King woke early the next morning, his mind already focused on the tasks ahead. The fog had cleared, he had rested enough, and now it was time to move forward.

"The Arcbearer’s Tablehold".

King had been planning this since before the Second Woe concluded. The Tablehold represented access to some of the most powerful questlines in the entire game, difficult, demanding, and incredibly rewarding.

During his playthroughs, King had barely scratched the surface of what the Arcbearers offered. The limited number of medallions and the constant pressure of progression had always forced him to choose efficiency over exploration.

But now things were different.

He had one hundred Arcbearer’s Medallions. He had allies who could tackle multiple questlines simultaneously. And he had the strategic foresight to know which quests provided the greatest long-term advantages.

King left his quarters and headed to the common area.

Vi, Eli, and Maya were already gathered there, waiting. They’d developed a routine over the past few days, meeting in the mornings to discuss plans, and coordinate their next moves.

King approached the table where they sat and pulled up a chair.

"I’ve mapped our next target," King said without preamble. "The Arcbearer’s Tablehold. It’s time."

Vi leaned forward, her expression attentive. "What’s the objective?"

"Two simultaneous quests," King explained. "Both difficult, but also essential for what’s coming."

He opened his interface and projected a shared screen that displayed basic information he’d drafted about the Tablehold and its associated questlines.

"The tasks won’t be easy," King continued. "But we’ve already fought alongside the Arcbearers during the Second Woe. They won’t be hostile toward us. That gives us access other players don’t have."

Eli studied the projected information carefully. "What are the specific quests you want us to trigger?"

King highlighted two entries on the display.

"Quest of the Iscariot," King said, gesturing to the first. "Iscariot is the Arcbearer of The Cross. His questline is about redemption and atonement. It’ll take you and Maya to meet The Old Ones, one of the first NPCs according to the lore."

"I picked that quest for you two because of an important factor, and that’s because Iscariot accompanies you throughout the quest. That makes it safer than it sounds. He’s extremely powerful, and his presence ensures you won’t be overwhelmed by whatever you encounter."

Eli nodded slowly. "And what will you be doing?"

King highlighted the second quest he wrote out.

"Quest of Zauron, the Arcbearer of Power," King said. "Vi and I will handle this one. Zauron’s questline is more combat-focused, more direct. It involves going deep into the Fallen Stars territory."

"Back to Constin city?" Vi asked.

"Exactly," King agreed. "But the rewards are worth it. Zauron grants access to power-scaling equipment that increase basically everything. That’ll be critical for the Third Woe."

Maya watched the conversation silently, her large eyes moving between speakers. She seemed to understand the gravity of what was being discussed, even without speaking.

King dismissed the projected screen and looked at each of them in turn.

"We can do this," he said firmly. "Together, we’ve survived two Woes. We’ve faced impossible odds and come out ahead. These quests are difficult, but they’re not beyond us."

He reached into his inventory and produced six Arcbearer’s Medallions, placing them on the table.

"Two for Eli, two for Maya," King said. "And two for Vi. We’ll use these to reverse summon directly to the Tablehold. Once we’re there, we split up and trigger our respective quests simultaneously, then return."

Eli picked up one of the medallions, examining it carefully. The artifact was small, but unique, with intricate engravings covering both faces. It pulsed with faint energy, responding to Eli’s touch.

"Understood, Master King," Eli said. "When do we depart?"

"Now," King replied.

They stood together, each of them grabbing hold of the items.

And a prompt appeared before them.

[Summon, Reverse Summon]

King tapped the ’Reverse Summon’ prompt first first. The function engaged immediately, different from the standard teleportation feature. Instead of calling an Arcbearer to his location, this would transport him to the Arcbearer’s domain.

Vi activated her’s as well.

Eli showed Maya the prompt an they both activated simultaneously, Maya clinging to him as the energy built.

White light engulfed all four.

And they vanished from the Victorian estate.

-

They materialized at the end of a darkened hallway.

King blinked, adjusting to the sudden change in lighting. The hallway stretched ahead of them, illuminated only by flickering torches mounted on bronze-lined walls. The architecture was ancient, predating anything the others had seen in the game’s standard territories.

Massive stone blocks formed the walls, fitted together with a skill that suggested master craftsmanship from a forgotten age.

Eli and Maya stood beside them, having arrived at the same location.

"Stay close," King said quietly.

They moved forward as a group, footsteps echoing against the stone floor. The hallway extended for approximately fifty meters before opening into a much larger space.

King stepped through the threshold and stopped, taking in the sight.

The Arcbearer’s Tablehold.

A massive circular hall spread before them, easily a hundred meters in diameter. The ceiling soared high overhead, illuminated by the ambient light that seemed to emanate from the walls themselves. Bronze fixtures lined the perimeter, tarnished and aged but still maintaining traces of their former glory.

This place had once been magnificent. One could see evidence of that in the intricate carvings along the walls, the craftsmanship of the bronze detailing, the architectural display of the space’s construction.

But those glory days had passed long ago. Now the hall felt abandoned, forgotten, a monument to something that had ended before the current game even began.

At the center of the hall sat a massive circular table.

The table’s surface was carved from a single piece of dark stone, polished smooth despite its obvious age. And rising from its exact center, a pillar of floating artifacts hovered in defiance of gravity. Scientifcal weapons, armor pieces, scrolls, talismans, dozens of powerful items suspended in mid-air, rotating slowly around the central axis.

Several chairs surrounded the table. Not ordinary chairs, but thrones. Each one unique, crafted for a specific individual.

Abandoned thrones for forgotten warriors.

Multiple doorways lined the edges of the hall, each one leading to a different hallway.

King counted at least twelve separate entrances, though more did exist in the shadowed areas beyond his immediate vision.

King oriented himself using the hallway they’d entered from as a reference point. He turned to Eli and pointed toward the third doorway on the left side of the hall.

"That one," King said. "Walk to the end. Iscariot’s chamber is there."

Eli nodded and began walking, carrying Maya across the hall.

They reached the designated doorway and stopped. Eli looked back at King one final time, seeking confirmation.

King nodded. 𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚

Eli opened the door.

From King’s position across the hall, he could just barely see inside.

A figure hunched in the chamber beyond, carrying something massive on his back. A crucifix. Larger than a man, wooden and weathered, bound to the figure’s shoulders with chains that seemed to dig into flesh.

The Arcbearer of The Cross. Iscariot.

Eli and Maya stepped through the doorway. The door closed behind them with a heavy thud.

King turned away, refocusing on his own objective. He took Vi’s hand and led her toward a different section of the tablehold.