Chapter 15: Level 10

The next morning, I log into the Net and find the pizzeria is totally empty, aside from the usual buzzing robots. Among the waiter robots, I spot one of the animatronics Jessica created for me. Its face looks almost human, but there’s something just a bit off that gives anyone a weird vibe when they look at it.

I wave aside the usual message of how credits I earned over the past few days and instead open up my full status page to stare at how close I am to level 10 and it’s promised new ability.

✦ . ⁺──────────·☽◯☾·──────────⁺ . ✦

STATUS:

Health: Healthy.

Designation: Human

Tier: 0 (Level 9)

Progress: 97% complete to Level 10

Credits: 4.32/40.00

Daily Income: +3.00 Credits (Absorption: +4.00 | Guide: +12.00 | Maintenance: -12 | HAI: -1)

Abilities:

Ghost in the Machine (Upgrades: 1)

Next at level 10.

Attributes:

Body: 5 → 9

Mind: 3 → 4

Senses: 3 → 5

Absorption: 2

Capacity: 3 → 4

Free Stat Points: 0

Home Base: Sector 18—Ghoulish Grub

Base Status: Operational

Current Allies: Jessica Carter

[Click to see Jessica Carter’s Page.]

Guide Help: 3 Days.

✦ . ⁺──────────·☽◯☾·──────────⁺ . ✦

System Notifications:

Duel at the Dueling Dome, Sector 4, in 3 days and 8 hours.

✦ . ⁺──────────·☽◯☾·──────────⁺ . ✦

My credit balance is a bit low at 4.32 credits, but the next couple of days and the duel should help bring it up. With 97% complete to Level 10, I’m eager to unlock my new ability. I just sit there for a while as I gaze around the pizzeria, the dim lights and eerie atmosphere providing a strange comfort.

The door swings open, and in marches Jessica, flanked by an army of over two dozen animatronics. It looks like she's been busy—half of them are decked out in metal plating, wielding war hammers that look like they could crush a car. The other half are carrying crossbows, the type that have been eating up all our credits for the past five days.

“Got something to drink?” Jessica asks, her eyes red-rimmed as she slumps into the seat across from me. “I was carried away last night.”

I can tell she's going to need something to keep her going after staying up way too late last night. Luckily, I’ve got just the thing.

“Your lucky I spent 35 credits on a drink machine yesterday,” I tell her, waving over one of the waiter robots. “Two coffees, please.”

As the robot bustles off to fetch our drinks, Jessica lays her head on the table. “Do I need to program a babysitter for you? This is the second time in 3 days…” I’m half-joking, but the exhaustion in her eyes is real.

Jessica raises her head just long enough to flip me the bird before putting it back down. I decide to let it slide, turning my attention back to her animatronic army.

“So, are these all the animatronics you’ve made?” I ask, trying to make conversation.

“Nope,” Jessica replies, her voice muffled by her arm. “The other half I'm saving for your duel. They’re kitted out even more and cost well over a couple hundred credits to make.”

“So,” I say, trying to make conversation, “how's life back home?”

“Shitshow.”

I nod and lean back in my chair, taking the hint that she doesn’t want to talk.

The robot returns with our coffees. Jessica sits up, rubbing her eyes, and takes a grateful sip before launching into an explanation of her creations.

“So, I’ve got two types here,” she says, gesturing with her mug. “The ones with the hammers, I call them Sentinels. The ones with the crossbows are Quillshot.”

“Catchy,” I say, taking a swig of my own coffee. “I’m guessing the Sentinels are for the heavy hitting and the Quillshots are for ranged support? What’s the difference between today’s flavor of animatronics and yesterday’s?”

“Yep,” Jessica nods. “The main difference is just some solid upgrades. I used all the credits you gave me yesterday to enhance my machines to use better alloys, which bumped the base maintenance cost up to 18 credits now because of the pricey materials. I’ll need to put all my points from leveling up into Absorption. By the way, we should both hit level 10 today, right? What abilities are you looking to get?”

Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

We talk strategy, and she explains the upgrades she’s made. Before long, we’re interrupted by Ethan barging in, his impatience obvious.

“Still yappin’? Time’s a-wastin’. Let’s go!”

✦ . ⁺──────────·☽◯☾·──────────⁺ . ✦

After a quick teleport and a walk, Jessica and I find ourselves facing off against a horde of Type A’s… No, not Type A’s... Rattlers. I correct myself, remembering the names the Netizens as those are the names everyone who is not Ethan uses.

“Alright, here come the Rattlers,” I say, readying my hammer. “Let’s get all these free credits before the Barracuda comes flying in.”

The Sentinels join me in a line against the rushing line of Rattlers who are being torn up by the crossbow bolts that are being shot by Jessica and the Quillshots.

The Rattlers are relentless and continue to eat up the distance between our line and them in a hurry. I tense up and begin to panic as Rattlers draw closer every second. It doesn’t matter how many times we practice this move; it will always make me panic. All it takes is for some Rattler to break through our line and trap us in a death loop, or the Barracudas appear and dive in at a bad moment.

I grip my war hammer tightly, my heart racing as the Rattlers charge toward us. The sound of metal scraping against metal fills the air, and the ground trembles beneath their mechanical feet. Jessica’s Quillshots unleash a volley of bolts, taking down several Rattlers before they even reach our line. But they keep coming, relentless, closing the gap between us faster than I anticipated.

Just at the last moment, before the Type A are about to crash into our line with all of their momentum behind them, a feeling of fullness seeps into my body as Jessica transfers enough credits for me to use my Ghost in the Machine ability to send out a wide wave of force at the Type A. The force is spread out way too much to damage the Rattlers, but it is enough to break all the momentum of their charge.

