- Oliver -
“Damn. you imagine how much force that girl used?” one of the nurses said. “Look at this! She made two holes right through the boy. I see my hand oher side.”
While Oliver was frozen and uo move, he was carried on a stretcher that floated a few meters above the ground. Both nurses were taking the boy to one of the treatment rooms.
The first nurse mao stick his entire arm through the boy's stomach.
“Cut it out, damn it,” the sed nurse excimed. “He's frozen in time, but that doesn't mean he 't feel or see what's happening.”
“Really?!” the first nurse asked. “So... how is he frozen in time?”
“No idea. It's a Boon from one of the Founders,” the sed nurse replied.
As they talked, the three arrived at one of the recovery rooms. It was very simir to the hospital where Oliver had stayed at the Academy, but this room wasn't just for him. A few other people were being treated at the same time.
“Doctor, we've got another ohe sed nurse informed. “This one has two punctures in the abdomen. Doesn't seem to he VAT; your ability should be enough.”
A woman wearing a b coat approached the boy oretcher.
“Hmm. This one seems quick. Part of the stomach is cerated, maybe part of the iihe doctor ented while the paralyzed boy.
'Stomach! Iihat girl wao kill me,' Oliver thought nervously.
“Alright. Let's try just with iions,” the doctor expined.
She removed the glove from one of her hands and began to palpate and feel Oliver's skin. Searg for the best pce to start, she found the spot just below the ter of his ribs.
The doctor then pulled her fiips back a few timeters before forcefully pushing them against the boy's skin. Oliver could feel her fiips pierg his skin aering his body.
‘What the hell is this?!’ the boy grew even more nervous; however, he soo his body numbing.
“Alright. Iing ahesia,” the doctor said. “Let's see. Iing rapid regeion cells.”
She tinued expining the steps she was taking to the two nurses.
“There's something strange about him. What's the patient's date of birth?” the doctor asked.
“Unknown,” one of the nurses replied.
“Nameless? Could he be some kind of NEA experiment?” the dourmured. “I sehat he has cells over a hundred years old.”
The two nurses shrugged. If he were some kind of experiment, they'd rather not know.
As soon as she finished enting, it was already possible to see the two holes closing due to the high regeion.
“Great, he responded well to the cells. I thought that because of his age, maybe I wouldn't be able to use all my power,” the doctor ented.
She removed her hand from ihe boy and walked to one of the sinks. While washing her hands, she gave the final instrus: “Do the bandages, and you release him.”
--
--
Outside the infirmary, Nico was leaning against one of the walls, waiting for the boy to be discharged.
“Aaah,” he sighed as he thought about everything that had happened i days.
'These have been some of the best days i years,' Nico thought with mencholy. He had even mao go aire week without drinking.
Since he'd left the squad, he'd been carrying guilt on his shoulders.
Before he could tinue reminisg about the past, the room's door opened. Oliver walked out slowly, examining the bandages on his stomach.
“I-I think I died,” the boy said in a low voice to Nico.
“That's the impression everyos when they go to the infirmary for the first time,” the man expined, a smile f as he saw the boy's .
“Everyone who has a critical injury is taken to the infirmary. The Trial Tower wouldn't survive if every time there was a fight, one or both fighters died,” Nico expined.
“Makes sense, but—” Oliver paused as he got used to walking. “It's really strange, being frozen in time and suddenly someone does something to you.” The boy shuddered at the memory of his experience.
“You get used to it,” Nico replied.
“What was the result?” Oliver asked. During his eime in the infirmary, he had been worried. He remembered defeating Helena but didn't know if it had been before or after he was eliminated.
“You came in sed,” Nico replied. “Both of you were elimi the same moment. However, she had eliminated more petitors than you.”
“Damn,” Oliver excimed.
'If only I'd elimiaser—' he started to think. 'Ah! But I wouldn't have been able to defeat Helena and Pollux together.'
“A week ago, would you have been able to beat who you faced today?” Nico asked.
