Skill-Eater: Prison World Saga-Chapter 1: Ringside Open

Edge raised his fists and deepened his stance, just in time to block a punch that would have knocked him out cold if it had connected cleanly. The impact reverberated throughout his body, forcing him to take a step back to avoid losing his balance.

Melania circled around while looking for a hole in his defense to exploit, but thanks to their training sessions, she found nothing of the sort. The redheaded guardswoman flashed a fierce grin while nodding in approval—sweat-soaked muscles gleaming beneath the magitech lights lining the ceiling of the enclosure.

They had been going at it for several minutes already. To Edge’s surprise, he was still standing, although he had taken some heavy hits that would have slowed him down without Regeneration to heal the damage. Even still, it was a major improvement compared to just a little over one week ago, when each of their sparring sessions had ended with him battered, bruised, and bleeding onto the mat.

Mel was one of the strongest stage-one warriors in town. She had the advantage in attributes, aptitude, and combat experience. But Edge had closed a fair portion of the gap between them over the last few days. He had undergone some incredible growth thanks to his showdown with Warren the manslayer and everything that had occurred during his mission to kill the padamas, including his battles with the blightling swarm and the behemoth garax.

He was still learning the ins and outs of fighting with his hands and feet. But on top of his ability to heal midbattle, he now had the Durability to take some heavy hits, enough Endurance to fight for a prolonged period, and sufficient Speed, Reflex, and Control to deal with Mel’s attacks without being overwhelmed.

Edge didn’t think he could win, but he wasn’t going down without a fight.

He blinked. When his eyes reopened, Mel was standing in front of him—a jab from her left fist streaking straight for his nose. He leaned out of the way with millimeters to spare, then blocked a hook from her right, and ducked beneath a roundhouse kick before launching a counterattack.

The crowd went wild as they came together to exchange a vicious series of blows, neither combatant giving way. Over the three days that Trapper’s crew had been back in town, news of his sparring sessions with Melenia had spread like wildfire.

Apparently, he was able to hold his own well enough to make their contests a prime source of entertainment for the deputies in the guard station, not to mention the members of his crew. Riller and Jumo were cheering him on, and Trapper was talking with Earl—who everyone called the sheriff.

Edge didn’t mind an audience, but he didn’t have time to pay attention to anyone other than the woman in front of him. For her part, Mel was having the time of her life. She was so happy to have found a partner who could remain standing when she was going all out that she wasn’t even charging him anymore.

She was grinning from ear to ear while dancing from one foot to the other, shifting her stance as naturally as breathing. She sent a pair of flicker jabs flashing for his face, forcing him to take a hasty step to open some space. A move that put him directly into the path of the vicious back kick that Mel unleashed the second his foot came down.

Edge didn’t have room to back up or time to get out of the way. If he took her attack head-on, it was going to break his bones. Instead, he deepened his stance and brought up his arms. He put everything that he had into blocking the blow while leaning back to soften the impact. He managed to catch Mel’s heel on his forearms, instead of taking a foot to the ribs.

The kick was strong enough to toss him to one side. A red flash of pain blossomed along his arm as his tissue was bruised by the savage strike, but he didn’t let the pain distract him. He came charging back in before Mel regained her balance, catching her below the breasts with his shoulder and shoving her back across the ring.

The body blow wasn’t sufficient to knock her down, but forcing Mel on the defensive was a feat worth celebrating. The crowd went nuts when Edge launched his attack. Everyone was whooping and hollering, slamming their cups onto the tabletops to form an impromptu soundtrack for their battle.

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The thumping and screaming got his blood pumping, and he put everything he had into one final effort. By mutual agreement, the only skill that either of them used during their fights was his Regeneration, since he was using their bouts to condition his attributes, and it prolonged their sessions.

By now, he was running low on mana to power his healing skill, and his breath came in heaving pants. But he wasn’t about to give up, especially not with the crew watching. Edge unleashed a fierce barrage of blows, mixing in his elbows and knees along with his fists, just like Mel had taught him.

