^^ The Endless Hunt's Dire Finale (+Pan's Horns) ^^

Two Towers conquered, and time to spare still, I decided to make some simple changes, and some not-so-simple changes, each with big impacts. The Tower of Kings had been far, far too easy to Conquer, when I had originally challenged it, and I intended to change that, one Floor Boss at a Time; first was the Boss of the Tower, a Skeleton Lord, which I immediately replaced with my Ancient Golem Lord. This time, I activated the summoning once the Core was already inserted inside the Golem's Body, and the Ancient Storm Elemental properly Bonded with the Golem, creating what I'd originally planned on, an Ancient Elemental Golem, this one the 'King' of the Tower and Level 4,000, with the stats and abilities that level would give it, much like my Tiger Monarch Ally.

Next, a Reconstruction of both Towers reinforced the structures, replacing the mobs inside the Tower of Kings with golem counterparts that were immune to Magic or immune to Physical Attack, randomly, to force people to either overcome the immunity somehow or have a flexible bag of tricks with which to kill them; this change alone made every floor of the Tower worth 5 levels, not 2, but then when I added Elementals to the higher levels of the Tower, starting at 50 and moving upwards in a direct and intentional insult to the Court of Beasts who'd done the same to us during the first Round, this increased to 10 levels per Floor after Floor 50. Next, I changed the Drops you got from the enemies, making them things like rare crafting materials and even Apex Predator Coins at the Higher level Bosses, or basic things like food or water on the first floor, for the people around the world who would soon have access to and the ability to challenge the Tower: this was my last change before I took a break, placing Tickets to the Tower of Kings into the Store for 1 Gold each, alongside a basic explanation of the rules and how it all worked, in every language known to man, which ended up as a small booklet, instead of the pamphlet I'd intended.

In other words, people could challenge the first floor, as often as they liked, and receive food and water for slaying small metal rats, barely a foot tall. They were definitely dangerous, and worth the XP they gave, but considering there was no Physical Danger, as you were astrally projected into the Tower, it was my solution to getting food and water to people around the world without depleting our own currently stressed reserves. (Having the 1 million Grey Knights as mouths to feed was not an easy task, but I wasn't going to leave them all to starve after I spared them and then gave them Souls by way of making them allies and summoning one of the 8 Billion humans who died in the original Rise into their bodies; this was my way of taking serious responsibility, but also helping everyone else.) In this way, people from all over the world could enter my dungeon at will, in their dreams, and from there I could make Alliances with them and expand my Territory.

This was my solution to not being able to enter other Event Areas for the next six months; making it simply unnecessary to do so. That finished, and with no more viable procrastinating to do, I opened up the 'Roll', which was a list of all the Competitors in the Events, and searched it for my Family.

Searching for 'Isaiah Yvkin', 'Diana Yvkin', and 'Darrick Yvkin'...
Found Record of Competitor 'Darrick Yvkin', Deceased, Round 1, Wave 1; Current Placement: Subordinate, Court of Beasts.
Found Record of Competitor 'Isaiah Yvkin', Deceased, Round 1, Wave 1; Current Placement: Subordinate, Court of Beasts.
Found Record of Competitor 'Diana Yvkin', Waiting, Round N/A, Wave N/A.

Location Unavailable; Dungeon Interference.

Last Known Location: Western Continent, Coordinates 37.8199° N, 122.4783° W, the Golden Gate Island Dungeon.

Condition Unavailable; Dungeon Interference.

Last Known Condition: Sustained Psychological and Physical Stressors have created a delicate balance predicated upon the completion of the Event, and finding a way to revive her Siblings and Father, who died in the Awakening of the Court of Beasts.

Stats Unavailable; Dungeon Interference.

Last Known Stats: Available.

