When he was a little kid, Tyrin had a simple wish. He wanted to be the main character in life, just like the ones he read about in novels. Handsome men that would flatten mountains and face-slap villains.
As his life went on, he started to lose faith a bit by bit. His body wasn't as strong. His ability was lackluster. His talent was barely existent. That's when he decided to turn to runes, but even that had little success. However, he was still handsome, so he had a chance.
As if there was a certain way that people did things that he didn't know about, everything he did end in failure. A failure after a failure after a failure.
"You're a failure." His father once told him as he studied a piece of artifact. "You see this shard? I bought it from an agency that digs through dungeons. A young man had found this shard. Even a lowly peasant is more useful than you are. Make yourself useful, Tyrin."
"Yes, father."
He was trying, but there was always a limit. There was always a place he would stop at. He signed up for the runes' apprentices cup hoping things would change.
One day, he met his childhood friend in a dungeon. It was then that he met the man that has ruined his life. He saw the man wield an otherworldly dagger that was unbefitting of a side-character. That's why he sent his followers to steal the dagger.
Even that failed. He was an embodiment of failure. Nonetheless, he was unafraid. What could a peasant, a poor commoner, do? He went to the capital with his father to attend a royal evening party.
That's when he met Alfred. One thing led to another, and he was shown a way to break past his limits. The limits that have haunted him for years were now broken. He was stronger, smarter, and he was confident. He was finally the main character.
However, there was a price he'd have to pay. The price, in front of his dream, wasn't a lot. His loyalty, that's it. He was to activate an artifact in the second round of the runes apprentice cup.
He was obstructed once again. Later, he'd link the dots together and realize it was also the peasant that he had tried to rob that eavesdropped on their conversation.
Then, he became the prey. In the runes' apprentices cup, he wasn't even holding the artifact anymore, but the man kept following after him like an evil spirit. In the end, he confessed half a truth and the man let him go from there.
He heard about what happened later when he escaped to the Iliosian empire. The man tried to stop Alfred but failed. He laughed heartily then until he heard that the fortress was stopped and stolen.
His dreams fell like dominos. He had to hide in the empire until he got to meet the Sun's Emperor himself in the imperial palace. He was given a chance for revenge, and he had taken it.
Now, however, he realized that he had failed again. He was promised more power if he kills this man, and he happily agreed.
His consciousness faded as the Ender swallowed him whole. They said rebirth was possible if he allowed his soul to be eaten by the Ender, a new rebirth with a stronger body. He looked at the dome cracking as runes engulfed the world.
With a snap of his fingers, the dome broke apart. Furthermore, smoke blinded everyone's vision as it rushed from the man's body. He pulled a potion and drank it before muttering a single word.
"Manifest," The man stood in front of him, staring at him behind a mask. His golden eyes looking at him with the same disgust.
'I'm the main character. Don't look at me like that.' Tyrin protested in his heart, but he could already feel the Ender's fear. These creatures were fear themselves, so it was bad news when they felt fear.
"Ancient Armor!" The words came down like thunder as the giant pillars of light penetrated the black dome and gathered on the man's body. An armor manifested from thin air as it hugged the man's body. It was made of golden scales that ran over the man's body and covered all of it.
"Come here, lowly being." Arthur Silvera pointed with his hand at him. Rage boiled inside of the Ender's and Tyrin's heart and they allowed it to take control.
***
Arthur's plan was simple. He had bought a protective rune called ancient armor that would manifest an armor around his body. This was the most sure-fire way to protect himself.
However, this wasn't all. Since it was, like Nera's weapon, a manifestation rune, it grew stronger the more inscribed runes were used.
The cost also grew tremendously with it. Arthur bought two more things with his remaining points from the legacy. A smoke artifact and a mana-replenishing potion.
The runic cards that he spent all of last night inscribing were handed to Miko that had hidden them in the coliseum. As for Reece, Arthur asked him for a different thing.
Tyrin in his Ender form howled with rage as he threw himself at Arthur. The Ender's threatening scythe-like hands bounced off his armor.
"You should've learned the first time that…" Arthur disappeared and appeared in front of the Ender. "You guys are nothing but prey in front of me."
