COI C79
Resting at the edge of the arena, wounded fighters and duelers are there to bandage up. The light has blocked in view of their bleeding limbs, bruises, and deformed bones. The hard headed fighters, persistent mad lads, unsatisfied brawlers, and greedy magicians are collecting themselves to talk among themselves who will be fighting next. However, the authoritarian advice them to wait for the others to fight and the guests would only see least harmed than the severely hurt. The attrition rule won’t let them heal and had to bear it until they give in.
Haw entered among these people as the curious eyes of other people come close to him.
“You are using the ‘Aulkiye’ in battle. It is admirable to someone like you have the resources to make it”
“A stubborn Agathean, you know your people have plentiful of it. To see it in a duel that means it is truly made from Enders”
“I’m trying to talk to him, ok? Something like that on the open will make troublesome encounter for the manufacturer”
Haw agrees what the man said, but kept his silence as he nods.
“That’s great. I hope that maker would not have to risk it”
A dwarf comes in for the conversation and asks him. “I don’t like to pry, yet that tool is special, I want to know who will be using it”
Ironno comes in and answers him “It’s for a school”
“A school!?”
Many Horsin gathered around and continue the conversation
“That’s insane, something like that has so many possibilities both legal and illegal means”
The goblins who are the crazy tribes with their spirits joining chaos, but now show wisdom of its horrific use.
“Even I got played by my own spirits and that drunken dwarf. I’m going to say on that hearth thing. I saw you using your own blood as the requirement for that mixture”
The goblin continues but has slight of worries on his disgusted expression. “I thank anyway as it is labeled and check to the authoritarians. I don’t want to be surprised of getting part of the ingredient in that hearth thing”
Haw and Ironno look at each other as if they already planned out. Honestly, they didn’t. The note he sends to them to keep it a secret, but never he thought it means their own schoolmates. It doesn’t matter for Haw’s concern. Those items are bounded into the Enders in the end. If Haw truly perfected it under the manual, then the imperfection will reveal once it detects evil intention.
The elves stay close to the students as they going to teach them how to use the staff and the soul stone. The one who held the soul stone made her think as she feels something odd with the crafted items.
“It is impossible for those scrolls to take effect on our kin’s item. I admit that it may look identical and more practical when I use it. On the other hand, I confirm there were no blessings from our gods. But there is a blessing on it. Does Enders have a god?”
The students held firm on the core as they want to try to mix something with it. The elves see the marks of limitation as they imitate their eyes of relief with happiness.
Meanwhile the adventurers who are up from the balcony with the students were absolutely surprised. They see Ironno for the first timed fight in his special skills, even in social media, Ruby who was with him during their night patrols never once fight but build safe rooms. The pickaxe shows powerful blows to an elven staff including the magic it channels to hit him, it breaks the staff spell and leaving mystery how it stops the elven magic even casts. The look of her eyes imagining about the pickaxe.
They watch again on the replay. The elf casts her magic and the wind broke off like thunder. His pickaxe where its tip releases electrostatic burst on her mana to make that thunderous breaker, and the only thing that counters it with her own staff physically. Not letting the edge of the pick to touch anything, she somehow managed to push him away through her own strength. That’s when Ironno went flying to Haw. Ruby admits
“Dang those elves, they are really strong”
Altair honestly responds “From a man who has no magic and used those scrolls to steal from her, I have more respect to him than her”
Sanquin stood quietly as Silfa turn to her “Do you think that idiot would continue after seeing like that?”
“He will, because the rules those four made are about public testing their magic items. The rules didn’t affect Haw as he is getting injured without showing the true potential of that item he made. I would be glad if he is going to make his rules not having more requirements to harm himself”
“Sigh* I only wish that Heist should stop admiring you”
“As a lady, I may not be woe from him but maybe someone else would be”
Silfa flinches as she looks to Heist with an undesirable face. “Are you serious?”
Sanquin pulls out her small handkerchief that rests on her collar dress. “I understand that our way of romancing is different, but we are easy to talk to. Two of us here are different women with preferred woe and charms. The man speaks young, and I wish him to mature with his efforts”
Silfa can imagine it only both of her parents, annoyingly to remember how her mother talk about herself with her father. It is gross to her embarrassing memory, then she thinks harder and said,
“Confidence”
Sanquin almost burst out laughing as she smirks nearly showing her teeth gritted from her lips. The two remained quiet as they both don’t know each other’s character.
