The crowd was cheering in a slightly-muted way but they were also backing up. The circle available widened. One of the soldiers near the corporal was taking off their coat and attaching some sort of… I don’t know. It was covered in wires.

“Popovich, you're up,” Rachel ordered. She didn’t want me watching whatever that was. Three more soldiers moved to body-block my view.

A woman with a sword stepped towards me. She rolled her braided hair and pinned it under her at before saying, “I challenge you to a duel.”

I hesitated. This felt like a losing strategy. Dampen was a skill requiring a roll. That meant it had a chance to fail and I could paste some kid across the ice. It also just let them keep feeding people into fights with me while they refined their strategy.

I used Analyze again. Popavich was level twenty-two. She only had seventy hit points. That said her Face and Mind Attributes were higher than Barns’. She was also a combination of Owl-Woman and Fishman.

“I accept,” I said, finally.

Popovich eyed me, “He has the Analyze Skill!” she said.

“Just surrender,” I said, putting the weight of the system into my words.

Persuade check… Failed

“No,” She thought for a moment. Then she thrust her sword at my face.

I ducked to the side and grabbed her arm. She wasn’t exactly a dainty woman, but in my massive hand she looked like a toddler.

“I don’t want to hurt you,” I started.

“Same,” Popovich said, right before she shot me in the leg. A silvery gun had materialized from out of her sleeve. The damned thing whirled glowing white hot. Then a ball of plasma exploded through my leg.

Now I will admit this hurt like hell. The impact was comparable to a small caliber pistol as it punched right through the leg of my pants and embedded in my thigh bone. The heat instantly cauterized my flesh and just sat there boiling inside my leg.

Attack from Popovich Successful.

Attack ignores soft armor.

You take 29 points of damage.

Mental Resistance blocks the effects of Terrible Pain Condition

Titanic Regeneration plus 38 hit points

HP: 420/420

While this was in the top ten list of pain I ever felt, it wasn’t triggering any conditions that I couldn’t block. Well my leg was on fire. Kinda. It was more of a smolder.

That gun was nuts. That said it melted itself to fire.

Popovich's expression changed from nonchalance to ‘Oh God he’s breaking my arm!’ that is a profoundly specific facial arrangement. I would recognize it anywhere.

Attack against Erin Popovich… Successful

Dampen Check failed. Erin Popovich takes 32 points of damage.

You inflicted the Bag of Dirt Condition

My fist clenched and the bones in her arm were rendered into gravel. Popovich’s elbow was basically destroyed. Her hand hung limply from a bend not at her elbow. Of course doing almost half of her health in one second.

“I yield!” she screamed.

I released her instantly. “Swear you will never try to harm or assist in the attempt to harm Seth Cohen ever again.”

Intimidation check… Successful!

“I… swear,” Popovich managed.

I felt the scabs of my leg flake off as the skin healed. The clothes sealed over as well.

“Go,” I told her.

“Guys… he has health regen…” One of the soldiers said. “I saw his health drop. It is back up to full.”

My nerves stopped insisting that my leg was burning. That said I could feel the first faint traces white noise creep into my perception.

Several other soldiers called out other information about me.

“I think he has a martial art!” one said.

“Yep I do,” I answered. “I have Mastered a Cosmic Martial Art.”

Several of the soldiers scoffed. Rachel didn’t, she clearly looked dubious,her voice sagged with Sarcasm “A Cosmic Martial Art? I am convinced.” she shouted her next words, “Corporal Jones we got a martial artist.”

Jones was a tall guy, he had dark hair and skin. He stepped into the ring and tossed his coat to the edge. His hands had hooked blades growing along the pinky finger. He also had sharp points on his elbows. Jones was all whipcord muscle and he didn’t like the cold but he popped some red pill in his mouth and instantly quit shivering.

Jones opened his mouth to challenge me

“Surrender!” I growled again putting system force behind my words. I doubt I was actually scary but the mechanics didn’t care.

Intimidation check… Successful!