Release Rune was activated as Arthur used his Art to move mana. Space twisted as the mana sank into the air around his fist. Arthur punched the Ender in the stomach and sent it flying, slamming it at the black dome's interior.
"Hoo…" Arthur let go of a breath as a group of people appeared beside him. He looked at them with a grin behind his mask as he felt relieved. "Glad you guys didn't miss the party."
"You're a lot more troublesome than we thought. I'll need an artifact like this one to make up for my losses, Dumb Newbie." Ivy walked over and tapped his armor and whistled.
"It's not an artifact, but a manifestation." Arthur smiled at the shocked expression of his group. Ivy, Hua, Zas, and Li were all here. "Where's Reece?"
At first, Arthur thought that Reece's ability was shapeshifting. However, that didn't explain why Reece didn't just change back to his original appearance when he was with Arthur. After joining Mistletoe and working together with his beloved senior, he finally got to know his ability.
Mind Control.
'This bastard had such an overpowered ability.'
Arthur was glad he had him as an ally. That's why the second half of the plan was concerned with the artifact that Arthur has requested. A shapeshifting artifact like his illusion ring. That's why he didn't hesitate when he chose the artifact.
"Here." Zas took out a snake from his robe and threw it over. Arthur grabbed the snake that coiled around his arm.
"Ss. Junior, this will hurt a lot." Reece, controlling a snake, said to him as he slithered on Arthur's arm.
"It's the only way, Senior Brother. I promise that I'll make it up for you forever, truly."
"Okay, lots of artifacts."
"I promise, now you know how I look, right?"
"Of course! I have your pictures on my phone! You were so handsome at the ball. Ss…"
"I didn't need to know that. Please," Arthur slipped the shapeshifting bracelet on the snake's tail. "Kill me."
The snake then glowed as the artifact was used. It got bigger and bigger until it was as big as Arthur, and a replicated image of him. Reece had even managed to replicate the averageness of his face.
"Ah, it's junior's body…"
"Don't say weird things in my voice." Arthur couldn't help but frown as he saw his face with such an expression of delight. "Go ahead and die."
"Junior, don't be so harsh."
"Don't touch me, I'll stab you."
"You can't~"
"Hey!" Arthur panicked as Reece tried to hug him and dodged backward. The rest laughed as they saw this.
"You… Bastards…"
The Ender came back crawling as it no longer resembled anything humanoid. It was a giant lump of darkness with arms protruding everywhere and sharp black teeth in its mouth.
"Oh, this guy is still here." Arthur pushed Reece's face away with his hand and turned toward the Ender. "Everyone, I'll give a genuine artifact to anyone that kills one of these bastards."
"Dude, they're unkillable. We can only try to stall until the medium gets destroyed."
"Oh right," Arthur paused. "Uh, let them suffer existing before they disappear?"
"Fine by me." Ivy grinned and punched at the incoming Ender. An explosion traveled from her fist as Force slammed into the Ender and pushed him back.
"Reece, take these." Arthur handed over the cards he inscribed earlier in the room. They were all genuine fire runes so it was enough for an explosion. "We'll break the barrier from the inside and it would be the time for your heroic death."
"Wouldn't the Ender kill me before I kill myself?"
"Reece, please focus. You're not killing yourself. You're getting killed."
"Oh, right. Right."
"Use these cards to fight the Ender and then die together with it. I know combat isn't your thing, but please do your best to act like it. These cards are enough to push the Ender back."
"What about the remains of the body? The artifact?"
"Well," Arthur paused and looked apologetically at the arena. "End it with a bang. Use all of the remaining runes to make a giant explosion. Just don't overdo the acting. I'll push an Ender out of the dome for you."
Arthur looked around and found a suitable Ender. He used the Force rune and pushed an Ender into the outside of the arena. He looked at Reece, that had his face now, apologetically before throwing him outside as well.
"You're still so rough, dear junior!" Reece screamed as he flew away and Arthur felt chills run down his spine.
"Now, it's Mistletoe's turn to shine." Arthur looked at the remaining Enders that were trying to fix the doom. After all, it would be the end for them if the Runes Association joined in to protect Arthur.