Three adventurers remaining on the arena floor are still waiting, they got themselves hesitate as the fight gets brutal with their own rules added to the mix. The end results are the bruises and the damage happening that will remain on to them until they stop. The rogue couldn’t stop staring at the resting area where the injured fighters removed the censored lights on them. The marks of sufferable pain and ignorance of themselves to heal, she made her start to ask anybody from the locals to prevent not having to feel pain. They can only reply is to end it quick with only one move.
Thean is with her wanting to know her intention. The rogue complains with them
“I need to find a way not to feel the pain”
“With that logic, I hope you can muster it up. Even you added rules just the two of us duel, the attrition will appear after the match. The two rules are there, pain and at least one fighting style”
Illtended thought as much for her, she is young and almost graduate from high school. So far, he heard that her school is outside of the city.
“Why not just to have one fight?”
“One fight!?” The rogue stared at him blankly. She gets it but . . .
She looks at the duels as much of their fights end less than a minute. Her mindset of having long battles kicks in and the thought to be over under a minute gives her a sad impression.
“I think you’re right . . . but”
Thean taps her shoulder “Then enjoy watching a bit more, because many competitors are dropping like flies but the severity that they made to each other seem to be personal”
They look at the arena as they see them fight. None of them are holding back, the fierce looks on their eyes, and the weapons they bring are real.
Heist is trying to find someone to duel with him. His feline features show a lot of the effort with its expression. The cat ears twitch with every emotion blend and his tails wagging both extension of his arm or wags freely like a normal cat. It’s hard for them understand his mood. During their time watching, a random dwarf comes to them.
“Say, you look fresh. The duels are getting closer to be done”
The rogue looks surprised as she looks at the time. “It’s been almost an hour”
“Yeah, thirty duels later and added rematches. I don’t it will last when decide to the no armor rule”
Heist heard them and leans back then asks “No armor rule”
“Yeah, they focus on quick hits. Even brawl they wanted to add knockout faster than they could resist”
Heist has a backlog and see the rules they made. Almost all of them were using the ‘1 hit rule’, he looks at the recent match and it also the same rule. The dwarf continues
“Yeah, they think it gets boring but you can see the varieties of fighting. Like most of you adventurers with all purpose roles, ours have better tactics now because of your way of fighting”
Illtended saw the duels that there is a support versus a dps, in his examination, the fight was different when the support can turn to stone and left it leaving the attacker to hit it. The stone golem moves forward and grabs the opponent, then the support finished off by tapping the opposing enemy’s neck. It was sudden, but he soon realizes after using identify. The support has utility magic that has maneuverability spells with a rune glove to block the mana flow up to the head. Hearing among the locals about this fort, he is assured that the people are here are also adventurers.
The dwarf is still there still talking to them, Illtended thought he would love to join and duel with someone. It is going to be one time thing and he can bear the pain or disappears when it declared lethal. It was something he could try, and then he said to the dwarf.
“Would you mind fighting with me?”
The dwarf hurried himself to him “Will I?”
Then he laughs it off “I warned you lad, I am planning to make duel like those Enders did with the elves. Craft battle, but I won’t be hurting my creation”
The two laughs it off and Illtended pushes it. “We set the rule to boss battle”
“Boss battle? Give me the details, lad. While I’ll be given my demands first”
“Good, let’s talk”
They left them as they discuss about their fight. The rogue gets instantly jealous as she quickly asked Thean.
“Can we duel each other, Thean?”
“So sudden, we can just wait a little bit more”
“I could and I will, but I am start to hesitate a bit”
Thean looks at her as a young child as the citizens that deem to look 17 years old but for Thean, she acts more 14 years old by her behavior. He thought of a duel that is meant for punishable children, but a man like him to discipline her. Thean chuckles with his disappointing expression.
A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.
The rogue asks him again. “Come on Thean, I want to try it out. Just once, ok? I’ve been starting to think less and less every time I see people resting at the corner”
Thean look at the people who are injured, they look fine with bandages on and more while to see Haw has cast on his right wrist. He goes to them and having a chat.
“Hey, still continue to fight with those wounds, aren’t you all?”
“We are waiting for the guests to leave the fight and will be hectic once their eyes will not see what we can really do”
Thean looks around where the wounds are certain disability and weaken their effectiveness on their own weapons handling.
“Say then, care to fight with those adventurers over there?”
“Them? I thought they come down just to watch the fight. I would be wrong why they stood on this floor in the first place”
“Yeah, the participants should be the one standing here . . .”
The local stops his oblivious mind and quickly set something to work on his head.
“. . . Are they, they want to fight with the same experience back in the first tournament?”
“You mean our people already find a way to fight them”
The injured fighters heard their conversation. The goblins join in as the hassle is getting exciting.
