Crown of Mists

Roger sauntered over to the plinth.

He paused next to its edge, his smile wavering ever so slightly as he remembered the pain it had caused him, but he ignored it.

Sheathing his sword, he used his free hand to reach out and grab it, choosing to avoid touching the stone and instead take hold of it by the base.

The moment he came in contact with it he felt a buzzing sensation on his hands, but it wasn't a bad feeling. 

Lifting it up, he held the circlet in his hands and whistled approvingly. It was the most interesting, and only, piece of jewelry he had ever owned.

If he had to make a bet, it was also probably the most valuable.

'Probably a good thing you didn't find this in prison. Half the inmates and even the guards would kick my ass and steal this from me!'

Thinking about his time in the concrete box brought a smirk to his face.

"Look at you Roger, from prisoner to king in less than a month! If that's not upward mobility, I don't know what is!"

His smile was from ear to ear as he admired the beautiful item.

The band was pure white, with not a single blemish. The light reflected off of it, making it shine in the otherwise dreary ruin. It was perfectly circular, with the only detailing being the thin prong holding the gemstone. Looking closer, he saw a large "O" engraved just below the gem.

'So this must also be related to Omicron, but what is its purpose? Why is it here?'

He held it in front of his face and then called upon the System, hoping this was something it would help define.

Within a second, a new screen appeared in front of him, proving him right.

[Crown of Mists]

[Wielder: Roger —--]

[History: You do not possess the proper legacy to access this Relics history.]

[Relic Effect 1: The wielder of the Crown of Mists may summon the Mists of Omicron to surround himself and others. Whoever enters the Mists of Omicron is subject to a perpetual mental attack until they leave or get close enough to the wielder. The strength and size of the mist is dependent on the wielder's rank. The wielder may designate people as immune to the mental attack.]

[Relic Effect 2: You do not possess the proper legacy to access this Relics effect.]

Roger blinked rapidly to make sure he wasn't misreading the description.

'Control… the mists? The same mists that tried to stop me from getting this thing? The same ones that had Lila run off? Those mists?'

He struggled to wrap his head around the idea of possessing so much… power.

'Calm down, the System said it scales with rank. I'm only Alpha rank right now, so I am a long way off of creating a mist as large as the one below. Right?'

Hoping to figure out himself, he hesitantly raised the crown and placed it on his head, smoothing his messy hair in the process.

'Who knew hair was so annoying to deal with?'

Once it had settled around his forehead, he looked around with high expectations, hoping to see a large amount of mist appear.

Nothing happened.

Frowning at the lack of a spectacle, he stuck out his free hand and focused on the crown. Thinking about the ability, he willed his mana to flow through his body and into his hand.

Slowly, a thin stream of opaque mist trickled out, falling to the ground and creating a layer of fog.

For a few minutes, he sat there and let it all gather, his smile disappearing. By the time no more mist was being generated, there was barely enough to cover his legs, and it only stretched a few feet across.

'That's it? That's the Relic of a great king buried in a tomb full of mental challenges and traps?'

His enthusiasm faded, replaced by a faint scowl. He moved his hand through the disappointing pile of fog and watched as it wafted away.

Pulling the Crown of Mists off his head, he stared at the gemstone and shook his head.

"So much for ancient treasures… This thing can't do anything useful!"

Turning back to the System screen, he read through it again to see if he missed anything about how to increase its strength, but all it told him was that he would have to rank up.

It also reminded him that the second effect was locked.

'I bet that's the really powerful one! What kind of legacy am I missing? I have an Archonic Legacy! The Outcast, too! Why is the legacy of an Archon not good enough to wield this stupid crown?'

He assumed the history would have helped reveal the answer, but that too was blocked.

A sharp exhale through his nose betrayed his frustration.

In an uncustomary show of emotion, Roger reached up and ripped the crown off his head, throwing it on the ground. It bounced with a clang before rolling away.

He roared his anger out into the dark void surrounding him, balling his fist and swinging the torch in the air.

It took a while before he calmed down, falling to his knees in defeat. He bowed his head and struck the cold marble with his first one last time for good measure.

The disappointment he felt went beyond finding a weak Relic. The amount of strength and effort he had put into climbing the stairs had reopened old wounds, reminding him of the helplessness and weakness he had lived with in prison. The mists had preyed on his worst fears and insecurities, and Roger had to summon up every ounce of courage left in him to beat them.

He did it all in the hope of finding something valuable, something to prove that fighting the world was worth it.

Instead, his only reward was a poor excuse for a crown.

'But was it weak?'

The thought came from the hope he had let himself feel, the small spark of ambition and desire left burning in the cold emotionless void prison had created for him.

Lifting his head, he looked to where the crown rested, at the edge of his vision. 

Thinking about the effect description, he remembered that it could grow with time.

Sure, it could take a while to reach a point where it would win his battles for him, but he had first-hand experience with how powerful the mist could eventually be. Even now after having left it, he was still dealing with the scars it had exposed.

Of course a power like that wouldn't come cheap!

Nothing that came easily in life was powerful, the only thing that mattered was putting in all your effort, beating out the competition, and making yourself the best. 

The Crown of Mists was only as weak as Roger let himself be, and he was determined to be strong.

If he really meant those words, if he meant the vows he had made when fighting the eel, then the Relic was one of the strongest things the world had ever seen, because Roger was going to be one of the strongest things the world had ever seen.

'I have an Archonic Legacy, don't I? That's basically the same as the System telling me I'll find a God Shard and inherit their powers! If I can be destined to do that, then I can also grow powerful enough to make this Relic the best goddamn thing ever!'

Rising to his feet, he walked over to the circlet and picked it up, wiping it off on his cloth shirt as a show of apology.

Gingerly placing it back on his head, he walked over to the edge of the staircase and peered into the mist just beyond.

'Time to find Lila so I can show her what will soon be the most valuable Relic ever discovered!'

Just as he was about to take the first step, a random thought hit him, causing him to pause with his leg in the air.

Cocking an eyebrow, he turned around to face the plinth once more.

'I don't see any harm in it, so why not?'

Only a minute later he was back at the staircase ready to descend it, but this time he was carrying something else in his free hand.

A frilly white pillow.