Mýra met his gaze and did not look away. “Magnus the master enchanter sold it to him. I had contact with him before the Emperor took over Rome. I ordered some magical things from him for various potions and devices. He had sent me a letter asking if I wanted it, but I didn’t have the money for it.”

  “Could that have been used to accelerate the growth of his children?” Livia asked.

  “Only if he had an endless amount of Glory,” Mýra said. She glanced to her right, as if hoping her tail would twitch, but her tail was not there, having sacrificed it to save Glær’s life.

  “I don’t think that’s a problem for Maximus,” Sporus said, crossing his arms. “He has virtually an unlimited amount of Glory.”

  Karl frowned. “How is that possible?”

  “Put simply,” Titus said, “he has become a god.”

  “So those myths aren’t an exaggeration?” Karl asked.

  “Not at all,” Livia said, her eyes downcast. “He was already too powerful after defeating Julius Caesar and becoming the sole Emperor of Rome, but he has grown increasingly more erratic and power hungry since Cleopatra’s death.”

  Karl remembered the serene and beautiful face of the marble statues they had seen earlier.

  “So he put his kids in a time spell to grow them from babies to teenagers?” the Trickster asked. “Wicked.”

  “I see no other solution,” Sporus said, placing his elbows on his thighs as he tried to solve the puzzle that was the Emperor.

  “Why does that matter, though, with these games?” Björn asked, sounding annoyed. “Who cares if his sons now have hair on their chests? It doesn’t change our plans.”

  Sporus sent a concerned look to Björn as he broke away from his thoughts. “You underestimate his mind,” Sporus said as he stood to his feet and began pacing around the marble fountain, where the birds fluttered away as the Trickster jumped into the little fountain and splashed around. “Maximus doesn’t do anything without reason. I can’t help but feel that Rome’s industrialization, his sons, his fascination with the rest of the world, and now this”—he pointed to the Colosseum, which they could see in the distance—“is all connected.”

  Kind of sounds like a conspiracy theory, Karl thought to Kara.

  He does hunt cults, after all, Kara thought back through their Pack Link.

  Karl suppressed a smile.

  “Well, if he knows we’re here,” Karl said, “we might as well go and do these Games. I don’t feel like facing off hordes of knights.”

  Titus nodded in agreement. “We’ll help you get signed up tomorrow. It would be wise to prepare yourselves today, repair any armor, and train so you are ready. The Games, we’ve heard, are to be the most extraordinary spectacle the world has ever seen.”

  “It’s likely to be very dangerous,” Sporus added.

  “Are you guys done talking now?”

  All of them turned to look at Justus, who was hanging out of the doorway to peek in on their conversation. Constantia sighed as she stood behind him, though she was similarly interested in learning about their new guests. Or maybe she just wanted to see Sporus, whom her eyes immediately gravitated towards.

  Before Livia could turn them away, Justus dashed forward to Karl.

  “I bet you’re the offspring of Sven!” he said, his eyes darting between Karl’s glowing antler helm and Kara’s Baldr sword, which was visible on her hip.

  “Sven?” Karl asked, his brow furrowing in confusion. “Who’s that?”

  “It’s an old friend of ours,” Titus said, chuckling as he grabbed Justus by the shoulders and brought him into his strong embrace, pinning him there as he wrestled him. “He gave his life to save us from the labyrinth. It was one of our greatest adventures with Max.”

  “There’s no way it’s a coincidence,” Justus said, his eyes alight with wonder. “What’s your last name?”

  “Karl… Svensson,” Karl stammered.

  “Called it!” Justus said, high-fiving Titus, who happily obliged.

  “Do you mind if I borrow your forge?” Kara asked as Livia and Titus stood to their feet, which prompted everyone else to follow. “There’s nothing wrong with my armor,” she said defensively, glancing down at her polished vambraces. “I just want to touch up on their durability, and the same for Karl’s.”

