Chapter 9: First Blood
The bell clangs.
Boldo charges like a boulder rolling downhill, an humanoid goblin, his massive fists swings like sledgehammers. Leon sidesteps, maintaining his distance, and fires once.
The manna round strikes Boldo’s shoulder but does nothing. The enhancement tattoos flares brighter, healing the small wound instantly.
The crowd roars. Boldo laughs, swinging again.
Leon circles, observing not just the muscles but the movement. Boldo favors his left leg slightly, and his right elbow takes longer to recover after extended swings. Enhancement magic can heal flesh but can’t fix structural damage quickly enough.
Leon fires again, this time aiming for Boldo’s left knee. The ligament snaps. Boldo stumbled, his tattoos flashing, as it tries to repair the damage, but healing takes time.
"Stand still and fight!" Boldo roars.
Leon’s second shot catches the big man’s right elbow, rupturing the tendon. Boldo’s arm sags, and his next punch swings wide, missing its target.
The crowd’s jeers turns uncertain; this isn’t going as expected.