Erik entered the Conservatory, and waited for his opponent. All he was told was that he’s called Jacob. Nothing more. But that was expected.
The Conservatory was a big round spherical structure. It looked more like a giant half egg with doors.
His opponent, Jacob, was not what he expected. He was thin and short, effeminate and looked away as soon as they made eye contact. The skin at his hands were darker than normal, though.
This indicates that his power centers on his hands.
When they both heard the sound signaling the start of the battle, they tensed and just stared at each other.
They weren’t fighters, they weren’t soldiers. They didn’t even know how to fight. Both just joined because they were told so.
But Erik would do what he came here to do.
For the points!
Yeah, he received a quest to win every battle no matter what. Four points for a win, minus nine for a loss. Besides the big point-loss if he lost a fight, the odds were in his favor.
You can only lose two times, then you’re out of the ‘tournament’. But you can win more than twenty times. So, if he won ten fights, and lost the two times, he would still end up gaining 22 points.
He started running, and realized he was way faster than expected, reaching his target sooner than predicted.
Jacob reacted by putting his hands forward and launching a jet of some liquid at Erik.
Erik just put his arm in front of his body, protecting his face, and kicked strongly at the meek boy.
“*CRUNCH*”
“URGH!”
Erik looked as his foot entered the boy’s body and left completely bloody. The boy flew for a few meters before falling to the ground with a wet thud.
The boy died with his eyes open, incredulous of what happened.
Wow… Killing a person is… surprisingly easy.
Erik was always the rational one of his family. He wouldn’t pity the boy and philosophy at the death of a human being. The boy isn’t even dead ‘dead’ yet. He is dead, alright, but he’ll soon be alive again.
He didn’t even suffer much at his death, only a little kick at the guts.
[Quest {Win the Tournament (1/27)} Partially Completed!]
[Congratulations, you gained 4 points!]
[Total Points: 1 + 4 = 5]
Fuck yeah!
“*Splash*”
He looked at the ground, and saw a disgusting blob of skin right at his feet. Then, he realized his left arm was a bit different. He looked at the fleshy mess and almost barfed.
Holy FUC-
At that moment, the weirdest feeling came to him. For a second, he saw his body in 3rd person. Then, he briefly blacked out and appeared at the entrance of the Conservatory again.
“Huh…”
That must be the Conservatory doing its job, huh.
Erik started to think about the fight, now that he finished it. It was extremely easy to finish someone without any experience in fighting or a physical ability.
However, he also saw the dangers of fighting. If the Conservatory didn’t bring him back to his former body, he would have a nasty arm for a long while.
Besides the looks, the smell was the worst. But when he decided to buy this ability, he already knew that. He knew that he would have this big weakness, no regeneration of any kind.
But he also knew a quick fix…
[Minor Health Potion]
[The heavenly syrup that heals the wounds.]
[Cost: 10 points]
Even if normal, scientific ways, couldn’t fix his body, any kind of magical method could.
Also, his ability guaranteed he would most likely survive long enough to drink a health potion. Despite having supernatural physical endurance, he was immune to any kind of harm, meaning he could lose an arm or a head, and continue living just fine.
He had no weak points, his body wasn’t mere flesh and bones anymore, it was controlled by his very soul.
But right now, he would benefit more from a different kind of item.
[Mixed Martial Arts V]
[The fifth edition of the masterful Mixed Martial Arts. More detailed, defensive and destructive than all the other editions together. Observation: this skill is immediately ingrained in the mind after acquisition.]
[Cost: 5 points]
Ridiculous, right? Such a useful skill, and it only costs 5 points. Everything in this ‘Universal Store’ is like this. Anything ‘common’ such as any man-made item or skill, is extremely cheap. While anything barely magical is very expensive.
This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.
Erik didn’t even need to consider anything to buy this ability. It would make his fighting ability grow by leaps and bounds. Just that alone was enough for such low cost.
The moment he mentally-touched the [BUY] button, his mind was assaulted with moves of all kinds. Even his muscles adjusted themselves to create muscle memory.
He looked around and saw some annoyed guys waiting for their turn to fight. He laughed a bit and walked out of their way, into the waiting area.
Wow, it’s even easier to walk with martial arts turned on. My posture also feels so much better…
…
Erik waited until his name was called by the beautiful assistant again, and got up to fight once again. But this time, way more prepared.
Are all the assistant ladies from the other waiting rooms this beautiful? Well, I’m happy to be put in this one.
He couldn’t help but notice her long jet-black hair and well-placed features as she led him to his fighting hub in the Conservatory.
This opponent was called Kyle.
I guess they tell us each other’s name to create proximity, maybe test our mentality. You know, see if we show mercy or something. Who knows.
Kyle was a big muscular guy with one red and one purple eye.
“You look way too confident, Erik. I bet you fought a weakling who didn’t know what they were doing. How about you fight someone your own size, huh?”
Indeed, I’m over-confident. I need to remember that there are people from all over the world with all kinds of powers here. Heh, thank you for reminding me, Kyle.
“Not one to talk, huh.” The big man continued talking.
“Let’s see if you’ll continue mute while taking a beating.”
Sigh, this guy looks more like a retard than anything, else. I need to be careful, though. If he is this confident, he’s probably strong. Those eyes of his seem dangerous.
As soon as the fight sound was heard, Kyle disappeared.
“Huh?”
Shit! He has some kind of invisibility. I hope that’s all he has…
As if answering Erik’s hope, a few seconds later, Kyle appeared right in front of him. But he was different. His red eye was bigger and had bulging veins all over and around it.