“It’s been months now, some people brought out old texts before the fall. Skip the east coast incident when my own tribes recklessly die by those people, are they going to see their flaws now”
Thean didn’t know what they are trying to say and persists to talk about it. “What are you guys are getting at?”
“A lot actually, we have great news that my tribes are fighting back against their traitors and learn something before they are getting better”
The conversation persists as everyone talks about it. Haw listens carefully as he never left the city.
“Sigh* those people is talking about those citizens. The news spread faster than we thought”
“What news?” Haw spout out all of a sudden.
“Right, you are an Enders, you guys focus too much here from what I heard, I’ll explain. On the news, more troubles are coming to this city. Many reports of successful smuggling of traitors are coming back. Rumors had it that they create a ‘server’, as they called it, and segregate them to communicate each other. It is the same goes with Agatheus City’s realm network”
“The dwarf leader had already brought it out the plans to us to check around the city. Before that mass exodus, the citizens think it was that moon. On the real paper, the rumors already leak out and most of us are preparing a new problem”
A mage joins in their conversation as she shows her witness’ statement.
“I have brought examples . . .”
She casts an illusion magic as all of them couldn’t read the citizen’s language.
“I oblige for your help, but our rune only works verbally”
The mage has a monocle on her earrings dangling as she taps it on the paper. She explains further.
“They are using these books for references”
“Reference, the cover looks like some horror art”
“You can try to imagine what they are trying to do and as I was thinking about the realms they previously made”
They remember about the secret realms, a specific and private made ones hidden throughout the city. Most of them found closely to Mihayara district and the main highway routed to all the districts. There have something in mind, and the mage said to them
“Did our companions investigate Fuku city and Taiyou industries?”
“I heard it is a private zone”
They all wonder while they gripped on to their wounds. The mage sits down as her wounded leg reaches her limit. They give their seat to her.
“Thank you, like I said before and more so about the citizens. The realms, I can think of a dystopian city if they continue like this”
“That would be the reason why our people have left. The gods may let us be as we struggle”
“While ours will bless those who wish for strength”
“Even their elven gods to guide us to end this painful future”
The dwarf and Illtended are coming back as they declared their duel to the arena. Thean goes back to Heist and the rogue as he learned something new. In the mean time, Thean said
“They are willing to duel with you two, but the injured are the ones who are willing to fight”
“Huh?” The rogue looks at them as they are waiting and looking at each other.
“Those guys?”
She is not impressed and there is nothing else she could expect. She replies
“After our duel Thean, I am going to face those idiots”
“Oh, you won’t”
“What?” Thean receives a note from them as he shows it to the both of them.
“You have to take this fight more seriously now. Something happened outside the city and that time had made them found out your weaknesses”
Heist and the rogue read the note and remember that weaknesses they have. It is the same news happened to them and the city guild’s sphere helped them improved to surpass their disadvantages but there is one problem they could not yet fight against. Heist didn’t hold back from what he read
“They lack mana control, so any counter measured to their neutral mana is beneficial” They let themselves to wait one more time as the others fight.
Illtended and the dwarf ready themselves on the arena. A special announcement, one of the authoritarians mentioned it about their unique rules.
“The duels are starting to slow down a bit. But this match is creative than any of our customs, even the cheated mock battles from the demons”
The citizens read their UIs about the match as the authoritarian explains.
“The boss battle rule, no inflicting pain until the match is over but when it should declare lethal that will be negated. However, it declares if not lethal, it will have their promised attrition. The rules are simple, Illtended will have 3 lives with limited abilities while the dwarf have free reign of use”
“The match is a free duel and this citizen will still have the advantage, remember the agreement, even one of them cheated, the arena already weakens to the specific severity of your attacks as if it was direct feint. I don’t know anything about you two but let’s see why you wanted it”
The music raises their tune once again, the elf with the violin plays their city’s instrument. The background music he plays matches one of their gaming soundtracks. He mixes with popular battle music as they are getting hype. They listen well as he plays as it is starting.
Illtended hears the last moment of the background music as he starts to feel the vibe of their match. The dwarf stops and plays along with their customs.
“I have been working with your people for sometimes and I would glad to have your introduction”
Illtended pauses a bit and it is getting more of an anime and video games related.
“Uh sure, I am Illtended and I’ll be your opponent”
“Bwahahah, such foolish . . .”
