Chapter 28: Brothers

  The first thing I did after I rose to my feet was check Kaelstrife’s glaive in my inventory. Its name stood out immediately: Silverfang. The level requirement? 70 – a lot stronger than Nightfall.

  I glanced down at the trusty sword still in my hand. One of my worst and best memories. Nightfall had been with me for a long while, even before this bizarre predicament. I’m sure it served me even better during my 36 runs so far. Too bad I couldn’t remember them.

  Still. Progress was progress. I needed this.

  I equipped Silverfang.

  [Weapon Equipped: Silverfang. Agility Scaling: B. Strength Scaling: B]

  [Agility Increased by 20%]

  [Strength Increased by 20%]

  [Critical Hit Chance Increased by 25%]

  Wow, three buffs. Just the 20% boost to Agility alone brought me up to 30 points. It also had three unique skills.

  [Silverfang: Overlord – Enhances Silverfang’s stats and buffs by 30%. When lower than 50% HP, this effect is increased to 50%. Effect continues until victory or death. Cooldown – 30 minutes]

  Basically, a better version of Nightfall’s Bladesurge. This thing’s a monster.

  [Silverfang: Explosive Strike – Charging Silverfang and striking the ground results in an explosion, causing AOE damage around you. Cooldown – 10 seconds]

  So, that’s what he used against me in the spider pit.

  The pit made me recall that monster...The memory of Arachnid Mother sent shivers down my spine. It was something I didn’t want to encounter again anytime soon. I couldn’t believe I was actually saying this but I’m glad that the Déjà vu System would make me forget her.

  The last skill was Unyielding Charge.

  [Silverfang: Unyielding Charge – Channel energy into the glaive for 5 seconds before launching in a straight line, becoming unstoppable. Deals massive damage to enemies in its path, knocking them back. Guaranteed Critical Hit if lands. Cooldown - 5 minutes]

  Was that the charged attack Kaelstrife tried to use? Good thing I stopped him with the Spark Bomb. A guaranteed Critical Hit with massive damage? I’m glad the glaive was now mine.

  I inspected it in my hands. It looked different now – cleaner, even noble. It was nothing like it looked in Kaelstrife’s hands – a lot less…evil.

  The pole was forged from gleaming gold, the metallic surface smooth and polished. At the top, a large, straight dark-silver blade jutted out, glowing with purple energy. Different than the sickly green glow it had before.

  I gave it a few experimental spins. It felt good in my hands. Memories of training with polearms in the past resurfaced, and I felt excited to use one again after so long.

  Then, I rummaged through the second inventory to check the other two items Kaelstrife had dropped when he died.

  The glowing orb caught my attention first. It was named: The General’s Resolve. The description was cryptic as well: a fragment of the inspiration that rallied his armies to defy odds and rise victorious.

  What’s the worst that can happen?

  [Select: The General’s Resolve]

  The orb materialized in my hand, its glow intensifying until it burned brighter, blinding me. When my vision returned, the system displayed an unexpected message.

  [The General’s Resolve: You have gained 3 Skill Points]

  “What the…” I muttered, stunned. I’d never heard of items that granted stat points before. Then again, I’d also never heard of quests granting XP, or a certain peculiar Déjà vu System that rewrites the rules of reality.

  I took a deep breath. What should I level up?

  Using all three points to max out Déjà vu was tempting. The skill had been incredibly useful this run, and the thought of having the clearest recollections in future loops was promising.

  I upgraded it once.

  [Skill Upgraded: Déjà vu lvl.8]

  [Next Level: lvl.9: Increases the frequency and clarity of Déjà vu even more. The recollections become clearer and more precise]

  Satisfied, I attempted to upgrade it again, but the system had other plans.

  [Déjà vu: Cannot upgrade to lvl.9 as requirements not met]

  [Requirements: Temporal Trace Level 10]

  I groaned. So not only does this system erase my memory between each loop under the pretense of keeping me under Erebus’ radar, but it also forces me to upgrade skills I was perfectly content with.

  “Oh, fuck it…”

  [Skill Upgraded: Temporal Trace lvl.5]

  [Next Level: lvl.6: You’ll be able to see the Time Plane completely. Number of maximal marks: 10]

  The Time Plane completely? What...Again, more questions than answers…

  With those upgrades done, I turned to my Core System. Thanks to Mirror Leveling, I had three additional points to allocate.

  Putting all three into Intelligence would bring me to the next milestone. But my new weapon, Silverfang, had hybrid scaling in both Agility and Strength. Investing in those stats would unlock its potential. I was also one point away from the Strength stat’s second milestone.

