The Wastelander

by Tipsy Wanderer

  “SMASH HIM! SMASH HIM! SMASH HIM!”

  The arena was surrounded by frenzied, twisted, yet faceless figures. No hint of human decency or rationality could be seen in those eyes. They were like wolves who wanted to drink blood, wanted to slaughter, wanted to give vent to their own frustrations.

  Several machete-wielding bouncers stood below the ring and glowered menacingly at Cloudhawk. If Cloudhawk dared escape the dueling platform, the end result would be that they would hack him to death with their machetes.

  Shit. I was tricked again! But it was too late for any regrets.

  Tram glanced at the small figure disdainfully. This kid was probably an entire generation younger than him. How could he possibly be interested in a fight against someone like this? And judging from the kid’s youthful features and the look of terror in his eyes, he probably had never even experienced any actual combat before. The battle had yet to begin but the kid was already on the verge of collapse. For Tram to battle someone like this was actually rather embarrassing and disgraceful!

  Still, the man had to eat. Tram had to kill the kid and would do so using the most brutal, the most sickening, and the most entertaining methods. This performance would be one of the most exciting the inn would hold today and it was performances like this on which the inn relied to draw in more customers!

  Tram tried to wipe the blood from his face but only succeeded in making himself look even more menacing. He chuckled. “Hey kid. I’m gonna break your bones, one by one. Enjoy the next few seconds of life!”

  Cloudhawk had endured all types of abuse the past month. Although he felt rather scared, he felt even more rage at the unfairness of it all so he glared right back at Tram and screamed, “Go fuck your mother!”

  Instantly, everyone around him exploded with cheers. Hey, the newbie seemed to have a bit of a temper! This characteristic made him a bit different from the kids who were usually sent up to be killed.

  “Place your bets, everyone! Place your bets on how long this newbie will be able to last. One minute, two minutes, or even three minutes!?” The red-nosed proprietor beamed merrily as he kicked off the betting. Each time he held one of these spectacles, he was able to rake in large amounts of cash. The inn patrons all began to place their bets, causing the scene to grow increasingly lively.

  “Are you all ready?” The seductive woman dressed in silk stockings licked her lips in a tantalizing fashion and announced, “Let the performance begin!” Swaying her hips, she left the ring. Clang! The bronze gong was struck once more.

  Cloudhawk suddenly shot forward like a leopard, landing a kick directly center on Tram’s chest and sending him staggering backwards. This strike contained much more force than anyone would’ve expected that even someone as tough as Tram found it hard to bear.

  A collective “oh” rang out from the crowd.

  Tram never expected that this would happen. His eyes bulged out in shock as he staggered backwards, nearly falling to the ground. He hurriedly propped himself up with one hand, only to realize that a fist was right in front of his face.

  The kid possessed astonishing speed and strength. He looked so weak that a strong wind could blow him away. How the hell was he this strong? The most surprising thing of all was that just a few moments ago, the kid looked utterly terrified, almost as though he were a helpless little kitten. Now, he seemed to have transformed into a leopard!

  Tram was able to avoid this strike, but was only able to do so in a very awkward fashion. After missing with his first punch, Cloudhawk leapt up and used his head to head-butt Tram on the bridge of his nose.

  Cloudhawk didn’t just spend every day this past month as a punching bag by the mercenaries, but also learned a few things as well. He already learned some of the most basic fighting techniques, at least!

  Tram could feel his nose splintering and his eyes couldn’t help but begin to water. Cloudhawk didn’t give him any chance to recover whatsoever. He lifted his right arm and delivered a powerful punch to Tram’s lower jaw. His skinny little arm contained an unbelievable amount of power, damn near breaking Tram’s jaw entirely!

  14 The Crazy Innkeeper

  One thought went through Tram’s mind: “Fuck. I underestimated the kid.” The kid looked skinny and weak, but was actually very physically strong. He was quite possibly a strength-focused metahuman!

  Cloudhawk had no actual combat experience. This fight was his first time actually dueling another person in a real fight, but he felt as though everything were flowing together perfectly. He could sense how all of his muscle groups were moving in concert and that he had exquisitely perfect control over them. There were certain high-precision movements he never would’ve been able to perform in the past, but was now able to do so effortlessly.

