by Aaron Oster
“Very well. If what it takes to teach you respect is to pound you into the ground over and over, I’ll be glad to be the one administering the punishment!”
Morgan grinned, then darted in again, pulling his fist back for the same attack he’d used last time.
“You really think that will work on me?” Percival asked with a laugh.
He swayed back from the attack, bringing his knee up just as he had before, but Morgan wasn’t there to take the hit. As soon as Percival had swayed back, he’d pivoted to the side, avoiding the knee completely, then brought his other fist across the man’s jaw in a short hook.
The attack didn’t have enough power to knock him out, but it did stun him for a second, something which seemed to surprise him as much as the punch did. Morgan was only rank 29, after all, so he shouldn’t have had enough power to hurt him. He staggered back, and Morgan drove his other fist under his rib cage, knocking the wind out of him.
He then followed up by stepping in and driving his fist toward the man’s nose. This time, there was a good deal of power behind it, and Morgan was fairly confident that he would be victorious. Then, Percival seemed to blur and his fist passed through clean air. He then felt a powerful impact on his ribs, and winced as they snapped once again.
Morgan knew the man had just used a skill to avoid his attack, despite saying that no skills were to be used. He wasn’t about to complain however, as it gave him the excuse to use one of his own. Using Explosive impact, he whirled in place, seeing Percival’s fist moving slowly forward.
The bastard had not only cheated, but was about to sock him in the head!
Bobbing under the now slow moving fist, Morgan hammered the man’s body with three bone-breaking blows. The first, being a short punch driven beneath the ribs and into the man’s liver. He followed this up with an equally hard blow to his ribs with his other fist, and finally finished with an uppercut, using the additional power of his legs, exploding upward with the blow and catching the man squarely in the chin. He felt the bones give way under each of his attacks, but didn’t feel bad in the slightest. This man thought he could do as he wished, making and breaking rules as he pleased, and all because he was insulted that Morgan had taken his spot in the tournament.
He’d taken pleasure in beating him earlier, and Morgan would take pleasure in doing the same to him now. Time abruptly sped up, and Percival was hurled upward a good five feet, crying out in pain. Morgan returned his earlier favor of kicking him in the ribs, but his blow connected with far more force, as he still had momentum. As Percival came down, he spun in place and brought his back leg around in a powerful spinning hook kick.
He grinned at the satisfying crunch as the man’s already broken ribs splintered, and he was hurled across the beach, slamming into the same rock he had just moments before. However, as Eric ran over to tend to the man, Morgan didn’t move, staying right where he was.
“Don’t you think you might have gone a little overboard?” Sarah asked, jogging up to him.
He could tell she wasn’t upset though, based on the wild grin spread across her face.
“No,” he replied, as he watched Eric working on the man.
“Good! I would have hit you if you’d thought you did. That smug bastard deserved that, and more!”
Morgan folded his arms over his chest as Percival rose to his feet, wiping the blood away from his face. The man approached him, and Morgan tensed up, preparing for another fight. However, much to his surprise, Percival bowed his head.
“Apologies for being so rude to you earlier. I can now see that you are more than qualified to take my place in the tournament.”
Morgan and Sarah shared a confused look, but then he shrugged and turned his attention back to the man.
“Apologies aren’t worth shit to me. You said you were here to train me, but all you’ve done is try to beat me up. I think I can train on my own. This is an Advanced beast zone, so I should have no problem reaching rank 33 by the time the tournament begins.”
Percival’s face tightened for a moment, as though he wanted to fight again, but then he relaxed.
“If that is what you wish, I will leave you here and leave the key with Eric. However, I would advise you to reconsider. You may be able to raise your rank in time, but what do you know of the tournament? Have you studied any past ones to determine what the challenges may be?”
Morgan opened his mouth to reply, when he realized that the man had a valid point. He might not like him, but he wasn’t going to be competing up until last night. This man had studied and trained for this for twenty-five years. That was longer than he’d been alive! Plus, he also had to consider that the contestants from the other Kingdoms would have had similar training.
Though he was powerful, he was coming into this tournament at a severe disadvantage, one that the others would be sure to exploit. He was also fairly certain that his status as a supermage would make him a target, especially when it came to the battle royal at the end.
“Very well,” he finally said, agreeing with the man. “I’ll let you stay and I’ll listen to what you have to say, but only so long as I think you’re actually being helpful. The moment I believe you’re not, I’ll be asking you to leave.”
Percival bristled slightly at that, but eventually nodded.
“Agreed.”
“Alright then,” Morgan said, allowing his shoulders to relax. He’d been staying tensed in case the man decided to pick another fight. “Where do we begin?”
Percival’s bad mood lifted a bit at that, and he allowed a hint of a smile to touch his lips.
“Have you ever heard of prehistoric beasts?”
28
“Prehistoric beasts?” Morgan asked.
“Yes,” Percival replied. “Prehistoric beasts are beasts that lived thousands of years ago, but have long since died out. They are ancient and powerful. There are only two keys in all the Five Kingdoms that can take you to face one, and lucky for you, the Queen just happens to have one of them.”
