by R. A. Mejia
I stare at the hand for a moment before taking it and shaking it vigorously. The official hands me a small pouch, and when I look inside, I see silver and remember that, at this level, not only do I get larger XP rewards, but also a bigger monetary reward for winning. The official tells me that my twenty-silver-a-month allowance can be picked up from the front office on the last day of the month.
I am ecstatic to see so many rewards for winning the gladiator match. No wonder so many people work so hard to get to the Silver Level. When I return home, I’m greeted by my friends like I won the heavyweight title of the world. I get congratulations from everyone, and we celebrate with much food and wine well into the night.
Chapter 35
I wake to banging on the door the next day, and when I groggily answer it, I find Lanista Lucanus standing there with a scowl on his face.
“Congratulations on winning one match at the Silver Level. But you still have another fight to train for.”
I try to turn around, but he grabs me by the collar of my shirt and pulls me out of the house. I try to loosen his grip, but I’m too hungover to have any chance of breaking his hold. He drags me down the alley and past the blacksmith, who’s banging makes me feel like he’s hammering nails into my temples. There’s a public fountain a few streets down, and he hauls me right up to it and throws me in. The cold water shocks me, and I sputter as I climb out, but the Lanista does not let me off so easily. He grabs me by the shirt and dunks me back under.
Pulling me up, he asks, “Are you awake enough to get back to your training now?”
I must not answer quickly enough because he dunks me in again. Water goes up my nose as I go under, and when he pulls me up again, I quickly yell, “Yes! I’m ready to train again, Lanista.”
Without saying another word, the Lanista lets me out, and the two of us walk to the Familia Pontius compound where I begin warm-up exercises. The Lanista explains what he knows about Myers: “Your next opponent is an Eques, who, if you remember, is a gladiator that fights on horseback. Normally, they only fight other Equites, but Myers belongs to the Familia Rattus. They’re one of the new groups that believes anything goes if it’ll secure them a win--which is why they encourage the kind of sneaky deeds Myers and Kyle participate in.” The scowl on Lanista Lucanus’ brow tells me how much he disapproves of the other familia, but he continues, “However, Myers himself seems to rely heavily on his mount for both power and speed. If we can somehow work out a strategy to get you to evade that horse, I think we can win.”
Lanista Lucanus looks so earnest about helping me win the upcoming match, I’m finding it hard to tell him that I already have a plan. He goes on about what he learned about Myers’ specific abilities. “Myers’ has been seen using the abilities [Triple Strike], [Mounted Charge], and [Criminatio]. [Triple Strike] is an ability that lets Myers strike three times rapidly with his spear. [Mounted Charge] is like a normal charge, except that it encompasses his mount too. Criminatio is Myer’s signature move. It’s a straight-line attack that combines three charged attacks at increased speed. As for armor and weaponry, in addition to wearing a heavy plate chest piece, he also uses a heavier spear than you do, a lance really.”
I raise a hand to indicate I have something to tell the Lanista, but lost in his own thoughts, he ignores me and continues, “Now, we just have to practice you getting out of the way of those charge attacks. I figured your friend Keans could simulate the speed of that charge using his bow and arrow. If you can dodge those arrows, you can dodge those attacks. The only problem is that Criminatio . . .”
“Excuse me, Lanista!” I shout, frustrated that he’s ignoring me. The tone in my voice earns me a disapproving glare from him, but I continue: “I have an idea about how to steal Myers’ advantage with his mount.”
“Oh? Continue.”
I pull out the knife I used to make the quicksand and inspect it quickly before handing it to the Lanista.
Amethyst Quicksand Knife
Damage: 1-1
Secondary Effect: Quicksand
Area of effect: 6 ft^2
Durability: 14/15
“Well, you helped me get approval for the special weapon I used with my fight with Kyle. I’d been experimenting with different ways of shaping the environment to help my group in battle and have come up with some great ideas. I combined my quicksand creation gem with a better delivery system, the throwing knife. With some special magical engraving, I can direct the spell towards the tip of the blade, giving it a clear direction of effect. Additionally, adding the blade widens the distribution of magical forces and thus how many times I can use the weapon before it breaks. I think I can make something else that will help with this fight too.”
Lanista Lucanus considers my suggestion before nodding and handing me the knife back. “Well, that is the point of your class, isn’t it? What do you have in mind?”
I go on to explain my idea, and while the Lanista agrees that it is a good plan, he believes that I’ll still need to train my dodge skill more. After all, I can’t neglect my other skills just because I’m a crafter.
The remaining days until my match are spent training my [Dodge] and [Knife Throwing] skills. I also work with Charles, our blacksmith, to make better throwing knifes and combine them with special gems with the needed crystal programing. Mary is annoyed with me for needing the funds to purchase the gems, but I just remind her that the entire point of the business she’s running is to provide us with the money we need to rescue the captured kobolds.
The night before the fight, I have everything I think I’ll need. [Knife Throwing] is up to Novice 6. and my [Dodge] skill has increased so much it’s increased in rank to Beginner level 2. Lanista Lucanus himself tested me and approved the rank increase.
