Chapter 82
The Quadruple
You may be relieved, or possibly disappointed, to learn that I had no intention of spanking Anokium to death. I felt a little bad for letting Sir Gorak down, but I had my reputation to think about.
Thanks to Rel, there was already an unfortunate rumour circulating about me and an alleged fetish involving demons and whips. If word got out that I was now murdering people by violently spanking them, I don't think I'd ever be able to live it down.
It's all about legacy, you see.
In hundreds of years' time, when people talk about my time on Galaxy Showdown, I would prefer it be remembered in a positive way.
The champion of the common people.
The man who inspired a fashion revolution with his commitment to peasant chic.
The origin story of how I became the strongest man in the galaxy.
What I did not want was to be remembered as Pete the Pervert, the deviant human allegedly involved in all manner of depravity involving demons, whips, and murderous spanking.
Besides, spanking him to death would provide little in the way of opportunities for stat gains. Sure, there was a small chance of a strength gain if I really went to town on that ass, but I intended to get a lot more out of the fight than that.
Rel and I stood side by side. Well, I say stood, but he was hovering at shoulder height.
Standing alongside us were Sir Gorak, Commander Osian, the skeletal knights, and Sir Rockington III. Facing us, perhaps thirty metres away, was Anokium and his band of loyal warriors. They too were fel orcs, every bit as large and mean-looking as their leader.
I was very much reminded of the scene in the Captain America film where the two teams of superheroes were about to face off at an airport.
"I'll get them all warmed up for you guys," I said. "Then I'll take Anokium aside and see if he and I can't resolve our differences peacefully."
“Don’t be foolish, Pete,” said Sir Gorak, tightening the straps on his shield. “As impressive as your friends are, Anokium and his warriors are incredibly skilled and powerful. We must work as a team and–”
I strode forward, rolling my shoulders and considering which squint to go for.
It had been a week or two since I’d last unleashed my Aura, when I’d used Aura of Dread to help Mogdun reflect on the error of his ways about being involved with Bok’than.
The first thing I did was activate Aura Sense. I knew that the next time I summoned sensei, he'd be very curious about my progress and how I'd utilised my new skill. I didn't want to have to disappoint him by admitting I'd used it precisely zero times since our last meeting. He was probably already pissed off enough about the whole Lendoria thing – I didn't need to give him any more reasons to be mad.
When I saw the yellow glows appear around Anokium and his warriors, I was glad I did.
It was actually incredibly useful.
I only had a few points of reference against which to judge someone's strength based on the density of their Aura, but even that was enough to give me a rough idea of how powerful Anokium and his warriors were.
Their glows were not as bright or as dense as the draevens' had been, which was pretty interesting in itself. It suggested that the world quest we'd completed back at the start of our journey to Stonehaven would have ranked above a one-star difficulty Tier Five quest.
I turned my attention to my team. Rel's Aura was a little denser than it had been back then, suggesting his battle against Malior had been productive. Knowing Rel, I had no doubt he'd figured out some other crafty ways to gain stat points too.
Sir Gorak's glow was on a similar level to that of the weakest member of Anokium's band, but if I had to bet money on which of the two would win in an all-out fight to the death, I'd back the old knight any day of the week. Power wasn't everything, and I had no doubt that with all of his experience, he still had a few more tricks up his sleeve.
I was disappointed to learn that the skeletal knights and Sir Rockington III did not have a glow at all. I guessed that, being summoned minions, they didn't have Aura in the same way as everyone else. Their power was tied to Rel's, which presumably meant that as his Aura grew, so would their strength.
You have progressed to Rank 2
Aura Manipulation
Journeyman
You have gained 1 intelligence.
Current intelligence: 23
I let out a sigh of relief when the system notification appeared in my vision. I could now prove to sensei that I'd not entirely neglected my Aura training.
Speaking of which...
I deactivated Aura Sense, then fixed Anokium and his band with my most intimidating squint.
You know that expression about a picture being worth a thousand words? My squint was nowhere near as talkative. It was only worth five…
You've gone and fucked up.
I unleashed Aura of Dread, exercising all of the control I'd developed during my experiments with Evalria.
The effect was immediate.
Confused gasps and growls escaped the fel orcs' mouths as they stumbled and reached up to grasp at their faces. One began whimpering, while another fell to his knees, but the rest remained on their feet, clearly uncomfortable and troubled, yet managing to push back against some of the effect.
Huh... interesting.
I'd been expecting the ability to inspire more of a piss-your-pants terror. Instead, it was more of a significant and uncomfortable inconvenience.
Anokium appeared to be even more resistant to the effects. He winced as my Aura battered his mind, but beyond that, he seemed to be able to withstand it.
Well, at least I'd have a question to ask sensei the next time I saw him. It would be even more proof that I'd been taking my Aura studies seriously.
I could even think of a few theories as to why it wasn't as devastating as I'd expected.
Perhaps against a single opponent, my Aura was highly concentrated, but its effects became diluted when spread across a larger group.
