I rose from my bunk and groggily got dressed. I hadn't slept particularly well but did manage to get at least get some rest. I entered the courtyard around dawn, the sun still low on the horizon. Samuel was setting out breakfast, and I strolled toward him to see what he had prepared. The smell was incredible, reminding me of a diner I frequented back on Earth. That felt weird to think. I had always fantasized about visiting other planets, and what kind of different life may be out in the incredible vastness of space. However, being on one of those planets was taking some getting used to. That thought reminded me I didn't even know this world's name.

"Hey Sam, breakfast smells great. What is the name of this planet?" I asked casually before realizing that I had just complimented his cooking, and then I asked what fucking planet I was on.

Samuel turned and looked at me like I was insane, but he must have remembered I wasn't from around here.

"Most call her Astika, but she has many names. The All-Mother, Lifebringer, The Veiled Queen," he said.

"She?" I inquired. I was puzzled by the reverence in his voice when he answered.

"Oh, yes. Astika is just as much alive as you or me. She is the source of mana, runes, and everything else we have here. The gods have great and immeasurable control of the power, but she is that power. The true empress." he stated.

I didn't fail to notice the almost religious tone he was speaking to me in. I was woefully ignorant of the culture here, so Sam may be some crazy zealot in a cult for all I knew. It did make sense to me, though. The abilities, mana, and runes had to come from somewhere. It was still crazy to me that gods existed here, but that train of thought would have to wait for a day when I wouldn't be in a fight to the death in a few hours.

"Thanks again, Sam. You're a good dude," I said.

"Dude?" he questioned, the word sounding foreign coming from him.

"Oh, dude means friend or buddy," I told him. I had forgotten slang was only sometimes translated via my ability.

He seemed to consider it for a while but didn't respond and returned to his task. Telovir, Cass, and Leo joined us a short time later. I was already tearing into the sausages and eggs Sam had cooked.

"Good morning, dudes." Sam greeted them, grinning.

I nearly spit out my food, stifling a laugh.

"Is that not the correct use, Alex?" he asked.

"No, it was good! I just wasn't expecting you to adopt a word from my home." I said with a laugh.

After explaining what 'dudes' meant to the others, they joined me at the table for breakfast.

We ate and then discussed strategy for a long while.

"If this team is as good as I fear, they'll focus on Leo. You and Cass have to keep the enemies distracted. Make them realize you are the threat, and to ignore either of you will cost them." Tel instructed me.

He gave us a myriad of scenarios and how to respond. I soaked it all in as much as I could. I had to. It was my fault we were in this situation after all. Eventually, I heard the crowd cheering in the distance. The first match had begun. My anxiety flared as I realized we were next, but I shoved it down, forcing myself to remain confident or at least pretend to be. I equipped and inspected my gear. I stretched and warmed up my body, feeling the strength and mobility the Runes granted me.

The cheers eventually subsided, and Telovir instructed us to go. It was time. My heart was racing, and I was already sweating.

"You okay, kid? You look nervous," Cass said.

She didn't miss anything. "I'm good, just worried about you, is all." It was technically the truth. If something happened to either of them, I'd be devastated. I hadn't realized how much I relied on their friendship in my short time here. Truthfully, they were the only people I knew here—my only friends in a strange world. They were the only people I trusted, and it was my job to keep them safe.

She grinned. "Worry about yourself. Let the enemy worry about me."

That helped calm me. Cass's unrelenting confidence in the face of death and uncertainty was reassuring.

I smiled at her, then at Leo.

"Time to facetank some bitches," I stated boldly while thumping my spear against my shield.

We increased our pace to a jog as we neared the entrance, and as we entered the arena through the arch, the crowd erupted.

They kept repeating the same word over and over. "Rydros! Rydros! Rydros!" as we ran across the sand. My decipher ability did not translate it.

"What are they saying?" I shouted as we ran.

"It's the name of the guardian of the Great Runetree, the home of the gods. I think it's their nickname for you." Leo shouted back over the roar of the crowd.

I'd be lying if I said I didn't like that. They had a badass nickname for me? Fuck yeah!

My team and I reached the far end of the arena and turned to face the entrance. Sweat poured down my face, and I went to wipe it. Unfortunately, I subconsciously used the wrong hand and clunked myself in the forehead with my shield. The horde of spectators around us laughed almost in unison, then cheered as if I had done it intentionally. I played it off as a joke, but I could tell by their faces my team wasn't buying it. So much for being a badass.

The enemy team entered the stadium, and the crowd actually went quiet for a moment. That... wasn't a good sign. I inspected the trio. All three were elvish in appearance, with slight frames, sharp angular faces, and ears ending in long points. All had long hair tied back into elegant braids. Two wore robes similar to Leo, and the central mage wore leather combat gear but carried a runestaff. I guessed that all three were mages by their equipment. A quick examination confirmed it:

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[Pyromancer - Level 10]

[Dawn Ritualist - Level 11 ]

[Mage - Level 8]

"Left one is a Level 10 fire mage, central is a level 11 Dawn Ritualist, whatever that is. And the one on the right is a level 8 classless mage." I said as I relayed the information to my team.