(Name: Diana Yvkin; Age: 16
Lineage: (Myth) Ancient Atronoch of The Storm
Class: True Elemental Arch-Mage (Legendary)
Level: 637 (94/100)
Grade: Knight
Strength: 20/10           Intelligence: 50/10
Agility: 20/10              Wisdom: 50/10
Physique: 20/10         Charisma: 50/10
Innate Skills: Thunderkin Mage Physique Lvl 200+,
Elemental Mana Forging Lvl 200+,
Elemental Magic Casting Lvl 200+,
Magic Damage Resistance Lvl 200+,
Physical Damage Resistance Lvl 200+,
Magic Absorption Lvl 200+,
Class Skills: White Magic Lvl 468,
Black Magic Lvl 451,
Green Magic Lvl 500+,
Blue Magic Lvl 500+,
Red Magic Lvl 500+,
Yellow Magic Lvl 250+,
Purple Magic Lvl 250+,
Grey Magic Lvl 250+,
Brown Magic Lvl 250+,
Gold Magic Lvl 250+,
Tan Magic Lvl 250+.)

My heart stopped for a beat, and then started, following a gasp and sob that ripped through me painfully as I curled up in my bed, safe from discovery; two of my grandchildren were alive, but my son, and my youngest grandson... dead. Ripped to Pieces by beasts and forced to jaeger-pilot the zombies and beasts that plagued the world. I'd known there was little chance that a 14 year old boy and a 50 year-old man had survived the Rise, but considering Uriah had survived alone in Europe, I had had some small hope. Wallowing in sorrow would do nothing, however, and so I resolved to simply keep moving forward, sending myself to the Tower of Makers with a thought. (Remembering to take my weapons and armor with me, this time.)

The Tower of Makers had changed a little bit, mostly in population, even overnight. With all of my Artisan Allies and Subordinates allowed access to the Tower and vice versa, there was a steady traffic back and forth as people worked together and studied, turning the previously factory-like workplace into more of a trade school, with the Master and Ancient Artisans helping the rest of them while crafting their own items to clear the challenges and advance up the tower. The Seventh Floor, when I arrived, was occupied by the Lava Elemental I'd Summoned, currently hammering away at a slab of metal, though he looked up when I entered. "You look like a slab of bruised meat."

The bizarre comparison shocked me out of my funk for a moment, staring at him quizzically. "What... The fuck?"

A raspy chuckle hissed out of the glowing orange humanoid. "You look like you've been kicked while you're down, I mean."

"... oh... You're not wrong, I suppose. My son is dead." My Hammer was tossed into the crucible of the second forge, which he hadn't been using, punctuating my matter-of-fact tone with the cracking and snapping of the Magnetic Field and Lightning as they melted the Tungsten nearly instantly.

"I hope you mean... that he has passed away? In his sleep?"

"He and my Grandson were murdered by the King of Summer and his Rising of the Grey Courts, alongside a global genocide which wiped the face of the earth basically clean of humankind." The metal poured into the mold, solidifying quickly with a bit of magnetism, and I took that chance to carve the new runes, replacing the simple lightning enchantment that'd graced the weapon before. A hammer had served me well, for a long time, and then a hammer with a bladed back, but considering the enemies I needed to fight now, I needed a full blade for the Lightning Clad enchantments to work properly, so a full Greataxe would be my new weapon. Pulling it out, I carefully applied the Gilded Horns of Pan to the Blade and Handle, increasing the Lightning conversion's efficiency tenfold.

"Oh... And you are currently crafting a weapon... in order to challenge the Grey Emperor?"

My Mana Forge and the magnetism within sharpened the thick black blade of a double-headed axe, sharpened at the top parallel to its middle spike, with the silver ivory antlers looking much like a gilding upon the weapon, decorative instead of practical. Both sides were bearded, top and bottom, and perfectly shaped for chopping attacks; I wasn't the most skilled in actual fencing, but even a knucklehead like me could swing an axe or hammer around, and the Lightning clad enchantment needed a blade to work, so Axe it was.

Item Crafted: The Endless Hunt's Dire Finale!
Item Rarity: Mythical Unique.
Item Statistics: 1; All Stats +50.
2; Lightning Damage x10.
                               3; All Damage Dealt by the Competitor is True Damage, and incapable of accidentally harming Allies.
                               4; In the Event that the User is a Monarch or Higher of a Court, and has the permission of an Emperor-Class Individual, the User may have access to the Well of Souls.

