The Able pretty much screeched at the Monarch as we entered her throne room. “His Harmony is Zero!”

  She cast him a dangerous glare. “That can’t be. He would be dead?”

  “One would assume. Yet he assures me both his Harmony and his Mage Class Progression are struck though! I think…” He rubbed his pointy chin for a moment as he considered his next words. “I think this is why he can use weapons that he shouldn’t have access too. And why it took so much power to heal him. Five attempts, six if you include the attempt in the arena. Wounds that should have been healed from my first casting. At first, I thought it was his low level, but… deep down, I knew it couldn’t be.”

  I snorted. Lying fucker. The slick-back bastard had already sold me down the river.

  The Monarch stood and approached me, gliding across the polished floor like a ghost. She was shorter than me, even if her stupid crown made her look taller, and she took great pleasure in looking me over like I was a tasty steak.

  “I don’t know, Able. I have never heard of this happening before.”

  I flashed the Identify skill to check her over while she talked.

  Name: Nisa Olin Parela

  Title: Monarch of the Velkyn Arena

  Level: 42

  Class: Mage/Tradesman

  As she studied me, I found myself wondering what she did for the Tradesman class. Then I received a kind of mental nudge so that she could inspect my stats.

  I allowed her access and winked at her when she still gasped at the magnificence of Earl.

  “It makes no sense,” she muttered. “His base level for Toughness is on a level… higher even than an Ogrid. Have we ever had an Earther show such stats before?”

  “We have not. But then I cannot remember the last Earther we had, and it’s unlikely, judging by the others we have seen, that we would ever ascend them.”

  “Perhaps that is a mistake.” She looked at me like some kind of circus attraction. “To my eyes, you truly are unique, Earther.”

  “Or broken,” the Able offered.

  “Either way,” she said, pacing around me as she thought. “If he reaches a suitable level, he could be very valuable to us. Level 9 sounds terrible, but a base level of 16 in Toughness and 13 in Acuity, well, that changes everything.”

  “Indeed, Monarch. Broken or not, we no doubt have something…” He looked back at me apologetically. “Special on our hands.”

  Aye. It wasn’t that an hour ago when you were ready to drop me like a sack of hammers. I kept my mouth shut, though. These people were useful for now. I’d milk them for everything they were worth, but I’d remember all of this bullshit.

  “Take care of him, Able. And further test your hypothesis on Magic resistance. He did take my earlier attack remarkably well, but whether that is because of his naturally high Toughness or the lack of Harmony is the question we need an answer too.”

  “It could be both,” the Able replied.

  “It could,” she snapped back unexpectedly. “Which is why I’m asking you to test!”

  The Able got the hint, and he quickly ushered me from the hall under the Monarch’s irritated glare.

  It seemed he’d forgotten all about the scolding no sooner as the doors closed behind us. And he started with me, full of assurances that I had a big part to play in the upcoming tournament.

  “With a base Toughness of 16 You could be so formidable. That combined with a Mental Acuity of 13… These are big base numbers, Earl, and they will ensure you are underestimated by everyone. They also make sense of your prowess in the arena too. It all makes sense now!”

  “I fucking bet it does,” I said, barely keeping the annoyance from my voice.

  “What makes me wonder is the magic and its effects on you. We have always considered Harmony to be the single driver behind magic use, yet… you are still affected by it, even if not by much.”

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  “Thing is,” I said, resting a hand on the Able’s shoulder like he was an old friend. “I needed healing today. But say if I got Level 100 in Toughness, would I still need healing?”

  The Able laughed. “You most certainly would. Mages can cause damage that circumvents Toughness.”

  It was my turn to laugh. But I didn’t. “And which of my stats does that attack then? Mental Acuity?”

  He was stumped. “No… no, it wouldn’t. It would affect Harmony.”

  “Well there you fucking go, then.” I thumped his back in a friendly gesture. “Help me ramp up my Toughness and I’m good to go.”

  “That does seem like a reasonable premise to work upon. I will see what I can do to help before the tournament.” He paused, and then cleared his throat. “We do need to discuss your ongoing use of the Akra again, Earl. It would really help your popularity if you stopped doing that every time you fight. And, if possible, explain to the crowd that it means something different to an Earther.”

  I side-eyed him and nodded. It didn’t mean that I was going to stop, just that I’d heard his concerns. I wasn’t responsible for what he thought that nod meant.

  “So what happens next? When do I fight again?”

  “I’m not entirely sure. You have a break which I would strongly advise you to use for training as much as is possible.”

  “Sounds good. I like training, and drinking. Can I get alcohol here?”

  “Of course you can. Just request it from your servers with your meals. Ah! Here we are.” He gestured past me to the same room I’d woken up in after the ascension.

