A minor headache decided to use the spot just behind my eyes as drums as it pounded out a beat to wake me up. “Damn,” I muttered. “What is going on with my body recently?” While I had never been the picture of healthy, especially when one considered what I was used to eating, I had never had any of these issues.
“Biomonitoring systems are detecting minor traces of toxins.” My AI’s voice cut into my brain, both startling me and causing my headache to flair up even more.
With my hands cradling my head, I asked the thing, “What do you mean traces of toxins?”
“Unknown, the system was not monitoring the game at the time.”
Slowly turning in place and setting my feet on the floor, I asked “But it is monitoring it now?”
“The system constantly monitors your physical health,” its reply confused me. “A protocol in the system must have been triggered to monitor your in-game health.”
“Wait, wait, wait,” I get out as I stand up and slowly make my way to the bathroom. “Are you talking about a toxin in my game character or in my physical body?”
“In your avatar.” It was as if a small amount of weight suddenly lifted off my shoulders. I don’t know why, but I had expected the AI to tell me that the game had somehow implanted a toxin in my physical body. Probably due to all the novels I had read about this kind of game and technology being used in similar, or worse, ways.
“Any idea on how long until the toxin is out of my body?” I asked just before splashing my face with cool water.
“Symptoms will pass within the day.” Ok, I could deal with that. Especially if this was the worst that I could expect over that time. It wasn’t like I had anything dangerous or exciting planned for the day. Just training.
Quickly showering, getting dressed, and cooking a simple breakfast, I made my way down to the training room. Mindi and Jeremiah stood in the middle of the room, talking animatedly about something.
“I am telling you,” Mindi was saying. “Pull directly from your mana pool and form the spell manually. It is both faster and more flexible.”
“That makes absolutely no sense.” He sounded like he was annoyed at something as his voice continued to grow louder. “Calling a spell forth with a skill should be faster and more powerful considering the system is actively helping you.”
“No,” Mindi stomped her foot in annoyance, something I had never seen her do.
“Morning,” I cut in in an effort to stop the argument from escalating to a shouting match. They both whirled around to face me. “Where is everyone else?”
Mindi rolled her eyes while Jeremiah stated, “On the other side of the walls getting the training area ready. But that’s not all that important.” I raised an eyebrow at his declaration but didn’t stop him. “You need to help me convince this backwards mage that using skills to cast spells is better than doing so manually.”
“I am not backward. You are the fucking idiot that thinks that anything he does is perfect and cannot be worse than another method.”
I found myself acting like my mother did when another kid and I got into an argument. My hands lifted to placate them as I spoke. “I am sure that both types have their strengths. I honestly wouldn’t know and thus cannot say.”
“Huh?” Jeremiah looked taken aback at my statement. “You don’t use skills to cast your spells?”
Shaking my head, I simply said, “I didn’t even know that you could use skills to cast spells. Anyway, we can talk and walk so would one of you lead the way to wherever we are supposed to meet the group.” Stepping out of the doorway and making room for the two, I waited as they glared at one another. Fed up, I growled out a question for both. “What will Barti and Michael think when I tell them what took us so long to get out there?”
That got both of them scrambling, their eyes as wide as saucers. Not that I would have said anything to the two of them. Plus, they wouldn’t have asked. If they did then I could have feigned not feeling well and taking longer than normal to get down to the training room. But, neither of them knew that. Not with how fixated their brains had gotten on proving their casting method was better.
They were both quiet until we stepped out of the building and onto the main road. “What spells can you cast?” Mindi asked. I thought she was talking to me but when I tried to answer, her elbow jabbed into my side, shutting me up.
Jeremiah hesitated for a minute until finally saying, “Air and water ball, gust, and a few other minor spells.” While I didn’t know what spells he could cast, I knew that he could cast more than that. Mindi had to know that as well.
“How about this,” she said while rolling her eyes indicating that she did indeed know that he was hiding the majority of the spells he could cast. “You pick a couple of water spells of varying difficulty. Things not tied to your class. Then we both cast the spells one after another at a target. Whoever finishes first wins.”
“What do we win?” He asked with a gleam in his eye telling me that this had gone from an argument between mages to a challenging quest for a gamer.
“Depends on what you want.” She sounded nonplussed at his sudden change in attitude.
“How about Kyren.”
His answer startled me and all I could get out was a “Wait. What?” I probably also looked stupid while asking it. At the same time, we passed through the gate and a new window popped up.
Leaving Proxima. 25 silver deducted for toll.
“The toll went up again,” Jeremiah grunted before continuing his discussion of the reward he wanted. “If I win, I want to take Kyren to the Spring Festival but he has to wear the dress.”
“No, absolutely not.” I cried out.
Unfortunately for me, neither listened as Mindi uncharacteristically spoke over me. “Agreed, but if I win, he goes with me.”
“Fuck both of you.” I shout, “How about you guys wear the dress and I wear whatever the fuck I want?” They both shot me a look that practically said to shut up. Annoyed and sick of the discussion, I let my mana flow out of me and into the ground ahead of us. Forming two spells right below the surface.
