Joe replayed the final battle in his mind, exhaling a heavy sigh. A quick glance at his stats confirmed the expected drop in his ascender number. It wasn’t all doom and gloom, though. He snagged some sweet points in dexterity, intelligence, and charisma. Those gains took the edge off—not just the ache of losing a whole year of time currency, but also the fact that he’d been outsmarted by that damned trickster elf. Dawn and TJ's frustrations echoed his, their complaints rising in the background, mingling with the jungle's eerie whispers.
Itching to move on and explore, Joe pushed his frustrations aside. “How about we see where Lucky went?” He’d seemed nice, if a little naive and before the tutorial ended, Joe wanted to make sure the little guy was alright.
Andras cocked a pointy ear in Joe’s direction but his dark eyes and pale hands were all over the rack of MadOrbz like a nasty rash. “Ratfolk, like most vermin, are sturdier than they look. I’m sure he’s fine.”
Dawn and TJ glared daggers at Andras. His smug grin really got under Joe’s skin.
"You must be real proud of yourself, you cheating prick." Dawn clenched her fists.
TJ squared off against him, his neck veins bulging like steel cables. His voice was a low growl, edged with menace. "Better watch your back. You ever try to play me again, I’ll break it and your little magic flute too.”
Andras laughed, his arrogance unshaken by TJ’s threat. "The system had no problems with how I competed in the Battlebox. You're only a sore loser."
TJ surged forward, his muscles tense with anger, but Joe shared a look with Brian who stepped between them, his voice firm. "Leave him be. No fighting between ascenders. You don't want to be penalized any more time currency. Every dog has his day."
"Some dogs need to learn a lesson the hard way." The warmth from TJ’s exhaled breath matched his angered aura, his eyes fixed on the elf who didn’t so much as flinch.
Dawn frowned. “I’ve had enough of this shit-show. Leave the sodding pointy-eared prick to fondle his shiny little balls.” She stormed off through the foliage.
“Come on,” Joe motioned to TJ and Brian. Andras’ smile vanished, but he made no move to follow them as they went after Dawn.
TJ led the way, slashing through the dense undergrowth with his BK machete. With every swing, he cursed the thick vines, leaves, and their ancestors back to the tenth generation. Raising a fist, TJ shot them a look over his shoulder, then side-stepped to reveal Dawn standing further ahead in a small clearing. Looking up at the purple canopy, she held her palm out as if expecting rain.
Activating Quick Wit, Joe sharpened his focus. Fat colored droplets splattered against the ice-blue shimmer of her skin.
Click. Click. Click.
“I don’t like the sound of that.” Brian’s shoulders tensed. By the look on Dawn’s face, neither did she. Her hands glowed white with a smoky haze trailing her form as she took on a defensive fighting stance.
A shadow of movement alerted Joe to the danger as the canopy of thick leaves above Dawn split apart.
A rainbow blur burst forth.
Pushing his skill to its limit rewarded Joe with the ability to track the movement of what looked like a rainbow beetle bug, the size of a large house cat. Its six black legs splayed wide and jagged mandibles gnashed as it dove towards Dawn.
“Watch out!” Joe yelled pointing above the changeling.
Whether TJ or Brian could see it or not, Joe’s warning spurred them into action.
TJ hacked away any foliage that blocked their way while Brian stomped the fallen remains underfoot. Joe sped forward, leaping past them as the killer bug closed in on Dawn. As if sensing the heat from her hands, the bug flicked open its wings and veered right, aiming to circle around Dawn and bite her from behind.
“Dawn, to your right. NOW!” Joe called out.
Wide eyed, Dawn blindly lashed out and caught the bug on its side, sending it crashing to the ground. TJ and Brian followed Joe’s gaze to where the critter had fallen. Wings buzzing out of its hard shell, black hairy legs skittering in a frenzy as it tried to upright itself.
"Brian, smash!" Joe shouted. That was all it took to rally the big guy.
With surprising speed, Brian barrelled past Dawn and stomped the bug. The splash back took them all by surprise. Thick orange goo spurted in all directions. Joe ducked as a glistening orange blob hurdled towards him.
Splat!
A snort of disgust echoed behind him.
Tensing, Joe looked over his shoulder to find Andras wiping bug guts from his face. Joe’s eyes narrowed on the elf, whose dark features seemed to devour the dim light streaming through the canopy. An icy chill ran through Joe under Andras’ cold sneer.
