I quickly found out that my new trait, One from All, could be activated even if I was already pregnant. It hadn’t even been that long since he took away the other three.

“Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!” 

The Shadopus slammed me against the glass of my enclosure. God this is humiliating, I thought. Tentacles wrapped around me, lifting me. They pinned my arms and pulled my legs wide apart. 

Smack! Smack! Smack!

I hit the glass with a wet slap with each thrust. Two tentacles took turns inside of me. I watched Draconis across the room setting something up on his desk. He was talking about training and the tournament. Was this part of my training? 

I watched the two thick, inky black shafts slide effortlessly into me over and over again. In the other world, I might have enjoyed this. I’m sure I wasn’t the only girl with a tentacle fantasy. But now? I shuddered in orgasm. OK, maybe it wasn’t so bad.

The Shadopus pushed both tentacles inside of me as far as he could! I groaned at the feeling of fullness. That feeling passed when he slammed me shoulders first into the ground and doubled up on the tentacles. They spun and entwined around each other, then took turns drilling into me. 

My head was spinning. Too much! I was going into sensation overload. Fuck! Fuck! I could barely catch a breath. Every muscle in my body trembled and tensed again, then I went limp in its grasp. The Shadopus didn’t care. He splayed me across the ground and squeezed my tits with two inky black tentacles. Milk sprayed out, coating both the tentacles and myself. He latched on. 

Slurrrrp!

The suction gave life back to my dulled-over eyes and I came back to my senses.

 

Your Human Milk has been harvested by Shadopus!

 

It was the oddest sensation and it gave me goosebumps. In tandem with his powerful thrusting, I thought for sure I was going to be sent over the edge again. But I endured. I got another notification about being harvested and my breasts felt lighter. When he released I cried out in pleasure and ended up with a mouth full of tentacles.

Gulp! Gulp!

Thick ropes of semen jettisoned down my throat, onto my body, and inside of me. 

 

You have gained the Dark Element trait from Shadopus! You can see better in the dark!

 

The Shadopus dropped me on the floor and moved over to my water bowl to bathe. Fucking jerk, I thought, watching. I didn’t even want to move. Dark Element, huh? I need some damaging skills already! I couldn’t take on the dragons with just one energy sword. I wasn’t some mythical spartan warrior with training. I was just a nerdy girl from a small college town!

It didn’t take long for Draconis to remove the Shadopus from my pen. I used Splash to clean myself off and was rewarded with a prompt.

 

Your Splash skill has ranked up! The range of the skill is increased!

 

Just the range? Still useless, I thought. 

“I hope you’re hungry!” Draconis said as he grabbed me from my enclosure. I could see he’d put the Shadopus in the enclosure on the far side. I was higher up in the air now and could see better. The Keen Senses trait also helped. I had a much better-detailed view of the room.

At the very center of the room was a vast pile of pillows that Draconis enjoyed lounging on. His desk was nearby, but he didn’t use a chair. There were two tables on the north wall furthest from my table and two on the southern wall where I was kept. The Shadopus, Horned Woofacle, and Tribearatops sat on one table in separate enclosures. On the second table were the Chadpup, Borgrre, and duck monster. Ducktacle was his species. I could see it with my Analytical trait.

There has to be more than this, I thought. I’d only seen two rooms in my time here and I was hoping that might change soon. 

Draconis dropped me on his desk with another dress. This one was a little more my size and I put it on.

 

You have equipped Pink Dress! It provides no combat benefits.

Draconis dumped out a small bottle of something on the table in front of me. They were like tiny footballs. Soft and gummy-like. He looked at me expectantly but I didn't know what to do with them.

Gulp!

Draconis frowned, picked one of the small footballs up with a pair of tongs, and shoved it into my mouth.

 

You have gained a level! You are now level 19!

 

It all made sense now. He didn’t stop. Draconis force-fed me six more gummies and I finally gained my first offensive skill.

 

You have learned the Shadow Strangle skill!

You have gained a level! You are now level 25!

 

“Holy Drageezus! Finally!” Draconis exclaimed when I got my Shadow Strangle skill. “It’s about damn time!”

I didn’t know if he knew I could understand everything he said. I at least didn’t think he knew that I was plotting his demise. I wish I could see his health bar. I didn’t know what that meant. Was he as easy to kill as a regular powerless human? I didn’t think so. It would be foolish to even try without being able to defend myself better. If the level cap was indeed 50, I was halfway there.

Draconis didn't want to train anymore before the tournament. Just rest. I tested out my Shadow Strangle in the downtime. Three or four tendrils of darkness would rise from my own shadow and wrap around an item of my choosing, then once it was secure, start to crush it.

