“Saul, do we want to respond to that?” I asked as the reaver shouted out his challenge once more.

“I don’t think we have anyone that can go toe to toe with that thing. I’m happy to let him waste as much time as he wants issuing challenges,” Saul replied. We were focused on buying as much time for those trying to escape as possible, and every second the enemy spent focused on the village brought our people a bit closer to safety.

“Grulnok might have a chance against him,” I offered, pointing toward the veteran orc warrior.

“He did well enough at the barricade, but do you think he can beat that?” Saul said. The reaver was still too far away to make out any details, but he seemed larger than any person I’d ever met. He held an axe in one hand and there was a large, round wooden shield slung over his back that I assumed he’d use as well. As far as armor is concerned, he didn’t wear any, just a leather harness that was used to hold gear and supplies.

“How about magic, is that forbidden in this kind of challenge?” I asked.

“No, not if the person participating has access to it,” Saul replied.

“What happens if they don’t? I’m thinking of using some of my items on Grulnok to beef him up,” I asked.

“Gear, protective spells, and consumable items are fine, but you can’t cast anything once the fight begins, otherwise, the system will punish you for breaking a challenge,” Saul explained.

“The system gets involved in something like a challenge?” I asked. The system seemed like a force controlling things, but not directly interfering in something as minor as a duel between two people on one of many worlds it oversaw.

“I’m making an assumption, but the leader of a group like the reavers will likely have a class that allows them to bring binding challenges, which is most likely what we’re facing. Tell me, do you really think Grulnok has a chance?” Saul asked, warming up to the idea.

I considered my options, Grulnok was a tier one, rank five veteran minion. According to Hoen, the advisor to the dungeon I had helped defend, a veteran minion was considered five ranks higher for gauging their power. That would put Grulnok at tier two, rank two when my class ability and Empower Minion was included in the calculation. In addition to that, I had a few things that might help him.

“He has a good chance to win,” I said with confidence.

“I’m willing to risk it if you are. Since you’re his summoner, answer the challenge with my blessing,” Saul said, looking a bit nervous.

“Hey!” I shouted, “The warrior Grulnok will meet your challenge if you are still offering,”

“I accept,” the reaver shouted. My offer and his acceptance triggered a system prompt.

You have agreed to face Bhartak the Bloodfeaster in a single combat challenge to the death. You may choose to face him personally or assign one of your minions to do so. The parameters of the duel are as follows.

1. Should Bhartak the Bloodfeaster emerge victorious, your allies must remove the blockage from the gate and retire from the walls of the village.

2. Should you or your chosen champion win, all hostile activity will be halted for one hour.

You have five minutes to prepare for battle, or you will be considered to have forfeited the challenge.

I had to move quickly, and first ordered Grulnok to join me on the wall. He was an impressive warrior, and one I wouldn’t want to face, but his opponent wasn’t some former insurance adjuster, it was the leader of a band of barbaric warriors. Even Grulnok was going to need every advantage we could give him.

First off, I summoned the Gelatinous armor figurine, targeting it to equip the orc. Grulnok didn’t even flinch when the armor appeared on his body. It created a slimy layer over the top of his existing armor. I had no idea what it would do in battle, but it was powerful enough to warrant a summoning figurine to be created for it, so it must be good.

Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

After that, I gave him one of the healing potions I carried. I wasn’t sure if he would have a chance to use it in the heat of battle, but if he could, it might keep him going long enough to pull off a victory. Grulnok also had an ability called Second Wind which boosted his attack and damage when below 25% health and my Riposte skill. Combined, I figured that he had a better than average chance to deal with the reaver leader.

I wish I had my magic warhammer to give to Grulnok, but it had been left behind to make room for other items on this summoning. There were also the trio of buffing potions that I didn’t have enough gear points to equip for this go around. I’d done everything I could to give the already powerful orc a boost, now it was up to him to bring us a win for this challenge.

“He certainly looks the part,” Saul said as I finished with Grulnok.

“Even better, he’s not alone,” I said as I activated the Ring of Duplicate.

