Henry coughed up some blood as he walked next to me, rubbing a big bump on his face.
"I am refusing your jurisdiction. You just don't understand me. You're ok with taking on all the labels and names the government gives you. You are stock. You don't understand color of law. When you were born you were registered with the government as stock, with a taxpayer ID. You are a chattel slave to the government, stock used to back up the national debt."
Tapp grabbed him by the scruff of his neck and shook him. He cowered away. "Call me a slave one more time!" He said.
I suspected Henry wouldn't like what happened if he called him a slave.
"No, not again, not the face!"
Henry staggered back, waving his hands protectively.
"Why are you so sensitive over that? Am I being detained!"
As they squabbled, we headed onwards.
He had spilled his guts out after a very short beating. I had a key inside my chest that could free them, and by slicing me open they could get the key. Everyone knew this. And he was a sovereign citizen.
I snared up the whitehurst memo.
"After my father took his life due to mental illness..." That wasn't good… "This asylum will be the forerunner of medical treatments, traditional and experimental."
Ah. Psychiatry. It had a pretty dark history. Eugenics, lobotomies, and lots of patient abuse. Mentally ill people didn't vote much, so there were no restrictions to abuse and cruelty towards them in the name of advancing whatever whimsical pseudoscientific theory the owner held.
I ran my eyes over the cracked yellow tiles of the next room. The door had an electronic lock on it that would go off when an electrical signal went off. I hastily disarmed it, so that it wouldn't-
I felt my knee crack, as a foot stamped into it.
Critical hit! 50 damage done. Leg failure. 50% reduced physical stats. Reduced partially by gamer's body.
Wisdom check failed. 15/20.
I was slammed to the floor, my knee broken under the powerful kick. I tasted old asylum.
As I lay there dazed, an arm swept up under me, dragging me into the room.
"This is very personal. And it's my game. Die, T-" I rammed my elbow into his chest, knocking him back. He staggered back a few steps as I righted myself. With gamer's body propping me up and gamer's mind shielding me from pain, this was just like walking through a very bad stitch. The bone would hold together for now.
I swayed to my feet. How had I not seen this? Why had I used that perk, and then trusted some random stranger? Why had I trusted the results of torture?
All those thoughts were washed out of my mind as a second man burst through a door. Bald, mean looking, and angry. He charged forward.
"I have to do this!" He shouted, as his fist fired at me. I moved to dodge.
I was black belt in Judo, and an experienced and ranked fencer in the UK. I generally felt that I was someone who could hold their own. I was stronger, faster, and more durable than I had ever been, and I was flaring my chakra so I was at greater than full strength, despite the debuffs.
Which is why I didn't expect the sharp fist to my face.
I staggered back a few paces, and felt another sharp jab to my ribs.
Double tap! 4 damage done. Martial arts contest begun. You are outmatched by 53 levels.
I stepped back, annoyed. He was doing negligible damage. I slipped my leg back, taking a solid pose towards him, and stared him in his evil blue eyes. He stared back, and charged me. I reacted quickly, going to grab his arm and use my superior strength to overpower him.
He stepped aside, flowing with my motion, and rammed his fist into my side.
2 damage done! Duelist levels up!
"Are you really cherry tapping me?"
I charged, trying to shoulder slam him to the ground, growling. I was fast enough that I managed to pin him, slamming him against the wall. He tried to push his way out, but I was much stronger.
5 damage done!
Then Henry slammed at my leg with a pipe. I took a hard hit, my leg burning with pain, and twisted aside.
"I thought we were bonding! Cop to sovereign citizen." I said, stepping back. This fight wasn't going quite how I had expected.
Henry held the metal pipe forward. "I know you're not a cop. You're a slave just like me. Owned by the corporations. Fired. I just said that to distract you. You fell into my trap!"
"I don't hate you. But I will beat you." Said Baldie.
I glanced around the room. Baldie the martial arts expert was advancing, while Henry stepped forward tapping the floor with each movement. There was a bin, right of the door I had come in, a red room where Baldie had come from, and an open door to another room with a door past it and a jigsaw TV. There was a big surgical door as well. My taser and spear were nowhere to be seen. Presumably outside, taken when I got sucker punched. I was heading to Baldie's room. I got up quickly, and grabbed the bin. Stepping to the side, I swung it at Henry, knocking the pipe out of his hand with a massive metal clang.
As I did Baldie charged in and grabbed my arms, yanking me away to the wall with his momentum. Henry stepped in and slammed his fist into my gut.
5 damage done! 98 HP left.
I had really overestimated my fighting skills. I didn't expect to go below 100 for this.
Henry came in, for a solid hit against my face. I stepped back, grabbed the pipe to yank it away, and Baldie came in to smash a fist into my arm, forcing me to let go. I dodged away. I needed a game changer. This wasn't working.
I pulled out my earth, held in my hand, and swept it side to side, using my will to force it towards their eyes. Both quickly covered their faces with their eyes, but it was enough of a distraction for me to sprint between them without taking an attack of opportunity towards the new door. I grabbed the TV as I came in, tossing it backwards at Baldie. He held his arms up, but was knocked back a few steps.
7 damage done! Duellist levels up.
I needed an advantage. I'd do poorly if I had to face both of them, especially with my weak leg. I looked around, sniffed.
I had more luck. I burnt my hint of fate, for an option.
Beyond the door lies a familiar fate. Master them all, and then come talk to me.
