Chapter 163

UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse - 10:45 AM, 3 days later

While I made sure to liberate at least two dungeons a day, the majority of my time was spent competing in the Fieldhouse against others. Because Sol Ligatus was the guild that completed the scenario quest to free it, we were allowed to change its rules at the start of the day. Thanks to that privilege, I was able to set the standard rule set to Winner Stays and skyrocket my way to the top of the rankings.

With a confident smirk, I snapped open the menu.

[[Cooper Fieldhouse Rankings]]

1st. Anthony Franklin, Sol Ligatus: 49 - 0 - 0

2nd. Jamie Summers, Sol Ligatus: 42 - 2 - 3

3rd. Jeffry Mills, Sol Ligatus: 40 - 3 - 1

4th. Danny Richards, Trolls Under Bridges: 34 - 6 - 2

5th. Tony Felder, Shakespeare At The Frick: 29 - 5 - 1

It was a shame that Jamie and Jeff had lost to people that weren’t from Sol Ligatus, but it happened. Sometimes builds were hard counters to others, and that kind of thing was difficult to surmount. Thankfully, my team took it in stride and used it as an opportunity to try and cover their weaknesses, which was what the Fieldhouse was all about

“Hey, Warmonger!” one of the people called from the court, and I glanced down from my spot in the stands. “You fighting today?”

Kayla and Jeff had been sure to regale the people with tales of the big bad Warmonger and his exploits in Atlanta. With permission, of course, but I appreciated that they were taking their jobs as Sol Ligatus PR seriously even as they demanded more responsibility.

The community had been rather accepting of someone like me coming in and kicking everyone else to the curb. Though, it also helped that I gave advice to any who sought it out. With Kayla taking over the business I would normally be bothered with, I had a lot more time on my hands.

“I’ll jump in later,” I replied, waving at the man. He gave me a thumbs up and I got back to work, my pen Orbiting my setup.

I had built a table to work at while I was sitting in the bleachers. Despite my near constant arena fights, I was making good headway on both my manual for Kayla and the letters that I’d have to send out later. There was a little extra paperwork today off to the side, just as I had the last two days.

I wasn’t sure when my target was going to show up, so I always made sure to be prepared. In this case, it meant that I had the plans drawn up for Paints Arena as well as information on the waves of enemies that it held. There were notes to the side as if I had attempted it a few times before to gather information, including a section labeled Boss Rush with a few question marks around it.

That was the incentive. My quarry was currently in the process of boss hunting using the same methods that I had Jeff use on the Wisp Mole Mother back in Atlanta. Deal some damage, reap the rewards, and barely put yourself in danger. He could stealth in and slink off with hardly anyone the wiser.

Well, most anyone.

[[Patron Message]]

Anthony, he’s here.

Just like you said, he came in under stealth. No one’s noticed him, and he seems to be watching the fight.

I guess it’s almost showtime, isn’t it?

Sincerely,

Sara

I couldn’t see him, nor would I. Under normal circumstances, I would have had to rely on a few different methods to realize he was here. Mostly, he couldn’t resist touching my stuff, so I’d have to keep a close eye out for anyone coming close to my table. Thanks to Sara, I had Aura Sense which could do the job, but I didn’t need it activated when I had her.

A couple of fights went by before I stood up. “I’m jumping into the next one,” I announced, snatching the Orbiting pen out of the air.

Grabbing the manual and a few of the letters that were going to happen a little too far into the future, I tossed them into my inventory while leaving everything else. I stood and stretched as the fight already in progress started dwindling down to the end.

My announcement was met with cheers from the crowd, and one of the competitors got distracted enough for a magical rock sword to pierce his chest, ending the duel. I quickly entered the menu to grab the next spot, a right given to me by the system as the top ranked combatant, as I descended to the court. The Sol Ligatus symbol appeared on one side, and I moved towards it before addressing the crowd.

“Normally, I’ll take anyone,” I said loudly. “However, today, I’m going somewhere special I’ve been scoping out in the Pitt. Lots of enemies, powerful bosses, the works. So, I’ll take a team of the top ranked fighters here as a warm up. Three versus me, if you think you can handle it.”

“Getting a little cocky there, don’t you think?” a man called out from the crowd. My eyes honed in on a leather clad man around Jeff’s age that I knew was Tony Felder. Despite the system bulking everyone up when Strength was increased, he seemed a bit on the skinny side. “Just because you’re at the top doesn’t mean you can handle three of the best.”

“The best? Oh, I’m sorry, are you Jamie Summers or Jeff Mills?” I asked, taunting him. Raising my hand, I motioned for him to get down here. “Come on, Tony. Danny’s not here so I’ll happily take my 50th victory straight from you.”

