I watched in clear fascination as a sheen of metal rolled over Alex's skin, covering him from head to toe. Even his eyeballs were covered by the skill, and a part of me briefly wondered why he'd called out the name of his skill. Seemed like an odd choice. The other part was wondering if that was at all comfortable for him. It seemed like it wouldn't be comfortable from the outside looking in, but then it was his own Skill. I had to imagine it was similar to how it felt when I changed to my spider form; it was different, but not uncomfortable.

  “Now that looks impressive.” I grinned at Alex.

  Alex flexed his metallic fingers, a slight scraping sound accompanying the movement. "Feels impressive too," he said, his voice carrying a slight metallic ting. I snorted when he spoke; even the inside of his mouth looked metallic.

  "No more worrying about your little pointy." He said, grinning, charging at me, not bothering to raise his shield for defence this time. I had to admit it seemed like this might be a problem. Then again, I hadn't used the full measure of my Strength stat yet; I might be able to brute force my way through his defensive skill. I side-stepped his charge, flipping my dagger around in my grip so I was holding it like an ice pick. I slammed the dagger down on the back of his shoulder with every ounce of strength I could muster in that moment. It was an awkward position, so I couldn't get my body behind it, but it was a good strike. Metal screeched, and Alex grunted, but I felt the tip of the dagger bite into flesh. It wasn't much, maybe an inch at most, but I'd gotten through his metal skin, and my dagger had delivered another dose of venom. I leapt back to avoid getting slammed by his shield, and I felt his blade whistle past my belly, leaving a shallow cut across my abdomen. I backed off further, watching Alex. He'd had four doses of venom so far and likely didn't have anything to mitigate it other than his defensive skill, which seemed like it was better at preventing the damage in the first place rather than dealing with ongoing effects. The fight was drawing to a close, Alex's shoulders were heaving, and he was breathing heavily; the venom was beginning to take a serious toll on the man.

  I watched his eyes; there was still a willingness there, a will to keep battling forward. I could respect that. It was time to bring this to an end, however. I signaled Vipera, who had gone largely ignored in this match as Alex and I duked it out. She whipped forward across the ground from Alex's blind side. In less than a second, she had him trapped the same way she'd caught Matt earlier. A quick reaction kept his shield arm free, but his blade arm was dragged down and trapped against his body. If it weren't for the venom coursing through his veins, he might have been able to pry her off of him. A moment later, Alex sagged to a knee, and his defensive skill faded, leaving pale, covered skin behind. He was not looking good.

  "I yield!" He grunted shakily, raising his shield arm above his head. Vipera released him immediately; instead of constricting, she moved to support him as he wobbled. Healers rushed out of the viewing area, mobbing Alex. I watched as several vials had their contents emptied down his throat, and he immediately started to look better. Two of the healer's hands began to glow with a soft golden light as they focused on treating Alex, who was being held up by Vipera. It took a few moments, but eventually Alex was standing on his own, looking much better than he had only moments before, and Vipera slithered back over to me, receiving another pat on the head for her hard work.

  "Good fight," Alex said, extending his hand towards me. I grasped it firmly, feeling the residual warmth from his defensive skill.

  "Not so bad yourself," I replied, genuinely impressed by his performance. "That defensive skill of yours is something else."

  Alex chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck. "Yeah, it's come in handy a few times. But that knife of yours... that thing is a nasty piece of work."

  I grinned, patting Vipera affectionately. "That's the nice version, just the dagger's. Not mine," I watched a shudder pass through Alex at the thought of how much worse the venom could have been. The adrenaline of the fight began to fade, and I felt the sting of the cut across my abdomen. It wasn't deep, but it was enough to remind me that I wasn't invincible. I placed a hand over the wound, applying gentle pressure.

  "You alright there?" Alex asked, noticing my discomfort.

  I nodded. "Just a scratch. You caught me with that wild swing."

  One of the healers who had treated Alex approached me, a young woman with her brown hair tied up in a messy bun. Her hands were still glowing faintly.

  "Let me take a look at that," she offered.

