“Sometimes getting a specialized Class isn’t all its chalked up to be.”

-George level 29 [Funky Hedge-Mage]

-

The [Guardian] didn’t flinch when the [Assassin] appeared behind him, daggers poised to take his life. Nor did he flinch when that same [Assassin] was slain with a single arrow. It happened in an instant. The [Archer] that loosed that arrow must either be precognitive or have insane reflexes. Regardless, despite not being bothered to show surprise at the sudden appearance of an [Assassin], the [Guardian] did take the time to remove the body from the center of the ethereal arena surrounding them. Snowflake capitalized on that brief window of time to panic.

Stalling was out of the question. With the [Assassin] assigned to the Champion dead, there was no one to come save him. Ra’hel and Bonehammer were in the same boat as him when it came to facing a tier 3 threat. Quinn was most likely dealing with damage control because this scenario was NOT one they reviewed during their planning session.

Could he run? [Explosive Step] might generate enough force to let him burst through the wind wall surrounding the arena, but would the mysterious archer cut him down before he could escape? Snowflake didn’t consider himself a betting man, but he did place the occasional wager. This was one he didn’t like the odds of.

Well, no escape and no savior left one path forward. The dark, bitter thing inside him sung with joy at his conclusion. He had to win. It was an almost impossible task considering the high-level opponent he faced, but he had been fighting a high-level opponent every day for weeks. Better a slim chance at victory than a slim chance avoiding death. Not that there was much of a difference.

Snowflake fed his fear to the flame. Defeatism would not help him here.

This wasn’t Robert all over again. No. Snowflake had a Core, a Class, and some Skills under his belt. In fact, the tricky part wasn’t winning. It was what came after. Even if he won, he was still facing two hobs, a mysterious [Archer], and a line of spear-wielding goblins. Maybe escape was the right choice.

Would [Sturdy Bones] stop an arrow from piercing his skull? Was he willing to risk it?

As Snowflake considered his Skills and how they might help him escape, he wished he was a higher level. Skills scaled with levels and he could use every little edge he could get.

An idea took root in Snowflake’s mind. It was a reckless, dangerous idea. Quite frankly, it was insane. Still, it might work.

The [Guardian] resumed his position in the middle of the arena. He banged his great shield and massive axe together twice, in quick succession.

“Come, human. Pay blood price for goblin life,” he said, grinning his too wide smile. There was no mirth there. Only violence lurked in the depths of those eyes.

Snowflake entertained the idea of diplomacy for all the time it took for him to blink his eyes. He was the attacker here. This Champion would give him no mercy for murdering his people. Snowflake wouldn’t waste the effort of trying to reason his way out of this.

Nevasca circled to one side. Snowflake, the other. There was a familiarity to this. It was the two of them against an opponent that could wipe the floor with them if they took the contest as a serious one. They needed survive long enough to create an opening.

Snowflake rushed forward. He didn’t use a Skill or any Source other than basic strengthening and reinforcement. It was obvious the [Guardian] had every intention of humiliating him by toying with him in front of the gathered goblins. The clues could not be any more obvious: issuing a [Challenge] instead of crushing him beneath superior tiers and Skills; using a Skill to form an arena; and showboating while an [Assassin] attempted to take his life.

The [Guardian] was assuming victory; his goal was something else. Snowflake could take advantage of that.

When Snowflake reached the [Guardian], he unleashed a furious flurry of blows. Ducking beneath his opponent’s lazy swipe—his axe cut through the air in a wide, horizontal arc—Snowflake led with a series of jabs, using the edge of his shield as an extension of his fist. He got off two, each strike causing sparks to fly as they scraped off the [Guardian’s] painted skin.

Did this hobgoblin have the [Physique: Iron Body] Skill Honey mentioned?

The hobgoblin pushed the flat of his great shield forward, much faster than its obvious weight would suggest was possible. Snowflake danced away from the expected retaliation, using the footwork Honey taught him. As he twisted away, he leveraged the length of his mace to bring the head hurtling toward the hob’s unprotected head.

With a slight twitch of his head, the hob allowed the blow to whistle past his head and bounce, ineffective, off his shoulder. He stepped forward and launched another wide, sweeping blow with his axe. It was slow and telegraphed, allowing Snowflake to dance out of the way. Nevasca lashed out with her tail, but her Source hardened, and sharpened, feathers left no marks on the hob’s bared skin.

Judging by the name of the Class, the defensive Skill, and the great shield, the [Guardian] must specialize in defense. They were also pretending to be much slower than they were, of this Snowflake was sure. It was all an act, designed to show him how hopeless the situation was. Maybe he could leverage that.

“[Guardian] of the Findstone Tribe,” Snowflake said, circling his opponent and keeping a wary distance. He measured his next words with care, ruefully aware of how he had thought of himself as something other than a gambling man just a few seconds ago. “I am a [Body Enhancer] of the Guild. I was… misled about the nature of your tribe. I will not beg for your mercy. However, you seem to enjoy sport.”