This got Morgan’s interest. He was offered the chance to fight some of the first beasts ever created. He grinned, seeing the same expression mirrored on Sarah’s face. She wanted to see these beasts as badly as he did.
“Alright then,” Morgan said, using Aura sense and looking around. “Looks like the closest one is that way.”
He pointed toward the thick forest that began about fifty yards from the beach.
“How can you tell?”
They all turned as Eric walked over, looking at Morgan with interest.
He shrugged.
“It’s one of my skills.”
“Tracking beasts?” Eric asked.
“Yeah,” he replied, not about to give away what his skill could really do. “Now let’s go. You can tell me more along the way,” he said to Percival, then began jogging towards the forest.
It took a few seconds for the rest of the party to catch up, but as soon as they did, Percival began giving Morgan as many details about past tournaments as he could. Morgan was fascinated by some of the challenges. Apparently, although there was an arena, only the last part of the tournament - the battle royal - took place there. The other two challenges took place in specially prepared pocket worlds, much like beast zones, only they were designed for different purposes.
The previous tournament had featured an obstacle course as its first challenge and a foot race as its second. Neither sounded too difficult for him, as he was fairly fast and nimble. When he told Percival this, he snorted.
“Don’t you think they can create suitably challenging obstacles for someone of your rank? Let me give you an example of one of last year’s obstacles,” he said, as Morgan just shrugged.
“The first obstacle was getting over a pit of lava. There was only one way across: a walkway as wide as my palm. As they ran, parts of the path would randomly explode, leaving them to have to navigate the area with extreme caution.”
Morgan shrugged once again. He could fly, s
o the course wouldn’t give him any trouble.
“I’ve also been made aware of your specific skill. The one that allows you to fly.”
Morgan felt his heart skip a beat, and he felt his lips turn down in a frown. Apparently the Queen had seen fit to tell Percival of that particular skill. He had to wonder how much she actually knew about him. Assuming that Gwendolyn had been the one to inform on him, he hoped it wasn’t more than that one skill.
“So? That’ll just give me an edge in the competition,” he answered, vaulting over a fallen log and taking a hard turn.
“You do realize that they will ban you from using any flight-related skills, correct?”
“I thought we could use any and all skills in our possession.”
“You should be able to, but the other Kingdoms will be angry enough that a supermage is competing. It’s not strictly against the rules, but since it’s never been done before, there will be some serious backlash. To appease them, the Queen will most likely agree to having them block you from using your flight skill.”
Morgan grimaced. If he had to cross a lake of lava, like the one Percival had described without using his flight, it would be difficult.
Percival nodded, seeing that Morgan finally understood.
“Collecting points and completing the objective won’t be the only challenge in these matches,” he continued. “There will also be the other competitors to contend with.”
“I thought that the fight only came at the end.”
“It does, but there is no rule prohibiting contestants from fighting during a challenge. Though they will receive no points for attacking you, I’m sure that at least one of the others will come after you during the competition.”
Thinking back to Lord Simon and his sister, Morgan had to agree. From what Percival had said so far, killing would not be prohibited in the tournament. There would be no penalties imposed if he died, and the West would just replace him if he did.
“How do I prepare for this?” Morgan asked.
“By putting you in as difficult a situation as I can,” Percival replied.
Just as he finished speaking, their group emerged from the trees, stumbling out onto a sandy beach. Morgan was surprised to see the ocean again, and wondered if they’d just made a full circle, ending up back where they’d started. However, the massive lizard-like creature that had its head dipped in the water told him otherwise.
The beast looked absolutely terrifying. Standing on its hind legs, it was roughly thirteen feet tall. Its body was long and sinuous, and covered in a leathery blue-green hide. Colorful feathers protruded along its spine, and when it turned to face him, he could see some surrounding its eyes as well. The beast’s head was massive, way larger than it should have been, and the mouthful of razor sharp teeth made it look all the more intimidating. Two large arms hung down from its body, and each of its six fingers was tipped with a wickedly serrated claw.
A red aura surrounded the beast as Morgan used Aura sense, and the lizard’s status flashed before his eyes.
Name: Riot-Saurus Ancient
Rank - 31
Ability type - Super
“Holy crap,” Morgan whistled when he saw the density of its core.
This was undoubtedly an Advanced beast, and one that was 2 ranks stronger than him. Not to mention that it looked like a monster pulled straight from a nightmare.
“So. I guess I’m supposed to kill that thing?” Morgan asked as the beast snorted, then roared so loudly that he could actually feel the wind passing over him.
“Yes. And while you’re fighting that beast, I’ll be attacking you.”
“Wait, what?” Morgan asked, staring at the man wide-eyed. “I like a good fight, but it’s going to take everything I have fighting that monster, and you want to make me to have to concentrate on beating it, and you, at once!?”
“You don’t have to beat me, just hold me off until you’ve killed the beast. Remember what I said. The others will attack you if given the chance. This will prepare you for that eventuality. I had to endure similar training.”
He gave Sarah a sidelong glance, but she was deep in conversation with Eric, apparently fascinated by the ancient beast. Blowing out a long breath, Morgan turned his attention to the beast, and jumped when he saw it was already halfway toward him. How the hell did something so large move so silently?