  "Better not to fight the healers; they get annoyed when you resist their tender care." Alex laughed. I shrugged, lifting the hem of my shirt to reveal the shallow slice. I wasn't bothered much by the scratch, but who was I to stop the young woman from doing her job? If I'd been wearing my [Totem of Regrowth] or had Vipera subsumed into my soul, it would have healed in a second or two. I felt a warmth wash over my belly, and the sting of the wound vanished.

  "All done." The young woman said, smiling brightly. "And thank you for warning us about the venom; it would have been much harder on us if we hadn't known to bring a few extra remedies with us." Then she headed back to the viewing room alongside the other healers and Alex, who still looked a little shaky but much better than before.

  Instead of stepping out of the room like he had before this time, Ed's voice sounded over an intercom of some sort.

  "Impressive performance, both of you," Ed's voice crackled through the speakers. "Aiden, your tactical use of venom and your familiar was particularly noteworthy. Alex, that defensive skill is quite the asset. Now, let's move on. You'll be facing Sofia next if you're ready?"

  "Yep, I'm ready whenever," I replied, watching the door to the viewing room. A moment later, Sofia stepped out, confidently crossing the training floor to stand before me for her turn to fight. Interestingly, she was carrying a gnarled staff with a bright red gem set into the top of it, covered by a lattice of the staff's dark wood. Her dark hair was pulled back into a tight ponytail. Her eyes, sharp and focused, scanned me from head to toe, assessing.

  "I hope you're ready for a different kind of challenge," she said, a hint of a smile playing at the corners of her mouth.

  I nodded, feeling a mixture of excitement and wariness. Alex had had some surprises for me, but I knew better than to underestimate my opponents. This was particularly true since I faced a woman with a staff that absolutely screamed, 'I am a wizard'. I had to assume she would have some spells, and probably the most overt displays of magic I'd seen so far. Fireballs were definitely not out of the question.

  "Always ready, never had a choice before," I replied, rolling my shoulders to loosen them up.

  Sofia's smile widened at my response. "Good," she said, twirling her staff with practiced ease. "Because I'm not going to hold back." I barely had time to blink before the red gem atop her staff flared to life, pulsing with an eerie crimson glow. The air around us suddenly felt charged, crackling with unseen energy. I instinctively dropped into a defensive stance, Vipera coiling protectively at my feet.

  "[Arcane Missiles]!" Sofia called out, her voice resonating with power. There was that calling out Skill names again.

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  Three glowing orbs of energy materialized around her, each one pulsing with the same red light as her staff. A flick of her wrist, and they shot towards me at blinding speed. I dove to the side, pulling Vipera back inside my soul, feeling the heat of the magical projectiles as they whizzed past my ear. A glance behind me revealed the orbs exploding against the concrete floor, smashing craters into the floor. Those orbs were dangerous; taking a hit from one of those would do some major damage.

  "Shit," I muttered, scrambling to my feet. This was definitely a different kind of fight.

  Sofia didn't give me time to catch my breath. Her staff was already moving in intricate patterns, leaving trails of light in its wake. "[Frost Wave]!" she incanted, slamming the butt of her staff into the ground. A wave of ice surged forward across the ground from her staff. Not good. Not good at all. I leapt again, this time pushing my stats and enhanced body for everything it could give, but not to the side. Instead, I leapt directly at Sofia. She would want to keep this fight at a distance if she could, hammering away at me with spells to wear me down, or until she could hit me with a big finisher. It was a sound strategy. I had to avoid playing into it. I was feeling the loss of my gear more keenly in this fight, my ring, necklace and gloves in particular. The boost to my durability and healing would probably have let me soak a hit or two, and the extra mobility my gloves offered would have been very helpful here. Oh well, such was life, I couldn't always have every advantage I was used to.

  —-

  "What do you think, Alex? I want your honest opinion." David said, breaking the silence in the viewing room. They'd all watched Aiden's familiar steamroll Matt like it was nothing. Alex had put up a solid fight, but in the end, he hadn't seemed to challenge Aiden much either. Alex was silent for several long moments as the group watched Aiden avoid Sofia's spells.

