I have received complaints that dungeon races, which act intelligently outside dungeons, don’t belong in the Bestiary. To that I say, fuck off! You run into an orc, dwarf, elf, or whatever, inside a dungeon, you need to know how to kill it before it kills you. So, let’s start with orcs.
Orcs are commonly encountered in dungeons and several different Clans of orcs have settlents in the regions around Lost Angels. They are physically one of the largest and most powerful dungeon races, with adults ranging from seven to eight feet in height and commonly weighing from 300 to over 400 pounds. You can always identify an orc by their green skin, heavy features, height, and powerfully muscular build. Their shoulders are also much broader in proportion to their height than a human’s.
In dungeons, the majority of orcs favor lee weapons, often wielding what would be a two-handed weapon for a human in a single aty paw. Be very cautious about engaging them hand-to-hand, for their huge muscles an that they can overpower most other races at a similar Level.
- Bonnie, Level 41 Beastmaster, Bonnie’s Bestiary
We found Wolf and the other instructors at the range, and they led us over to one of the outdoor training areas, not far from the hall where the lee group was. It was on the opposite side of the path from the shooting range. There was one huge ring, perhaps two hundred feet across, which had been sunk into the ground at least twenty feet deep, and a pair of smaller ones maybe a hundred feet wide and a bit shallower.
In addition, there were four more ‘small’ ones, maybe fifty feet from wall to wall and perhaps ten feet deep. The bottom of each pit was covered in sand, and the walls were smooth stone. The larger pits had a pair of narrow staircases on opposite sides, with a single one for each of the four smallest.
“These,” Wolf said grandly, gesturing to the circles, “are our fighting pits. The walls are reinforced enough to shrug off anything you can hit them with, so don’t worry about that.
“I’m sure most of you are wondering just how we handle sparring with ranged weapons and Spells. After all, the atheads in there,” he pointed at the training hall, “can just grab a blunted weapon and smash away. For the most part. But you can’t blunt a firebolt, so what do we do?”
He held out his hand and what looked like a leather strap appeared in it. It was dyed two different colors, red along one half, and green on the other. He held it up to his neck, with the red strip on the top and the green on the bottom. I noticed that there was a mana crystal embedded in the red part, significantly larger than the ones we’d found in the dungeon.
“This is a training collar. These little fuckers are expensive, so you’re only allowed to use them under supervision and you’ll return them to your instructor after each fight. It’s enchanted with multiple protection Spells. The red part projects a full shield to protect your head and neck. The red color also ans ‘don’t shoot’ – you are not to ever intentionally aim at another student’s head, during training or duels.
“Accidents happen, and many Skills and Spells have a blast radius. That’s why you need this shield in the first place. It’s up to the instructors to determine if a head shot was accidental or intentional, and their judgent is final. Punishnt for intentional headshots is imdiate demotion to the basic track for the first offense, and expulsion for the second.
“This applies to everyone, recruits and trainees both. If you hit soone in the body with a fireball, and it explodes up into their face, that’s fine. If you’re aiming for their chest, and they duck into it, that’s fine. But if you’re aiming at their head when you shoot, you lose the match and a whole lot more. Am I clear?”
We all nodded nervously.
“Good. The sa rule applies to lee and mixed matches, by the way. Rember, even Revive has limits. Destroying the brain makes it much more difficult to bring soone back.”
I shuddered at the idea of dying, even for a few seconds. I knew that high-Tier Healers could revive soone who’d been recently killed. What little I knew about it was that it wasn’t easy, or pleasant – for either person.
“The green side of this collar projects a special shield. It’s designed to only block a portion of incoming damage. So there’s a lot less chance of an accidental fatality, but anything that gets through your barrier will still hurt. With this on, you don’t stop just because you see your partner’s barrier shatter. You go until the instructor calls ‘break’, and then you stop instantly. INSTANTLY!” he finished with a shout.
“Aside from what I’ve just told you, the other rules are set by the instructor supervising the match. You NEVER get in the ring without an instructor and a Healer present!”
He seed to be finished when one of the other instructors whispered sothing that I didn’t catch and Wolf nodded.
“I almost forgot – there is NO SURRENDERING in the ring! I don’t give a shit if your partner can counter your Skills, or they’re just way fucking better than you are! You get in there and you give it your Wasted best, and the Healer will patch you up afterwards. Monsters don’t fucking know what a white flag is, so from now on, neither do you! This will HURT, and you will pick yourself up afterwards and keep going. Can’t handle it? You can always walk out of the gate and call it quits!”
“What… what happens if we run out of mana?” asked a clearly nervous Alyssa.
“What happens in a real fight?!” Wolf countered. “You either spend your last points and pass out, or you start whacking your opponent with that staff of yours! There’s a reason why everyone here is required to take lee fighting classes! Now, if you need a backup weapon, step up and ask – we are fighting with real edges today, since your Spells and arrows aren’t blunted either. Anyone?”
This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.
A few people requested knives or swords, and one of the instructors disappeared into the armory, returned, and started handing them out. I strapped my shortsword to my thigh and tested the draw. My heart was racing with excitent.
I should probably be scared, but really, I can’t wait to try this out. It’s going to be aweso! As long as I win, obviously.
“First match – Azure and Jayce! Get over here!”
