Lowlife, Scoundrel, Bandit Queen

I'm a little twisted and torn. On one hand I have to keep a casual eye on the shady dealers obviously selling dreamstone dust. On the other hand I really want to watch Sylwia's fight against that young foreigner. It's promising to be the most worthwhile fight of the evening after all. Why do these numbskulls have to pick this evening to rub me the wrong way? Damn it all!

Well, they don't look like they'll be leaving anytime soon. Why would they? They seem to be doing good business after all. Possibly because we busted the bakery not too long ago?

Are Raccoon's goons really in league with Rat? I can't really rule it out. In fact it is very likely. Damn it again! That certainly makes my opinion of them plummet down a bottomless hole.

At least that makes the decision to not focus on them any longer easier. If these scummy bastards are dealing with that nefarious stuff on the side I'm not in a hurry. Not so much anyway that I can't enjoy the fight first and foremost. With that resolved my mood improves again, even if just a little.

The announcer goes all out this time around, making a round of the ring, egging the crowd along, before she even begins to speak. She really wants them in a frenzy. Maybe to make a lasting impression with the young foreigner too? He certainly seems to be enjoying the spectacle. Or rather, he enjoys being at the center of it all. At least he doesn't begrudge Sylwia, or rather Sylph, the other spot at the center of the stage.

Is it a sign of maturity? I'm not sure, but I guess I'll get to find out soon enough. As Matylda returns to join me in Sylph's corner, I give in to my curiosity. I focus my whole attention on the boy for a moment and activate my [Identify] skill. A little of my Mana drains away, the skill improves ever so slightly and the next moment, before the announcer can get to the introductions, the desired results are whispered directly into my mind.

[Liang Zhenhua, Noble Scion (Jade, Uncommon, Level 7), Tiger Claw Acolyte (Celestial, Uncommon, Level 6)]

Of course he notices right away. His head snaps around and he glares my way. That isn't where he stops either. It seems he subscribes to the philosophy of repaying every insult in kind, as he immediately uses his own identification skill on me. And of course it fails to penetrate the shroud around my soul.

Oh, the look on his face! He looks like I slapped him not once but twice! Even better though, my [Shrouded Soul] skill keeps improving thanks to his efforts too. Thus I respond to his indignant glare with the most pleasant smile I can muster, which of course only infuriates him more.

[*Ding!* Your skill Etiquette has leveled up to level 3!]

That notification actually startles me a little, but I never let my smile falter. Why would I after all? If anything, I now have even more reason to smile. With that one I'm just about at the halfway point to the next level up for my scoundrel class.

Matylda is not quite as unfazed as I though.

"Brr. That glare. You just identified him, didn't you? I somehow get the impression he didn't like that. Learned something good at least?"

I snort in amusement, never taking my eyes of the going ons in the fighting ring, even as I answer.

"That and his retaliatory identification failed. Good classes but mediocre levels, which in turn suggests few but high level skills. And, in case you haven't noticed, he might have an anger management problem. He probably will have lots of wrinkles when he gets older too, you know."

She nods in agreement.

"Yeah. If he keeps frowning and glowering like that his face might get stuck."

For the briefest of moments I let actual amusement show on my face, beyond the polite but not exactly nice smile. Before I can say anything else though, the announcer captures my attention, as she moves to actually introduce the fighters to the fired up crowd.

"Alright, lads and gals. You have watched some new faces enter the ring. Some have proven themselves. Others have failed miserably. One way or the other you have had your fun! Now though it's time for the highlight of the night! I fight entirely unlike the others!"

It's obviously what the crowd wants to hear. It somewhat mollifies the young lordling too. The announcer just keeps going. She too seems to be on a roll. She grabs Sylwia's arm and raises it high.

"In one corner we have our Sylph! The storm. The gale that can bring down even the strongest opposition!"

Curiously the announcer doesn't grab the lad's arm. She just gestures his way and he raises his arm on his own, mimicking Sylwia. Most curious. I get the impression that he is no unknown to raccoon's faithful.

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"In the other corner we have the young lord Zhenhua! A disciple of the Secrets of the Nine Tigers Sect from the Dawn Empire. A proud warrior who shies away from no challenge!"

The announcer moves to the side but does not yet leave the ring.

"Who will prevail? The unstoppable force of nature? Or the man who dares to challenge her? Well, lads and gals, only one way to find out. You two, fight!"

With those words the tattooed announcer slips out of the ring, as graceful as she entered it.

My attention is already back on the duo within the ring though. This will probably be a tougher fight for Sylwia. Who knows, as a disciple of a martial sect the lad might just have an ace or two up the sleeves of his silk robe. He might just surprise us, and Sylwia. I'm still pretty certain that she will win though. The gang wants to set her up for a bigger fall. They are greedy and want not just some or a lot but all the coin they can possibly get their grubby hands on.

For a moment I expect both of them to go right at it, but of course that isn't the case. Sylwia isn't an amateur and neither is the lad from the fancy martial sect in the Dawn Empire. And neither knows their opponent well enough to go all in right off the bat. Thus we get to behold an exchange of probing attacks first. These are on an entirely different level though, compared to all the earlier fights.

