Lucas stared at Aron's fading body with no emotion on his face, the Writ's message almost broke his concentration but he didn't take his eyes away.
As the last remnants of Aron's body faded, Lucas turned to David. Lucas walked up to the boy's headless body, he felt a host of different emotions. Anger, sadness, regret, and most of all fulfilment, David was dead but Aron had died has well and that gave him a sense of fulfilment that he had gotten revenge. He walked over to where David's head had dropped and brought it back to his body.
He set his head where it should have been, it wasn't right, it would never be right.
He looked at the others, Deborah was bawling her eyes out, Clara holding her tight. Clara opened her mouth to say something but she could think of no words to console the crying girl so she said nothing.
Karl on the other hand was in a daze, his eyes moved about frantically, his hands shaking, he didn't know what to do, he didn't believe that David was actually dead.
'Pendragon huh?' Lucas asked himself, he knew the name very well. The Pendragon clam were one of the most powerful clans in the world behind the Lindenhearts, but although the Lindenhearts have them beaten in strength, the Pendragons were born rulers that is why the current king of the United Kingdom is a Pendragon. Marshall Pendragon.
Lucas sat down and then remembered, the Writ had sent him the notification, a notification that he had killed Aron, a World Eater.
[You have slain a World Eater]
[You have gained an artifact: Midnight Shroud]
Lucas half-expected this, he had expected a being on Aron's level, a World Eater's level to give him something at least.
'Midnight Shroud?'
…
Name: Midnight Shroud
Tier: V
Artifact Type: Armour
[Midnight Shroud: An armour type artifact that gives the user the ability to blend with darkness. Wherever there is darkness there is you]
Lucas stared at the description for a while not knowing what to do, all he could see was opportunity. What this means that wherever any shadow was cast or whenever it was nighttime, he would be able to blend in with the shadows and the darkness itself.
But most intriguingly, it was a tier V artifact which meant that anything below a Calamity wouldn't be able to damage it.
Then another message blared.
[Imposition Complete]
Lucas's eyes widened, he didn't expect this message now of all times. He looked at the others and saw their expressions as well, they had also received the message, all except for Clara as this was just a version of her from the past.
Deborah walked up go Karl, tears still running down her cheeks, she put her hand on his shoulder and then nodded. They both walked up to Lucas who was still sitting down close to David's body, Deborah and Karl stared at his body for a while before turning to Lucas.
"This is the end huh?" Karl said, his eyes red with grief.
"Yeah…" Lucas replied simply, he decided to keep his replies short and simple, he never liked emotional goodbyes.
There was an awkward silence that followed.
"So he's dead huh?" Deborah said, breaking the silence. She felt guilt cause she knew someone would die but she didn't know who.
"It's all my fault." Karl added on. "If he didn't get hit with my flames he would still be alive."
Lucas said nothing, he didn't feel the need to say anything, all he did was watch as the others gave their last respects and let out their regrets and grievances.
[Rankers will now be taken back]
The Writ's message appeared again, Deborah jumped on Lucas, hugging him, tears pouring down her cheeks. Lucas didn't know what to do, he just stood there with his hands akimbo as Deborah held him tightly.
"I'll never forget you." She said to him and then released him from her grasp she then turned to Karl, she stretched her hand out, Karl took it and gave her a handshake.
Their bodies were enveloped in a pillar of light, Lucas could feel his consciousness fading as he stood there. Deborah's body turned to light particles and she disappeared.
Karl looked at Lucas for a while before nodding his head, Lucas nodded back and then Karl disappeared in the same way Deborah did.
Lucas stood there, his eyes turned to David's body which was also enveloped in light, he smiled a little. At least the boy's parents would know what happened to their son and he would be able to get a proper funeral.
He turned his attention to Clara who watched in awe, she now knew who or what they were, this was basically their first time and she knew what they went through and what it meant to lose a companion.
