Chapter 25: 25. Felons vs. Fellows

Blinding light broke the shroud of darkness, and Alistair found himself in a compact white room lit by a luminescent ceiling and walls. The clean, evenly spaced square panels gave off a futuristic atmosphere, and on either side of the space, there were two benches.

Alistair stood up, drawing the attention of the others in the room. He immediately knew he was somewhere far from home after looking at his companions. There were around twenty people in his vicinity, though around half stretched the definition of a person. Alistair spotted what could have been cousins to the Bloodsun Orcs, along with reptilian humanoids, and even a duo that could have passed for elves straight out of fantasy.

He was tempted to use [Eyes of Truth] to find out more about them, but he remembered Anthony’s claim that it was bad manners in the greater Empire. Still, his [Fighter’s Instinct] and general aura sense screamed danger.

“Hey, what’s going on here?” he asked the man sitting closest to him, a human with a long black beard and a long ponytail.

“I do not comprehend your question,” he responded without a trace of emotion.

“Felons vs. Fellows? What is that? I assume we’re not on FX-14752 anymore,” Alistair said, using the Final Frontier Empire’s name for Earth.

“Ah, you are from the planet the Meloi scion attacked. That makes sense. There aren’t many Mana-less planets left in this universe. It’s good that you didn’t inspect anyone. That might have turned ugly,” he said. “You may call me Latez Cancifor. For your question, dozens of planets across the universe are initiated into the Final Frontier Empire every day. In fact, my planet, ZX-19001, applied for membership nearly three thousand years ago. Felons vs. Fellows takes the cream of the crop of the new initiates and pits them against suppressed versions of criminals in the Empire.”

Alistair had already gathered that StreamCast was some kind of cultivator TV service, but he was surprised by Latez’s mention of his planet.

“Your planet applied for membership?”

“Of course. Being a part of the Final Frontier Empire is the greatest honor a planet or civilization can ever know. Despite the vastness of the Empire, it only covers around 25% of the total inhabited star systems in this universe. Applications are extremely competitive. Which is, of course, why you’re in grave danger,” Latez said.

“Excuse me?” Alistair asked.

“What happened to your system is a universal hot topic. Getting initiated as a Premium Tier Beginner world is doing you no favors. Usually, that status is reserved for the personal pet projects of the richest clans and corporations in the Empire. Those initiates have the protection of their wealthy and powerful benefactors. You’re going to be targeted since you have nothing.”

“That doesn’t seem fair, Alistair complained. “We had no idea what Mana or the Dao was a week ago.”

“A week?” Latex asked, taken aback. “How precocious. What is your name, Earthling?”

“Alistair Tan.”

“Well met, Alistair. May fortune favor you in the battles to come. We have arrived now.”

The floor beneath them opened up like a door, revealing dirt ground. A man wearing paper armor walked in, radiating power far beyond the initiates.

“Jump,” he said.

Not waiting for another second, Alistair sprung out of what could only be some kind of cultivator spaceship and landed ten meters down on crumbling dirt. With his stats, such a leap was a walk in the park.

Nothing could prepare him for the sight that awaited him in the arena.

It was like a football stadium, except ten times larger, filled to the brim with hundreds of thousands of spectators. Despite its size, it looked more like an expanded Roman coliseum than a modern arena, with traditional balustrades and decks of stone benches. The crowd cheered at the newcomers’ arrival, their cacophony louder than the noisiest concerts back on Earth.

“Ladies and gentlemen, get ready for the first round of this season of Felons vs. Fellows! The 10,173rd series of the smash StreamCast hit will be the most exciting ever, with a diverse mix of newly initiated worlds! How will the inhabitants of the planet Atavius Meloi attacked fare against the Karati marauders? Or what about the mysterious Chaos planet against the Ambegrit Kingdom? All the craziest matchups you’ve ever wanted, and just for a 100 Gold drachma a month subscription. Differing rates may apply depending on your universal location. Please see your local provider for more info.” a man said as he descended from the sky.

The announcer was handsome, dressed in ornate jade and gold robes that draped down past his feet. He landed right beside Alistair, smiling at him.

“Right here we have a contestant from FX-14752. Tell me, how are you feeling about your participation in our program?”

