Chapter 30

Tom’s body screamed at him. He was not sure the centaur, that he had killed, had actively attacked him at any point. It might have. Tom couldn’t tell. All that he knew was that the majority of his wounds were caused by being put in the grinder between a multi-tonne, armoured, rank thirteen monstrosity and an enhanced stone floor with absolutely zero give.

He was through the exit portal now, and he had to pray that the area was safe.

With a wet wheeze, Tom forced his one partially working eye open for no other reason than that if he fell asleep, he was dead.

Healing Tranquillity showed almost all of him needing attention, but some bits were more critical than the others.

Circulatory system first.

He cut off the external bleeding. Then the internal stuff. He reduced the swelling in the brain, fast. That cleared up his thinking — and then he suffered. After every step, he needed to wait for sufficient mana to regenerate, and he didn’t dare spare resources toward pain management. In this situation, it was fundamental to be stingy with mana. Unless the pain interfered with reasoning, it remained unmodified. And Tom was way past the point that non-magical physical nerves randomly firing would stop him from thinking.

Eighteen mana ticked in, and he stitched, fused, grew, and inflated his crushed and torn liver.

As he worked, he tried to resolve what had happened. His desperate gamble had succeeded. The centaur, briefly paralysed, had charged over him. His sword set up to gut him must have landed a lethal blow, and then the heavy creature had crashed into him. After that, he could imagine it well enough. The two of them had rolled until they came to a standstill. His rank six vitality acted as a cushion for the monster’s rank fourteen, and that very squishiness created a cascade of broken bones, torn internals and damaged organs.

That type of scenario would explain the large stretches of extreme carpet burn that were afflicting him, besides everything else. Then there were various puncture wounds. Most likely his attack had not been instantly lethal, and the warrior had stabbed him a few times.

Ultimately, Tom didn’t know what had happened. All that mattered was that he had survived and had to piece himself together.

His eyes worked, and his neck. Cautiously, he looked around. He was in a sterile-looking room with four pedestals from what he could see. No attendants and no floating text to tell him what he needed to know.

It didn’t matter.

He was alive, and ultimately that was all that mattered. Twelve victories, all of them against sapients of a far higher rank than him, plus the challenger boost bonuses.

It would be a windfall.

One he couldn’t share with others.

The bones in his leg snapped back into place.

Tom panted, but with a groan, he rolled over to the base of the closet pillar. There were still a series of fractures to be healed, but he had recovered enough to move, and curiosity filled him. Fingers scrambled on the elaborate swirls on the pedestal, and having found a hold, he pulled himself up.

Crack.

He collapsed as his leg gave way.

“Fuck.”

He lay there and massaged the leg that had failed. One fracture had become a break.

“Congratulations on your victory.”

Tom knew that voice.

“Dux, why are you here?”

“To help.” The usual irreverent amusement was in her tone. “Now that you’ve proven you will survive, a guide for the next stretch was made possible. Payment for some irregularities.” She finished with a hard note in her voice.

Tom groaned and decided not to pursue the irregularities. Her tone told him it would be futile; and honestly, anything at the GOD’s level was so far beyond his paygrade it was not worth worrying about. “Give me a few minutes to fully heal.”

“There is no need. You have passed the threshold.”

All the aches and pains that had been assaulting him abruptly vanished, and even his armour, as terrible as it was, was reformed into the thick, uncomfortable leather from the torn shreds it had been reduced to.

Tom sprang to his feet to see Dux standing there in a conservative business suit, hands behind her back. She smiled tentatively at him.

“You couldn’t have done that earlier?”

“No, I couldn’t.”

“Bullshit.”

She laughed. “Some GODs are upset at DEUS’s choice of racial advantage. At your surviving.” She waved her hand. “That annoyed them. They enforced some rules that would usually have been waived.”

“I thought I had proven I was going to survive ten minutes ago.”

She shrugged. “Not my place to say, but the restriction was you had to stand before I could do anything.”