Perhaps there was something about the fel orcs that caused it to have less effect. A natural resistance tied to their species? Some protective talisman hidden beneath their armour? Some form of training designed to defend against Aura-based abilities?
Whatever it was, the ability had still done its job, and I put the lid back on my Aura.
I activated flight and shot forward, tackling Anokium and wrapping my arms around his waist. Before he or his still-disorientated warriors had time to react, I'd snatched him from their ranks and carried him several hundred metres across the field.
I dumped him unceremoniously onto the ground and stepped back, waiting for his brain to catch up with what the fuck had just happened.
As he rose to his feet, I watched his face closely, trying to get a feel for how he'd react. In my experience of the Trials so far, there tended to be a fairly consistent pattern to these sorts of fights.
The enemy would start off as an arrogant, slightly unhinged egomaniac who was utterly convinced of their own greatness. They'd launch into some absurd monologue to make sure you understood exactly how amazing they were before they killed you.
Then, when the fight started and they realised that you were, in fact, not a pushover, and that there was a chance they might lose, they generally reacted in one of two ways.
Blind rage. They'd charge into battle like a mindless berserker, as if being angry enough would somehow guarantee victory.
Or absolute terror, turning into a whimpering little bitch and trying to get the fuck away as quickly as possible.
It turned out Anokium was an exception to the pattern. Sure, he was a perfect example of the whole egomaniac thing, but when he rose to his feet and considered me, his head tilted slightly, he did not react with anger or fear.
He laughed.
“Yes!” he roared. “I have waited so long for this moment. Do you know how many miles I’ve travelled and people I’ve killed in the pursuit of a worthy opponent?”
"No idea," I said. "Seven?"
He laughed again, louder this time, throwing back his head with an almost delirious joy. “Times that by a thousand and then perhaps you’ll be closer to the truth.”
He raised his sword and performed a few experimental swings. Then he looked at me, his eyes blazing with an almost fanatical anticipation.
“Don’t disappoint me,” he said.
He charged, moving far more quickly than when he'd attacked me earlier, and closed the distance between us.
And then our mad dance began.
I had to admit, the guy knew how to fight. He wielded his sword two-handed, the blue blade cutting through the air with incredible speed and precision.
I ducked beneath a horizontal slash, deflected the follow-up with my bracer, then twisted aside as he lunged forward.
We moved apart, and I half expected to see some sort of dawning realisation on his face that he'd bitten off more than he could chew.
Nope.
If anything, he looked even more excited.
“This is beyond even my wildest dreams!”
And people say I’m weird…
He drove forward once more, moving even faster, and the smile growing on my face as I dodged and deflected each attack was soon as wide as his.
You have gained 1 agility.
Current agility: 36
Fuck, yes.
*
Sir Gorak barely registered the movement as Pete snatched up Anokium and carried him away.
He can fly?
He shook his head and turned his attention back to the rest of the fel orc's band. They were still a little disorientated by whatever it was that Pete had done to them, but they were quickly regaining their composure.
Over the many years he'd served as a knight in the service of Lord Tharok, Sir Gorak had learned to expect everything and be surprised by nothing. Even a moment's distraction in battle could cost you your life.
Indeed, he'd known several warriors who had met their end with stunned expressions on their faces.
There were a few moments of hesitation as both sides watched Pete and Anokium soar off into the distance, then Rel rose into the air, his eyes blazing blue and lightning crackling across his fur like a storm god.
A staff appeared in his hand, and seething lightning began to arc along the length of the silvery wood. The energy grew in intensity until it was difficult to look at, the staff vibrating in Rel's hand as he fought to keep it under control.
Then he grinned, the sight incredibly disturbing with the flickering light playing across his face, and he jabbed the staff forward, unleashing the gathering lightning. It tore across the distance far too quickly to even attempt to dodge and struck one of Anokium's knights in the chest.
He exploded.
Sir Gorak promptly broke the rule he'd recalled only moments before, his opponents entirely forgotten as charred body parts and shattered fragments of armour rained down around him.
He possessed a basic competence in magic himself, utilising nature magic to enhance his prowess in close combat, but what he had just witnessed Rel do?
It was far beyond anything he had imagined possible.
Perhaps he'd actually survive the battle and get his wish of living out the rest of his days in peace...
"What are you all waiting for?" asked Rel, almost casually. "It's time to get to work."
Sir Gorak had fought countless battles and duels. He'd survived ambushes and sieges. He'd stared death in the face more times than he cared to remember.
But the fight that took place in the minutes following Rel's words was by far the most bizarre yet extraordinary he'd ever been a part of.
Skeletal knights who fought on a par with the greatest warriors he had ever met, while their commander, Osian, stood on a level above even them.
The booming laughter of an earth elemental called Sir Rockington III rolling across the battlefield as a fel orc laid into him with an enormous axe, each mighty swing carving away chunks of stone.
And Rel...