The next morning finds me waiting for my match to start. We’re not the first match scheduled that day, and I have way too much time to get nervous about my plan. By the time the officials call me up, I’m so full of energy that I’m practically bouncing in place. I run up the stairs to enter the Colosseum field. I barely wait for the announcer to call me before I’m on the sands, waving to the crowd. I hear a few cheers mixed in with the boos this time. Myers again gets the majority of the adoration from the crowd while, again, I’m tied down with rope. I’m not sure why there’s no blindness effect or something similar applied this time, but I can only guess that maybe Myers isn’t as flush with spare gladiator points as I thought.
Once the announcer declares the start of the match. I put my plan into action. I quickly burn through the ropes tying me down, using most of my mana. Once freed, I scan the field for my opponent, only to find that he’s already three fourths down the field and galloping even closer. I can already see his cruel smile as he charges straight at me. I activate [Sidestep] and feel myself shift to the right one step. I activate it again only to find myself back to the left where I started. I curse the magical ability and its random movements right up until the moment I feel Myers lance pierce my side.
Damage received: 22
The lance cleanly rips the flesh out of my side as Myers races past me. I can tell by the trajectory of his horse that he’d adjusted for me to be two steps to the right. Had my stupid [Sidestep] ability not sent me back to where I started, I’d be pierced right through my center. Still, I’m already half way down on my health. It isn’t helping that I don’t have any torso protection.
Time for part one of my plan. While Myers and his horse circle around to prepare for another charge, I shift my spear to my left hand and grab one of the five knives I have sheathed on a bandoleer around my waist. I check to see where Myers is coming from and press the amethyst gem in the hilt of the knife before throwing it in the path of the horse. The blade thunks into the ground, and I can see Myers’ eyes widen. He’s likely already been told by his friend Kyle what happened. There’s a momentary pause before the magic from the knife seeps into the ground. Myers, still charging forward, makes his horse jump like he plans to leap over
the expected quicksand pit entirely. Unfortunately for Myers, it’s the worse move he could have made.
With a tremendous groan of shifting earth, a circular pillar bursts from the ground and grows until it is four feet high. It’s something that the horse could have easily slowed down and walked around. Instead, because it’s jumping, the poor animal can’t maneuver out of the path of the pillar and is struck right in its underbelly. It crashes to the ground, but Myers is quick enough to launch himself free of the fall. He seems stunned as he lies on the sand, and I quickly enact part two of my plan.
Excited to see my Earth Pillar Knife work, I grab another, this one marked with a black handle. I press the gem in the hilt and throw it at Myers. I don’t aim for his chest since it’s protected by a solid piece of armor. Instead, I aim for his unprotected thighs. My blade sinks in and only does one point of damage, but the magical effect activates, and bits of rock and earth start to gather around the blade and the flesh it’s embedded in. I quickly activate and throw three more of the black-handled blades. One misses, but two sink into Myers: one on the right arm holding his lance and the other into his other leg. As the spells activate, they cover each appendage in a thick layer of rock, essentially pinning Myers down to the ground beneath him.
I take my spear in a two handed grip. Even though three of his limbs are pinned to the ground, Myers has already shifted his lance to his left hand. He’s swinging wildly and even activating his [Triple Strike] ability in an attempt to get to me, but I’m well out of his range. Instead of coming at him straight on, I circle around to where he can’t get to me and take my time stabbing him.
Seeing Myers lying there, bound by the Earth Shackle Knives, my mind can’t help but remember that this is the man that tried to take Sonya. I strike out with my spear, piercing his flesh again and again, even causing a bleeding effect.
Damage dealt: 9
“How does it feel, Myers?”
Damage dealt: 8
“How does it feel to be so helpless?”
Damage dealt: 11
“Is this everything you’d hoped for when you tried to kidnapped my Sonya?”
Damage dealt: 10
“Well, I want you to know that it doesn’t end here. Sonya’s going to come for you next, and she’s going to make you understand just how much of a mistake it was to mess with us.”
The crowd boos at my tactics, but I whittle away my opponent's life until he falls below the 10% health mark. The announcer declares me the victor, and the Colosseum healers race onto the field to attend to the hurt horse. A man in dark brown robes waves his hands and says something, and Myers is freed from the earth holding him down. I walk over to retrieve the four daggers that I threw, but as I approach Myers, he growls at me and attacks with [Triple Strike].
Damage received: 7
Damage received: 8
Damage received: 6
I watch as my health plummets, and I fear that I’m going to die for a moment. There’s the smallest sliver of health left when two things happen. One, I’m surrounded by a green glow and health starts to recover. Two, the man in the dark brown robe gestures sharply, and a giant rock fist bursts from the ground. It hits Myers in the chest and throws him back five feet. The powerful attack takes a huge chunk out of his health, and if he hadn’t already been healed, Myers might have died right there. Two more men in robes appear and restrain Myers.
