by J. B. Smith
Johnny.
I ran outside and made my way quickly to the tavern. I continued to run until my path was blocked by a white car. Shit. It was the Grand Champion and his girlfriend. I rolled my eyes. I might have been jealous, but it frustrated me how beautiful her life looked. I wanted to see the girl of my dreams, but I didn't have time.
Besides, what was the point? I had started to realize that she would never take me seriously until I had more success. Truth be told, she would never love me until I became Grand Champion myself.
I focused on the image of myself becoming Grand Champion as I ran faster and faster towards the Tavern. Then I stopped. I saw them all wearing the same basic outfits that I once wore. I had to admit Sonny looked weird without her yellow dress. They were standing in front of the tavern and seemed to be arguing. I took a few steps closer until I could hear their words interchange.
“I have never been treated so badly in my life,” Sonny said while holding his pet's cage.
“It's not that bad,” Johnny replied .
“They said we only had limited time in the city. Then we go back to our smelly cages, ”Sonny replied.
"Now you know what it feels like to be in a cage," Sonny's pet yelled.
“It's totally different. I fill you with love and respect.
"Love and respect?" the creature asked as its cage began to shake. “I am locked in a cage and I am stuck in a prison city. I was free until you came and snatched me away in the middle of the night. How will I ever escape now? Why would you take me to this hell?
The two continued to bicker as I watched Todd. He hasn't said anything, but doesn't seem happy with the situation either. I walked over to the group and raised a hand in the air. "Hi guys."
All their heads turned to me. Then, Sonny ran over to me with a desperate look on his face. "Where's my dress?" Please I have to put it on right away.
Oh shit. I almost forgot the dress was gone. Sonny licked his lips and put his cage on the floor. Then he started to shake because he couldn't wait for my response. "Give it to me," he ordered with both hands. "I want to get out of this ugly outfit right away."
“They took it. I don't even remember how it happened. I actually just woke up and it was gone.
A blank look appeared on his face before falling to his knees. After that, he put both hands on top of his head and started screaming. He didn't shout anything in particular, it was just a terrible noise.
"Oh shut up," the creature yelled from its cage.
I looked at Johnny and he gave me a strange look. Then he ran towards me. "Dude! I told you I would save you. Didn't I?
I rolled my eyes. “You didn't really save me,” I laughed. “But thanks for trying. It really touches me a lot.
Todd walked over to me and slapped me on the shoulder. "It's good to see you again."
“I really appreciate you trying to save me,” I replied. “Thank you very much for that. I'm just sorry you all ended up here too. "
Sonny slowly appeared with a red face. “It was a terrible idea to punch a hole in the wall. I told him it wouldn't work. But he continued to insist that it would.
Johnny looked irritated. “You can't walk through a wall without drilling a hole in it. He's just a basic science guy.
Sonny ignored him and grabbed my arm. "Who took my dress? You must retrace your steps and tell me the truth. If you remember, I can talk to who took it. Can you think really hard? Just for a moment? "
I squinted and tried to pretend that I was immersed in my thoughts. "I do not remember. My memories are gone.
“Let's go have a drink,” Todd said. "Come on. Let's all sit down and have a drink.
I started to twist my fingers. "I'm in a real hurry," I replied with a stutter.
“Come on,” Johnny replied. "How can you not drink with us?" We came here and tried to save you.
Thin. He was right. I couldn't say no. I'd have to be the biggest asshole in the world to refuse a drink after everything that had happened. "Fine. Just a drink," I replied, laughing.
Chapter thirty-two
I quickly realized that everyone was broke. I almost forgot that they stripped your gold when you got to FlatFall. Todd gestured to an empty table and everyone took their seats. "Beers on me," I say with my finger in the air.
"Thanks," Todd replied as I walked away. As I walked towards the bar, I was afraid I would run into Cosmo. The last thing I wanted to see was his ugly face. I just wanted to grab the beer and go back to the table. When I got to the bar, I quickly ordered four beers. The bartender grabbed the beers while I waited for him to hand them to me. I paid him gold and awkwardly scooped up two beers in each hand.
I returned to the table and took a seat. "There you go," I said, placing a beer in front of each person .
"And me?" Sonny's pet asked from inside his cage.
“You can't drink. It could be dangerous for a creature your size. You know better than asking such stupid questions, ”Sonny replied.
"I want to get drunk and I don't care if it kills me ." Better than being stuck here.
Sonny brought his face closer to the cage. "Just be lucky to have found you." Anything could have happened to you there. Now your safe and sound in your cage. You have to start to appreciate the little things in life. This is something that we will be working on. "
The creature let out an unpleasant hiss. Todd took a sip of the beer and leaned back in his chair. “Thank you for bringing Johnny to find my soul. It was good teamwork between you guys.
