Saint Paul's Cathedral

[Apollymi]

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50995331211_e3f0719c74_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2kGhpjt)

A small parish town set up around an old Cathedral. It is a quiet farming village with only an Inn with a Tavern, a Market and a few small farm houses. Within the area though is a large old Cathedral with a storied history. It is said that the King of Britain, the true king would one day enter the courtyard and remove the sword from within the stone. But that story was a legend and the Cathedral itself a mere tourist attraction, but barely that. It would be more apt to say, it was a spectacle for the local tavern goers to occasionally show up and wander through the delapidated Cathedral out into its courtyard. In the middle of it, some hundreds of years old, a shining sword locked within an Anvil. No matter how hard many try to remove it, it never seems to budge even an inch. It is more like a curiosity, a town legend even. But some nights the old priests and monks who can barely keep the place running, swear they see the spirits near the sword and keep up the building as a landmark around it.

[Bloodedge]

It was a mostly silent day around Saint Paul's Cathedral. Churchgoers were scarce, but this particular building was not primarily one of worship. Many men who fancied themselves the 'strongest in the land' were nearby, some even drunk from a recent visit to the tavern. Boasts were thrown left and right. Each one who stepped into the cathedral swore by their names that it would be them to retrieve the legendary, ornate sword. Of many attempts, none were even the slightest bit successful; that sword didn't move an inch.

Ah, but this was merely an everyday occurrence around this place. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary at all, until a brand new figure appeared... through the roof of Saint Paul's Cathedral. A blonde male with emerald eyes came crashing through the ceiling, landing among the crowd. He wore the garb of a simple village boy, sporting a tattered brown tunic and trousers, as well as shoes that were mostly made of cloth. He landed with a crash, scattering all but the drunken folk who sought the glory of pulling the sword from its resting place. "Hngh!" he grunted, wondering if he'd broken his back during the landing. In fact... how did he even get here? Where was he? The last time he checked, he'd been looking for someone by playing a video game that made numerous players go missing somehow. Was this some cult of kidnappers, perchance? "Ugh... where..."

He had so many questions, but not a single rational thought about the current situation. He had to find answers from someone, but... who to ask? No way could he tell whether he'd been knocked out in his chair, or simply damaged his head during the fall. Why did he fall through a roof? Where was he before hitting said roof? Now that he thought about it, a kidnapping didn't make sense; he hadn't been bound, gagged, or anything. It even seemed no one truly cared about his crash landing; he was just another poor, unfortunate boy probably playing around on the church's roof well past the age at which he should be hard at work. None would offer him any assistance. . . What a shame. "On my own then, huh? Well... she must be here too─"

[Apollymi]

Another day, another group of males... trying their hand at removing the sword from the stone. "Tsk..." a sound like a gentle inhale of annoying breath took place. In the back of this church a young woman sat, just out of sight. Her hood up, she seemed to be unamused by the goings on. She'd seen this sight before. Time and time again, day in and day out, for a number of human lifetimes. Everyday, she came to this church anytime there was a large gathering of males, and every day, no one managed to pull the sword from the stone. It was almost as if no one was ever going to show up. 'Gambare yo!' she thought, in an absent sort of way, magenta eyes coming to a close. There was nothing to see here, nothing of interest ever happened here. She'd just close her eyes and pretend to nap, until the rabble left...

Ah, but the moment one got used to droll normalcy of village life, that was the moment at which it changed. A boy, young, blonde and green eyed fell through the roof of Saint Paul's Cathedral. She'd been here for quite a while and she'd never seen anything like this happen before. He looked like every other farm boy from the nearby parish, aside from having a marginally cleaner appearance, but still... it was a point of interest. People fell all the time so the towns people had no interest, but this lass in the back, with her hood up and a tuft of white hair sticking out seemed to be at least subtly interested. Perhaps she'd watch for a while longer, and see if this lad was indeed the one she was waiting for. He didn't look like much right now, but then again, in stories like these, they never did.

[Bloodedge]

The young man was left to recover by himself for several minutes, but he eventually managed to pull himself up. Luckily, he hadn't broken anything. Now then, perhaps he could gain the assistance of someone in the vicinity. "Excuse me," he said timidly to a strange woman, reaching out to tap her shoulder for attention. Little did he know, these people were not exactly accepting of strangers. The woman jerked away from him, even pushing him as she sneered. "Bugger off, farm boy! Go find you's some work!" she yelled. When pushed off, he stumbled back... toward an anvil with a fancy sword of some sort in it.

He stumble into a rather muscular man, bouncing off his hulking body before being grabbed by the tunic. "Woah woah!" he yelped. "What's the matter, kid? Some scrawny cunt like you think you deserve a go at being King? Go on, then! If you can pull it out, I'll forgive ya' being rude. If not... I'm gonna make you my manservant!" said the older, clearly stronger male. Hearing these words, the blonde thought something was... quite strange. He looked around. This place was... a church? There was a sword in an anvil, and people trying to pull it... and it was somehow related to being King?

... Impossible.

This entire scenario was what he expected to walk into during his gaming experience. His character had even been named Arthur Pendragon, after the old legends─ mostly due to knowing how one of his sisters approached the game. Was this some strange bug, in which his consciousness had somehow been sucked into the game? Well, if it was... there was only one thing to do. "Oh. Well, if I'm right, and I think I am... This is my sword." There was a sudden, strange amount of confidence in the young man now. His current oppressor and the other onlookers seemed to take exception to what he'd said, though. Who did this measly farm boy think he was? Even those with royalty in their blood couldn't make that holy blade budge from its resting place; there was no chance of some commoner doing it without incredible strength. Nevertheless, the mighty male who could easily throw this lad around stepped aside, arrogantly gesturing toward the legendary sword. "Oho! We've got a cocky, scrawny little shit today boys! Go on; give 'im room! He's gonna show us all up!"

[Apollymi]

'Hm, he doesn't know that people around here aren't that friendly, he might actually be him...' thought the young woman who was now watching. Her hands were open propped up on her knees and she was hunched over one of the pews. Her hood was still up but there was something of an enchanted glow in her eyes, as if she was seeing something strange before her, but not truly before her. There was always a strange conversation taking place, in this case, it seemed this newcomer had managed to earn the ire of a nearby young man who thought to have his turn pulling the sword from the stone. It wasn't the first time she'd seen this young man attempt such a thing, but maybe just maybe it would be the last.