The bastard was following us the whole time and we’d no idea.
Joe had played as a Night Elf before and recalled the stealth advantage he’d had playing as a Rogue. It made him wonder why Andras chose Bard class but he had a sinking feeling it was all part of some grand master plan.
A bright smile softened the hard lines on his face. For a moment, it was infectious, kind of like an STD.
“I must apologize. I think we all got off on the wrong foot. Where I came from, competition was fierce and misdirection was encouraged…”
“Yeah right.” TJ was the first to shake off the charismatic influence of Andras’ smile. “I can see right through that creepy smile charm, ya lousy dirt-bird. Bet you realized a low-level Bard wandering out here all alone will make you as popular with the local monsters as a pot of ‘Love Me’ lube is in a goblin sex dungeon.”
Joe shared a mixed look of shock and awe with Brian.
“Damn right, TJ.” Shifting his gaze to Andras, Joe straightened to make himself feel taller. “I’ve met your kind before. Letting us do all the hard work while you hitch a free ride.”
Nodding, Brian crossed his arms.
Andras’ smile faded. “I’m sorry you feel that way. I assure you that is not my intention. Your performance on this tutorial floor was almost as impressive as my changeling companion.”
Why the hell’s he buttering me up? Then the answer struck Joe like a bolt of lightning. Must have been watching my every move during that bug battle. I bet he’s forming a faction of his own.
Joe turned to Dawn to see why she hadn’t railed on the elf yet.
Dawn stood motionless, her gaze fixed on the remains of the crushed beetle at her feet, its insides oozing across the leaf-strewn forest floor. Joe tilted his head, curious. Her hands, still radiating with a white-hot glow, lighting the dim underbrush around her.
“You ok?” asked Joe, swiping away a level up notification.
There was a distant look in her eyes before she answered him. “What?”
“Are you—”
“I’m fine!” She crouched down and placed her hands in the thick orange slime. The sizzling goop reformed into a crystalline substance on the forest floor. She scooped it up and tucked the now cool, amber-like item into her inventory with a satisfied smirk. “Let’s get out of here before its six-legged brothers and sisters arrive for an all-you-can-eat-buffet.”
Joe thought moving on was an excellent idea. Given the blinding speed of the bug's attack, Joe knew if it wasn’t for his Quick Wit skill, they’d have been in serious trouble. You can’t hit what you can’t see.
Nods of agreement rippled through the group. Andras' nod didn't go unnoticed.
TJ shot a wary glance at the elf, his warning clear and sharp. "Keep your distance. If I so as much catch a whiff of you sneaking up behind us..." He gestured towards Brian, his smile taking on a menacing edge, "he’ll flatten you."
Brian raised a brow but didn’t disagree.
TJ raised his machete with a gleam of admiration in his eyes. "Let's get to work, BK." He strode forward, slashing through the tangled vines and dense jungle foliage that blocked their path. Joe and Brian followed closely, flanking Dawn while Andras lagged behind.
"Everyone stay sharp." Joe kept his voice low knowing it was likely that the elf was eavesdropping from behind. Concerned about his mana usage, Joe used his Quick Wit ability sparingly. It wasn't long before TJ's relentless hacking paid off, and they emerged into a much larger clearing.
At its center stood a monstrous plant, a nightmarish mutation of a Venus flytrap, towering as tall as a giraffe. Reactivating Quick Wit, Joe allowed his gaze to travel slowly up its thorny stem, which was slick with glistening sap.
As his eyes reached the apex of the killer plant, Joe’s eyes widened in alarm.
“Hells bells, is that Lucky?” Joe pointed to two furry legs absurdly sticking out of the giant plant’s maw. Its patchy multi-green colored lips glistened with a viscous slime.
Dawn sprinted forward, her boots thudding against the soft earth as she reached the killer plant. She leapt up and grabbed the ratfolk’s furry legs and pulled with all her might, but the flytrap held firm. Frustrated, she pounded her fists against its thick slimy hide. “Open up, you giant piece of shit!”
The giant plant’s stem bowed, lowering its head closer to the ground. Two dark, veiny leaves unfurled from its thorny stem like sinister arms. From its sealed lips, Lucky’s legs dangled lifelessly, like a rag doll.
