Max's gaze was fixed at the stone wall of his prison cell. He was detained at the scene shortly after the insanity that happened.
He'd been here for two days now and the shock had slowly left him. Now he was worried how long he'd be here. He explained to the interrogators to the best of his ability what had happened there in the arena. Max trusted that eye witnesses and the other knights who were at the scene could help him with their statements. Max was attacked as well, after all.
"What are you in here for?" a man with long, wavy blond hair asked him. He was in the cell opposite of Max's. His hunched figure was visible through the red metal bars.
"Self-defense. I was in the wrong place at the wrong time," Max answered. "You?"
"Got into a bar fight. Pretty brutal one. Two guys died from blood loss."
"Damn, that's wild," Max said. "How long have you been here? I'm Max by the way."
"About a week now. I'm Risant."
Max nodded and put his head against the stone wall of his cell.
"Oh right," he said quietly, remembering the notifcation sounds he heard after the "fight" with Stefan.
"What is it?" Risant asked.
"Nothing, sorry."
Max opened the Game Menu and viewed his Inbox.
[You have performed an incredible feat by dodging lightning! You are the first player to do it!]
[You have received a title: Beyonder!]
[Beyonder]
[Legendary Title]
[Agility +75, Epic Active Ability: Darting Zap]
Max laughed. Risant looked at him like he was off the rails.
"Shit, how long am I gonna be here? I'm fucking innocent," the player said.
"I was defending myself too," said Risant.
Max looked at his neighbor across from him.
"What do you do?" he asked.
"Uh, fighting, mercenary work, stuff like that."
Max nodded.
There was silence for a few minutes.
Not knowing what to say, but wanting to say something out of boredom, Max asked a question.
"What color is your aura?"
Risant was silent for about five seconds.
"Black," he said.
Max raised his eyebrows.
"That's pretty rare," he said. "Does it have any inherent special properties? I've never seen someone with that aura."
"Uh, it slows down movement the more its attack lands. Nothing too special. What's yours?"
"Dark blue," Max answered.
"Ah, speeds you up a bit, if I remember correctly?" Risant pointed his index finger at his neighbor.
"Yeah, helps my reaction time too. I'm an adventurer, part-time mercenary."
Risant nodded. Max's brown eyes locked with his own. Max noticed that he had two irises. The outer one was golden, while the inner one was green.
"Nice eyes."
"Hah, thanks," Risant smiled slightly.
"But didn't you have purely golden eyes when I first saw you? What's up with the green color?"
"They change with time, especially if I feel strong emotions. I was born like that."
Max nodded. "You see all kinds of stuff in this game," he thought.
"Where are you from?" the player asked.
"Mareka Kingdom, you?"
"Oh, uh, I'm from here."
The two continued chatting casually to fill the void in the silent stone cells. Being able to talk to another human being was comforting. They shared stuff in common too.
But soon, their talk was interrupted by a prison guard who opened Max's jail cell with a concerning urgency. Max looked up at him with an open mouth and worried gaze.
"You have a visitor," the guard said behind his yellow helmet. "Come with me."
The guard helped lift the sitting Max up by his armpits from the cold floor since the player was cuffed with aura nullifying metal. Max, in his black prison shirt and pants, stood for a moment, thinking. "Wasn't the squad here this morning?"
"Move!" said the guard as he shoved Max out of his cell.
Risant looked up with a frown.
"See you later," said the player.
"Yeah..."
The two navigated stone hallways, went through several locked metal doors and finally arrived at a place Max was unfamiliar with. He had never been taken here to talk to visitors.
It was a large, spacious hall with large windows overlooking the Lower City left and right. Ahead were tall, wooden double doors decorated with red and gray patterns. The player walked on a yellow carpet that led all the way to those doors.
The guard sighed and knocked when they arrived.
"Yes, come in." A rough voice was heard.
Inside was an office room with a large desk. One man, the warden, who had short brown hair and a beard, sat behind his desk, while another man with green hair and white yellow clothing looked out the window at the Lower City.
Max greeted the warden and sat down on an armchair opposite him.
He had been interrogated and threatened, but he'd never been sent here.
"I'm Limons Rasal, the warden of this institution. You have an esteemed guest who requested this meeting."
The man with wavy light green hair turned around and looked at Max.
The player, in this moment, was flabbergasted.
"Your Highness..." Max said, surprised.
"Relax, don't be so tense," said the First Prince of Virtonis, Silopsen Emicia.
Max swallowed as he looked at the man at the large office window.
"The investigation is over, you have been deemed innocent and you will be a free man," the prince said.
Max nodded. "Thank you."
The prince sat down on the second arm chair next to Max. The warden looked tense, like he was facing a monster, not a human.
"The incident that occured, what with the Man of Lightning, as they call him, and you, matching his power...my family took an interest in it, as did the entire city of Kasia."
"I am flattered, Your Highness."
"Everyone says you dodged his lightning, is it true? I'm sure they asked you this during the investigation, but I want to hear it myself, as a man who will potentially face you in the tournament."
"Uh, yes, I did, your Highness."
"Stop saying that."
Max nodded.
"But it's strange. I don't sense great power in you. I can see through the suppression."
"I...have a blessing that lets me dodge any attack for a time."
Silopsen looked at Max for a moment, and then the warden.
"You may not be aware of this, but the Empire is at risk at the moment. The nobles and my brothers have split the nation into three factions with each vying for more power. Though there is yet to be any actual fighting, it is only a matter of time. My father is an aged man and is not the god he used to be, but can you tell me, was the Man of Lightning stronger?
"Yes," Max answered immediately.
Silopsen raised his eyebrows for a moment. "I have a proposition for you, Max Veritas. Join the Imperial Army. You will be placed in the Cloud Knights division immediately."
"Cloud Knights? The strongest knights in the cont...the world?"
"Yes, serve me and you will be given almost anything you desire."
Max thought for a moment. He doesn't intend to stay here on this floor for much longer, but accepting this offer might give him a title. This was surely going to activate a hidden questline.
However, he had one more destination in mind. He wanted to go to Ring Village, see the place his brother spawned in, maybe get some kind of lead. Who knows, maybe he could be there, still? Waiting for Max.
"I'm too naive, but..." he thought before finally giving his answer.
"Yes, I will join, but I also have a request, that comes with a gift."