"His head will decorate my Mantle, yes, though I'm not stupid enough to challenge him just yet." The axe began vibrating in my hand, becoming fully clad in lightning in less than a second, then faded as the experiment was over. "First, I will Repair and Conquer the Tower of Elements, then the Tower of Knights. That will likely give me another thousand levels, as well as proper training facilities for my subordinates and allies... then the Court of Rot will become mulch."

"I understand... if it is within our power, the Tower of Makers will assist you in your efforts."

"I appreciate your efforts already. Arming my people so they can survive the war is more than enough. Good day, Mountain King."

The lava man cleared its throat before correcting me quietly. "My name... it's Felix Van Winkle."

"Right... Felix, then; my name is Sybil." I smiled and shared a small bow with him before exiting, heading for the Ruins of the Tower of Elements. The ruined tower was a half-mile from the other towers, situated in a portion of the valley which was perfectly suited to naturally push any clouds towards it and make them clash with the winds from the other side, creating a series of perpetual crosswinds and small tornadoes, while lightning fell sporadically onto the semi-glassed landscape due to the Tower no longer functioning as a Lightning Rod, what with it being broken in half and all.

Using my skill 'Atronoch's Domain', I was able to easily gather the Lightning to me, stabbing my axe into the ruined center of the tower's bottom floor and funneling all the lightning within my range into a tornado shape centered on the axe while I claimed the land around the Tower, slowly but surely. I had apparently run out of room to Conquer Territory Automatically, with me buying up all of the northeastern hemisphere all at once, (except Africa, which apparently had its own survivors still going strong, and I was rooting for them,) so a notification arrived to that effect.

Dungeon Master Territory Limit Reached...
Dungeon Lord Override...
Dungeon Lord Territory Limit Reached...
Dungeon Queen Override...
Dungeon Queen Territory Limit Reached...
Queen of Ashes Override...
Queen of Ashes Territory Limit Reached...
Empress of Thunder Override...
Empress of Thunder Territory Limit Reached...
Ancient Atronoch of Storm Override...
Ancient Atronoch of Storm Instantaneous Expansion Limit Reached.

Conquer the 'Tower of Elements' and Surrounding Area with Permissions 'Ancient Atronoch of Storms'? (Y/N)
(Y: 6 minutes until Conquer is successful. All Defense is Zero during Conquering.)

I hummed and then sat against my axe, letting my Aura of the Storm overwhelm the bottom floor as a barrier before selecting the 'Yes' option.

Spread the Thunderkin Lineage Theme 'Neo-Fomorian Metropolis' to the Feywilds? (Y/N)
(Y: Declaring Permanent Separation from the Grey Courts.)

"Yes, without a doubt." Starting underneath me and radiating outward, a series of jagged lines of electricity began to arc outwards, shattering the floor and destroying what was left of the Tower before rebuilding it before my very eyes, brick by brick. Unlike a Restructuring, which was instantaneous, this took almost five minutes to complete, and it was a beautiful sight to see.

Congratulations, Competitor!!!
You Have Conquered the Tower of Elements!!!
Your Name Will Be Inscribed In History, Along With Your Tower Clearing Record: 0 Years, 0 Months, 0 Days, 0 Hours, 4 Minutes, 14 Seconds!!!
As The Reigning Conqueror, You Have Gained The Title 'ArchMage ', and Gained Permanent Permissions to Visit The Tower!!!
Level Has Risen By 200!!!

Level Up!!!—> 21,700!!!

You Are The First Outsider To Ever Clear The Tower of Elements!!! Level + 300!!!

Level Up!!!—> 22,000!!!

Would you like to connect the Tower of Elements to the Grand Archive, Allowing all Mages under your Employ access to the Tower, and all current Residents of the Tower access to the Grand Archive? (Y/N)

"Of course, yes! Now all I need is to create some proper challenges for Mages..." I smiled and happily set to work, crafting Magic-Resistant Golems for every Even-Numbered Floor, while every Odd-Numbered Floor was a library or practice room or classroom, where the Mages of various levels would teach newer Mages in their dreams. Practical and Book Knowledge, in equal parts, were required to climb the Tower, as the 'Boss' of each Learning Floor was a teacher with a Written Exam you'd have to score perfectly on to advance higher. The subject matter would be a mixture of Magic and Physics, as mixing the two together could be interesting, and discovering how Magic Worked would be of course immeasurably valuable.