'Hm... those words belie outside knowledge...' the light in her eyes gained something of a devious glow. She was indeed excited. Gone would be this hole of a town surrounded by nothing but farm boys and old women and onward she would go, to somewhere worth looking at. A grin spread across her face in this moment as she gained some amount of knowledge about this lad and the immediate actions surrounding him. She'd not been certain if her charge was going to be the Once King or the Future King, but... it was becoming clearer by the second. With these events unfolding before her, she saw clearly within her mind's eye, all of the events surrounding the Once King, this gave her the knowledge necessary to figure out how to potentially guide the future King. Strangely, she'd never seen these visions before now. And she'd watched and waited... day in and day out, years and years of watching the saddest existences dream of nothing but pulling this sword from the stone. Several times since she'd come here she'd regretted sticking that there... but now, a light of shining hope played out in front of her, as she gained the sensational knowledge that she might have done the right thing. That she might finally be able to go have some fun, and escape this shitty land and head for the other.

[Bloodedge]

'Alright. Keep calm; think it through. Is this consciousness being put in the game? That doesn't make sense. If it did, their bodies would have been around. Ugh, kuso! Ashikaga-san might actually take my head off!' The blonde's mind was racing at several kilometers an hour. Whatever the case, he was here now... in the same world he'd been imagining himself in since trying out that cursed game. If the girl he sought was also here, then it was best he set himself up to find her, wasn't it? With that in mind, he gazed upon the hilt of the sword.

His name here was Arthur Pendragon. This character had been designed for the sole purpose of reaching this cathedral, and acquiring the holy sword held within. He doubted there was another sword that could be considered holy within these walls, so there was surely no way he wouldn't be capable of pulling it. If he was right... then it was time for a dash of fanfare, offered with a smile. "Hear me! I am Arthur Pendragon, your King! And this is..." Pausing for dramatic effect, he wrapped the fingers of his right hand around the sword's hilt. Watchers had already begun laughing at him since his speech began, but they would all be silent. Voices gone quiet were replaced with Arthur's call, as he pulled the sword with the ease one would have simply unsheathing such a weapon. In one movement, the weapon was swung upward and held overhead, allowing its bright glow to veil itself over the crowd. "EXCALIBUR!" The air itself seemed to vibrate around Arthur as locals and tourists alike, in shock, kneeled before him.

Excalibur's light receded only slightly, the bulk of it encompassing the blonde. His ragged clothes would soon be no more, as the sword itself accepted him as its wielder─ as its King, even. He soon wore garbs comprised of a blue tunic underneath shining, silver knight armor. Strangely, there was also a black and white hood attached to the back of his torso armor, though it fell back from his head as he looked up into the─ no; into his sword.

[Apollymi]

This boy had plenty of worries and sadly they would only become more over time. Well, at least sadly for him, for the white haired lass who took in the spectacle of this entire situation, life had finally gotten interesting again. She had a great understanding of what was going on now, Clairvoyance as she had it, was such a bane to her existence. It only told her information after she had contact with it, she needed to see it, in the present, to understand the path to be taken in the future. Here and now, she was able to witness the lad who was apparently Arthur Pendragon, announce himself to his naysayers. This was good, at least the lad wasn't one of those who didn't have faith in himself. But perhaps... she should knock him down a peg or two. After all, he couldn't be left to believe he'd just instantly get to be king, there was a lot of work to do between now and then. And all of it, would be a feast for the white haired young woman.

In the light show presented by his sword, the lass made her way to his side. She'd appear to him in the reflection of his sword having a bit of a chuckle at his expense. Her outfit white robes with a hood, and long black leggings etched with gold. She wore high boots and carried with her a long staff in a brilliant white color. On the sides of her head, just barely peaking out from underneath her hood, were two hair clips which looked a bit like blooming flowers. "That's one hell of an announcement, but you're a bit far off from becoming King. I'm sure you understand it's a lot more complicated here than that~" she said offering the lad a wink with those magenta eyes. "But that's fine. That's why I am here, consider me your navigator on the way to your Kingdom. First things first, you need to do good king things, knightly things... let's go~" the lass mentioned more than ready to move along. Though a bit abrasive, she'd rather get away from this area as quickly as possible. She knew the young man would have questions, but maybe, just maybe she could keep him from asking them immediately. She had hope at least.

[Bloodedge]

As the others in the vicinity knelt, there was one who stood next to Arthur. He could see this feminine figure in the reflection of Excalibur's blade, and she was markedly different when compared visually to... well, anyone else he'd seen in the area. He lowered his sword, turning to face the strange, white-haired woman directly. His face bore the slightest hint of pink when he did so, but beyond that, this woman had some very interesting things to say. One could assume she had a great deal of knowledge about this world, though she definitely wasn't some sort of tutorial... or was she?

"My navigator? I'm guessing this isn't Camelot, then. Whatever. I didn't design an NPC guide, but... maybe I should name you or something," he said in an oddly casual manner. Interestingly enough, the woman's hopes would be paying off. This was just a game in the mind of Arthur, and as the player, he was sure to be all-powerful. Even if this was some setup, he would emerge victorious. With that in mind, he gestured toward the church's exit, intending to pass through it with this apparent companion of his. "Guide away then, O Navigator! I'd like to find some people as soon as possible."

[Apollymi]

The light tint on the face of this man when he met her face was far from abnormal. For the most part this young woman was quite used to people being enamored with her almost instantly. What was more, he didn't seem to question her very much at all. This was quite good, it would make their transition quite easy. Even so, there were a couple of things that needed clearing up, a good natured laugh escaped her as she shook her head. "Definitely not Camelot. It used to be nearby but... you our Future King are taking the long way around~," she said of the lore based place known as Camelot. "And I am not an NPC or rather, it would be more legitimate to say I am not native to this place, in the same way that you aren't. My name is Merlyn," she gave herself this introduction and managed not to look anything other than amused. This lad was apparently looking for some people, she was at least, casually aware of this, mostly due to what she'd seen upon laying eyes on him. Perhaps she could allow him to ease a bit of his weary mind. She motioned for him to follow and began a conversation with them in earnest, as they began walking out of the church and into the parish at large.

"I should clarify that I know a lot of things, but not all things. Some things... are still being decided. Some haven't come to be just yet. You having all of this knowledge isn't good but this place probably isn't what you think it is. Who are you looking for?" she asked of the lad. She had a general idea of who he was looking for, at least so far as his relatives were concerned, if only because of the fact that she knew about the other King and the Holy Knights in general. Ah, this boy was going to need a crash course in world politics and mechanics. Beyond that he would also need a few other things. Merlyn as she was called took a look at this lad with the smallest twinkle in the corner of her eye and they widened in the moment. She was quite certain she'd made his sword herself, but strangely the lad's level was quite high now, perhaps this wouldn't be quite so difficult then.