“Okay, I guess,” Alistair said, not sure of what to say. He was becoming confused about how he could understand what everyone was saying. They weren’t speaking English, were they?

“Okay is better than bad! Good luck with the upcoming challenge! Is everyone ready for the games to begin?” he shouted.

The crowd roared at the man’s announcement, the sounds threatening to break Alistair’s eardrums.

“No one likes someone who doesn’t play well with others. That’s why the first round will be a group effort from all twenty contestants here against Kellus Bratevalla, the Devourer of Worlds. Kellus was responsible for the death of nearly 100 billion sophonts and evaded capture for nearly one hundred thousand years. Of course, he has been suppressed to the power of a level 30.”

Boos echoed at the announcement of the identity of the felon. Perhaps there were some present from the worlds Kellus had devoured.

“If Kellus can defeat all twenty of this first batch of Prime Initiates, he will be moved from his current solitary confinement into the Luxury Spire on Breon,” the announcer said, to a constellation of jeers from the crowd. “You heard it here contestants, along with being eliminated from the program and missing out on some enormous rewards, you will receive the eternal consternation of the public for allowing such an infamous criminal a more comfortable prison.”

Alistair thought it was a bit suspect they would be blamed for that when it was the program who set up the situation, but he supposed that was how it always worked. The system created the problem, and ordinary people paid the price.

The entire building started rumbling, and Alistair spied movement at the other end of the coliseum. Two gigantic guards carried out a short man in translucent handcuffs out of the opposite tunnel. Even from afar, Alistair could feel the strength of the man’s aura.

“You may proceed however you see fit. Just remember, teamwork makes the dream work!” The announcer leaped away, running on air up to a booth at the top of the stadium.

With his enhanced vision, Alistair could see Kellus being set free from his handcuffs from hundreds of meters away. After the two guards freed him from his links, they retreated into the darkness of the tunnel. If his eyes weren’t failing him, Kellus had a wide grin on his face.

A lizardwoman in their group started charging before the announcer had even finished his words. At least, Alistair assumed it was a female member of that species. With their reptilian faces, it was difficult to tell.

Deciding that the lizardwoman wouldn’t turn back after running around fifty meters, Alistair activated [Eyes of Truth]. It couldn’t hurt to scout out his competition.

Name: Rai’kuza eo Lorkek
Species: Hatched Lizardfolk (Partially Evolved)
Level: 25
Class: Privateer [Primary Attributes: Strength and Agility]

She was the same level as him, something Alistair wasn’t sure to make of. He was just inside rank 1000 on Earth, which wasn’t the most impressive placement. Assuming the other contestants were relatively stronger on their planet, did that mean that Earth’s overall strength was better than other newly initiated planets? That aligned with their Premium status, something Latez said everyone else coveted.

Rai’kuza made it three-quarters of the way to Kellus before meeting her doom. Based on her speed, Alistair judged her to have around 75% of his Agility, which wasn’t enough to save her from the columns of earth. A spike of rock erupted out of the ground beneath her, impaling the lizardwoman in a single death blow. The crowd exploded at the sight of the first blood of the show.

Kellus acted like he was just going for a stroll in the park, walking toward the remaining contestants at a leisurely pace.

“We need to have a game plan,” said a human of the group, a tall, muscular blonde man. “Kellus’s exact Class is unknown, but it’s some evolution of Geomancer. His defenses are pristine, but his mobility is lacking. If we can break through his shield, we should be able to win, with his power limited to level 30.”

“Who put you in charge, pretty boy?” asked one of the red orcs.

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“Watch who you speak to, orc,” said the man’s female companion. “This is Lord Kevan Macadeen, fourteenth son of Count Macadeen, steward of the eighth province of the Disputed Shard.”

“I’m supposed to know who that is? Why would an orc know about some petty lordling?” the orc sneered.

“It’s fine, Larsa. Leave them to their own devices,” Kevan said. He turned to Latez and Alistair, who were the only other humans besides him and his small retinue. “What say you?”

“The announcer did say teamwork was important, so why not?” Alistair said.

“Gratitude to the master, if I may join,” Latez said.

“Great,” Kevan replied. “The more people under my command, the stronger we grow as a unit with my [Natural Command] Skill.”

