Earlier that day, just after Kaius caused a huge wreck on the freeway. The promotion of Icarus' potential was underway.
If he could describe the feeling he would only say that it was hot and strange. Like someone was pouring liquid sunlight into his veins.
His body began to sweat as his muscles writhed and twisted like snakes. His whole physique was improving right before Priscus' eyes.
He looked like a very fit young man before but, now his muscles were at least one size bigger and chiseled beyond belief.
As Priscus was watching this go on his system was giving him continuous updates on Icarus' condition. Neither of them wanted anything going wrong such as Icarus' body being unable to keep up and injuring itself.
*Promotion from C-class to B-class has begun, attributes have increased by 4.5 each. C-class talent: Battle master, has awakened. Please see full stat block for details.*
It only took a few minutes for the process to be over, but when it was ended and Priscus took a look at Icarus' improved stat blocks he was blown away by what he saw.
*Icarus:
Race: low human(rank 1)
Rank: 1
Level: 9(43/100%)
Vitality: 7.3
Control: 6.9
Spirit: 7.2
Talent: C Class-Battle master(Improves reflexes and perception while in battle by 25%, Able to discern the weaknesses of opponents below own level. Skill progress is doubled in battle with a 15% chance of breaking through any skill bottlenecks.)
Potential- B Class(Attributes improve by .5 per level, training efficiency increased by 40%)
Skills: Basic Spear Mastery- lvl 5(Increases Spear damage/attack speed by 25% Also improves defense by 12.5%)
Basic Veles Combat style- lvl 5(A set of combat techniques used by the Veles class of gladiators. Each level improves technique efficiency and power by 5%)
Equipment: F Class Veles Set(All stats + .025)*
'Holy frack!' Was all Priscus could think to say, with stats like these Icarus was multiple times stronger, faster, and smarter than he had been just minutes before.
Even without further training, it was unlikely that Icarus would perish in the upcoming local fights.
The term death battle royale sounded a lot more intimidating than it actually was. As a low-level fight no gladiator above rank 1 would even be participating.
And while there would be thousands of them the likelihood that any of them would eclipse Icarus' stats was slim to none. He couldn't imagine that B-class potentials just grew on trees.
If only he knew that B-class potential was the bare minimum to even get into high school in some human empires, but you know what they say. Ignorance is bliss.
He was right about the upcoming fight though, within the fledgling Milky way galaxy B-class potentials are a rarity and it was nearly impossible for another to appear within a batch of rank 1 gladiators.
Mostly due to the fact that they grow so fast, they outstrip rank 1 within about a year of intense training, although results vary depending on circumstance, resources available, and competence of the trainer.
However with Priscus' talent allowing him to come up with the perfect training program, and the recent 220,000 he got from selling Kaius' contract, at least one or two of those items would be taken care of.
Icarus slowly stood up from his kneeling position trying to get a feel for his new body.
He felt nearly invincible, the quiet yet explosive power contained within his body was intoxicating. And he could feel the furious power of his vitality humming through his veins like a leashed beast just waiting to be let loose.
"How do you feel?" called the excited voice of Priscus, who at the moment was gazing at Icarus with a look of pride and hope, hope that at last things were truly beginning to turn around.
"I feel impossible." came the quick and slightly confused reply. Icarus' mind had improved dramatically with the promotion, but the process and the results of it were so far outside of what he knew to be possible, he was struggling to come to terms with it.
Priscus chuckled lightly, he knew exactly what Icarus meant. This whole thing was new and mysterious, beginning with the sudden appearance of a system that seemed to defy logic in every way.
But at the same time, Priscus knew that if he could go back and stop the appearance of such a thing he wouldn't. This was the ticket for him and Icarus both to turn their Ludas and their lives around for the better.
After so many years spent in decline, it was finally the Lupas family's turn to rise up from the ashes. And return to their rightful place as the greatest Ludas and Lanista family in the galaxy, and perhaps one day the universe.
"Don't worry about it too much Icarus." Priscus approached the young man and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Both of us swore to be all in on one another, so you and I will figure this thing out together."
Icarus nodded and put his questions in the back of his mind for now. He had meant it when he said he was all in on this Ludas.