They trade blows, mostly punches, but there are some kicks mixed in as well, for a few moments. Those are sure already to leave some bruises, despite all of them being blocked or deflected. None are decisive though. Far from it in fact.

To the average spectator, most of which really don't know that much about fighting, the exchange looks pretty impressive in all likelihood. And while none of the earlier blows were decisive, they are slowly getting there.

I wince a little every time flesh strikes flesh.

The foreigner isn't doing too bad, but he is getting frustrated. Now usually I'd assume that this will be his undoing, but the lad hails from a martial sect. He does have an ace up his sleeve and he doesn't hesitate to use it. After another frustrating exchange of blows that don't manage to do the damage he envisioned he suddenly falls back. And before Sylwia can close the distance again, he takes a deep breath.

I have no clue what exactly he is up to, but my eyes widen anyway. For a moment I'm worried he might use some kind of breath attack and set the barn on fire. Without even thinking about it I interpose myself in front of Matylda, who, of course, starts to protest as I block her view.

It's nothing of the sort though, but it's quite impressive anyway. He doesn't simply exhale the air he sucked in. No, instead he lets out a mighty roar. One that would make any tiger proud.

The roar silences Matylda's protests too. She actually clings to my back now, shaking slightly. The effect on most of the other spectators is similar. The silence that follows as almost everyone all around the ring is shaking in their boots is a stark contrast to the roar.

I have to admit that I'm not unaffected either, although I try hard not to let it show.

[*Ding!* Your skill Spell Resistance has leveled up to level 5!]

That notification is another hint to the supernatural nature of that roar. And another is quick to follow, as my skill fails to completely negate the effect.

[*Ding!* Shaken to your core by the Legendary Tiger's roar! 1 minute remaining!]

Does that mean that the skill has been named by a legendary tiger? Or is the skill itself legendary? Well, one way or the other, this is probably one of the legacies which lend the sect its name. And, more importantly, Syliwa isn't entirely unaffected either. She isn't frozen in place, wide eyed, like some of the spectators around the ring, but she is struggling to move in a coordinated way.

And of course her opponent takes immediate advantage of the situation. Well, he does almost immediately. Apparently he needs to catch his breath after this move too. He is back on the offensive anyway, well before Sylwia can put up a proper defense again.

He lays into her with wild abandon, punch after punch. Where I have been wincing before I'm outright cringing now. This is bad. This is seriously bad.

Our friend isn't staggering, not yet anyway, but she is being pushed back bit by bit. And judging by the look on her face she is certainly feeling those hits. More so than usual anyway, as she doesn't have her defense up to block them properly. It makes a noticeable difference if you can't bring one, or possibly even several, of your best skills to bear. She is holding on though, her lips a thin line, as she waits for the effect to wear off.

I take a moment o look around a little more. How are the other players in this particular game taking this development? That isn't exactly a trivial question either.

The boy's teacher is watching on calmly but not disinterest. She doesn't look too thrilled. The question is why though. Because she suspects that even this may not be enough to take down Sylwia? Or simply because the boy just gave away one of the secret techniques of their sect? It's one thing to use those in mortal combat, in a deadly duel or on the chaotic battlefield. Using the technique in a fighting ring in front of an audience though? There might just be a serious scolding in the boys near future.

The seats up above aren't empty anymore either. The captain of the guard is there too. He actually is standing, his hands clenching around the railing. He doesn't seem too happy. It makes me suspect that at least for this fight Sylwia's victory would be in his interest. The most notable thing though is, that the fat man doesn't seem affected by the legendary tiger's roar at all. Yes, that really is something that is worthy of note.

Neither the apparent ring master nor the announcer seem affected either. Those two are certainly tough cookies. They don't appear worried about the outcome of the fight either though. They probably can tell, that even this is unlikely to be enough to take Sylwia down. Either because they are seasoned street fighters themselves or because they have seen plenty of fights like this here and elsewhere.

Finally, at long last, the effect of the boy's enhanced roar wears off. At least on me and Sylwia as well as some of the other spectators. It seems there are some still affected though. Matylda for example, who still clings closely to me, peeking past my left side.

Slywia seems to have had enough. She lulls her opponent in, keeping up the appearance of being dazed a little longer. Just long enough to tempt him into committing himself to another series of punishing punches, ignoring his own guard in the process.

She doesn't take these head on this time around. Instead she actually sidesteps, much to the lad's surprise. And as the intended target is gone, his punches go wide and he is off balance she strikes back. She strikes back without holding anything back herself, going straight for his unprotected, vulnerable side.

A punch with her right lands right under his overextended arms, smashing into his ribs. The blow knocks the breath out of him. The elbow of her left connects with his temple a moment later, dazing him just as well as his roar did her before. And, as if that isn't enough already, she takes the opportunity to sweep his legs right out from under him.

The boy can count himself lucky that the arena's floor is covered in a thick layer of sand. If it were stone or even just hardwood he probably would have cracked his skulls considering how hard he goes down. Hell, even packed dirt would have done a number on him after taking a fall like that.

I let out the breath I only now realize I have been holding, as he doesn't get back up. He is out of it, but at least he is still breathing.