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Chapter 48 - The Coliseum
🕑 Added 2024-10-21 22:49:34 +0000 UTCHis body begged for one more day of rest.
'Mr. Oliver. Please. We can't take it anymore.' The boy could almost imagine his legs begging for forgiveness.
With each passing day, the training sessions became even more intense. Even after eight hours of sleep, it still didn’t feel like enough.
In the last four days, Nico had made the boy train from morning until afternoon, with a short break, and then continued fighting in the Trial Tower. After his two consecutive victories on the second day and reaching the fourth floor, he increased the intensity even more, with three fights each day for the last three days.
"Damn it! If I hadn't screwed up in those three fights, I wouldn't be so messed up," Oliver thought.
In the last two days, he had lost three matches; unfortunately, he still wasn't used to fighting against certain types of Boons—especially those involving mind control or disarmament. On Thursday, he had his first defeat, facing an opponent who could emit sleeping gas. It was his quickest and most surprising defeat.
"But finally, I’ve reached the tenth floor; only one more to go." The boy fluffed the pillow, preparing to sleep.
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"Wake up, boy! Wake up!" Nico shouted inside the room.
Not knowing where the noise was coming from, Oliver jumped up on the bed. His eyes struggled to stay open to figure out what was happening.
"H-How did you get in here?" Oliver asked, frowning.
"I have my ways. Never doubt what I'm capable of," Nico replied, smiling mysteriously.
"Come on, today will be a bit different. We have many things to discuss, and you need to prepare for your last fight," Nico commented.
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--
The first time he enjoyed Selene's breakfast, Oliver thought he would never get used to it, especially after everything he had been through on the streets and in the academy. But after almost a week, he already felt at home whenever the androids came to take his order.
"Today will be your last training session; it will be similar to the other days. We'll focus entirely on combat; we need to improve your reactions. You’re making too many mistakes when facing unknown Boons," Nico explained as they both waited for their orders.
"Yes. But how was I supposed to imagine that the girl from yesterday could create tentacles on her back?" Oliver complained. "If she hadn't grabbed my legs, I would have finished the fight."
"You have to be prepared for everything. To this day, we don't know all the limits of an Ork; when you're on the front lines, there won't be a technical sheet explaining what your opponent is capable of," Nico replied.
Oliver lowered his head, thinking about his most recent experiences. Since the Academy tests or when he got lost with Katherine, he knew what he was facing. It formed a false expectation that he could plan every battle.
"Today will be a bit different. Every ten floors, there's a Coliseum, an arena that only occurs when there's a certain number of opponents. On the tenth floor, there are ten; on the twentieth, twenty, and so on," Nico explained.
"What?! So I'll have to face nine opponents at the same time?" Oliver asked.
"Yes, but also no. The ten will enter the arena simultaneously, but you'll hardly face nine opponents—maybe three or four. Besides, you don't need to defeat them all. The top three advance to the next floor," Nico explained.
"That's not so bad," Oliver thought. He was already used to facing three fights per night so it wouldn't be that different.
"You thought, 'That's not so bad,' right?" Nico mimicked Oliver.
‘Is it possible his Boon has mind-reading properties?!’ Oliver thought, trying to keep his face impassive.
"Trust me, I've been training you since the beginning of the week to face the tenth floor. But there are some things it's impossible to prepare for; each Coliseum is completely different from the others, from the terrain to items," Nico explained.
"What do you mean?" Oliver inquired.
"For example, I once had a Coliseum where the water level rose every minute. We finished the fight with the water already at waist level. Good thing there wasn't someone who controlled electricity," Nico replied.
Oliver put his hands on his head, running his fingers through his hair. If he hadn't been nervous before, now he couldn't have helped it; he would have had to face a completely unknown arena, with unknown opponents and unknown powers.
"That's why it's important to train your ability to react to the unexpected," Nico concluded.
Both remained silent for a few minutes, each thinking about the next few days. Oliver was especially nervous about returning to the Academy and meeting his classmates again.
"But if you manage to win today, I’ll give you a prize. I'll take you to watch my fight," Nico commented.
"Your fight? You're also going to fight today?" Oliver asked.
"When a fighter is already on the higher floors, it becomes very difficult to find opponents to keep advancing. But as soon as a new person is registered on the floor, a combat invitation is sent to everyone," Nico explained.
"And it's scheduled for today?" Oliver asked.
"Yes. Much later than yours, but it's for today. Win, and I'll bring you to my floor to watch," Nico concluded.
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"Today's training will be quicker. There's no point in forcing you to learn more about the New Earth Army's fighting technique. You already have the basics; you'll find a way to keep evolving," Nico began.
Nico started walking to the center of the training arena, with Oliver beside him, trying to understand why they were there if they wouldn't train fighting techniques.
