Chapter Forty-Eight


    Blazing flame passed through Ambrose''s portal of hellfire and directly on top of the fire giant. Sadly, the fire didn’t appear to harm the giant much at all, his flesh unburnt. His eyes burned with annoyance, and he flung his axe at Ambrose once more, but he was already gone, stepping through a portal.


    Ambrose had won this fight. Unfortunately for this giant, he couldn’t harm the infernal paladin, not with the access he had to his icon. There was only one question, and that was how to finish this fight. He had appeared behind the giant, and Tina and his allies were easily mopping up the other giants.


    Tina’s hammer of fluff was wrecking giant after giant, her eyes flashing with mirth and satisfaction. Aleksei and his fellow dwarves were bring the giants low, finishing them off with their weapons and abilities.


    Ambrose manifested Noelle to assist, the arcane white tiger bounding forward in flashes of viridian blue lightning, striking out at the giants with sharp, gleaming claws. She tore into tendons, sent blasts of lightning, and raked fallen giants with the ferocity of a storm.


    He had a few options for how to deal with this giant, to finish the battle. He could use [Infernal Recall] to sink the giant into the earth, but a sudden thought struck him, he flicked his eyes upward, and then nodded to himself.


    With a gesture, and a surge of mana into [Hellfire Manipulation] Ambrose opened a portal of hellfire below the giant. With the second portal opening at least one-hundred and fifty feet in the air.


    No one was expecting orbital giant, and everyone present paused for a moment to see the huge giant fall like a meteor to the ground.


    The result was…interesting to say the least. The fire giant was at least high d-grade, so the fall didn’t kill him. However, it was still a massive fall, and apparently the monster didn’t have a gravity defying skill as the impact with the ground sent an explosive, thundering rumble all across the area, the ground cracking outward as if the giant had preformed a super hero landing.


    A sickening crack split the air as the giants legs crunched, twisting to an awkward angle. The giants roar was like that of lightning striking a tree. His body writhed, and even now he tried to pick himself up.


    Ambrose walked forward, and with a boot, he pushed the giant over, who growled in pain.


    He looked into the giants eyes, and activated [Retributions Gaze].


    Within the giant, his soul lit flame, and for the first time, the giant felt what it was like to burn. He thrashed, saliva foaming up from his mouth, his eyes unable to tear away from Ambrose’s gaze, his skill holding him hostage as it turned the giants soul into ashes.


    It wasn’t long before the fire giant was nothing more than an empty husk.


    Tina swore softly, having come near him to watch. Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.


    “Remind me to never tangle with you, le chevalier. You are terrifying.”


    When she finished speaking, a notification dinged within him mind.


    [You have closed Earth’s final Incursion! Those involved have gained experience, but as you were the one to defeat this Incursions leader, you have earned an increased amount. You have advanced to level 220. You are now a C-Grade Being! Note, you have a class upgrade available. You have earned one Word of Power. Make selections now?


    Y/N?]


    Ambrose dismissed the notification for now, briefly wondering what a word of power was. He turned to his allies, who appeared to be reading their own notification.


    “How interesting, I have earned insight into my icon?”


    Tina flicked her eyes to him,


    “I believe we are even, mon ami, yes?”


    Ambrose nodded,


    “Thank you for your help. All of you.”


    Aleksei nodded, flicking a hand,


    “Yah helped us, only right to return the favor, methinks.” He stroked his beard.


    After that, they looted the area, but Ambrose found nothing he cared about. He was eager to get a move on. Eric was waiting, and Ambrose didn’t want to disappoint him. He hadn’t forgotten his resolve to be more patient, and he had questions for Vivienne.


    After returning everyone via portal to their homes and wishing them well, Ambrose went to the Tree of Avalon.


    _____________


    Vivienne greeted him as she normally did, with an inclination of her head. Ambrose cocked his head at her, struck with a sudden thought.


    “Hey, Viv?”


    “Yes, sir Knight?”


    “What do you do? Surely your entire existence isn’t to just hang around and answer my questions whenever I have them.”


    Vivienne’s lips twitched.


    “As I have always done, I maintain the island, sir Knight. The limited defenses, the ones contained beneath, the protocols they go through, all of it. I also watch those on Avalon, acting as what your society referred to as a surveillance system.”


    Ambrose stroked his beard,


    “Okay, that makes sense. Anyway, as it happens, I do have questions.”


    Vivienne did smile then,


    “Of course.”


    “What are Words of Power?”


    “Words of Power are…think of them as command words for reality. Except that is not quite right, as it goes beyond language.”


    She cocked her head, putting a finger on the side of her cheek. Above, the Tree of Avalon swayed, multicolored light broke, and danced.


    “Words of Power are related to an Icon, and contained within the word are certain ways of commanding reality. This is the best explanation I can give that your mind would understand.”


    “What do you mean about it being related to my Icon?”


    “Just what I said, sir Knight. Say one’s Icon is water, Words of Power available to that Icon would have something to do with water. Drain, for example, might be a Word that one might use.”


    Ambrose frowned, trying to understand,


    “But that’s vague. Drain could mean anything.”


    “This is why will and Icon are important. The word might be used to drain a human being of all their water, or perhaps evaporate the moisture from some land.”


    Ambrose felt his mouth fall open,


    “That is…almost terrifying.”


    “Indeed. Words of Power are powerful. Having access to one at C-Grade…the System has rewarded you handsomely, sir Knight.”


    Ambrose leaned against the tree. All of the power he could gather would only help him. At this point, he didn’t think Eric had much of a chance. When he found him, and he would find him…there would be novels written about what happened to him.


    That didn’t mean he could underestimate Eric, but the last time they had met, Eric hadn’t even had access to spirit, that alone would leave him so disadvantaged, he may as well be a child.


    However, Ambrose now knew that items could give you access to spirit, such as Kellan’s staff. Idly, he kicked himself for not picking up his staff, but at the time he hadn’t been concerned about it. He had spirit, but he could have sold the staff.


    Eric could get access to a similar item, and in fact, due to what he had found in his office weeks ago, he was certain that was what Eric was going after.


    Taking a deep breath, he turned his attention to his progression.


    Time to upgrade his class.