  "Honestly, Director," Alex said, "He's a monster. He's had no formal training with a weapon that much, I'm sure of. He runs completely on instinct, but those instincts are damn good." Alex let out a heavy sigh; his pride had suffered a bit of a beating in his bout with Aiden. "I don't think he's got a martial class. He doesn't seem to have any of the muscle memory that would come with it, but his physical stats are monstrous, even for his level. His Strength matches or maybe even exceeds my own, and his Dexterity is miles ahead of mine. None of that even touches on that familiar of his. It's deadly fast, stealthy as hell and strong too. If that glow on his dagger is anything to go by, I'd be willing to bet its bite is just as deadly as the dagger as well, and let me tell you that venom was no joke." The room was quiet as Alex made his assessment. "On top of all that, we're not using any gear, and he hasn't used any Skills yet that I noticed. He's a god damned monster. If I had to fight him for real, I'd want nothing less than two full squads, and even that might not be enough. I'd probably have to call in a couple of Rank 3's or a Rank 4." Alex's assessment was both sobering and chilling for the entire room, with two notable exceptions.

  Carl Wolfe was looking contemplative.

  Victor was grinning.

  The room turned away from Alex and back to the match playing out before them. Aiden was adjusting rapidly to Sofia's spells. His charge gambit was foiled by a glass-like barrier Sofia conjured in front of herself. He just readjusted and moved on to his next move. The room watched as he launched himself up using the barrier like a springboard.

  "Bad choice, can't dodge in the air," Ed muttered from where he was standing near the door. David wanted to agree with him, but what he'd seen of the young man so far didn't engender the idea of someone foolish enough to relinquish an advantage or accept a disadvantage without a goal or plan in mind. He was proven correct when Sofia launched a flurry of magical projectiles at her airborne opponent. Aiden's familiar reappeared under his feet. A shove sent them both out of the way in opposite directions, with his familiar on a collision course with Sofia.

  Sofia was forced to reveal one of her trump cards. She vanished, reappearing almost twenty feet away, standing on the grassy floor where Aiden's match with Alex had ended.

  —-

  I landed in a roll, coming up in a crouch as Vipera slithered back to my side before vanishing again. I didn't want to leave her out and exposed in a fight like this. I was sure she could avoid most of Sofia's spells with her speed and agility, but it would be a risk if Sofia had more AOE spells in her repertoire other than the ice wave she'd used earlier. Sofia's teleportation had caught me off guard, but I couldn't help but grin. This was exhilarating.

  "Impressive moves," Sofia called out, her staff glowing ominously. "But let's see how you handle this. [Arcane Barrage]!"

  The air around was filled with half a dozen glowing red sigils surrounded by strange line work, each pulsing with barely contained energy. My eyes widened as familiar red orbs formed before each floating sigil. That was concerning. Very concerning. Then the projectiles were launched.

  I didn't have time to think, only react. I pushed off the ground with all my strength, leaping high into the air once more. Below me, the arcane missiles exploded against the floor, leaving a patchwork of smoking craters. More projectiles were formed and launched at a rapid rate as Sofia moved her staff to point at me, the sigils rotating in the air to follow her aim. I twisted in the tucking into a ball as I did to reduce my profile and activate [Auric Armour]. The ghostly grey plates covered my body in an instant, and then the magical projectiles made contact. My world became a blur of motion and pain as I sailed through the air, smoking from the detonation of half a dozen of Sofia's magical projectiles. My [Auric Armour] had shattered, unable to withstand the attack, but it had shielded me from the worst of the damage. It still hurts like hell.

  I rolled to my feet, body aching from the magical explosions I’d been battered with. I saw the sigils charging up for another barrage. Nope, screw that noise, not doing that again. I fixed my gaze on Sofia and cocked my arm back. Then I hurled my dagger with all 58 points of my Bloodline enhanced Strength stat. The blade whistled through the air, spinning like a saw blade. Sofia managed to get her staff up in time, her eyes going wide before the blade slammed into her staff and tore it from her hands. I launched myself towards her with everything I had, re-summoning my [Auric Armour] as I did. I couldn't risk her having a close-range spell she could get off when I approached. If her other spells were anything to go by, something like that might actually put me down in one blow.