I’d had the ring on me for a while, but now seemed like the right time to use it. The item only held two charges and after I activated it twice, the ring dropped from my finger and crumbled to dust. Standing before us were two more identical versions of Grulnok, the duplicate spell even granting them the same slime armor that I’d equipped him with. Strangely enough, it didn’t duplicate the healing potion, but I’d give up a healing potion for the armor any day.

We placed a ladder over the side of the wall for Grulnok to climb down, and then he strode confidently toward his opponent. While we waited for the fight to start, Saul made sure that not everyone’s attention was on the duel. There was a small chance that the reavers were using the fight as a distraction, but since the system had intervened, I doubted it.

“You send me an orc, why not another of your old warriors? I hope this one is a bit more fight in him,” Bhartak taunted. Grulnok ignored him and just stalked toward his foe, weapons ready. There was no more talk, Bhartak just pulled the shield off his back, readied his axe, and charged at Grulnok.

Both opponents seemed evenly matched, and for several moments, nobody landed a blow. Each hit was deflected, and the pair tested each other’s defenses, looking for an opening. We weren’t close to the action, but I thought I saw something move from behind the reavers’ back, and then a second later, a dagger slammed into Grulnok’s chest.

The orc staggered back, fumbling at his belt for the healing potion I’d given him. He quaffed the potion before leaping forward, both weapons slamming into the reaver’s shield. The wooden shield shattered and the arm holding it hung limply at the reaver’s side.

“Saul, where did that dagger come from?” If the enemy was cheating, I was ready to fire off a few spells of my own.

“From the reaver, the most powerful of them are twisted by the blighted lands they reside in. This one must have another appendage on his back, one that he used to surprise your orc with an attack. You may not see it from where we’re standing, but when they are closer, you’ll get a better picture,” Saul explained.

Now that I knew what to look for, I spotted the second time it happened. From behind Bhartak, another limb snapped forward, a limb that looked like a skinny, twisted arm at this distance. Twisted or not, the extra appendage seemed to have no trouble holding another dagger in its grasp, one that it hurled at Grulnok.

This time, Grulnok swatted aside the dagger with his axe, and the follow up blow with his spiked mace slammed into the chest of the reaver leader. Gore fountained from the wound as Grulnok ripped the weapon free from the reaver’s body. Roaring in pain, the reaver attacked again, hacking with his axe while the arm that had held the shield flopped around uselessly.

Grulnok wasn’t doing much better, there was a dagger still dug into his chest, and despite the minor healing potion, I could see him running out of steam as the wound took its toll. A second mace blow landed on the good shoulder of the reaver, causing him to drop the axe as that arm was crushed. Following the spiked mace attack, Grulnok’s axe hacked away the reaver’s recently broken arm, the stump of the now severed limb began to spray blood everywhere.

Snapping forward, the limb behind the reaver leader punched out over his shoulder and slammed into the dagger piercing Grulnok’s chest. The blade was pushed all the way to the hilt, and the reaver continued to shove at it, trying to drive the blade into Grulnok’s heart. The gelatinous armor chose that time to activate and began to quickly flow up the odd appendage the reaver attacked with.

Felsh dissolved and the reaver shrieked in pain as the gelatinous armor went to work. Between the bleeding from his severed limb and the armor dissolving his body, the reaver leader gave a final roar of defiance before stumbling and falling over dead. As the enemy leader fell, Grulnok dissolved away into mana vapor, the dagger finally doing enough damage to end him. I waited, unsure of what the results of the fight were, both opponents were out of commission, but who had won?

The fight has ended in a draw, neither side may claim the benefits of victory.

That answered my question, it must have been close enough for the system to just call it a draw. The reavers must have heard the same message that we had, and as one, they charged forward, calling for our blood.

“This is it lads, kill as many as you can and then fall back to your final defensive positions. Don’t let them catch you out here, we’re not done bleeding them just yet,” Saul ordered. It looked like the flow of enemies pouring from the tree line would never stop, but that didn’t discourage the villagers in the least. All I could do was stand by their side and slay as many enemies as I could manage.