[Congratulations! You have completed the Intermediary fitness path (100/100)! +5 to Vitality and Endurance. You have earned the skill Haste Lv 1.
Congratulations! You have completed the Shadow mage (50/50)! +5 Intelligence and focus. You have earned the skill Improved shadow affinity (O).
Congratulations! You have completed the Light mage (50/50)! +5 Intelligence and control. You have earned the skill Improved Light affinity (O).
Congratulations! You have completed the Doctor (50/50)! +5 Agility and Control. Your skill Elemental analysis (O) Lv 17 has evolved into Deep intricate analysis (Y) Lv 17.
Congratulations! You have completed the Dedicated healer (125/125)! +3 Agility, Perception, Control and Wisdom. You have earned the skill Intensive care (O) Lv 1]
Even as he took the chance to complete some side paths, Aki could not help but note that his points ended at around the same amount as when he'd begun spending them thanks to his new skills and his constant abuse of his body.
The only reason he had taken breaks to do so at all though, was because he had finally had the chance to fight a proper warrior, and it turns out that he sucked as a halberdier.
"You have not the patience to use the control needed for the spear. Perhaps an axe or hammer would be better than a pole weapon?" Suggested the hunter that had agreed to train him.
The man had clearly not expected a mage to ask for his training though, and had been growing increasingly constipated at having to teach him everything.
"Look, that's exactly the point. I just know I will be defeated because of these character flaws and I need them out of my system before I face something that actually has a chance at killing me.” Aki pointed out while drawing in slow and deep breaths. The other man couldn’t help but agree, but he was also not the best person to act the part of instructor to such an untalented and unfocused disciple, nevermind that he was a spearman, not a halberdier.
He didn’t mind sparring against the quickly adapting fighter, but he would not teach him as he had hoped.
“Mister Aki! Mister Robert’s calling ya, said sum’thing bout diplomatics and that they need help.” Rushed in a runner, the man looking like a stereotype of a gangster with the amount of ‘bling’ on his person despite the rather simplistic clothes he wore below his leather armor. The system translation even had to ignore part of his jargon to make sense of what he said, something he’d noted was rather rare.
He didn’t answer the man immediately though, instead downing a tube of gray liquid which would basically work like IV but dissipating from his throat and through his whole body, then started burning it for stamina and health with his spell.
“Show me the way and be fast about it.” He said, immediately activating Haste and reinforcing his body with mana as well. If there ended up being a fight he’d just take a potion. It was great to have money to spend like water, but he really wished he had a helmet that could easily retract the mouthpart. As it stood, he had simply taken it off for the training session and put it in one of his bags.
Turn after another, they went faster and faster as the would-be gangster noticed that Aki, supposedly the most terrifying mage around, could perfectly keep up with him. With their speed, it took only ten or so minutes for them to reach the place in the open fields where people stood.
Well, he said people but…
“Holy fuck, someone please tell me these are all people from one of the races we’re going to be sharing the planet with.” Exclaimed the young mage as he approached, taking stock of said aliens as everyone’s attention fell on him.
They all had slightly forward mouths, tanned or gray skin and big, fluffy ears at the top of their heads. Oh, and everyone of them looked like they could be top models for fitness, wearing togas and dresses of what looked to be from the greek and roman ages.
“What? I can’t possibly be the only one that has a thing for muscles. Look at that guy, I'm pretty sure I could do push ups on his back and still have free space.” He pointed out, gesturing towards the tallest of the dozen or so hare-people. Who impassively took a step back with a very blank face.
“Agor is not interested in other males.” Seriously said a comparatively smaller woman, at around one seventy in height and with a shining chestnut mess of hair and golden eyes. “Are you this tribes’ warchief?”
“A shame on that first one, but you could probably call me warchief with little error in translation to your own language and culture. Just to be specific, you mean a great warrior that leads others into battle and helps with decisions of defence and opportunity?” Getting a nod at his definition, Aki then reaffirmed that he was indeed the warchief.
“In that case I challenge you to a duel of leadership.” She said, splitting her palm with a knife from her skirt of strange cloth and presenting it. Aki just shrugged.
“Sorry to disappoint, but I'm unable to cut my palm open with the gauntlet on, so if you could wait for a couple of minutes while I take it off, yeah awkward, I noticed.” He said, the woman in front of him blushing a bit but keeping her hand extended. Quickly taking off said apparel, he cut his hand with magic but didn’t immediately take her hand.
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“Let’s just wait while everybody gives us some space, you can tell me about this duel. Fists only, weapons allowed, no potions…?” He questioned, shooing the other humans away.
There was some hesitation from his side of things, but both groups ended walking a small distance away from both combatants.
“You may fight however you want, but no external substances. We go until one of us surrenders or dies.” She said in an overly serious tone.