Joe sprinted over, grasping Lucky’s calves. Dawn reached up again, the thunk of her belt and a sheathed weapon bumping into the plant’s side. Her hand slid down and as she drew the blade, a shimmering defensive aura enveloped the plant. Snakelike vines, tipped with thorns, lashed out in aggressive whiplike strikes.
“Watch out!” Brian's warning shook the leaves from the trees. He dove forward, his massive body a blur as he landed on a vine. The ground vibrated under his weight as his boot ground it into the dirt until it lay limp and defeated.
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Joe and Dawn leapt aside, narrowly avoiding another set of erupting vines whipping towards them. TJ rushed in and hacked the vines to pieces.
Andras, watched from a short distance, his face a mask of cold detachment.
“Hey Andras.” Dawn threw the Dark Elf a filthy look. “Stop standing there with your balls retracted and DO something.”
“Let me think about it.” Andras’ tone was filled with dark amusement.
TJ clenched his jaw. “When I’m done with this overgrown plant, I’ll rip that cheating elf a new asshole.”
“Keep your cool man, we’ve a long way to go. He’s not worth it.” The last thing TJ needed was a time penalty after a hot-headed attack. With a lot less time currency than the elf, TJ had much more to lose. As much as Joe hated to admit it, the elf had a point. The system had allowed him the win in the Battlebox.
TJ didn’t look convinced.
“Until we know more about what he and this system is capable of, it’s best not to stir things up. Look at what happened to poor Lucky. All he did was explore.”
Dawn’s hands flared like a torch, blistering the vine until it recoiled from her thigh like a snake hit with a rock. "Lucky should definitely rethink his nickname."
Andras laughed.
A spiked vine exploded from the ground at his feet, forcing him to stagger back. His brows snapped together, skin bled to white giving him a gaunt appearance. The small flute he’d used to help him win the Battlebox challenge suddenly appeared in his pale hand.
Brian grunted as he tore through another vine trying to ensnare his ankles, the large thorns drawing blood from his palms. The ground trembled, kicking up clouds of dust and debris, shrouding everything in a murky haze.
Suddenly, Joe felt a sharp pain in his ankle, and then he was yanked off his feet. He hit the ground hard but, thanks to his defensive weave granting him a five percent resistance to damage, the pain was more startling than severe.
Joe whipped out his butterfly knife and jabbed at the vine, but it was like trying to puncture a rubber tire with a toothpick. Then, an airy tune began to play, swelling in volume with each note. The sound burrowed into Joe's head, so piercing the needle pricks hit his teeth. Covering his ears was useless. The relentless melody climaxed in a deafening crescendo. The plant shuddered, thrashing its mouth side to side before its attack abruptly came to a stop and lifeless vines thudded onto the ground.
TJ, Dawn, and Brian freed themselves from the vines, and set about tearing them apart, their combined vicious attacks turning the plant's appendages into mulch.
Breathing heavily, Joe pushed himself to his feet, and they all quickly put some distance between themselves and the now deadened plant, ensuring it wouldn't go full aggro on them again.
By saving himself, Andras had saved them all.
“Poor Lucky.” Brian shook his head with dismay.
“If he used his respawn token, maybe we’ll see him again.” Joe recalled his own blue phoenix respawn token in his inventory. As he mentioned the coin, what remained of Lucky vanished in a rainbow sparkle of digital particles.
Joe pulled up his inventory, checking to see if he could learn more information about the token. His brows raised as more stats populated in the blue box, along with a couple of notifications.
Ascender #: 79
Race: Human
Class: Rogue
QRL: Bronze Rank, QRL 3
Ascender Status: Orange
Health Points (HP): 26/30
Mana Particles (MP): 80/112
Stamina: 29/30
[Level gained! You have reached Quantum Resonance Level 3, Bronze Rank Ascender.]
[Two unassigned flex points remain; expires in 24 hours.]
[Eternal Honor achieved: Tracker.]
Joe smiled with the gains he’d made during the tutorial. He groaned, seeing the hit his mana took, which he assumed had been due to summoning the three MadOrbz and activating Quick Wit.
Mentally dismissing the notifications like he could with his AI Butler, he scanned the other tabs labeled attributes, skills, clothing, and lastly, he accessed his inventory.
