“Do you want the recall arena open or closed?” asked Poker.

Jen replied, “What’s the difference?”

Dicey rolled her eyes at Poker, “For the love of The System! Try and remember for even a few minutes that they just arrived in the City.” She then addressed Jen and Tamako, “The recall arena reservation time belongs to us. We can leave the recall arena ‘open’, and anyone is allowed to watch and offer gambling quests. However, we also have the option of keeping our training and sparing private, by closing the arena to the public. Of course, without an audience, we won’t be offered any gambling quests.

Jen replied, "Doesn't matter to us. Whatever you want."

Poker insisted, "You are our guests, and we wish for you to make the choice."

Jen's psych ability sensed Poker and Dicey were hiding something, but she didn't think it was anything underhanded. She shrugged, "Leaving it open is fine with us."

At her reply, she sensed a spike of excitement and elation from Poker and Dicey.

Tamako was watching Dicey while thinking, “I’m going to beat the living snot out of her!” Jen could feel the emotions radiating off of Tamako. She knew Tamako was furious that Dicey had bested her in their first sparring match. Dicey was level 33 and clearly very experienced in combat with the double-headed battle axe. Tamako and her were at stalemate when Dicey did something to imbue her axe with mana allowing it to shatter Tamako’s sword which she’d raised to block the attack. Dicey’s axe then continued through its swing nearly severing Tamako’s arm off at her bicep. With Tamako’s injury and blood loss, the stalemate was broken and Dicey was able to kill Tamako with just another few attacks of her axe.

Jen felt like she was getting used to the violence in the Decks, but seeing Tamako “killed” almost broke something inside of her. Fortunately, just a few seconds later, her psych skill picked up Tamako’s presence as she was recalled behind them in the arena changing rooms. After they received the invitation, Tamako wasn’t concerned at all about the idea of The System recalling her “dead” body. The idea of getting killed and “relying” on The System to bring her back to life made Jen’s stomach do summersaults.

Tamako entered the bull-pen on the side of the arena floor after “recalling” from her death. The mask she was wearing made it more difficult for her to see, but she and Jen agreed that it was better to keep their identity hidden while sparring in the open recall arena.

Dicey was still in the middle of the arena when Tamako called out, “Ready for a rematch?”

Dicey replied with cocky smile on her face, “I’m still waiting for a first match from you! Bring it!”

Jen noticed the observation seats filling up quickly, and commented to Poker, “Wow, is the recall arena always so well attended?”

Poker looked a little sheepish as he explained, “Dicey reserved the recall arena, and as soon as we set the recall arena to ‘open’ a system message went out to every audience member in the entire Bot Battle Arena facilities with her reservation information. Before the birth of our daughter, Dicey was one of the favorites in the Bot Battle Arena tournaments. Since Sugar-Luck was born, Dicey has focused on building our family’s standing in the guild. When we reserve a recall arena, we usually keep it private for this reason.”

Jen was looking confused as more and more people continued to enter the arena, and said, “But there’s never this many fans watching in the whole Bot Battle arena in the mornings.”

Poker nodded, “True, but everyone that was here probably burned up their sound waves calling all of their friends.”

Jen replied, “Dicey was that popular!”

“Yep! and Tamako made her use her mana-strike…. So this is going to get crazy!”