Before Jones could be cowed, Rachel let out a surprisingly commanding and stentorian roar, “Corporal, you will fight that man! That is an order!”

I could sense a clash of her skill and mine. Distressingly I noticed the weight of the domain suppressing my words.

The uncertainty left Jones’ face, “I challenge you to a duel.”

Ah shit. There goes that plan. Then again was using the system to socially batter people to get my way actually superior to physically beating them? I wasn’t sure. “I accept

Jones was fast. Not Angelica fast, but absolutely in the same class as Brand. He had flitted from ten feet away to right in front of me in the blink of an eye. He made a grab for my hand and…

Clash of Styles!

Surging Mantis Vs Unrelenting Glacier.

No conflict observed. No benefits or penalties assigned.

… through the backing of the system I was able to dodge the first grab, the blade along Jones’ hand took some hair off the back of my hand but didn’t connect. I Blocked both the followup punch aimed at my solar-plexus and the kick aimed at my leg.

A split second after I decided not to counter-attack -without knowing his HP I could possibly crit and kill him instantly- Jones hopped back out of reach almost as fast as he engaged me. “He has Unrelenting Glacier as a martial art.” he called.

Rachel was consulting some sort of handheld device. It looked like a steel framed smartphone. Both Jones and I saw her expression momentarily locked into a horrified expression. She quickly corrected, “Good job Jones. Just… be careful.”

“Jones, she just saw that I in fact do have a Cosmic Martial Art.” I triggered the Analyze skill. I waited for the look of discomfort to appear in his eye, “You can’t beat me. This whole steady stream of combatants idea isn’t going to result in your side's inevitable victory. It is going to get a bunch of you killed. I have been handling you all like spun glass. I am going to get clumsy at some point. For your own sake surrender.”

Intimidation check… Successful!

You are now Trained in Intimidation.

Jones almost quailed under the weight of my stare.

“Stay in the Fight!” Rachel ordered again.

“For the Technacoast!” the other cheered.

Jones slammed his fist into his chest. He didn’t approach me though.

I did the math. Jones was level 24 and focused toward mobility. That said he only had 68 HP. That was more fragile than I was comfortable with, but I was beginning to suspect I needed to display a show of force.

The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

I charged. Sure I was a big guy but I could move faster than Jones. I loomed over him for length of a heart beat before sticking.

Attack Successful!

Dampen Check Successful! Robert Jones Takes 15 damage

Attack from Abel Barns… blocked x2

Counter Attack Successful!

Dampen Check Successful! Robert Jones Takes 15 damage

Attack against Abel Barns… Successful

Dampen Check Successful! Abel Barns take 15 damage

I brought my fist down on his head. He bowed but struck with his claws. I slapped both hands away, knocking him half a step off balance. I then countered with a left hook to his floating ribs. Then just to put the boots in I kicked him in the stomach. Jones folded over my leg and for a split second floated in the air stunned. I then seized his leg and flung him across the ring.

Throw Attack Successful!

Dampen Check Successful! Robert Jones Takes 15 damage

Jones landed badly and slid across the ice. He ended up face down gasping. Eventually he screamed in pain.

Rather than pressure Jones to surrender I looked at the others. “You don’t want to fight me. It is just a matter of time before I kill one of you.”

Mass Intimidation check… Partially Successful!

Ten of them looked shaken. Another five looked on the fence about trying to fight me. Rachel looked completely unmoved. The folks hooking gear up to the corporal didn’t seem all that bothered. He watched me carefully. A bead of sweat rolling down his brow despite the cold.

“Jones, you give?” I asked, still watching the corporal.

“...yeah,” he managed.

“Swear the same oath as the others?” I pressed.

“Yes!” he called.

“You next then, corporal?” I asked, letting menace creep into my tone.

The fish-eyed guy blinked, “You don’t even know what we are capable of.”

He sighed and checked with Rachel, when she nodded. The corporal turned back to me. He accepted a heavy metal staff. Everyone quickly got the fuck away from him. The corporal flipped a switch on the chest plated and slapped the door shut. Something shrieked and the corporal was wreathed in a corona of crackling electricity.

