Gilgamesh found that he could not move from where he stood, so he looked around. All those in the stands of the colosseum were puppets, and everyone who stood alongside him on the hard sand below was a Hero whose appearances he could see clearly.
“The Sixth Trial is to obtain victory in the arena! Each duel is to the death! Anything goes! The true form of single combat!”
[ Many gods await the performances in the Arena with anticipation. ]
Nem laughed. “No more cowering behind a corner or hitching your wagon to another. Win or die! Fight or fall! You need five victories to pass, but you can only yield a fight three times. Use them wisely~”
[ Sixth Trial - Arena ]
‘Become victorious in combat.’
“Five victories and three yields… The vast majority of any weak heroes left are going to fall here. Which means the average quality of heroes for the trials to come is going to rise dramatically…” Gilgamesh recognized.
“Are you ready?” Nem asked without warning, and snapped his fingers.
But rather than facing off against an opponent, Gilgamesh found himself within a vast gladiatorial training ground.
“The key feature of this Trial is the Training Ground!” Nem explained, clearly taking some small amusement in the panic he caused amongst the heroes with his prank. “You may borrow any Talent or Trait up to Bronze tier freely to use as you please. Two at a time. But be warned. If your choices are traded for another, you will lose all levels and knowledge of that expertise, along with any benefits they have brought. This Trial lasts 7 days. Try your best not to waste the Tower’s grace.”
Nem vanished and Gilgamesh found he could finally move. Immediately, he was greeted with the same list of Bronze tier Traits from the Third Trial, and the Messages of gods.
[ Golden Son ] offers 1 Attribute Point to each of the Top 10 heroes of the Trial.
[ Mercenary Queen ] offers 1 Attribute Point to anyone who shows immense prowess in combat.
[ Friend of Mankind ] says it’s about time they get some real entertainment.
[ Warrior Maid ] invites [ Friend of Mankind ] to train if he’s so bored.
[ Friend of Mankind ] does not respond.
Gilgamesh glossed over the messages, then turned his focus to the list.
“It seems the Stigmata won’t even let me borrow Magic…” Gilgamesh noted. “The ones we possess at the end must be our reward, or at least part of it. So there is no need to waste time on things I will not keep. I already know what Traits I want.”
[ You have acquired Mana Insulation. ]
‘Contains personal mana within one’s vessel and reduces the effect of interference.’
[ You have acquired Mana Connector. ]
‘Maintains a simple mana tether between conduits.’
[ Mana Insulation has reached lvl. 1 ]
[ You are rewarded 2 Attribute Points. ]
[ Mana Connector has reached lvl. 1 ]
[ You are rewarded 2 Attribute Points. ]
Gilgamesh felt his mana withdraw into him, albeit not fully. Among the sparse mist of invisible mana that remained around him was a firmer thread that connected to the golem core in his hand. Gilgamesh activated the core, and a Boulder formed no different than before.
“Good. It works as I suspected.”
Gilgamesh lingered on the unstable connection he had with the golem. He broke it down then activated it again to make sure that it still worked. Then, on a whim, he pushed some of his mana through that connection. And it traveled through.
“I can refill the mana of my golems, even from a distance…”
That was a significant ability. As long as he had mana, so did his golems. Then he had another thought. Gilgamesh siphoned back the mana from the Forest Hand until his own was full again.
“I can balance and redistribute mana amongst myself and my golems.” That was even more significant. Gilgamesh lingered on the realization more, but he had something else to test.
He activated an orange gemstone to a swirl of faintly glistening tan-colored sand that rapidly grew to the size of a small pond, floating and twisting like a wave in the air. At a glance, it seemed like ordinary sand, but the faint glisten of its fine grains of dull gold revealed it to be tiny pieces of brass, all held in orbit by its core.
[ Shifting Sand - Golem (Mid Grade) ]
Attributes:
Strength - 50
Agility - 0
Vitality - 50
Perception - 100
Force - 100
Spirit - 100
Control - 100
Willpower - 0
Features: Flight (silver), Hive Shift (silver)
Material: Brass (low grade+)
Mana Capacity: 1,000/1,000
Consumption: 14 motes per minute
Recovery: 16 motes per minute
[ Flight (silver) ]
‘Fly freely via magic power.’
Magnitude: 1.0
Mana Cost: 6 motes per minute (Feature)
[ Hive Shift (silver) ]
'A collective form bound to a core, able to fuse into a designed shape at will.'
Mana Cost: 3 motes per second
[ Brass ]
‘A low grade metal of moderate durability with a resistance to mana.’
[ Low Grade+ ]
'The material is slightly enhanced beyond its normal qualities.'
Among the Mid Grade golem's staggering 500 total Attribute Points, the string of 100s caught the eye immediately.
Control allowed it to wield its two Silver Tier Features, while Mid Grade Spirit made its Recovery double that of Consumption, as opposed to merely equalling it. A much needed effect given the high standing cost of its passive Feature; Flight.