It takes only a few moments but as soon as they are within a foot of the two spots, I release the spells. Two pillars of fire erupt right in their path. The displaced stone and dirt flying up and smacking into both of them. While neither is all that hurt, it is still enough to get my displeasure through to both of them.
Or so I thought. They both shot me a glare but it was Jeremiah who spoke first. “Keep that up and I might demand that we go shopping for something else for you to wear.”
“Oh, I was just going to demand that he put the dress on now.” She said before something occurred to her. A mischievous grin curled the corners of her mouth as she continued. “In fact, didn’t Barti say that you needed to wear the dress while in training?”
“He did, but we are not in training right now. Merely walking to it.” I scoff. Annoyed that she remembered and noticed.
“So you are going to get dressed out here?” He asked, his eyebrows lifting as his eyes roamed across my body. Likely imagining what it looked like. The look and feel of someone doing that sent a shiver of distaste down my spine. While I wasn’t female and didn’t have as much to hide when in a group of men, I was more than a little self-conscious of my body and their judging, wandering eyes.
You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.
I shook my head for a second before mulling an idea over. It wasn’t a good idea, to be sure, but it was my only chance to stop this before it got any worse. This wasn’t the time to step down. For all I knew, this was one of those times when their eyes and looks could be stopped with a simple demonstration. Showing them that I was truly what I said I was.
Cresting a hill revealed a flat, dirt-covered, top. It was large enough for my old high school to host several sports games at one time without fear of interference or crowding. Oddly though, the place wasn’t just dirt. Here and there, as well as forming the ring around the whole thing, stone sat, buried just enough that it sat flush with the surface.
Standing in the middle, Barti, Tindi, Victor, Lance, Patric, Linda, and Michael all waited. All of them looked in our direction as Victor looked to be talking animatedly about something. Barti was the one to stop him as we got close enough to hear the group clearly. “Where is your armor?” He spoke with a bit of annoyance at what he likely perceived as my ignoring his instructions.
“Let me get changed.” As I said this, every eye snapped in my direction. Some looked to be thinking they would get an eyeful of something while others looked concerned. I didn’t care. Or at least I kept telling myself I didn’t care. Maybe if I kept repeating it, it would become true. I started to strip. The moment my shirt went over my head, more than one pair of eyes looked at my chest.
I don’t know how I could tell, but I just knew that the girls were looking at my muscles while the guys were looking at my pecks. I tried to not react as I undid my pants and let them slip down my legs. Intentionally letting them catch on my boxers on their way down, revealing my junk to the whole group.
Forcing myself to take my time, I reached for my pants. Releasing my boxers from their grasp before sliding them back up. As I stood up, I pulled the dress out of my inventory and dropped it over my head. Letting it settle into place.
“What the fuck was that?” Victor asked. His eyes were seemingly still glued to my lower half.
Before I answered, I took a second to get a look at everyone's reactions. Lance was as indifferent to me as ever. His tail sitting still as he looked out into the distance. Barti had an eyebrow up. It was as if he was asking me if I really needed to do that. Honestly, probably not but it was already done. No taking it back now.
Linda, Mindi, and Tindi all had a bit of jealousy in their eyes. No clue why though. Each of them looked just as good in their own way. Michael, his eyes were full of heat, something I didn’t expect. Though I was fairly sure Linda would kill him if he ever tried to act on it. Patric had no such limiting factor, and judging by the looks in his eyes, he was running through various scenarios in his head.
Thankfully the last two, Victor and Jeremiah, looked like they had gotten the shock of a lifetime. They looked both horrified and disgusted. Which had been the reaction I had been hoping to get from everyone. “I was told that I needed to wear the dress when training, not that I needed to wear it wherever I walked.” I finally answered with a shrug.
Most of them rolled their eyes, but all of them shifted their focus to Michael and Barti. “I say we have him go against our wolf,” Michael stated.
Something flickered across Mindi and Tindi’s expressions at the word wolf. Before they could do or say anything, Barti spoke up. “I don’t see an issue with that. Into your positions, both of you.”
Lance didn’t say anything. He simply turned and walked toward a piece of stone halfway to the other side of the circle. It was made of a bright white material. As soon as I noticed it, I noticed the rest of them. Each was the same distance from each edge and the center. I was fairly sure that, if the circle was viewed from above, they would be evenly spaced. “What does this circle do?” I asked as I started backing toward a stone opposite his.
“Just shields the rest of the world, and the viewers, from any stray magic. It also prevents outsiders from interfering with the match. Fair warning though, this one will not prevent you from dying so I wouldn’t be stupid if I were you.” Linda stated. “It is a similar spell to that used in every arena and coliseum in this kingdom.”
With that, the group took the opportunity to get out of the circle as I jogged to my starting position. Mentally shaking my head, I tossed the distracting thoughts out of my head and focused on my opponent. Trying to recall anything that I could about his fighting style to find any weaknesses. Yet, no matter how I tried to recall his fights, I couldn’t pinpoint anything.
The only time I had gotten to see him fight was during the bug hunt. During which, there were times that I saw him fighting with knives or claws that appeared out of nowhere. Which meant I had no clue what weapons he used. As for his tactics. They were just as unknown because there were times that he brute forced his way through his opponents while other times he did some hit-and-runs.
