Chapter 34: You Can Win Like That?
Sneed looked down at the arena as Aker stood calmly and watched the twenty-five Kulga flood in. The Kulga were like a tidal wave as they pushed themselves out of the gate and into the throws of battle.
As Sneed watched them break free from the gate and enter the open area that was the arena, he noticed that these Kulga seemed more desperate than any of the others that Aker had fought to date.
Just as he was about to ask about it One Eye laughed out "Hahahaha....hahahahaha...Using this pack of Kulga that hasn't eaten anything in 3 days was a good idea, they seem especially wild and dangerous. You can see their desperation for food from here and their only source of a meal is that boy. Let's see how he gets out of this one...hahahahah.....hahahahaha."
As Sneed heard One Eye talking his heart dropped and he felt his legs go weak. These Kulga were extreme savages due to their hunger. Everyone knows that there are three types of beast states of mind you have to be especially careful of.
First a beast that is cornered as it would do anything even to the point of taking its life with your life.
Secondly a mother beast protecting its offspring. There are plenty of beast that are worth a considerable fortune as babies. Some wealthy families will train them and use them in their families so there is good money in snatching those baby beasts.
Thirdly, a starving beast. A hungry and starving predator is two or three times more vicious when it finds its prey. In addition, they are next to impossible to force into submission when they are staring down a meal while starving.
Sneed couldn't help but look over at One Eye and think to himself 'what a despicable man, I only hope I get to be there when the life drains from his eyes so I can laugh at his misfortune!'
While Sneed was thinking that he would never dare say those words out into the universe, instead he calmly replied back "What an excellent trick to pull the most you could out of those beasts. Had I also known you had that planned I would have never bet on the boy."
"Hahahahahahaa...It's too late now, look at the arena big display, it already has your name and our bet for the world to see. Maybe next time you should ask me how I'm betting and just follow along, I'll make sure to take good care of you." One Eye replied back to Sneed with clear joy and satisfaction in his voice following Sneed's compliment of him.
As Sneed and One Eye were talking the details of the bet were put up on the arena board:
Sneed Hall
Bet: On the nameless boy
Odds: 100 x 1
Amount: 75,000,000 Franar
As the crowd saw the details of the bet it burst into a frenzy.
"Oi..Oi do you think that's unlucky Sneed with that bet?" Someone in the crowd who knew Sneed called out.
"No way, unlucky Sneed doesn't have that kind of money. What's unlucky Sneed's last name?" A large and rather muscular man responded back. He was the companion to the one who asked if it was unlucky Sneed.
"I don't know what his last name is. Everyone just calls him unlucky Sneed due to what happened to his wife and then having a sickly daughter." The first man responded back after a seconds thought.
Not many people knew Sneed as he really didn't get along with the people from the underground in the first place. He wasn't the type of man who found joy and excitement in the life of crime so he never really hit it off with any of the other criminal types. To be honest none of the others really cared for Sneed and his "I'm better than you attitude" as if though everyone was less than him just because they enjoyed doing the less than reputable things they did.
All throughout the crowd everyone was discussing who this Sneed was and why he would place such a large bet on the boy. Did he know something they didn't?
Because of a few people in the crowd almost no one bet on the boy to win. The logic and arguments of the few that stood up and pointed out that The Pit only raised the odds to trick some people into betting on the Kid made perfect sense and persuaded all of those people who were going to bet on the boy to win.
Aker looked up and also saw the board and was slightly stunned.
"I don't know how much money that is, but based on the way the crowds reacting it must be a lot. I wonder who he is?" Aker couldn't help but wonder who it was betting on him and more importantly why.
As Aker watched the Kulga fanning out he still stood in his spot. To the crowds surprise he wasn't running around like he normally did when he was fighting these Kulga mobs.
The eyes of Aker scanned over each and every Kulga as they ran around the arena each finding its own lane and each getting into its own position to attack Aker. As Aker watched he was carefully examining each Kulga looking for specific signs.
