A speedy pursuit and frequent projectiles with the power of Expend behind them kept Francesca on the backfoot. She struggled to mount an offense while focusing on fleeing and defending. It meant Nil burned through his stores swiftly, and he worried that letting the battle drag on wasn’t in his best interests. Supercharging durability momentarily slowed the bleeding, but several streams of crimson now flowed from the many lacerations covering his body. He didn’t want to let things get as close as during his last match.
Not going to risk defeat by a thousand cuts.
Energy Instinct helped him track Francesca, but she got wind of his tracking and used decoys to throw Nil off her scent. He ran into three giant motes of murky energy, which exploded as soon as he made contact. They faded into the atmosphere, and Nil hoped that meant the woman had less to use against him. On the bright side, they helped fill Brutal Battery to forty percent.
Finesse has progressed to Iron 7!
I fucking love the Body Pill!
Nil took a moment to gather himself as he scanned his surroundings. He didn’t have much time, and Francesca probably guessed as much. A handful of minutes ago, he was almost sure it was a losing match, but he took it as an opportunity for growth. Now, he saw the possibility of victory and refused to let it go.
Meatball wriggled in his core. Nil could feel the Ironroot Whelp’s desire to burst free and aid him, but he refused to let her free. She wouldn’t die as long as he lived—or so the Moon Rabbit Emporium’s literature told him. However, she was still a newborn, and Nil refused to let her risk herself. He looked at the visage, but she was no help. It stood on the remains of a nearby building, casually watching Francesca’s magic diffuse and mingle with the local flora’s energies.
The rain intensified. Nil let it fill his cupped hands and washed the salt out of his mouth. It confirmed his suspicions. Unlike Francesca’s manipulated water, the rain tasted fresh. It carried a trace of magic, but nothing he deemed anomalous or dangerous.
Daughter of Venice. Chosen By The Tides. She’s manipulating brine.
Nil was sure Francesca had figured out his sensory ability. Brown wisps now filled the arena. Fortunately for him, she seemed to think it relied on sight. When Nil closed his eyes, the individual motes and strands did little to mask the presence beyond them. In fact, as he focused on Energy Instinct with his eyes closed, he had little trouble detecting the minute threads that snaked around the battlefield, connecting them to a singular control point. It almost felt like a spiderweb. He was almost sure that passing or touching any of them would help his opponent home in on him.
After a couple of seconds of studying his surroundings, Nil took to the roofs. Francesca’s detection network wasn’t as dense above ground level. He could also feel her mounting a powerful ability or spell in the distance. Time was of the essence. He wasn’t just at the risk of slowly bleeding out; letting his opponent pull off whatever she was planning would also cost him his victory.
Even though Nil’s stores were at less than half of full capacity, he supercharged speed as he closed in on Francesca. Keeping Absorb active helped keep his energy levels from dipping too low. The ability to silence his movements proved a godsend, as always. The physics of it still didn’t make sense to Nil, and he knew better than to waste time questioning it.
A slight light-headedness struck Nil as he ascended the remains of a clock tower. It finally gave him a good look at Francesca. She had erected a dense dome around herself. An intricate network of crisscrossing brown strands filled it. They grew thicker and more dense as she reeled in her sensory network. The water rippled, and occasionally, little spikes danced on the surface. Francesca stood within, eyes closed, and body relaxed. The water distorted Nil’s image of her, but he was sure she looked pale. Bits of her seemed to tremble too. He hoped it meant she was running out of time.
Waiting her out wasn’t a valid tactic, so Nil raced onward. It would come with several new scratches and minor lacerations, but he took the risk. Leaping from the clocktower helped him get his energy levels just shy of eight percent. He supercharged durability once close enough to the dome just as Francesca began her assault. She kept her eyes closed, but Nil couldn’t help but touch the strands of brown energy. Watery spikes struck Nil. The energy was particularly dense around their points, and Absorb did little to defend against them. The attacks restored his energy but also shredded his skin and flesh.
Spark has progressed to Iron 9!
Despite the icy cold water, Nil started with an explosive punch that burned his fist. He then switched to trickling energy through his skin again and pushed the sensation until it felt like the beginnings of heatstroke. All water that touched Nil immediately evaporated, and he proceeded to pummel the dome, snapping Francesca out of her seemingly meditative state. The spikes that attacked him grew more purposeful, but they now inflicted less damage on him than they did while he had Absorb active. On the downside, he felt his stores draining rapidly and sped up his assault.
A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.
Energy Instinct helped him channel additional energy into his hands and forearms, evaporating the dome even faster. The intricate brown network within started to unravel. Nil’s assault had the intended result. Francesca appeared terrified as she threw more attacks at Nil, but none of them stopped him. The boiling water and steam left her flushed, and Nil spotted burns and blisters on her pale skin whenever he made an opening. It proved a double-edged sword. His arms and cheeks suffered major burns, but he barely felt any of them through the growing discomfort caused by the continued use of Expend.
