Frozen Soul, and other works: Chapter 60

I shifted back and forth on the balls of my feet. I’d reviewed the rules of the arena. Participants could use their own gear, and trophy taking was prohibited, so I wouldn’t lose any of it due to an angry amazon, though anything damaged would have to be repaired. I could live with the repair costs. Besides, I was supposed to be putting on a show, so I might as well put on a show!

The waiting area was a simple affair, basically the same as any locker room you’d find in any stadium anywhere in the real world. It wasn’t supposed to be luxurious, just utilitarian, as people would be moving through pretty regularly. Right now, I was focusing on loosening up, so I could get ready for the fighting.

Then it was time. The door opened, and I stepped out onto the sands of the arena floor. The arena was, for the most part, open sand, but there were blocks, broken columns, and even pieces of walls littering the sands in different areas, to provide more than just a simple flat surface for those who could properly wield the environment.

Frolun Blackmane

Human Female

Level 40

From the opposite side of the arena, my opponent entered, wearing armor designed as much for show as for protection. I could not tell from here, but it looked to be a breastplate and skirt made of exotic leathers, and burnished with gold. I did not doubt that it would prove a formidable defense, almost as formidable as the long sword and the round shield she carried. That much did not surprise me. Professional gladiators provided a spectacle, and a melee was more spectacular than a gun battle for those observing it.

As for the woman herself, she was tall, and well-muscled. Not the hulking, bodybuilder look, but the kind of muscles that came not just from the gym, but relentless training. Her power was evident from the way she moved. This was a trained fighter, no doubt, and one practiced at taking down foes in the arena.

I didn’t have a shield, but I had my energy blade in my dominant left hand, and Widowmaker in the other. I would have to give it everything I had to make this an interesting fight, and to make my money off the bets I’d had my girls place. I walked forward calmly, blades held to the side, until the sign was given to begin. Then, the spectacle began.

Rushing forward, I waited until I was in range to activate Mindread on Frolun. It was something I’d practiced, in training, but only used once before in a fight, but by concentrating on her surface thoughts, I was able to get enough warning of her attacks so that it looked as though I had some kind of precognition. Blocking the heavy attacks was impossible (learned that the hard way with a blow that sent me sprawling head over heels, but parrying and dodging was barely within my abilities.

Frolun was higher leveled and had higher combat skills than I did, but it seemed that I was not that far behind as far as attributes (well, DEX certainly) went, both because of my number of skills which all increased my attributes and because of my bonuses from beta. I was fairly balanced in my attributes, while she had specialized in STR and CON, it seemed. I was lighter and quicker, allowing me to avoid a direct hit, and sometimes offer a counter. Not enough to be telling, but the damage was building, for both of us. It was enough to make this a fight that, while not fair, would not be so simple as some of the bookies thought.

After about a minute of fending off her attacks, I had a chance to turn to the offensive. I flourished with the Energy Blade, causing sparks to spring up from the amazon’s hastily raised shield, and then I activated the special ability of Widowmaker as I stepped to the side. The blade slid through the shield as though it wasn’t there, causing the amazon to cry out in pain as I cut the arm behind the shield in a long line. With luck, she wouldn’t be able to properly use the shield for a bit.

But I was not yet finished. I continued my movement, using the energy blade I made a sweeping slash. To an untrained eye, it would look like a wild flourish, that had little effect on the woman, as her wounds from the blade were not deep. I rolled forward, under the sweeping blade as the amazon attempted to strike me, and rose in a fighting stance, before springing in again. Her blade clashed again, met this time by the energy blade, as the 5 second timer on Widomaker’s ability ran out, just as I slashed her unwounded side.

Again, an untrained eye would think it a wasted opportunity, me mistaking the timing of my weapon’s ability. But there was method to the madness. The fight had just passed the two-minute mark, after all, and as Frolun turned to face me again, the straps of her armor all but finished by my cuts, gave way, causing her to be suddenly stripped on the arena floor. Beyond being for the satisfaction of the pervy people out there such as myself, stripping a gladiator in the midst of a fight typically showed an overabundance of skill, as though you were toying with them. In my case, it was half skill, half using weapons suited to the task, and a healthy icing of luck upon the top.

The amazon roared in rage, and activated some kind of ability that not only healed her wounds, but added some kind of berserk status onto her. When she switched that longsword and shield for a greataxe, I knew it was time to run. No way I would be able to parry something like that, and I very much doubted whether I could survive much more than a single hit if she hit me full force.

She was faster now, it seemed. I barely had time to dodge to the side as the axe came flying past my head, in a spinning arc that carried it into the crowd. For a moment, I was able to see the big-screen viewer showing the action on the floor to those in the stands, but now was focused on a couple. It was a freaking Kiss-Cam, but unfortunately the happy couple who were kissing suddenly had their romantic moment cut short by the axe literally cleaving their heads in two.

Before I could turn and counter, however, the axe was flying back to the woman’s hand. So she could throw the axe, and then it would return to her? Fragging wonderful! Still, I decided to make the best use of this as I could, darting up onto a destroyed column, and switching my blades for my bow, an arrow of blue light forming there as I gathered my Psy. I fired just before Frolun threw here axe again, the impact of the arrow causing the axe to go slightly off target, spinning through the crowd once more. I wasn’t sure, but I definitely saw some limbs go flying, and more people getting sent for a reset.

