Chapter 282: Void Goodies

Charles was the first to bring up an idea. "Since we’re going for something that all of us can have a chance at winning, something we’re all familiar with... how about a quick game of chess? It’ll be fun.""No!" The protest was unified. Even Eli, who enjoyed a good game of chess, shook his head.

"You goddamn cheat," he said. "You might as well just say ’Adrian, pick me.’."

Adrian laughed, raising a hand to calm the room. "I haven’t told you about this one before, but it’s a simple game, and it’s called... Rock, Paper, Scissors."

He demonstrated the three hand signs. "Rock crushes Scissors. Scissors cut Paper. Paper covers Rock. Very simple."

Damien frowned. "Paper covers Rock? That’s impossible! A rock would tear right through paper! Who invented this nonsense?"

"Just play, Damien," Adrian said with a grin. "We’ll do a tournament bracket. Single elimination. And the use of any form of magic or foresight is forbidden."

He arranged them based on where they were sitting. Charles vs. Jeffery. Nyra vs. Serena. Mara vs. Eli. Damien vs. Von.

The first round saw Damien beating Von’s scissors when the latter thought too much. Nyra tried to observe Serena’s muscle twitch, got caught by Adrian, and in her fluster, lost to Serena’s random throw. Charles out-thought Jeffery, and Mara beat Eli.

The semi-finals saw Charles facing off against Serena, while Mara faced Damien. Charles, with his poker face, managed to defeat Serena. Meanwhile, Mara’s paper covered Damien’s rock, sending him out.

The final round: Charles vs. Mara.

Everyone expected Charles to win. But Mara just smiled, closed her eyes, and threw Rock. Charles threw Scissors.

"Mum, you’re the winner," Adrian announced with a warm smile on his face. He turned to a crestfallen Charles. "Don’t worry. You’ll be next."

Without further ado, Adrian materialized Mara’s gift. It was a delicate, silver necklace with a large, tear-drop-shaped black gemstone at its center. He fastened it around her neck.

"This is the Death Amulet," Adrian explained. "Aside from its utility functions, it allows you to capture the ’essence’ or soul-remnant of any Void Being you defeat."

Mara touched the cold stone. "Capture them?"

"Yes," Adrian said. "When a being is stored in the amulet’s special dimension, it undergoes a process of... re-education. It could take hours, or weeks, depending on their will. But once it is done, they emerge as loyal spirit-guardians, bound to your will. You can summon an army to fight for you."

"Wow..." Mara whispered, tears welling in her eyes. "Adrian, this is... this is too good."

"It’s the least I can do," Adrian said softly. He knew Mara was the least combat-oriented of his vassals. This gift wasn’t just about power, it was a way of protecting her.

"The spirits can also choose to devour the essence of other beings to grow stronger. It is an army that grows with you."

The room was stupefied. A self-growing army in a necklace? It was beyond priceless.

Charles was practically vibrating with eagerness now. Adrian retrieved a long, elegant quill made of a white, iridescent material that seemed to shift like smoke.

"For you, Charles," Adrian said, handing it to him. "The Pax Scriptura. It is a symbol of peace. Just holding it radiates a calming aura that can de-escalate conflicts and soothe rage. But it is also a weapon. You can use it to cast your complex magic simply by drawing in the air or on the ground.

It can conjure barriers, bind enemies with written laws, and even project your voice or written messages across vast distances, enlarged to any size you desire."

"This is perfect, boss!" Charles said, twirling the quill. "Absolutely perfect."

For the next round, Damien, Eli, and Serena made it to the finals after a three-way game, and Eli won by a hair.

"I’ll give you both your gifts now. They’re brothers, after all."

He retrieved two massive hammers. One was dark and jagged, the other polished and gleaming. "For Damien, the World-Shaper. And for Eli, the Tide-Breaker. They might look small now, but they can grow to the size of a mountain or shrink to fit in a pocket.

Their weight scales with your will. They can shatter space, split waters, or be soft enough to shape the most delicate metal without breaking it."

"Hah!" Damien roared, hefting his hammer. "Now this is a tool!"

The excitement in the room was bubbling. Finally, it was Serena’s turn. Adrian handed her a simple, T-shaped metal handle.

"This," he said with a smile, "is the Valkyrie’s Hilt. It’s a Lightsaber. Channel your mana into it."

Serena did, and a blade of pure, brilliant white light ignited with a snap-hiss sound.

"It can cut through almost any physical matter," Adrian explained. "And what it can’t cut, it can phase through to strike the spirit within. It also has a special mode called Valkyrie Form, that will cloak you in armor of hard-light and make you rain down judgment."

Serena hugged Adrian tightly, her new weapon humming by her side. "This is awesome! Thank you!"

For Jeffery, Adrian produced a sleek, multi-tool that looked like a futuristic hammer.

"The Architect. It’s a tool of restoration. It can repair damaged structures instantly, analyze any material, and channel your magic into construction or combat. There are many things to learn from it, but I’ll let you figure them out."

Finally, he turned to Nyra. He held out a simple, unassuming band of silver metal.

"The Queen’s Band," he said, slipping it onto her finger. "It’s a dimensional storage device of almost infinite capacity. But it can also store attacks. You can catch an enemy’s spell, store it, and release it back at ten times the power, or you can even store yours. It also allows you to manipulate space, based on your will."

"But its true power is leadership. It radiates an aura of command. The more people who believe in you, who look up to you, the stronger you and they become. It binds your strength to your people."

As the ring settled on her finger, a wave of regal, harmonious power washed over the room. Everyone felt it, a sudden urge to stand taller and to fight harder.

"And that’s a wrap," Adrian announced. He called back Karl from the Factory. Karl appeared, Lark the spear floating happily beside him, still grinning ear to ear.

Nyra looked at her ring, then at the assembled, now-terrifyingly powerful group. "Adrian," she asked curiously. "All these gifts... they’re too much of a power-up for simple survival. Is there something you have in mind? Are we going to war?"

Adrian smirked with a dangerous light in his eyes. "A war? I can’t say quite yet. But I do want something from all of you." He looked around the room.

"Get to the Diamond League. Dominate the Clash. Let’s promote from the Slums."

"That’ll be too easy!" Karl was the first to shout.

"Aye, aye, boss! You can count on us!"

"Yes, Adrian. We’ll be there in no time!"

Everyone had positive reactions to the assignment, and a genuine smile lit up Adrian’s face.

’It might happen sooner than expected.’