Just as Morgan was about to charge, Percival threw in one more addendum.
“Almost forgot. No flying!” he called out, already circling away from him.
Gritting his teeth, Morgan turned his attention back to the beast and activated his shield. The purple-black reiki spread across his body, coating him from head to toe, and he charged the monster, keeping low to the ground.
The beast was huge, but judging by how it moved, it would be extremely nimble. Since he couldn’t rely on his flight, he would have to use footwork to avoid being crushed. It was something he hadn’t had to use in quite some time, as his flight skill had become more and more advanced. Especially so, when he’d worked it into his fighting style.
Despite the overwhelming odds against him, Morgan could feel the excitement building in him once again. A completely new type of challenge. A fight where he couldn’t just use his fists to win. In this fight, strategy would be just as important as power.
Morgan lunged in, pivoting to his right as one of the ancient’s arms swung down, then he pivoted left, spinning nimbly as its tail came around from the back. He planted his right foot, and was about to throw a punch into one of the joints on its massive leg, when he felt a disturbance in the air around him.
As the days had gone by, Morgan’s perception had risen. It didn’t always work perfectly, but so long as he was keeping his core active, and using Aura sense, he could feel the energy inside others so long as they were within a certain range.
On instinct, he ducked, dropping low to the ground and rolling to one side. Percival’s kick, which had been aimed at his head, slammed into the ancient’s leg, earning him a pained roar. The ancient turned its wrath on Percival instead, snapping at him with its huge teeth.
Morgan took the opportunity to use Goldfire barrage, sending the six flames that had formed before him at the beast and Percival both. The first flame hit, exploding outward in a swirling ball of golden fire. Percival cursed, jumping to the side and patting at his pants, while the ancient roared in pain.
The other five followed suit, hitting the massive beast and exploding on impact, scorching its hide and feathers. Morgan knew, that despite its cries of pain, those were only flesh wounds to a creature that size. Even as he closed the distance to the monster, it began glowing red as it prepared an ability.
Morgan used Stormforger, creating a massive, spiked hammer from thin air. Instead of forming around his arm as he’d expected, the hammer dropped into his hand. Clutching the handle, Morgan grinned, feeling that it weighed absolutely nothing. It was made of condensed wind and reiki, yet it felt as sold as steel.
The ancient turned to face him as he approached, and activated its own ability. Its skin rippled and crawled for a moment, then thick plates of bone formed over its entire body, coating it in white armor. Morgan didn’t even have time to admire it, before being forced to dodge another one of Percival’s attacks. He backed away quickly as Percival moved in, throwing one blow after the next in rapid succession.
Suddenly, he disengaged, leaving Morgan temporarily off balance, as he’d been expecting to have to block another attack. Just then, the ancient crashed into him, sending a fine web of cracks across his shield and hurling him clean through a tree.
Morgan groaned, forcing himself back to his feet. He eyed the fallen tree, and wondered just how much damage the shield had taken protecting him from that. Shaking his head, he extracted himself from the foliage, only to have Percival attack him again. Using Explosive impact, Morgan dodged the attack, then slammed the flat end of his hammer into the man.
He was frankly surprised that he’d man
aged to hold onto the thing, but discovered that it had adhered to his palm. That made Morgan a whole lot less nervous about the upgraded skill. He’d been worried that his new weapons would be easily lost, but it appeared that the weapons would still stick to him, albeit in a different fashion.
He watched as the wind was knocked out of Percival in slow motion, and had to admit that he liked the look on the man’s face as he did so. Time sped up just as he finished the swing, and Percival was hurled back, right into the path of the charging ancient.
Perfect, Morgan thought with a grin. Then he ran at the beast, charging his hammer with lightning.
He watched the crackling blue and red energy spread over the construct, and felt another distinct sense of satisfaction. He’d enjoyed using the lance, but there was nothing quite as satisfying as smashing stuff with a blunt instrument.
Morgan heard a loud crunch as Percival impacted with the ancient with enough force to stagger the beast, even with its plated armor. Then he watched as the man fell limply to the ground.
Well, that’s one problem taken care of, Morgan thought, closing the distance to the beast.
He dodged two swipes of its claws, noting that the bony armor didn’t slow the beast down in the slightest. If anything, it had only gotten faster.
Morgan pulled his hammer back and swung at the ancient’s leg with all his might, discharging one of the charges along with the blow. A jolt ran up his arm, and chips of bone flew as the flat end hit, then the monster’s tail flashed between its legs, cracking Morgan’s shield like an egg and sending him flying.
He landed on his feet, digging them into the ground even as he slid back. He grimaced, noting the small spot of blood already spreading on the right side of his chest. Looking back to the ancient, he now noticed that its tail had been capped by a spike of bone nearly two feet long. It was then that he realized how lucked he’d been to have his shield. If it hadn’t been up, that thing would have gone right through him.
As it was, it had smashed straight through his shield and the enchanted armor Katherine had given him, punching a hole straight through the metal plate. And the attack had still had enough power to injure him. That it had managed all that in one blow really allowed the message to sink in as to just how dangerous this beast really was.