The corporal stepped into the ring, “I challenge you to a duel.”

“The hell is that?” I asked, taking a step back.

“Anti-riot rig with an overclocked power source,” fish-eye said, grinning.

“Fuck you,” I said. I braced for bullshit, “I accept.”

The corporal, unlike everyone before him, hesitated. I felt a series of pings from the system. His eyes bugged as he used some sort of skills to… I don't know.

Eh… when in Rome.

Analyze check… Successful

Name:

Jeffery Todd

Race:

Human(Chimera: Fishman/Mind-Weasel)

Class:

Chimera Corp Half-Screw

Level:

32

HP:

116

Power:

18

Mobility:

12

Body:

16

Mind:

30

Face:

8

Magic:

8

Trait:

Tech Savvy

You are just better than most when it comes to mechanical and electronic objects. People may scare you, but not predictable, precise technology. You are treated as one level of scale higher when using skills to use, maintain, or understand gear deemed by the system to be tech.

Unnatural Trait: Chimera (Uncommon)

This is level independent. This trait increases it’s bearer’s Scale to Uncommon. It will also cause the bearer to show physical attributes similar to those of the Mobs used.

Perks:

Chimera Corp Soldier

You are part of the few viable combat capable Chimera. This perk unlocks skills related to the Soldier Class as well as the Pack Tactics, and has a possibility of Unlock Mob-Related Skills

ExoSkeleton Proficiency

This perk unlocks the Skills Pilot: Exoskeleton, Repair: Exoskeleton, Craft: Exoskeleton

Power Weapon Proficiency

This perk allows user to apply weapon proficiencies the user already possesses to be used with Powered weapons.

Disposition: Jeffery is wary of you. He is planing to inflict as much damage as possible on you.

That was less than useful.

We stood there looking at each other. Then we kept doing that.

“Kick his dick!” Spine yelled.

I stayed where I was. Jeffery didn’t move either.

“You doing okay there corporal?” Rachel asked.

The corporal’s eyes bugged again. “Yeah, I just needed to finished the up close checks,”

“Oh, cool, what do you got?” Rachel asked.

“I can’t read his race or class.” the Corporal said as he kept his eyes on me. “His Might is 42. He also has a Body attribute of 42, and his Mobility is 37. “ The corporal paled, “How the hell is your Defense 114?”

“I have been attacked by a lot of snow lions.” I said, like it was an explanation. “You gonna do something?”

“I am doing something?” The corporal said again as his eyes bugged again.

I sighed. A stomp of my foot and a Destruction check caused a brick of ice to bounce up into the air in front of me. I grabbed it. “You gonna surrender?”

“No,” Jeffery said.

I lobbed the brick at him. The ice went right through the corona of electricity engulfing Jeffery, and despite his effort to block it with his staff, collided with his shoulder.

Throw Attack Successful!

Dampen Check Successful! Jeffery Todd takes 15 damage

The impact caused the ice to shatter and the Jeffery to stumble backwards. He hissed in pain. “Fine, try this… asshole!”

He lunged with the metal staff. For the briefest of moments I considered blocking the attack, but then I saw the faint spark of electricity along the length. I Dodged at the last possible second. Just as I was considering a counter-attack…

Attack from Jeffery Todd …Dodged.

You are in an Electrified Area of effect. You take 2 damage.

You are immune to the Stun Condition

Mental Resistance blocks the Terrible Pain Condition. You may act normally

Titanic Regeneration plus 38 hit points

HP: 420/420

Seizing, burning pain ran down my neck, torso and legs. Small fingers of electricity had jumped from the staff to me. I took a big step back to get out of the AOE. That Terrible Pain condition was nowhere near as bad as the Extreme Agony condition, but it was still fucking awful. Think of it like the difference between having a tooth crack instead of having your jaw smashed with a hammer. Sure one is worse than the other, but you will probably dislike the other as well.