  Incredible agility, perfect harmony, overwhelming speed and strength… is this really my body?! Cloudhawk never expected that he’d become this strong. This past month had been an absolutely transformative one for him.

  Crack! Crack! Cloudhawk leapt into the air, using one leg to kick the man in his side and the other to kick him in the chest at high speed. This attack was a beautiful double-kick, which sent Tram stumbling backwards once again. Tram felt dizzy and blood was spurting out of his numb nose. The barrage of attacks had all but completely disoriented him for a moment.

  Still… that brief blank feeling was quickly replaced by a sense of humiliation! A punk kid like this had actually beaten him this badly?

  Just when Cloudhawk thought that he’d found his rhythm, Tram let out a grizzly roar and began windmilling wildly with his fists. One lucky punch connected with Cloudhawk’s chest. He felt as though he’d just been hit with a sledgehammer and was knocked flying into the air before landing several meters away.

  “Graaaah…” Cloudhawk rolled on the ground, clutching his chest in agony. Only now did he finally realize that the mercenaries had all been taking it easy on him during training. Otherwise, given how strong they were, how could he have possibly survived their beatings for so long?

  Not good! Cloudhawk didn’t even have a chance to climb to his feet before a large, callused hand suddenly latched onto his leg. He was dragged upside down into the air, swung in an arc, and sent flying straight towards one of the wooden ring posts.

  THUD! Cloudhawk slammed skull-first into the wooden ring post. Black spots appeared before his eyes and he nearly passed out. A large amount of blood poured out of his scalp and into his eyes, causing the entire world to turn crimson.

  This blow had been extremely heavy! Cloudhawk felt the entire world spinning and momentarily had no idea where he was. The punch he’d taken to the chest had been a heavy strike as well, rendering him barely able to breathe. Several of his ribs were probably broken; even for a recovery metahuman, such heavy wounds were difficult to bear.

  Clearly, Tram himself was a strength metahuman. Although he wasn’t a very high-class one, he had undergone years of training and his abilities had many years to ripen and mature. For all these reasons, he was more than twice as strong as Cloudhawk!

  Tram no longer underestimated the kid; he now viewed Cloudhawk as a serious opponent. Laughing wildly, he glared at the kid as the latter rolled around the floor in agony. “What’s wrong? That all you got?”

  The spectators began to chant in unison again. “STAND! STAND! STAND!”

  A few moments later, Cloudhawk finally managed to just barely struggle to his feet. He shook his head a few times, allowing his vision to clear up once more. He regained his focus and locked his gaze upon the man in front of him.

  Both of them had faces covered in blood and glowered at each other like vicious beasts that had run into one another within a narrow wastelands passageway.

  The spectators’ cries grew louder and louder. Not only was this kid a much better fighter than they had expected, he was also much sturdier as well. After taking two incredibly heavy blows, he was still able to climb to his feet. This feat alone was quite impressive! Even Tram was slightly startled.
Still, the momentary surprise didn’t impact his movements at all. This time, he launched the first attack through a frontal punch!

  Cloudhawk’s hands rose defensively, but a strange smile flashed at the corners of Tram’s mouth. His attack had been a feint. Just as Cloudhawk prepared his defensive stance, Tram suddenly cancelled his punch and stepped forwards, ramming his shoulder into Cloudhawk and knocking him off-balance.

  Tram’s movements were incredibly fast. He used his right arm to sweep Cloudhawk’s legs. Cloudhawk had already been knocked off-balance; now, he was sent flying into the air. Tram then used his left hand to grab Cloudhawk by the back, straightening him upside-down before driving him down towards the ground head-first. If Cloudhawk really did smash into the ground, his spine would definitely be completely shattered.

