CHAPTER 2
Bleep.
Esis stared at the bright screen as a jarring chord shot through his spine. His profile connected a moment later, and a familiar interface appeared.
A multitude of vibrant and radiant characters materialized, while a vast gathering of shadowy figures congregated below them, numbering in the hundreds.
The game. Most people called it The Game For Survival or TGFS for short.
But the rich like to call it the Penultimate Fighting Challenge or the PFC.
Players control five characters at once to battle each other in this game!
In this world, every character possesses a set of exceptional and distinct innate abilities, which are a result of their individuality. Each character's strength is balanced with their weaknesses, creating a level playing field for all to thrive in. It's a fair and just world that celebrates diversity and uniqueness. It wasn't like the unfair world they were living in.
Looking at it from a specific vantage point, the arrival of that change was seen as a much-needed respite for people who had been struggling with poverty and all its associated hardships. It felt like a new beginning, a chance to leave behind the tormenting existence they had been enduring for so long. However, reality soon set in, and they were forced to confront the harsh truth that their newfound hope was short-lived and would eventually shatter like a fragile glass.
It was a nightmare.
Everyone soon found out how unbelievably difficult this game was!
The innovative skill-combo crafting and team-building features of this game make it a standout among its peers, providing players with an unmatched and thrilling experience.
Each character has a vast pool of moves to choose from, but players can only select four skills per character. Nevertheless, this still means there are a whopping twenty skills to consider in a game!
Not only that, each character can have one piece of equipment, which gives an additional bonus.
Skills, combos, innate abilities, equipment, teams, strength, weakness... It is just a headache-inducing!
These factors determine the player's creativity, intellect, and decision-making skills!
The rich were truly sadistic people!
Esis narrowed his eyes. His cursor hovered around a few characters.
Warrior (Innate Ability: Last Stand +3 Atk, +2 AtkSpe when only 25 HP)
79 HP (Hit Points)
18 Atk (Attack Points)
10 AtkSpe (Attack Speed)
15 Spe (Speed)
13 Def (Defence)
5 SpA (Special Attack)
11 SpD (Special Defence)
Mage (Innate Ability: 10% Double Casting Chance)
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45 HP (Hit Points)
7 Atk (Attack Points)
16 AtkSpe (Attack Speed)
12 Spe (Speed)
7 Def (Defence)
21 SpA (Special Attack)
14 SpD (Special Defence)
Rogue (Innate Ability: 10% Chance Steal)
51 HP (Hit Points)
20 Atk (Attack Points)
20 AtkSpe (Attack Speed)
19 Spe (Speed)
5 Def (Defence)
16 SpA (Special Attack)
17 SpD (Special Defence)
Etc.
These were the normal ones. Everybody had long known these characters' usual skills and combo. However, it didn't mean they were weak. After all, the outcome is still dependent on the player's crafting and decision-making skills.
Still, Esis wanted an element of surprise. It is a rare character he managed to unlock.
Necromorph (Innate Ability: Plant Corpses)
61 HP (Hit Points)
1 Atk (Attack Points)
13 AtkSpe (Attack Speed)
10 Spe (Speed)
15 Def (Defence)
19 SpA (Special Attack)
19 SpD (Special Defence)
Shadow Dimension (40 Dark Damage, Target away from game for 1s)
Necronomicon (Summon Undead, 5 Dark Damage, Stackable 4x)
Calm Mind (+1 SpA, Stackable 4x)
Recover (+25 Hit Points)
Equipment: Book of Wizardy (+3 SpA, -3 Spe)
There are more unbelievable combo builds with Necromorph. But Esis decided to play safe. He then chose Warrior, Mage, Drake, and Heavy Infantry.
Drake (Innate Ability: Resist Wind Damage by 20)
96 HP (Hit Points)
14 Atk (Attack Points)
6 AtkSpe (Attack Speed)
15 Spe (Speed)
19 Def (Defence)
11 SpA (Special Attack)
9 SpD (Special Defence)
Carry (Carry 1 Teammate to the air, Cannot be hit by melee)
Protect (Produce a shield)
Fire Blast (30 Fire Damage, 10% burn chance)
Tail Sweep (15 Physical Damage, 10% knockback chance)
Equipment: Heavy Boots (+3 Def, -3 Spe)
Heavy Infantry (Innate Ability: 1s Immortality)
89 HP (Hit Points)
17 Atk (Attack Points)
6 AtkSpe (Attack Speed)
6 Spe (Speed)
22 Def (Defence)
2 SpA (Special Attack)
20 SpD (Special Defence)
Taunt (+3 Def, Attract All Aggro)
Shield Bash (12 Physical Damage, 10% Stun Chance)
Aura Master (+2 Atk to Allies)
Shadow Ball (30 Dark Damage, 10% Inflict Fear)
Equipment: Refresh Berry (Single Cure of Ailments)
Then, he gave the skills: Aura Master, Sword Slash, Counter, and Rock Throw, and Equipment: Sword Sash (+3 Atk, -3 HP) to Warrior. His mage has Fire Wall, Agility, Thunder Wave, and Rock Throw, and Equipment: Book of Wizardy (+3 SpA, -3 Spe)
Seeing he was done, he clicked ready and a waiting for an opponent appeared on his screen. After a while, his request for a match was accepted and his vision changed suddenly. His mind felt again the brand new state of living.