“That attempt broke my leg. I wouldn’t have been able to get back up for another minute, so why?”

“There was nothing about you needing to stay standing.”

“What a stupid restriction.”

Dux’s opinion was loud in her silence.

“It’s almost like they wanted me to suffer. Some might say that’s petty.”

“Don’t cross the line,” Dux reprimanded mildly though she sounded bored.

“I didn’t say they were petty, just that some might say it.”

“Still, some lines are not worth approaching, given the consequences of crossing them. DEUS doesn’t care about blasphemy from humans. She was harsh in the tutorial because, as you experienced, others can enforce rules.”

“That bad?”

She shrugged. “It only takes one. Anyway, first, congratulations are in order. That was impressive.”

“It felt like I cheated.”

“You used the resources you had available intelligently. Even with the Fate expenditure, there were dozens of decisions that if you hadn’t made, you would be dead.”

Those words caused his heart to beat faster. There was so much at stake linked to his survival. The way Dux phrased things didn’t sound like he was dancing near the cliff edge. It more sounded like he had pranced carelessly on a tightrope above a hundred metre drop onto a spear trap. “I should have left earlier.”

“Yes.” Dux said without hesitation. “Now for the important stuff.”

Tom took an opportunity to look at what was spread out in front of him. There were four pedestals, each with three objects on it and a brief card explaining what they were.

“These are all curated rewards. If you don’t find these suitable, you can search the catalogue, but I strongly discourage that.”

“How does it work? Do I get to pick one, two, or three objects?”

Dux laughed. Tom remembered how, for a depressingly long time, hearing that laugh had let him maintain a touch on his sanity. “You have three points and each item costs one, two or three points.”

“That seems unnecessarily complicated.”

Dux shook her head. “If you give prices, then people get fixated on spending the exact number of points they’ve acquired. They end up with suboptimal peak items and useless knick-knacks. If you go another way and say you can buy a single item, then they get the most expensive almost every time, missing cheaper objects that would serve them better. This is the solution.” She saw his uncertain expression. “Trust me, it’s been extensively tested, and this is how DEUS wants the items displayed to you.”

Tom nodded. Dux invoking DEUS had a certain finality to it. He studied the pillar he was standing next to.

The gold engraved text was labelled with the word ‘Community.’

Dux cleared her throat. “That summarises the reward category. Four types have been deemed appropriate for inclusion. Personal, Personal Future, Community and Humanity.”

Tom’s eyes dropped to the items on the pedestal in front of him.

• Treasure Compass (Tier 4) - 1 Contribution Token
• Barrier Shield Plates (Tier 4) - 1 Contribution Token
• Spatial Shelter - basic (Tier 5) - 2 Contribution Tokens
• Permanent Trial - Rank 18 - 3 Contribution Tokens

“Tier 4?”

“You got awarded credit for the equivalent of killing ninety-six sapients in a row with an average of almost twice your rank.”

“I can get three tier 4 rewards?”

Dux said nothing, but even before looking at what else was offered he knew that was the case. His eyes lingered on that final reward. He couldn’t comprehend its value. If humanity had a city… Or if he could sell it to another race… The value it would generate was immense. A permanent trial could become a national treasure especially a low, medium ranked one like that.

Permanent Trial - Rank 18 - 3 Contribution Token

This token can create a permanent monster trial up to the rank 18 level. The creator can specify the monster theme and the number of participants in each run.

This token is unstable and must be used within three days of receiving it.

Tom frowned at that last line. Then mentally moved on. The restriction made sense. They were only being offered this because they did not have a city available to use it in or sell it to. They were in the middle of nowhere, and the value of a trial away from infrastructure was lowered dramatically.

He felt a haunting note of melancholy. If he had gotten this reward later. If…

Tom dismissed the option from his mind. Its value was too limited in their current circumstances, which is why he got offered it. If he was in a city or even close to civilisation, it would not have been available.

Quietly, he moved among each of the other remaining pillars, deep in thought. He deliberately only read the high-level description to get a feel for what was available.