He grasped Alistair and Latez by the shoulder, sending a rush of golden energy into them. Alistair immediately felt his muscles and bones strengthen, and a wave of adrenaline surged over him. Checking his stats, he noticed sizeable increases, probably from a combination of his own “Good Samaritan” percentage bonus when fighting evildoers and Kevan’s boosting Skill.

“We have little time to prepare,” Kevan said. “He’s almost within range.”

The whole time they were talking, the Devourer of Worlds grew closer, step by step. He hadn’t picked up his pace at all, still inching forward without a care in the world. The orcs, remaining lizardfolk, and elves were all in their own groups, not willing to make the first move after Rai’kuza’s death.

“For an experienced Geomancer of his level, his outer range for geomantic manipulations should be 70-80 meters, so we have around another minute before we’re in the danger zone,” explained Larsa. “On top of that, we have his Bloodline cultivation to worry about, though it should be limited by the level suppression.”

Before Alistair could even ask, Kevan butted in like he knew what he was about to say. “He absorbed the body and soul of a Chaosbeast aeons ago, making him extremely difficult to neutralize with conventional methods. His Dao Inspiration should be many times stronger than ours, making him extremely resilient to ordinary attacks.”

“What are your specialties?” asked a heavily armored knight, who was never more than a foot apart from Kevan.

“I’m a barefisted fighter,” Alistair said. “But I might have a solution for Kellus’s defense.”

“I’m a Magus.” Latez spoke only three words, but the party of humans seemed to recognize the meaning behind them.

“Perfect.” Kevan motioned for his bodyguards to get into position, two warriors dressed head-to-toe in plate armor. “Ready!”

Larsa stood behind them, flanked by two archers carrying massive compound bows similar to the one Blaise used. Kevan raised a hand, summoning a three-meter spear made of glowing light.

“Magus, you’re on ranged control duty. Don’t let Kellus move unimpeded. Pugilist, I want you swarming him, waiting for your opportunity to strike. Don’t worry, it will come. The archers will offer more ranged control, with Larsa as a coordinator, and me being the tank,” he said. Finally, Kellus started picking up the pace, gliding along the ground like it was a skating rink. “Now!”

Alistair could feel that spires of earth would explode beneath him well before it happened, but it seemed like most of the others didn’t get the memo. He didn’t know if it was because of his [Fighter’s Instinct] or something Kevan did to him, but he jumped forward, dodging the columns of earth flying out from the ground. Nearly half of the nineteen remaining contestants died from the initial attack, leaving just the group of humans and a few stragglers of the other species.

Larsa and the archers jumped back, out of Kellus’s range, while Kevan and his two bodyguards charged forward. A golden sphere formed around the trio, shattering any column that attempted to strike them.

The human Magus soared into the air to dodge the spires, never coming back down. He flew into the open skies, ascending thirty meters into the air. From his vantage point, he began firing fireballs and bolts of lightning at the advancing criminal. Alistair was a little jealous of Latez, remembering his previous desire to be a wizard. Still, he couldn’t complain about his current path. With his current buffs, he had 150 Agility, more than Alexandra’s Strength without her [Barbarian’s Rage]. In other words, he was fast.

The world became a blur around him as he easily dodged twisting tendrils of rock and earthen spikes that followed him at every corner. With his reaction speed dialed up to eleven and his honed instincts, those threats were laughably slow.

Despite his speed, he didn’t lack awareness, and he started to feel a strange presence surrounding him. His [Ghost Whispers] passive was going haywire from the sheer volume of spiritual pressure he detected. If he looked closely, it was like he could see the angry souls of those who died in the arena, all focusing their attention on him, wishing either to drag him to hell with them or for him to succeed where they had failed.

When he bounced off a pillar to prepare a [Mana Strike] in his right leg, he saw whispers of translucent ghostly energy forming around his body before the blue cloak of his Skill even appeared.

With alarming velocity, he [Dashed] at Kellus, closing a fifty-meter gap in less than a second. As his foot prepared to meet the short man’s face, Alistair was confident he would end the fight in a single blow.