Erik immediately tried to dodge using his martial arts, but Kyle didn’t give him even a split second, the moment he appeared, a laser left his red right eye and pierced Erik’s heart.
Actually, it pierced where his heart was supposed to be. If pierce can be considered as a small skin burn, that is. Erik’s skin only burned a bit, nothing more happening.
After a moment stunned, Erik woke up from his surprise and punched Kyle’s guts out.
He was thrown await or a few meters, but his guts stayed in the same place.
“Oho… You’re quite strong. I thought you had a mental power because of your hair. You dyed it, asshole? Or is your power one of the weird ones?”
He’s… strong. Very strong. And oy! You’re the weird one here!
Then, Kyle disappeared again. But this time, Erik didn’t wait for Kyle to appear, he started running in circles.
Eventually, Kyle appeared a few meters away from him.
Hm, so it’s time-based? It felt like the time he stayed invisible was the same as before. And randomly running away from him really works, huh.
However, when Erik looked at Kyle, his eye was redder than before. His iris and pupil were completely red, and bigger than before, even making some of the whites in his eyes red. The veins around his eye were bigger, too.
“*ZEEEEEEEE*”
The laser was visibly stronger than before, this time, though, Erik barely managed to dodge it. The laser nicked at his left arm, though.
Damn, this time only a nick and my arm got burned hard. If I had working nostrils, I’m sure I would smell burned flesh.
Erik didn’t lose time, though. He immediately jumped with all his might at Kyle, only to grasp at the air.
…
This continued for a while, Kyle’s laser growing stronger and stronger, until they outright blow everything to pieces. At the fifth disappearance, his laser touched Erik’s right hand, exploding it to bits.
Of course, Erik still had his hand and fingers, they even still worked and all, but they were only bones now.
Erick started to get pissed at all this cat and rat fight. And Kyle disappearing all the time obviously didn’t help.
Until he couldn’t take it anymore and decided to change strategies.
I’ll end up in bones if I don’t end this fight right now.
As soon as Kyle appeared, instead of dodging, Erik shot in his direction.
Fuck you and your lasers!
He jumped with such strength, that the ground broke in several places.
Then, the laser came. Stronger than ever.
“*ZEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE*”
It hit Erik straight in the chest. But it didn’t slow him down in the slightest. It still hurt like a bitch, though.
Fuck! Its hurts!
Erik’s chest, belly, and right arm got completely blown away. But the moment Kyle’s ray of death finished, Erik was right in front of him.
His skin is too hard to be damaged enough. But even a man of iron has a weakness. One every human being has. His fucking weapon of choice!! The eye!
Erik’s bone hands looked more like claws than actual hands.
“Haaaaaa!” Erik screamed as he unleashed all his strength.
“*FLESH*”
A disgusting sound emanated through the air as a hole appeared in Kyle’s face, his right eye gone. For a moment, it seemed like everything was frozen, even time.
Then, a drop of Kyle’s blood fell to the ground.
Instead of the scream that Erik was expecting, Kyle fell to the ground and started twitching, convulsing.
He went into shock from the sudden pain of having his nerves ripped off.
The weird feeling came to Erik once more, and he was at the entrance again.
[Quest {Win the Tournament (2/27)} Partially Completed!]
[Congratulations, you gained 4 points!]
[Total Points: 0 + 4 = 4]
I… won.
…
After such a mentally exhausting fight, Erik needed a break, so he asked when his next fight would be, and he found out he had more than twenty minutes to spare.
So, he went to the cafeteria and got something to eat.
“It’s tough, huh?” Erik heard this voice come from his side, surprised, he immediately looked at his left.
There was a person sitting in the same bench as him, with a smile in his face, he looked at Erik with peering eyes.
[Quest {Make Your First Friend} is available!]
[Time limit: 2 days]
[Completion Reward: 10 points & friendship with a senior]
[Failure Penalty: -1 point]
[Accept?] [YES] [NO]
“!?”
The heck is happening to the quest system since I came to this crazy school? Ten points for making a friend? That’s way too high. It might not seem like much, but ten points is equal to three normal quests!
He mentally tapped [YES] and gave another look at the supposed ‘senior’.
I hope he doesn’t swing to other way…
He was a tall and thin guy, black hair and blue eyes. He had no apparent transformation from awakening. He seemed just like a normal guy.
Erik realized he was looking for too long and decided to start speaking.
“Tough? What do you mean?”
“I mean tough, as in, mentally taxing. I remember my first fights, they were a bloody mess. Nobody knew what they were doing and no one wanted to mess it up. The lucky ones were finished quickly, while the less fortunate ones suffered enough to develop traumas.
“Even if the Conservatory reduces pain to a great degree, you just can’t imagine how it feels to have your heart gouged out until it actually happens.”
Erik looked down. Even if he won the last two fights, they felt bad. This wasn’t what he was expecting for his adulthood. Nobody expects this of their life.
Sigh. Tis weird guy is right, it’s tougher than I imagined.
“Yeah, it’s kind of overwhelming, I think.” Was all that Erik managed to get out.
“Indeed. Very overwhelming. My name is Kay, by the way. What’s yours?”
“Erik…”
“Ok, Erik, I wish you good luck on this little tournament. Bye bye.”
Erik blinked, and he wasn’t there anymore.
What the heck? That talk was so fucking awkward.
And so, Erik went to his next fight. As he walked, he realized his bad feelings and mentally exhaustion were gone.
Who was that guy…? Shit! I forgot I had to make him my friend!
And so, our hero enters his next fight.