His parents hadn't been able to teach him much before they passed, but Loyalty was one of the things ingrained into his bones. As long as Priscus treated him well he would never leave, no matter what happened to them in the future.
After patting Icarus' shoulder for a second Priscus began to leave the office beckoning Icarus to follow.
They traveled down the stairs to the open air training area in the back of the complex.
The area wasn't large, only about 1,000 square feet. It was enclosed with an old stone wall with a gate set on the north side, and attached to the villa itself.
There were some wooden training dummies and weapons stored in a room on the south side, as well as a circular platform in the center for sparing bouts.
Priscus took a long deep breath, savoring the smell of the air mixed with the long hardened dirt and dust beneath his feet.
He had grown up in this villa and always loved to watch the gladiators train.
Over the years more and more of their fighters had left them, but just a few months ago Icarus had knocked on their door and asked to be recruited.
He was incredibly thin at the time, suffering from malnutrition and overwork. Orphaned at the age of ten he was taken in by the local orphanage but was neglected due to overcrowding and lack of care by the orphanage workers.
Priscus' father Gaius took pity on the young man and signed him as a gladiator that day, spending the next month and a half nursing him back to health before finally allowing him to begin training.
Icarus had instantly gravitated towards the spear, saying that it felt natural in his hands. So Gaius instructed the doctore to train Icarus as a Veles class gladiator. The only class that Gaius knew used the spear almost exclusively.
Doctore only taught the young man the basics of Veles class combat for a couple of weeks before leaving the Ludas for a better offer, also given by the Claudius family.
Shaking his head to bring himself out of a downward spiral towards the dark side of memory lane. Priscus motioned for Icarus to grab his gear and return to the platform.
While that was going on Priscus communicated with his system just to make sure he understood how to utilize yet another one of his talent skills.
**The Kings Wisdom (passive)- You are able to deduce a perfect training regimen for any gladiator under your control. Training efficiency and results are increased by 100%. 10% chance for a gladiator under your training to break a gene lock.**
'System how exactly do I do this? I've studied gladiatorial combat and training but I don't think that is going to help me with this.'
The system's response was immediate but carried a slightly annoyed tone, as if Priscus should already understand. However, the system was not unkind at all and seemed more like an exasperated parent who had to once again instruct their child on how to tie their shoes.
*All you need to do is focus on the gladiator in question and will the skill to activate, the skill is a passive one which means it is always active naturally. However, your subconscious blocks out its notifications so you're not overwhelmed with information every second of the day.
This skill takes into account current health, available training equipment, gene supplements, resource availability, nutrition, and every other aspect even remotely useful for the proper training of Gladiators.
I cannot stress enough how important it will be for you to follow its instructions to the letter, There are billions of years of evolution and gladiatorial combat training information that talent can draw from.
So listen to it, you will never be able to come up with something better on your own.*
Several questions popped up in Priscus' head after that explanation, but despite his curiosity, he decided to wait for later. Icarus' training was first priority.
By this point, Icarus had fully equipped himself and now stood at the ready before his master.
Waiting patiently for instruction as without a doctore Priscus would be the one in charge of his training.
"I know this may seem strange at first Icarus." Priscus began his explanation, his voice betraying his excitement as well as worry. "But I am going to need you to demonstrate all of your skills for me to see and don't leave anything out. While you're doing that I am going to develop a training regimen for you that I am confident will turn you into the greatest spear-wielding gladiator to ever live."
It was quite a grand promise but after the changes Icarus went through today, he was willing to bet that Priscus wasn't just blowing smoke.
So he began to progress through his forms, struggling slightly to control his newfound strength yet still graceful and efficient with his movements.
The spear seemed to be an extension of himself striking out and retracting as swiftly as a serpents bite. The dance was simple and deadly, designed for the sole purpose of slaying one's enemies, and Priscus had to admit that when performed by one of such strength it was intimidating in the extreme.
Taking a deep breath Priscus thought, 'Here we go.' and focused on his talent *King's wisdom* attempting to receive the information it was supposedly already trying to provide him.
The moment he did so a long string of notifications began to appear so rapidly he began to get a headache.
It took several minutes for it to stop before he was left with a completed and compiled training plan devised by his talent.
Taking a brief look at it he had one thought pass through his mind.
'Oh...Frack'