"Dawn Ritualists use a lot of light and solar magic," Leo explained.

"Alright, Leo hangs back and controls a target while I stun the other, then Cass and I focus on the remaining opponent. Who's the most dangerous?" I asked.

"Pyromancer!" Leo shouted over the crowd.

"Then that's who we focus on first," I replied.

We had seconds before the match began, and I felt the rush of adrenaline start to pour into me. A horn sounded, and it was time. I let out a War Cry.

The trio of enemy mages began casting immediately, and to my dismay, two more shapes materialized in front of us.

"They have familiars!" Cass roared over the cheers.

"New plan!" I shouted back.

"What is it!?" my teammates asked in unison.

"I run in and get my ass kicked. You two focus on the Pyromancer!" I yelled as I broke into a sprint.

I couldn't hear their responses and was already only 10 yards from the enemy team. They stood grouped, their familiars fully materialized now in front of either summoner. The first one was a lion whose head was wreathed in a mane of flames and had blazing orange fur. The air around it visibly warped from the heat coming off it. The second creature was a giant golden hawk. Its plumage was shining gold, with the tips of the feathers ending in deeper orange and red hues. It had huge menacing talons and a vicious beak full of serrated teeth. I had a second before I reached the duo, so I inspected them:

[Firemane Lion - Level 9 Familiar]

[Sunset Roc - Level 10 Familiar]

The two beasts were already breaking away from the mages, heading in Leo's direction. I used Provoke and let out a roar that staggered the three mages. It even surprised me with its ferocity and tone. The two familiars snapped their attention towards me, and I immediately knew it worked on them. The mages looked my way in fear but quickly regained their composure. As the Firemane Lion crashed into my shield, I yelled to the elf who summoned it.

"Your cat smells like an Ogre's balls, and your mother never loved you!"

I always wondered how taunt mechanics worked in video games, especially against humanoids, and now I knew. The Pyromancer was already casting when I shouted at him, and he turned his wand my way and unleashed a fireball the size of a basketball at me. I hopped backward and activated Reflection. The fireball bounced off my shield and went soaring back toward its creator. The spell crashed into him and erupted into a shower of flames and sparks. I turned my attention back to the creatures, trusting my team would take advantage of what had just happened.

The lion was quicker than the Roc and relentlessly swiped at me with its giant claws. I blocked or dodged as many as possible, but the cat was agile and landed a few glancing blows on my legs and arms. It was much more powerful than me, but I felt a flood of strength from Titan's Favor with each block. I just had to take my time and trust my teammates.

The hawk joined the struggle, and my problems were doubled. The great bird could jump and lunge its talons directly at my face, and one wrong move would surely leave me dead. The lion fought low, swiping at my legs, while the bird constantly lunged at my head and neck. It was an impressive display of teamwork from the beasts. No wonder this team was the favorite. It took all my effort to avoid being hit, never getting a chance to counterattack. The two familiars remained focused on me even as Provoke's effect ended. Either the mages had decided to let them take me on, or they were too pissed off at me to obey their owners' commands.

I now had nine stacks of Titan's Favor, and I let out a War Stomp. The sand beneath us shook and reverberated, ripples going out as if I threw a stone into a pond. My attackers slowed, and I went on the offensive.

I used Frenzied Strikes, and my spear became a blur of stabs at the golden hawk. I scored three deep puncture wounds in its breast, but it didn't seem to notice one bit. I felt my wounds close up a bit, health flowing back into me as Leo cast a quick heal my way. I kept stabbing and slashing at the bird, hoping for a prompt for Execution. It was now bleeding from a dozen wounds. I managed to land one particularly savage cut on its left leg. I also landed a few glancing blows on the lion as I dodged or blocked it, but nothing severe enough to impact its ability to fight.

As the slow effect ended, the cat renewed its assault in earnest. The Sunset Roc was limping slightly, its body seeming too heavy for its crippled leg to support. I went to plunge my spear into its other good leg, but the lion intercepted me. A jet of flame shot from its mouth, and I reflexively shied away from the heat. It didn't burn me too badly, but my hesitation let the beast clamp its powerful jaws around my left leg. It dragged me to the ground and did not let go. The pain was all I knew for a moment, and my leg was being burned and shredded by the cat's sharp teeth. The Roc was nearly close enough to reach my head with its talons, so I had to move quickly. I used Crushing Blow and stunned the giant cat, its jaw going slack as the stun took effect.

[Augment Rune: Onslaught has progressed to Level 3 - Intermediate Rank - You may now choose an upgrade for 'Relentless.']

