Tier 3+ - Accidental Champion (Book 8) - Chapter 4 - Standby for Teleportation in 1 Second

You have 24 hours to lay claim to the fallen ruler’s capital world.

Laying claim to the fallen ruler’s capital world will initiate a world-wide System notification allowing anyone on the world to challenge your claim in single combat. A selection of arenas will be provided. You and the challengers will be teleported by the System to the arena. Challengers cannot be avoided. More than one challenger may apply. You must fight each one after the other with a brief respite for recovery time. Interference in the one-on-one duel will be prevented by the System.

Winning the claim will allow you to control the capital world’s defences and resources, but it will not guarantee citizens of the world will obey your commands.

Xavier read through the notification twice before he willed the claim.

Standby for teleportation in 1 second.

Fortunately, this notification didn’t come as a surprise. From the research he’d done, he knew this would be what happened next. He released a breath as the System pulled him out of that room and he was suddenly surrounded by nothing but darkness.

A notification has been sent to the fallen ruler’s world. Please wait while challengers are found. As you wait, you may peruse a selection of arenas and make your choice.

An arena selection cannot be altered.

Xavier blinked, looking around the dark space as he waited for another notification to come. Instead of a notification, however, images began to form before his eyes. The darkness receded, but only in small sections. It was as though there was only light in a select few areas.

The arenas the System had mentioned started to appear. There were eight of them, and each seemed to be at least a mile from where he stood in the dark. Finding he could move around in this strange, System-controlled space, Xavier opened his wings and flew toward one of the arena options. None of the descriptions of laying a claim had mentioned the arena selection in detail, so this ability to actually fly toward and enter the arenas themselves was unexpected.

The arenas each seemed to have a different theme. Some desert-themed, others water themed, while still a few were simply “normal” looking arenas. Despite how they differed, they were all oval shaped, with thousands of seats available, all pointed inward to where the fighters would be. The only places like this Xavier had ever experienced were on tower floors.

Despite the vast number of seats the arenas had, he knew they wouldn’t be available for the general populace of the world he would be fighting for—the citizens of this world wouldn’t have the ability to view these fights at all.

Not while they were happening, at least.

No. The seats would be for other world rulers nearby to occupy. As The Collector had ruled this entire sector himself, those seats would remain as empty as they were right now when the fights started. But soon, when Xavier laid his claim to the entire sector, those seats might be filled by nearby sector rulers. The sector rulers would receive a notification informing them of the claim and inviting them to witness the challenge.

The System did this on purpose, of course. It wanted the other sector rulers to see who was taking over this sector. Not only that, it wanted them to know that the old power had been toppled. That kind of conflict always sparked more conflict.

It was when those rulers witnessed him fight that he would need to make a true show of power. One that left an impression strong enough in them that they decided an invasion simply wasn’t worth it.

Fortunately for Xavier, none of those neighbouring sector rulers would have the opportunity to challenge him at the arena. Only someone already within this sector would be able to challenge him when he laid that claim.

Just as only people on this world would be able to challenge him now.

Xavier flew from one arena to the other. Eventually, he settled on an arena that resembled the Colosseum back on Earth. It was the arena that felt most comfortable and familiar to him.

When he’d chosen the arena the area around him flickered and he was teleported for a second time, coming to stand directly in the middle of it.

A notification appeared in his vision as he sat down to await his challengers.

No Denizens upon this world have volunteered to challenge your claim. As there are no volunteers, the System has forced a selection of 3 challengers.

The first challenger will be arriving in 5 seconds. The remaining 2 challengers will not have an opportunity to witness this fight.

Xavier blinked. “Forced a selection? What?” Xavier had never read about this happening before. Then again, from everything he’d read, there had always been challengers. A world like this… The people had been so subjugated and kept so weak that when their ruler died of course they wouldn’t want to challenge whoever it was that had been powerful enough to do it!

Xavier had been hoping no one would challenge him, but he should have known there would be a catch if that happened.

Forced a selection… I hope the System won’t make one of my own fight me…

The thought was only brief. Challengers could technically forfeit a fight, and those loyal to him would do that in a heartbeat. He had no fear of them appearing.

Hell, wouldn’t other challengers, chosen at random, do the same?

The first challenger has arrived.

Xavier didn’t need the notification to tell him this. He spotted them instantly. Xavier, who’d been sitting cross-legged in the centre of the arena, slowly came to his feet. The person who appeared stood at the edge of one side of the arena. They looked confused as they glanced around the stands.

Then their eyes fell on Xavier and they tilted their head to one side. “Xavier Collins.” The man, an elf by the look of him, bowed theatrically. “A pleasure to finally make your acquaintance.”

Finally?

The elf wore light, leather armour. He carried no weapon but could easily summon one from his Storage Ring. Slender and graceful, he appeared to be a bow or dagger wielder.

Xavier brushed the elf with his spiritual sense but was rebuffed. Strong veil. Xavier sharpened his focus and pushed past it. He did it subtly, yet the man’s forehead creased ever so slightly.

B Grade.

That was unexpected.

“You have me at a disadvantage.” Xavier stepped forward, resting a hand on Bones’s hilt. “If you know who I am, then perhaps you know it would be wise to forfeit. The System tells me you didn’t intend to challenge me, after all.”

“Didn’t intend…” The elf chuckled. “It plucked me straight from the street and plopped me in here.” He opened his arms and glanced around the arena. “Not a very inspired choice, this arena.”

“I didn’t think there were any other B Grades in this sector, let alone on this world.”

“Hmm.” The B Grade elf tapped a finger to his chin. “That simply means I’m doing my job right.” He winked.