"Oliver, you don't need to explain your Boon to me. I don't know yet how it works, but it's clearly not related to direct combat effects," Nico said.
Oliver nodded without further explanation.
"In this case, there's a big problem for you. Even if you had your Ranger Weapon, you're missing a Finisher," Nico commented.
"What do you mean? Isn't it enough to hit the opponent until you bring him down?" Oliver asked.
"Yes, but imagine a battle. It might take a long time to immobilize or damage your enemy. In the meantime, your opponent will have several chances to discover your weaknesses and turn the fight around. That's why having something that can end the fight quickly will increase your chances of victory," Nico continued. This time, he approached the boy.
"I won't tell you yet what my Boon is; you'll have to find out," Nico said with a smile. "But let's say I have the same problem as you. What would be my solution?"
"I have no idea. Create a technique?" Oliver replied.
"Creating a technique isn't wrong, but it's not enough. You need to use everything at your disposal. You must extract all your physical and energy potential," Nico explained. "This is going to be a crash course on Energy Combat."
"Close your eyes," Nico said.
Oliver found it strange but followed the command.
"Imagine that Energy is a force contained in the Z Crystal, which you can use even without a Ranger Armor. Imagine this force flowing, coming out of the crystal, and merging with your body," Nico said softly.
The boy began concentrating, trying to extract the energy within. He could vaguely feel something emanating from the gauntlet and threads of energy embracing his arms, but it was so subtle that it was almost imperceptible.
"I-I think I felt something. I think?!" the boy commented.
"Great! That means you are highly sensitive to the Z Crystal; this will help a lot," Nico commented.
"So pay attention because I'm going to show you my technique. I won't be able to perform it often, so stay focused," Nico said.
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| DING
| The 10th Floor Coliseum will start in 30 minutes
Both were sitting in the 10th-floor hall, waiting for the battle to begin. While Oliver was observing the people in the hall, Nico sipped a drink he had ordered.
Unlike the lower floors, this one was crowded, making it difficult to know who his opponents would be.
"It's always like this. The Coliseums are always packed. Since they're always different, they are more interesting than watching regular floors," Nico commented between sips.
Oliver had nothing to say; he didn't know the bettor's experience. He just hoped that some people who commented on his previous fights would support him today.
‘Maybe even get a boost.’ The boy hoped.
A noise caught everyone's attention in the hall. A small group suddenly opened the entrance doors, all dressed in black uniforms with the Selene insignia. Leading the group were two people Oliver recognized—the twins.
Murmurs could be heard at all the tables; the bettors knew they would be among the combatants if they had come to this floor. This would change the odds for all participants.
"Hmm, now it got tricky," Nico commented.
"Did you see any of their fights?" Oliver asked.
"I did. Both are good," Nico replied.
"Did they use Boons? How do they fight?" Oliver asked.
"The boy can produce poisons; I don't know how it works or what the effect is, but it drips on his skin. He doesn't seem strong or adept at hand-to-hand combat, but if you get too close and get poisoned, you're screwed," Nico explained.
Oliver nodded; he hated that type of opponent.
"As for the girl, I think she's even more dangerous. She's good in combat, and her Boon is a bit confusing. I still couldn't understand how it works, but she seems able to emit pressurized gas," Nico commented.
Oliver couldn't imagine how this was used in combat. Seeing the boy's confused expression, Nico continued explaining.
"Whenever an opponent got close to her, they were pushed as if he'd been punched. But it was high-pressure gas," Nico said.
"Oh! I think I get it," Oliver replied. His gaze didn't leave the opponents. Nico thought facing them was bad, but Oliver actually preferred it. Finally, he would face something that wasn't completely unknown.
| DING
| The 10th Floor Coliseum will start in 10 minutes
| Participants, enter the preparation room
"Let's go; it's your time," Nico said.
Both left the main hall heading toward the preparation room. However, at the entrance, there were two guards. As they approached, one stepped forward.
"From here on, only combatants can enter. Today the Coliseum will be a bit different," the guard explained.
Nico placed a hand on Oliver's shoulder.
"Good luck, boy; just do as we practiced," Nico said in farewell.
"Don't worry; It’ll be quick, then we'll go to your fight," Oliver replied.
After saying goodbye, the boy passed through the door. Upon entering the preparation room, he found the other nine competitors who would enter the Coliseum.
Oliver looked at each of them, trying to assess. However, most were completely unknown—except for three. The twins clearly attracted the most attention. But there was another person he recognized—a girl wearing an IWT vest and a white mask that looked like porcelain.
"I hope she doesn't remember me," Oliver thought.
While he was still observing his opponents, a hologram of a floating head appeared in the middle of the room.
"Are you ready to start the Coliseum?!"