The dwarf plays along as the boss as he got his expectation wrong. The long talk made him hope to be their customs instead. He whispers to himself
“I always skip this part”
The dwarf introduction ascends further as he brings out what he had told him. A weapon and armor made from the production of their city, he brought the materials and they made into a power armor. Machine weapon as it looks like a mini gun, but its structure and framework look recognizable to most dwarves. The dwarf wields a combustible fire thrower with Alga’s light as its source of fuel. The wooden ball wrapped with metal sheet plate with movable type. Illtended carefully observed his weapon trying to figure it out. Not understanding of the weapon, he has to use his device to identify it.
With no time to properly understand what it can do. The first round will be hard for him. Heist and the rogue see the demonstration of the dwarf’s weapon, composed of runes and scary looking steam coming out from it. They thought it was a normal duel for Illtended. A dwarf in heavy weaponry, and everybody shook and in awe of how the dwarf looks. They check their device as many people are watching this duel. It builds up to the point even live streamers are hosting it. Heist changes the channel if she is going to broadcast it.
“This is Cecilla Brightstage and . . .” Heist cuts it off as he is going to watch it here.
Illtended is setting his role, activating his personal trait, he starts building up to the extreme. The A rank adventurer had level up for some reason and many adventurers finds out that he is already under control of his mana. Sanquin can’t sense his aura as she can deliberately certain of his status. The Dwarf readies his weapon as his armor release the hot dry air. He closes his helmet and his breather starts up. Illtended looks at his stats that he is now breathing hot air, and he twirls around his arms and bring the heat to the ground.
The runes had no effect from his magic, the atmosphere is reaching for the extreme heat. Illtended has no complete control the environment, yet his hands on the ground as he raises up where the heat compacted into one. The molten ground formed as he raised it, pulling the stone handle imbued with his magic. He swings it around and wipes off the molten drip to the ground. The heating continues to rise up as he need to finish his environmental weapon. Only using his elbow to wipe it, its dusts and heating sand drops as he made his weapon.
The customs are over, and their introduction to show off their entrance. The fight begins. Illtended already showing the time limit as he breathes the hot air. The heavy weapon takes aim at him, the mechanism activates the fire blasting towards him. Illtended jumps forward, and dwarf switches to a harpoon and shoot him. He deflects the projectile. The harpoon retracts and fires as the dwarf keeps spreading the flames. Multiple deflections on the harpoon as Illtended enchanted it his control. One more deflect hit as it directly aims at the dwarf.
The dwarf bears the hit as it pierced through him. He grabs the harpoon engraved it with runes, trace the Illtended magic. The rune is blazing up along with the heat as Illtended is coming from above burning through the Alga’s burning flames. The link of his mana is being trace as the runes are tracking his previous movements. The dwarf looks up. Illtended is reaching closer using his stone burning weapon. He crushes him down to the ground. Almost breaking through his armor, he raised his weapon one last time but the rune chains grabbed Illtended’s arms.
The Dwarf aim his weapon upward as Illtended is standing on top of him. The heavy weapon hits him as he burns through the eternal flames of Alga’s light. One life is gone and two chances are left. The two returned back to their starting position. The audience witness something they can’t comprehend. The fire battle where Illtended has the most disadvantages. The heating room made him hard to resist from Alga’s light, the flames kept going and can’t be stop even with water or ice. The dwarf’s breathing mask help him fight and stay on focus as he is well armed.
Illtended observed the situation. “The dwarf is using a hybrid weapon. I am certain he used our technology with runes added as a casing. That link appeared out of nowhere as if it has mana quickly engraved as the dwarf grabs it. Damn it, even my device found the source inside of that heavy machine. I’m glad that our city is backing up the defenses, but my problem is facing it with my beginner levels of control. I hope you guys are watching this. Altair may have an ult, but I have a reaction ability (breathe*) It cost me my stamina though”
Meanwhile for the dwarf. “I thought no one is using their powers correctly, and this guy managed to have proper control. The rune trace shouldn’t have taken affect without having a mana storage inside this massive nozzle. The Taiyou manufacturing will have their advantages if the trade continues. There is also a way, they could scavenge their own at their sea shore to the west side. I could’ve sworn they should be focus on that place instead recycling their own. I guess they were originally wanted leave first”
Another round sets up, the dwarf already aimed the weapon on the ground. With neutral mana activated, magic circles into an eruption field moving around. Illtended looks to the ground as he never seen before. He jumps forward above the circles, once the circle senses someone in the air. It raises a pillar of fire, one after the other it starts react with every motion he move. Nearly closing to those circles quickly react like most boss battles. Illtended moves on to one of them on the spot, using his abilities.
Places his hand on the ground as it is about to erupt. His magic circle against the dwarf’s. The eruption raises the pillar of fire as he is burning through. Controlling the mana within his touch, he dashes forward covered with fire. The burning magic redirects to his weapon as he dashes through the dwarf. The burst of speed along with flames, a meteor like charge crashes to the dwarf. The eyes blinded by the explosion but the noise blend with the music. Illtended appeared down once again.