Before I can catch my breath, there’s a tail streaking towards me, and I duck on instinct. Bringing my shield to push the Type A back and swing my war hammer at it.

From there on, its a slaughter of the Rattlers’s as we slowly push back the surge of machines. Mine and Jessica’s combat training has paid off. The barrage of crossbow bolts tears up any attempts made by the Type A’s to change tactics.

The improved plating of the Sentinel shows its worth as it tanks blow after blow with only minor denting. The AIs governing the Sentinels have grown much smarter, compensating for their lack of shield by using their arms as one.

But before I can catch my breath, something flickers in the sky. A Barracuda. No, not just one—a whole flock. They dive toward us, sleek and deadly, their talons outstretched. I react on instinct, throwing up another wave of force. The credits drain faster than I’d like, but I manage to knock a few Barracudas off course, forcing them to regroup.

“Get ready!” I shout to Jessica.

She doesn’t need the warning. The Quillshots are already aiming upward, loosing bolts into the sky. Several Barracudas go down, but one of them takes out a Quillshot in its final death dive. Jessica curses under her breath, her control slipping as she tries to focus her army’s attention.

We’re holding our ground, but just barely. Neither side is gaining, and the battle settles into a tense equilibrium. The Rattlers aren’t advancing, but we’re not pushing them back either. Every time we make a move, they counter. Every time they surge forward, we repel them. The credits are trickling in slowly, but we’ve only lost a couple of animatronics. So far, so good.

“Pull back to that crevice,” Jessica commands, pointing to a narrow opening in the terrain. “We can funnel them through there, make it easier for the Quillshots.”

I nod and shout orders to the Sentinels near me, repositioning them to block off any flanking attempts. The Rattlers press against us, but with the new positioning, we’re able to hold them off. It’s not perfect, but it buys us time. We’re holding our ground, but just barely. Still, the equilibrium favors us. We’ve only lost a few animatronics, and the credits are rolling in. Every Rattler we take down adds to our tally, and I can feel the progress toward level 10 ticking up. At this rate, we’re gaining faster than we’re losing.

Jessica barks a command to the Quillshots, “Shift left! Cover the Sentinels near the ridge!” They obey, repositioning to give the heavy hitters room to swing their hammers at the oncoming Rattlers. I glance at the growing pile of scrapped machines—those hits are making a difference.

“We’ve got a breach near the far side!” I shout, noticing a group of Rattlers slipping past one of the weaker points in our line. "Sentinels, reinforce the right!" The metal giants lumber to the weak spot, hammers crashing down to block the advancing enemies.

As we shift, I can see how it’s working—each small adjustment, each new angle gives us a little more of an edge. The Rattlers keep coming, but our tactics keep them at bay. The Quillshots’ bolts rain down on them, covering the Sentinels as they push forward. It’s methodical, controlled. For every move the Rattlers and Barracudas make, we counter.

Another group of Rattlers tries to break through the center. “Hold them there!” I shout, directing the Sentinels to form a tight wall. I reposition a few of the stronger ones, covering a gap where the line seems thin. The Rattlers crash into the steel wall, but the Sentinels hold, their massive hammers making quick work of the attackers.

“We’ve got them pinned,” I say, glancing at Jessica. She nods, her face hard with focus.

Then she spots another weak point. “Pull two Sentinels from the center and reinforce the left flank! Quillshots, focus on the Barracudas; they are getting ready for another round.”

The Rattlers shift too, but we’re one step ahead. The line bends but doesn’t break. Each side keeps adjusting, trying to find that small advantage, but we’re keeping up. We’re getting more credits than we’re losing animatronics, and that’s what matters. This back-and-forth is playing into our hands.

We pull back slightly, only to regroup and send the Quillshots in for another flanking maneuver. The Rattlers and Baracodas can’t adapt quickly enough. They’re starting to thin out, just as I’m starting to feel more confident.

Then there is a rumbling sound filling the air. I squint through the dust and see several massive car-like machines rolling through the Type A’s ranks. Their outer surfaces shimmer, a liquid-like substance flowing down their sides.

“What the hell are those?” I shout over the din.

Jessica doesn’t answer, too focused on commanding the Quillshots to target the new threat. But the Barracudas seize the moment, swooping down in perfect synchronization, taking out several more of her animatronics in a brutal sweep.

“Disengaging!” I yell, throwing another wave of force at the Barracudas, driving them back.

I rush over to Jessica, who’s frantically issuing commands. “Focus on the Barracudas!” she shouts, her voice breaking with frustration. “The crossbows aren’t doing anything to those things!”

“Calm down,” I say, though my own panic is bubbling up. “We’ll figure this out.”

I focus my ability on one of the new machines, sending out a concentrated blast of force. For a moment, the liquid surface solidifies, but then it flows right back, and the machine keeps moving like nothing happened.

“What the—?!” My mind reels. That should’ve worked.

Jessica turns to me, her eyes wide with fear. “Try your trick! The one you’ve been bragging about!”

I nod, narrowing my focus. Alexander taught me this—visualising a small, precise spot to multiply the force a thousandfold. I focus on the liquid surface, trying to visualize the smallest detail as I can see from this distance.

I release the force.

Nothing happens.

The liquid doesn’t even ripple.

I turn to Jessica, fear gripping my chest. Before either of us can react, Ethan materializes beside us, his face grim as he mutters under his breath, “Damn the rules of the Ascended. Ain’t gonna let another two humans die on my watch.”

“Non-Newtonian fluid,” he says in a louder voice to Jessica and Me. “You gotta hit it weak and slow to pass through.”

Jessica and I exchange bewildered looks, but there’s no time to process. The machines are still coming. And we’re running out of options.