“Johnny just stepped up and too much action,” I replied.
Johnny drank his beer and slammed it on the table. “I felt bad when I ran away. Like, I wanted to kill myself. I had to do something to compensate for this. I just thought I'd save everyone, and that's what I did.
“I was pissed off when you ran away. In fact, I didn't think I could forgive you. But you risked everything to come back for me. So I forgive you.
“Sorry about that. I felt really bad,” Johnny replied. “I can't believe I ran. It just happened without me thinking about it.
"It's okay. I forgive you," I replied.
"What are we going to do?" Sonny asked. “I can't live my life like this. How will - we never get out of this place? "
“It's not that bad once you get used to it,” I replied.
“Used to? They want me to fight at the Colosseum,” Sonny stammered. “I'm a healer. Not a fighter. You can't take a loving man like me and turn him into a hateful man. It just doesn't work. . My good heart will not allow me to fight someone.
In the corner of my eye, I saw a figure quickly approaching our table. Then there was a sound of applause. I turned around and saw Cosmo. “Look at this,” he said. “All the losers are seated at the same table. A little reminds me of lunch in high school.
"Dude, you're the only loser here," Johnny yelled at him.
Cosmo smiled and put both hands on Johnny's shoulders. "You're not too bright are you?"
"Do you have a second thought on the fight?" I asked.
Johnny, Sonny and Todd all looked confused. “What fight? Johnny asked.
“Me and the backstabber are fighting in the Colosseum tonight. Isn't that true Cosmo?
"If that's what you want to call it," Cosmo replied. "I doubt this is a big fight."
Cosmo took a step back and put his two hands together. Then, a serious look came to his face. “I mean I'm sorry. Sorry for what I did. I understand it was wrong, but I just couldn't help it.
"You are not sorry," I replied. "If you were sorry, you would try to help us."
Cosmo tilted his head to the side. “You're right. I'm not that sorry. But believe it or not, I feel a little guilty.
"Okay. So why are you telling us this now?
"I just thought I would say it now since you are all here in one place." I thought it would be a good time to make amends. I didn't want anyone to think I was a bad guy, ”he laughs.
“Hold your breath man. We all know you're a piece of c
rap.
"Fine. But don't say I didn't try to apologize," Cosmo replied.
"Wait? Are you trying to withdraw from our fight? Is that what it is? I asked.
“You wish,” Cosmo laughed. “I had a sudden urge to say that . Can't I just express my feelings?
"Dude. You're drunk. Did you forget we were fighting tonight?
He smiled. "Do you see a glass in my hand?"
“No, but I know you've been drinking. You still drink.
“Not before a fight. Only an i diot would do that.
I looked at the beer next to me. “I didn't even take a sip. Don't worry, I'm ready for you. You will regret what you did to me. Wait and see.
Cosmo started to walk away. “I can't wait,” he replied. “Surprises are always fun.”
As he disappeared into the distance, I looked at everyone at our table. “I forgot to tell you guys about it. He and I are in a serious fight at the Colosseum tonight. Pretty crazy, eh?
Todd looked confused. "Who was this guy?"
“He was the one helping us build an army. Everything was going very well, but he betrayed us. He's the reason we're all here. Without him, I wouldn't have ended up here. And if I didn't end up here, neither of you would.
Todd cocked his head and took a sip of his beer. “Beat her ass tonight.
“I want to watch the fight,” Johnny said.
"Alright," I replied. "Tell the guards when they'll get you back to your cell." Tell them you want to watch me fight and they will allow it.
Johnny nodded. "Okay. Do you think you can beat Cosmo?
"I think so. I have a whole plan. Actually, I have to go. Actually, I have to learn a new skill very quickly. Just in case something goes wrong.
Everyone stood up and shook my hand. Then, Sonny looked at me with a serious look on his face. “I will encourage you. But please try to remember who took my dress. This is vital information that I need. Okay?"
I sighed. Was this guy real? "Dude. Your dress is gone. Sorry, that's the way it is."
Sonny looked frustrated but tried to hide it. “Just replay your thoughts before you go to bed. That's all I ask. Sometimes you can wake up deleted memories with this method. "
"Do you want to listen to yourself?" Your pathos, hissed the creature.
"Very good, " I replied. "I'll be sure to try this one night."
“We're all going to watch your fight,” Todd said. "Good luck to you."
"Thank you. I really appreciate this. Hope I see you tomorrow at our next free time. Until then, enjoy the fight.