[Bloodedge]

"The long way," he repeated with a slight upward inflection. As a human, he was no stranger to taking the 'long way' as this woman put it. His sisters, especially his twin, were miles ahead of him at every turn. If he had to take the slow and steady path yet again, it was nothing new. One new thing, though, was the idea of this woman being anything but an NPC. Even more surprising was the name she gave; he knew it well. Alas, that name was associated with a very different image in the young man's mind, so of course he would view her with light confusion. "Merlin?! You're supposed to be an old man, not some pretty sorceress girl!"

In spite of the fact that the mage attached to him wasn't lore-friendly at all, he was content to hear her out. He followed along as well, noting that she spoke very... strangely. Oh well; oddities were to be expected of grand wizards and the like, so it wasn't much of an issue to just listen past the cryptic messages. Merlyn thought to ask who he was looking for. Ah, what a loaded question. There were multiple answers, in all technicality, but there was an order of importance to them. "I'm looking for... my boss, technically. Also my sisters. Oh, and whatever person is responsible for all these disappearances; I guess I could use that information too. Yeah, I think that's the order I'd like to get the answers in."

[Apollymi]

"Hai, though perspective says it depends on how you define long way~" she said happily. Strangely after seeing him, she gained extra insight into the other version of him. She knew that though he wouldn't immediately get to Camelot, he didn't have to deal with growing up in this world a second time and rising to become King in the same way as the current version of Arthur Pendragon. It seemed though this lad was familiar enough with the legends of their home world to be surprised by her appearance. His words would garner a laugh from this white haired young woman and also a gentle bit of teasing. "Ara? You think I'm pretty? Well, I am flattered and all but I don't know if you're my type~" she mused seeming to find it funny for just a moment. Her finger underneath her chin as if she was giving actual consideration to liking the lad in a more than advisory sort of way. "My name is Merlyn, with the 'y', the one you are thinking of may also exist. Maybe not yet, or maybe they already did but... this world is a bit more flexible about such things, it's best if you don't get too hung up on what you know," she said carefully. "Or do, it could be fun for you to try and figure out how your story could play out~" she said with a bit of mocking in her tone. Of course, she knew now the path he had to take, and it was a doozy, but it'd at least be interesting to watch.

Moving right along she received an answer to her question which wasn't at all what she assumed it would be. Still, she'd answer his questions in reverse order to help him out a bit, also with a bit of teasing. "Ah, mostly brawn then. There is no specific person who brings people over. It's... the world. It chooses and you end up here, at some point in your story and you live the life it set for you. Or rather that you chose for yourself. As for your sisters, I will confirm that you will see them on your journey. And they are as safe as they can be in this world..." she mentioned. About his boss though there was mystery, mostly because she had no idea who such a person could be. "That last one is a bit harder, I don't know who your boss is. I haven't seen that person..." she said softly. Still there was a curiosity and now that she'd answered his questions to the best of her abilities she was going to get her own answered as well. "So, why your boss first? Like what kind of person looks for their employer before their siblings? What do you do? Or rather what does your boss do that you assume you'll find them here?!" she asked suddenly nothing really made sense to her. Most people who showed up in this world from the other, fully immersed into it, they wouldn't have cared about their former levels of employment nor their bosses. Then again, given this lad's words he expected his boss to be here. What kind of person's boss played video games enough to end up in this world? There were too many questions she didn't have an answer to.

[Bloodedge]

The definition of the 'long way' as a matter of perspective, was at least something worth thinking about. The way he saw it, it didn't really matter. His kingdom would come eventually, and the journey to it was something worth looking forward to─ especially if his goals were met along the way. Arthur could imagine the expression of his boss and sisters when he offered them a recreation of Camelot to live in, if this was not something they were able to come back from. As he thought about this, though, he also had to consider the fact that one of his sisters had a very similar character design to his own. In fact, they had once agreed to create twins to match their actual selves. She disappeared some time ago, so what if...

Well, that wasn't worth thinking too much about! The same could be said about the physical appeal of this Merlyn, as she insisted, though Arthur found himself a bit bashful as she pointed out his mention of her attractive features. "Honest compliment. Don't take it as me coming onto you. You seem far from my type as well," he declared. Shortly afterwards, he would be receiving incredible information. No person was involved with the disappearances of many who played Age of Eternity, but instead... the world itself? That sounded utterly ridiculous, but, so did the idea of being teleported into a video game. "This isn't just some uploaded brain thing though, is it? Bodies have gone missing, so... what? Am I supposed to believe this is all real? Like an anime or something?"

Arthur didn't need to know specifically that his sisters were safe. He knew that if there was any chance of them being together, they were together. They could each survive on their own, and just as he trusted them to survive and find one another, he trusted his ability to find them eventually. He wasn't pressed for time when it came to them, but that brought their conversation back to the matter of... his boss. "My sisters will always be fine. Just as easily as I managed to pull this sword, they can all take the world by storm if they please. As for my boss... she's the one I'm looking for, because she went missing while I wasn't looking. I come back to see this game on, and knowing my sisters also played, I decided to finally delve into it and find out what the connection in disappearances was through experience. This isn't what I expected at all, but that's fine. As long as I can make sure she's safe, maybe I can either bring her back, or make sure her dad ─ my employer ─ has nothing to worry about. Knowing we're here now though, I want to assume she's fine as well."

[Apollymi]

"Oh? Then my powers don't fully work on you. That's probably for the best~" she said seeming to find this entire situation way too amusing. It was often said that those with a certain kind of existence could easily resist the wiles of those who bore the same kind of heritage that Merlyn did. Beyond this point though, it seemed Arthur indeed wasn't all brawn, he thought through this situation enough for him to understand that it wasn't simply an out of body experience. "Sou ka, I didn't expect your type to be that much of a nerd. Yes, all of it is real... it's best to think of it that way. Not a video game one... but a different one. The mechanics of the game seem to exist by the will of the world, but..." she paused making a random hand gesture at the world at large. "Think about it like the world is being formed not just by you our new protagonist, but by every protagonist both living and dead... and every villain as well," she said to help clarify the situation, still it was left a bit vague. Vague was for the best after all, she couldn't have him too hung up on the details when he needed to do several jobs, some of which he may not find as likeable as he might think.