The squirrel hovered over the battlefield like a general observing his troops. Whenever one of his allies was at risk of being overwhelmed, he'd swoop in, unleashing wind, fire, lightning, and ice, turning the tide of the fight in an instant.
*
Fifteen minutes had passed since Anokium boarded his flight with Pete Airlines.
And we were still going at it.
Honestly, I was impressed. I'd expected his fanatical enthusiasm to slowly diminish once he realised he had no hope of victory, but if anything, the opposite had happened.
He’d fought harder.
And not only that, but the longer the fight dragged on, the faster he seemed to become. It hadn't been an issue to begin with, what with me being the magnificent physical specimen that I am. Now?
It was becoming more of a struggle to dodge his attacks.
The motherfucker was like the Hulk, except instead of getting stronger as he got angrier, he got faster the longer he fought.
I didn’t mind, though. Every successful dodge moved me closer to gaining another point in agility.
Now, I didn't expect to gain any more from this fight. One of the things I'd learned as the Trial progressed was that with great power came not-so-great stat gains.
I had no idea how long it'd be until I gained my next point in agility, but I liked to imagine there was some invisible progress bar somewhere, slowly creeping upwards each time I avoided one of Anokium's attacks. I also liked to imagine that the more difficult an attack was to dodge, the bigger that little jump would be.
Rel and the gang had wrapped up their fight ten minutes ago and come over to spectate. At first, there'd been lots of cheering and cries of, "Splendid dodging, Peter!" from Sir Rockington III, but that enthusiasm quickly faded when they realised I had no intention of fighting back just yet.
Sir Gorak had engaged Rel in a conversation about magic, while Sir Rockington III had somehow gotten his enormous hands on a pack of cards and was explaining the finer points of poker to Commander Osian and his knights.
It looked like fun, and I really wanted to join in.
There was only one more thing I wanted to accomplish from my fight with Anokium: a strength gain. If I could get one of those, I'd complete the quadruple – gaining a point in durability, strength, agility, and intelligence all in a single fight.
The question was how.
A punch? A roundhouse kick? A karate chop?
They'd all undoubtedly either kill him or inflict some serious damage, but they were unlikely to earn me a strength gain. No, I needed to do something a little different.
Wait...
My flight scaled with my strength. Did that mean I could gain strength through flying?
It was time for Anokium to take another trip aboard Pete Airlines. I ducked beneath the blade of his sword, stepped inside his range, and punched him in the gut, my sudden aggression taking him by surprise. I used just enough power to double him over and violently drive all the air from his lungs, but not enough to obliterate his internal organs.
As he fought back the urge to vomit and decorate the grass with the contents of his stomach, I moved behind him, snaked my arms beneath his armpits, then locked my fingers behind his head.
Full nelson time, baby.
He struggled furiously to break free of my grip, but he had about as much chance of that as he did of winning a personality award. He might have grown faster as the fight progressed, but when it came to strength, he was still a dainty little bitch compared to me.
And then I shot upwards, using my full speed for the very first time. There was a thunderous boom as I shattered the sound barrier.
We climbed higher and higher, temporarily blinded as we burst through the clouds, and then we were above them.
The blue sky began to give way to black, and when I glanced back down, I could actually see the curvature of the planet that served as the Trial Zone.
Holy shit.
Of all the incredible things I'd done and seen since entering the Trial, this surely ranked near the top.
A few thoughts struck me at once.
First, the Trial Zone was far larger than I'd ever imagined, and I wondered how many incredible opportunities were still out there waiting to be discovered. It made me a little sad to know there was no way I'd have enough time to experience them all.
Second, as I looked out at the stars, I couldn't help but wonder which direction Earth was in and whether I'd ever find myself there again.
It was then that I realised Anokium had stopped struggling. For a moment, I thought that maybe he too was undergoing some sort of spiritual journey as he gazed upon the stars, but when I gave him a little shake, I realised he'd passed out.
It was probably for the best that he wasn't awake to witness what came next. Some things are better experienced unconscious.
I changed direction, looping around until we were flying back towards the surface. With gravity on my side this time, I picked up even more speed, the world rushing by in a furious blur that I struggled to comprehend even with my vast strength and agility.
We passed back through the clouds.
The ground was approaching impossibly fast, and I realised I might have made a serious error in judgement. What would happen if I landed right next to Rel and the gang? How much destruction would a collision at this sort of speed cause?
It was fine. I’d just have to alter my path slight–
You have gained 1 strength.
Current strength: 55
Hell, yeah.
Wait… what had I been thinking about?
We crashed into the ground, and for a moment, it felt like the entire world exploded.
Quest Complete: The Exiled Champion
Tier: Five
Rating: ★
Recommended Group Size: 5
You have eliminated Anokium and his band of warriors, ensuring they will do no further harm to the innocents of the Trial Zone.
Rewards:
180,000 gold
Champion's Great Sword
350 Expedition Centre Points
Sweet.