3 Welcome Party
"Hey. Give me some attention, babe.", the girl pulled Ruffus collar.
"Hey, hey. Take care of my uniform.", he said and picked her on his arms.
"You know about our situation?", Archer asked his new friend.
"What about it?", he replied. "It's not that we are on the rock bottom that we don't need to entertain ourselves."
"Okay."
[TFA: He has more confidence than power itself.]
[Archer: Is that good?]
[TFA: Yes but only if you aren't blinded by it. I'll ask something.]
[TFA asked for another growth mission.]
[The petition didn't pass.]
[TFA: I knew that this would be blocked. Boy, you need to start practicing Magic]
[Archer: Okay, later you instruct me.]
[TFA: I can't. You need to figure it out yourself.]
"We are getting close, Archer.", Ruffus announced.
The place was a training ground crowded with a lot of students. There are some faces that the boy remembered seeing entering the main building to take the exams. The same ones were celebrating while Archer was contemplating that this was a time to reflect and improve.
"There are my friends from earlier.", Ruffus started to walk on their direction.
The smiles on their face gave Archer a repulsive sensation. After years suffering from bullies he created a sixth sense for this kind of situations.
"I don't think is good to approach them.", he said to his new friend.
"Why?", Ruffus had the same smile on his face and this make all parts of Archer's body chill.
"Because it won't be fun.", Archer said with a serious face and gave another look at the situation. "Even you won't like it I think."
"Hey.", Ruffus let the girl her feet and pulled his friend collar. "I didn't had all the trouble to bring you here to not mock you myself."
"Okay.", Archer gave a smile mocking Ruffus. "But let me go.", he slapped the other boy's hand. "Where do we go to get a beating?", he started to use sarcasm.
"You're very funny yourself but first pass all the credits to me."
"I don't have any. You could have looked as all the information on the students are free to everybody.", another mock went through the bully but now the crowd was pleased and started to laugh at Ruffus.
"ENOUGH. You had your fun. Now I'll have mine."
"No, you don't, trash.", a girl showed. "Shut your mouth up and go on his side."
"Who do...", she pointed a sword on his throat.
"The boss. Now go.", Archer smiled at Ruffus situation. "You're pretty good looking. Both of you.", she went close and moved their faces as she wished. "I'll be taking the blonde one. The other you can do what you want.", she put a leash on Ruffus and pulled him where she went.
As she left the groups that were hanging out stopped and were preparing to do something. Archer knew what it was as he was a punchbag for long time. This time was little more rough as they had weapons and were already casting magic.
*********
[Hard to Beat (Instantaneous)]
[Difficult: ??]
[Survive for X minutes.]
[Rewards: X free stat points.]
*********
[00:00:01]
Archer didn't took long and started to run out of this situation. As the mission went he only needed to arrange time. But seconds can last a lot when you are under pressure. He ran about five seconds when a magic missile went between his body and his left arm.
"I'm at a open field. I need to narrow their vision.", his thought was easier said than done.
As far he came with Ruffus' group he didn't remember any building or location where he could hide. So he started to calculate hypothesis and situations. How to deal with them and none were safe or easy. So he bet on one.
Archer made a turnaround and dashed toward his followers. They didn't know what happened and stopped a little to late. This time he was already between the first people on the chase. Instead of running or fighting he was moving carefully and pulling others' clothes to use them as shields.
His plan was full of flaws yet this surprised his enemies more than pointed how to counter it. Even tho he started to feel some attacks connecting with his body. Punches and kicks. While this he was redirecting the spell to his own enemies. It was when a high kick made him fly to the ground. He conscious blinked for a moment.
The group went carefully now to where he was and a boy kicked his guts. He was going to fake unconscious but the kick would awaken him anyway. So he rolled and started to run again. This time he noticed that others beatings were happening but they were a little far away from each other so no one would cross. Not this time.