Moving right along, the lad explained his thinking. He claimed that his sisters could have taken this world just like he took the sword from the stone. A knowing smirk came to Merlyn's face, this lad had no idea how right he was... On the matter of his actual boss, apparently it wasn't really 'her' he worried about, but instead his employer. He wanted to guarantee the lass' supposed safety because she'd gone missing while he wasn't looking. Still it seemed quite strange to her, that he would manage to care about something like that after being transported into another world. Still, it was somewhat admirable, but that wouldn't get him anywhere without a bit of teasing. "Hm? Worried about what a girl's dad will do if you messed up on your job... Does that make you a body guard or something? I mean if you can already fight this whole thing will be a lot easier..." she said giving a little nod. "As for your boss, if she's rich enough to need a bodyguard, she likely wouldn't struggle here much at all. Considering how much stuff you can buy to make the game easier, she's likely in no real danger. If you have any idea what she played like, I might be able to help you look into that situation as well..." she offered. As his guide this was her job, of course, but she'd also enjoy meeting some new people after being stuck in this godforsaken parish for so long. Of course, getting out of this parish was no easy feat, the direction she wished to travel would mean that they had to get past a certain giant monster cat thing. If he could fight, they could do so successfully. The only thing that kept her from slaying the creature herself was the knowledge that it belonged in Arthur's legend.

[Bloodedge]

"Powers?" Arthur questioned without a second thought, but was quick to move on as if he didn't truly care. Obviously, this world had powers; Merlyn even confirmed it functioning in ways similar to the video game. He surely could have gone without being referred to as a 'nerd' of some sort, though that didn't matter much either. What mattered, was what had to be done to persist in this alternate reality of sorts. "Every hero, every villain. That's all I need to know; just point me to where I need to point this," he said, brandishing his blade with every intention of having it used relatively soon.

Merlyn's assumption about his job was pretty spot-on, in all honesty. He could be considered a bodyguard, among many other things that would classify as secondary jobs. "Bodyguard, butler, personal chef at times, chauffeur... etcetera~" he chimed. He was more than capable as a fighter in the other world, and this sword of his seemed perfectly balanced in his hand. All would be fine, at least against humanoid enemies. Anything else would be a learning experience. "I'm sure she's alright, as long as her start wasn't a horrible one. She might be rich, but she's not the type who would have spent much, if any money on the game. Assuming she's fine, she's probably filthy rich in this world already. Nothing to worry about; let's just move on and do... whatever it is you're expecting me to do."

[Apollymi]

This man seemed to catch on pretty quickly, that was probably for the best. It would have been more difficult to explain so much in such a short amount of time. After all, they were headed towards a mountain pass which seemed to be swirling with large blizzard in place. Still, Merlyn herself seemed unaffected by by the now plummeting temperatures. It would seem they were headed for a certain new place and she would continue explaining on the way, even with the lad brandishing his weapon. "Yeah yeah, well we are coming up on the place, but I have good news and bad news. The good news is, you're going to have some monster slaying adventures," she said with a happy chuckle.

She was then content to let the bad news build in the moment. Apparently, this lad was employed as a catch all. In this current world he would have been called a 'manservant' but for him to work for a girl likely made that sound a bit sketchier than it had to be. Still, he was well on his way to house-husband material if he had that many skills under his belt. "Oh? All of those things... I didn't know boys came with home skills in our world. I've apparently been missing out~" she chimed finding the entire situation to be rather funny. Of course, his speech about his supposed boss made her more curious and not less. What kind of actual girl who could, wasn't spending money in a game like this. And how did he make the assumption she was already rich again? Unless... making money was her skill... ah, she'd go asking about the branches of banks eventually and find out if such a person existed. Even if the lad claimed he wasn't worried, bad starts in this world weren't that uncommon. It was possible the girl could have fallen to her own choices, or the bad influences of any random player. Such things were as always in the back of this girl's mind.

[Bloodedge]

"Monster slaying, huh?" he questioned. Well, if he was going to get experience with the inhuman at some point, the beginning was as good a time as any. He knew how to deal with humans from his life experiences, but magic and monsters were a new matter entirely. Ah, but Merlyn said there was good news as well as bad. Strangely... she never mentioned the bad news. "If killing monsters is the good news, do I really want the bad? I'm more concerned about the fact that you're not mentioning the bad, than I probably would be by the news itself. . ."

He hardly cared what type of task was ahead, and there were few bad things he could be worried about, so long as his sisters and charge were alright in this world. As he'd only recently mentioned, he had all the skills necessary to make due, provided he also proved capable of dealing with something like monsters. Apparently, Merlyn found it strange that a male had what would be considered 'household' skills. "Everyone should be able to care for themselves, and at least one other. My family is... very focused on being capable," he stated. The closer they got to this strange blizzard ahead, the more certain differences in these two began to show. Most specifically, Merlyn seemed fine from the moment Arthur lifted his hood, all the way to the moment he was holding his own arms and exhaling clouds of breath through slightly-trembling lips.

[Apollymi]

"Yes, you... our darling Future King are a monster-slayer and righter of wrongs..." she mentioned with a happy smile. Merlyn still hadn't mentioned what the bad news was yet, but it was a doozy. In the store a large pair of eyes opened, noting every step being taken forward. A cat the size of a large castle, began to move, rustling a little as those large glowing eyes opened in the distance and began looking for a target. "Oh? A bit too clever eh? Well, the bad news is... " she paused for dramatic effect. "That creature known as Cath Palug has killed 180 warriors and knights before you..." she a bit of a grim turn on her words. "But surely you won't be 181 and send me back to waiting in that shithole of a town. Gambare~" she mentioned. Her own ability to leave in the direction she needed to go, was directly tied to the success of Arthur. As such, it was in her best interest to make sure he succeeded. "That being said you should have the necessary skills to kill most things. Just remember, your powers are unique to you. Use them as you will... they aren't buttons here... but feelings~" she explained. "Also saying them pure weeb style helps most out initially, unless your skills are passive. Then in general they will activate themselves without you having to think about it consciously. There are a few exceptions but that covers the basics!~" she concluded.

According to this lad who was apparently freezing, his family was rather focused on being capable. He apparently held the belief that one should be able to take care of at least themselves and one other. Again, how strangely admirable. "Hm, strange family. But I suppose I know a few of those..." she said softly. She took note of the lad's apparently chill and decided he did need at least one thing before she allowed him into this battle. "You look a little chilly that can't be good..." she mentioned, and within her hand before him bloomed a lotus flower. It wasn't really a flower but it was an magical enchantment, meant to help his body resist the extreme cold. Which it would need a while they fought here and moved forward. "If you apply this to your armor, you'll not freeze to death out here~" she mentioned. "I'd do it quickly though... that little beasty is awake now~" she said. As if on cue a huge step was taken and it shook the ground around it, even through the now piling snow which should have muffled it a bit. A large white and gold cat with golden eyes and a lion like-mane stood before lowering its shoulders as if it intended to run or pounce. It left itself in full view, it had no fear and beyond that looked amused like a cat finding a new toy.