I greeted everyone and left the tavern. Once outside, I knew I was running out of time. My feet were moving quickly as I made my way to the skill store. I was afraid the guards would come and grab me anytime. But luckily, they didn't. I looked at the store with the sign that I recognized. Then I saw him. I saw the photo of a man swinging a sword. I pushed open the metal doors and entered the store. Once inside I saw the same NPC I had seen before with the scar on his face. I ran to him and wasted no time. “I have 15.1 gold coins and I need to learn good skills. An attack that will surprise my opponent. "
The NPC looked at me as he hugged his ponytail. “15 gold coins give you a few options. What exactly are you looking for? "
I started to think. What did I need? If I had dust on my blade, I just needed to deal it. It was the most important thing. “I need a quick move. I just want to make sure I hit my opponent with my sword.
The NPC took a moment to think. Then he put a hand in the air. “I have a good one. It deals low attack damage, but has a high probability of terrain. It's called IronPush. Did you want to learn this today? "
"How much does it cost?"
"Only 12 gold coins."
My eyebrows are raised. Damn, that was almost going to break me. But I didn't care. I would pay my monthly membership fee with the money I would earn at the Colosseum. "Yes. I believe so.
"Okay, but I should also tell you that the skill uses mana." If you have low mana levels, it won't be as effective as it can get.
"My mana level is only 10. Will I still be able to land a hit?"
“Maybe once or twice. But after that, your mana levels will be too low. You should get mana potions to go along with this skill to replenish your levels. "
Thin. I was glad I bought a mana potion earlier. I hope I have enough for everything. "I'll take this skill," I replied, handing 12 gold to the NPC.
"Take a step over here," the NPC said, pointing at a straw dummy.
I walked over to the dummy and the NPC started to demonstrate the skill. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a potion. Then he drank it quickly. After that, he held both hands in front of his chest. Suddenly there was an explosion of energy that came from him. The mannequin backed up before launching a superior cutting motion with his sword. “Wow,” I shouted. "It was very cool."
“The burst of energy stuns your opponent for a brief second. As good as the skill is, many players have a defense against it.
"If the ey can defend themselves against this, then why would I use it in the first place?"
“Most players don't expect this skill. Well, not unless you've used it before. "
"So should it work?"
"Yes. It is likely to run the first time you use it. If the player is educated, he might have a defense establishment for the skill. But usually, only advanced players through such problems. If your opponent has never seen you use this skill, he will have no reason to believe you know it. If so, I doubt he has put up a defense for it.
“It makes sense,” I replied.
“While you are fighting in the Colosseum, your opponent cannot see your skills. But, once outside the Colosseum, you can access a statistics report on you if you talk to the right person. But that's a whole different story. You should be able to use it without any problem. "
The NPC moved away and brought me closer to the mannequin. “Practicing this skill will not drain your mana. It's all part of learning the skill. "
I put both hands in front of my chest and the NPC handed me a potion of mana . “Just drink this and feel the energy. Once you drink this you will feel a heat in your lower legs which will eventually rise to the pit of your stomach. This skill actually allows you to feel the increased mana as heat. The heat will start to increase until it reaches the lower stomach. "
The NPC stopped talking and put his elbows against his stomach. “This part can be tricky for new players. Make sure your elbows are against your stomach. Once the heat rises, you will feel your elbows start to get hot. You are simply directing the energy into your arms and out of your palms. Once your elbows get warm, you have to believe that the energy is transferred to your arms. See the energy in your mind and know it is there. Then, in the eyes of your mind, see the energy flowing through your arms and exploding out of your body.
I clear my throat. “It seems a little difficult,” I replied.
"You will understand. Try it for yourself and see. This is why you have to practice this talent . "
Thin. It sounded like something deep. I looked at the mana potion before drinking it. It didn't have a lot of taste but I felt a warm feeling. The sensation grew stronger until it was almost unpleasant. “It's really hot,” I shouted.
“ Don't worry. It is only temporary and harmless, ”he replied.
The feeling of heat started to rise up my legs before reaching my stomach. "It's in my stomach," I replied.
“Put both of your elbows against your stomach. Do it now."
I put both elbows against my belly and I tried to imagine the energy flowing in my arms. But it didn't happen. Instead, the energy kept rising and started to weaken. “I can feel it in my chest now. What is happening?"
“You missed it,” he replied. "Let's try again."
I tried several times, but failed. The NPC told me that sometimes it takes a lot of training sessions to master. I was starting to get frustrated, but something happened. On my sixth try, I felt my elbows grow taller with the heat.
"My elbows are hot," I yelled excitedly.
"Good. Now see the energy flow in your arms and out of your palms. Display it in your head and know that it's true. But make sure to keep your elbows against your stomach. If you stop flow, energy will be lost. "
I visualized the energy flowing through my arms and I felt it do it. But, the energy wasn't rushing into my arms. Still, I continued to see him move closer and closer to my palms inside my head. Suddenly, the heat quickly moved to my palms. After that there was a release and the dummy bounced back. "I did," I cried excitedly. "Did you see that? The model just moved a bit.