Chapter 297: Monster
The rest of that night passed quickly. Olive hadn’t been in much of a mood to speak after her revelation that her Challenge had returned. She and Reya retired to their rooms shortly afterward to think. Nobody made any move to stop them — there would be more than enough time to think further in the morning, when Olive had time to process what was going on and all of their minds had a chance to refresh.
Arwin hadn’t forgotten what Olive’s challenge had been — or what it had done to her. She’d described it well in her retelling of how she’d lost her arm.
[Master Thy Sword] – You have sought mastery over the sword for your entire life, striving to achieve it with such intensity that all other aspects of your life have been left to fester. Here’s a chance to claim that power you so desperately desire. Rewards: Variable depending on level of success.
Milestone 1: When the time comes, restrictions will be placed upon you by the Mesh. Defeat an opponent the Mesh selects to remove the restrictions and advance upon the path of the blade.
If the Challenge put restrictions on her in the middle of the tournament… it would be bad. Very bad.
But that was a problem to deal with later. Worrying about it now would change nothing and decisions made in panic would only cause damage. The day had been a long one, and the entirety of the Menagerie was long overdue a rest.
Arwin only managed to stay awake for just long enough for Lillia to join him in bed before the two of them joined the others in sleep.
When the following morning dawned, everyone gathered in the common room once more. Even in the dim orange light from the lanterns, something about the Devil’s Den felt lighter. A weight had been lifted from everyone’s shoulders, and it was palpable.
Elias and Maeve were among the last of them to rise, and arrived just as Lillia was handing out breakfast to everyone. She offered some to them, but the two politely declined. Elias didn’t eat anymore for obvious reasons, and it seemed that Maeve’s diet didn’t exactly line up with Lillia’s cooking.