He could consider the specifics and juggle the options once he had seen everything.

Personal

• Experience Stone (128,000) - 1 Contribution Token
• Leather Armour of Fate - (Tier 5) - 2 Contribution Tokens
• Fate Touched. (Gains 1 Fate per level.) - 3 Contribution Tokens

Despite his promise to absorb the information before leaping into fantasies, his heart beat faster.

These rewards were ridiculous.

Future

• Ward Stone - (Tier 4) - 1 Contribution Token
• Party Communication Rings (set of 8) (Tier 4) - 2 Contribution Tokens
• Fate spike. (Tier 6) - 3 Contribution Tokens

His eyes flipped over the first two options. Not dismissing them, but coming close. They were small party defence and communication artefacts. The last object intrigued him because of its tier.

Humanity

• Fate Leakage Boost - 3 Contribution Tokens
• Crafting Blood Line Boost - 3 Contribution Tokens
• Level 128 Fate Bonus - 3 Contribution Points

Tom froze.

The moment Dux had explained the system he had known this would not be easy, but he had never imagined that it would be this difficult either.

“These humanity bonuses, are they permanent?” he asked, his voice choking.

“Two of them. The second one is limited to the competition.” Dux informed him quietly.

Tom focused on the first presented option.

Fate Leakage Boost - 3 Contribution Tokens

All races, when their pools are full, will leak a small percentage of Fate ,which is dedicated to getting good fortune for themselves and their species. This boost increases the potency of the leaked Fate by 1 percent permanently.

Tom wished the entire Humanity category had not been presented. He remembered those personal bonuses but this… It was forever, and a small amount multiplied by billions became a big number.

“Fuck.” He pinched the bridge of his nose. “FUCK!” Tom crouched and hit the floor hard enough to make his hands sting. It was too much, too valuable to ignore, but it meant despite almost dying numerous times he would walk away with nothing for himself.

Nothing personally at least. “Shit, fuck. DAMN IT!” He punctuated each word by hitting the ground. Then he started hysterically laughing for a moment till he brought himself under control.

What a thing to get furious at.

Dux thankfully remained silent. Which was good because he knew exactly how ridiculous he was being.

Choice was good.

He stood absently healing his broken knuckles. “These are the most powerful.” It wasn’t a question, so she did not answer. “How could I justify buying anything else?”

“Because your focus needs to be on doing the best in the competition.”

Tom snorted. It was valuable advice. “Are you even allowed to say that?”

“If I wasn’t you wouldn’t have heard anything. As I said earlier, there were discrepancies that gave me the opportunity to be here and to speak my mind to a limited percent.”

“Point.”

Absently, he checked the two other purchases in the Humanity category.

Crafting Bloodline Boost - 3 Contribution Tokens

Adds a crafting bonus of 5% quality improvement for every tier after three to the human bloodline for the extent of the competition…

Tom instantly saw why it was only available for the competition races. Unlike Fate Leakage Boost, this benefit would be valuable on an individual level. A five percent improvement in the quality of everything you created was huge. The boost itself was only as strong as it was because of its limitations. . It only applied to crafters who improved their bloodlines. Though with that sort of bonus, he imagined that most crafters would prioritise improving their blood line.

Level 128 Fate Boost - 3 Contribution Points

Grants every human to reach level one hundred and twenty-eight an extra point of fate.

Tom was not so impressed with this option. There were a million people in the competition, and he was only guessing, but he suspected that only fifty thousand would reach a level that high during the competition, and probably not early on. At that point, they would have had over a hundred levels to distribute points to fate. Another way of viewing this boost was that it was increasing the fate pool of humanity’s elite by one to two percent. Phrased in those terms, it was not material, even if it was fifty thousand fate attribute points to humanity.

There was something that felt off to Tom about giving a small benefit to the elite. The first option, Fate Leakage Boost, felt stronger and would apply immediately when the eight billion human population came to Existentia. That was when, unless they did brilliantly in the competition, humanity would require the most help, and this boost would be strongest then.

