Chapter 169 - Striker (Patreon)

Reivyn looked up into the stands after walking through the long tunnel into the amphitheater. The theater was built into a depression in the ground, so they were halfway up the stands when they exited the tunnel. Despite it being during the week, the stands were full of people. The sounds of conversation and cheering washed over him. He scanned the surroundings to find an appropriate location to sit with Kefira and Serilla.

The admission into the venue wasn't for any specific seating. Most people had enough Perception to be able to see everything clearly no matter where they sat, but higher-level people generally sat at a higher altitude. There wasn't any difference for most people, but simple courtesy had led to the unspoken rule. It wasn't an absolute rule, though, as some people, like Reivyn, were there more for the entire package than just the fight.

Reivyn didn't want to go too far away from the arena because he wanted to witness the team in action. There was practically no way he would be able to hear what they were saying over all the noise, but being close enough to watch in better detail was a factor he considered when looking for a seat.

Kefira understood his intentions and led him around to where she had spotted some open seats. Serilla just followed behind, keeping an eye out on the other spectators.

"Does the Imperial Family not have a reserved seating area?" Reivyn asked.

"We do, but I figured you wanted the whole experience," Kefira answered. "Ironically we would be able to hear the interactions of the team better in the booth. There's a runic connection that filters out some of the background sounds from the crowd and allows for one to hear what's being said down in the ring."

"Well, how about we just find any 'ole seat for now, then, and we can move to the booth when we get closer to the main event."

"Sounds good to me."

There was already a low-level bout happening between contestants in the ring, but other than having been scouted for their potential, there wasn't anything special about them. Some people had connections, and some people just got a lucky break to be able to enter the more official venues to work their way up the competition ladder. Reivyn didn't know the intricacies involved in how one got the opportunity to fight in the main ring, but it really didn't matter that much to him.

The more famous Strikers wouldn't come out to compete for another hour at least. In the time between, Reivyn intended to soak up the entire experience that most people would get.

The trio walked up further into the stands and made their way into the interior of a row. They had to bypass other spectators on their way. Most people were having conversations with each other and not paying too much to the action down below, but there were always some that were more interested in the sport and took every aspect seriously.

Reivyn plopped down on a seat next to an older gentleman with a younger man next to him. Reivyn supposed that they were related, and the older gentleman was pointing out different aspects of the fight to the younger man. The younger man appeared to be just a couple of years older than Reivyn. He was intently listening to the things that his older companion was explaining with a thoughtful eye on the fight.

"See how leans just the right amount to avoid that jab?" The older man said to the younger. The young man grunted in affirmation. "Do you think a low Tier 3 Striker is experienced enough to do that so smoothly on his own?"

"Against somebody that he's fought before, or someone who fights the similarly, yeah, I would say so," the younger man said.

"That might be true for a very talented Striker," the older man conceded. "They do have a lot of practice bouts between a wide variety of other Strikers before they have official matches, but that's not it. Those two down there haven't been in the business long enough to ingrain that sort of reaction into their bones. I could believe that they could do so with their own abilities, but not to such a perfect extent.

"No, he has a superior Tactician. Look at the men in his corner."

Reivyn followed the older man's instructions and glanced over where there was a group of three people standing near the ring. They weren't shouting and screaming advice to the Striker in the ring. They were calmly watching what was going on. The other side of the ring, however, was a different scene. There was a group of five people on that side, and one of them was jumping up and down excitedly, yelling something at the top of his lungs.

It didn't appear to be effective. The opponent of the Striker in question seemed to hesitate at the advice given by the man jumping and hollering. The one who had dodged within a fraction of an inch was able to capitalize on the slight hesitation and countered with his own jab.

The man's fist landed on his opponent's chin, and he was further stunned for half a second. That was all it took for him to dash in and lay into the man's body heavily. He quickly disengaged and circled the other competitor. It didn't appear that a lot of damage had been done, but that wasn't the point of the Striker's Guild.

Competitors in the Striker's Guild didn't normally fight until someone was knocked unconscious. Reivyn had done a little research and he knew that it was more technical than that. The opponents were graded on their abilities to land and avoid strikes more than on how much damage they could cause. Everyone's heightened Vitality Stats made it harder for someone to get knocked down in the competition.