The dirty attack does not sit well with the crowd, and their former adoration turns to hate, and they hiss and boo as Myers is escorted off the field. I too am escorted away, though I assume it’s for my own protection.
Back in the gladiator waiting room, the stern-looking official that awarded me my victory against Kyle shows up. “I cannot apologize enough. We do not tolerate that kind of behavior in our Colosseum. I can assure you that Myers will be stripped of his right to fight as a gladiator. We are not only awarding you the victory and points you earned but bonus gladiator points as well. I hope it is satisfactory compensation.”
You’ve won a gladiator match at the Silver Level. You’re awarded 60 XP, a silver purse, and 400 gladiator points for this fight.
It was a risk creating new items specifically for this fight, but it paid off. I’d first used the spellwriting symbol ‘earth’ to encumber an enemy when I was freeing the captured Restrian citizens from slavery. Since then, it became evident the maneuver required too much time and proximity to use in normal battle. After all, what opponent is just going to stand there and let you encase them in rock? It wasn’t until I combined the ranged piercing ability of the thrown dagger with [Crystal Programing] that I realized I could use it again. The dagger sticks in an opponent, and the preprogrammed spell uses the magical energy stored in the gem to work. No need for me to drain my mana or risk my neck with a close encounter. Thus my tEarth Shackle Knives were created.
Staring at the notification, I can’t help but think, ‘Woah.’ That’s double what I’d normally get. I quickly reassure the official that it’s more than generous while silently thanking Myers. He just saved me some time in the Colosseum. I now have a total of six hundred gladiator points. I’ll have to ask Lanista Lucanus if that’s enough to challenge someone at the Gold Level.
Regardless, it’s a boon for me, and I head home, hopefully to another victory party.
Chapter 36
Coming home from the Colosseum, I’m again treated to a victory party, though this one is more mellow. Keans has cooked up a savory soup that reminds me of ramen back on earth. He uses a chicken stock base, and there are these long, thin, white noodles that seem to virtually soak up the hot, tasty broth. There are also thin slices of beef and a variety of colorful crunchy vegetables I can’t identify. It’s a very filling dinner.
While the five of us eat, I tell them about the bonus compensation the Colosseum officials gave me. They agree it just might be enough to challenge a Gold-Level fighter.
“Don’t rush into this one, though,” Keans advises while getting a second bowl of soup.
“What do you mean? I haven’t rushed into anything yet.”
He raises an eyebrow at me. “You took on two gladiator fights in less than a week. Both of the opponents were higher level than you and had more experience fighting. Only luck and your ability to outthink them saved you. Gods above know it wasn’t your combat prowess.”
Vrax, sitting next to me, speaks up. “My brood brother very strong fighter. He help kill many monsters. Troll, humans, orcs, hobgoblins. Many monsters.”
“Vrax, I’m not trying to take away from the many battles Armon has won, but his choice of class is less combat focused. He’s also been spending XP to make all the magical devices he’s been using to win his fights. Heck, Mary beat him to level 6.”
My attention turns to Mary, who’s suddenly staring at her bowl of soup like it’s the most interesting thing in the world, and I ask, “Mary, did you get to level 6?”
She nods quietly, which should be a red flag, since Mary is hardly every quiet.
“Well, congrats. When did you make level 6, and why didn’t you tell me before?”
She looks up from her food and scrunches up her nose. “I’ve been completing quests related to the ice business pretty regularly and got enough XP to level last week. I didn’t tell anyone because I didn’t want to embarrass you. I know you’ve been working hard trying to rescue the kobolds, and I didn’t want you to think you were falling behind the rest of us.”
The thought had honestly never occurred to me until she mentioned it. Oh my gosh, I’m now the lowest-level member of the group. I quickly pull up my character sheet and look at how much XP I need to get to level six. Ouch, I still need 555 XP, and that’s with the extra XP I got recently. Man, this being an artificer deal is not an easy thing. All the cool stuff I make costs me XP. Still, I’m not changing classes anytime soon, and that means I need to increase the XP grind.
Keans’ voice breaks my contemplation. “See what I mean now? You can’t rely on just your own
crafting to win. Play it smart. Know your weaknesses and shore them up. This next match is the tipping point, right? Once you win it, you’ll get the audience you’re looking for with the governor and your chance to rescue your friends.” I nod and he continues, “Then, in addition to absolutely having to win that match, you have to have everything else prepared too.”
Mary nods thoughtfully and says, “Keans is right. So far, our focus has been on making money and getting you a chance to rescue the kobolds. But now, we have to think about this last match. Gold-Level fighters are no joke from what I’ve heard. They’re only one level from the best fighters in the entire country. You’ll have to pick your opponent carefully if you expect to have a chance at your level.”
Sonya adds, “Yes, and you also really need better equipment. The equipment you’ve been using has been lent from the familia and is standard, but now that you’re going to fight someone significantly stronger, you need to get better gear. I’ve been watching the gladiators fight, and the ones at the Gold Level have enchanted weapons and armor. They also regularly use magic.”