Tom had pretty much made a decision, but he needed more information before finalising it. “Can you tell me how Fate Leakage Boost works?” He asked Dux. “Like with my fate pool. If I left it full, does that mean I would contribute one fate per day to humanity, or one hundred?”

“I can’t answer that.”

Small numbers added up to a lot, Tom reminded himself of that, but ultimately his focus had to be on the competition.

Dux cleared her throat. “I’ve been authorised to release extra information to you.”

Something in her tone made him turn to look at her. She did not appear at all happy. “What is it?”

“Those species-level rewards mostly only exist during the competition.” She smiled.

“That was what you were allowed to say?”

“Yes. Naturally, since I said that I can expand on a small amount of theory. Their value really depends on the compounding that occurs. Over the life of the competition, only two themes can be chosen. So if, as a race, you always boosted your species, then you get compounding benefits.”

Tom considered that. “If enough people chipped in, you can get like a hundred fate at level one and twenty-eight?”

“Exactly, but the mechanism is more relevant to Fate Leakage Boost. If seventy people chose that reward, then humanity’s passive fate is doubled. Increase that number to one hundred and ten, then it’s tripled, and so on.”

“Every extra person who chooses it gets a bigger effect because the base is larger.” Tom summarised.

“Exactly,” Dux agreed. “As Einstein said, ‘Compound interest is the eighth wonder of the world. He who understands it, earns it; he who doesn’t, pays it.’”

“So, if everyone who got this far selected Fate Leakage Boost, then humans could become a powerhouse; but if only a couple do it, then, while not wasted, it’s not as powerful.”

“Exactly.”

“And you were allowed to share this with me?” Tom remembered her annoyed look when she said that.

Dux scowled once more. “I was allowed to share that these boosts are mostly only during the competition.”

She had made her position perfectly clear.

“Guess I can remove that from the list.”

Dux smiled. “I’m sure you’ll make the right choice.”

Tom did not share that certainty, but he would try his best. His feet took him back to the personal awards. The experience boost was fifteen immediate levels, but in a year or two, that much experience would hopefully only be a single level. Then again, power had a way of snowballing. If he took that, he would immediately jump to be amongst the highest ranked of his group. The trait likewise was a huge long-term advantage, but possibly not as powerful as everything else on offer.

Leather armour of Fate - (Tier 5) - 2 Contribution Tokens

Strong armour that greatly enhances physical resistance and possesses self-mending properties. Absorbs fate off the user when their fate pool is full, up to sixty-four fate. When in battle, this fate is automatically spent to protect the user.

Restrictions: None.

It was tier five defensive armour that anyone could wear. Then, in addition, it would outperform the more expensive fate trait for fifty levels. The tier 5 designation was important. It basically meant that while wearing it, it was doubtful whether anyone in camp would be physically capable of cutting him. Sure, Tiny whacking him would knock him off his feet, but it would just leave a bruise afterwards; and having an extra sixty fate fighting for him when he needed saving was incredibly powerful.

“So good.”

“Is it twice as good as the experience?” Dux asked.

“Yes.” he answered without hesitation.

“Because you can buy the experience three times if you wanted.”

Tom did not visibly react to that news, but his mind imagined what he could achieve right now with twenty additional levels and all the skills he was missing repurchased.

He would be a juggernaut.

Despite the clear advantages of them, his eyes turned to the other two pedestals. He had to assess them fairly. as well. Given all the rewards so far, he suspected that once he read the details of the objects, he would struggle to walk away from them, even if currently they did not appeal to him. Curiously, he checked the first of them.

Spatial Shelter - basic (Tier 5) - 2 Contribution Token

Creates a basic camouflaged shelter suitable for up to forty people. Provides protection from all creatures under rank 5 and will subtly dissuade all creatures up to rank 15 from approaching.

Is self-repairing and upgradable and requires fifteen people to channel fifty mana each in order to deploy.