  The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

  Yana – and practically everyone else – had mentioned the second Strength milestone was where the stat really started to shine. The first milestone had been underwhelming, but maybe this one would finally deliver.

  I decided to allocate two points into Intelligence, bringing it to 19, and the last point into Strength, unlocking the second milestone.

  [Strength – 2nd Milestone Reached]

  [Strength: New Skills Available]

  [Shield Breaker – Your attacks can overcome enemies’ shields for a short duration. Cooldown – 2 minutes]

  [Battle Cry – Enhance your Strength by 20% for 1 minute. Cooldown: 1 hour]

  [Fearsome Aura – Activate an intimidating aura that is able to inflict Fear on enemies who are lower leveled than you. Cooldown – 5 minutes]

  I tilted my head. It was still pretty underwhelming. Useful, but underwhelming.

  Shaking off my disappointment, I reached for the last item Kaelstrife had dropped – the crumpled note.

  Just as I was about to open it, the glowing purple light around the note pulsed, and a system message appeared.

  [Temporal Trace: Time Plane Memory #3 - Available]

  Another memory.

  Here we go.

  ***

  [Time Plane Memory #3]

  A young Karl Kaelstrife stood on the edge of a balcony, the goblet of wine in his hand barely touched. Below, the palace ground stretched out under the soft glow of moonlight.

  The noise and chatter from the grand hall behind him made his stomach turn and he sought a moment of serenity – a moment he found on this balcony.

  He adjusted the collar of his formal tunic – a deep ceremonial black adorned with golden insignias on the shoulders – and shifted his weight uncomfortably. He still felt so stiff and unnatural in it despite it being tailored specifically for him.

  “Karl! There you are!” a familiar, hearty voice called out from behind. A voice he knew too well – warm, lively, and full of strength. “You just missed it! Canderan downed an entire barrel of mead in one go. I swear, the man’s stomach is a bottomless void!”

  Kaelstrife didn’t turn around. His gaze remained fixed on the city below. “Canderan always does things like that.” He replied flatly, swirling the wine in his goblet. “It’s hardly amusing anymore.”

  There was a pause before the other man spoke. “That wasn’t even half a chuckle, my friend. What’s wrong?”

  Kaelstrife sighed, lowering the goblet and finally turning to face the speaker, who looked at him with quiet concern, his formal tunic hanging loosely over his shoulders.

  “I’m sorry, Gaelith.” Kaelstrife said, his tone softening. He straightened, offering a faint, apologetic smile. “I didn’t want to ruin the mood. It’s your night, after all.”

  “Nonsense.” Gaelith waved the apology off, stepping closer. His goblet clinked lightly against the stone railing as he set it down. “If my best friend is unhappy, I can’t be happy either. So, come on – out with it. What’s bothering you?”

  Kaelstrife sighed and turned back toward the city. “It’s nothing…Perhaps I’m just nostalgic.”

  “Nostalgic?”

  Kaelstrife nodded. “Thinking about how far we’ve come. Two street rats, barely scraping by, lifting coins and loaves of bread to survive. Then suddenly we’re caught, facing an impossible choice.” He let out a humorless chuckle. “Rot in a cell or enlist in the army. And now look at us – Brigadier General Karl Kaelstrife and you, Gaelith Alloraine.” He gestured toward his friend with a faint smile. “Tonight, we’re celebrating you - knighted by the king. Who would’ve believed it?”

  Gaelith leaned on the railing beside him, tilting his head as he took a long sip of his wine. “I would have. Always did. Those two boys had more fight in them than anyone else I knew.”

  Kaelstrife laughed, this time genuinely. “Right…That must be why you were the one pushing for us to take the jail time instead of enlisting.”

  Gaelith grinned, raising his goblet in a mock salute. “You’re not wrong. But you’re the one who talked me out of it. Dragged me into the barracks and got us through that hell together.” He glanced at his friend, his expression softening. “You turned my life around, Karl. You’ve been a better friend than I probably deserved. And I’d like to think I’ve been the same for you which is why I’m asking again – what’s really bothering you? Don’t tell me it’s nostalgia. It’s clearly not.”

  Kaelstrife tipped his head back, draining the goblet in one long gulp. He then turned to Gaelith, his shoulders relaxing slightly. “You always did read me like an open book. Alright, I’ll tell you.”