It still happened, of course. There were instances where someone was mismatched with an opponent, or someone lacked the Skills necessary to withstand certain effects that strikes to the head could cause. Even with 10,000 Health, someone could get hit in just the right way to ring their bell and knock them loopy. It was considered an embarrassment for that to happen to one of the competitors, though.

"Look, he was anticipating not only the reaction of the Striker, but he was also taking into account the distraction of the other man's coach," the older gentleman said. "It seems like the tactical teammates are the real rookies, here. Screaming and shouting in the middle of the fight isn't going to do anything, you have to wait until the round is over.

"Calm, cool, and collected is how to be, not just for the Striker, but the entire team. Look how they just silently watch and take everything in. When the round is over, they'll take that opportunity to tell their Striker everything they Observed from the opposing team. A good Striker will be able to digest that information and make use of it in the ring. Trying to give directions in the middle of the fight isn't the way to go about it."

"Excuse me," Reivyn interjected. The older gentleman looked over and nodded his head, indicating for Reivyn to continue. "What sort of members make up the team on the sideline?"

"First time?" The older man asked. Reivyn simply nodded his head. "There are a variety of teammates one could have on their side. The one we're watching right now only has a Strategist, Tactician, and Observer. His opponent comes from a more well-funded organization, and he has a Trainer and a Healer.

"Trainers and Healers aren't as necessary as having a solid Tactician and Strategist, but they can tip the scales in a close match. All the highest Tier competitors have a full team."

"So I get what a Healer does, obviously, but what does a Trainer do? At least in the middle of the match?" Reivyn asked.

"The Trainer not only can help the Striker adapt their muscle memory more quickly to the advice given by the Tactician, but they can grant some small physical buffs as well. The one with the Trainer wouldn't be quite as agile or quick as he is without him, but his lack of experience and distraction from his own Tactician is negating that advantage."

"I see, and why do you say advising in the middle of the match isn't the way to go? What if something completely unexpected happens and needs an adjustment right now?"

"Have you ever been in combat? Like combat combat, where a leader is giving out instructions in the middle of the fight," the older man asked back. Reivyn nodded his head once more. "Ok, and how complicated were the instructions given?"

Reivyn thought back to the first time he had fought in line when he was conscripted. All of the orders given were things that had been practiced many, many times. There weren't any deviations from what any of them expected to be ordered to do.

"I think I see where you're going," Reivyn said. "Things that aren't complicated aren't going to need to be shouted to the Striker in the middle of the match, and things that are completely unexpected are going to be too complex to direct on the spot."

"Exactly," the older man said. "It's not the same thing as actual combat, either. There's a certain mindset when one is in the Striker ring, and the fighters know that they're not going to be in any real kind of danger. That colors how they act, and so does worrying about winning the match. If there's a situation that throws everything for a loop, the better course of action would be to defend and wait out the round, regroup, and come up with a counter to the strategy.

"That tactician down there is either a rookie or too excitable. He's only causing his Striker to make mistakes with his shouting. The other team, on the other hand, is simply watching and waiting. If you look at their expressions, you can see that they're not surprised by anything that's going on down there. I would bet that they even took into account the other Tactician hollering and distracting their man."

"Is it even possible to plan that far ahead?" Reivyn asked.

"Sure. They're not just Observing the Striker. They're Observing the whole team. If they noticed the personality or inexperience of the Tactician, it's perfectly reasonable that they took his actions into account."

"That makes sense," Reivyn said, nodding his head. "Then how about the fact that the one Striker doesn't have a Trainer? You mentioned that his being able to dodge the jab within a hair's breadth was due to his team, but that sounds like something the Trainer would influence."

"You're right, but you're wrong," the man said. "It depends on the situation. If it's part of their strategy and tactics to bait the jab, the overall act can be influenced by the Tactician. If it's not part of the overall strategy, though, a Trainer could accomplish the same thing by helping the Striker understand the reach and speed of the opponent in general.

"The Strategist is like the general in charge of the overall situation, the Observer is the scout, and the Tactician makes the plans to match the two. My guess is that the Strategist and Tactician have come up with plans to guide the opponent's actions subtly so they can make up for the lack of a Trainer on their side.

"They seem to be much more experienced than a Striker of this caliber would normally have on their team. There's a story behind it, I'm sure."

