THEOS

Luke cupped his hands to his face in frustration as a bar, ninety-nine percent of the way full appeared underneath the words, with a silhouette of a hand beside it. In blinking red letters underneath the hand was another message, it read:
Frowning in annoyance, he put his hand where it wanted him to, and concentrated. Immediately he felt a strong suction from the device, one that rapidly began to drain his mana. Pulling it out of his body effortlessly, and making Luke pull his hand away in surprise, before he lost all of it.
Looking at it consideringly, he put his hand back on the post, and with an exertion of his will, tightened the grasp he had on his mana. Forcibly lowering the hungry draw to a trickle, then stopping it entirely.
Luke eased his mental grip, and pulled up his status. Keeping a careful eye on his mana levels as did. Calibrating the hold he had on his mana, until the draw of the machine matched his natural regen, so that the level of his own mana stayed constant.
Five minutes later the clock skipped forward one second, and Luke withdrew his hand. Shaking his head in disappointment as he did so.
he opened his Status.
| Skills | Quests | Inventory
Name: Lukas King
Tier: Mortal
Mana: 112 / 3888.5
Rate: 15% per hour
Strength: 98 > 100
Agility: 92 > 95
Constitution:100 > 101
Arcana: 74 > 77
Stat Points: 104
Bloodline: Locked. Conditions not met. (1/10 000)
Charges: 7/10
He pulled out a piece of paper from his inventory and scribbled out the math. Mentally cursing his lack of calculator.
He glanced at the altar, sending the paper back to storage.
He stepped back from the altar, and watched curiously as it automatically navigated back to its main screen the moment he did.
He thought, walking back to the walkway with the treasures.
Stepping over Lens body his eyes locked onto a gold spear, rotating diagonally above a pedestal.
A greedy smile bloomed on his face.
Walking up to its pedestal, he tried to grab it, only for his hand to bounce off an invisible barrier when it was a foot away from the spear.
Stepping back for a moment, he inspected it for any obvious weaknesses. Pulling a rock out of his inventory, he chucked it at the spear from a few feet away, aiming to knock it free. It collided with the barrier midair, and bounced into the lava.
He crossed his arms and tapped his feet in thought.
He continued trying to liberate whatever treasure that caught his eye for the next few hours. Trying everything from putting the whole pedestal into his inventory, putting the barrier in his inventory, to splashing lava at it with creative use of a shield and his inventory. He even tried climbing the invisible force in case it opened up somewhere along the way.
It didnt, and he gave up eventually when one attempt saw him almost fall to a fiery death. Ultimately deciding that whatever magic the Hero had casted was not something he could get around. Not even with his advantages.
Defeated, he went back to the map, and after playing around with it even more, settled in for a wait. Taking an hour to redraw the map of the island he was planning to go to, along with its neighbors in exceptional detail. Once he was finished, he sat on the ground with his back pressed against the altar, positioning himself in such a way that he could see both Len lying on the ground, still asleep, and the pit of sand he had fallen into earlier. On the lookout in the unlikely event that someone else made their way down.
A few hours later with just thirty minutes left on the timer, a mechanized whir rang through the chamber, and a blue robe figure fell out of the ceiling and landed in the sand pit with a dull thump.
Heart racing, Luke quietly drew his sword, and hid behind the altar. Resisting the urge to curse when he saw who exactly had fallen through.
Yjarn surveyed the room, his eyes darting between the artifacts floating in the air, and the lava pouring down the walls, before settling onto Lens body.
Taking a deep breath, he steadied his breathing. Desperately looking for somewhere to hide, and failing. The large statue was the only thing big enough to hide him, and even then, Yjarn would without a doubt, come and check behind.
He shook his head. Yjarn was still an Inner Disciple, someone who had been cultivating for years. That, combined with the Empresss ban on further killing was enough for him to discard violence as an option.
Yjarn started to make his way forward. Eyeing each treasure as he passed it, pausing momentarily at the empty spots where Luke and Len had picked theirs, before reaching Len. Then kneeling down in front him, he checked his pulse before he started rifling through his pockets. Kicking aside the empty potion and pill vials.
Not finding anything of value, he nodded to the Heros statue, and walked back down the walkway. Eventually stopping in front of a pedestal with a pair of simple black leather boots. Picking one up with each hand, he inspected the footwear impassively. Tucking them between his arms, he walked to the next artifact, a golden jewel encrusted crown. Just as with Luke, when his hands were a foot away from it, they hit an invisible barrier. Looking panicked, he stared at the shoes with pain in his eyes. Realizing that he may have wasted a once in a lifetime opportunity to pick out a treasure from a Heros vault, on shoes.
Luke thought to himself, still hiding. Debating if he should try talking to the Yjarn or not.
Running back to where he found the treasure, the Inner Disciple tried to put them back.
Yjarn cursed softly under his breath, turning on his heel and walking back onto the walkway.
Luke glanced at the counter that was displaying the time.
Yjarn started walking towards him, and not seeing any way to hide, he stepped out from behind the altar.
Hey. He waved with his sword, firmly gripping a shield with his other hand.
I thought you left. Yjarn replied after a moment. His own hand finding its way to the sword at his hip. After doing what you did to him.
I didnt do anything to him, besides helping. Hes just sleeping off a poison from the turtle.
Hm. Why do you have your sword out? Were friends arent we?
No.
Very well. Why are you still here?
I wouldnt be if I could leave.
Yjarn started walking forward, drawing his own sword as he did. Letting the pair of shoes he had picked out, fall to the ground.
What are you doing with that? Luke asked, looking at the steel sword with apprehension.
You have yours, I have mine. Its only fair. He said casually, continuing walking forward. You took whatever he chose right.
No He gave it to me.
And youre going to give it to me. Both what he took, and what you did.
No. Luke lifted his sword.
You cant fight me. The distance between us is greater than you can handle.
And you cant kill me without breaking the Heros rules. Which is what youll have to do to get your hands on my things.
You really shouldnt test me like that. I dont have to kill you. Not when I can cut off your arms and your legs, and take what I want from your limbless torso. And after I do that, you can also tell me how exactly you have so much mana for someone who hadnt even started cultivating until two months ago.
Luke glanced at his blade. The orange-red light that permeated the room shining off its silver surface ominously.
Why dont you give me those shoes, and Ill forget you said that. The room will let us leave soon, and we can go our separate ways once it does.
He cocked his head to the side. What do you mean?
Theres a teleporter behind the statue. Its gathering its power, and once it finishes, we can use it to go wherever we want on the archipelago.
Will it still work if you dont have any arms and legs?
Luke took a deep breath, and lifted his sword. Choosing not to respond, as his thoughts ran wild in his head.
An amazed expression came over Yjarns face. You have some guts. Im impressed, but guts wont stop me. He grinned. I wonder how Arya would feel when she walks through here, and sees you all cut up having bled to death.
I wonder how shell feel after I take a dump on your face.
What?
Luke looked him dead in the eyes. Im not great at trash talk.