  All eyes turned to Karl’s Moltenveil armor, which bore glowing red lines of heat between the dark plates. The armor was a bit battered from the Templars, so it wouldn’t hurt.

  Titus responded with a giant grin. “I would be pleased to.”

  “I promise I won’t ruin it,” Kara teased as Karl stripped off his Moltenveil armor and handed it to her, leaving himself in a rather sweaty white linen tunic.

  “That’s the least of my concerns,” Karl said as he gave it to her.

  “Ooh, can I try it?” Justus said as he lunged for Karl’s Hrimnir’s Crown and placed it on his head before Karl or Kara could give consent.

  “Justus,” Livia said, but the boy was already in wonder as the helm sat too big on his head, and he looked around in awe.

  “Wow!” he exclaimed as he walked around the garden. “It feels so cold.”

  Out of the corner of his eye, Karl saw the Trickster scurrying to land right in front of Justus as the boy was walking backward. The squirrel snickered as the boy tripped over him before running away. Karl glared at the Trickster, but no one else noticed as their attention was on Justus slamming onto the ground.

  “It’ll definitely need some more repairs now,” Constantia said as she crossed her arms, looking disapprovingly at her brother and looking almost identical to her mother.

  “You can help us carry it, son,” Titus said as he helped his son up and walked with Kara back inside the house to the forge.

  Mýra also departed from them to join with Kara and Titus, leaving Björn behind. He frowned in confusion before muttering something about women.

  “Like I told you before,” Sporus said, gesturing toward Livia as they remained in the garden, “Livia is one of the best archers I know.”

  “I don’t practice it much anymore,” she said, waving him off.

  “She’s being humble,” Sporus said. “As a master archer, she can help you learn new abilities beyond what you are capable of.”

  “Like my Dual Shot ability?” Karl asked.

  Livia nodded. “Seems like you got a head start so far,” she said, before motioning with her head toward the back of the garden. “Come, let me show you.”

  She led Karl, Sporus, Björn, and Constantia toward the back, where a wooden target painted with red circles hung attached to the wall. A few arrow marks were nicked on the sides, undoubtedly not from Livia, given that she was a master. Perhaps one of her kids?

  Livia grabbed her sleek, lightweight bow that hung on the wall next to the target. It was wrapped in silver-dyed leather and seemed to have a moonlight glow to it.

  Karl noticed another bow that looked to be made out of olive tree wood, though it was smaller. When Constantia picked it up, Karl understood where the marks on the wall came from.

  “This is obviously far too easy for you,” Livia said as she glanced at the target. “But it’s a good place to test out your new abilities, should you try anything.”

  Karl withdrew an arrow from his quiver, being careful not to touch the tip, as it did 25% damage against werewolves. He nocked the arrow into his Tentacle Bow.

  “Are you any good with that thing?” Björn asked, speaking to Constantia.

  “I’m okay,” she said, grabbing her bow from the wall and drawing a common iron arrow from a nearby quiver.

  “She’s also being humble,” Sporus whispered. Constantia blushed scarlet at his compliment.

  “Why don’t you show them?” Livia asked.

  Constantia gave a slight roll of her eyes, but Karl could tell she was pleased to show off. She went to the other side of the garden as the others made way for her to fire.

  It was not more than twenty meters, but Constantia drew the arrow back perfectly, found the anchor on her lip, and fired a perfect shot, bullseyeing the center.

  “See?” Sporus said as he and the others gave a quiet clap for her.

  “Good job,” Björn said, which Constantia blushed deeper at.

  “Now,” Livia said as she turned toward Karl with her bow, “there are four paths that I know that you can increase your power in. There are far more than these, but these are just the ones I’ve picked up in my time as a slave, and then bandit, and now as a noble woman.”

  The four paths presented themselves in Karl’s System overlay, glowing bright red.

  Path of the Farseer

  Path of the Graviton

  Path of the Phantom

  Path of the Mirror

  “What do they mean?” Karl asked as he and the others observed it.