"You seem to be quite knowledgeable about the teams," Reivyn commented. "Are you in this line of work or just an enthusiast?"

"I've dabbled in the past," the older man said. "My grandson here, Herrick, is interested in the competitions. Not so much that he wants to select it as his Class and live his life that way, but not all of the Strikers or their teammates have the Classes associated with it, anyway. If they want to spend their whole lives this way and make a living through it, then of course they would tailor their Class selection towards it. All the highest Tier competitors and their teams have the right Classes.

"If I had to guess, I would say that the one with five people on his team, only the Trainer and Healer are actually Classed for it, and the one with three members they're all Classed for it."

"Your words are pretty convincing," Reivyn said, stroking his chin as he observed the match down below. "My name is Reivyn, by the way."

Reivyn held his hand out to shake with the older gentleman.

"Renry," the older man said, grasping Reivyn's hand. "I've already mentioned my grandson's name." Reivyn shook hands with Herrick, as well.

"These are my companions, Kefira and Serilla," Reivyn said, introducing the two girls.

Everyone shook hands with each other and introduced themselves.

"I see that you don't need to be a famous Striker to get the girls," Renry chuckled. Herrick eyed the two girls with Reivyn before returning his attention to the match down below. Renry elbowed him in the ribs causing a blush to creep up the young man's neck onto his face.

Herrick tried to ignore his grandfather's teasing, and Reivyn joined him in watching the bout down below. Just because they were in their own world talking about the intricacies of Striker matches didn't mean the competition didn't continue.

As Reivyn expected after the lengthy explanation of the teams involved, the Striker with only three members on his side was declared the winner after several more rounds. Each time the Strikers broke apart and started anew, he was able to lead his opponent by the nose. That wasn't to say that he was completely unscathed in the fight. He took several hits himself, but it wasn't anything that threw him off of his strategy.

"You're going to get hit no matter how good you and your team are," Renry commented. "Unless there's a complete disparity in Stats or Skills, it's unavoidable, and that hardly ever happens in the professional matches."

Reivyn looked over at Kefira and motioned with his eyes to the booth that she had pointed out earlier for the exclusive use of the Imperial Family. He leaned in and whispered to her.

"What do you think about bringing them along with us?" Reivyn asked. "They seem harmless, and Renry seems like he would be great at explaining what's going on in the upper Tier matches."

"It's no problem for me," Kefira replied. "You don't have to worry about whether or not he's a danger, either. There are guards on duty whenever the booth is put into use."

Reivyn nodded his head with a smile.

"Hey Renry," Reivyn addressed the older gentleman again. "We're going to move to a booth for the higher Tier matches. Do you and your grandson want to come along?"

Renry glanced at Herrick who perked up at the mention of the booth. Reivyn could clearly see hope in the other teenager's eyes.

"Sure," Renry replied. "We would greatly appreciate that, actually."

"Alright, come on."

Reivyn got up with Kefira and Serilla, Renry and Herrick following behind. Kefira led the way up the stands to where they could access the private booths.

"I've never been in one of the booths before," Renry said as they climbed the stairs. "I've been ringside, of course, but it's been many years. I've always wondered what it would be like in one of the booths."

There weren't just private booths for the Imperial Family and nobility. Regular people could spend money to reserve one, too. There were varying levels of luxury associated with them, and it was clear that Renry and Herrick were expecting to move towards one of the smaller, more basic booths. Kefira led them up to the top and turned in the direction of the larger booths, though.

Renry frowned as they made the turn, and he glanced at Reivyn.

"Are we going the right way?" He asked. "I don't think..." His jaw dropped and he froze in place as Kefira waltzed past some guards and opened the door to the premier booth. "Umm, this is the Imperial Family's booth..."

"Uh-huh, I know," Reivyn said. "Kefira here is a member of the Imperial Family."

Reivyn grabbed Renry by the arm and dragged him along to the interior of the booth, Herrick tentatively following behind. Serilla didn't show it on her face, but Reivyn could see the satisfaction in her eyes at their reaction.

Renry pulled free from Reivyn's arm and grabbed the back of his grandson's head. He shoved his grandson into a bow with him.

"Your Highness, please forgive us if we've shown any offense," he said. Reivyn could hear the trepidation in his voice. He wanted to chuckle, but he refrained from making fun of his new friend.