“No ce. Especially without using a Ranger on,” Oliver replied without hesitation.
“Then you achieved what was most important when you decided to e here. You've advanced leagues ahead of many people who are at the Academy,” Niented.
“Yes.” Oliver ched his hands as he thought about how rich his experience had been, especially by fag all kinds of different oppos. “Thank you very muico. If—”
“Rex. You thaer my fight.” Nico patted the boy on the shoulder and began to pull him along.
The infirmary was on the first floor of the Trial Tower; they had to walk through corridors and distant rooms to return to the main hall.
Although there were no fights at the moment, the hall acked. All the elevators were crowded, and there were huge lines.
“What time is it?” Oliver asked.
“Hmm, there should be about thirty minutes left until my fight. Something like that,” Nico expined.
“B-but how I get to the fight? I only have access to the eleventh floor,” the boy asked.
“Don't worry. While you were rec, I bought a bettor's pass,” Niented. “Now you should have access to all the floors, as long as it's for betting.”
“Great.” Oliver was happy to know he could watch the fight until he remembered a critical detail Nico had expined. “Wait. Wait. Betting? But I don't have any money!”
“Now you do. You have the victories from the first to the ninth floor and sed p the Coliseum. Besides, I used part of those winnings to bet on you. So you should have some cash to access the other floors,” Nico expined.
Oliver raised his gauo look at his profile.
--
--
Status PageUser: Oliver [Nameless]Level: 3 [Pawn]Experience: [61/300]Credits: 7.200
StatsStrength: 7 [Pawn]Agility: 14 [Knight]stitution: 6 [Pawn]Energy: 14 [Knight]
BoonsInsight [Pawn][Growth][Use 200 Experience Points to Upgrade]
Observation [Pawn][Growth][Use 200 Experience Points to Upgrade]
Left Eye of Learning [Knight]
Right Eye of ■■■■■ [Knight][Evolve to Unlock]
SkillsRanger on Handling [Knight]
Ranger onEnergy Pistol
--
--
“Wow!” Oliver said upon seeing how much money was in his at. “H-how did I earn this much?!”
“I think I just expihat,” Nico replied. “Do you really think an illegal fight club would pay its fighters—or worse, its bettors—poorly?”
“I just didn't imagi would be this much. What's this? Almost a captain’s sary ihan a week,” Oliver ented.
“More or less,” the man remarked.
Oliver stood there, stunned by the amount of money he had received. At the same time, a weight lifted from his shoulders.
'If I 't bee a soldier, at least I won't have to go back to living oreets,' he smiled as he embraced his new reality.
“Let's go. Our elevator has arrived,” Nico called the boy to one of the elevators.
As soon as they entered, he pressed the seventy-first floor.
“Seventy-first?” Oliver asked.
“Yes, my st fight was in a coliseum. This time, it'll be just one-on-one,” Nico expined.
The elevator asded rapidly, floor by floor until it reached its destination.
A vast hall, much rger than the coliseum itself, appeared before them. Uhe floors below, there were no tables and chairs scattered around.
Although there was still a service area, the entire floor was like a stadium. Hundreds of bleacher-style seats faced the ter of the arena.
As soon as Nico stepped out of the elevator, hundreds of fshes started going off. Several reporters approached them without giving them space to exit the .
“Is this your pupil?”
“Are you prepared for today's fight?”
“When will you apologize for the i?”
“Why didn't you join any of the Houses?”
Oliver and Nico couldn't uand the questions as so maers were talking over each other. With microphones poi their faces, they tried to move away from the lobby.
Quickly, the two androids in the lobby began to separate the reporters from the fighters.
“Please step back; Mr. Nico wishes to pass,” they repeated in unison as they prevehe reporters from tinuing to bother them.
Nico didn't seem surprised by the press's behavior; the same couldn't be said for Oliver.
“You're famous?” the boy asked.
“Hmm. I think it's more like infamous.”
GCLopes