[Bloodedge]

"Fair enough. I'll just add it to my resume, I guess," the male quipped. Merlyn went on to tell him the 'bad' news, which wasn't too bad at all in Arthur's mind. Cath Palug was a name he recognized, and though this world was real, so was his sword. It had great power─ he could feel it feeding into his arm as he held the weapon. If King Arthur of legend could get the job done, so could he. "I think I've got the feelings part covered. This Excalibur has made me feel pretty good since I first touched it."

180 was, of course, a frightening number to overcome. What were those warriors, though? In a town like this, he could only imagine at least some of them entered combat with the beast, having less than a single day of proper training to do battle against anything. Arthur had an edge over at least some of them, and the legendary Excalibur was yet another bonus. Onward he went, feeling the vibration of some beast's movement even through his armored feet. Snow and ice fell in clumps from nearby trees; this was something massive indeed. With the goal of victory in mind, he set his gaze forward, his trembling reducing to just the arm which held Excalibur. He wouldn't be taking the lotus offered by Merlyn just yet. "Pass. Not to be cocky or give any offense, but I doubt I'll make it anywhere if I need help like that on the first thing I do. I'd be out of a job if I let that happen, and worse yet... I'd have to deal with her."

And with that, Arthur steeled himself for combat. Inhaling through the nose and exhaling through the mouth, he stared down this hulking beast of a cat, seemingly no less prepared to pounce than it was. Even so, he made no immediate moves. He'd never been much of a proactive fighter, but due to his job, that was perfect. Just the same, he personally found it perfect in this exact moment. This new beast was something to be studied; he couldn't haphazardly assault an unknown monster of any sort, just to be swatted away and splattered against a tree several kilometers off. Patience was his approach here, just as it was in his normal life.

[Apollymi]

Fast-learner indeed, she'd make a king of him yet. It was already the case that he had an understanding of his weapon and his potential as a fighter. These were good things, perhaps this wasn't a good first trial by the markers of most, but Merlyn wasn't most. She was a navigator on the sea of destiny, she couldn't afford to pull any punches. Besides that, if she wussed out and let him take easy fights, she'd be bored to death. What was more, this lad had a bit of grit to him as well. She'd offered him a bit of reprieve which he obviously could have benefited from, but alas the lad had strange words to share with her. Apparently he couldn't accept the one caveat she would have offered, for the sake of his own pride, for not losing that job, and apparently for not having to deal with someone in particular. "Sou ka, well..." she paused taking a seat atop her staff and hovering just off the ground like a witch on a broom. "If your fingers freeze off, I'm not putting them back on~" she teased gently. She then made eye contact with the large cat creature who'd stayed watching the pair as if studying itself.

She gave a little wave and winked and then removed herself from this particular equation. After all, it was her job to guide and record, not necessarily her place to interfere. All the while this large cat creature moved its bottom backward and prepared. Much like the lad himself its entire body went completely still for quite a few seconds, and it seemed to just stare. It was obviously a clever creature, who knew who his target was and what it needed to do. It would soon pounce, closing the distance between Arthur and himself in a single bound and swipe, with claws larger than human bodies. These aimed to shred the lad in a single instance turning his own body into a ribbon of bone and meat. It was a very straight forward creature aside from the still swirling storm which they were in.

[Bloodedge]

"Noted! I'll try to keep the frostbite at bay~" said Arthur as his final words to Merlyn. Since she decided to make herself scarce, he came to the realization that he could fight without worry. Well, he was quite sure she was no cause for concern as a bystander anyway, considering how casually she guided him to fight a giant beast─ her magic likely could have decimated it in moments. Either way, there was now nothing but Arthur and the massive feline.

One hand clearly wouldn't do against this monster. Slowly, Arthur reached over to grip the hilt of Excalibur with both hands, keeping it readied at his side. There was a stillness shared between Cath Palug and Arthur, only broken by the former's movement. The slight tremble Arthur felt in his arm intensified, but it wasn't a response to the cold anymore. Now, it was anticipation, even a hint of fear. He was up against something no human should ever be able to fathom, in a world he believed should never have happened. That thing... was leaping at him, as if he were a small toy for its amusement─ one that would be shattered in the earliest stages of playtime.

Focus. If there was one thing he needed, it was focus. Somehow, Arthur found such a thing coming to him with greater ease than ever before. Strangely, he was already having a far easier time than he expected. This beast moved at incredible speed, yet it seemed capable of being followed. He would find that his own movements came with much greater ease as well, as his attempt to leap away from Cath Palug's swiping paw flung him farther than he intended to move. 'Woah!' he thought, having to right himself by extending his legs to rebound off a nearby tree. In the end, he actually managed to throw himself back over the moving paw before it finished its sweep through the air. "Alright. Hang on. Time out!" he chanted. Perhaps he should have considered earlier that he would be some amount of superhuman in this world─

[Apollymi]

A smile was all Merlyn had in reply to the lad's apparent zest. After all, this was a battle and she should merely observe, and observe she did. Strangely she watched as the giant cat launched its attack only for the lad to follow up with an evasive maneuver. It was quite interesting to see, and the lad's reaction was just as funny. A genuine laugh left Merlyn as the cat creature went about continuing to swat at the young lad after he moved. It was still a cat after all, even with its dangerous instincts a moving target was still fun to swing at. "Oi oi, you can't just ask for a break in the middle~" she laughed in response. "I might have forgotten to mention, you are pretty high up on the level scale here... so you are human still but quite a bit stronger than the average farm boy," she stated as fact. "It won't make you invincible or anything, but you can at least have a pretty reasonable battle. I'm sure with that male muscled body you'll have a pretty reasonable time swinging that sword around~" Merlyn explained. She was a guide after all, explaining to the lad what he could expect from his new existence was her responsibility.

In the meantime the large cat creature growled and as it did, icicles formed in the sky. Ah, this was a magical cat after all... and those shards would begin to sharpen over time though they hadn't fallen yet, they were obviously just as dangerous as the cats own claws.

[Bloodedge]

"Why not?!" he yelled. This moment was ridiculous by all accounts. He had abilities beyond his wildest dreams, and thus far, it was as simple as the ability to move like some insanely-powerful anime protagonist. He couldn't even take the break he wanted; he had to move again right away due to the... well, cattiness of this particular... cat. He continued jumping around, bouncing from tree to tree, back to the ground, and sometimes even off the moving paw of Cath Palug. Breathing was something he had to focus heavily on, but he seemed to be doing alright for the most part.