“You know what? Sure, let’s do it. Shakespeare At The Frick against Sol Ligatus’s war monster,” he said as he stood up.

“I know that you know that my nickname is the Warmonger, but now that I hear it out loud, I really don’t mind War Monster,” I admitted, stroking my chin. “Yeah, got a nice ring to it.”

Tony snorted as he stood up, a man and  woman joining him. She wore a golden breastplate that didn’t match the skirt made up of tire scraps protecting her legs. He wore green robes and fidgeted with a wand as if he was unable to help but move. They both looked ready for combat.

“I’m 5th, and I’ve got Jacqueline, number 9, and Doug, who’s 13,” Tony said. “Should be more than enough to handle you.”

“Yeah, and I’m Anthony, sitting pretty at the top spot,” I said as I pulled out my Vague Stick from my inventory. “Now are you going to get down here and challenge me or what?”

The three of them made their way down to the court as they pulled items out of their inventory. Doug already had his wand out, but he retrieved a glass orb that had green flecks flying around inside. Jacqueline pulled out an oversized claymore made of black metal. Tony himself came into the arena cracking his knuckles as literal lightning crackled over his black gloves.

“How about a wager, then?” he asked as they stepped to their starting position. Their guild’s emblem appeared beneath them, showing off a stage on green grass.

“I don’t usually like taking from those who aren’t as well off, but you may be able to tempt me with an offer,” I answered as I put my hands on my hips.

“You win, and I’ll pass along a couple synthesis pages we found,” Tony said with a smirk. “But if we win, then you give us the directions to that dungeon you’ve been scoping out. Notes, too”

“Oh, damn, synthesis pages? Yeah, I’m down for that,” I said immediately.

The confidence on Tony’s face faltered at my quick acceptance of his terms. “You’re willing to bet the information on your dungeon that easily?”

“Look, man, I thought I was just going to hand out a free ass whooping. If you want to pay me then I’ve got absolutely no problem with it,” I said with a friendly smile. “You want to issue the challenge?”

“Tony, I think he might be a little too eager,” Doug said nervously.

“Then we just need to step it up,” Jacqueline replied. “Send the challenge.”

Their leader seemed to struggle with himself before nodding and swiping open his menu. It didn’t take long for a screen to pop up in front of me.

[[Duel Request]]

Players [Tony Felder, Jacqueline Strands, & Doug Jones] are issuing you a challenge.

Win condition: First team to cause the other to drop below 0 hit points or surrender will achieve victory.

Additional rules: All hit points and resources will be restored, and cooldowns are reset for the duration of the match. Pain will be dulled to 50%.

 

Would you like to partake in this challenge?

Yes

No

After making sure the rules were all standard, I accepted. “Let the better guild win,” I offered with a polite bow.

I received silence as we waited for the timer to finish counting down. Looking to the crowd, everyone seemed hyped for the match. Three people in the top 15 against the number one was a big deal, and they thought that I was going to get a run for my money. Drawing it out had its own merits, however.

“Anything to say?” I asked, looking up to the sky.

[[Patron Quest: Put Shakespeare Back In The Park!]]

I suppose I could think of something to say if you really want it that badly.

This Tony fellow doesn’t seem to think you’re capable enough to take down his team alone. As your Patron and girlfriend, I am simply outraged by his lack of understanding of your superiority. Okay, maybe not outraged, but I’m definitely amused by the lack of self-awareness.

Anyway, please be a dear and give them a proper chance. Let them do their buffs and whatnot. Really make it a spectacle when you win this duel.

Objective: Win against Shakespeare At The Frick.

Optional Objective: Allow them to set whatever buffs they like and make the first move.

Reward: 1,000 points.

Optional Rewards: +100 points for each helpful condition they cast on themselves.

“Oh, nice,” I said as I swiped away the message. Looking up, I grinned at Tony as I held my Vague Stick in both hands behind my back. “Patron wants me to let you guys buff yourselves and take the first move. That means you get to take your time. I’ll wait patiently.”

“Are you for real?” Tony asked. Every time he flexed his gloves, more lightning spread between his fingers.

“Yeah, man. Go hog wild,” I replied before raising my hand. Another screen popped up that everyone could see.

[[Duel!]]

The duel may now commence!

Just as I said, I kept my hands and weapon behind my back even as my opponents took a defensive posture. They were stiff as Doug raised his orb and started casting spells. I watched with interest as their bodies glowed for a moment, and I could hear wind whipping around them. Their movements became faster as the buff settled.