I jumped backwards.

Jeffery spun the staff, “Too much for you?”

“Nope,” I said, obviously lying.

Jeffery charged me. He wasn’t as fast as the others, nor was he as skilled with his weapon as others, but he could absolutely press me. That damn stick had reach. He clipped me about four more times

To hell with it. I prepared for the bad time and grabbed the damned staff out of his hands. Since the white noise was already creeping into my senses, I took the chance to discourage him coming any closer.

Attack Successful!

Dampen Check Successful! Jeffery Todd takes 15 damage

You are in an Electrified Area of effect. You take 2 damage.

You are immune to the Stun Condition

Mental Resistance blocks the Terrible Pain Condition. You may act normally

Titanic Regeneration plus 38 hit points

HP: 420/420

I slapped Jeffery upside the head with the metal staff. The impact sent him flying. It zapped me something fierce but Jeffery clearly got the worse for the trade.

“You surrender?” I asked.

“Nope,” Jeffery said, mimicking me. He pulled some small cylinder out of his pocket and pressed the button on the end.

The staff that I held in my right hand and resting on my shoulder, exploded.

You take 74 damage.

You are immune to the Stun Condition.

You now have the Pin-Cushion Condition

Mental Resistance blocks the Terrible Pain Condition. You may act normally

Titanic Regeneration plus 38 hit points

HP: 384/420

My ears were ringing. Not because my ears were damaged, but because my brain couldn’t interpret it healing so quickly. I found an issue with having health regen. In this specific situation, being perforated with thousands of hooked metal barbs, my body's perpetual attempts to heal the damage caused the fiery hot metal hooks to press against the skin and the nerve excruciatingly. Every beat of my rapidly quickening pulse sent fresh waves of static through my mind.

I just stood there, in the smoke for a solid minute. People were talking. Well, shouting, but i just wasn’t listening. I almost stumbled as I failed to balance. My brain couldn’t handle receiving accurate information, so it over corrected.

The smoke cleared and I saw Jeffery’s face go from smug satisfaction, to existential terror.

“I am gonna hurt you now,” I told him, a split second before I slapped my spine embedded hand up side his head.

Attack Successful!

Dampen Check Failed! Jeffery Todd takes 57 damage

You are in an Electrified Area of effect. You take 2 damage.

You are immune to the Stun Condition

Mental Resistance blocks the Terrible Pain Condition. You may act normally

19 barbs pulled from flesh. You take 19 points of damage

You are now bleeding.

Titanic Regeneration plus 38 hit points

HP: 420/420

Bleeding stopped

This embedded a literal hand full of metal rods in Jeffery’s face. This went a lot worse for corporal than i would have guess. The metal splinters, unlike the staff, caused electricity to arc between them. This seemed to both zap Jeffery and heat up the metal something. The poor dude also wasn’t able to block out the Terrible Pain Condition. He just fell down scream, as he burned and was slowly electrocuted.

“Surrender and you get the Warrior’s Suraksha,” I told him.

“I sur-sur-end-ender,” Jeffery shrieked.

“Swear the oath,” I instructed.

“I-uh swah-swear!” Jeffery managed.

“He can go,” I said. I felt the protection of the domain descend. Jeffery kept on burning but screaming.

I didn’t exactly enjoy that, but I did have my own issues to tend to. I ripped the remainder of the barbs from my hand. Then I pulled two fistfuls of barbs out of my face. Well honestly, I tore a significant portion of my face off. It certainly looked like a lot of skin. The crowd was screaming.

I had finished de-barbing my arm when I realized Sunit was talking to me.

“What?” I managed.

“Are you good to continue?” He asked. He had a cautious look on his face, and didn’t stand too close. I guess he didn’t want blood on his shoes.

“Yeah, I am fine,” I said over the ringing in my ears.

“What the hell are you?” Rachel asked.

“I am Doug, I am not going to let you come in here and kill someone, and I am not sure I can be gentle any longer,” I answered

Intimidation check… Partially Successful!