She nodded at Lucas before turning her back to him and walking away, Lucas smiled and then closed his eyes, his First Imposition was finally complete.
[Prepare for appraisal]
Lucas opened his eyes and was greeted by an infinite black space, he had no idea where he was as he floated within the space but others who had passed their First Imposition had a theory, that they were inside the Writ. The entire space was filled with threads, each intertwining to form various nexuxes, Lucas saw them as threads of fate.
[Your Imposition is over]
The Writ's voice awoke him from his thoughts.
[You have slain a Dreadform: Ravencroft]
[You have slain a World Eater]
[You have achieved the impossible]
Lucas wasn't really concerned, he felt like these weren't necessary, all he wanted to know were if he got a title or if he got a new and improved faculty.
[You have awakened your Ruin Core]
[Core Rank:Branded]
'Wow.' Lucas thought to himself, he had almost forgotten this very common fact, everyone who finished their First Imposition gets a Ruin Core which is the same as their rank and his was the same as his current rank, Branded.
[You have received a title: Son of Death]
'A title!? I received a title!?' Lucas asked himself, he was extremely excited and basically didn't know what to do. But the title "Son of Death", looked suspicious to him, did this mean that death had chosen him as his son? Or did it mean something else?
[A new faculty has been bestowed upon you]
Lucas's eyes widened, he would finally get something good and not Cowardice which only let him run away.
[Faculty Rank: Consecrated]
'Consecrated!?' The shock on Lucas's face was one to be expected, that was basically the highest rank a human could achieve and here he was getting a faculty of that rank.
Lucas checked the Writ window that dispayed his faculty.
Faculty: [Ruinspawn]
Faculty Rank: Consecrated
Faculty Description: [Ruin will never leave you nor will you leave it]
Lucas raised an eyebrow, it was weird, it just gave him one line and that was it.
[Awakening Faculty Ability]
[Faculty Ability Acquired]
[Faculty Ability Name: Ruin Dominion]
Faculty Ability Description: [As all things are cowered in Ruin, you will have dominion over them and rule as their king]
Lucas had a devious smile on his face, an ability that let him control anything that had Ruin, that was basically the entire human population but he suspected that there would be drawbacks, he might not be able to use it on those stronger than himself or on someone like Clara who would render the ability worthless.
Without wasting much time, Lucas decided to check his Writ interface.
Name: Lucas
Title: Son of Death
Rank: Branded
Ruin Core: Branded
Core Fragments: [6/3000]
'Core fragments were that little eh?' The kills he had gotten from the Dreadform and the World Eater had given him a total of six fragments which meamt that a Dreadform was worth one while a World Eater was worth at least five or that would be the most likely scenario, Lucas shook his head, he didn't want to think about that now.
He continued reading through his interface.
Artifacts: [Raven's Wings], [Midnight Shroud]
Faculty: [Ruinspawn]
Facultu Rank: Consecrated
Faculty Ability: Ruin Dominion
'Phew that's it then.' Lucas thought but then it happened
[You have received a penalty]
'Dammit.' Lucas cursed, he knew this was common but seeing as Lady Luck was finally smiling upon him he never thought he would get a penalty.
A penalty was something given to Rankers to basically keep them in check, a flaw if you will.
Lucas checked his penalty.
[Your Penalty is: You can never lie]
"Fuck!" Lucas screamed out in pitch black darkness.
How would he be able to keep other people out of his business now, now that he couldn't lie everyone would know what he was doing and how he was doing it at all times.
'This isn't for me.'
He checked his complete Writ interface now to see everything he had.
Name: Lucas
Title: Son of Death
Rank: Branded
Ruin Core: Branded
Core Fragments: [6/3000]
Artifacts: [Raven's Wings], [Midnight Shroud]
Faculty: [Ruinspawn]
Facultu Rank: Consecrated
Faculty Ability: Ruin Dominion
Penalty: [You can never lie]
End of Arc 1: First Imposition Arc.