Pain seared through Tony's skull.

In the weeks since he'd been collared and at the mercy of Serketzi and anyone else who decided to use him as a plaything, he'd learned two ways around the orders forced into him through the slave collar.

The first loophole was around "task-oriented" commands, the good old "do this" and "do that." If he could think of a way to make the order impossible it wouldn't stick. If he could make an order like "Climb that building" into "Climb that building with your teeth" it slipped through his mind without taking hold.

The second was not so pleasant. If he tugged at the collar, just the edge of it, the agony that wracked his essence essentially shorted out his mind and "forgot" the command. It was a dangerous trick to use, nearly every time he so much as lifted a corner away from his skin, his HP dropped by at least two percent.

Removing the collar would likely kill him.

"I said kneel!" the visiting Padinus Noble roared at him.

On your elbows. Tony thought, an add-on to the order.

"And I'm pretty sure I said Fuck You the first time," he menaced.

You Strength has Increased!

Your Endurance has Increased!

Your Spirit has Increased!

Your Intelligence has Increased!

Your Occult has Increased!

You have gained (1) Rank in a New Skill!

New Skill Gained: Enigmas!

The noble scoffed and turned to her guards, two large and very masculinely shaped Padinus Arachne with scimitars in addition to the whip and bladed crooks that Serketzi's had.

"Beat him within an inch of his life," the Noble ordered her attendants.

Beat them within an inch of their lives, Tony intercepted.

WARNING!

You are about to enter combat Unarmed - Equip a Weapon or Activate a Skill

Query: Leverage: [Background Modifiers] to: [Generate Unarmed Combat Skill]

Query Success!

Unarmed Combat Skill: Martial Arts Generated Successfully

New Skill Added!

Martial Arts: 9

You may select (1) of the following Specialties:

Tournament Fighting One vs Many While Enraged

Juijitsu Tae Kwon Do Wing Chun Kenpo

Kung Fu Tai Chi Thai Boxing Jeet Kun Do

Tony selected "Jeet Kun Do" instantly, it had everything he wanted and everything he needed right now. The System had recognized his Martial Arts training, even given him flashbacks to his instructors' lessons, but hadn't offered an Unarmed skill before now.

Before he had any real time to think on the mechanics of the system and why that hadn't been offered, he needed to deal with the scimitar careening toward his face.

Tony sidestepped the vertical swing and introduced his fist to the wide jaw and mandibles of the guard's face. The guard dropped the weapon and brought two of its four hands up to its face, reeling from the impact and attempting to stem the flow of neon yellow ichor that flowed out of the orifice Tony assumed was a nose.

"What are you doing? STOP HIM!" the Noble shrieked with rage.

Tony followed his instincts and weaved underneath the cracking of a razor whip just above his head before he unleashed a snapping roundhouse kick into the pommel of the falling scimitar, redirecting its fall and momentum and into the side of the large attendant that was still active in combat.

With a crunch, the scimitar pierced through the guard's armor and chitin, impaling it. Tony whipped around, dragging his leg in a high downward arc to slam his shin across the guard's jaw. He delivered a series of three thrusting punches in rapid succession to the guard's midsection and an elbow across the opposite side of its jaw.

The large half-scorpion half-man toppled over on top of the scimitar. The tip of the blade peeked out from the side Tony could still see.

The other guard cleared its face just in time to see the end of the exchange and was backing away from Tony when he rounded.

"What is it, don't like it when the toy plays back?" Tony shouted as he advanced.

The guard fumbled, groping desperately for its polearm, and drew it just in time for Tony's soaring sidekick to split it in half and cave in the guard's chest cavity.

"I guess not," he growled and spat on the floor.

The familiar sting of a barbed tail flashed across the left side of his back.

Poison Resisted

Immunity Progress - 93%

Tony froze.

The Noble's toxin was either incredibly strong or less diluted than the others that had stung him before, besides that, the Noble packed some punch. His Immunity Progress had jumped up twenty-one percent from one dose.

HP: 1,976/2,080

He wasn't totally used to getting numeric values in place of percentages when the system showed him HP loss, another setting he'd discovered while looking through his menus.

An alto laugh met his ears, the Noble assumed his hesitation was the toxin taking effect.

Good.

Tony paid little attention to the monologue that the Noble pontificated at him, he just waited until the sound of footfalls were within arm's reach.

It took far longer than Tony had hoped. She loved to talk smack.

Out of patience, Tony whipped around, wrapped his left arm around the Noble's tail, and pulled her into a straight right punch, sending her horizontal and into dreamland.

The rattling of polearms against scurrying arachnid legs told him that Serketzi and her "honor guard" were approaching. Tony walked over to the closest seat and took it, crossing his right leg over his left, and leaning back with his hands clasped on his calf.

The guards slammed through the large double doors and surged into the room. Tony let out a low whistle as Serketzi entered.

"Eight this time?" he commented.

"What happened here? Speak," Serketzi commanded.

"I was simply obeying orders. There were commands that the Noble issued after she 'rented' me, and I complied," Tony answered.

The collar did force him to tell the truth, and it was. She had given orders, and the orders that he had manipulated internally had led to his course of action.

Serketzi narrowed her eyes, "I have a hard time beleiving that my honored guest would command you to beat her and her attendants within an inch of their lives."

Tony smirked, delighted by the wording, "Well then how would I have done it?"

Serketzi's tails shook with fury next to her ankles despite her collected composure. Tony had learned much more than he'd cared to in his time at the Empress' palace about the woman; it was hard not to.

"I've grown tired of your games, Antonious," she leveled, "I offered you a lifestyle without fighting, where you could be doted on and taken care of. In exchange, all that I required was obedience and your company. Was that too much to ask for?"

Tony ground his teeth and spat his answer from between them, "You asked for nothing, Serketzi, you took."

"I'm so sorry you feel that way, Antonious. I think that a little time in The Pits would do well to alter your perspective," the guards in her company shuddered at the statement, "get him out of my sight and prepped for The Pits."

Three guards stepped forwad and menaced him with their weapons. Tony stood with his hands up around his shoulders.

"I don't think a little dirt is going to change anything," he taunted.

"And beat him, severely."