TRAINING

Breakfast was the same gunk as before. Despite its bland taste, I felt nourished and energised. This time there were no euphoric debuffs, so either they had forgotten the seasoning, or it was only present in the introductory meal.

Schlizer, my cell neighbour, was in a particularly chatty mood, and he informed me of the day's events. At least from his experience.

Basically we, as in the new recruits, would be training before lunch, then make way for the main event at noon, which would start with various criminals fed to animals to whet the crowds appetite for blood. Then we would enter stage right. Fight some low level mobs. Whoever wins exits stage left. The situation would be compounded because all the new recruits would be fighting together, not just the six new recruits in Artoo’s stable. But all the new recruits from all the houses, some of whom had been training for at least a week. The last ones standing after the mob swarm would bring honours to their respective houses.

Once we were done, the more experienced gladiators would take the field, some in groups and some singularly, each performing various challenges. At the last, the respective Lord’s champions would take the field. This would be Schlizer’s time to shine. He would have to battle beasts and other gladiators, until only one was left standing.

As final victor, he would be showered with rewards and entitled to walk freely. Still tethered to this house of course, but at least he could move freely about the village. He began to go on about his fruit fetish again, but I stopped him, saying I had to meditate. It wasn’t that I didn’t want Schlizer to do well, I just hoped he wasn’t eyeing the prize without considering what could go wrong beforehand. As inexperienced as I was in this whole scenario, I also didn’t want to come across as a know-it-all. I’m sure Schlizer had plenty of capabilities that made him a fearsome warrior.

What I really wanted to know was more about Master the Arminuto and Mage Lord Sebastina and where they fitted into the whole scene. Before I could ask about them, Schlizer was escorted from his cell to prepare for his battle Royale later in the day. I called after him, “There can be only one!” in my best Christopher Lambert voice. Not being able to see his reaction, I didn’t know if he smiled. I certainly did.

Alone again, I continued to meditate and asked BURT if he knew any techniques I could do to help my ways, my mana channels to strengthen and heal.

“I know of some Chi cultivating techniques you could use to increase the flow of life force within and between your chakra points. It’s based on yoga and can strengthen both your body and internal spirit channels. In your case I am not sure if it will help. It takes several days before you can even get a smidgeon of essence to accumulate within you. You need your Chi to move around internally. So when you do have some essence accumulation and you follow some of these meditation techniques you will be able to enhance your abilities.”

After a dramatic pause, BURT continued, “I think it won’t really help you today though, because you only get that minuscule of mana through those damaged way-channels. I will ponder this and see if we can do something that will help. The more I consider the options, the more I believe you could open your way channels forcefully, but gently. As contradictory as that seems, consider your way channels as having scars, burn scars, that have clogged and blocked your way-channels. We have to scour the entry points to allow the magical mana to flow freely again by using your Chi. Without damaging them, that they scar up again.”

I was beginning to regret passing this problem to BURT. He was worse than a stuck record when he had the bit between his teeth. However if it worked, it would allow me to access a huge aspect of my abilities. I would be free to hide, sneak and creep around, while unleashing all kinds of destructive power. Definitely a goal, but also a distraction. I needed to keep my focus on today's battle. Just one day’s practice was not enough to make me and my five Scalar buddies into expert soldiers, but it was a lot better than having no practice at all.

True to Schlizer’s prediction, I was collected a short while later and greeted with a smile from Rashid, a scowl from Anil, a polite nod from Luxman and complete indifference from Selvin and Adilla. We were then herded to the arena by our erstwhile silent dwarves.

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This time the spears were waiting for us in a pile at the Arena door. In addition to new spears, was a pile of small buckler shields. Of course the Scalar could equip two each and I could only equip one. My identify skill told me it would add two to my defense when used to block a blow. I also spent time analyzing the gear.

Basic Small Iron Buckler

+2 to defense

Durability 4/4

(Small sized buckler, with leather straps, highly manoeuvrable although not so durable. Blunt force 1-3 damage)

The identify skill at level 2 was giving awesome information. The fact that I could use the buckler as a bludgeon was also great, and it attached to my forearm snugly while I could still use my hands without much encumbrance. It gave me a much needed sense of security.

