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After effortlessly defeating a Giant Cave Toad more than three times his side, the Fortress Defense Directorate at Nazushnóton Nabår Nòm puts together a small force of animal trappers and architects to find and capture monsters in the cavern to train Logan. The trappers succeed in catching two Cave Crocodiles. These beasts are ten times the size of an adult Dwarf, incredibly aggressive, and, unlike the smaller Giant Cave Toads, they have thick armored scales and large, serrated teeth, making them tough for even well-equipped soldier’s to face. But Logan is no ordinary soldier. As has happened routinely now, Logan marches into the Arena and lets the drawbridge shut behind him, ready to face his first opponent that is truly a Beast King, a monster…

The following is the report filed by ïngiz Towerknives, chief medical dwarf, reviewed by His Majesty King Minkot Figureslick in the late winter of 215.

25th Moonstone 215

As Director of Defense Erush Lovedwheel has been wrapped up with the Adamantine Vein Mapping project, it fell to me to oversee the Logan Directive. Soon after we built our Monster Attractor, we captured a lone Cave Crocodile. What a beast! Even larger than a giant sponge, it’s eyes were as big as Logan’s head! But I’ve studied Logan quite intensely. He’s more than strong enough to take on this beast.

I order the trappers to place the crocs in the “Insertion Chambers”. They do so. A miner pulls the release lever on the way out.

The mighty croc lets loose a roar. Logan calmly assumes a fighting stance.

Logan takes the initative, sliding under the beast, taking out its foot and hitting it in the guts.

Through the numerous strikes of the Dwarven child, the Crocodile charges twice. The first time, Logan leaps out of the way before resuming his onslaught. The second time, Logan jumps too late, and is caught at the edge of the croc’s snout and is sent tumbling back. Thankfully, he recovers quickly, and rolls back onto his feet and launching a counteroffensive.

Turning in a wide arc, Logan uses a master-level Kisat Dur strike to tear open the crocodiles throat, penetrating its thick scale armor. A blow like that would decapitate a dwarf. The crocodile knows it has met its match, and is overcome by terror.

As it tries to flee, Logan smacks it on the head. It becomes enraged.

I make a quick analysis of her wounds. She’s pretty beat up, but her only major wound is the throat one. Logan is making the most out of his new training partner.

The strain of fighting a Dwarven Super Soldier is too much for the Croc, and she collapses, chest heaving. Logan, ever the sportsman, steps back and sits down, allowing his opponent time to recover.

Once the Croc stands up, she turns her eyes back onto Logan and lumbers back towards him. Logan lies in wait. Arms folded. I’ve seen this before…

As the Croc lunges, Logan sidesteps, opens up, and throws a mighty left cross, which strikes the Croc right between the eyes. The Croc’s eyes roll up into its head and it collapses, thoroughly KO’d. It’s the same move he used when he finished off the cave toad in four strikes.

From the sidelines, Logan gives me a thumbs up. “I’ve improved my punching technique. Very satisfying!”

I take a look at the croc. The punch, while knocking the Croc out cold, only bruised her muscle through her thick scale armor. She’d be getting up after her beauty rest.

When his opponent regains consciousness and footing, Logan resumes his attack, delivering three rapid-fire strikes, bruising the beast and destroying the left fourth toe.

The Croc’s consciousness is not long lived. A left cross followed by a right hook sends her back under.

As the croc wakes back up, Logan decides he’s had enough and finishes the Croc off with a powerful left jab, destroying its throat and re-opening his previous wounds. After a brief struggle, the Croc bleeds out.

As the croc expires, the Cavern team informs me that they’ve captured another cave croc, a male this time. I tell them to send him into chamber 3.

We remove the corpse from the Arena. Logan plays by himself in the cell, waiting for his next opponent. After the corpse is gone and the Croc is pitted, I close the drawbridge and open the chambers. As the floodgate opens, the Croc takes one look at Logan and is overcome by fear.

The Croc slinks out, trying to get farther from Logan. Logan stands his ground, observing the male croc’s behavior. After a few moments, the Croc turns around. It works up a warrior’s resolve, let’s out a rumbling snarl, and charges at Logan. Logan nods at it in respect. They meet, and blows fly.

Cave croc strikes first, but Logan takes the lead, sidestepping its gaping maw and delivering mighty uppercuts to its lower and upper body, where its armor is weakest.

More blows fly. The Croc is seriously outmatched. Its toes explode into gore.

Suddenly, the Croc lunges, it’s gaping maw enveloping an unmoving Logan. A wave of terror passes through me: could the asset be lost? A heartbeat later, a cloud of the Croc’s giant teeth exploded everywhere. Logan had scratched them all off in one mighty blow. The Croc’s lethality was seriously reduced now: it could no longer bite. It remains a dangerous foe, due to its sheer size, but at least no dwarves can be cloven in two.

The Croc, strained against this amazing dwarven child, collapses from exertion, retching with nothing to vomit. Logan hits the Croc in the leg as it falls. He again decides he’s had enough, pulls his hand back for a finishing blow. Dwarf and beast make eye contact…

And then the unthinkable happens.

Something passes between the Croc and Logan. Although we are at a loss of what happened, I think it had something to do with the fact that they were both mighty warriors. Engaged in combat, the language of warriors, the Croc managed to communicate to Logan. Accepting him as superior, the leader of the pack, it yielded to Logan.

The Croc lowered its head and eyes. Logan lowered his hand. The croc, chest heaving, retching, rolled over. Logan yawned, patted the croc on the head, and promptly went to sleep.

I screamed an order to get the marksdwarves to the arena, and to open all chambers. I knew our super-soldier had not exerted himself in any way. I realized with a sickening feeling that it was Logan’s bedtime. But he was engaged in combat! How could he sleep in such a situation.

As I looked on, I realized that the Croc had not moved, and did not try to attack Logan. It was still breathing, and not mortally wounded. I belayed the order for the marksdwarves to come. I realized that Logan had not slept during combat: he simply went asleep because he had agreed with the Croc to stop fighting.

What’s more, when a cell opened, the Croc went straight into it. Logan had convinced it to return to its cell, in exchange for its life.

After this ordeal, we all flooded into the room, cleaning up after the fight. I took the opportunity to check up on Logan. No wounds, in perfect repose. He muttered something about his fighting having improved.

Logan proved something today. He showed us not only that he was capable of taking out mighty monsters. He showed us that, even though he is fearless in combat, he is not a brute that mindlessly kills for nothing. He showed mercy towards a yielding opponent, bringing honor to us all. If I ever have a child, I do hope she takes after Logan.

The Crocodile is in its cell. I’ll consult with Erush as to what to do with it. We can pair it off with Logan once more, but it seems cruel to do so after it yielded. Perhaps we will tame it as a pet. It would hardly survive in the wild without its teeth. But maybe it can be Logan’s companion.

In our last board meeting, Erush brought up using military squads to simulate common combat scenarios that Logan will face. His first suggestion, using our Mercenary squad to attack, horrified me. How could we order our own loyal soldiers to attack a fellow citizen? And I knew that such orders always led to death of one party or another, with disastrous results. Fortunately, I liked his idea of capturing enemy soldiers and having them fight Logan in full gear. After all, he’d be learning how to fight the actual enemies of the state, and would find much of the same styles that he’ll encounter later. However, it’s been a quiet Autumn and even more quiet winter, despite the rumors of an Elven invasion force moving in on the capital, and on us. We will discuss this along with our other nobles and esteemed Royal Family on the new year.