There are several teams and individual competitions that we’d signed up for a couple of months ago during registration.
Lillian and John walk directly to a floating blue crystal and reset their respawn points to the locker room. The thought of resetting my respawn point makes me uncomfortable since the last time I did that I was repeatedly murdered by the man in the mask. But I’m assured by Lillian that security here is tight, and every single competitor has to do this, or they can’t compete. After all, they can’t have someone die, respawn at their home base, and then grab some illegal equipment and join the games again. I reluctantly place my hand on the blue crystal and reset my respawn point. I hope I don’t come to regret this later.
Chapter 44
All the participants gathered in what looks like an abandoned city. Over a hundred competitors are wearing all manner of armor and weapons. Some are sci-fi themed, others clearly have a magical bent, and there’s even someone wearing a skimpy cat costume like Felicia from Darkstalkers.
A voice from seemingly nowhere begins to speak, “Welcome, competitors, to the System Games. There are many challenges ahead for each of you, but you’ll all start off here in the qualifying event. If you can’t make it here, you won’t make it in the competition.”
A giant blue screen appears in mid-air with a cartoon-like picture of our location.
“This qualifying event is simple. It’s a race through this abandoned city to the finish line.”
A blinking X and an icon with of a finish line appear on the picture above us.
There’s murmuring among the crowd, and I hear a System User in a tracksuit say, “A race? This will be a piece of cake. I’m made for speed.”
After a moment, the announcer's voice continues, “Don’t think it’s just a simple race though. No matter which route you take, you’ll face obstacles.”
The picture of the map disappears, and a series of pictures of monsters, traps, explosions, and robots replace it.
The murmuring among the competitors lessens, and no one seems quite as confident.
“There are no restrictions during the race. You may use any form of technology or magic. You may even maim, kill, or disable your opponents. Anything goes. Only the first 30 people to cross the finish line will be allowed to continue on to the next round.”
The picture on the big blue floating screen changes to a countdown. 10…9…8…7…6…5…4…3…2…1. Then there’s a loud horn, and everyone starts to move forward. The square empties out onto a series of roads that lead to different parts of the industrial cityscape. Already several people are abandoning the crowd and using special abilities or tech to climb buildings.
Lillian and John don’t move. Instead, John pulls a small drone from his inventory and throws it up into the air. The drone immediately starts to scan the area around us. John then pulls up a copy of the map displayed on the giant screen and plots an optimal route for us to take. Lillian prepares by changing her outfit to special armor. It covers less of her than her power suit, but seems designed for speed. Her weapon of choice is still a sword, though this time it’s a katana that glows red.
After a moment more, John points in the direction of a small alleyway. “This way.”
Even though it’s only been a minute since the horn blasted, our group is one of the last to leave the square. I worry that this delay will cost us a place in the top 30.
Lillian takes the lead while John follows behind her and I’m in the rear. John calls out directions to Lillian, and we take a winding path over bridges, through tunnels, and sometimes even through buildings. As we pass through the city, I catch signs of battle everywhere. The remains or robots and monsters litter the street. Burn marks on the walls show where explosives or fire magic where used.
We have to change our route several times as we run into a fight that’s spilled into our path. Sometimes it’s a contestant fighting a mechanized opponent. Other times it's a contestant fighting another contestant.
We’re traveling through a narrow alleyway between brick buildings when a group of people in ninja outfits seem to melt out of the shadows. Five in front of us and five in back. A quick use of Inspection tells me who they are.
Robo Ninja
Level 11
Health 110/110
TP 50/50
The creation of a mad cyber-scientist with a fetish for the shinobi, these robotic ninjas are capable of turning invisible using advanced optical technology. They use surprise to their advantage, often finishing off their opponents before they’re even aware they’re there.
Abilities: Camouflage, Shinobi Strike, Shuriken Throw
Weakness: Electricity, Water
Robo Ninjas? If they weren’t standing in our path trying to delay us from getting to the finish line, I’d like to take the time to check them out more. As it stands, I grab my grenade launcher from my inventory. It’s already loaded with explosive ammunition. I aim from the hip and pull the trigger. There’s a ‘whump’ sound, and the explosive grenade launches into the air along a short arc. The group of robots looks at the cylindrical object that lands in their mists before it goes off in a fiery explosion. The five robo ninjas behind us are blown back and slam into brick walls. Their ninja clothes are burned away in places, and sparks fly from the exposed circuitry. Red 50s float away from them. Thankfully this is a narrow alleyway, and they weren’t blown too far away. It takes a second for the cylinder of the grenade launcher to turn, but I shoot another grenade at them, and the explosion finishes them off.
You’ve defeated a group of Robo Ninjas x 10, level 11. You receive 1100 XP.
Turning to see how Lillian and John are doing with their group of robo ninjas. I find the two of them waiting for me, surrounded by robotic parts.
Lillian and John both know about my special ability Absorb and let me use it on the unusual enemies in hopes that I’ll get one of their abilities. When I absorb the ninth robo ninja, I get something.
Absorb has successfully captured the essence of the defeated foe. You’ve learned the ability Camouflage.
When I check my list of abilities, I find that Camouflage is greyed out, and I can’t activate it. I can see what it’s supposed to do though.
Camouflage
D
Active
Used by artificial entities to project a field of light that mimics invisibility. Camouflage mimics the surroundings around the creature making them harder to see. Not effective against thermal or infrared scans.
*User does not have required artificial components to use ability*
The second time we are ambushed, the first sign we get of trouble is when John’s drone comes crashing down from the sky. We’re running through the middle of a park, and from behind a group of trees, four System Users come charging at us. How do I know they’re System Users? Well, I’d already noticed that the monsters generated by the dungeons are themed. They’re all fantasy monsters or more usually the same type of monsters. There’s very rarely a mix of types of monsters, much less ones with the hodgepodge combination of powers these guys have. One is a half cyborg. Another is clearly a mage of some kind, since she wields a big glowing staff and wears loose-fitting robes. The third has an overly large rifle and wears military fatigues. The fourth is a huge hulking mass of muscle and only wears a leather thong that barely covers his junk.