Snowflake made a vague gesture toward the arena around them and the glowing red eyes of the watching goblins. The hob shrugged in response. Snowflake waited for a verbal response, but none came. He sent Nevasca feelings of patience, doing his best to tie it to the image of stalking prey.

Snowflake continued, taking the hob’s silence as an open invitation. “What if we fought with our hands? I mean, nothing is more brutal and entertaining than two people trying to kill each other with their fists, right?”

The hob shrugged again, his eyes gleaming. “Sure.”

“Really?” Snowflake’s circling steps staggered. He had not expected the Champion to agree. In fact, he wasn’t sure it would make much of difference besides buying more time to figure out a strategy.

The Champion in question let out a deep chuckle. His sharp smile with far too many teeth grew even wider. Impossibly so.

“If can take,” the hobgoblin said, as if it was the simplest thing in the world. Then, he rushed forward, his shield covering his head and torso. His axe was raised in preparation to cut Snowflake down, no matter which way he dodged.

Nevasca’s tail wrapped around the hob’s ankle, catching him mid-stride. She dug her claws into the ground, trying to anchor herself. The hob stumbled but didn’t fall. His momentum pulled Nevasca along, leaving deep furrows in the dirt where she clawed at the ground for traction. The Champion whirled; his axe raised to sever Nevasca’s tail. She tried to disengage and run, but he stomped down on the end of her tail and trapped her before she could escape.

Snowflake used [Explosive Step] to launch forward without a second thought. He crashed into the hob, shield first. The hob stumbled, missing Nevasca’s tail with his axe but still trimming a few feathers. Slamming into the hob was much like smashing into the palisade just a few minutes ago, but Snowflake was prepared. Instead of falling to the ground, he stayed on his feet, striking the Champion with a [Power Strike] before he could recover. The mace hit him on the upper right trapezius muscle, unleashing a packet of kinetic energy on impact.

Letting loose a massive backhand with his great shield, the hob spun to face Snowflake. Snowflake managed to get his own shield up in time, but the force of the blow sent him flying. He crashed against the wall of air surrounding the arena. It was more solid than he expected, like slamming into a wood wall, again. Snowflake rolled sideways from where he landed and scrambled to his feet. The hob merely waited, once again in the center of the arena.

“Good hit,” he said, rolling his right shoulder. “Too bad.”

Snowflake spit a mouthful of blood on the ground and fed his pain to the flame. There was so much pain. His insides felt like jelly.

“Too bad what?”

“Not goblin. Dumb. Puppet.” The hob made a come-hither motion with their shield. Snowflake obliged.

He crouched down and leaned forward. With both feet, he pushed off releasing two [Explosive Steps] at the same time. Source trickled back into his Core with each passing second, but each time he used a Skill he was set back further than his Source generation had regained. However, Source was an investment he had to go all in on, if he wanted to have a chance of walking away.

Snowflake shot through the air like an arrow from a bow. In mid-air, he twisted to bring his feet back to the ground. It was a split-second action, initiated as soon as he started his charge. Once he felt his feet connect with the ground, he pushed back and used [Explosive Step] again.

The sudden change of direction wrenched his joints in their sockets, causing several ligaments to snap. Small sacrifices. The [Guardian’s] axe whistled through the air, right where Snowflake’s body would have been. Nevasca’s tail lashed out again, wrapping around the hob. He did not budge. Either it was a Skill, or he was just too strong for Snowflake’s companion to overcome.

Regardless, Snowflake lashed out with his mace again, using the opening created by the missed strike. This time, he didn’t use [Power Strike]. Instead, he manually layered several packets of kinetic energy inside each other. It was an expensive gamble, but Snowflake was almost certain that this was how the [Reverberating Strike] worked.

Time seemed to slow as Snowflake resumed his forward motion. The [Guardian’s] eyes were locked with his, but it was too late. His axe had already sailed past and his shield was out of position. Snowflake’s blow would land. The only question was whether the inlayed packets of kinetic energy would bypass the hob’s armor-like skin to destroy the vulnerable organs beneath.

The hob was smiling still. His lips moved; corners upturned. Through the noise of the blood rushing through his ears, Snowflake could only just make out the words.

“[Magnetic Shield].”

Like a moth to a flame, Snowflake’s mace altered course to impact against the [Guardian’s] great shield. The dark, bitter thing inside of Snowflake raged. He let the mace go. With his left hand he drove the edge of his shield into the hob’s face, powered by a rushed [Power Strike].

The hob lurched back with a look of surprise, a line of blood appearing on his face where the shield had struck. Snowflake [Explosive Stepped] forward straight into the reeling [Guardian]. Nevasca, her tail still wrapped around the hob, pulled. Between the two of them, they managed to knock the muscular, bare chested [Guardian] over. The hob tried to bring his axe and shield to bear, but they were on the ground and Snowflake was inside his reach. There was no leverage to be had.

The hob tried to lift his hips and jerk Snowflake off his mounted position, but three weeks of unarmed combat with Honey and one convenient [Unarmed Combat-Basic] Skill was enough for Snowflake to maintain his position. If only just. Snowflake gripped his shield with both hands and slammed the edge into the [Guardian’s] face. Nothing. He did again, but with [Power Strike]. A small reaction.

