Ascension of the Nephilim

Kyros knew his father best. He had seen the strength and power of his father and have heard tales of how the two grew up. But, as Kyros grew older and met more powerful warriors, he knew that his father was a cut above the rest.

And so, even with their little strength, Aron and Branze Steele lived legendary lives that were only eclipsed when Kyros grew strong. But the foundations that these two men left behind greatly refined Kyros. And as Kyros found the workings of Fate and destiny, Kyros began to suspect something.

Was the Steele family the family that Kyros had to meet according to Fate's design?

Kyros believed so. Kyros believed that Aron and Branze aren't just normal warriors. The invention of the Force Paladin itself broke common sense. And so, Kyros plotted a new path that his family would follow. It would be a Path that relied on Aron and Branze to get stronger.

"Champions?" Aron and Branze spoke together.

"Yes." Kyros nodded.

"Uncle. You have seen the cruelty of this Temple. Do you think that the future challenges will be easier?" Kyros asked.

Aron immediately shook his head.

"No. If it weren't for you, we would have been massacred. My full abilities would only lead to death."

Branze was amazed that his strong brother admitted this. 

"The Temple has bestowed to me a title called Fate Challenger. There is a great mystery in this mountain and to what the Golems protect. Have you been informed of what has happened?"

"I deduced that you managed to create a rather beneficial alliance with the golems. But other than that, I'm confused. That green golem over there was quite powerful before. But now he's weaker. That one called Stoph was rather submissive to you." Aron pointed at the other golem.

"He plotted to have his men kill the knights if you went down. Your Warrior's Instinct saved the men, Uncle. If you followed this stupid golem to go down, the other golems would have attacked you."

"I knew it! I was right in not trusting him! Kyros, are these golems to be trusted? While I am happy that they are still with us and do not discriminate against their new race, I still count three of my men dead! And that golem is to be blamed! What of the rest? What could they be plotting?"

"He... already apologized." Branze interrupted. As the person responsible for degrading the pride of such a respected creature, Branze felt the need to inform his brother that he should no longer bear any hatred.

"Apologized? That's not enough!" Aron frowned.

Mardock's expression was incredibly ugly. Was he to offer his buttocks once more?

"It's like this..." Branze interrupted and went ahead to tell of the fabulous tale.

"He... called you Daddy?" Aron was amazed. His focus was not on the fact that the Golem King killed Mardock, and this was some form of a weaker resurrected body.

Mardock's expression turned even uglier at how Branze recounted the tale.

Branze even detailed the loud sound of the slap.

Aron laughed, and the Knights were all laughing as well.

"Right now, this Mardock is my summoned Golem." Kyros explained as he raised the True Entropy Core.

"This is his punishment for going against his word. So, please forgive this golem's injustice, Uncle. And that goes for you all. These Golems have paid back in full whatever debt they have incurred. They are our allies now. Is that clear?"

"Yes, Lord Kyros." The Knights and Vampires chorused.

"Alright. Now back to our topic. These Golems protect something inside from coming out. There is a great mystery in this Temple, and it seems to be a Temple that challenges Fate itself. In fact, upon defeating the Black Lizard Prince that led those large lizards, I got a notification that I have become a Fate Challenger." Kyros tweaked the details.

"Fate Challenger?"

"Fate is a mystery that we cannot fathom. But it seems to be that we can go up against Fate and even challenge the destiny that the gods, devils, and the heavens itself have set on us! Father... Uncle. You two are mighty warriors. Uncle has Warriors Instinct and how Father did not cower in front of the Golem King Petra proves that you are unlike any other. And so, I ask you to aspire to this impossible mission! Become Champions without becoming Champions! Be warriors that can fight and even kill Champions with the level, power, and abilities you have now!"

Branze and Aron both frowned.

"You want me and your father to have the strength of a Champion, which is a class higher than the Paladin, with just our current strength?"

"Uncle and Father. The two of you are now capable of magic. This means that the chances of becoming a Paladin that uses Force are possible! You have to get stronger with this foundation! I allowed us to use the Temple one more time, but we should stop doing so."

"Can't we just stop using the Temple altogether? We've already gotten what we can to the temple! Why not abandon it and lure other people here. Then, those vampires can try to own the Temple. I am convinced that no one can do what we just did!" Aron agreed.

"The problem is, Uncle... We have to keep using it because if we don't, we will die. My discussion with Petra revealed an interesting thing. This Temple... no, this entire mountain is a large seal. It is used to seal horrifying creatures like those lizards. And the golems are dying. You must have heard what me and Stoph discussed on the way here, Father."