  Sofia rushed after her discarded staff. I could see the panic in her eyes, feeling the fluctuations in her aura. I tackled her from behind, bearing her to the ground under my weight and momentum. She fought like a hellcat, punching, kicking, and scratching. If it weren't for a well-placed plate of my [Auric Armour], I was sure I'd be limping a falsetto right now. This Latina was Feisty with a capital F. The fight was over in actuality, though. She didn't have the Strength or Endurance to grapple with me at all. In a moment, I had her hands pinned to the ground over her head while I straddled her hips.

  “Done?” I grunted.

  A heavy sigh escaped Sofia. "Yeah, I'm done, you win, you damn monster. Now get off me." She laughed. That was good. Hopeful she would get the idea of getting revenge on my softer parts once I let her up. I released her hands and pushed myself up to stand, offering her a hand up once I was vertical again. Sofia accepted my hand, allowing me to pull her to her feet. She brushed herself off, a wry smile on her face. "Well, that was certainly... enlightening," she said, running a hand through her dishevelled ponytail. "I haven't been manhandled like that in a fight for quite some time."

  I chuckled, feeling the ache in my muscles from the magical barrage I'd endured. "Trust me, it wasn't exactly a walk in the park on my end either. Those spells of yours pack quite a punch."

  Sofia's eyes gleamed with curiosity as she looked me over. "I have to say, I'm impressed. Most people can't even get close enough to me to force me to use my [Blink] when I'm casting, let alone disarm me the way you did. You're full of surprises, aren't you?"

  I shrugged, trying to play it cool despite the small mote of pride swelling in my chest. I was proud that I managed to beat the spell caster while remaining human. I'd done a lot of my fighting in my spider form, but these fights were rapidly solidifying the idea that I had become capable in my human form as well. Though there was still room for improvement.

  Sofia herself was a different issue. I didn't want shit on her; she was damn impressive. On the other hand, if I hadn't restricted myself to being just human, the fight would have been over in seconds, much like Matt's match. If she came up against a Monster that could overwhelm her with speed and power, she would be in serious trouble without the defences of a martial class. It wouldn't do her any good for me to give false praise or brush off the problems I saw.

  "I'll be honest with you, Sofia, you haven't seen even half of what I can do," I said with a small crooked smile. I really wasn't sure how the feisty Latina would take my criticism. "Your spells really are damn impressive, but you are very vulnerable as soon as someone gets close to you or takes away your weapon. You'll need to find a way to deal with that." I thought for a moment, her sigils stuck out in my mind. They brought runes to mind. Runes… Enchanting… Spells prepared in advance? That might work.

  “You could try attaching your spells to items like a pre-made spell, that would give you options if your staff is taken away.”

  Sofia's eyes widened slightly at my suggestion, a mixture of surprise and intrigue crossing her face. Thankfully, she seemed to take the criticism in stride. "Pre-made spells, huh?" she mused, tapping her chin thoughtfully. "That's... not a bad idea, actually. I've dabbled in enchanting, I've got a Skill for it, but I never considered using it for combat like that."

  I nodded, glad she was receptive to the feedback. "It could give you a backup plan, maybe even an advantage if you set it up right."

  "I'll definitely look into that," Sofia said, her eyes gleaming with new possibilities. "Thanks for the tip. And for the challenge - it's not often I get pushed to my limits like that, unless I’m sparring with Victor. Alex, Matt and Dave have a hard time dealing with me."

  "I can see why," I responded with a laugh as the healers reached us and began working their magic. Moments later, both of us were healed up and back in peak form. Though it took much less effort for Sofia, I'd been fairly gentle with her at the end, all things considered.

  Ed's voice crackled over the intercom again. "Excellent work, both of you. Aiden, your adaptability and quick thinking continue to impress. Sofia, your magical prowess is formidable as--" Ed's Voice was cut off by a shrieking siren that made my ears ring for a moment. Sofia and I looked at each other for a moment before rushing to the viewing room, followed swiftly by the healers.