The system notification sent shivers down Horus's spine. A Lord selection?
There hadn't been one in fifty years. Since the system more or less instigated the fall of the Chariot kingdom.
"What does this mean?" June asked, sitting up. "What do they mean by selecting lords? I thought it was a class like swordsman or something but bigger and only gotten through quests?"
This should have been in basic education, but he understood why it didn't mean much to her, even though it was a sign of calamity. It had been so long since the last Lord Selection.
"Lords are selected strictly by the system. Most of them often have war experience or experience with leadership. It's not a class. They're… like a different species. Small gods."
June looked like a surprised rat. "I promise you I'm not always this ignorant. But um… yeah that sounds cool"
"Not really," He muttered, the system screen was counting down to the selection. "The System only chooses new lords when it senses things are ripe."
[The Lord Selection will begin in 00:12]
"Ripe for progress?" June asked with a nervous chuckle.
"Rip for wars. The rise of new champions. The fall of old ones," He said solemnly.
His mind kept going back to his Unique Title and its description. If something was trying so hard to disrupt his fate, was this one of its attempts?
The implication made him uneasy.
"New Lords means Lord tests, Quest issued to Awakened that don't belong to any territories, World events that will be triggered once shit gets bad enough. The last time this happened…"
June finally caught on to the dread he felt. Her silver eyes trembled. "What happened?"
He took a short breath. "Almost a million dead, two hundred thousand people cursed, and the fall of two of the biggest empires on this continent."
[The Lord Selection will begin in 00:00]
[The Lord Selection has begun!]
[The higher order beings have set their investments.]
[The River of Fate is trembling]
[0.001 percent of the current population on Awakened Earth have been chosen]
June shrugged, "I wasn't selected."
Her faint smile fell when she saw the horrified look on Horus's eyes. She placed a hand on his shoulder. "You weren't picked right?"
[Horus Twilight, you have been selected as a Lord.]
[You cannot refuse or surrender this Selection.]
[Find a Territory core and bind it to create your own Territory.]
[You have received a Quest.]
[ Quest Title: Lord's First steps
Rarity: Unique
Description: Bind a Territory core.
Rewards: Newbie resource starter pack, Five Life gems, Ten additional skill levels, One Master-tier item customised to your class, One new Skill.]
Penalty: Capture and enslavement by rival Lords.
Horus's silent stare into the air confirmed June's doubt. She grabbed him more tightly.
"Hey, say something. What's the protocol or whatever you call it around this. What happens when we get Lords here, will they send you off—"
"The [Curse of Indenturement]," Horus said calmly. "That's what happened to the Lord they captured in Tombstone. For enemies like him it's actually the [Curse of Sertivitude], but I'm an ally, as long as I surrender I'll get the [Curse of Indenturement] and—"
"That's orc shit." June stared at him in bewilderment. "You're not actually considering going there and allowing them to turn you into a slave?"
Horus calmly ran his fingers through his dark hair. "What other choices are there? We can't cross the mountains with the seasonal mana storms. The nearest territory core will still be miles from here. I would have to steal a car, then find a way to get past the gates…"
"Okay, okay, keep going," June motioned with her hands impatiently.
Horus turned a confused look at her. "What are you doing?"
"What am I doing?" She asked with a glare. "You're the one already thinking about how to escape. I'm just following you down that train of thought. Now what's the worst thing that can happen?"
Horus rolled his eyes, sighing. "As long as I'm within the Territory's borders, our Lord can curse me. Even if I escape, my family will come after me. The best killers in this region, I can't fight them while cursed."
June muttered silently, rising to her feet to pace around. In the meantime, Horus could hear the city's noise grow. People were talking. Evening fell and the lights of the city glittered to him from the rooftop.
"It's beautiful at night." He said, admiring the dark forests and the fields outside the city.
A firework shot from one of the houses built on one of the high hills. It bathed the world in red colors. People were celebrating the Lord Selection. They didn't understand what it really meant.
"Horus," June said suddenly. He turned back to her. Her dark blue hair shone in the fading lights of the firework. Her round glasses glowed like hot silver.
"You can't really want to stay here, right?"
Horus pursed his lips. "Abandoning my family and home… Even if I wanted to, I can't reach the territory border before I'm cursed."
"Take the chance," June said, clenching her fist. "You remember what I said. You hate it here and now you have a chance to leave. If you stay here you'll never get to change again, you'll just be a tool."
That was horrifying. Horus had always been prepared to serve; he was raised to give his all to Bloodhaven. No Twilight had ever betrayed the territory before.
But how could he live up to Wally's pride in him, if he stayed.
"If I run," He said slowly, before looking into her silver eyes. "Would you come with me?"
June froze, mouth slightly agape. For a moment there she struggled with her words
He raised his hands. "If you don't want to, I can just go. It's just that Wally said—"
"Wait, no, no," She said, waving her hands. "I definitely want to go. Did you think I was just being melodramatic before? Let's blow this popsicle stand. Let's um…"
He laughed as she struggled to find another saying. "Okay, but we have to get some items quickly. I need to stop by my house."
"There's something in the library that might help us," June added excitedly. "I also need some things from my apartment."
"Be quick, we don't have long," Horus warned, "All citizens of Bloodhaven will be called to the fort soon to present themselves to Lord Thunder."
They both turned to go down the stairs when Horus froze. Footsteps, his high perception caught the sound downstairs.
Then he heard voices. Terribly familiar ones.
"He should be up there," Ulrich muttered darkly. "It's time we get some answers."