At this point Aker has fought over 25 Kulga and could almost be considered an expert when it comes to fighting them. After fighting so many of them and especially after his few head to head battles he had picked up on a few traits.
Sneed couldn't help but marvel at Aker's calm attitude as he faced a mountain of hungry and desperate beast. Aker had just finished a long hard fight where he specifically pushed himself to his limit to train and here he was facing an even larger horde of wild beast and he was calmly standing there as if though he was an unshakable pillar.
It wasn't just Sneed who could feel the calm presence of Aker but many seasoned fighters in the crowd couldn't help but marvel at the boy's air. He was beginning to exude a confidence that told others that even if the heavens were to fall down, he would hold them up.
Seeing the calm attitude of Aker, the crowd was getting more and more excited and the atmosphere was getting more and more charged. Every single time this kid fought it would create a plethora of emotions.
How could someone remain so calm in the face of an overwhelming disaster? Simply put they couldn't, only a person who believed and knew they could win would stand there like Aker. It simply wasn't something people could fake. Standing before certain death. Standing before the pain of being shredded to pieces. How could you not show at least the slightest semblance of fear or despair? Only those who have the utmost belief and confidence in themselves could do it.
Aker who wasn't paying attention to the crowd or even the situation just silently scanned over the Kulga.
His eyes took in their every action. He had quickly eliminated twenty of them within one to two breaths. Of the remaining five he observed their positioning. He watched how the other Kulga moved around them and how they maintained themselves.
As he watched one of the Kulga stood out. It was a giant Kulga that was almost a full head higher than the other ones. As it moved the other Kulga around it were cognizant of it always maintaining their distance and showing it respect. While these hungry beasts were certainly more crazed than usual, they were still beast which means they still obeyed the laws of the jungle.
As Aker had confirmed that this was the Kulga he was looking for he began examining his situation. The Kulga had fanned out from the gate creating more of a half-moon with almost an even number going left and right upon entry into the arena.
The Kulga he had identified was the very last one to exit the gate and therefore was directly in front of him. If he was to attack it that would draw him into the heart of the Kulga and allow for all 25 of them to surround him.
Without any hesitation Aker planted his foot into the ground and pushed off darting at the Kulga directly to his front.
His action startled the entire stadium and all of the Kulga.
Sneed watched as Aker's feet seemed to glide across the ground as he charged toward the center of the Kulga formation. Aker closed the distance and ran perfectly into them to the point that you would think that he wanted to die.
'Perhaps he is too tired from his previous fight and he would rather just get it over with?' Sneed couldn't help but wonder if Aker wasn't trying to commit suicide. Why else would he run right into the mouth of the beast?
As One Eye watched Aker's action he started laughing to the point that it filled the entire luxury box they were in.
"Hahahahaha.....hahahahaha.....at the least I have to commend the kid for dying like a man. That's right we shouldn't run away from death but should face it head on. When he moves like that, he reminds me of me." As always One Eye wasn't about to let an opportunity for him to compliment himself go by.
Sneed held his breath as Aker closed in on the Kulga who was dead center ahead. At this point he had already moved to a point of no escaping the Kulga. The Kulga had created something like a half-moon and by Aker charging at the Kulga in the center there would be Kulga in all directions around him in just a couple of seconds. As the Kulga furthest out on the wings began to charge at Aker they would be behind him enclosing him in a circle.
Aker didn't seem to mind at all that he was going to be completely surrounded. Sneed after having watched Aker's last two fights against the Kulga mobs was in utter and total confusion. Aker had previously used a strategic hit and run approach when fighting the mobs. It wasn't until he was down to his last one or two Kulga that he would fight them face to face.
As Sneed saw Aker close in to within two meters distance between him and the Kulga Aker did something that sent his confusion into over drive. Aker came to a sudden and immediate stop. He just stopped and stood there. As the giant Kulga was moving as fast as it could it would take less than a second for the Kulga to bare down on Aker.