"I have. Brother, these Golems have limited magic. Their life itself is spent as they move and fight. If we leave them alone, the monsters down the mountain will soon kill them, and it spills out and create a great turmoil in the lands." Branze explained.

"We should inform the kingdom!" Aron suggested.

"No." Kyros and Branze spoke together.

Aron was surprised that the two spoke in unison. 

"You two seemed to be becoming more and more like real father and son." Aron frowned.

"Why?" He then asked.

"Our travel here was faced with various obstacles, brother. The nobles are acting once more, and there is clearly is a power struggle within the kingdom. The knights told me of the curse that befell them. It seems it wasn't just us. Father even used a powerful Message Talisman right before we met Avary. He informed me that he felt a strange upheaval that he could not explain. It was so clear that he sent me that message to warn me! And when Kyros told me that Fate is after us, it made sense. If we inform the kingdom, they will silence and kill us as we would get caught in the middle of this power struggle!" Branze explained.

"So that's it... The moment I woke up, I have been feeling a sense of danger lingering around me. So it's Fate? This is crazy!" Aron realized the strange uneasiness in his heart.

"Yes, Uncle. But this insanity is with a purpose. I believe that based on what I've seen and heard from Petra, the monsters that are appearing here are something brought together by Fate. The Temple trains us to fight not just the monsters but also a mysterious power that perhaps involves gods and devils! This is why the Temple bestowed its rewards on us!" Kyros explained and twisted the truth about the Temple and the Nephilim Sealing Mountain.

"So we are now... people bound to challenge Fate no matter what we do?"

"That is correct. Who knows? What if the Fate of this world, of this entire Planes World, is to be overrun and killed with monsters? We not only have an obligation to keep fighting, but we don't have a choice anymore. We have to fight." Kyros explained.

"So we need to use the Temple, but the Temple is going to throw us into near-impossible situations whenever we achieve a certain level of success just like what happened to us in that lizard hole?!" Aron cursed.

"This is why I proposed to Father that we are to give up our nobility and become freemen. We sell our lands, our estates, and businesses and hide from the world. Remember what Fate told me before we got sent to lizards nest? We've exceeded Fate's limits, and it began to throw its tribulation on us!"

"I see. So you intend to reduce our family's power. Does that mean... that our family... the Steele Family is now under a curse of Fate?" Aron questioned.

Branze turned to Kyros as well. He felt this and knew that Fate targeted his entire family since his own father sent him a message.

Kyros willed for the temple to display it overhead.

---

All members of the Steele Family are now cursed with Bloodline Success Limiter. 

All members of the Steele Family are now cursed with Bloodline Apathy of Fate.

All members of the Steele Family's Limiter and Fate Curses increase as Kyros's curses increase.

---

Kyros had tried to program the Temple to minimize the Temple's information or even make the Temple show fake information, but he failed. Left with no choice, Kyros decided to show this since he had already told Aron that the Fate Temple had some direct link.

Branze and Aron were amazed at the appearance of the information overhead. The knights all had disbelieving and horrified expressions.

"What curse do you have?" Branze asked Kyros.

"I have the same curse with you, father. But I feel that it will change soon. Fate has chosen us to be her warriors. And to do that, she will throw us into hell!" Kyros explained.

The expressions of the knights of Aron and the three young vampires turned grim. Some were even visibly trembling. They all experienced the horrors that this Temple brought.

"Uncle. Father. This is why I am asking an impossible thing from you." Kyros pleaded.

Aron wore an ugly expression. A knight saw Aron's expression, and his face sunk all the more. 

It was then that Aron realized his expressions and reactions were causing morale to drop. He then recalled how he lost morale and how Kyros stood firm and saved them.

"I'm such an idiot. And I thought I'd be stronger..." Aron sighed quietly.

"Knights!" Aron suddenly shouted.

The knights were startled.

"Why are you all having such pitiable expressions!? We have grown stronger. We have survived. But need I remind you that we did because of my nephew?! Listen, we were caught off guard! But my nephew is pretty smart! And don't forget, we are allied with a Golem army!" Aron berated.

"So what's with the ugly looks? The answer is simple! We have to get stronger! We have to get strong enough to go up against Fate! And me and my brother will lead the way! We will be stronger! I will show you a Paladin that can not only kill a Champion but a Supreme!" Aron vowed.

Branze smiled at Aron's speech.

"That's right. I will also point out, dear knights... of the amazing powers you now have. If we train properly, we can all easily challenge and defeat warriors, mages, and fighters that are several levels higher than us!" Branze laughed.

Kyros also smiled. He didn't need to use oration, and Aron managed to bring back the morale of his knights.

"That's right, Father... Uncle. You two have to get stronger. Let's escape the workings of Fate and destiny together!" Kyros thought in his heart.