Archer ran towards the other beating group. When he came across he saw a uncoscious boy still being beaten. So he went and punched one that were most close to him, a girl. She went furious and when saw the other group coming she freaked out.
"Attack all of them.", she shouted and a mass fight began.
[TFA: TBD liked your action.]
[Archer: Whatever.]
He was more in a hurry than ever. He needed to left the boy behind to gather more time on the mission. So he started to fight around the unconscious as his way to protect the fallen. The side effect were greatly on his body. Reaction and response were top notch. Even that he could do some damage on the melee attackers.
"ENOUGH.", a male voice shouted and everybody stopped.
The boy who shouted was tall. Red eyes and hair. A greataxe on his back and a beautiful girl on a leash like Ruffus with the girl from before. He looked at the situation and was like he was watching all the scene from the day before.
"The boy and the fallen are the ones to beat. Not yourselves. Dumbasses.", he snapped his fingers and a loud sound came. Archer lost conscious.
He woke up with a kick on the guts.
"Hi, darling.", it was Ruffus. "How did you know?", he kicked again but the boy blocked with his arm. "HOW?"
"I have a sense for this kind of situation, freak."
"Okay, I get it.", he was walking ceaselessly from one place to another. "I thought you were a easy target when saw that moron taking you but then they target me. WHY?"
"Because it's more fun take a bully down than a loser like me.", Archer started to lift up but a lot of injuries were on his body. "Can you help me get up at least?"
"Why not?", he helped and tried a punch but again was blocked.
"You need to improve more or will be like me for four years straight.", Archer said. "What time is it?"
"Almost night, I don't know.", Ruffus was clearly irratated. "I don't have a party anymore too. Most of all that girl that take me will be taking all my credits every morning."
"You are in a worst situation than me.", Archer started to go away.
"Where are you going?"
"To the dorm. I need to treat this and rest."
*********
[You survived 00:06:36.]
[You gained 6 free stat points.]
*********
"Can I rest there?", as the boy said he received a bad look from Archer and that fastly turned into a smile and laughter.
"You are a imbecile.", the laughs were hard to stop and talk. "You really think that I can treat you normal after all of this? We just met, dumbass.", the laughing boy started to left walking slowly because of the injuries.
"I can change.", Ruffus was in despair. "I can truly change."
"No, thanks.", Archer replied and kept walking.
"Anything.", but this word made him stop.
"Anything? That's a good word.", he turned with a evil smile on the face.
"What do you want?", Ruffus looked troubled.
"Cancel the transfer to the girl and do it to me.", Archer said.
"You want me to die?"
"A week is enough."
"A week of beating is going to kill me."
"No. It won't I know well but you can live as you are now too.", he started to walk again. "You have ten seconds to give me an answer."
"What do I gain from it?"
"A room to sleep and three meals."
"Two credits.", Ruffus said.
"Three, two..."
"Okay.", he snored. "I accept.", a beep happened on Archer's watch.
"Lets go then, roomie.", he smiled at the boy's situation.
"You took quite a beating."
"Most of it I was unconscious. The body only hurts.", he was walking slowly. "What happened to you?"
"She take about five to ten people and make them transfer the credits to her. The ones that don't accept take a beating till give up. So I stayed there till everyone accepted."
"That was more fun. I had to run away and dodge some spells but in the end some red haired guy showed up and I only remember him snapping his fingers."
"Oh my god. You received a Shatter spell and are still alive.", at Ruffus' words Archer's body started to shake.
"He used a Shatter on another student?"
"Rupert, the Red Thunder. He is a mage known for his thunder based magic and sound element.", Ruffus said.
"He is an all rounder?"-
All-rounder was a term used to compliment athletes on the past but now received a new meaning. An adventurer was an all-rounder when his element and magic would complete each other. As thunder and sound are almost the same.
"If he used his sound element could possible be a replica of the spell instead but still.", Ruffus was inconformed with Archer surviving a point blank cast.
