Spirit Taming

Chapter 84: Coliseum

"You're sure we can battle people here without any issues?" Maria was worried that she would have to show her identification spatial ring. She knew that Clark carried two so it was fine for him. But she only had the one.

"Yes. the outer coliseum lets you participate anonymously. It's a good way to go up against people that you won't expect. It also allows for travelers to show up and train. Some people aren't members of any city."

This was an undeniable fact. Criminals would leave a city and spend time in smaller parts of the wilderness. There were even villages formed for certain reasons such as farming rare materials. The cities always sent out requests for such things to be created. It was a wonder that there were not more people wandering the wilds without a solid home.

"What about the people watching? If anyone decided to scout us out…" Maria also feared that some of the exploration groups would be looking for new talent. She didn't worry too much that she would be targeted, however, Clark was a plain target. One that everyone could guess would be stolen away to join a group of any kind.

"I will scare them away. Worst comes to worst, I will just run away." Clark did his best to reassure Maria before they walked inside the large coliseum.

The coliseum had been built once upon a time as a place for the soldiers to train. The city was still being built so most citizens needed to train to become warriors. Their beasts needed the constant battle experience every day against other beasts and tanners. Once the city had been reinforced with walls, the coliseum became more entertainment.

There would be grand tournaments to decide ranking or even large familial disputes. Many of the top guards had shown off their skills within the coliseum. Other than going out in to the wilds to achieve fame, the coliseum was the best place to go. Especially when someone didn't have the backing of a big family. They would have the chance to impress said big families.

"Alright, Phantom, show me where to go." Maria was sure not to call Clark by his name. They had to play their parts properly.

"Right this way Blue. there is a staff member right there that has a scroll to record participants." The staff member was at a simple desk. The scrolls she had were made out of a unique monster and rune combination. They were made to send whatever was written to other staff members nearby. This was a very short range item but very valuable for the city government to function.

"Hello there. Welcome to the coliseum. How may I assist you two today? Paying for a seat to watch today's battles? Or will you participate?" The staff in the coliseum were not afraid of people in disguise or strange clothing. They had seen all manner of odd people that came to fight.

"My colleague Blue and I will be fighting. We would like to join beginner battles. My name is Phantom." Clark was sure to state that they were beginners. It was easier to say they were advanced but better that they start lower and get moved up.

"Beginner battles. Blue and Phantom. Registered. Will you like those names to be displayed in the records?" Clark glanced at Maria and then looked at the staff member closely.

"Yes, those names and nothing else. You can also give us an identification card for the next time we come, correct?" Clark recalled hearing that regular fighters in the coliseum would be able to hold identification cards that made it easier for when they came again.

"Yes, we can. After you win your battle you are able to come here and receive a card. You will be able to update your statistics on that card every time you tap it on the clear crystal at the end of my desk. I look forward to your matches. Blue will be in arena four. Phantom to arena six.

Any questions?"

"How are the arenas set up? Are they safe for battles?" Maria may have come from a large family but this was not a place she had been. Most large families came to recruit underlings. Not to battle themselves. There was also the fact that large families had private training grounds to hide hidden techniques.

"Of course, we have very experienced tamers with beasts that place down protective barriers. We also have very powerful healers that work here all year round. They have even reattached limbs occasionally." Part of this made Maria feel calm while the potential to have an arm or leg cut off made her unsettled.

"Then we will head to those arenas. We will see you after we win." Clark was sure that he and Maria would be bumped up along to the other arenas. But for now, they would have been sent to the beginner arenas anyways. They didn't exactly look like the most experienced fighters. They were still younger than most people.

"Good luck, I will be cheering." Maria saw a sign that pointed her toward her arena. Clark gave a nod and headed his own way.

While he walked, Clark took careful mental notes about what he saw. Many tamers seemed to use swords or longer range weapons like bows. It was surprising how many of them had crossbows. The reason behind this was their power.

Knowing that most beasts in the wild had strong defenses was important. That was where the crossbow came in. It was able to provide the speed to pierce the tougher defenses of the beasts that would attack in the wilds. Or it would be fast enough to catch them. Unfortunately, Clark knew that it had a weakness.

While the crossbow was able to help beat tougher beasts, if the person using it missed their initial attack, they lost. It took a lot of time and strength to reload the crossbow. Many of them were made simpler to reload but not anywhere near the speed it needed.

When Clark saw people using them he knew they were truly beginners. Those that used swords or bows after dodging the crossbow opponents were the wise ones. They had more experience and general knowledge.

When Clark found his arena, he was not surprised to see someone with a basic two handed sword. It was better than a crossbow because it meant that he would end up having to think in this battle. What he wasn't happy to see was a flying beast.

'Cloud sparrow- uncommon

The cloud sparrow is a weaker beast that has great agility while flying. They can blend in with the clouds and share their sight with their tamer. However, they are able to summon a misty illusion that blocks enemies' eyesight. This is done by their close connection with water and wind. Many of the tamers that have them as beasts use this ability to gain an edge.'

The system gave Clark the best analysis he could have asked for. He could now expect what kind of battle he was in or. With this, he could learn to adjust to illusions that he had not faced before. It would go a long way to sharpen his mental strength against even stronger illusion skills in the future.