Ah, but there was a rather serious-looking problem approaching as well. Cath Palug was not just a cat-like monster, but a creature of magic as well. What was he to do when shards of ice were an impending onslaught against him? Well, he'd have to adjust to using Excalibur very quickly, wouldn't he? To do so, he decided to shorten his movements quite a bit. No longer would Arthur avoid the feline's paw by leaping so widely, but instead with much smaller dodges blended with outward slashes of Excalibur to test his parrying ability. He already believed this sword was strangely in sync with him, but when these efforts began, his expectations were surpassed. He was surprisingly able to clash against those claws without his arms shattering, or even too much concussive force being felt through them. If he had to draw comparisons, he would consider it a similar feeling to his fist colliding against the fist of an old gang leader during a... light altercation, so to speak. "Alright. Here kitty... nice kitty. Careful playing with the sharp things, alright? I'm not in the market for a piercing."

[Apollymi]

"Because..." Merlyn started with a soft chuckle her voice seeming to carry without strain, likely due to some sort of magic. "There is no pause function. Once a fight starts you have to see it through. Clever animals will hunt you down if you flee, or will attack the nearby villages. If you rile them up to much without finishing the job," she explained the mechanics of the world as if it were the most normal thing in the world. Just like life in their previous world, bystanders and civilians were things to consider before engaging in acts of war. Regardless though this wouldn't be a real problem. "Besides... learning in the moment is best, then we can skip all the boring exposition. That's the worst part... I don't have the patience. Entertainment, then exposition." Merlyn's claims might have made her seem as if she wasn't a good person. In truth, she was quite strange individual, she'd been stuck in this place for too long, she had no intention of letting the new source of her entertainment sully her good time, with things like questions, and timeouts. No, they needed to get to work and move long before it was a problem.

In the meantime Cath Palug was experiencing a new kind of frustration. This creature it was playing with was dodging every strike, as if that wasn't bad enough eventually the lad started to parry attacks instead of simply evading. Though it was a giant cat at its inception, it was still a beast who'd killed numerous men over the course of its life. It was a magical creation with more than reasonable intelligence, and it would trap this lad eventually. Those icicles forming in the sky, would all start turning in midair, eventually the last clash the cat drew back from would be immediately followed by a barrage of ice. This ice aimed to pierce the boy's body from head to toe, all the while the cat began to lick the wounds of his paws. It'd lost the strength test against this lad, which meant its tactics needed to change. In the meantime, Merlyn had more commentary to share, though it wasn't nearly as constructive as one might have needed. "Oi oi, nothing wrong with a piercing or 10 they give your face character. And who doesn't love accessorizing?"

[Bloodedge]

"Awesome! I always wanted to be stuck without a pause function against a massive murder kitten!" he yelled at the disembodied voice of Merlyn. Her words sat with him, though. Creatures such as this would not cease their assault, and could even go on to harm innocent bystanders. He very well couldn't be having that, so these fights were his to take, and his to finish. He may have been thrown into this battle as an active learning experience, but one would find that Arthur preferred such a thing.

Cath Palug had dealt with enough of Arthur's movement, it seemed. Those icicles were going to be used eventually; this much he knew. Clearly, eventually was more like... right now, just after Arthur managed to annoy the feline. Luckily, he'd gotten his practice swings out of the way to prepare for exactly this. Sadly, he couldn't afford to take the safe approach of wielding his sword with two hands against every shard, but he could get away with it for at least the first two. Left-to-right, right-to-left, and sometimes up or down. A veritable flurry of movements were made by the King-to-be, creating something of a lightshow with Excalibur's gleam against the magical ice he repeatedly cleaved through. In the midst of this, he kept up an exchange of words with Merlyn. "Nothing's wrong with piercings, as long as they're aesthetic! I don't think this type counts!" he shouted. Soon enough, there was an odd additional glow encompassing Excalibur's blade. Arthur wasn't entirely sure what this was, but... he did have an idea. It was a Holy Sword, and there was clearly magic to be found in spades within this world. "So, what was that you were saying about names and superpowers?"

[Apollymi]

"Yare yare, no need to yell. It isn't as if I am the one who put this here," she mentioned with a cheeky scoff. "Actually, when a Rider dies their pets are given free reign, if they weren't properly aligned they can cause problems," she explained. There was a very specific reason behind several of these beasts existence in and around the area where Camelot used to be, though she could not currently speak on it, she could see clearly a face of a woman once hailed as a goddess, now nothing more than a sorceress. But that wasn't anything that needed real thought right now.

Cath Palug continued to launch ice at the lad and lick his injured paw, only to soon enough have the lad clashing with every shard. Strangely enough the creature seemed to be watching, taking note even of how much damage the lad was capable of against the barrage. That beyond animal level of intelligence becoming obvious as it growled a sound which made the very earth tremble beneath it. As such it became to cast its ultimate magic, one which pulled from the storm around it. The winds and ice coalesced into a larger and larger crystal which glowed with blue power. Obviously having given up on the assault of a barrage the creature was determined instead to turn Arthur into a living popsicle. At the same time, Merlyn found herself chatting away casually, "Of course it still counts!" she exclaimed only to go into soft thought. "Oh? What I said... hm, that you should say the name weeb style when you're ready to attack? I was actually quite serious, if you want your attacks to have some meat to them, saying their name is important..." her words had started off teasing but were becoming deathly serious as she spoke. "A holy sword, that carries the hopes and dreams of the past, present and future, into battle. A sword, which shines with their light and shows for the briefest moments a crystallization of the idea of glory. It's majestic, pure and even it's name holds the power necessary to topple any fortress before it!~" All the while Cath Palug finally had an ice shard the size he thought it should be, and aimed to release it into Arthur's form. If nothing was done about it, it would travel into the King-to-be's body impaling him and leaving a hole the size of a basketball for him to freeze uncomfortably before he bled out. A slow and painful death while Cath Palug lapped at his blood and played with his corpse.

[Bloodedge]

"At this point, I'm not so sure it wasn't you, Merlyn!" the male replied while repeatedly switching between a single-hand grip, and using both hands to slash against icicles. Soon enough, the icicles stopped coming his way. Good; he was only going to last so long with those repetitive motions, at least before tiring and making a grave mistake. He wasn't out of danger yet though, sadly. What Cath Palug did instead, was prepare something which made the young man's bones tremble. One final icicle was being made, and its size was greater than the lump sum of earlier shards Arthur could have dealt with at once. This one had to boast a greater threat alone than everything else thus far, but...

