Power Gap

The Public had a strange relationship with Gorum, despite his intense loyalty to keeping them as safe as possible, they treated him quite poorly. It's not like they did it for no reason at all, the reasons were just bad. Aside from his origins, the main reason so many had sour opinions about him was because he was uninterested in being a celebrity like the other braves, and never really showed the public his personality. It also didn't help that he was pretty much unrecognizable, considering he changed his equipment and combat style constantly.

He was an opportunist that used whatever equipment was best for the moment, one battle he would be wearing dark somber armor with a spear for his weapon and the next day he would be wearing flashy, colorful armor while swinging around a great sword. Essentially, in the eyes of the public, there was no way to know if you had met him or not unless he introduced himself. However, those that had met him before knew exactly how to recognize him no matter what equipment he was using and would simply say 'Even the mightiest lion, trembles before a dragon'.

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Sierra was trembling, shaking in her knee-high boots as she stared up at Gorum. Her skin was crawling, hairs stood up on end as she felt a crushing pressure from the man in front of her. It was Gorum, there was no doubt about it. Although normally she would meet such a claim with skepticism since there were plenty of impersonators out there, she was certain. She had never felt this way in her life, no matter how strong of an opponent she faced she never felt as she did now. Her instincts were screaming at her for her to turn tail and run, but her legs wouldn't move. As her body trembled and tensed in panic, her brain was a flood with thought.

'Gorum? THE Gorum? Why is he here? If Omen's Order has Gorum on their side, then aren't they invincible? They don't seriously expect me to fight him do they!?' she thought, gulping nervously as a cold sweat enveloped her body.

All of a sudden, Gorum moved. Spinning his massive spear around so that instead of holding it normally, he held it upside down. With the spear tip pointing away from Sierra, and then lowering it to his side so the butt of the spear was directed at her.

"I'll be wielding my spear as a one-handed staff. This is as adequate of a handicap I can give you. Do not take this a disrespect, nor should you disregard my previous statement. Even like this, I can kill you easily. Fight like it's your last or you won't survive. Are you ready to begin?" Gorum said, staring down at Sierra for a response.

Normally, Sierra would have flown into a rage for how disrespectfully she was being treated. An honorable warrior being given a handicap was beyond damaging to one's pride, but this time around there was nothing to be said. Sierra looked back at the emissaries and received a confirmatory nod that she indeed, would have to fight him.

' Fuck it. Fuck it all, at least I'll have gotten to battle a legend.' she thought as she took a few steps back and readied her battle axe above her head.

"I-...I'm ready.' she said, trying to focus on her stance.

"Then begin." Gorum said.

Sierra inhaled and went to leap forward and swing her axe, but as soon as she stepped forward, she immediately leapt back in a defensive stance, trembling worse than before, huffing and panting. Looking down at where she was about to step, there was a smooth, perfectly carved out hole in the floor. Said hole was the exact size of Gorum's spear butt. She couldn't even see the movement that did it, all she knew as that if she had kept going forward it would've been the end of her.

"Good instincts, not great instincts, but good. Let's keep it up, be careful not to lose your life." he said, peering down at Sierra.

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Meanwhile, within the 'Meeting Place'....

Damia had finally cracked it; she finally did what no one else in the organization could think of a solution to. Gorum was supposed to be an impossible target for conversion, he was too loyal to the Ugdual Royal Family. Not only that but there was plenty of other factors that made him a no go, such as just plain not having enough information on his personality. But finally! After almost a decade of research on her part, she finally found a way to properly introduce him to the order. Even if he was loyal, he had to have been getting sick of the mistreatment that was sent his way. All she had to do was appeal to that feeling of disdain and lure him in with praise, whether it was empty praise or no.

Just getting him to the ballroom was an accomplishment, Damia thought she would need to at least get a few years of attendance from him to sway them to their side but no! The goddess of luck smiled upon her, and she was not only able to find a possible angle to sway him, but she succeeded too! The whole problem with him was his loyalty to the Royal Family, 'He's too loyal' they said, 'It would be suicide' they said. 'Well look now, naysayers!' she thought, 'Not only was he a man of the people, but he was a man loyal to people not even in his country!'.

Adding him to the ranks of the organization was a literal miracle, but it didn't mean they were off free. Gorum was an enigma and could change his mind any moment. So instead of immediately putting him into combat, where is use could backfire, why not put him to use another way? Damia came up with it on the spot and sent him to test a combatant that was going to enter the organization. That way they could properly vet the strength of newcomers, as well as keep Gorum away from anything too important.

She had to admit though, even within her excitement in succeeding to invite him, she was utterly terrified of him in person. Everyone in the ballroom was, after all he has a presence that literally intimidates your most primal instincts. It was surprising that everyone held it together when even Damia herself was trying not to tremble, and she was no pushover. She was around level 79,600 and had plenty of modifications done to her body on top of her natural strength. It just went to show the difference between him and everyone else.

"I just hope he doesn't change his mind." she said quietly as she stood in an emptier spot within the ballroom, her attendants clean the drool from her fangs.

"What was that madame?" One of her attendants asked.

"Ah, nothing at all my dear. Nothing at all..." Damia said, her mind stirring with thought.