I briefly wondered if that was worth 100 points or 300 because it worked on their whole team.

Before I could really start thinking about it, Tony’s body started to become electrified. Lightning shot between his arms, legs, and his body. That was going to be annoying, but nothing I couldn’t handle. His shoes glowed red for a moment and his eyes flashed green.

The points were adding up.

Jacqueline was the last to finish buffing. A translucent sheen covered her armor similar to my Shield ability, her large sword began to freeze, and a dark cloud appeared over her head. I recognized the spell as one that would drench me if I got too close. Between Tony’s lightning and her ice sword, that could become problematic.

“All good?” I asked, looking at them each in turn. Doug started looking even more uncomfortable at my nonchalance, and I grinned at him. “If you have any more, I’m willing to wait.”

He raised his wand and pointed it at the other two. Green effects that looked like slicing wind appeared around Tony’s gloves and Jacqueline’s sword, indicating that some sort of air-based spell was placed on them. Additional damage, most likely, though it could also be a movement buff like the one he had put on them before.

Without anyone providing me an actual answer, Tony surged forward, closing the gap between us very quickly. His palm was driven into my chest just over my heart. My clothes fell to tatters as sharp air sliced me, and I was forced backwards a few steps. Electricity poured through my body, giving me the feeling of going through cardiac arrest before my Constitution and Heavenly Hero put an end to that.

Still, I clutched my chest where he struck me and breathed out. I looked up to see a smug look on his face at having struck the first blow. It quickly disappeared as I straightened back up.

“Felt like you got rid of about a fifth of my hit points there,” I told him, beating on my chest. “Cute. Guess you’re ready then.”

“You’re-“

Tony didn’t have a chance to continue as I lunged forward with the Vague Stick. I didn’t transform it into anything in particular, leaving it as a quarterstaff for now. I aimed for his head with the end when Jacqueline ran up. Instead of attacking me, she attempted to parry my weapon with an upward slash to protect her confused boss. Shifting my weapon, I let her slice through it.

A look of surprise passed over her face as I let her cut the Vague Stick, but I was too focused to enjoy it. I Pushed the piece of my weapon that had been sliced off right between Tony’s eyes. It struck him, causing him to stumble backwards as I brought the bottom of my staff up and smacked him in the knee.

As he went down, I activated Shield as Doug pointed his wand in my direction. Visible slices of air, similar to those on their weapons, came towards me. They slammed into my defensive measure, causing it to shimmer but not break.

Jacqueline moved fast and attempted to smack me in the head with the hilt of her sword now that it was over hers. I stepped in even as I Pulled the piece of the Vague Stick back to my weapon to recombine it. Her rain cloud activated now that I was in close proximity, and I was drenched in seconds.

That was something I’d have to ignore for now. Her arms fell on either side of me, striking me in the shoulders as the pommel of her sword hit my back, dealing much less damage than she had intended.

Pulling my head back, I rammed my forehead into her nose. She tried to turn at the last second, but I compensated and broke it, causing her to stagger a few steps. Unfortunately for her, she didn’t let her sword go with either hand, and I stepped forward with her. I didn’t have a lot of room, but I managed two more headbutts before slamming the staff against her chin.

I heard Tony coming for me just in time for Jacqueline to drop her sword. Spinning around, I managed to parry another open palm strike with the Vague Stick. Immediately after, I was forced to jump as the Lightning Pugilist attempted to sweep my legs out from under me. Foiled on both fronts, he leaned forward shoulder-first.

Electricity arched between us, scorching my Shield and causing it to shimmer even faster than before. While I knew my ability was at the cusp of breaking, the technique wasn’t buffed by my soaked outfit. Still, I took a step back before he could bash me. Tony followed, of course, allowing the lightning to continue jumping between us.

The air from my lungs was forcibly extracted, and I turned a critical eye towards Doug. He was cringing as he held up the orb and pointed at me with his wand. My body was telling me to panic as I could no longer breathe, but my mind was more solid than that.

As I continued to back up, I Lifted the orb out of the Air Elementalist’s hand. He reached for it clumsily, though his spell on me didn’t break until I Pulled the glass object away and Pushed it back against his face.

Doug’s hand flew up to protect himself, but it was too late. He fell onto his back after the glass orb shattered his jaw. Even at 50% pain, it was a debilitating injury. Luckily for him, he would be healed at the end of the match.

Sidestepping another open hand strike, I let my Shield drop as the lightning nearly finished it off. If I had let Tony completely eat through it, then I would have had to wait half a minute to bring it back, but this way would be better even if I was drenched.