“Ah.” Xavier smiled. “A spy? For the sovereign?”

The elf frowned, then his eyes brightened. “Sovereign… Rewke? Is that who your backer is?” He raised his chin. “Interesting. Very interesting. Is that how you’ve managed to accomplish what you have? It’s all a rouse, isn’t it? Has he given you some sort of powerful item? That would make the rumours make so much more sense.”

Not for the sovereign, then…

“You haven’t forfeited the match,” Xavier said.

The elf released a breath. “No. And I don’t intend to.” He raised a hand. “Yes, this certainly wasn’t my first choice. I didn’t even know you were in this sector, or that The Collector was dead.” He peered at Xavier, looking him up and down curiously. “Brave move of the sovereign, sending an assassin. When I saw the notification, it certainly wasn’t you I expected to see. I was going to wait until a claim to the sector was made. Winning this fight only gets me this world, not the whole sector... Not that it matters anymore. You know, I didn’t think you’d be powerful enough to pull off something like this off. What kind of resources did the sovereign provide? Hmm?”

“None. I don’t work for the sovereign.” Xavier drew his sword. “I defeated The Collector without his help.”

“Empress Larona… She couldn’t have pulled something like this off… Who do you work for, then? Might as well tell me before you die.” The elf grinned. “I have other ways of getting the information out of you, but they won’t be pleasant.”

“I don’t work for anyone.”

The elf laughed. “So you just managed all of this by yourself?” He winked.

Xavier sighed. “Looks like I’m going to have to convince you this battle isn’t worth fighting. I don’t know who you’re spying for, but you’re making a mistake.”

The elf blinked. “Spying?” He shook his head. “No, I’m not here to spy.” The elf stepped forward. A bow appeared in his left hand, an arrow in his right. “I was there to do as you did—assassinate The Collector and claim the sector for my master. They have their eyes on you, you know. That’s why they sent me to this backwater in the first place.”

Xavier tilted his head to the side. The elf wasn’t making much sense. “Your master sent you here because of me, and you didn’t even know I was here? How does claiming this sector have anything to do with me?”

The elf waved a hand. “My master thinks about the long, long game. They weren’t sure whether to recruit you or kill you. But, seeing as you’ve clearly been recruited by someone else… I’m sure they won’t mind if I kill you. Claiming this sector was just a way of insulating you around his control.” He waved a hand. “There are other assassins out there, other plans afoot. Though I suppose they won’t be needed soon.”

“Well, this is turning out to be more interesting than I expected,” Xavier replied. More assassins in other sectors? “Tell me, who do you work for?”

The elf grinned. “I work for Jhanku. Have you heard of them, all the way out here?”

Xavier blinked. Jhanku… The memory came to him instantly. That man was one of the most powerful Denizens in this universe. He was one of the old monsters, ruling over ten thousand sectors in the inner territory of the universe.

Xavier knew a few people from that sector.

Yarien and her party are from there…

He remembered the flaming warhammer that was a symbol of his protection over them.

When did I catch his eye?

“Oh,” Xavier replied. “I’ve heard of them.” He shut his eyes. It was one thing to know that the Old Man—the most powerful Denizen in this entire universe—was watching him, because he knew that man had a vested interest in his future. And, more importantly, in his survival. The fact that a Denizen that was near in power to Adranial’s ancestor had their eyes on him, and had plans for him?

He was going to have someone kill The Collector and take over the Ventorin sector for, what, the off chance it would help recruit me in the future?

Xavier considered his options. He could still convince whoever this was that it wasn’t worth fighting him, but would that be his best course of action? This elf—this assassin—would report back to their master how strong Xavier had become. Whatever interest Jhanku had in him would be further inflamed.

Though at this point, there might be no way of stopping that. When he became the ruler of this sector, word would spread quickly. Very quickly. And these other assassins the man had mentioned…

“If I make you surrender, there’s no chance you’ll fail to report what happened here, is there?” Xavier asked. Violence may seem like the best solution in this moment, but it wasn’t something he wanted to reach for if there was another way.

How, exactly, would that create the unity he was after?

The elf laughed. “Even if you could do such a thing, I’m contract bound to report back to him.” He shook his head. “You can’t bluff your way out of this, Xavier Collins. Honestly, from what I’ve heard about you, doing so wasn’t what I expected. I thought you’d be… braver.” He shrugged. “The real thing never quite lives up to the rumour, does it?” He sniffed, nocking the arrow on the bowstring. “All right, enough talk.” He shrugged. “Just remember, this isn’t personal, yeah? Honestly, I’m a nice elf, so don’t let the torture and killing make you think otherwise. I’m sure were the circumstances different, we would have gotten along swimmingly over a pint at the local tavern.”

“A nice elf…” Xavier trailed off, shaking his head at the absurdity of what the man was telling him. “In that case, I hope you don’t take what I do personally. I did, after all, try to give you a way out.”

The elf smiled. “Gods, you’re a cocky one, aren’t you? All this bravado.” He pulled back the bowstring, holding it taut with the arrow aimed at Xavier’s leg. “It won’t get you far.”

Xavier, no longer worried about subtly, used his spiritual sense to push harder at the man’s veil. The first time he’d gotten a glimpse it had told him this man was B Grade. But knowing someone’s rank didn’t tell him everything he needed to know about their level of power. As he’d been sent here to kill The Collector by one of the most powerful men in the universe, he would be a B Grade the likes of which Xavier hadn’t encountered before.

The elf’s bow arm faltered slightly as the weight of Xavier’s spiritual sense fell on him.

The fight was about to begin.