The voice was passionate and feminine.
Well, it was Jigsaw's asylum. Probably a trap. I leaned against the door, listening out carefully behind me, trying to look weak.
"I'm gonna escape, and you're gonna die an unfreeman!"
Henry'd gone for an ambush once.
I heard the scuff of a foot as Henry came forward. I stepped aside and slammed him through the door.
Above it, a mechanism clicked down, and a gun blasted a hole in his head. A magnum door trap! Open the door, you get shot. His brains spilled out and blood covered the floor as the acrid smell of burnt plastic and the iron filled tang of blood filled the air.
10 exp awarded! Henry slain.
I grabbed the pipe, quickly rubbing off the grey matter and blood and twisted to hit Baldie hard. He tried to block with an upraised arm, but with my strength, his arm snapped like a twig.
24 damage done! Arm broken, 20% reduction in physical stats. Strength of the insane perk activated. 20 damage negated, reduction negated.
"I bet this isn't even your final form." He didn't answer.
I charged forward, going for another hit. He ducked back, pulling off his shirt, and snared the pipe in it. I shoulder'd my way past him as he yanked the weapon away, and dashed back to the door I had come from.
Duelist levels up! Duelist levels up! Duelist levels up!
Diving to the floor, I swept up my taser and spear and stepped up. I was almost out of stamina. No more chakra for me. My leg still burnt. Breathing hard, I looked back at the door.
Baldie was coming through, ready to one punch me with his pipe. I looked him in the eyes. I needed another edge.
He didn't give me time to think. He came forward with the pipe, and I lunged at him with the spear. He batted it aside and rammed an elbow into my jaw. I tanked it, trying to reach him with the taser, but he twisted aside, shoulder shoving me away. I felt the pipe hit my shoulder painfully.
22 damage done! Critical hit! Duelist levels up! Duelist levels up! Duelist levels up!
I triggered clear thinking. I needed to think. My mind sharpened, everything slowed, and I did a quick accounting.
I had the element gifts, but no real control outside of earth, and I had expended my pocket earth hand. I was pretty sure I couldn't flare fire and burn him. I could burst strength him, but he'd been very good at deflecting me.
Wait, a burst- I had an idea.
I pulled out the lighter. I flicked it open, and tossed it at Baldie. He started to step aside. Slashing forward with the spear, I ripped it open, spewing gas everywhere, closing my eyes. It exploded, sending fragments of plastic and fire everywhere, bright enough to burn the vision of someone unprepared.
10 damage done to you and him! Blindness debuff given to Baldie. 50% reduction in physical stats.
Pushing past the painful fragments, I gripped the spear tightly, and rammed it into his gut. His skin did not prove unbreakable, and he coughed up blood as I slammed him into the wall.
I rammed my fist towards his face, but somehow, he managed to dodge aside, my fist cracking into the tiles. He slammed his head forward, knocking me back a step. Quickly, I stabbed him with the taser, sending jolts of electricity into him. He shook and twisted, and finally, died for me.
You have gained 20 exp! Duelist levels up! Duelist levels up!
I flopped to the floor. I was not good at combat. I hadn't even leveled up. I'd gained 50 exp versus scrubs.
"My legs are broken. Can you make a splint? We need to get after Jigsaw." said Tapp.
I waved my hands. "It's fine. I got magic healing. We'll be up to 100% in an hour. I need to grind con more."
I wiped the sweat off my face. That was too close. What had happened?
I was well prepared for traps, puzzles and schemes. I was used to facing overwhelming odds. I guess I had never really had that many fist fights. Yes as Mia, I guess, but I had super skills backing me up then. And super strength. I was pretty sure my skill was less effective than I expected. Maybe duelist was single target? Or I just wasn't used to it. I dunno. Regardless, I needed to grind up duelist to a much higher level.
I yanked out several bits of plastic from my skin, slowly repairing my flesh. I pulled my knee into alignment, as the bone fused. I didn't wait for a full heal. I had a feeling I needed momentum, to keep moving forward.
After a little while, he spoke in my head again.
"You're pretty green in fighting."
"I'm a black belt" I said, with a huff.
"Exactly. From some mcdojo that promised you enlightenment and you being a total badass?"
I grinned. "Enlightenment was extra, thank you very much. Fine. That fight didn't go well. What did I do wrong?"
"You tried to focus on a single foe each time." I was a duelist. I guess my skill didn't handle fighting two at once? "And didn't keep an eye out for the others. You telegraphed your moves a lot as well. A quick hard strike is much more useful than some fancy hit."
"Look at you, knowing kung fu." I twisted our ankle. Much less pain.
"I kept the streets safe for three decades. I know how to handle myself. And with your strength, I'll handle John Kramer as well."
"You can handle the next fight. I'll try and learn from you."
There was something else… oh well. Probably not important.
Definitely not important at all. And not weird at all that he would forget.
I died to Baldie because the combat system is clunky and weird to use. He may be slightly tougher than in the game.
Pokelover12. Lol yes. There's something odd going on, as Maturin said, but he was also not taking him that seriously. He could have done more to preserve the knowledge, and probably should have.
Guyfives. The adventure goes on.
Kleary93. Thanks, it does.
Guest. Later, and, he doesn't really have any way to interact with that god, so, will be later. He lacks a divine hotline.
Next time, time to grind and follow his intuition. Thanks again to Likkoyn, my beta.