  “I’ve gotta say, this cell is a lot nicer than the last one.”

  His face wrinkled up into a mix of humor and puzzlement. “It’s not a cell. It’s your room. You can go anywhere in the arena grounds. Guards will be at the places you don’t have free access to. This is your home now, Earl, for the foreseeable future.”

  “Really? So I can just wander around?”

  “Within the arena grounds, yes. It is an enormous place. We even have our own open marketplace within the walls. You can find refreshments and a good number of shops. I should warn you, though. This is a place where other fighters gather, among a wide range of other people. It has the potential to be volatile, so we have a simple rule: no unauthorized fighting is allowed anywhere inside of the arena walls. Doing so is punishable by death.”

  “Shouldn’t be a problem for me.”

  “Why not? You gave the impression that you enjoy fighting for fighting’s sake.”

  I patted my raggy, tattered pockets. “Yeah, but I don’t need no market because I haven’t got my wallet.”

  The Able looked utterly bewildered. “Wallet?”

  “Yeah. What I keep my money in,” I explained.

  “Ah! Very funny, Earl. Your Earth currency wouldn’t make any difference here. You will have to acquire your own money.”

  “And how exactly do I do that when I’m a prisoner?”

  “You aren’t a prisoner.”

  “It feels like I’m a prisoner.”

  “Your classification would fall under indentured servant till such time as you earn your freedom by the initial investment plus upkeep from the Velkyn Arena being repaid.”

  “So I need to earn money to buy my freedom?”

  “While you will receive a stipend from the arena, plus win bonuses from your fights, they are rarely generous enough to repay what is owed. I was referring more to the involvement of third parties looking to acquire a skilled warrior.”

  “What the hell are you babbling on about, Able? That’s a lot of pretty words to say I’m your slave until someone else buys me and I become theirs.”

  “No. I am saying you are employed by the Velkyn Arena, and you will remain employed by us until you can pay your exit fee, or someone else can. I can see you don’t like my words, but with your abilities, this is a great honor. There is much poverty throughout the Union, and the vast majority would kill to be a champion in the arenas.”

  “Yeah, but the vast majority would die because they’re shit, aren’t they? I’m going to be champion because I know what I’m doing.”

  “Exactly!” the Able clapped. “You will be a hero to the masses!”

  “Fuck the masses. What’s the situation with money? How do I make more of it?”

  “You will receive six unitols each cycle. You get fifty for a win, and ten when you lose. You can also acquire a sponsor at some point, though it may be a little early right now. They will help with your training and your equipment, and they will likely give you a little extra money per fight too.”

  “Why would someone want to sponsor me if I belong to you?”

  “It’s normally a prelude to purchase. A show of faith if there is competition for your signature.”

  “So do I have money now? I did win a fight, right? So I should have sixty-six Unitols if I don’t miss my guess.”

  “Your fight against the pool warrior doesn’t exactly count as you weren’t registered or ascended at the time. But I will speak with the Monarch, I’m sure something can be arranged. You need not purchase food as all meals will be supplied.”

  “As part of my overall bill, right?”

  He smiled. “We are running a business after all.”

  “Do I have to pay the stipend back as well?”

  “The six Unitol a week, yes. The fight bonus, no.”

  I shook my head in disappointment. “Greedy bastards. This is a right scam.”

  “It is lucrative if you have the right setting.” He gestured around at the arena around us. “So go, Earl. Enjoy your money.”

  “Nah, I’ll save it. Not a good idea for me to head out there.”

  He looked troubled .”Please explain?”

  “Because you said no fighting.”

  “Can’t you walk around a small market without causing a fight?”

  “I’d struggle at the best of times. But out there, I imagine most of them hate me for doing that fucking salute thingy?”

  “Ah, that is actually a very good point. You have offended a great many people with your antics.”

  “There you go, then. I’ll stay in my room away from the livestock.”

  “I can send a guard to chaperone you.”

  “Nah, I’d probably just end up fighting them.”

  “Yet you really should make the most of the opportunity. I am thinking you would benefit greatly from more suitable attire for the arena. Your rags are… not very protective, and while anything above basic armor is out for the first two rounds, you could do with a little something extra.”

  “Basic armor?”

  “No level requirement. Most just wear boiled leather for the first two rounds as it’s light and flexible, and death is frowned upon.”

  “Hmmm, that’s not an awful idea. I could definitely do with a decent pair of gloves. This is probably going to end horribly, but fuck it, I’m going to go out. Give me a chaperone and tell them to do all the talking. Oh, and where do I pick this stipend up?”

  “I will have the guard bring your current wealth. Now try to relax. Center yourself so that you are calm for your shopping trip.”

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