Honestly, I was in the dark. The only things I knew were that he seemed to like up-and-close attacks and that he was part wolf. So useful when you were going to fight the guy. My only hope was to keep my distance and…suddenly a loud bell rang out from all around me. The very air shook as whatever it was announced its presence.
While I was looking for the source, my eyes wandered a bit. By the time they went to check on my opponent, I realized he was no longer there. Something slams into my side. I folded in half as I flew through the air.
The sides of my left leg are the first things to touch the ground. They provide just enough drag to slow my lower half down and rotate my upper half forward. Within moments of being hit, my entire side is dragging across the dirt and stone ground. “Ow.” That is all I managed to get out before he was on me again.
I watch as a clawed fist flies in my direction. Aiming for my middle. Without time to think, I let my body do what it will. Mana gushes out of my center and into my limbs as I enhance my body. My sword already coming out and moving in an effort to block him.
His claws and my sword meet in a shower of iridescent sparks. Their color reminded me of a magnesium fire I had seen online. Only, videos could never seem to get across just how hot the damn stuff was. I could feel the sparks landing on my arms even through the dress. Unfortunately, I didn’t have time to check, and hope, that they were not lighting me on fire.
He stood there, his claws grinding against the edge of my sword. It was taking everything I had, enhanced and not, to keep him where he was. If I moved or let the enhancement spell fail, he would gain the upper hand. Likely even winning. So, I needed to do something, and sooner rather than later.
His positioning made my legs useless and I couldn’t twist around or my sword would twist out of the path of his claws. Freeing them to continue their trajectory. The same went for either hand. That only left magic.
As quickly as I could, I formed a tiny fireball below each of his feet. Firing the one closest to me before releasing the other. While the small amount of force was nowhere near enough to toss him off his feet, it was enough to cause him to stumble a bit as he tried to keep his balance while still keeping me pinned.
I exasperated the issue by taking the opportunity to shove him back with all my might. He stumbled back, his arms going wide on reflex. I slashed forward, stopping only when my sword touched his neck. “STOP!” cried Michael from where the group stood. I did as he bade. Pulling my sword away from Lance’s neck and returning it to my inventory.
Lance seemed a bit hesitant but eventually offered me a hand. The claws that had been there were nowhere to be seen. Taking it, he pulled me to my feet. I dusted myself off. While we waited for the rest of the group to join us, I asked him a question. “Where do your claws come from?”
He looked taken aback by the question. Like he couldn’t believe I would ask such a thing. “All beastman have natural weapons of one kind or another,” Barti said from my side. “It is one of the things that you, as a human without such things, will have to watch for.”
“What about you? Elves don’t have such weapons either, do they?” I asked, my mind generating images of elves with claws or such growing out of their hands.
He actually laughed at that. “No, we do not have claws. We have our magic.”
“But don’t humans have magic too? Wait, don’t most creatures have magic?”
“Well yes, but I think you misunderstood me. We don’t have just magic. We have our magic.” He emphasized the word our for some reason.
“The dumb elf isn’t explaining it well. He means that the elves have a special kind of magic.” Mindi said while she shot a glare at Barti. Before I could roll my eyes and tell her I got that much, she continued. “A magic that they generate naturally.”
“As opposed to how we gather magic from our surroundings?”
“Yep,” Linda said, “My dad once told me that it makes it hard to hold an elf. You need to constantly drain their mana to keep from escaping.” Tindi and Mindi both shot her a look of suspicion. She held her hands up in surrender. “He is a guard. You don’t think that there are no elves in jail do you?”
“Anyway,” Michael said, trying to pull the discussion back on track. “Kyren, let us start with you. What do you think you did wrong during that fight?”
I answered without hesitation. “I got distracted by whatever created the bell-like noise.”
Mindi, Tindi, and Victor all laughed, “That was the starting bell.”
“Oh,” I said while looking at the ground in embarrassment. How was I supposed to know that there would be a bell announcing the fight? Then again, it was a bit obvious now that I thought back on it.
“But, is there anything else?” Michael asked.
“I didn’t keep an eye on my opponent. I underestimated him. I didn’t have my weapon out at the start of the fight.” I started to list things off before finally saying, “I let myself get into a disadvantageous position with only one way out.”
Michael nodded before turning to Lance. He didn’t even have to ask before Lance spoke. “I didn’t go for the kill with my first attack.”
“Correct,” Barti said. “You had the advantage thanks to Kyren being distracted by the starting bell. You could have, and should have, ended the match there and then. So why didn’t you?” Lance simply shrugged. Refusing to answer the question more than that. “Well, no matter. Get back into position.” The group as a whole turned to the closest edge and started to walk.
“Wait,” I said, causing Barti to turn and look at me. “Am I really facing him again? Shouldn’t I fight someone else?”
“While you won that fight, you have much to learn from fighting him. You will keep going until we feel you are ready to take on someone else.” That was all he said before taking off to join the group. Shaking my head, I walked the dozen feet needed to return to my starting position. This time getting my sword into a ready position while also locking my eyes onto Lance. Determined to not lose sight of him this time.