Monsters, besides having sharp teeth, usually also had claws and having something that could keep them pointy tootsies at bay made me smile with satisfaction. I checked the spear next.

Basic spear

6-12 damage

Durability 4/4

(A wooden shaft with an iron spear point. Pointy end goes into the enemy)

The spear was slightly better in quality than the practice ones of the day before. Those only had wooden fire-hardened tips. These had iron tips and were sharp enough to cut as well as stab. My chances at survival were already looking good.

The presence of the more advanced equipment added a sense of foreboding to our training that morning. It made me wonder what hit points the creatures we would be facing had. The intensity we approached the formations with, was furious, and the addition of the bucklers, gave us a subtle sense of power somehow, despite the fact they were only the size of dinner plates.

I recognised that it was a false sense of bravado, because a metal buckler could hardly stop a gas attack like that Queen beetle had. I raised the question as to what we would be facing and Master acknowledged that he didn’t know, only saying that it would be a group of level 10 beasts. I saw Rashid smile and felt comforted. If Rashid felt he could handle it, then surely I could. Especially if we were working together like a well practiced cohort. I also knew that plans seldom last beyond the first skirmish, I wondered how our little cohort would react if the beasts came at us from all the cardinal directions. I kept those doubts to myself however. I figured if Master was worried about that he would have trained us for that.

We practiced the formations again and again, moving from star to square, rectangle to back-to-back. Attack, defend, withdraw, retreat, reform and so on. Both myself and Selvin took turns to call the pace, and everyone seemed to know what they were about, responding swiftly and deftly. Master hardly had to bellow at all. I felt like we were a proper team at the end and it boded well. We even had the switching fulcrum move sorted. A move that usually needed four arms, but I loosened my armor a bit at the shoulders to give them something to grab onto. It wasn’t perfect, but it would do in a pinch.

We finished up the last of our training with a short speech from the bullish brute.

“You have mastered the basics well. Later today you will meet your first foes. Hopefully they won’t be the last you ever meet. Lord Artoo chose well when he purchased you. Make him proud!

If you do well, there will be rewards. Not only will you gain experience, but Lord Artoo will reward you with a favour. You may also loot the remains if you are so inclined. Taking a pelt or similar trophy is not unheard of for a first kill. But I leave you with this warning. There will be others facing the beasts at the same time in their respective sectors. If they are overrun, the creatures they face may gravitate to your team. Be aware of everything. Additionally, others may call for your aid. If you help them it is your choice of course, but in doing so, you will leave a hole in your ranks. It would be better if you work together to do whatever you choose as a group.” He paused dramatically, then continued.

“Good luck to you and I hope to see you for training again tomorrow. We will need to keep preparing for the next challenge ten days hence. That's my final word.” With that he turned, and we were ushered off after leaving our weapons neatly arrayed at Lord Artoo’s entrance to the arena.

As we left, I wondered how many times he had given that speech and just how many survived to see him again the following day. I looked up and around the stadium and could see the first spectators beginning to arrive. Many pointed and gesticulating excitedly as they noticed us.

There were all manner of peoples, and while I wasn’t able to identify them, the majority appeared to be Gnome folk. I couldn’t help but think how wrong people on Earth were about these bloodthirsty cretins. The cute bearded statues in gardens looked nothing like them. Mind you, humanity had all manner of peoples, from bloodthirsty to benevolent. I had no right to expect other races and species to be any different. The biggest mystery to me was the presence and subservience of the Dwarves. They were the true strength of arms here, and yet they kowtowed to the Gnomes absolutely. I needed to figure things out. Of course that would have to happen as I progressed up the ranks, if I progressed. I was a man of action after all.

The monsters we would be facing would be my first obstacle. One step at a time.

I left the arena for lunch with a sense of excitement that things could be looking up, as well as the slight sense of trepidation tingling in my belly at the coming confrontation.