Error: Your character data is corrupted.
Error: Starting zone can not be specified. Now transporting to random location.
Error: Equipment data unknown. Recorded as generic items [ Armored Suit ] and [ Pulse Rifle ]
System Notice: You have entered a battle zone, [ Second Arena ]
System Notice: You have been automatically registered into the battle roster.
My helmet's visor projected multiple warnings I could not understand.
"What the hell... is going on..." I moaned in pain. My head was aching so much I couldn't see straight. What was I doing? What just happened?
"What's a newbie doing here?" "His name appeared on the battle roster just now." "Is he worth a lot of points?" "Whatever, I got first dibs on the newbie!"
I looked up as I heard those voices. I was surrounded by fellow soldiers wearing ArmS, but there was something weird. Their ArmS didn't look similar to the standard ones we used our squad. Furthermore, instead of the fatigue paint used for camouflage, theirs were painted with bright multi-colors.
"Soldier, what's your affiliation?" I tried to ask one of them, the one approaching from the front.
Without answering, he raised his rifle and pulled the trigger.
* * *
POV: Dextrose
Today, I logged in again to Battleworld to test the equipment enhancements I made yesterday.
The game was released just a week ago. It was a virtual reality game, but unlike other VR games that were fantasy-themed, Battleworld was sci-fi. The setting was a futuristic world, where combat between players was a sport. The gaming flow was simple. Earn money to get better equipments, and raise your level to equip them. Then join the arenas to compete against other players, to test out your skills and equipments, and to gain fame.
At first I wasn't interested. Being a female player, I was constantly pestered by other male players in almost all VR games I played. But Battleworld does not restrict the gender of the player. In fact, the game has playable races without a gender.
Name:DextroseLevel:17Race:NewtypeGender:N/AClass:Scout
Health Points:450/450Weight Limit:2000
STR:20AGI:42VIT:20 + 5DEX:40 + 10
Equipments:Main Weapon:Twin Moons (Dual Pistol) +10DSub Weapon:DaggerArmor:Basic Armored Suit +5V
The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.
The race [ Newtype ] looks just like the [ Human ] race, but they don't have a gender specification. It was weird because no matter how much you edit the face during character creating, it would always end up looking like both male and female. The body structure was slim and well-toned, but that doesn't really matter because it will be covered by the armored suit.
Another major difference between the [ Newtypes ] and [ Humans ] were the stat points received for every level. [ Humans ] only receive 5 points per level, while [ Newtypes ] receive 6. All the other races receive a total of 5 points per level. Although there is a point advantage for [ Newtypes ], the equipment available for them are few.
Yesterday, I enhanced my equipment using the ores I got from grinding. I upgraded ten points to [ DEX ] for my dual pistols, to improve firing accuracy, and five points to [ VIT ] for my armor to increase my maximum health.
I joined the [ Second Arena ]. The current setting was [ Abandoned City ], and it was perfect for my class, [ Scout ]. I prioritized on distributing points to [ AGI ] and [ DEX ], to improve my movement speed and accuracy. In the [ Abandoned City ], I can make use of the corners to hide and ambush others, and use hit-and-run tactics.
Everything was going well when something wierd happened. The arena was currently occupied by players with levels ranging from 15 to 20, but a Level 1 player joined the arena, a player by the name of [ Aiwans Screuiundaz ]. Looking at it closely, that name is quite provocative. It might be a troll.
Some of the players have gathered in the area where the Level 1 player spawned. He has not moved from his location yet. I hid inside one of the broken down buildings and observed the situation.
The other players were discussing what to do, when one of them got impatient and approached the newbie.
"Soldier, what's your affiliation?" the newbie asked the player approaching him. He was even wearing an armored suit with standard military camouflage as paint. Yup, he's definitely trolling. The player, probably thinking of the same thing, raised his rifle and pressed the trigger. What happened afterwards, it was something I could never forget.
He dodged the bullet, letting it barely scrape his armor. Then counter-attacked with a rifle I haven't seen before. A glowing bullet shot out and hit its target, leaving a wide gaping hole on the player's chest.
Wait! What?!? What sort of Level 1 equipment can do that? It pierced right through a player with 15+ level. And that player had full health points before he was hit! But before that, how could he dodge a bullet at that range!
The other players probably saw the anomaly, and one of them shouted, "Cheater! Take him down!"
With movements impossible for a Level 1 player, he quickly ran behind some debris formed from broken walls while dodging the shots fired at him.
"Traitors of Humanity, I will take you all down and feed your corpses to the Fidmeialaths!!!" he shouted from behind the wall, retaliating shots every now and then. It didn't take long before the players' numbers were reduced to less than half. It was to be expected, each shot he made hit a target and took all their health points away, while he dodged bullets, and those that do hit could not penetrate his armored suit.
Fed up with the absurdity of the situation, the rest of the players left the arena.
"What the?!? Where did they go?" He started running around the place, looking for them.
But they were not here anymore. I trailed him, until he finally gave up searching and entered a broken down building.