None of the mundane items in my miniature house could stand up to the crushing force of my shadowy tendrils. That encouraged me. Restraining people was a good way to murder them. I could extend the range of my shadow by moving it into another shadow while activating the skill. If it was a big enough shadow, I would have more tendrils, and they were stronger.

 

I spent the next day mentally preparing myself for whatever was going to happen. No expectations. Win or lose. 

 

– 

 

Draconis kept me in a soundproof transport ball that I couldn’t see out of the day of the tournament. They were tournament-official balls,  designed to retain the secrecy of the monster from all viewers and competitors and to keep the monster from being overwhelmed by the crowds and noise of it all. Personally, I found it really annoying. 

When the ball opened I was released into an arena with a gravel floor and high walls. It reminded me of every Gladiator movie I’d ever watched. I had my Mana Cutter in hand. You got this, I reminded myself.

The huge dome arena had perches all along the walls, ceiling, and floor at every angle you could imagine. Serpent dragons wrapped around columns of stone, wingless dragons laid on carved ledges, and some even clung to the ceiling to watch. Another one of those large black Obelisks was here, too. The arena was positioned in the center of everything.

The opposing monster was a Minotaurus. It was a name I’d heard before, both here and in my world. He was on the other side of the gravel arena getting his bearings. He stomped the ground and glared me down.

A hulking half-bull, half-man with brown fur. He had long curved horns, red eyes, and a thick nose ring. He was holding a one-handed ax that was as big as me! 

“Draconis, ID number 02234, has chosen his Superhuman: Valerie, for the battle!”

There was a murmur among the dragons who watched. Draconis’ opponent sat on a huge cushion opposite my position in the arena. Draconis was behind me. The opposing dragon was a blue one, a little smaller than Draconis, but with a torn left wing and perhaps a little older.

“Kronos, ID number 02399 has gone with his Minotaurus: Ballcrusher! Welcome to the first round of the level 25 Standard Cup 4036! Competitors on your mark! Get set! Battle!

BANG!

The Minotaurus let loose a roar and charged me, so I charged him. I didn’t know if that was a good idea, but it was my only idea. I activated Rain Armor, coating myself in a thin veil of water. His ax began to glow a deep orange and left a trail of flame and sparks when he let it drag across the ground. My Charger trait was active.

The Minotaurus’s ax slammed into my side as we passed each other. Pain roared to life in my side as I spun and cut him across the back with my Mana Cutter. We were a couple of meters apart now. He spun on his heel and charged me again!

 

You take 75 slashing damage (reduced by thick skin), and 24 fire damage from Minotaurus’ Flaming Ax Strike!

Rain Armor prevents burn!

Minotaurus takes 19 poison damage from Poison Blood!

You deal 56 magic damage to Minotaurus with your Manacutter!

You heal for 29 health with Rain Armor!

 

The announcer’s voice filled the stadium. “A powerful Flaming Ax Strike! Is that Rain Armor? What a powerful counter-move for Draconis! And the poison blood?! What a combo!”  The announcer’s voice wasn’t just a robotic voice this time.

“Of course, you’d have damage reduction, burn protection, and a melee damage counter. Humans are so overpowered,” The older blue Dragon complained.

  The Minotaurus barely missed his mark this time. I dodged to the side, seeing my reflection in the polished steel of his flaming ax moments before it exploded against the gravel. Hot. I came in for another back-strike but he parried me like a fucking casual. He dashed at me again.

I had no time to think or plan.

I sent my shadow forward and activated my newest skill. The moment my shadow passed over his, tendrils like hands shot up and began to wrap around him. The closer he got, the more shadows there were to pull against him. 

 

You dodged Minotaurus’s Flaming Ax Strike!

You deal 80 dark damage to Minotaurus with your Shadow Strangle!

You deal 102 magic damage to Minotaurus with your Manacutter!

 

It was the easiest dodge I’d ever performed. The resistance from the shadows slowed his swing, and my dodge further slowed the strike. I slashed my blade across his midsection as I ducked beneath his attack.

The shadows split and peeled as the Minotaurus spun, parrying my next strike. What probably would have been an epic finish.

 

Minotaurus has broken free of Shadow Strangle!

Rain Armor has worn off!

You have been parried by Minotaurus!

You take 71 slashing damage (reduced by Thick Skin), and 21 fire damage from Minotaurus’s Flaming Ax Strike!

You have been burned! You take 21 fire damage!

Minotaurus takes 20 damage from your Poison Blood!

 

“This is it, dragonfolks! The final moments! Superhuman versus Minotaurus!”

The Minotaurus jumped over my shadow tendrils and I rolled to the left to avoid his crashing swing. He danced just out of reach of my shadows while igniting his ax for another fiery blow.

