System in Assassin's Creed

Chapter 106: Chapter 105: Premium Mattress

[Current Balance: 44,991,012,234 akçe]

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Days blurred into nights and back into days within the timeless Isu structure. Alaric lost track of how long they fought... was it one day? Two? More?

The Staff sustained Kassandra, allowing her to fight without rest, her ’demigod’ physiology pushed to its absolute limits.

Alaric, drawing on his own immense chakra reserves and enhanced body, matched her endurance blow for blow.

He landed more hits now... sharp kicks, quick punches, occasional slashes with Kusanagi that left shallow cuts on her arms or legs, testing her limits, gauging her reactions. She, in turn, managed to score glancing blows with the spear, fueled by millennia of combat experience and the Staff’s power.

Neither could land a decisive strike, well Alaric purposely didn’t land one... he was enjoying this.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, perhaps more than two full days of continuous, high-intensity combat, Kassandra began to falter.

Her movements, while still incredibly fast and powerful, lost their perfect edge. Her breathing grew ragged, sweat plastered her braided hair to her face. The golden light of the spear flickered slightly.

Alaric pressed his advantage slightly, a series of quick feints followed by a solid kick that sent her stumbling backwards again. This time, she didn’t recover immediately.

Her knees buckled, and she dropped to the Isu platform, supporting herself on one hand, spear clattering beside her, panting heavily, utterly exhausted. The Staff’s power could sustain her body, but even her ’demigod’ will had its limits against such an opponent.

Kassandra gave up, collapsing fully onto the floor of the Isu platform, lying on her back and gasping for air.

She had fought countless battles across more than two thousand years, faced ’gods’, monsters, and armies, but this... this was different.

She had never fought a single opponent continuously for days on end, never faced someone who seemed utterly tireless, impossibly skilled, and annoyingly calm throughout.

”You...” she panted, staring up at the cavern’s shadowed ceiling. ”Haaa... Who are you, really?”

She turned her head slightly, looking at Alaric who stood nearby, as his sword was nowhere in sight, looking remarkably composed despite the marathon battle. ”You do not seem to tire... you heal almost instantly when I did manage to wound you... and,” she frowned, remembering the feeling throughout the fight, ”I feel like... like you were not even serious fighting me...”

Alaric walked calmly towards her. He pulled the cigar pack from his pocket, selected one, put the pack away, and sat down cross-legged on the floor a couple of meters away from the exhausted demigod.

”I told you,” he replied easily, lighting the cigar tip with his finger. ”The name’s Alaric.” He took a long, slow drag, letting the smoke curl upwards.

”And believe me, I actually put quite a lot of effort into not being killed by you back there,” He offered a small, genuine smile. ”You are really strong, misthios.”

Kassandra watched him, still catching her breath. She pushed herself up slightly, leaning on her elbows. ”Really?” she asked, her tone laced with skepticism. ”That sounds... condescending, coming from someone who looks like they just finished a light stroll.”

”No, really,” Alaric insisted, meeting her gaze squarely. ”You are, without a doubt, the first person to make me use more than half of my strength in a very, very long time.”

Kassandra sighed, letting her head fall back onto the floor. ”I have lived for twenty-one centuries,” she murmured, staring up into the darkness again. ”Fought in countless wars, battled creatures of myth... This is the first time I have ever faced such... utter defeat against a single opponent.”

”Well,” Alaric replied philosophically around his cigar, ”there’s always a first time for everything, right?”

Kassandra stared at the ceiling for another moment, then gave a small, weary nod in agreement.

Silence fell between them, broken only by the faint hum of the Isu chamber and the distant, unseen movement of ocean life beyond the hexagonal window.

Seeing that she wasn’t speaking further, Alaric decided to prompt her. ”Aren’t you going to ask me what I’m doing here?” he asked casually. ”How I found this place? How I knew about you, Aletheia, the Staff? I could be a bad guy, you know... Order of Ancients, Templar, whatever they call themselves these days.”

Kassandra chuckled weakly, turning her head to look at him again.

”I admit, I am intensely curious, Alaric Kenway,” she said, her voice regaining some strength. ”But... if you truly had ill intentions, you could have killed me easily during our fight. Or,” she added, gesturing slightly with her head towards her current exhausted state, ”you could kill me right now. You haven’t.” She paused, studying him. ”Aletheia may not trust you, but... you do not feel like an enemy.”

Alaric nodded slowly, taking another drag from his cigar.

”True...” Seeing that Kassandra was closing her eyes again, likely needing rest, Alaric decided a bit of comfort was in order. He opened the System interface mentally.

[Premium Mattress - 768 akçe]

[Akimichi Barbecue (2x) - 24 akçe]

[Gallon (w/ consumable water) (1x) - 12 akçe]

[Tsuchikage’s Ceramic Cup (2x) - 24 akçe]

[Total Deduction: - 828 akçe]

[Current Balance: 44,991,011,430 akçe]

With barely a sound, a surprisingly plush-looking mattress appeared on the floor beside Alaric, settling between him and Kassandra. A large gallon jug of fresh water materialized next to it, along with two simple ceramic cups. Finally, two large Akimichi barbecue appeared in Alaric’s hands.

Alaric shifted slightly, getting comfortable on the edge of the mattress. Kassandra’s eyes snapped open at the sudden, delicious smell of roasted meat.

She turned her head, blinking in surprise as she saw Alaric holding out one of the large barbecue skewers towards her. Her eyes widened slightly again, but exhaustion and hunger quickly won out over suspicion. She pushed herself into a sitting position on the floor.

She took the offered skewer, murmuring a quiet, ”Ευχαριστώ,” (Thank you) before immediately taking a large bite, her eyes closing briefly in appreciation. As she ate, she noticed the mattress beside her. She paused mid-chew, raising an eyebrow at Alaric.

”Where did you get that?” she asked, nodding towards the mattress.

Alaric just smiled enigmatically around his cigar. ”Oh, you know... here and there.”

Kassandra’s eyes twitched slightly, but she seemed too tired and too hungry to press the issue. She focused on finishing the barbecue, which disappeared remarkably quickly. When she was done, Alaric poured water from the gallon jug into one of the ceramic cups and handed it to her.

Kassandra accepted the cup gratefully, drinking deeply. She sighed, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand.

”Alright, Alaric Kenway,” she said, looking at him directly now, her curiosity apparently rekindled. ”You fight like a demigod, appear from nowhere, know things you shouldn’t... What is your purpose here? You fight me half to death, then share a meal with me on a... surprisingly comfortable mattress?”

Alaric chuckled, taking a sip from his own cup. ”Huh? Are you crazy?” he teased, echoing her earlier words. ”You started the fight!”

Kassandra stared at him for a second, then a reluctant smile touched her lips. ”Fair...”

Seeing her smile, Alaric remember why he kept playing AC Oddysey back in his previous world.

’Fuck... I can’t not fall in love with that smile...’

’Fuck...’

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