I projected as much confidence as I could even as I cursed on the inside. Shit, I had to get soone good for the first round… I was hoping for maybe that other Earth Mage or sothing. This could be rough.
Wolf put the collar on and it tightened to a mostly-comfortable fit. I felt a pressure around as it activated, then I was climbing down the stairs into one of the middle-sized pits. Jayce moved to the other side and everyone else crowded around the sides to watch. The sand was fairly firm, but it wasn’t going to be the best footing, so I was going to have to be careful. At least it would hurt a lot less to fall on than bare rock.
I summoned my gun and held it at the ready as Jayce took their position opposite . Wolf had us each stand about ten feet from the wall behind us, so we were probably around eighty feet apart. I had my standard ammo loaded and the choke on full. I had considered infusing Force or Fire, but I really wanted to keep so tricks to myself in case I needed them later.
“BEGIN!” Wolf roared, and Jayce’s scepter snapped up to point at . I sent my gun into my Inventory and dived out of the way, rolling onto my knees as a Sonic Bolt blasted through the air where I’d been standing. My gun flashed back into my hands, and I pulled the trigger.
BOOM!click-clickBOOM!
I aid at their exposed tal arm, since their flesh one was holding their shield and I wasn’t sure if my pellets could penetrate that. I was sure I’d scored hits, as I saw a green flare envelope them montarily. I exploded into a sprint at an angle towards the cyborg.
whomp!
Their Spell cracked past , and I felt my barrier take the glancing hit easily. Apparently they’d decided to stay in one place and try to tank my shots, maybe believing that their shield would protect them. I sent my next shot low, crashing into their shins, and then vanished my gun again as I dove into another roll. This ti Jayce anticipated , and their next Spell caught in the chest just as I ca up to shoot.
WHOMP!
The sound was incredibly loud when it hit, even louder than when I fired my gun. It briefly disoriented , despite my barrier taking the blow. Instead of shooting I rolled to the side, getting my balance and springing back to my feet. I could feel how much stronger and quicker I was since I’d gotten all those bonus Stats at Level 5, and my speed surprised Jayce because I was just ahead of their next bolt.
I summoned my gun and aid at their legs again, but they surprised by dropping into a crouch. Hiding behind their shield, only their head was really exposed. It would have been a terrible defensive position in a real fight, but since I couldn’t aim at their head, it was actually kind of brilliant.
Fuck it, I’m going to try to win this! Let’s see what happens…
I charged at an angle, then dodged back the other direction as another Spell shot past . I had closed half of the distance to them. I was only vaguely aware of the people watching, my focus solely on the cyborg trying to blast from behind their shield. I ate their next Spell to the chest, and stumbled into a dive, landing hard on my belly. I barely managed to store my gun before I hit.
My ears were ringing as I desperately rolled to my right, sand exploding next to , then I was scrambling back to my feet, still moving forward. Twenty-five feet to go, and my barrier was barely hanging on. I thought I could take one more hit, but the Spell I expected didn’t co. I made it one step, two, and then I realized what was happening and pushed off hard at an angle as I Quick Stepped.
My dodge was barely in ti as their Skill-enhanced Spell just clipped . The noise was indescribable and I was pretty sure my ears were going to need healing. I stumbled, falling forward from my montum. I landed on my hands and grabbed two fistfuls of sand, driving forward and flinging both towards their face. They flinched, coughing, and I crashed into their shield, driving them back onto the ground and landing on top of them.
Their shield went flying as they flung off with surprising force, but now they were exposed and I was only a half dozen feet away. I snatched my gun out of my Inventory, my weapon appearing pointed at their belly.
boom!-WHOMP!-boom
My barrier and eardrums shattered, but my first shot had taken their barrier out as well and my second shot blasted through, catching them in the gap below their breastplate and above any thigh armor they might be wearing under their robes. I saw their face contort in pain even as I racked another shell into my gun. I could feel blood trickling out of my ears and I couldn’t hear anything as I aid and pulled the trigger.
Sothing crashed into the sand between us, and my shot flashed off a barrier. Then my gun was knocked clean out of my hands and I realized dazedly that Wolf was grabbing by the shoulders. His mouth was moving but I couldn’t hear what he was saying. He frowned, then gently pushed down to sit on the sandy ground.
My heart was still pounding as I watched the Healer tend to Jayce for perhaps a minute before coming over to . I felt her Spell rush through and suddenly my sense of hearing was working again. The excited shouts of the other students sent a sudden spike of pain through my head. I must have cried out, because the Healer frowned and did sothing else, and the pain subsided. I climbed slowly back to my feet as Wolf and the Healer exchanged a few words.
“The winner is Azure!” Wolf announced, and I could hear my friends cheering on. I managed to wave at them, though my head was still aching. She left the pain at first, I realized belatedly, then must have partially numbed it.
I looked at Jayce, and from the pained expression on their face – at least the flesh half of it – and the way they were gently massaging their upper thigh, I assud they were still feeling the phantom pain of the wound I’d given them.
I extended my hand towards them and shook their tal one. It was warm to the touch but hard, and I wondered what it felt like for them.
“Good fight,” I said, and they nodded. We both trudged off towards the set of stairs I’d co down, and Wolf had to stop to hand my gun back. I pushed mana into it, cleaning off the sand and fixing up so damage, then stored it away. My heart was barely starting to slow down as I reached the top of the stairs and found my friends waiting for with wide grins.
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