I ignored the notification and raised my shield to block the hawk's talon strike, forcibly shoving it up and off my shield as I did. The bird fell over backward and screeched from the pain it was in. I scrambled back, away from both, and stood. My thigh was gored and blackened from the bite, but to my surprise didn't slow me down at all. The bonus to my vigor had made me much more durable than before. I used the lull to check on my teammates.

Cass had already killed the low-level mage, and his body lay lifeless in blood-soaked sand. Leo was doing all he could to avoid or counter the enemy mages' spells while they afflicted Cass with control abilities. Leo looked hurt, with multiple burns on his body and pieces of his robes singed away. I shield-charged the Pyromancer, intending to buy Leo some time to heal himself. I crashed into the elf shield first. The force of my blow actually obliterated the fire mage. The eleven stacks of Titan's Favor, and the triple damage I dealt with shields, led to gory results. The mage's body was hurled towards the arena wall in multiple pieces as if a wrecking ball had hit him. Blood splattered the nearest spectators. The crowd gasped in unison and then resumed their chant of 'Rydros!'.

[You have reached Level 10! Please choose a class.]

I stood there, gaping at what had just happened. Blood and gore dripped off my shield and onto the sand beneath. I was vaguely aware of Cass shouting my name, but I was frozen where I stood. Something crashed into me from behind, and I snapped out of my stupor. Despite its owner's death, the lion was still here.

The bonus strength I had let me throw the creature off my back as if it were a house cat. My armor had saved me from any severe wounds. I turned to face it. The beast was snarling, its mane flaring with extra heat as it did. The sole remaining mage launched a spell at me, his face twisted in anger. Sunlight enveloped me, blinding me and blistering my skin as it did. My health was decreasing rapidly from the solar magic. I activated The Immovable Object when my health reached 35%. The pain vanished, my eyesight returning despite the blazing light. Leo healed me to full health as my defensive ability negated nearly all damage. The sun spell faded while I had 2 seconds of my skill left. The enemy mage looked haggard as if he had poured all his energy into that one spell.

Cass noticed this immediately and closed the distance. She reminded me of a predator approaching wounded prey. The mage saw Cass but launched a miniature sun at Leo. He was probably aiming to take out our most injured combatant. I cursed. Our healer looked exhausted. He spent the whole fight dodging or countering spells while healing us. I knew he wouldn't be able to dodge it in time. I used Intercede on him and charged with supernatural speed at the man, but I didn't reach him before the tiny sun. I feared I hadn't been quick enough, but the powerful ball of fire just bounced off Leo's chest like a beach ball and fizzled out. I stopped beside our healer, shield raised, but the danger had passed.

I glanced back at the enemy mage. He was now bleeding from his eyes, nose, and mouth. Cass closed into range with two final strides and finished him with a decisive strike. Her sword cut downwards from his left shoulder to his right hip in one powerful blow. I wondered if that was Cass's execute ability or if her new class had made her that much stronger. The Sunset Roc dematerialized as he died. The crowd erupted into cheers.

The big cat was still here and ran toward me. However, something had changed. It circled me but didn't attack. Its eyes locked onto mine as if deciding what to do now that its owner and his team were dead.

"Leo, heal it!" I yelled to the man.

"Are you crazy?" he shouted back.

Maybe I was, but I had a gut feeling I couldn't shake.

"Just do it!" I pleaded.

Leo began chanting, and after a couple of seconds, the cat's wounds closed. I knelt a few feet from the beast and lowered my guard. The big cat mirrored me by sitting in the sand and licking its paw. We were at eye level now, and I could see the lion was visibly relaxed. The flames around its mane and fur settled down, then extinguished. Even the crowd had gone silent as if anticipating what would happen. I set down my spear and held out my left hand toward it. It approached slowly, still obviously wary, but let me pet its deep red mane. With the big cat this close, I could truly appreciate its majestic appearance. Its coat was the same orange as when it was enflamed but lustrous and smooth. The fur was hot to the touch but not enough to burn my skin. The great cat was still staring into my eyes when a prompt appeared.

[Firemane Lion wishes to be bonded to you. Accept it as your familiar?]

I hesitated. "You can leave, buddy. You don't have to do this anymore," I told the cat, hoping it understood. The lion looked back at the entrance, then at me, and pushed into my chest with its head.

"Alright, alright, I get it!" I chuckled as it nearly knocked me over. I mentally accepted the prompt.

[Firemane Lion is now your familiar.]

The cheering resumed even louder than before. I stood, picked up my spear, and walked back toward my team. The lion walked beside me and matched my pace.

"Hey, I didn't mean that thing about you smelling like an Ogre's balls. I just wanted to piss off that mage," I said apologetically to the beast. I wasn't sure if he understood, but I wanted to start things off on the right foot.

I raised my shield victoriously and pumped my spear into the air. The crowd ate it up, but it wasn't for them. I stared at the window from which I knew Liana was watching, although I couldn't see inside, and smiled.