Brian

I arrived at the training arena the following day and began the martial arts lessons. I had reviewed old imperial training manuals downloaded into my implants and felt prepared. Today was more theory lessons combined with a few practical demonstrations. The start of the class went well, and I had just gotten to the section talking about the proper use of force for different scenarios when a drunken guard and a few of his mates stumbled into the arena. It was clear they had been drinking already because of the smell and uncoordinated movements. They all had their rune cannons slung across their backs.

“What do we got here? The guard with the stitching that said “Kevin” asked. “Look at the new trainer! Hey Ralph, what you say we teach these kids how real men fight? None of that prissy bitch stuff” Ralf stumbled briefly before catching himself and pulled his rune cannon off his back before doing a very obvious hip thrust. “Line up over here, kids! Daddy is going to show you how to operate the rune cannon! The first lesson is the hip thrust. Got to give a little oomph to start the day!”

I was pissed. “Excuse me, gentlemen,” I said. “You are interrupting my class. This is a physical combat class; you’re in the wrong area for firearms. The range is out of the city for a reason. Operating rune cannons inside the city could endanger the lives of the citizens.”

Ralf waved his hand. “Pish, you’re just the interim instructor. You don’t matter. We run this place. Recruits, get over here!”

I angrily considered walking out and quitting, but I still had lots to do in the city. I left the training ground and headed to the guard administration office. I found the secretary. “Excuse me, mam, but I need to submit a complaint. “My class today was rudely interrupted and taken over by several guards who appeared to be drunk. They are currently in the training arena using rune cannons” The secretary immediately got up and handed me a form. “We take all complaints about the guard very seriously. Please fill out the paperwork and submit it.”

I typed out an accurate description of the events and preceded to hand back the paperwork. I informed the sectary that I would be taking the day off as the guard had hijacked my class, so there was nothing for me to do.

As I walked out of the building, I heard the sectary whispering, “They’re not going to let him burn these guys.”

I made my way back to my apartment for a quick nap and then headed out to see if I could find a trainer to help me level my manna stat.

I went back to the central square and was looking for information on manna trainers when my eye caught a banner hanging off one of the popup shops. It read: “Manna ball games. Level your power with us!” I walked over and talked to the attendant. “Hello! My name is Brian. I saw the sign about manna ball games. Can you tell me about it?” The attendant gave a big grin. “Nice to meet you, Brian! My name is Trish. I’m surprised you have not heard about the games; they are popular and even go up to the professional level. It’s like the game “dodgeball” except with manna. If you get hit with the manna ball, it can overload your dantain and cause you to blackout. If that happens, you get removed from the game. The idea is to either catch the manna ball and throw it back or dodge it if your manna levels are too weak to return fire”. I replied, “Interesting, and this can help develop my manna level?” The attendant replied, “Oh, yes. Each ball is pure concentrated manna. Players must focus their internal power to throw the ball at the opponent. It causes stress on the dantain, gradually increasing your maximum manna capacity. If you get hit, the overload will not cause permanent damage but will temporarily overload your system, causing a stun effect. This training method is almost as effective as going out and fighting beasts in the forests and dungeons but does not carry the risk of death. Additionally, the overall winning team of the various ladderd fights will receive prizes such as rare herbs, skill books, and other aids for whatever class they may be pursuing.”

This was just what I needed. “How do I sign up?” I inquired. The attendant handed me a paper outlining the leagues, seasons, and ladders. With no experience, I had to sign up for the bottom barrel tier, but that was ok. The battles fit my schedule with events held once a week and daily training in the evenings. The first meeting wasn’t till the following evening, so I decided I would investigate the bathhouse. It was time to get my spying on!

I walked into the front lobby of the bathhouse and was amazed at the size of the place. “May I help you, sir, asked the female secretary.” “Hello, and yes!” I replied, “I would like a tour of this facility, and then I might get a membership.” “Right this way, sir, " the girl replied and led me down a hallway. As we walked, I gawked at the splendor of the place. The building was built out of marble and gilded gold. As we exited the entry hall, round rune-covered marble pillars rose to support the vaulted ceilings far above, and the floor sloped downwards into a pool area. The girl spoke, “Here, we have a series of hot and cold pools for clients to relax in; there is also a large swimming pool in the next room over and a rock salt sauna. We also have rooms where people can level their strength stat by picking up and setting down heavy objects and other rooms for general exercise. If you come this way, I will show you the other amenities,”

I followed the girl who led me to another floor containing couches, a bar, and a rune screen. “Here, clients can relax and watch the many manna ball games streamed through rune network”; I followed the girl to the third floor covered with beds. “This is the massage area. If you sign up for our premium VIP membership, you are entitled to one free massage a day. We also have private rooms for our most trusted clients,” I whistled. This place looked like it would be attractive to adventures coming back from brutal battles in the wilderness and rich guild folk who stayed in the city. “How much for a VIP membership?” I inquired.

I paid the fee for the VIP membership in manna coins. My salary as an interim instructor for the guard covered it, but the price was still high enough that I felt lucky that captain Kenneth had doubled my salary.

I took a swim in the big pool until I got tired and then relaxed in one of the steamy hot pools. I surveyed the area for anything unusual but did not see anything this time. I got out of the pool and dried off, intending to head back to my apartment, when a man walked up to me and said, “Hey, son. Your too big to fit in here” I opened my mouth to reply, but the man had continued walking and had already turned the corner. I frowned. I wasn’t big. Was that statement something I should be worried about?

Unusual Events Log

Location

Statement

Spell Shop

"Hello, brother. We are brothers spiritually. You just don’t know yet."

Bathhouse

“Hey, son. You’re too big to fit in here.”

I frowned and pulled out my suspicious statement notebook. I wasn’t sure if that statement qualified as suspicious. I decided to write it down anyway. I could take my records back to Mike and see what he had to say about it. It felt unnerving to be encountering these types of interactions I could not explain.