The dwarf isn’t easily trick by his magic. The runes on his breather see through the meteor. Forgotten it ignores his magic, and Illtended did sense magic on those circles but the dwarf uses it to test between runes and neutral mana. Illtended roars of his kamikaze moment, and turn to dust as his attack went beyond his conditional limits. Revert again back to the start, everyone witness they don’t see interacting with. Both neutral mana and runes did used separately but the runes are the most effective on Illtended. The man who wants this duel feel frustrated but pleased of his effort against those runes. The last gripe on his hand is the stone fire weapon at hand, he wants to land a hit with it.
One last round, the dwarf had tested both the Alga’s flame and the mana storage inside his heavy weapon. His rune armor kept himself safe and the man he fights against will surely be lethal in the end. The eternal flames will harm him if he knows how to divert the light into healing. Illtended checks the skill he is using. He can control his mana but the dwarf retaliates to have his own mana to get him. He can control his magic but forgot that the runes are the dwarf’s main weapon. Then it has to be his unique weapon, he stares at his weapon one more time as the stats that can’t fight against runes.
He quietly readies himself with his eyes closed, remembering what he experienced against those Enders within the sphere. During the moment as the last round starts, he remembers what Emerald said
“Runes are difficult to break as it keeps layered to the most impossible engravements inside those armors. If it is fully modernized according to Doctor Myrrkei, then it is only impossible when it can’t be destroyed by normal means. There are little ways to cancel its runewords but effective”
Illtended draws out his weapon again adapting the heat inside the arena.
The dwarf watches him carefully where the only thing he could test is how long will his armor last and him to breathe the hot dry air. Illtended starts to get light headed as he breathes with his throat dries. One last try, he charges through the fiery atmosphere. He attacks directly as the dwarf using his weapon as a shield. The runes are heavy and it is difficult to his opponent where everything he had is mana base. Struggling to fight on, he had to use it. He swings his weapon landed on the dwarf’s breathing mask.
Illtended hits it as he tumbled forward and trip to the burning ground. The dwarf sways his body forward and bash on him with his heavy weight. With that, Illtended breaks his stone weapon and reveal its breakable effects. The dwarf sees it and tries to move away, but his weight keep the momentum towards him as he is not sure he could face it from what he had saw. Illtended hid on his stone sword a coin, an engravement coin, and slams it on the dwarf’s feet. The effects of the coin are affecting his heavy weapon, the mana container and Alga’s light exploded. The dwarf falls down.
Illtended moves towards him and removed his breather. The dwarf raises his hand and fisted his hand down, quickly showing his surrender. Illtended won, but the results reach both of them the lethal status. Everyone cheers as the surprises are getting mysterious on each other sides. The dwarf laughs it off
“You got some nice puritan coin you got there, lad”
“I made it myself, it was supposed to be the best suppression item for runes initially”
“Really?! your people are transitioning to our runes. Laugh*”
The fight was over. Sanquin shows fascination from their fights.
“Puritan coin, most religious dwarves held it to reject against any mana sources. The content of mana near the runes will break free if it is bound with other types of mana, clearly meant against the archscience. That dwarf had something more than runes”
While adventurers spoke about Illtended “Yeah, but Illtended had new moves on his set. He countered the fire circle and used it against the dwarf”
“Like those Enders mage used our magic against us”
“But the difference is they can do it so little because of how massive we throw at them, and Illtended can done it better”
Heist grabs Illtended by the shoulder as he realized how grown he had become.
“What the hell? You are getting better and almost like you can beat a dwarf now”
“You can’t see that dwarf is using neutral mana”
“Nope, but how did you managed to control the dwarf’s magic”
“I could say that they don’t know how to control neutral mana”
“How about shamanism?”
“You already know that the spirits will decide and favor mostly on the goblins”
“Right, right . . .”
Thean watches Heist gritted his teeth as he is look jealous of him properly controlling his mana. The Agathean thought it would be a great time to borrow of his rule.
“Say, Heist”
“Yeah?”
“If you want proper control of your mana, you can set the rule”
“Really, how is it done?”
“Oh, you’ll see, me and the girl will be the sample of your viewing pleasure”
The rogue hears him, gets excited, but rolls back when Heist is involved.
“No way, I want to fight but I don’t want to be marketed to him”
Thean leans back to her “I know this is hard, but we might get you to control your power while we duel”
She stops and quietly respond “You mean that moves I wanted . . .”