  He took a deep breath. “Ever since the day we met, we’ve been through everything together. We’ve always had each other’s backs. In my eyes, we’re not just friends – we’re like brothers.” He paused, his fingers brushing the empty goblet. “And now, for the first time since forever, we’re going our separate ways. You’ll stay here, serving the king directly as one of his knights, and I…” he trailed off, shaking his head. “I’m being sent north to continue the conquests.”

  Gaelith straightened, his expression serious. “First of all, let’s get one thing straight: we’re not like brothers – we are brothers. And nothing – not time, distance, or duty – will ever change that.” He clapped his friend on the shoulder. “Sure, things might be different from now on. We won’t be side by side every day like we’ve been for years, but what kind of a bond would we have if it broke over this?”

  Kaelstrife smiled faintly at that, but it didn’t seem genuine. He looked down at his goblet. “It’s not just that.” He suddenly said. “What really bothers me is leaving you here alone, in the capital.” He met Gaelith’s gaze. “I know you as much as you know me. You’re the most honorable man I know, but this place – “ he gestured around him, his expression tinged with disgust. “It’s the complete opposite of you. It’s a den of snakes filled with shady politics and backstabbing. They're all on the same side, and yet they're constantly scheming against each other. And I’m worried that with me away, no one will have your back, brother.”

  Gaelith nodded, his face wearing a confident grin. “I know this place is dangerous. But the way I see it, it’s not too different from the battlefields we’ve faced. The stage is different, but I’ll learn, adapt, and stay one step ahead. I’ll be fine.” His voice softened as he continued, trying to lift the mood. “And next time we gather for a celebration, it’ll be for you – becoming the General of Tepan. Mark my words.”

  Kaelstrife exhaled slowly, a small smile tugging at the corner of his lips. “I trust you. Thank you, Gaelith.” He straightened, extending a hand toward his one and only friend. “Or should I say, from this day on – Gaelith of Tepan?”

  Gaelith grinned, taking Karl’s hand before pulling him into a brotherly hug. “It’ll always be just Gaelith for you, brother.”

  [Time Plane Memory #3 – END]

  ***

  [Item Acquired: Time Plane Memory #3 – Added to Inventory #2]

  [Quest Updated: Memories From the Past]

  [Collect the 5 Time Plane Memory Fragments]

  [Current Status: 2 / 5]

  [Reward: 75,000 XP]

  I’m not sure why, but my heart ached once the memory was over. It was almost like I could feel what Kaelstrife was feeling throughout their conversation.

  So, it was the General Kaelstrife…the one who was responsible of conquering most of the northern lands that now belong to Tepan. A younger version of him - still not the General. And he was here – in this tomb. He didn’t die on the battlefield. He died here and then turned into whatever it was I had faced.

  And Gaelith…he was there too. Both of them were friends – brothers even. I felt their bond as if I was a part of it.

  Kaelstrife was right to worry, and Gaelith was backstabbed by his own king, eventually becoming what he is today – a vengeful vessel of Darkness.

  I opened the note, realizing it was a letter sent by Gaelith to Kaelstrife, written years after that conversation I had just seen.

  Reading it only made my heart twist even harder.

  Dear Karl,

  I write to you with a heavy heart, and I must begin by apologizing. I know you are entrenched in the campaign in the north, where your efforts are vital to Tepan’s continued strength. To pull your attention away from such matters feels selfish, yet I find myself with no other choice. Forgive me for burdening you, but I have no one else I can trust.

  I have been accused of treason. The king himself has charged me with conspiring against him. The words still feel foreign as I write them – falsehoods so vile that they sting my soul. I swear to you, Karl, upon my honor and the bond we share, that any accusations against me are completely false. I have no way to prove my claims, but I suspect Arcadius, the king’s cousin, is the true conspirator and the one who set our liege against me.

  Everything had happened so fast, and now the trial has been set for the next fortnight. I have pleaded with the court for more time, but I was met with strong resistance. Even this letter – which I’m unsure will reach you in time, if ever – was sent through friends and allies who still believe in my innocence.

  If it is possible, I beg you to come to the trial and help me defend my name. The words and presence of the General of Tepan might be exactly what will help me turn the tide and prove my loyalty.

  If this letter does not reach you in time, then I can only thank you, Karl, for everything. For your friendship, your loyalty, your brotherhood. No matter what happens, know that I cherished the bond we shared above all else. You were the reason I became a better man despite my bloodline and upbringing, and for that I will forever be grateful.

  May the gods watch over you, wherever you may be.

  Your brother always,

  Gaelith