  “The Path of the Farseer is great for long distances,” Livia explained. “The first ability will allow you to see far greater than an eagle can as you aim your bow. And the next two skills beyond that will allow you to guide the arrow after it leaves the bowstring. With your mind.”

  Karl looked at the first ability from the Path of the Farseer.

  Eagle-Eye Shot

  Description: Focus your vision into a narrow, hyper-sharp channel, allowing you to zoom in on distant targets before firing.

  Effect: Grants 3× optical zoom for 3 seconds before the shot. +50% Accuracy on shots beyond 50 meters. +15% Crit Chance. Can mark the target visually (appears highlighted through obstacles for 5 seconds)

  Cost: 2 Skill Points

  Stamina: 10

  Cooldown: 8 seconds

  “So you mean I can change its path for the later abilities?” Karl asked, imagining it in his mind.

  Livia nodded. “It even allows for time to slow down for the last ability, along with other helpful effects. If you wanted the arrow to get behind enemy defenses or slip through the cracks.”

  That could be very handy, Karl thought to himself.

  “It would pair nicely with your teleportation ability,” Sporus suggested.

  “The next is the Path of the Graviton,” Livia said, grabbing a small stone from the fountain to demonstrate. “Each arrow will be affected by gravity.”

  The next ability displayed before Karl.

  Crushing Shot

  Description: Infuse the arrow with condensed gravitational runes, causing the target’s mass to spike violently on impact. The sudden increase in weight crushes their stance and slows their actions.

  Effect: Target suffers -50% Movement Speed. Target cannot jump or perform dodge-type abilities. +30% Weapon Damage on impact. -20% Attack Speed for 4 sec.

  Cost: 2 SP

  Stamina: 25

  Cooldown: 18 seconds

  “Imagine a giant stone pinning your enemy thanks to the heaviness of the arrow,” she said as she dropped the stone onto an ant crawling over a blade of grass. “The third ability will cause a gravitational vortex that will draw all your enemies toward its center and crush them under impossible weight.”

  “I like that one,” Björn said as he leaned against one of the trees.

  “The Path of the Phantom is better,” Constantia said as she stood loyally by Livia’s side.

  Another ability appeared before Karl, related to the Path of the Phantom.

  Phantom Arrow

  Description: Infuse an arrow with wraith-essence. It slips through all physical matter, ignoring shields, walls, bones, and armor. Though the body is untouched, the soul feels the wound.

  Effects: Ignores ALL physical barriers. Deals Soul Damage (same amount as normal weapon damage). Target suffers -10% Accuracy for 3 sec. Cannot be blocked or parried

  Cost: 2 SP

  Stamina: 25

  Cooldown: 20 sec

  “I’ve seen that one before,” Sporus said. His eyes looked dark, as if the memory was not a good one. “The third ability allows a single target to die instantly. It’s impossible to avoid.”

  “So it ignores all objects and kills them instantly?” Karl asked, before glancing at the other skills. “Wouldn’t that make all the other abilities unfair?”

  “It only works on things that have souls,” Livia added, as if that made it any better. “And it can only be used once per hour. And it costs half of your Health and Stamina. And… those do not recover for ten seconds.”

  “Oh,” Karl said. “That sounds dangerous.”

  It could be a very viable option. But the drawbacks were… a bit much.

  “The last one is the tree you already upgraded,” Livia said. “You’ve got the first ability down, Dualshot. After the Trifold Shot, you can unlock an ability to rain down arrows on several enemies. A very useful tool for fighting larger crowds of opponents, which you’ll likely face in the arena.”

  Trifold Shot

  Description: Fires three arrows at once.

  Effect: Fires 3 arrows. Each arrow has +10% Crit Chance due to unpredictable paths. Damage per real arrow: 50 + Bow Base Damage. Mirage Arrows (other two): each deals 30% damage. If all three connect →+75 Frost Damage and -20% Defense on target for 5 sec.