She blocked most of the blows on her forearms, but then he noticed a narrow opening appear in her defense—the first time he had ever seen the peacekeeper make a mistake. He darted in and punched for all he was worth. Melenia leaned back to blunt the blow, but he still caught her square in the nose.

Hell yes. Elation coursed through him like electricity—the thrill of having scored his first point during their sessions.

His moment of joy was fated to last precisely two seconds. Because that was when Edge realized that Mel had lowered her guard on purpose. That she had lured him into range, and her knee was coming up like a rocket taking flight. The last thing he saw was a trickle of blood running down her face, before he felt a tremendous impact along his jaw, accompanied by a white flash.

Darkness rose to consume him, and he was unconscious before his body hit the mat.

***

Edge woke right back up when someone threw a pail of water over his head—the cold wet shocking him back to full alertness. Regeneration had already healed the damage he’d taken, leaving his reservoir running on fumes but his body free from pain.

He looked up to find Mel towering over him. He ran his eyes across her powerful body, most of which was bare except for a black sports bra and a pair of exercise shorts. She met his gaze, shared a smile that set his heart pounding, then offered him a hand and helped him to his feet.

“That was fantastic, Edge. A night and day difference since we started these sessions. Your technique still has a long way to go, but your movements are getting sharper and you’re almost able to match me in raw attributes. A few more weeks, and you will probably have the edge in that regard, pun intended.”

Her comment set off a round of laughter. The deputies had decided that making “Edge” jokes was hysterical. He didn’t mind. He had heard most of them back in his old life, but the jibes were made in good sport. It was a sign that the peacekeepers had come to see him as one of their own, even if he wasn’t officially on the roster.

He realized that Trapper and Earl had already left, likely discussing a problem that required the crew’s expertise. Everyone else spent a few minutes chatting and then went about their business. Before she left to get cleaned up, Melenia came over to stand beside Edge, Riller, and Jumo.

“The three of you should come drinking with us tomorrow night. The other deputies have been wanting to get to know you better, and it’s a good time to make new friends, considering the danger that’s coming. It’s Earl’s treat, so feel free to order the good stuff.”

Edge was going to put her off, but Jumo and Riller seemed excited by the prospect, likely because they had been flirting with some of the deputies during the match. “Sure,” he said. “That sounds like fun. When and where are you getting together?”

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“The Pioneer, two hours after sunset.” With that, they said their farewells and the hunters started walking back to Trapper’s lodge.

“I think she likes you,” Jumo said. “And Mel’s a real looker. You should spend some quality time together, unless you’ve already given your heart away to someone else.”

“Life is too short to let chances like that pass you by,” Riller added.

“I’ll think about it.” Edge laughed. "But not just yet. Right now, I’m ready to eat a big meal and then pass the fuck out. Going head-to-head with Melenia is fun, but exhausting.”

“By the way, did you have any luck with your conditioning?” Jumo asked.

When Edge pulled up his Guide, he saw that the match had yielded some gains.

By conditioning your body, your Control has increased by 1.

By conditioning the connection between your body and brain, your Reflex has increased by 1.

“Yup. Another point of Reflex and Control.”

“Damn, Edge.” Riller let out a low whistle. “Your rate of conditioning is simply unreal. Another month or two, and you might have them all maxed out. If that’s not a world record, it’s still far faster than anyone else I’ve heard of.” He turned to face Jumo. “Maybe we can use Violet’s new skill to do the same thing at a reduced rate. Traveler’s Boon isn’t nearly as fast as Regeneration, but if she works out beside us, the crew might be able to boost our gains by a fair margin.”

“That’s a great idea.” Jumo nodded. "I’ll ask her first thing in the morning. Let’s go grill up some of the garax meat we have in the freezer and then call it an early night. We have some serious drinking to do tomorrow, and we need to be in prime shape if we want to impress the ladies.”

The hunters chatted as they crossed the districts, enjoying these fleeting moments of peace and fun before the next ordeal descended upon their heads.