"Oh, relax," Kefira said, taking a seat on a couch. Reivyn followed her and sat next to her, holding her hand. "Lift your head up."

Renry and Herrick straightened out with some small hesitation. They glanced around the booth nervously, taking in all the luxury they hadn't expected to encounter.

"Renry, you don't have to worry about it," Reivyn said.

"My lord?" Renry said, looking at Reivyn.

"I'm not a lord," Reivyn said with a smile. "Think about how we were acting just a couple of minutes ago. That's how you should act. This is her personality."

"It's true," Kefira spoke up. "Right now we're just on a date as a man and a woman. I'm not the princess, I'm just a spectator at the event. Just act normally."

"I'm not sure I can do that, Your Highness," Renry said nervously.

"I'm telling you not to worry about it," Kefira said. "Reivyn appreciated your expertise, and so do I. You'll make this more interesting for us."

"Of course, of course," Renry said. "I'll do my best to explain everything in the greatest detail."

"No, that's what we're saying," Reivyn said. "Just do it the same way you were earlier. Come on, let's watch the next match."

A new pair of Strikers had already mounted the stage, and their teams were on the sidelines ready to Observe and Strategize. Renry walked up to a seat with his grandson and started watching the match.

The sounds of the crowd weren't completely drowned out by the isolation, that was part of the experience, after all, but none of the noise came through from the magic devices transmitting the words of the teams by the ring.

"I've seen these Strikers before," Renry commented. "The one in the yellow is a hard hitter, and he likes to corner his opponents and draw the matches out into slug fests. The other guy in blue is more versatile. He's able to stand his ground in such a fight, but he's more agile. If the yellow Striker wants to win this match, he's going to have to trap his opponent. The blue Striker will have to avoid the corners. If he gets caught at the edge, it's fine as long as it's not a corner."

"I see," Reivyn said. "So then the teams on either side are going to try and figure out a way to do just that. The yellow team wants to get into a corner, and the blue team wants to stay away from them."

"Exactly," Renry said.

The match started and it played out the way Renry anticipated. The two Strikers were both able to land pretty heavy hits, but they were also able to withstand them easily, as well. Renry kept up a litany of explanations as the Strikers moved about in the ring. The blue Striker danced around the one in yellow, occasionally exchanging blows with each other, and Renry commented on how the Tacticians on each side were trying to come up with ways to have them move the way each side wanted.

The yellow team proved to have the superior Tactician, though, and he eventually managed to surprise the blue Striker by bodily smashing him in the direction he wanted him to go. Once they were in the corner, the yellow Striker laid into the blue Striker who was unable to get away. That one round was enough to secure the ultimate victory for the yellow team as they were evenly matched enough that the blue team couldn't secure an advantage.

"So if they're so closely matched, was there any way for the blue team to win in the first place?" Reivyn asked.

"Of course, if he had managed to stay out of the corner," Renry answered. Reivyn tilted his head in confusion. "The judges take the teams into account," Renry explained. "If they manage to pull off their strategy, they get points for it. The yellow team managed to get a round in the corner to play on their strengths, so they got points for that. The blue team would have gotten the points for strategy if they had avoided it the entire match."

"I see," Reivyn said, nodding his head. "So the teams are even more important than just the performance of the Strikers in the ring."

"Exactly," Renry said. "Once we get to the level of the champions, we'll get to see some great shows. This is still considered fairly low-level, and the strategies were quite basic. If this had been a championship match, there would be even more scrutiny on each individual round's tactics."

"So did the previous match not get bonus points for each individual round because it was low-level?"

"No, they did," Renry said. "Only because it was so one-sided, though. It'll be hard to see something like that in the higher matches."

"Well, I'm looking forward to it."

Renry was finally able to relax after he got into the groove of explaining the matches and the decisions the teams came up with. Reivyn greatly enjoyed having someone so knowledgeable available to show him the light, and Kefira enjoyed Reivyn having such a great time. She wasn't nearly as interested in the matches as Reivyn was, but just the sheer amount of fun Reivyn was having was infectious.

Even Herrick opened up and engaged in conversation with everyone. The atmosphere in the Imperial booth was quite lively, and the day moved on quickly. Before anyone knew it, the final matches of the day were being held in the ring below.