Tony continued to come at me with a frankly impressive multi-strike combo. The lightning was meant to restrict my movement, making it harder to dodge, but my stats were higher than his seemed to be. It was still painful as it scorched my waterlogged clothes and skin, but that was only pain. The frustration on his face continued to grow as I parried with the Vague Stick, careful not to let his gloves touch me anywhere.

Jacqueline screamed from behind me, and I knew she was getting ready for a powerful strike meant to cleave me in two. Even though she had left my sight, I never lost track of her; I knew exactly where she was.

I jumped and readied a kick towards her. My head never turned, however, and I kept my eyes on Tony.

Specifically, a spot right behind him.

I activated Fae Step, teleporting just as I lashed out with my foot. It caught Tony in his back and lightning surged through my leg. Pain wracked my body as I landed, quickly turning around to see the aftermath.

Jacqueline’s sword came within inches of my face even though I had gotten so far away, and I realized that she had meant to cut through Tony if it meant that I would die first. In the arena, that was a valid tactic as there was no real death here. He’d have to deal with the pain, but that was well worth it to give me my first defeat.

Now, Tony laid on the ground, his body grayed out as all color left him. His hit points had been depleted and he wouldn’t be able to move until the match was called. No more damage could be done to him, either, he was simply out.

Insane air pressure started pushing my body towards the ground, causing me to stagger with my injured leg. It still tingled from the strike to Tony’s electrified body, and I needed to hold myself up with Lift. This was the work of Doug, I knew, but I was just glad that his spell that knocked the wind out of people had such a long cooldown on it.

Not that I could entertain that happiness for long. Jacqueline looked pissed and started coming at me. Her sword was longer than my Vague Stick and my Dexterity had been severely neutered by my circumstances, and I had to focus despite my leg dragging along the ground.

She started battering me with fierce slashes and blows, and I had to lean into my Warmind abilities to keep myself standing. My Vague Stick never stopped moving as I parried attack after attack. Her rain cloud continued to pelt me with water, and I willed my weapon to have a better grip so I wouldn’t lose it.

Ice began to pile up on my staff, making it harder to swing. Doug’s pressure spell was starting to wear me down as well, and something was going to have to change. I transformed the top of the Vague Stick into a spearhead and let her cut it off while I was parrying, ducking to avoid a strike that would have went right through my head.

I let her cut off two more spearheads before I grinned. We had made it nearly halfway across the arena by now, and I could see Doug still lying on the ground, his wand pointed at me. If he was going to use his magic power to keep my body from moving properly, then I was going to let him. He wasn’t debilitating me as much as he thought he was.

Ending the Warmind abilities that were keeping me on my feet, I Lifted the three spearheads Jacqueline had cut off from the Vague Stick and began to Orbit them. She looked down at me in surprise as I landed on my back, but raised her sword to skewer me. The three spearheads caught her attention at the last second, and her eyes widened as they rushed in.

The three met her unprotected neck, piercing through and getting stuck. Her body immediately fell and turned gray. I reabsorbed the missing pieces of the Vague Stick into the whole again.

My eyes turned to Doug. “Nothing left but the ma-“

“I surrender!” he yelled, throwing his arms out to the side as he was laying on his stomach. “You win, you win!”

[[Duel!]]

Congratulations! You have won the duel against Players [Tony Felder, Jacqueline Strands, & Doug Jones].

Your record is currently 50 - 0 - 0.

 

[[Patron Quest Complete!]]

They really had a good team dynamic going, didn’t they? With the rain cloud, ice, and lightning with air support.

However, I didn’t doubt you for a second. You let yourself get damaged a little more than I would have liked, but this was an arena battle and I suppose I… did say they should get the first move, though that didn’t mean to let it land.

Either way, great job, Ant! Way to show everyone here what the boss of Sol Ligatus is capable of.

Reward: 1,000 points.

Optional Reward: 1,200 points.

My health immediately topped off and any problems I would have had with my leg disappeared. Tony and Jacqueline slowly stood up, giving Doug dirty looks as the crowd cheered my name.

Walking up to Tony, I offered my hand. “I really ought to get going, but I can give some pointers if you like,” I said jovially.

The Lightning Pugilist worked his jaw for a few seconds as he considered by words before nodding and accepting the handshake. “Sure, but let’s make it quick,” he said, opening his inventory and pulling out the Synthesis Pages he had wagered. “Kinda want to go beat something up now, myself.”

With a grin, I gathered the other members of Shakespeare At The Frick and started a short, yet informative, lecture so I could get to work in the Pitt as quickly as possible.