Twice more she made to throw at me, and twice more I used my arrows to knock her slightly off balance, disrupting her aim and maiming the crowd. By then, she had decided that throwing wasn’t going to work on me, so she gathered her psy about her, which glowed in a protective aura as she sprang forward, tackling the column I was standing on and sending it falling towards the ground, smashing another member of the audience in the process.

The crowd was going wild by this point, for we had already cleared almost three minutes since the start of the match, and already twenty-five people had been sent for resets, a record in any 40 and Under match! I hit the sand and rolled quickly to my feet, switching back to my blades as I did so. Her axe was a big, heavy weapon, and while she had plenty of strength to wield it, I was still faster on the defense.

Soon, the parries began to tell their toll. My ST was running low, having both less of it and a lower regen than she did, but my actions used less of it as I conserved motions where I could. Repeated strikes of the energy blade at the same point destroyed first the greataxe, and then the shield she brought back out. She drew a long, thin dagger from her boot, where it had been placed as a backup weapon. Now armed with sword and dagger, as I was, the raging amazon lunged forward, her wild swings impossible to stop or counter.

A timer in my HUD showed how long the fight had been progressing, along with my current state. HP: 325/1190. ST: 208/1150. PP: 1356/1780. Time: 04:43… 44… 45… I took a deep breath, concentrating on the Amazon’s mind. Reading her thoughts was the only reason I had lasted this long, but it was getting harder the more enraged she got. Oh, it wasn’t like she was forcing me out or anything. No, it was more like she was acting less on planning and strategy, and more out of primal instinct. Instinct didn’t come form the conscious mind, but the subconscious. My warning became less and less, as even she began to not consciously know what she was going to do before she did it. My wounds were piling up.

Unexpectedly, she dropped her sword, using that hand to catch my left arm by the wrist, preventing my energy blade from cutting her down. Her off hand came up blocked a downward thrust from my Widowmaker long enough for her head to come rocketing forward and smack me clear on the bridge of my nose, breaking it. Stunned, I couldn’t keep the enraged woman from tackling me to the ground. I saw her dagger rising up, and then stabbing down.

And then everything turned black.

You have died in the Arena.

Death penalty not applied.

Mental Psy Mastery increased to 22/100.

+2 INT

Blades increased to 15/100.

+3 DEX, +2 STR

Archery increased to 8/100.

+3 DEX

Perception increased to 13/100

+2 WIS

Judge Intentions increased to 10/100.

+4 WIS

Acting increased to 8/100.

+1 CHA

Gambling increased to 20/100.

+8 CHA

You have lost 2000 credits due to gambling.

You have lost 6 captured individuals due to gambling.

You have gained 43,920,000 credits due to gambling.

NOTICE: Mirikon Mollen, and all slaves belonging to him, are forbidden from gambling at the Grand Arena on Dimiya in perpetuity.

You have gained a title.

Crazed Gambler

You play for the highest stakes and the highest odds possible. Somehow, you’ve managed not to get yourself killed (permanently), by gambling on the wrong things. Luck has double its normal effects, good and bad, for you.

A bounty placed on you by the Red Orchid group has been canceled.

Respawning in the Arena Medical Center in 3… 2… 1…

I opened my eyes to see Nakahara waiting for me, my crew not far behind him, though keeping a respectful distance. Looking down quickly to make sure I was actually clothed instead of spawning naked, I was pleased to find out that I did have all my gear on. I didn’t understand how it worked, but I wasn’t going to complain.

Stepping forward out of the cloning bay, or whatever it was, I bowed to Nakahara, and said, “Nakahara-dono, may I say that your fighter is without a doubt the finest warrior I have ever had the privilege to fight against, and that I am supremely glad that it was upon the sands of the arena, rather than outside these walls. I hope the spectacle was to your liking?”

Nakahara chuckled, and nodded his head. “Indeed, indeed. Our main business is concluded. The spectacle was superb, and your death convincing enough that it should prevent any further problems, though I would advise avoiding Red Orchid territories in the near future.” He paused, and then said, “Oh, and congratulations on your side bets. Tell me, how did you know how the battle would progress?”

I smiled at the man, and said, “I didn’t. But I had a feeling that I could drag things along those lines if I needed to. The lady’s goal was to win. Mine was to lose in a spectacular fashion. That gave me far more leeway in setting the pace of the fight. I hope the bets did not discomfit you greatly?”

“Oh, my, no. None of my people took your people’s bets. Though several of them did come along after you to place further bets in line with what you made. I’m happy to say that I now have a substantial share of ownership in the Grand Arena, thanks to you.”

I bowed again. “It was a pleasure doing business with you, Nakahara-dono. May you find good fortune on your path.”

“And you, Captain Mollen. And you.”

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Frozen Soul series (Sci-Fi Supervillain story):

Frozen Soul https://www.amazon.com/dp/B071R125QT

Tales of the Void Traveler https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06ZZ52G37

Rules-Free VRMMO Life (Dark Fantasy LitRPG):

Volume 1 - Tutorial https://www.amazon.com/dp/B071VPRNDB

Omnibus 1 - Volumes 1-4 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0774T354X

Into the Black (Sci-Fi LitRPG):

Book I - Game Start https://www.amazon.com/dp/B071LT5WGL