The taste of salt in Nil’s mouth increased. Then, blood joined it. At first, Nil discounted the discomfort as a product of his exertion. He kept pushing himself as Francesca fell onto her hands and knees and crawled backward away from him. The dome didn’t let up, and Nil was sure he would win if he just got her to pass out. The steam would eventually burn her bad enough to send her body into shock, or she’d suffocate. It was a battle of durability and Might, and Nil was almost sure he won in said departments.
Everything changed as piercing pain filled his mouth and nasal passages. The same sensation dominated his throat and chest a moment later. It felt like he had inhaled glass. The dome finally fell away. Nil’s eyes felt dry. It felt like his eyes were on fire, but he still managed to glimpse the white crystalline growths on her back and shoulders. They were sharp and spiky, and several appeared to pierce her skin. Finally, Nil realized what was assailing him. What was on Francesca was also inside him.
Breathing proved challenging. The contents of his lungs sloshed. All thoughts of victory left Nil as he collapsed. When he coughed, blood burst from his mouth and nostrils. He desperately dragged himself toward Francesca, hoping to get in the winning blow. The handful of feet felt like miles.
Brown energy swelled ahead as he was getting closer.
Energy Instinct has progressed to Iron 1!
Might has progressed Iron 4!
Nil channelled Absorb, but it didn’t help. A barrage of aquatic projectiles followed. The pain didn’t compare to what he felt inside. Nil tried to voice his surrender but failed. Only blood flowed when he opened his mouth. Fortunately, the arena construct read his mind or intention—or was sure he was on the verge of death. The dark arena and luminous plants disappeared in a flash. A moment later, he found himself in the backrooms with half a dozen robed individuals fussing over him.
You have lost and ended the Gauntlet of Ten run with three victories. Your performance was deemed excellent, and the arena construct would like to encourage you to try again.
You have received 1 Schema Token and 50 Schema Credits as a consolation prize.
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“That was a good attempt,” Selia said. The arena construct teleported Nil back to Wilson Ludus’ Wembley branch after they were done healing him. He found Adam and Selia waiting for him. The pair offered to buy him a meal, and even though Nil’s insides still felt raw and ravaged, he accepted it. “Both of you!” She clasped Nil’s forearm and squeezed while looking between him and Adam. “Bad matchups happen.”
Adam shrugged. “I’m bummed, but I can accept that I was completely outclassed.” The bony growths on his chin, knuckles, and elbows appeared chipped. “I had absolutely no chance. Nil, on the other hand.” He shot Nil a sympathetic smile. “You got so bloody close, mate. I was sure you had that in the bag.”
“I did too.” Nil sighed. He tried extracting his arm from Selia’s grip but failed. It was a comforting hold but too firm for him to slip out of it. “But I was wrong about her power.”
“What happened?” Adam asked. “I’m still not sure about what I saw.”
“I’m not completely sure either, but I think Francesca has the power to conjure and control sea salt or something of the sort,” Nil answered. “I think she can control water it's been dissolved in and grow the crystals.”
“She probably planted them in you when you dove into her first barrier,” Selia said. “You dispersed everything outside, but some remained in your mouth and lungs.”
“Scary.” Adam shuddered. “How do you even counter that? I doubt my internal regeneration can deal with that kind of damage.” He leaned back in his chair, glancing at the kitchen for the tenth time. The giant brute’s ability consumed far too many calories. They had only been waiting for ten minutes, but his patience appeared to be on the verge of running out. Recovering from the horrifying injuries of his match had only left him hungrier. “I’m not sure if the Gauntlet of Ten is worth the effort. Having to start from the beginning is a real gut punch. Now that my ability is mid-Bronze, the opponents will only get harder.”
“What are you thinking?” Nil asked. Selia finally released him. When their eyes met, she flashed him a flirtatious smile. It finally occurred to him that she had hinted at her interest in him the last they met. He was glad she gave up on subtlety. Such signals usually flew over his head. “Are you going to run the Iron Gauntlet? It takes quite a bit, but a loss doesn’t hurt as much.”
“No. I don’t have the patience for that nonsense. I lost the match, but it helped me figure out my newest sub-ability.” Adam grinned. “I’m going to attempt the Gauntlet of Death.”
“That’s mad.” Nil frowned, glancing between him and Selia. “We barely know each other, but are you sure that’s a good idea? The mortality rates are insane.”
“If you’re confident, it's not the worst idea,” Selia stated. “I’ve been considering doing the same. The risks are high, but the rewards are incredible. Apparently, the Control Worlds favor the victors of them too.”
“What about you?” Adam asked. “What are you going to do now? Start from scratch?”
“I suppose,” Nil said. “I have enough Schema Tokens to max out my Finesse and a Bronze Ascension Token too. It might be time to ascend and try the Gauntlet of Ten again. I’m getting pretty good with my sub-ability. I think I’ll have a real shot this time.” He looked at Adam. “I’d like us to be friends, but I still think that the Death Gauntlet is a bad idea.”
“I appreciate your concern.” The larger man laughed. He glanced at the kitchen again. “Where the hell is our food? My stomach is going to digest itself if we wait any longer.”