Chapter 21

  As I observed the arena, I was able to see that it was an octagon shaped ring with a large cage made of thick vertical iron bars surrounding its perimeter. The cage further encapsulated the fighting arena when different sections, that were layered like bricks, continued to climb upwards towards a focal point over the center of the arena creating a dome of metal over the arena.

  On the inside of the iron cage were two battling participants. A male mage who was conjuring lightning bolts and then casting them at his opponent and a dwarf who was dodging the lightning blasts while swinging a massive war hammer at the mage.

  Off to one side of arena was a rack of various weapons that one could choose from to employ in their duel and seeing as the dwarf was just using the giant war hammer, he was swinging around, my guess was he was too stubborn or proud to pick up any other weapon during the fight.

  On the exterior of the cage was a man, seemingly the judge of the arena, watching the two battlers intently. What caught my attention the most was the runes that were inscribed all along the perimeter of the iron cage.

  Adam, calling upon his knowledge of runes from the past few weeks, began to explain to me that the runes imbued a barrier into the metal bars of the cage that prevented any physical or magical attacks from escaping. It also prevented any outside force from interfering once the barrier was activated. Lastly, the barrier was further fortified with the condition that it could not be deactivated until one of the participants had lost the duel.

  Surrendering was not an option.

  Once you were in the arena the only way out was to see the fight through to the finish. That was a nasty condition, but based on the proprietor and who likely attended this spectacle, it probably helped generate business for the arena with its high stakes.

  It was not long before the duel ended when the dwarf found an opening between the male mages spell casts and then slammed the mage on his left side with the massive war hammer. The mage seemed to fold around the hammer before they were sent flying across the arena, slammed against the cage with a ringing crash, and then fell against the floor of the arena completely still.

  The crowd roared in approval of the victor as the dwarf raised their war hammer high over their head with one hand. I noticed that some in the crowd were not so happy, my guess was they had placed a bet on the mage who had lost.

  As the barrier around the arena was deactivated Cain turned around and looked at me, “Welcome to the Shadow Arena, what do you think?”

  “Can’t say I am a fan of the barrier deactivation condition, but for some I guess it enhances the entertainment.” I kept my voice neutral as I gave my opinion.

  For the first time Cain showed a bit of surprise at my words as he responded, “Oh… you noticed that little detail. While it is harsh, those who find their way here come to expect that sort of stipulation. And you are correct that the audience enjoys the heightened danger and the increased odds it has on placed bets.”

  Wanting to get right to the point of our journey here I said, “I am guessing that the reason you inquired about my skill and led me to your ‘Shadow Arena’ is because one of the ‘factors’ you mentioned, as a condition for viewing the spell diagram, is for me to prove myself in the arena against an opponent of your choosing.”

  Cain gave a devilish grin as he replied, “I am really starting to like you. Both confident and perceptive. Two qualities I pride myself on.”

  Cain then placed his arms behind his back before saying. “Your assumption is on point. I want you to have a single duel in the arena and if you win, then we can continue our talks regarding the spell diagram. I just want a little demonstration of your combat prowess.”

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  Even though I was wearing a mask, I breathed a heavy sigh that was clearly heard by Cain. “Alright… but this better not be a con. I hope you are honorable enough to hold to your word that after I prove myself, we can continue to talk about the terms of my viewing the spell diagram.”

  “You wound me Mr. Phantom Mask.” Cain said while placing a hand over his heart. “I may run several criminal enterprises, but I am nothing if not bound by my honor to engage in fair dealings. It is how I have so many willing to do business with me.” The expression on Cain’s face did not make me doubt his words as he showed complete confidence in what he was proclaiming.

  “Who will I be fighting and when?” I said in response.

  “You will compete in the duel after the next one. This way we can get some proper bets made and so you and your opponent have a chance to prepare yourself. As for whom, I think I will keep that a surprise for now, but I will tell you that they utilize a spear and magic to fight.” Cain answered.

  “Roderick here will show you to the VIP fighter lounge to wait so you are not disturbed by the other participants tonight.” The giant of a man then approached me and began to lead me down a flight of stairs before opening a door in the corridor we had entered.

  Roderick gestured for me to enter and as I walked into the room he closed the door behind me. I heard no click of a lock engaging so that was a good sign as to my treatment in the Shadow Arena. The room may have been for a VIP, but it was sparsely decorated.

  There was a single couch pushed up against the left side of the wall with a coffee table in front of it. Against the wall facing the door into the room was a table set up with a small assortment of fruits, cheeses, meats, and a couple loafs of bread. The only drink available was a pitcher of water. I guess they did not want their fighters to get drunk before a duel.

  Still not fully trusting my surroundings I did not partake in any of the proffered treats and instead chose to sit on the couch and wait for my duel to start. Once I was seated, Adam decided to ask a question of me.

  “Hey Callum, do you have a plan on how to win this duel because when it comes to ‘actual’ combat against a person, I’m afraid I have no experience. The best I can offer is my experience against fighting other people through a computer screen and I don’t think that will translate well to this duel.”

  From what Adam had told me about his world that made sense, but, thankfully, as part of father’s training, father had told me the strengths and weaknesses of various weapons.

  “Our opponent is a spear user, so they will foremost want to keep me at a distance where they hold the advantage. If I can close the distance, then there is a chance that my sword will be able to decide the duel.”

  “However, if our opponent is a decent spearman then they will have also trained on how to use the shaft of their spear as a guard against close combat. All this is to say nothing of the type of magic they will employ during the duel.”

  “The magic our opponent practices could be utilized so that they always maintain the distance between us. Thus, the best chance you and I have of winning this match is for you to use your Scholar’s Eye skill as soon as our opponent is visible. The sooner we know what we are facing, the better we can design a counter strategy to our opponents’ strengths.”

  After my explanation of how Adam and I should go about preparing for the duel, Adam went silent for a period. I had observed this behavior enough to know that he was thinking carefully about everything I had said and was trying to envision how he could contribute to our strategy.

  “You do realize that besides the advantage our opponent will have in terms of reach and magic, you will already be going into this duel with a handicap.” Adam eventually stated. His statement confused me as I tried to piece together what he could mean by that. And the answer Adam supplied made me feel like an idiot.

  “Because you can’t let anyone know about your soul-based skills, the only skill you will be able to use in the duel is Soul Diviner. In other words, you will only be able to rely on the sword techniques and combat forms your father taught you while I try and hamper our opponent with my spells to create an opening for you.”

  Adam’s observation was absolutely right.

  Other than my Soul Diviner skill, when all my other skills were activated, they glowed with a slivery-white shine. No other skills on Kaneon glowed like that and if I used them then people would catch on that something was different about me and start asking questions.

  Something I could not have happen.

  Especially, if those questions were being asked by the criminal underground.

  Before I could reply to Adam’s observations, a series of knocks came from the door to VIP room before it opened. A man entered and said that it was time for my match and gestured for me to follow him out. Rising from the couch I followed behind him while saying in my head, “Okay Adam, you and I had better get ready because our first true battle as a team is about to take place.”

  “Let’s go out there and dominate partner.” Was Adam’s only answer as he spoke with confidence.