Inventory:
* Seaweed Snack
* Backpack
* Respawn Token
* Decagon
* Butterfly Knives
* Paracord
* Smoke Pellets
* -
* -
* -
There, the respawn token glistened sky blue, its phoenix emblem shifting like a holographic image. The expanded information remained the same: allows user to respawn inside the tower. That didn’t seem consistent with what Poppy mentioned about aging a year if it was used.
As Joe examined his inventory, his curiosity piqued about the Quantum Resonance Level or QRL mentioned in his notification and stats. He glanced around, contemplating whether to ask the group or consult Poppy for more information.
“Hey guys, have any of you heard of this QRL thing?”
Simultaneously with his question, Joe’s gray hoodie, cargo pants, and boots shifted to a vibrant orange. “What the—” he started, surprised by the sudden change.
Around them, others reacted with similar surprise.
“Ah, what a wonderful day filled with carnage to brighten my mood.” A raspy voice echoed as thin screens emerged from the tree trunks, the Lich nodding his head with a smug grin plastered on his skeletal face. “The color of your outfits determines your common room access. Obviously, green is for the highest ranked ascenders—they’re most likely to reach the crystalline jackpot of immortality. Those of you dressed in green have access to the elite Green Zone common room. Poppy, care to enlighten them on the other two color-coded ascender statuses?”
The little kaiju avatar plunged onto the screen, her tail swishing with excitement. “Yip-yip! Do not fear if you’re orange, you okay. You in the mid percentile range, have access to Orange Zone only.” Her voice softened. “Dressed in red. Red zone only. Beware, Beware. Take Care…or you die fast. Much risk for ejection from the tower. For you, any floor your time could run out.”
The Lich chuckled. “Don’t scare them Poppy, it’s been ages since anyone’s been ejected on the first floor. Proceed to your zones for a final debriefing.”
The screens faded, morphing back inside the tree's bark.
Looking across the clearing, people emerged from Battleboxes—some smiling in green outfits, others fretting with worry in orange and red clothing. The victorious, mostly elves who started off with three hundred years, were clearly favored by the system. Unsurprisingly, no ratfolk wore green. Even if they happened to win their Battlebox challenge against four other competitors, the maximum ascender number they could reach was 25 years.
Joe's eyes met Brian and TJ’s; both were now clad in orange. Brian appeared unfazed, while TJ looked down at his clothes in disgust. “Fucking orange,” he said under his breath, glaring at his outfit as if it had personally offended him. “I hate fucking orange.”
Brian’s smile widened into a grin. “I don’t know, it really brings out the color of your eyes.”
“Shut it, big guy.” TJ raised his hand. “If I was looking for fashion advice, I’d beat it out of you.”
“I heard someone say orange is the new black,” Joe said, attempting to lighten the mood.
Only Dawn smirked, while the others didn’t seem to catch the reference.
“Orange is far from black. Are you colorblind?” Brian laughed.
“Back when I was a Kobold, I had a friend who was colorblind. He couldn’t tell the difference between yellow and white. No matter how many times I warned him, the damn fool ate the yellow snow every time.” TJ’s hearty chuckle eased the tense situation a bit more.
Joe smiled. “Maybe he actually enjoyed its taste.”
TJ narrowed his eyes. “You’re one of those optimistic guys, aren’t you?”
That joyful moment was short-lived when Andras Lyranth walked up to Dawn. “You should join me in the winner’s circle. Don’t waste your time with these low-level ascenders.”
She forced a smile. “I’d rather chew glass than hang out with you.”
“Suit yourself.” He tipped his chin up, black hair still covering one eye as his gaze shifted to everyone else in their group. “Enjoy your accommodations in the orange and red zones.”
Dawn didn't miss a beat. “Oh, I will. At least they don't talk out of their asses.”
She rolled her eyes as he turned, whistling a tune as he sauntered away. “When do we get to select our orbs and fight another Battlebox?”
A hollow metal clang resonated as Joe tapped his decagon. “Are these MadOrbz only for use in the Battlebox, or…” Joe paused, “Poppy, can these orbs be used when we ascend the floors?”
“No Joe. Two different things. The MadOrbz remain in your decagon. Used only during Battleboxes. Very important for time. Currency, Joe, your life. Only run by ascenders to win.”
A flickering glow pulsed above their heads, ash-colored arrows directed them to the farther side of the tutorial area.
“Time again! Follow the arrows to your zone. Red go red. Orange go orange. Green go green.”
Joe furrowed his brows. “But there's only one door.”