Merlyn had more to say. He should have considered it ridiculous that shouting an attack name would empower it, but everything thus far had been ridiculous already. Merlyn was clearly invested in her own amusement, so there was always a chance of this being some sort of setup. "Can I really trust you, Merlyn?" he asked. Even with that question hanging in the air, he heard a speech which targeted Excalibur. All the while, specks of glowing light were accumulating around his weapon, appearing like star glitter seeping into the blade to share its glow. What was the name of his attack? Well, with a description like that, there were very few options. What could he name the attack of such a thing, if not... the thing itself?

"Huu~" he exhaled, blade at his side and accumulating that same light with greater rapidity. "EX─" Ah, yes. It would be a disservice to the weapon that started his journey, to the name of Excalibur, even to the name of King Arthur himself, if he even considered a different title for his attack. If only he could have known what would happen as a result of this decision. "─CALIBUR!" With one outcry, and a single swing at an upward-moving diagonal, he unleashed what could only be considered a 'slash to save the world.' Trees were swept over without even being in the slash's path, and the Ultimate Magic of Cath Palug was vaporized by a golden arc of light which threatened to move forward without end, even if through the beast itself. There was no wall or shield that could keep Excalibur at bay for long, no opposing energy that could snuff it out entirely, and apparently... no Arthur that could fathom what he'd just managed while acting like a total moron.

[Apollymi]

"Of course it wasn't me, I told you already..." Merlyn mentioned. "The actions of every protagonist and every villain affect this world... someone else conquered an evil goddess and her pets were left to their own devices waiting for her return. No good deed, goes unpunished~" Merlyn mentioned. For all they knew there would be some lasting effect to clearing out this cat here and now. Maybe it wasn't obvious, maybe opening this passage way would lead to a war they'd have to quell later. Maybe passage through this area would lead a singular person towards a goal on the other side, it wasn't for them to know. Right now they could only do what was right before them. "You can trust me to point you towards the next right thing... as best as I can interpret it. Whether you enjoy it or not is completely up to you. I'm just a navigator in your human life, pulling a few strings to keep it entertaining for me. Besides my powers don't work on you, you are one of only a few who can trust what I say, do, and how I appear~" she summarized her own intentions. They weren't good, they weren't bad, they simply were. Merlyn was a strange individual, and there was nothing she could do about it. Even so, she was busy raising a king, and much to her own personal pride, he seemed to be rising to the occasion despite her own rather lax teaching methods.

A breath exhaled. A shining light... the chant which once filled many battle fields. A smile came to Merlyn's face as she watched the glow of Excalibur for herself. In the same moment she saw the other... Queen Artoria using it as well. How cute. Her own memories and the memories of the world, converged for just a moment, and gave light to how such a sword travelled through thoughts and memories and into the hearts of those who appreciated the lore. And it lived up to the hype. Merlyn watched as Cath Palug's ultimate magic met a fate worse than death at the hands of a light which had toppled empires before. Vaporized before even cat-like reflexes could do anything about it. It's licked paw would have to meet the ground before it could dodge properly. Oh, but it wasn't to be. This cat creature couldn't possibly move fast enough to escape the blast, ice shields aimed to form but were vaporized before hand. There was nothing now... only the dying wail of the giant creature as it was felled in a single blow. This was the stuff of legend and definitely an appropriate start to the Adventures of Arthur the Future King. "Sugoi, sugoi! That was a really good one. You can claim this creature in part, or allow it to merge back with the world. Your choice~" she said as the blizzard cleared with the death of the creature, but that didn't change the temperature at all. Beyond it's form a mountain pass became clear and the forest once silent began to rustle once more with the hint of life.

[Bloodedge]

"Yes, of course. You can say that all you like, but that doesn't mean I have to believe you without second-guessing whatever you say." In spite of his claims, Arthur had little choice but to believe the woman. He had no clue what 'powers' of Merlyn's weren't working on him, but they didn't matter anyway. He had a guide that could at least function as such, whether she aimed to pull the proverbial wool over his eyes in the end or not.

The most important thing to take from this event, was the victory Arthur achieved against Cath Palug. Could that power be considered his, or simply that of the sword Excalibur? In the end, he supposed it didn't make a difference; it was his to wield, even if it was not his to produce. Arthur stood in the wake of his own attack, awestruck, mouth agape and eyes wide. That massive beast of a cat was no more. The blizzard came to an end, clearly being a product of Cath Palug's magical influence, and even the forest saw new life sprouting in the vicinity. Arthur was left with a choice between claiming the beast, or letting it meld with the world once more. Truly, it wasn't a very difficult choice at all. "Hmm. If I let it back into the world, I'm guessing it will respawn? I'd rather not risk innocents down the line because of that, so I should claim it. Now... how do I go about doing that?"

[Apollymi]

Merlyn gave a curt nod. At least she understood this lad's withdrawals about her person, it would make their interactions go smoother. Actually, if he questioned everything she said, it would make him a better leader, a healthy bit of skepticism was necessary and perhaps it would keep him from the fates that his story laid out. Or rather perhaps it would help him better deal with the things that would happen regardless of his stance on them. "Do as you like Future King, I won't lie to you, but I also don't take such things personally. It is part of my fate to go without trust in this world..." she mentioned. There wasn't any sadness in this, it was a simple understanding of what was going on here.

Moving along, the lad had slayed the giant cat, and when presented with two choices he chose one while giving his ideas about it. Merlyn gave another nod of her head. At least he was paying attention to all those lofty words she used. Never one to lie outright she explained the true consequence of releasing the creature back into the world as it was. "If you release it, it returns to its spawn point. That point is wherever it came from before it was attached to that Evil Goddess. Or it goes to hell, depending on its actions. In the case of a creature that slayed 180 Knights and Men without impunity, I am guessing it will be sent to hell," she said there wasn't concrete evidence, but since that thing didn't originally have a nature it would likely have its bad karma stacked against it. "If you claim it however, you can re-establish its nature and turn it into something else. Mystic Codes are flexible and how you claim it, will change its being." she said softly. "As for how to do so... you need to first see it. It should look like a ring of symbols floating near where its body was. Simply reaching out with the idea in mind should allow you to claim it. But be careful if you don't wish to do anything specific with it, you can just keep the ring of code itself. Or if you have the skills you can turn it into other items. Force the code line into other object or form..." she mentioned casually. "Crystals tend to do well for holding pets and spirits things that shouldn't be allowed to free roam. Or you could make it a weapon or something, it is mostly an imagination based thing..." she said wondering if the explanation would be enough for once such as Arthur. As she touched down gently on the ground she stood off to the side of the lad, her hood still up as if she had something to say. "You wouldn't need this lesson by the way, if you'd taken the code I offered you earlier.~"

[Bloodedge]

Merlyn didn't take his distrust personally. That was good; he could have faith in her ability to reason, provided there was nothing else afoot in her rebuttal. Perhaps then, he could trust her words about collecting the remnants of Cath Palug after defeating it. She claimed it would likely find itself in hell after its indiscriminate slaughter of men, but also that claiming its source would allow Arthur to repurpose the feline and create new opportunities for it instead. There was hardly a thing to do other than give it a shot. He could indeed see the 'code' of Cath Palug where it fell, but what would he do with it? Options were aplenty, after all. "So it's like the rewards after defeating a boss in the game? Sou ka," he replied.

