Solomon's Crucible 68. Extra Credit (Patreon)

AN: Remember to read the warning labels before using performance enhancing substances.

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Solomon couldn't do anything but stand there and take it as the leader punched him in the face. There was no system notification. No indication that his invocation of the Powder Charge ability had failed. But no indication that it had worked, either. As a guy with good but not astounding strength against three armed and wary men, Solomon didn't have a lot of options.

He felt a crunch that was probably his nose breaking. A brief spike of pain that stood out for a moment before fading into the general background noise in the back of Solomon's mind. When his eyesight cleared up, he saw that the leader had taken a step back.

"What's wrong with you?" he asked. "Why are you wasting my time? You're going to tell us who you work for, who you're looking for, all of it!"

He stepped forward, poking Solomon square in the chest. Solomon looked down, automatically following the motion. Oddly enough, the finger had a purple tint to it.

Glancing around, Solomon discovered that his whole field of view had been tinted purple. More importantly, a feeling of warmth that started in his stomach began spreading throughout his body. Everywhere it passed, aches and pains went away, replaced by a feeling of strength and vitality. A purple lightning bolt icon at the edge of his vision indicated that his ability was finally kicking in.

Much as Solomon would have liked to run the numbers to see what he was getting out of his latest investment in grid points, all that mattered at this point was the more practical test. He adjusted his stance slightly until he was crouching more than slouching. A little quick mental math told him that if the leader's finger was poking his chest, then his face was probably...

Solomon surged upright, sending the top of his head forward like a spear point. There was a satisfying crunch as the man in his face was sent staggering back.

Solomon kept going with the momentum, ripping his right arm free with brute strength. He pivoted around the hold the other man had on his left arm, pivoting around behind him. Then he reached up with his right hand and tore out a chunk of his throat.

His victim fell to the ground, scrabbling at the wound as though stemming the bleeding would do anything. The other guard drew a short sword and led with it as he stepped forward, trying to run Solomon through.

Solomon used his hook to latch onto the attack and pull it wide. He stepped forward and grabbed the guard under the shoulder. In the back of his mind, he was shocked that the move with the hook had worked, but this was no time to hesitate. With a grunt, he lifted the guard up and turned.

He was just in time. The leader was charging back into the fray with his sword out. He ended up running his subordinate through. The victim stiffened in surprise, staring down at the sword in disbelief. Solomon stepped to the side to avoid the tip of the sword, then leaned forward and dug his shoulder into the unfortunate guard's chest. With a grunt, he started to push.

The leader was caught off guard by the sudden turn of events, and didn't manage to brace himself. He began backpedaling in order to avoid being run over. Solomon picked up speed with every step, finally sending both opponents out the door to crash into the hallway wall.

The leader tried to reach around the body pinning him to the wall and attack Solomon, but he couldn't put any force behind his blows.

Solomon took a more direct route. Seizing the face of the dazed guard, he pulled him forward slightly before shoving back, driving the back of his head into his target. He heard a crunch and a cry of dismay. A savage grin spread across his face as he repeated the act. Once. Twice. Three times, and he stepped back to let the pair of bodies fall to the floor.

He was starting to get used to the purple tint to the world as he stepped back into the dorm room. The final guard was on his back, holding a hand to his throat. As Solomon watched, there was a flash of system healing and the bleeding slowed, then stopped.

Solomon stepped forward, easily avoiding the guard's attempt to ward him off, then positioned his foot over his neck. A few stomps sufficed to inflict an injury the system couldn't heal.

Absently scanning the room in case he'd missed anything, Solomon reached up and pulled the dagger out of his shoulder. Moving through its resistance had been annoying. He toggled system healing back on and waited for it to kick in, then accepted the system's prompt to add the Unarmed Fighting skill.

Then he turned his attention to the room's final occupant. The ordinary looking student had been cowering in the corner since Solomon started fighting back. When Solomon stepped toward him, he almost seemed to try to be digging himself through the wall.

"Tiffany," Solomon said. "Where is she?"

The student stared at him. "Are you Solomon?"

Solomon gestured with the dagger, wanting the reminder of who was asking questions and who was answering them. "Where?"

"Oh, uh," the student said, stuttering for a moment, "the stadium, I think. That's where they took people who wouldn't sign up."

Solomon followed the student's gaze to the white armband wrapped around his upper arm. It stood to reason that the armbands weren't just handed out for free. He couldn't help but feel proud of his sister for refusing to go along. And contempt for the student in front of him for taking the deal.

"Hey, man," the student said, seeming to sense the line of his thinking, "I only agreed to follow the new rules. Keep my head down. Stay out of trouble. Trade in any dungeon materials for credits. That's all."

Solomon grunted, then took a step back. The student smiled.

"I just did what I had to do," he said. "Now I can help you-"

Whatever the student thought he had to offer would remain a mystery as Solomon stepped forward and slammed the dagger into the side of his skull. It sank home easily enough, sending the student tumbling to the floor where he lay still.

He had caved the first time he faced any pressure from the aliens. He'd been happy to watch Solomon be tortured for information. And now he thought he could be useful? Solomon spat on his body and stepped back into the hallway.

As he exited the room, the purple tint began to recede. Solomon staggered to a stop, bringing his hand up to his head.

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