—

Several days passed, while I was crafting the golems and helping Kenny, Jorvik, and the other Scholars and Mages craft the Curriculum, -both of equal importance, really,- when a new notification had me perking up like a hound dog.

Territory Has Reached the Forest of Beasts: Do You Wish to Encroach Upon The Territory of the King of Beasts? (Y/N).

"Uhm??? No??? How did that happen?" I opened the map of my territory, flipping to the page that had the Feywilds in it, and groaned softly in irritation: I'd never stopped the Conquering, so it had continued to expand, slowly but surely, without an Event Area to halt it. An area nearly the size of Alaska was spread out in a perfect circle around the Tower of Elements, and it had just now apparently reached the outskirts of a Forest that was marked with a vibrant, scarlet red border on my map. "Continue expansion, avoid land that is already Claimed, please."

Beginning Non-Aggressive Expansion.

"On that note... perhaps the Court of Rot and I have a Date? I have a ticket to get there, but I'd like to know where I'm teleporting to, that'd be nice..." the Court of Rot wasn't listed  anywhere on the map, with what previous little was visible amongst the sea of grey, but that didn't mean much more than that I hadn't come into contact with it yet. "What can I use that destroys Mushrooms... fire and lightning work pretty well, I suppose, and my earthquake abilities really come in handy to burn out roots... that'll do, I think... but what is the 'Well of Souls'? I have an idea, but I'd like some confirmation."

Request Acknowledged: Information Regarding the Well of Souls... ... ...

Request Denied: Administrator Clearance Required.

"Clean up the Court of Rot, Dear One, and I will answer this rather bothersome query; not a moment before."

"I can say I'll destroy all their Monarchs and Heirs, but not their civilians."

"I assure you your concern is unfounded: as Bashik told you, Grey Knights are just vestiges of the Lords' power, not sentient life forms."

"And I guarantee the same is not true for the Villagers."

"... I suppose not, though I've never considered them before. Do as you wish, but I will not give you access to the Well of Souls until the Unseelie Courts have been Routed, at the very least."

"That I can do; give me tickets to get to the other Courts, and I'll happily go destroy their Monarchs and Heirs, conquering the rest."

Permissions received: Access to the Unseelie Courts of Fey in the Shadowfell.

"Very good to do business with you, Lady Titania!"

My amused giggle was cut off by a venomous reply, as her voice depended and took upon itself a savage, grating undertone. "I will strangle you with your granddaughter's intestines, Little One, should you ever address me in such a way again."

"... I see that my joke was in poor taste, but I hope you understand that threatening my grandchildren is a surefire way to alter my allegiances against you, Grey Empress."

"Test Me Not, Empress of Thunder; Patience is Not a Trait I Possess in Great Amounts."

"I can see that; return my apology or I will be forced to see you as nothing more than an unholy bitch who thinks she can threaten my Kin and escape the conversation without losing a bit of skin from her nose, especially when the whole reason this partnership started was because she wanted to save her own children."

There was silence for a stretch of a few minutes, before she responded tightly. "... It was perhaps rude of me to threaten your Grandchildren."

"It was, yes. And?"

"... I suppose... I apologize for my Rudeness."

"Lovely, all is forgiven! This time. Now, good evening, Grey Empress, I must get some sleep if I am to begin my Conquest at Dawn!"

"Good evening, Empress of Thunder; I wish you Good Fortune in your Battles, though against the Courts of Rot and Ruin, I do not think you will need it."

"Really? How so?"

"You are... uniquely qualified to destroy them, root and stem. I suppose any Mage of your level would be the same, but regardless, your Lightning and Earthquakes are a properly ingenuous combination which the Court of Rot will have little defense from, and the Court of Ruin will be of even less challenge, due to their command of the elements being far beneath your own, with your Atronoch's Domain. The others, however... It may be interesting to watch you deal with the rest of the UnSeelie Courts."

"Ah, I'd considered that earlier, yes... well, your wishes for good fortune are well-received, and I bid you farewell for now, Grey Empress."

"Farewell, for now."