  Stamina Cost: 40

  Cooldown: 40 sec

  Cost: 4 Skill Points

  “So, what are you going to choose?” Björn asked as he kept his arms crossed and looked at Karl.

  Karl let his mind imagine the possibilities of each path as the abilities floated in his vision. Each of them was awesome in their own way. He knew he would have to be careful with his Skill Points, seeing how much harder they were to come by as he leveled up. He was immediately grateful he had saved so many leading up to Rome.

  His eyes drifted as he contemplated, watching the Trickster now chasing an actual squirrel through the trees, giggling as he ducked under branches. For what purposes the Trickster was chasing the female squirrel, Karl did not want to know. But as he watched the red metal squirrel weave in and out of the branches with rapid speed, a thought occurred to him of which ability would best complement his build.

  “I think I know which one I want,” Karl said, before activating it.

  12

  NO SCOPE SNIPER

  Karl Elf Leaped on top of the red tile roof. After getting permission from Livia, he made quick work of teleporting onto their home to test out his new ability.

  Arrow-Will Guidance

  Description: When the arrow leaves the bowstring, the user’s vision partially shifts into the arrow’s perspective, letting the user guide its path with subtle mental steering.

  Effect: User can adjust the arrow’s trajectory up to 30 degrees mid-flight. Gains arrow-perspective vision (user sees through the arrow’s eyes). +50% Crit Damage on airborne adjustments.

  Cost: 4 Skill Points

  Stamina: 25

  Cooldown: 18 seconds

  He could sense Fenrir’s morbid curiosity in his plan as he ran along the roof before leaping onto a nearby villa after shooting another arrow toward its roof.

  What is a sniper? Fenrir asked as Karl crouched on top of this much higher roof, where he could still see the little garden. It was a little over seventy meters away.

  “It’s what I’m about to become,” Karl said as he held his Tentacle Bow and drew an arrow from his Mánaskjóða Úlfarbrúðar quiver.

  He activated his Eagle Eye Shot as he aimed at the tree where the Trickster was currently pinning the female squirrel down.

  Karl shook his head in disgust, as he could now see three times closer than he ever could before. It felt just like one of those sniper rifle scopes in games like Call of Duty or Battlefield, where you can enhance the zoom or withdraw the zoom at will. Now that he could see better, he could see with perfect clarity how Björn was training rather aggressively against one of the straw dummies they had in their garden. Livia was giving pointers to Björn on his form, which only made the Viking more furious as he assured her he knew what he was doing.

  Constantia watched silently beside her mother, looking fascinated by the Viking’s brute nature. The slaves in the garden quickly departed to avoid being hit.

  It was a bit disorienting at first, as it was as if he were standing right in front of the squirrel, watching the obscene behavior right before his eyes. He was tempted to aim for a more sensitive region for the Trickster, but he relented at the last second, aiming instead for his butt. He let off a shot before the three seconds could expire, and the arrow was blessed with 50% accuracy since it was beyond fifty meters. The ice arrow scented with cumin whistled through the air and struck the Trickster in the rear.

  Karl’s vision resumed back to normal, but he could hear the Trickster’s cursing from all the way over there. “That’s going to come in very handy,” Karl said.

  As he stood upon the stranger’s house, he pulled up the next skill that he could acquire that Livia had shown him once he purchased the Path of the Farseer. He was only one Skill Point away, and that ability would be a game-changer. It would be like sending a drone, which would be highly effective if he combined it with a poison or some other ability.

  But what would be even more helpful would be how it complemented his Elf Leap ability.

  Seeing as it required a line of sight, it couldn’t be a random guess to increase his teleportation skill. Now he had to shoot beyond 210 meters to continue leveling up. Being able to hit a perfect line of sight every time would mean he could technically max out his Elf Leap as soon as he got the ability. Then he could teleport seamlessly every second and not have to wait for any cooldown, even though twenty seconds was vastly faster compared to the minute he had to endure when he first came to Midgard. Twenty seconds could do a lot in a battle, as every second was precious.