Closing his eyes to spare himself from becoming blinded for the next thirty minutes, Astaroth grinned like a madman. Even if he was repulsed at the thought of ruling and managing an entire city and kingdom, the benefits far outweighed the drawbacks.
If he could grow it correctly, he would have clout against other countries and nations that might have snubbed him before. But with great power came insane risks.
Becoming a ruler in such a budding nation put him in the crosshairs of assassins across New Eden, be they Players or NPCs. But he was sure New Eden had countermeasures to protect its rulers, too.
He knew rulers had objects tying them to their guardians or kingdom spirits. It may be the crowns on their heads, or sceptres in their hands.
He guessed there were also objects even less conspicuous. He couldn't wait to see what his would be.
But for now, he had other matters to think of. Like how to keep all of it in the upcoming hours and days.
Once the flash of white subsided, everyone on the exterior of the tree palace saw something new. Carved into the surface of the bark, a new emblem was now present.
Khalor was the first one to see it, and his eyes gleamed in astonishment.
'Where did he get the wright?! There should be none available for a long time!'
The emblem carved into the tree bark was the new kingdom's crest. It depicted a large black tree under a bright blue star.
Inside Leon's room, Astaroth had a new menu window in front of his eyes.
*Kingdom Name*
ραпdα- n૦νe|`c,0m A blank bar sat under the title. He didn't know what he wanted to call the kingdom, and would have preferred to discuss it with his friends, but he doubted he could close the window until he picked a name.
Astaroth knew his naming sense was terrible, but he couldn't get the window out of his sight, so he resolved to pick the name himself. After a bit of thought, he entered a name in the blank space.
*Ding!*
*Name accepted!*
*New Kingdom's name shall now be recognized as Sellar Woodlands!*
A world announcement blasted across the skies, announcing the new kingdom's name and formation to the rest of the players. At the same time, Astaroth got another notification.
*You have been acknowledged as Stellar Woodlands' new ruler. Please pick an object to act as a symbol of your rule.*
Crown
Scepter
Jewel
Skin Markings
*PS. The markings will act as your connection to your chosen guardian, letting you tap into a part of their power.*
Astaroth hesitated for a moment. A crown or a sceptre would be viable choices, but he thought of how easy it would be to steal them from him, too.
The Jewel option seemed a safer option, even though it was smaller, but he would limit himself in terms of what he could wear in terms of jewels after.
The last option seemed the safest, to keep it safe, but then he wouldn't have anything visual to show his rank to his new peers.
But then again, he could always have a crown forged or crafted. The other issue that troubled him about skin markings was what if he got wounded and the marking was affected?
Would he still be able to tap into Leon's power, then? Or would he be stuck as just plain ol' him?
Also, how would he get the said markings? He contemplated his options, but no matter how he looked at it, the only option that was theft safe was the markings.
He tapped option four on his screen, prompting another notification.
*You have chosen skin markings. Your selected guardian will be the one to confer on to you his power. Congratulations on your new rank of power, ruler Astaroth!*
Leon was staring at him intently while he was doing this. Leon couldn't see the interface, but he knew by how Astaroth looked pensive that something was happening.
Once he saw Astaroth look back at him, he knew he was done with whatever he had been doing.
Leon kneeled in front of Astaroth.
"I thank you for the opportunity you have given me, Master Astaroth. I doubt I could have ever made it to the mythical rank on my own. I shall forever be indebted to you!"
Astaroth chuckled.
"Please, no need to be so formal. I'm only a king in name, for now. And I have a feeling I will overuse you shortly, anyway."
Leon kept his head low.
"Have you decided what medium you wish me to imbue my power into?"
"I have, although I do not know how you will proceed. I want skin markings. So what form will that take? A tattoo?"
Leon looked back up to Astaroth, his eyes wide.
"Are… are you certain? The marking process is not as simple or easy as the other mediums…"
"I doubt getting tattooed can hurt my body, or is difficult. What could make this more complicated than the other mediums?"
"Master Astaroth… The markings will be a medium to my power. That means I have to imbue my power directly into your body…"
"Okay. So, what? A mana mark of sorts?"
Leon looked at him weirdly.
"Of sorts… It needs to be a permanent mark."
"Okay. So what is the big deal, then?"
"My king… My element is fire… I will have to scar your body with my flames…"
"Oh… Oh!"
Realizing what the beast-man meant, Astaroth's face paled. He had imagined a tattoo or a magic sigil to be imprinted on his skin.
But getting his skin scarred by fire sounded much more painful. He was already regretting his decision.
'Couldn't the system have clarified what was implied here? I would have picked differently…'
Astaroth looked at the unsure Leon. But he had already decided, and he also doubted he could switch his choice now.
Sighing loudly, Astaroth took off his chest guard, as well as the shirt under it.
"I guess I'll have to grit my teeth. I've already picked, no use in changing my mind now."
Leon nodded solemnly, getting back to his feet. Astaroth turned his back to the guardian, preferring not to watch the process directly.
He suddenly felt a searing pain on his back.
"AAARRRGGGHHH!!!!!"
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