The [Guardian] snarled something. Snowflake couldn’t make it out, but it wrenched the shield from his hands. [Magnetic Shield] again, probably. The cloth covering on his vest was enough to protect him from its pull, or so it seemed. Snowflake clawed at the hob’s eyes, but he closed them. His eyelids were like iron. The hob began to use their shield and the butt of their axe to hammer at Snowflake with a pincer-like movement. Each blow rocked Snowflake’s body, the force travelling through his armor like it was paper. Blood filled his mouth. All his body felt was agony.

He ignored it. [Sturdy Bones] and [Rapid Recovery] would keep him alive, or he would die. This was his chance. Now or never.

Snowflake layered packets of kinetic energy together in each of his hands as he rained down punches on the hob’s face. The hob was stronger than him, by far, but the strength of desperation and experience fighting stronger opponents kept Snowflake there, throwing ever weaker punches as his Source drained from him. Punch after punch, his body twisting to generate enough force, using the aid of gravity as much as possible.

Snowflake felt something break under the hob’s own rain of blows. He spat blood again. A lot. The hob, tired of this game, gave up his weapons and grabbed Snowflake’s wrists. Blood leaked from the hob’s nose and the corner of their mouth, but they still smiled. Triumphant.

Snowflake spat his blood into the hob’s eyes. The hob growled, acting on instinct to let go of one of Snowflake’s hands and wipe the blood from their eyes. Snowflake slammed that hand into their face, releasing as much kinetic energy in one burst as he could. With a loud crack the bones in his hand broke. For the first time, the hob’s smile faltered.

Snowflake reared back and let loose again, this time using his elbow to smash the hob’s face. Now the hob looked pissed. He let go of Snowflake’s other wrist and reached up with both hands, sinking his claws through Snowflake’s woven-steel vest and slicing open his chest. With a surge of strength, the hob yanked Snowflake forward, so they were face to face.

“Fight good. For human,” he said with a snarl. Then, he pushed with both arms.

Snowflake flew, weightless for what seemed like an eternity. When he hit the ground, his vision swam. He rolled over and tried to claw his way to his feet. Two thuds sounded out, right next to him. Snowflake flinched back but turned to see two blurred shapes on the ground. The world spun, but he could make out his shield and mace lying on the ground next to him. The shield was bent and battered, the mace less so.

Even as [Rapid Recovery] worked overtime, draining Snowflake of his remaining Source, he felt the way his shield looked; like scrap, hanging together by a thread.

Snowflake looked up to see the blurry figure of the hob—he was once more armed and looking none the worse for wear-- gesturing toward him with his great shield.

“Come human. Fight with honor. Like goblin.”

Snowflake replied by holding up one finger and retching blood. The hob growled but did not attack. He did, however, begin to bang his axe and shield together. With each passing second, he clashed them together a little faster. The beat was rising toward a crescendo. Snowflake got the feeling that once the hob reached that point, he would attack.

Desperate and hurting, Snowflake did the only thing he could think of. He acted on that insane, reckless idea from before. With a painful, rattling breath, Snowflake forced himself to stand up. The rapid clanging, mixed with goblin jeers, rang loud in his ears. He forced it from his mind, along with the pain and fear threatening to overcome him.

Snowflake dug deep, to the bitter unwillingness that dwelled within him. He channeled it, using it as fuel to accomplish this one task. Snowflake slipped into his Soulspace. The hob’s rapid beat was reaching a zenith just as Snowflake’s consciousness faded from the outside world.

***

[Skill learned: [Explosive Leap]]

[[Body Enhancer] level up! Level 6]

[[Body Enhancer] level up! Level 7]

[Skill learned: [Reverberating Strike]]

[[Body Enhancer] level up! Level 8]

[Skill learned: [Explosive Charge]]

[Skill learned: [Explosive Feint]]

[Skill conditions met! [Explosive Movement] obtained]

[Skills consumed: [Explosive Step], [Explosive Leap], & [Explosive Charge]]

[[Body Enhancer] level up! Level 9]

[Skill obtained: [Lesser Might]]

[Monster Core conditions met. Tier 1-->Tier 2]

***

Snowflake opened his eyes to a massive piece of metal filling his vision. He threw himself to the side, but he wasn’t quite fast enough. The [Guardian] clipped Snowflake’s side with their shield. Something broke. Each breath was painful. A hazy white mist crowded the edges of Snowflake’s vision.

But Snowflake didn’t care about that. He was alive and he had leveled up! His insane gamble had worked. Source flowed into his Core far faster than before. He could feel [Rapid Recovery] at work, ready to give him a second chance.

All he had to do was keep fighting long enough to level up again, and again, until he had what it took to win. Easy enough, right?

Snowflake felt an odd ache on the sides of his face. The hobgoblin [Guardian] turned to face him, his sharp, too wide grin on his face. Snowflake knew, in that moment, his expression mirrored his enemy’s. Unarmed and facing impossible odds, all he could think about was the feeling of wild abandon that filled his chest.

He was ready for round two.