“One door for them all. You see Joe. Zoom-zoom, fun!”
Throngs of ascenders in colored hooded sweat suits merged together, moving toward the single door. The tower walls, the only barrier, kept them corralled like cattle. Joe scratched the back of his head as he observed the surroundings. Amongst the jungle trees, the tower walls pulsed in rhythmic waves toward the large door.
“Poppy, can you give me information on the tower itself? If it were jungle-themed, I’d expect it to be covered in moss, but it’s red and veiny.”
“You are still a Bronze Ascender. Monsters lurk there. Can smell you. Go through the door. Safe-safe. I tell you inside.”
As they stepped closer, a thin-bodied ratfolk emerged from the door and started stripping off his red hoodie and pants.
“Whoa there!” Brian’s thundering voice caused him to pause. “I don’t think it’s that type of party in there, is it?”
The ratfolk wiped his nose before slipping off the last of his pants legs. “Party? I’m going to check out the green zone. The red zone is shit on food and sleeping quarters.” His tail curled behind him as he stepped over the pile of red clothes, disappearing through the ashen door.
Joe waved to Dawn. “I suppose you’re in luck to be heading to the green zone.”
As she stepped forward, the naked rat stumbled out, cursing under his breath. He picked up his pile of clothes.
“Too cold in the green zone?” TJ asked, elbowing Joe’s side.
“It didn’t matter. The system already flagged me as red.” He shoved past the dwindling line. “I’m going to search for some decent grub out here before returning to that slop.”
“Watch out for the plants; they’ll eat you alive.” Brian’s whispering voice still seemed to shake the trees.
TJ shook his head. “Poor Lucky…he didn’t even last a day.”
“What do you mean? I’m right here.” Lucky stepped out of the ashen doorway.
“Lucky! Where did you go?” asked Joe.
“I needed to return to the tutorial room.”
“But you died.” TJ crossed his arms, his raised brow emitted skepticism.
“Eaten alive!” Brian’s voice boomed.
Lucky nodded. “It was not a nice experience, that I can say.” He looked down, patting himself. “I’ve aged a year but it seems I’m okay now. I agree with that guy, it’s not fun being in the red zone, but maybe I’ll get lucky and find some time crystals. I heard there’s some scattered about the tutorial floor like when we enter the tower floors.”
“Don’t you have a racial trait like Scavenger’s Luck for finding items easier?” asked Joe, thinking about specialty traits that might be available with Lucky’s race or class. There’d been some games where certain traits helped them scavenge and gather rare items—time crystals seemed to be one of those findings.
“That’s not important.” Dawn gestured with both hands at Lucky’s body. “How are you even standing here?”
Lucky shrugged. “We have respawn tokens.”
“Those seem very handy.” Brian nodded, rubbing his chin. “So it’s true then. Every time you die you can respawn.”
Dawn pulled her red hair back into a ponytail. “There has to be a catch; there’s always a catch. And as for those time crystals, you won’t find any if you let yourself get eaten again out here on your own.”
TJ chuckled. “Oh lighten up!” You really are a glass half-empty changeling, aren’t you?”
“Be careful out there.” Joe nodded to Lucky. Even if he agreed with Dawn, he wasn’t about to fan the flames to her fiery outburst. He planned to ask Poppy more about the blue phoenix token and if it really remained with you for respawning.
“I’m glad you’re finally using that brain of yours.” A deep voice groaned within, Joe’s chest heating from the inside, the familiar flicker of the blue flame evident. “Trust your instincts. If something is too good to be true, it usually is.”
Joe gripped his chest like he’d tried to calm heartburn as the voice continued, its flame glowing bright. “Of course, I’m the exception.”
He glanced around, but no one else seemed to notice the voice.
With a sigh, Dawn swept a stray strand of hair out of her eye. “Catch you later Wonderboy. I’m off to the Green Zone to piss in that emo elf bard’s tea.”
As the changeling walked through the doorway, Joe rubbed his chest, the remaining voice silent. “She’s got more guts than a butcher’s shop…glad she’s on our side.”
TJ nodded. “I changed my mind. I like her.”
The wall near the door pulsed, bubbling in and out along with rhythmic whooshing as ascenders crossed the threshold of the door.
Joe took a deep breath. “We’ve all taken a hit in the Battlebox. Time to go into the Orange Zone. Let’s learn everything we can so we can level up fast and become masters of our fate.”