Skill Hunter -Kill Monsters, Acquire Skills, Ascend to the Highest Rank!

The third castle, like the second, was still rising when he arrived. He gazed up at it, hands on his hips. Was it Rufus, or was it Vi? Either way, he had to be on his guard. Compared to Scar, he trusted them far less, and likewise, they trusted him less. They might attack as soon as see him. He didn't expect negotiations to go as easily as they did with Scar. No, rather, he didn't expect negotiations to go well at all. But it was nonetheless worth trying. Even if they said no, they might reconsider after the first wave of enemies.

Well, Vi might. I'd be startled if Rufus does. He's far too haughty and convinced of his own strength to have that kind of self-reflection, in my opinion. But who knows? I'd take a pleasant surprise any day.

The castle settled into place. He lifted his hand and knocked politely. There was a pause, and then a buzz of mana pinged against the outer reaches of his senses.

Ike instinctively jumped back. A short blade pierced into the ground where he'd been. Mana poured out of it, green and sickly mana that sunk into the earth and killed all the plants in a ten foot radius.

"I'm not here to fight. I'm here to negotiate!" Ike shouted, standing at a distance. He watched the battlements, wary for a second attack.

A face appeared overhead. Not Vi, but a masked face nonetheless, a man in the same uniform as Vi's men wore. "Leave."

Ike shrugged. Guess that tells me where Vi stands. "Tell Vi that we're better off cooperating in this trial. There's waves of monsters, and if she joins forces with me and Scar, we can all fend them off more easily than if one castle stands alone. She's free to wait and see if the trial plays out as I've said, but if she attacks me or Scar, we'll consider her an enemy and attack without mercy."

The man turned away without another word. Ike backed away, watching for any further attacks, then turned and jogged back into the woods.

"One last castle," Shawn commented.

"Should I bother with Rufus?" Ike asked.

"It's your prerogative," Shawn replied.

Ike considered for a second. In the distance, rumbling began again as the fourth castle rose. He glanced up, then sighed. "Doesn't hurt to try."

"As long as they don't lob a poisoned dagger at you."

"I dodged it. I can dodge another one."

"I applaud your confidence."

As the fourth castle rumbled into place, Ike arrived at Rufus' doors. He lifted his hands to his lips. "Hey, Rufus! Listen. We should all work together, not fight one another. This trial is—"

A blast of fire hurtled from the ramparts. Unphased, Ike drew back his fist. Shockwaves built up on his arm, then rushed forth, beating the fire into nothing in midair.

"You can just say no," he advised the castle. Shaking his head, he turned and ran. He wasn't here to fight, after all, just to negotiate. If they didn't want to negotiate, he could leave.

Someone jumped down from the wall and chased after him. "Come back, coward!"

Ike stopped and turned. He stared at the figure, his eyes narrowed. "I ran for your benefit. But if you want to fight…"

Lightning flickered over his body. He drew back his fist, green shockwaves running over his forearm.

The man hesitated, then kept running, a dismission in his eyes.

He actually thinks I was fleeing, and now he thinks I'm bluffing. A fool from beginning to end. Ike waited. More lightning and shockwaves built on his arm. The man rushed toward him, drawing his sword.

Before he could strike, Ike unleashed his punch. A fist of embodied aether flew from his punch, formed of shockwaves and lightning. Before the man could react, it slammed into his chest. The blow threw him into the air. He flew back and slammed into the castle wall. Lightning crackled over his skin and burned into the surface of his body.

Ike chased after him, drawing his sword. He lifted it high, intending to stab it next to the man's head as a warning.

Light flashed. Something flew toward him at speed. He jerked back at the last second, and a sword impaled itself into the earth inches in front of him, in the exact place his head would have been if he'd kept going. Ike hopped back and looked up, warily gazing at the castle.

The old man stood on the ramparts, Rufus at his side. Their eyes met. The old man gestured, and the sword flew back to him. "Retreat now, or we will truly treat you as an enemy."

Ike spread his hands, cancelling Storm Clad at the same time. He could call it back at a moment's notice, but better to kill it now than allow the enemy to get a good look at it. "I was in the middle of retreating when your idiot underling decided to try taking my head. Blame him for attacking me if you want to blame anyone."

"Be that as it may, I cannot overlook you killing one of our men. Retreat or face the consequences." The old man gazed down at him sternly, as if he were a child in a classroom.

Ike scoffed. He locked eyes with Rufus. "You hear that, would-be king? 'Our' men? Are you really the one in control, or is that old fart calling the shots?"

Rufus' face flushed red. "You dare call Master Arlen—"

"Master, even? Wow. What a king, letting an old man run roughshod all over you, and even calling him Master. You aren't even the leader of your team, how can you be the leader of a whole city?" Ike's eyes drifted at the old man, whose gaze had been turning stormier the longer Ike spoke. "Nah. You aren't a leader at all. You're just a childish puppet, dancing at your master's command."

Scoffing, he walked away.

The old man leaned toward Rufus. "Pay no mind to such rabble. He doesn't understand the role of an advisor."

Rufus' brows furrowed. He stared after Ike, a slightly despairing expression on his face. After a moment, he caught himself and schooled himself back into a neutral expression. "Yes. Of course."

Ike glanced back. It bothers him, huh? Something to prod at later. He sped up to a jog, then a run. The castle fell away behind him. Before long, his own castle rose up.

"One out of three isn't bad," Shawn commented.

"I think there's a good chance Vi comes around to our side. If you think about it, her clan is assassins, and assassins need good information more than anything, and need to be skeptical of others more than anyone else. They might have rejected me this time, but if they see that my words are true after the first trial, I think they'll come around."

"You think so?"

"I do. Rufus, on the other hand… he's a lost cause."

Shawn chuckled. "In a lot of ways."

"You can say that again," Ike muttered.

As he drew up to his castle, he found himself standing in the back of a large group of men and women. They beat at the door. "Hey! Bring out your boss! We won't leave until we speak to them!"

Ike pursed his lips. He looked up at the ramparts, where Wisp stared back down at him. He tilted his head, silently asking her what was going on.

She shrugged back. The two of them stared at each other for a beat.

So… what now?