There were two reasons why I had put down the bet. One, I didn't want to go to school again. Two, I had an idea as to how I could win.
"Are you ready?" [Vincent]
He readied his sword, its blade gleaming in the light.
"Wait. Can I use skills?" [Solace]
"...Ah. I see. You wanted to buff yourself to handle the blow." [Vincent]
Well the cat was out of the bag. That was indeed my plan.
"So… Is that a no, or…?" [Solace]
"Sure. I don't mind." [Vincent]
("Nice.") [Solace]
With permission to use skills, I checked my status.
"|Analyze|." [Solace]
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Name: Solace
Race: Forsaken Spirit
Gender: ???
Age: ???
Level: 23
Health: 4000/4000
Mana: 2000/2000
Strength: 700
Agility: 400
Intelligence: 250
Willpower: 800
Status: Stable
Skills: |Mystic Tongue Lv. 5| |Analyze Lv. 1| |Appraisal Resistance Lv. 1| |Liquid Bullet Lv. 3| |Ashen Arrow Lv. 5| |Flame Cannon Lv. 3| |Wind Edge Lv. 4| |Cleanse Lv. 1| |Kindle Lv. 1| |Night Vision Lv. 1| |Earthen Shield Lv. 1| |Reinforce Lv. 2| |Paralyze Lv. 1| |Mimic Lv. 2| |Status Concealment Lv. 1| |Item Box Lv. 1| |Sound Interference Lv. 1| |Enchant Flame Lv. 1| |Fire Resistance Lv. 1| |Blazing Fist Lv. 1| |Liquid Barrage Lv. 1| |Convergence Lv. 1| |Shock Resistance Lv. 1| |Wardrobe Lv.1| |Mana Detection Lv. 1| |Mana Breathing Lv.3| |Terra Javelin Lv. 1| |Imbue Alarm Lv. 1| |Cold Resistance Lv. 2| |Mental Fortitude Lv. 7| |Nausea Resistance Lv. 1| |Gentleman's Favor Lv. 3|
Unique Skill: N/A
Titles: |Contracted Spirit Of The Unfortunate Summoner| |Unresting Experience Trainer| |Challenger Of The Strong| |Pitiful Disciple|
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
It's been a while since I've checked my status, so I was a bit surprised when I saw my stats go up even when the level hasn't.
("Could this be because of |Gentleman's Favor|?") [Solace]
Considering that the skill itself was level three, I wasn't too sure.
("Enough distractions, back to strategizing.") [Solace]
I looked through my skill list, only to be a bit disappointed.
("Is the only defensive buff I have |Reinforce|?") [Solace]
I expected to have some more, but I was wrong. At least the odds were still in my favor.
("Let's get too hasty here. First, I know that Master is going to use a vertical slash.") [Solace]
I thought of crossing my arms above my head to block the attack, but I still wasn't sure if my body could handle the pressure.
("...Meh. Sometimes you have to jump before knowing how far the gap is.") [Solace]
Seeing as how thinking and strategizing wasn't my strong suit, I gave up. I simply decided to be a meathead and faced Master.
"Are you ready?" [Vincent]
"Give me a second. |Reinforce|!" [Solace]
I shone dimly, leaving a blue hue around my body.
"Now I'm ready." [Solace]
Master nodded. He raised his sword high, which made me a bit nervous out of anticipation.
"Be sure to block." [Vincent]
Master took a step forward, then vanished.
("Aw hell naw!") [Solace]
Judging from the amount of manga, anime, and all the above I've read, I knew damn well I was about to get smoked.
("Gotta block!") [Solace]
Raising my arms, a sword then appeared before me. Master had come forth, striking my arms with his blade.
"Urgh!" [Solace]
I immediately dropped to one knee, but I still was in this.
("Crap! I'm gonna lose…!") [Solace]
My arms started to tremble. They felt weak, as if I had just finished doing two hundred pushups within the past thirty minutes.
("No! I can't go down like this!") [Solace]
I thought of my days in school, thinking that anger will boost my morale.
"I… hate… studying…!" [Solace]
"Disciple…?" [Vincent]
Energy surged, and I slowly pushed the blade back.
"Heh…! This test is going to be an easy pass!" [Solace]
That was when I jinxed myself.
"I see. It appears your rage is quite great for studying. However, I have different plans for you." [Vincent]
Master pushed harder, causing me to drop to two knees.
"Ayo?!" [Solace]
If this was a video game, I'd say he was hacking.
"Fall." [Vincent]
The blade slipped through my arms, and struck my forehead.
"Ow." [Solace]
My vision started to blur, as per usual. I knew I was going to pass out, but I managed to utter a few words before I did.
"You… cheating… bastard…" [Solace]