But even that huge Mana Capacity of 1,000 meant that it could only use its Hive Shift Feature for 5.5 minutes straight, and every indication implied that it needed that Feature to fight. At 8 motes per minute for its inert Recovery, it would take 2 hours to fully recover its large Capacity.
This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
While that was a lopsided split between combat and recovery, there was a way around it. Gilgamesh needed only use Hive Shift in spurts when needed, and aim to end fights as quickly as possible. Then he could take advantage of the fact that it could recover mana even while active.
Even better, with Mid Grade Guidance, Shifting Sand could surely fight at a high level on its own. Maybe even better than Gilgamesh could currently wield it.
Its Force was impressive and Strength was solid, but Vitality stood out more than either. 25 Points were needed to maintain the structure of its Low Grade metal form, though this golem had 50. Lox had told him that raising Vitality above the requirements would enhance the quality of its Material, and the description of Low Grade+ served as proof of that.
Gilgamesh had chosen Brass as its Material over something like Steel because, as far as he had experienced, all Magic used mana. Thus, this new golem now had an innate resistance to all attacks and defenses it would face. However, there was a potential issue. His mana tether, connecting him and the golem, flickered and distorted severely.
As Mana Connector's description implied, it was a simple string of raw mana, and that mana had to pass through the brass body of Shifting Sand to reach its core. Gilgamesh felt the brass fight against his mana without rest, which resulted in a highly unstable connection.
As a test, Gilgamesh pushed some mana into the Shifting Sand. Unlike before, the process was slow, spotty, and required his sharp concentration to even have a chance at working.
It would be too difficult to accomplish in pitch combat, but Gilgamesh was not discouraged. His Trait was merely level 1. He had no doubt that the tether would become stronger as he mastered it, and eventually allow him to use it as it was intended. But even considering that, it was a minor flaw.
"Take the shape of a sphere."
The mass of flowing sand ruffled, then fused into a solid compact ball about 5 feet in diameter. The change was no instant, but it was swift. More than fast enough for a fight.
With his silent command successful, Gilgamesh then wielded the golem with a clear image in his mind. The orb ruffled again and took the shape of a lance.
He sent it piercing into the ground in a blur of speed that rivaled the Tikbalangs. Then he imagined a new image. Its form quickly scattered and reshaped into a shield large enough to protect his entire body.
"As I expected, the resistance of brass is irrelevant for this. After all, it says I am soulbound to my golems, not manabound."
Gilgamesh gave the golem the shape of a small cage to test the limits of its intricacy. “By the looks of it, it can be any shape I want. Though it does feel somewhat murky…”
Gilgamesh recalled a similar sensation when he had inadequate Control early in the Trials, though it was not to a large extent.
[Control: 30 -> 35]
He placed 5 of the 34 points he had received from the last trial and his two new Traits into Control, and formed it into a giant hand. He maneuvered the hand all around to test it again and found the same ease he had become accustomed to.
“So, 10 for Low Grade and 25 for Mid Grade.” Gilgamesh determined the required Control. “Which means the third golem will also need some.”
[Control: 35 -> 45]
Gilgamesh tossed out another core, but friction slowed its activation. Gilgamesh’s eyes narrowed as he forced the Boulder Ape to form, though it brought a heavier strain on his soul than normal. He deactivated his Shifting Sand and activated a Bolt Viper in its place, which formed as normal without any issue.
“I can only use one other Low Grade golem along with Shifting Sand without difficulty. A second brings too much strain to use any longer than a short fight. So Mid Grade golems burden my soul more than Low Grade? That is a much more significant weakness…” Gilgamesh mused solemnly. “Still, it is better than three Low Grade golems. I am stronger with it.”
Gilgamesh swapped Bolt Viper back out for Shifting Sand and formed it into a shield. Then, he had his Boulder Ape strike the Floating Shield. Its stone fist deeply dented the large steel shield and sent it hurdling back a dozen paces. He had the Boulder Ape do the same to Shifting Sand, and while it still did significant damage, the dent was smaller and the brass shield was only knocked back a few paces.
Based on that, the Brass of Shifting Sand was now slightly stronger than Steel, and the much higher strength allowed it to withstand the force better, but the greater resistance to mana was still something Gilgamesh was most interested in.
Gilgamesh swapped Boulder Ape for one of the new Clay Salamanders he bought from Lox.
[ Clay Salamander - Golem (Low Grade) ]
Attributes:
Strength - 10
Agility - 30
Vitality - 10
Perception - 10
Force - 40
Spirit - 25
Control - 25
Willpower - 0
Feature: Mana Blast (bronze)
Material: Clay (inferior)
Mana Capacity: 250/250
Consumption: 4 motes per minute
Recovery: 4 motes per minute
[ Mana Blast (bronze) ]
'Cast a cluster of raw mana which explodes with concussive force on contact.'
