.
"The Red Keep is at least a hundred leagues away," Selene said seriously, sitting up. "That's a month of travel without the horrible terrain and monsters. To siege a castle that Grand Knights couldn't bring down?"
Lucen didn't know maps well, but each word made him cringe harder. Hard wooden seats, no toilets, barely any rest stops, barely any food. This was going to be a hard three months.
"I don't know their plans," Lucen muttered, "but this was personally given to us by the King."
"They can't do this to you. You'll all die if no Knights follow you."
Knights weren't allowed to assist squires in their first quest. It was meant to test them. But first quests usually involved hunting a Stalker-ranked beast. This journey demanded they fight a couple Tyrants just to start.
Another set of footsteps made them both turn. Liam marched toward him, frowning. He glanced at Selene.
"Heaven's grace, Miss Selene. I was wondering if I could talk to Lucen—"
"Don't worry. She was the one that convinced me to break Aya out."
Liam and Selene glanced at the Keep worriedly, before glaring at him. But he wasn't too worried about anyone listening; the Devourer system warned him about things like that.
"The King's Voice took Aya," Lucen said grimly.
He explained Kedral's arrival and the quest to him. Liam went from worried to horrified.
"Aya just disappeared. I wasn't looking for one second, when I turned back, she was gone," Liam muttered. "It seems your luck strikes again. I told you, stop leaving the Keep, we'll have fewer problems by the end of the week. On a more serious note, who will Aya marry?"
"Why jump to marriage? We'd have to survive the quest first."
"Yes, this is really bad," Selene agreed, ignoring Lucen. "They are taking her choosing season from her."
Lucen wanted to say that was slightly better than death, but it looked like this was something they took very seriously. And he was thinking about something else.
"Will you guys follow me to the Red Keep?"
The sentence startled them. Selene pursed her lips. "I don't know if I can."
"We aren't wanted here anyway. I'm registering in the local Adventurer's Guild soon. When we leave this godforsaken region, we can go somewhere with a flourishing guild and make some money."
Selene looked away. "I'll think about it."
Lucen frowned, but turned to Liam for his answer. His blue eyes shone with uncertainty.
"I'll have to talk to my mom," Liam answered. "But I want to go."
He couldn't hold back his wide smile, and Liam smiled back.
"L brothers on the road," Lucen joked.
Liam nodded softly. His smile turned bittersweet. "I never told you where my dad went. He crossed Horalix to try and get to the Mirrored Lakes. It's been eight years since we heard from him."
Lucen's smile fell. "You want to find him?"
"I've given up on him still being alive," Liam said. "But it would be nice if I could find any trace of him."
Lucen put his hand on Liam's shoulder, smiling. "I'm not planning to come back here for a while, so I don't mind a detour to the Mirrored Lakes."
There was an excited warmth in his chest. Yes, it would be perilous. But it would be him and Liam against whatever was out there.
He needed to become a Knight before they got to the Mirrored Lakes, so he could start training Liam.
[That's nice, but I'd prefer you to strengthen your Tripartite before you become a Knight. Mind and body are okay. But some enhancements for soul would go a long way.]
Liam and Selene were talking about the feast that was coming to welcome the King's Voice. Lucen asked for his stats.
[Your stats…
Rank: Squire
Vitality: High
Will: High
Might: High
Insight: High
Dominance: High
Discovery: 43%
Status Effects: Relaxed
Equipment: Barth's treasured spear, Magic scrolls, Peter Cross (High-rank Spirit Light), protection ring, Indigo blade]
He was high in every single stat—something he expected only Knights could achieve. What else could he grow, and what traits did the system want him to get?
[I'll create a new stat for Traits. They are passive skills that enhance your body continually:
Ironbody (High)
Mana sense (High)
Comprehension (High)
Wall climbing(Low)
Night vision(Low)]
[Mana sense is a result of your soul's enhanced sensitivity. Ironbody lets you grow more durable the older you get—but you are already far tankier than you used to be. Comprehension is High now, but I think we can get it to Heroic if you master Serpent's Call.]
[Once you temper your Tripartite and unlock your inner world, all of these traits will be significantly enhanced, and you'll be the strongest Knight the world has ever known. Of course, if you could gain more traits…]
Future power couldn't compare to the danger they were about to face. If he wasn't strong enough, the Red Keep would be his resting place. But that was tempting…
[I don't think it's a coincidence that my prediction of inescapable danger and Kedral's time limit for your quest coincide]
[If you survive the wait, no one will be able to stand in our way. We'll be unstoppable.]