Just get a little closer to the shadows! Even with Rain Armor, I wouldn't be able to take another hit like the last one. I had to do something, but the Minotaurus charged.

Hey! I haven’t thought of anything cool or creative to win yet!

I rolled under his swing but he parried my counterstrike. We locked weapons and he grabbed me with his free arm. Shadow Strangle! The tendrils wrapped up his body and gripped tight. It wasn’t enough. He brought his ax to bear and slammed it down into my chest.

 

Your Shadow Strangle deals 89 dark damage to Minotaurus!

You have grappled Minotaurus!

You take 156, reduced to 78 by Thick Skin, piercing damage and 23 fire damage from Minotaurus’s Flaming Ax Strike!

You resist burn!

Minotaurus takes 16 poison damage from your Poison Blood!

 

I expected everything to go dark, to fall to the ground, to fail. But I didn’t? I looked at my health bar in disbelief and heard the voice in the back of my head.

 

Resilience activated! Your health has been reduced to 1!

 

I ran my Mana Cutter straight through the chest of the restrained Minotaurus. No hesitation. He dropped his ax and tried to grab my sword with both hands, trying to stop me, but the shadowy tendrils were too much.

Shhhhhank!

Everything was quiet. The flickering purple energy blade stuck out the other side

“What! A! Battle!” The announcer broke the silence. “The Superhuman Valerie with the clutch Resilience! Ballcrusher the Minotaurus has been defeated! Draconis is the winner!”

There was a semi-enthusiastic clap that resounded around the arena. More dragons appeared to watch the finale of my match. I used Rain Armor and yanked the Mana Cutter free. Somehow the water knit back together my flesh and blood, regenerating it in minutes. 

“You did it! You beat a whole ass Minotaurus! That's a top-tier monster!” Draconis was excited. “I mean, I knew you could. Never doubted you.”

It was the first match of many, but I was kept inside of my ball almost the entire time. I celebrated alone. In the next match, I defeated a Bearasaur, the unevolved form of Tribearatops with one critical Shadow Strangle in the second round. Draconis’s opponent had been a younger-looking red dragon wearing a baseball cap.

 

You are now level 26!

The announcer was so loud I swear I could hear him from inside the sound-proof ball.

 

“For a place in the top 8, we have Draconis ID number 02234 with his Superhuman, Valerie!”

 

A murmur swept through the gathered dragons. Every bench, spire, platform, and seat was taken that I could see. The place was crowded.

 

“His opponent is the retired dragon knight, Sir Render ID number 01337 with his Shadopus!”

The Shadopus hovered just above the ground with its eight inky tentacles aimed at me. It had one large eye from which all its tentacles extended. 

Bang! The battle was on.

The Shadopus reared back and began to rotate his tentacles, firing them like a Gatling dart gun. 

Ratatatatatatat!

Rapidfire needle-like black darts blanketed the area. I ran. Darts shattered against the gravel, the side of the arena, and three of them struck me.

You have been poisoned!

You take 74 dark damage (3 hits!) from Shadopus’s Shadow Gat!

I activated Rain Armor but fell to one knee. The poison wasn’t the same as what I'd experienced before. I felt slow, not turned on. The Shadopus had stopped firing and began to lurch towards me. Focus. 

 

Your Antitoxin has removed all poison effects!

I dodged just before he turned into a wicked spinning shadowy sawblade and tried to cut me in half. Fuck that! I reached out with my Shadow Strangle and pulled him down onto the ground.

 

You dodged Shadopus’s Starblade Shuriken!

You deal 40 dark damage (reduced by Dark Resist), to Shadopus!

Shadopus is restrained!

 

“Draconis’s Superhuman clears the Shadopus’s poison!” The announcer continued. “She dodges the Starblade Shuriken! She counters! What a play by Draconis!”

 

I dashed forward and stabbed my Manacutter into the writhing mass of tentacles just before he broke the strangle. Two tentacles wrapped around each of my limbs and his eye opened wide to stare at me. Then it shot me straight in the chest with an eye laser!

 

You take 134 dark damage from Shadopus’s Eye Beam!

 

“Is this the end? The Superhuman is caught! Her health is half gone! What will Draconis do?”

Yeah, what the fuck will Draconis do? I yanked hard, pulling my sword arm free and the Shadopus towards me. I pierced his eye and he went limp against my manacutter. I let out a sigh of relief, then kicked his body off into the gravel with a satisfying thud. 

 

You have broken Shadopus’s grapple!

You deal 145 magic damage to Shadopus!

You have felled Shadopus! You gain 5668 experience!

You are now level 27!

You have learned the Virulent Twister skill! Unleash a poisonous tornado! 

 

“Draconis has advanced to the top 8 with his Superhuman, Valerie!”