Up became down and left became right as Alistair felt reality stretch around him. His kick should have connected straight with Kellus’s jaw, but it struck empty air instead, Alistair’s opponent appearing behind him as if he was always there. It reminded him of Kalgur’s dimensional shifting, but it felt like an even more fundamental violation of causality.

It was like he actually did kick Kellus, who then voided that path of Fate, letting the branch that had him ten meters in front of his previous position take effect instead.

Alistair smiled. If his [Hand of Karma] had one use, it was to sever Fate. Kellus didn’t get any relief, Latez and the archers bombarding him from afar with arrows, fireballs, and bolts of lightning. He calmly waved his hand, blocking the attacks with walls of earth, but at least it diverted him from attacking.

That gave Kevan and his knights enough time to join the fray. Alistair could barely believe his eyes. A fifteen-meter-tall avatar of golden energy charged at Kellus, with each of its three heads containing one of the nobleman and his bodyguards. Kevan led the charge in the central head, with his movements dictating how the entire avatar moved. The spectral being wielded four swords in each of its arms, slashing waves of energy at its target, who remained stationary as he shielded himself.

Despite his lack of vision, Kellus could still detect the incoming discs of energy, crashing stone blocks into the attacks in earth-shaking explosions. The non-human contestants had their turn as well, the duo of elves loosing two schoolbus-sized chimeras, while the orcs fired futuristic laser guns.

The avatar continuously marched forward, its slashes growing in power the closer it came to Kellus. Latez rotated his arms, congealing a rotating tornado of fire which he unleashed on the Geomancer. Kellus summoned a wall of crystal in a surge of energy that pushed Alistair away several feet, and the impervious shield absorbed all of their attacks.

“Kevan is unleashing his most powerful Skill,” Larsa said, her voice beaming into Alistair’s head. “Your opportunity is coming.”

He spotted the avatar growing even taller in the distance, rising to above twenty meters. Alistair wondered how he would deal with a Skill like that. Very large creatures were luckily a problem he didn’t have to contend with yet.

The avatar clasped all four of its hands together above its head, gathering immense energy. Even the colors of the world seemed like they were getting drained, vibrant hues desaturating and growing muted. After a couple of seconds of charging up, it fired a beam of rainbow energy.

Kellus was ready for the rainbow beam, conjuring an even larger aegis of crystal to intercept the beam, but it left his rear open. Alistair activated [Dash], moving faster than the wind with his enhanced Agility. Crystal started forming around Kellus’s back, but Alistair was even faster, crashing through the nascent lattice with a [Mana Strike] aided by both his [Ghost Whispers] and the momentum of his Terragen Wraps.

Kellus recognized the danger behind him and Alistair felt the same alteration of Fate, but this time, he was ready. With his free hand, he prepared a [Hand of Karma], the familiar red energy wrapping around his fist. He tried grabbing Kellus, only to realize the foolishness of his mistake.

The power of Kellus’s Fate-warding Skill was far, far stronger than Alistair’s meager [Hand of Karma]. The moment he connected with the shadow form of the felon, he knew it would overpower him in less than a second. So, Alistair did the only thing he thought might help: pour more Karma into his Skill.

The pain was indescribably torturous. His best approximation was all the hope and love in the universe vanishing into a pit of hopeless despair. Every drop of Karma he had, he poured into his [Hand of Karma], until it glowed as bright as a miniature sun with crimson light. He grabbed Kellus by the throat, finally connecting with the scrawny man’s body. Alistair spotted tendrils of alternate Fate’s leaking out from his outline, his form constantly showing afterimages of possible paths. Alistair’s Karmic energy barely held him in one place, and he knew it would not last for long. But it was just enough for him to strike.

While he held up Kellus with his burning left hand, with his right hand he activated [Mana Strike], spearing the man right through his throat. Blood started pooling down from Kellus’s throat, and Alistair felt the man choke and go limp.

Level up! You are now level 26. +2 Agility, +2 Intelligence, +2 Charisma, +2 free Attribute points, +15 Upgrade Points.

His adrenaline was so high he barely noticed the fact crystal spikes impaled his legs and torso. Alistair also didn’t notice that the crowd had gone almost completely silent. He was just happy he had his first major fight in which he didn’t collapse into unconsciousness after. He opened his Status Screen, ready to allocate his new points.

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