Aker calmly stood there as Kulga were storming at him from all directions. The saliva from the two dozen Kulga was flying in the air as it was now a competition of who could get to Aker first. A second late meant a second less food.
Sneed held his breath and clinched his fist. This time he wouldn't turn his head away. He would watch the boy face his last seconds and send him off with honor.
Because Aker charged directly at the biggest Kulga it was going to be the first one to get to him. Based on the speed and distance of all of the Kulga it would get to Aker about two seconds before the other ones. In terms of a battle like this, these two seconds could be an eternity.
As the Kulga was moving so fast and was so large it couldn't slow down like Aker did so it charged at Aker leaning its head forward and extending its jaws towards Aker. It slightly turned its head sideways as if preparing to wrap its mouth around Aker and break him in half.
Seeing this Aker just stood tall and waited for the Kulga to attack. Just as its mouth was about to reach Aker he stepped to the left side, to the opposite away from its open and tilted mouth and with the knife in his right hand in a reverse grip swung his arm at the same time. Due to Aker moving to the side the Kulga zipped past Aker completely missing him. As Aker swung his right arm with the knife in the reverse grip it stabbed deep into the side of the Kulga lodging itself into his shoulder.
Aker held on tightly to the knife as his feet lifted up and off the ground. Due to the momentum of the Kulga and the knife being lodged into it, Aker was now moving along with the Kulga.
In one smooth motion Aker pulled himself up and onto the back of the Kulga. Taking his left hand also holding a knife in the reverse grip he stabbed it down into the other shoulder of the Kulga. Aker was now riding the back of this monster holding onto a knife in each hand that was lodged into its back.
The action of the knife hitting its back, Aker climbing on and then stabbing it in the other shoulder happened so fast the Kulga never had a chance to scream out. Upon the second knife stabbing deep into its back the Kulga cried out in pain and began to wildly run around. The Kulga was jumping and spinning in the air trying to throw Aker from its back. Aker lowered his head and body getting as close as he could to the body of the Kulga and held on tightly to the knifes pushing them further in trying to drive them between bone for stability.
As the knifes pressed further into the Kulga it again screamed out in pain and jumped and danced around the arena.
The other Kulga all stopped their movements and watched as the primary beast screamed and danced around. Not a single Kulga moved all eyes fixated on the scene happening before their eyes. It wasn't only the Kulga that were frozen but the entire arena.
How many times? How many times would this boy shock this crowd into silence? Had there ever been such a thing to happen in The Pit?
After roughly half a minute sensing that the Kulga was not trying to buck off Aker with as much force anymore probably due to the fact that it was exhausted, Aker removed his right hand from the knife and slapped the Kulga on the head and over the ear.
Aker had read in the anatomy book while doing his medic training that an attack to the ear of a human could cause significant issues and even someone much weaker could incapacitate a much stronger foe. While this Kulga was not a human Aker was surmising that at least for basic physiology such as eyes, ears, nose and throat the concepts should work the same way.
The Kulga having its ear slapped immediately tilted its head away and cried out in grief.
Not stopping Aker cupped his hand and repeatedly hit the ear of the Kulga....one time.... two times.... three times.... four times...finally after the fourth hit the Kulga stopped all movement and simply stood there.
It didn't want to do anything that would cause this damn human to hit it again.
Sensing that the Kulga was done putting up a fight Aker quickly removed the knifes from the back or shoulder of the Kulga. Upon having the knifes pulled out the Kulga screamed but it didn't dare move.
Through this entire process whether it was the other dozen Kulga or the crowd, no one made a noise.
When Aker began slapping the ear of the Kulga the jaws of the crowd fell down and tongues hung out. Had they ever seen anyone stand on the back of a beast and slap its ear over and over again. Not only that but after having its ear slapped half a dozen times it finally submitted to Aker.
The other two dozen Kulga seeing that the primary Kulga had submitted all put down their heads and submitted to Aker.
As all of the Kulga submitted Aker had won this battle in less than a minute or two and everyone in the crowd was left with the same thought.
"You can win like that?"
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
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