Magnitude: 1.0
Mana Cost: 10 motes
As with the test before, Gilgamesh had the Clay Salamander cast on the Floating Shield first. It spat out a small mass of tumultuous mana that exploded on the levitating steel shield.
Floating Shield was knocked back less than half of what the Boulder Ape had managed, though there was a wider range of damage across its form. Still, Gilgamesh assessed the damage overall to be less than the Boulder Ape's fist. A result of Clay Salamander's 40 Force vs the Boulder Ape's 60 Strength, more than anything else.
Gilgamesh then ordered his salamander to attack the Shifting Sand. It spat out a blast just like the first one, which exploded in exactly the same way, but when the wisps of mana dispersed, the brass shield had only taken half the damage.
Gilgamesh assessed his new golem with content. Shifting Sand was not as dominant in one area as many of the other Mid Grade golems he could have chosen, but it was far more versatile. Shifting Sand was a better shield than Floating Shield or Forest Hand. It was a better wall than Boulder Ape or Clay Sentry. And it was a better spear than Bolt Viper or Clay Salamander.
“The greatest spear is useless if what I need is a shield to withstand the enemy’s attack, and the greatest shield is useless if what I need is a wall to keep them at bay. This Shifting Sand may not be the equal of those other golems of its grade in their specialties, but it alone can serve as my spear, shield, and wall as I require of it.”
[ Perception: 18 -> 25 ]
[ Spirit: 42 -> 54 ]
Gilgamesh put enough into Perception to be able to track opponents as fast as the Tikbalangs and put the rest into Spirit. He deactivated his golems and stored them back in his spatial bag from a distance, then headed straight for the arena.
[ Gilgamesh - Hero (Iron Rank) ]
Attributes:
Strength - 2
Agility - 7
Vitality - 10
Perception - 25
Force - 3
Spirit - 54
Control - 45
Willpower - 14
Traits:
Incomplete Stigmata (???), Master Golem Core lvl. 3 (silver), Passive Meditator lvl. 3 (bronze), Golem Peerer lvl. 2 (bronze), Mana Insulation lvl. 1 (bronze), Mana Connector lvl. 1 (bronze),
Material: Clay (inferior)
Mana Capacity: 540/540
Unalloted Attribute Points: 0
“Most of the strong will spend their initial time training, so the level of ability in the arena will be fairly low at the beginning. Both because of fools who do not understand the point of labor and the weaklings who do and want to pass the trial before it becomes impossible for them.”
Gilgamesh headed through the tunnel towards the light at the end as the faint roar of the crowd seeped through. As soon as he reached it, a message appeared before him.
[Spectator] or [Gladiator]
Gilgamesh made his choice and was transported to the stone steps of the colosseum stands. First, he took note of the people around him. The vast majority were puppets, but there were already some heroes watching just as he was. And most, he suspected, were Magi.
Gilgamesh turned his attention to the arena below. There were many individual fights occurring within their unique subspaces, each of which he could watch freely and more easily than the distance would suggest.
Most competitors are weak, as he expected. Gilgamesh was about to enter the arena himself, but something caught his eye. A heroic figure with long, wild golden hair. His opponent seemed formidable both in might and mind, but Gilgamesh watched as he effortlessly defeated the man with a single titanic punch.
[Winner: Attila Atreus]
“Attila…” Gilgamesh noted the name as malice boiled to the surface.
“Utterly ridiculous…” Someone commented from his side. Gilgamesh turned to find an eastern man a few years older than himself, who wore fine silk clothes and a hairpiece crown made of intricately engraved gold.
“A Shen prince…” Gilgamesh determined. They were the only ones of the Shen clan permitted to wear a golden guan crown.
“It is not possible to possess such Strength with what we have been given so far. Is he so heavily favored by the gods? I suppose that is to be expected. He does look like none other than the second coming of the First Hero, wouldn’t you say?” Shen Shaoquan glanced slyly over at Gilgamesh.
“...He knows who I am.” Gilgamesh thought. “Lugalbanda imposed a gag on all information about me, so the other clans shouldn’t know. Did he learn it during these Trials? Interrogation? Did he seek information on the other clans, too? To overcome them in the Trials? Or is he already thinking ahead to what comes after this..?”
Shaoquan’s smile crept up just a bit more. “I suppose we are all fighting for second place.”
Gilgamesh’s face tightened as Malice exceeded his reason. He vanished from the stands and appeared atop the hard sand ground of the arena. The lightly armored man before him drew a sword with nervous tension, as Gilgamesh summoned his Shifting Sand and two Forest Hands.
[ Gilgamesh vs Jaan Paxton ]
A puppet dressed as an emperor of antiquity atop the prominent balcony to their side raised his arms with the roar of the crowd, and both heroes felt instinctively that the fight had begun. The man lunged forth with a warrior’s yell, and a brass lance impaled him straight through the chest and into the ground.
The man staggered in disbelief as the life left his eyes and his body fell limp on the skewer that kept him upright.
[Gladiator] or [Spectator] or [Leave]
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