  Not good! A sense of tremendous danger filled Cloudhawk’s mind and a tendril of flaming heat suddenly burst out of Cloudhawk’s chest. His irises began to turn red as an enormous amount of power erupted from his body. He actually managed to break free of Tram’s grip before using his elbow to deliver a vicious blow to the latter’s face, forcing Tram to jerk backwards and making it impossible for him to immediately act against Cloudhawk. Cloudhawk seized this moment to somersault in midair, using both legs to kick-off Tram’s chest. Tram fell to the ground, but not before he was able to send Cloudhawk flying as well.

  The two were both knocked to the ground at the same time by each other. However, Cloudhawk clearly suffered a heavier fall: all of his bones felt as though they were dislocated and he very nearly fainted from the pain.

  The inn was drowned in a cacophony of noise. This exchange was simply a dazzling display for them! They were all able to see what a close call it had been. If the little devil had been just a half-second too slow, he probably would’ve died. By now, everyone could tell that although the kid wasn’t very experienced, he had superb combat awareness and was able to respond almost instinctively.

  Tram’s face was beginning to puff up like a balloon. Thankfully for him, he was an extremely healthy and strong man; a few small injuries like this wouldn’t have much of an impact on him. As for Cloudhawk, his decent constitution and tough physique meant that he hadn’t been irrevocably injured either.

  The two rose to their feet at the same time and charged towards each other once again. Bam! Cloudhawk landed a kick on Tram. Crack! Tram landed a punch on Cloudhawk!

  The two were completely different sizes, but both their faces were covered in blood as they furiously battled. Cloudhawk was a bit lacking in technique and experience and so after just a few exchanges, his right arm was trapped once more. Tram gave his right arm a hard tug… and with a crunch, he dislocated Cloudhawk’s right arm!

  This time, the pain Cloudhawk felt was truly, heart-piercingly agonizing. The sensation was so intense that Cloudhawk was instantly covered in cold sweat… and yet, instead of sapping him of his will and resolve, it actually stimulated his innate stubbornness. Ignoring the prospect of his right arm being permanently maimed, he delivered a truly vicious knee-strike to Tram’s groin!

  This time, his strike was right on the money and Tram let out a miserable, utterly inhuman howl. Cloudhawk seized this opportunity to rake two of his fingers over Tram’s eyes! Yet again, this attack caught Tram off-guard and he was unable to defend against it. Cloudhawk then gave him one more kick, sending him stumbling backwards towards the edges of the dueling ring.

  Tram was temporarily blinded, unable to open his eyes. All he could do was to windmill his arms about blindly, hoping to be able to buy himself some extra time. Who would’ve thought that Cloudhawk would scamper forwards and trip his legs? Tram lost his balance and fell backwards, and his tough body ended up falling outside of the dueling ring.

  The inn was completely silent for a few seconds… and then the cheers of the spectator burst forth once more! “NOOB! NOOB! NOOB!” This fight hadn’t exactly been exhilarating as they had hoped to see blood and brains flying everywhere. That hadn’t happened. And yet, this fight had still truly been a pleasant surprise. The half-grown kid, the one they thought would be killed, had ended up winning!

  Although luck had played a part in it, all the slightly more experienced spectators could tell that this kid wasn’t ordinary!

  Cloudhawk panted raggedly. He never thought that he’d actually be able to beat that dangerous fellow. His face was as swollen as that of a pig, but it showed his gratification and joy. He had no idea that he’d become this powerful!

  Bruised, battered, with a swollen face, Cloudhawk walked towards the red-nosed man. “Where’s my meat?”

  “MEAT?!” The red-nosed innkeeper no longer looked that friendly and amiable. His voice was now both shrill and cutting. “You wrecked my performance, and you want to ask for payment? Just fuck off!”

  “I earned it!” Cloudhawk could feel a ball of fire blazing in his chest. This was no longer a matter of meat; he felt completely insulted and a desire for blood filled his thoughts. “How dare you refuse!”

  “A stupid, arrogant kid like you wants to threaten and berate ME?” Rednose was enraged. “Waste the fucker!” The black bouncer immediately lifted up his machete and hacked down at Cloudhawk.

  In this day and age, “trust” and “honor” were jokes. However, Cloudhawk didn’t expect this man to reach such a level of depravity! The man had first lied to him to try and get him killed in a duel. Now, not only was he reneging on the payment he owed Cloudhawk, he was trying to kill him!