If Arthur remembered correctly, there were various ideal uses for a code like Cath Palug's. He had no use for another weapon, and he was liable to let the code itself be forgotten by the wayside if he didn't do something with it soon. In fact, he'd probably forget any standard item made of the beast's soul. "Crystals, pets... like a Familiar? I never had one of those. Magical support would probably be nice to have in the future, so if I can acquire a crystal somewhere, I'm sure I could benefit from putting the code in there─" As he spoke, Arthur was enveloped by the Nexus' light. He became able to see the stats of his own Avatar as if a screen had been placed between his eyes, and the open world. Shock struck his face. He was level... 56? That couldn't have been right. "What kind of sorcery is this? I was only level 32! Merlyn, explain!"

[Apollymi]

It seemed Arthur had a pretty good understanding of the mechanics that Merlyn was explaining. Though he still likened them to the game, it was no more or less than she would consider normal. He even showed his ability to think about the long term life of this world, by not immediately wanting to swear the creature into hell even though he'd defeated it. He was already showing himself to be a thoughtful and earnest individual, all were good qualities for a future King. He went on to express some degree of interest in the idea of turning the creature into a pet. Merlyn could help with this, she opened her hand and created a chunk of magic crystal and began refining it on the spot. "I can make you one.... but do tell me now if you'll actually accept it. These take a bit of extra work to make, and I can't sell them here, no one else would even be able to tell what such a thing is..." she said speaking of her own ability to properly refine such a crystal. It would reach a level of refinement known as Pryoxene which was quite rare, as an element-less crystal which could be used specifically to hold spirits and familiars, or even pieces of someone's mana from their bodies, which under normal circumstances had to be purchased from high level magicians or found in rare places with exceedingly high density mana.

Ah but as Merlyn concentrated on her new task at hand, it seemed Arthur took issue with something he saw in his own status. He claimed to be higher level than he remembered so Merlyn took a look at him from the corner of her eye. She was used to checking the status of various other players and could see the readout of his in a similar manner to how he saw them now. "Oi oi, you can't go from claiming not to trust me to demanding answers~" the lass teased. True enough he was indeed level 56 instead of the mere 32 he thought he'd been. How did she explain this to him without giving away too much? Was there really much point in trying to be gentle with the information? Well...

No. The answer was no.

"Synchronization with the other Excalibur is likely why your level jumped. Time isn't so static here. So, the level at which the once King received their Excalibur is likely the one this one jumped to as the world tries to justify both storylines. Or maybe it would be better described as Convergence, both stories coming together. It will become more clear as you carry on your adventures. Sooner or later the decisions that both you and that King make will determine both your destinies. That is the most honest answer I can give." Her explanation came with the flick of her finger and a little green rhombus shaped crystal floating in front of the lad for him to use in claiming his most recent prize.

[Bloodedge]

One fact was learned about Merlyn─ specifically the fact that she could create the sort of crystal he required, according to her. If nothing else, she had not led him astray thus far, and therefore deserved some faith. "I'll take it," he said, reaching out as the source code of Cath Palug accumulated in his hand. With that, he was all but prepared to place it in this alleged crystal whenever it was offered to him. He hadn't played Age of Eternity enough to know the finer details of crafting and such, but at least Merlyn had the ability to produce something useful in moments like this.

While Merlyn worked on the crystal, she also provided an explanation to his concerns. Of course, this didn't come before she voiced her gripes about the way he sought these answers, but Arthur would only huff in response to that clause. She spoke of another Excalibur, and the 'Once' King to match his title of 'Future' King. There were few ways to interpret the details of this; Arthur chose to recall her earlier mention of the two titles, which were normally used as the singular title of King Arthur. "So instead of me being a reincarnation of King Arthur, I'm just a separate one?" he asked in partial rhetoric while carrying Cath Palug's code to the completed Pyroxene crystal. The former weaved itself into the latter, and Arthur continued speaking. "But it still works like the sword would in lore-based movies and all that. Arthur's reincarnation pulls the sword from the stone, gains the abilities of the old King Arthur, and just needs to develop the skill and resolve to meet his goals. Well, I've got plenty of skill. Here's hoping I won't have to deal with Morgana being merged with a tree for several centuries, looking to take me out and claim Excalibur before I get stronger. I hated how that movie progressed."

[Apollymi]

A clear comment about taking the crystal was all the lass needed to fully devote herself to that portion of the activity. At least his critical thinking skills seemed to be pretty good as well, he had no problem rationalizing accepting this little thing from her, and likely learning something he hadn't known before. If he'd really only been level 32 when he'd ended up here, he likely was exactly that useless little farm boy he'd appeared to be when he showed up. One hardly had any skills at that level and with out some heavy planning the builds of people around that time were typically a bit lackluster. But apparently this didn't matter. It also seemed he grasped all aspects of the details she'd given him so far, including things she hadn't recently said. "Hm... those are accurate ways to think about it. You are two separate people using the same or similar names to live different aspects of the same lore," she said. This gave away quite a few details including those about herself, not that she knew that to be completely factual yet, as she'd not yet encountered another Merlin only the idea that they might have existed based on a few things which happened to her since coming to this world. As for his mental workings and comparisons to a very specific move, Merlyn could only laugh. She was previously quite the cinephile so she had a bit to say. "Oi oi, that movie wasn't that bad. The progression was cute and gave that little Arthur something to do with his spare time. I've definitely seen worse, like all of the movies where King Arthur is just a nonchalant idiot who doesn't see the emotions of those around him and blindly trusts people until he dies~" she challenged with quite a bit of heat. Only to let it go soon after. "Regardless that jump in level will at least make it easier for you to progress from here. A few more monster kills and we should be near your next major goal. Come now the road to Zuria is clear... no need to stay in this place~" she mentioned with a fleeting mention.

Adventure Continues Here (http://www.roleplayuniverse.net/forums/showthread.php?985-Zuria-Kingdom).