That was what Tom had expected. A treasure to make the wasp problem disappear. He checked the barrier shield plates as well, but rejected them as being too situational for the type of foes they would likely face.

He checked the last item.

Treasure Compass (Tier 4) - 1 Contribution Token

An individual can use this once per day to find the nearest treasure. Compass functions for one minute at a time.

Compass allows the type of treasure to be specified.

He had been wondering why a Treasure Compass had been in the community section, but the description confirmed why. It was the sort of object that with a crowd to charge was priceless, but to a small group the energy would probably run out before it pinpointed the location of the treasure that they were seeking.

He knew he had to make a choice soon, but there was the last pedestal to look at. The future category.

The ward stone, while nice, was not as good as the Treasure Compass even if the compass, in Tom’s opinion, was used by a small group, so he ignored it. The communication rings were similarly uninspired. They gave a party chat with a range of a couple of kilometres. They would be useful for coordinating a small team, but there were other Spells and Skills that could achieve the same outcome.

Tom’s eyes focused on the last of the offered items.

Fate spike. (Tier 6) - 3 Contribution Tokens

Can be used once every fourteen hours to destroy the fate of an individual and their link to communal fate protection. Line of sight is required for use.

Becomes soul bound on use.

He was not stupid. This had been tailored for him. When he tried to execute the overly complicated plan, he had hashed out, over thousands of questions, that an object like this would be critical.

Versions that stripped communal fate protection were already on his future purchase list. But this was better.

If they were hunting a pack with a lookout, then spiking that scout would work in both directions. The sentry wouldn’t be able to communicate back to their group, and the central camp likewise would fail to notice the loss as quickly that they would if community fate was in play.

Even against a single creature, this weapon would be decisive. If there was a monster a few ranks above him, then turning its fate reserves to zero would totally turn the battle. He had proven that relationship.

Tom stepped back and considered which of the rewards he was truly interested in acquiring.

He went from most expensive to least. The permanent trial and the fate trait were a straight no. Then it became a question of the humanity boosts or the Fate Spike. If he took either of those options, he couldn’t purchase anything else, and he wanted to do the best for humanity. The fate spike had power in the short and longer term, while the boost to the race would not be valuable until after the competition ended.

If he saw himself as a normal competitor trying to do his small part for his race, then he would take the boost. Practically speaking, for most people, choosing that reward would exceed all other benefits they would achieve over the rest of the competition.

He was not most people, and he was positioned for something more.

The way he was talking to himself in his head told Tom of his decision. If he was getting a single reward, then it would be the Fate Spike.

The question was whether there was a mix of lower rewards that would exceed the benefit of that single artefact. He flipped through those options again, and there was only a single combination that called to him.

The treasure compass and the fate armour.

Tom mulled the decision over in his head. His eyes kept going back to the fate spike. He couldn’t help it.

The armour was extraordinary, and the treasure compass could end up even better, but he had a plan that involved subduing enemies more powerful than him; and that fate spike made it a possibility.

There was also the question of value.

A tier six artefact’s cost was somewhere between a third of a million to one million experience, while the other combination would be lucky to get up to the lower end of the range. Tom wasn’t fooled. All three of the objects were near the top of the tier, which only made the Fate Spike more impressive.

Of course, he could get a third of a million experience straight up and ignore the physical objects, but Tom already knew he was not doing that.

He glanced curiously at Dux. The avatar gave him a measured, confident nod.

“I’ll take the Fate Spike.”

Dux smiled.

The pedestals collapsed down to a single one, and on top of it was an innocuous-looking ring. A simple silver band, it was nothing like the weapon he had been expecting. Function over form, he took the ring and slipped it over his finger. It was powerful, and the only reason he could see it was because he knew it was there. Potent camouflage protected it. No one in the camp would notice it unless he told them, and even then, they would struggle to get their head past the magic.

He had done it. He had closed the trial before its very presence had resulted in a bloodbath, and he was walking away with something that would help him save humanity.