“I can agree to the rest, but I will say it now that I refuse to kill you. It’d be as bad an idea as passing my time by cutting off my fingers, so I must insist we go until one of us is unable to move, unconscious or surrenders.” He said, cutting his hand again as it’d scabbed over.
“That…” She seemed unsure for a moment, but nodded eventually. He took her hand. Something initiated, they needed to duel according to the rules, now. He saw the punch coming for his face thanks to how fast his mind could go, but instead of dodging, Aki just grinned and gripped her hand tighter, throwing a reinforced punch of his own.
As the fist landed, he tasted blood and heard a crack. His jaw had been dislocated and several teeth had broken, his Intensive care skill informed him. His own punch seemed to have done similar damage, but before she could punch him again, he increased his speed and judo throwed her over his shoulder.
She hit the ground, he could even feel a bit of blood hitting his face, but she caught his leg and made him fall as well, taking her positioning as a chance to headbut his genitals.
Despite the stone and carapace on the way, which he was pretty sure had cracked, he felt it. All that did was make him enter rage however. Punching her side, he felt something pop, a small scream choked in her throat at the pain, which seemed to have a similar effect on her.
And so began a rather immature if bloody battle for supremacy. In the end however, the guy with magical healing won the slugfest through the sheer difference in the amount of resources they had.
His armour was basically a goner, but Aki didn't mind it much. He needed to make a new one anyway since he now had access to actual metals and reagents.
After taking a few potions, he was back to full and started to heal his opponent, who promptly awoke even as her bones were still going back into place.
"Are all duels for leadership like mud fights but to the death?" He asked, his opponent still a but unsteady but blushing as she heard his comment. At least he thought her blushing, as there were no other reasons for so much blood flowing through head according to his scanning.
"All of mine ended up like that, yes, but the duels are sacred, so don't go about saying that." She shided with a hiss, seemingly both from the internal bruising healing and from anger. Aki just nodded.
Both their people were coming forward, and his opponent turned to her group only to shake her head, which seemed to sadden them. Just to be sure there was going to be no backstabbing, he decided to invest his points for free stats.
[Congratulations! You have completed the Founder path (1000/1000)! +50 free stat points. +1 free stat points per level. +35% experience gained. +20% Skill growth. All regeneration multiplied by 1.1x. You have earned the skills Idol {Humanity} (G) Lv 1
Idol {Humanity} (G) Lv 1- Humans find you slightly easier to like and are slightly more affected by your social skills. Effects increase minimally with skill level.]
A bit better than what he'd expected, but a sudden increase in fifty points could do a lot in the middle of a battle. As they got closer however, all the hare-people fell to their knees, including his still unnamed opponent.
“The remnants of Clan Var swear our allegiance to you. Use us as you will.” Declared the golden eyed woman with a solemn tone and lowered head.
“Oh, so that’s it.” Aki noted with a tone of realisation. “In that case I declare you all equal citizens of my yet unnamed village. You have the same basic rights as any of my own, so just contribute to the whole and there should be no problems with your treatment by officials. Some people are still afraid and disgusted by what is strange though, so beware of any possible racists but don’t mind putting them in their place, preferably with words, but if you’re to fight, do not be the first to attack.” His declaration seemed to surprise the dozen or so refugees, some even crying. “Did I forget anything Robert? No? Then it should be fine to help them find something to do. If you need me I will be back at the training grounds.”
“Wait!” Exclaimed his opponent in the duel, almost losing balance as she tried to remain on her knees despite most others having already stood up. “There’s one more thing.” She said with some reluctance.
"Melala, he is not a farvit, the rules specifically say…" Agor tried to say something, clearly uncomfortable with the situation, but he was silenced by a glare from the target of his pity, who then turned to regard Aki in all seriousness.
"The loser of the duel, if alive, is to be humiliated for a day and night as the victor sees fit. And then become their bitch/slave." She said, the last word not perfectly translating.
There was silence for a bit. All the humans looked at Aki and he looked back at them. The farvit gave the kneeling woman pitying looks, some gritting their teeths. Eventually, he turned to address her in all seriousness, lifting her up from her knees first.
“Look, I understand this is all rather important to you, power begets duty and all of that, but I'm only willing to bend my own beliefs so much for your own. I don’t have a use for a slave, so none of that, and I'm even less interested in taking a woman I know right about nothing into my bed.” He explained with much the same level of seriousness, every human present at least partially agreeing.
The fact remained that she still looked like a tall and lithe latina with firm curves in all the right place and a build that was mouth watering, so she could probably bed most by simply asking nicely.
"But… I…" She seemed to want to say something about this but didn't quite have the words. The tutorial had her interacting with a few humans, but she didn't expect this kind of response. "What about my punishment? Avoiding something like that would be even more disgraceful!" As she voiced her concerns, it was possible to hear everyone present mentally facepalming.
"Look, I'm an embarrassing enough guy to be around, so how about I show you the city, we get to know each other and then we see how things go from there?" Aki offered with a sigh.