  The black bouncer’s strike was fast and furious. Cloudhawk did his best to avoid it, but the blade still scraped past his back and left a huge, gaping wound. Fiery pain filled every inch of his body as blood spurted out of the wound and matted his clothes.

  “Who the fuck do you think you are?” The red-nosed innkeeper’s gaze was filled with malice. “A punk-ass kid like you wants to try and take something away from me? You’ll be missing your two hands when you leave!”

  The spectators in the inn began to whoop in excitement, as though a new, unexpected performance had just begun.

  “Great idea!”

  “Chop his hands off!”

  “Waste him!”

  The black bouncer strode forward, machete in hand. Everyone called out excitedly as they began circling the two of them. Seeing the situation, Cloudhawk had only a single thought in mind: Flee! Fuck the rat jerky! Cloudhawk’s entire body was slippery with blood. He turned, pushed aside a burly man, and made a beeline towards the exit. However, right at this moment, one of the other patrons stuck out a leg and intentionally tripped him.

  Thud! Cloudhawk instantly lost his balance and smashed into a wooden table, breaking it into tiny pieces. As he fell, he tore the wound on his back open even wider. He was about to pass out from the agonizing pain.

  “Ahahah!”

  “Waste him! Waste him!”

  The entire inn was filled with mocking, malicious calls. The spectators only cared about further fanning the flames with not a single person stepping forth to intervene or end the matter. Their faces were all distorted with savagery. This was a savage era, the hearts of men even more so!

  The black bouncer lifted his machete up high and chopped down once more. Cloudhawk’s injuries were so heavy that he couldn’t even rise to his feet. He never would’ve imagined that he’d die in a place like this, and die in such a pathetic fashion. But just as he was about to close his eyes and wait for death…

  Clang!

  A metallic clanging sound rang out with explosive power. It was another blade that clashed against the former, causing sparks to fly everywhere!

  The bloody scene everyone had been eagerly anticipating failed to materialize. A snow-white machete suddenly appeared out of nowhere, stopping the black bouncer’s machete in its tracks. What completely flabbergasted everyone was that this machete had easily and single-handedly stopped the heavy, two-handed hacking blow from the black bouncer.

  The machete that saved Cloudhawk’s life was roughly
two feet long and was shaped like a dog’s leg. It had a straight back with a curved blade, and was heavy at the back but narrow at the front. It gleamed with a cold, almost snowy light… and Cloudhawk recognized it. Wasn’t this Mad Dog’s machete?

  The black bouncer’s hand had turned numb and a large notch had appeared on the edge of his blade. Before the bouncer even had a chance to assess the situation, his opponent struck out with his other hand and sent a dazzling streak of cold light flashing down. The black bouncer felt his arm suddenly become lighter as his hand suddenly fell to the ground, still clutching that machete.

  “AHHHH!” The bouncer clutched his severed arm, screaming miserably as blood continued to spurt out nonstop, almost like a permanently turned “on” faucet.

  Mad Dog lifted his leg and kicked out. The bouncer’s chest completely caved in as all of his ribs shattered apart. He flew backwards into the cabinets behind him as if he’d been shot out of a cannon, causing all types of wine bottles to crash to the ground and making the inn reek even more heavily of alcohol.

  This exchange all happened in the blink of an eye. Everyone was dazed for a few seconds… and began to scream more excitedly.

  “Mad Dog?! What the hell!?” Rednose revealed a look of rage and terror. He obviously recognized the hideous black man standing in front of him. “I done nothing to you! Why are you going crazy on me?”

  “Heh. Heh heh. Heh heh heh…” The scar on Mad Dog’s hideously ugly face twisted and contorted like a centipede as he grinned, his voice both deep and hoarse. “Bullyin’ a member of the Tartarus mercenaries? Are you that fuckin' tired of livin’?”

  “Tartarus?” An ugly look appeared on Rednose’s face. “Are you talking about the kid? Shit, I didn’t know he belonged to you guys! This is all over five strings of rat jerky, right? Take it! I’ll give it to’m, alright?”