(Author's Note: I edited the previous chapter.  Pvp is now limited to within a certain level range with the exception of "unrestricted" zones.)

Chapter 7: Rex

Vivian stared at her laptop, clicking through the player database that existed on DoG Online’s website.

The online database wasn’t very detailed. It only included basic information such as positions on the leaderboard and character level.

Normally, a person would go to an information broker and pay for the information about the player. However, Empress didn’t have enough credits to request their services. 

Not for the first time, she wondered if she should have joined Crescendo. Although she gave off the impression of being radical, Empress was sure Crescendo would be able to get the information she needed.

After finding Rex’s character, she tracked him down on the various leaderboards that he was a part of. The leaderboards could be used to tell a lot about a person. The leaderboard she looked at was for faction points. 

Faction was an important part of DoG Online. By assisting various companies or organizations, a player could earn various rewards and benefits. It just so happened that Rex had a very high faction relationship with the Northfront Police Department.

Joining the NFPD was a good way for a hero to hear about crimes and to make arrests. It appeared that Rex had become a part of them. Judging by his high faction, it seemed that he made at least one arrest every day.

After smiling evilly, Vivian hopped into her gaming capsule.

Not far from where Empress had last seen Crescendo, sat the police headquarters. Numerous policemen and players streamed in and out of the building.

Empress was in an alleyway nearby, staring at the entrance of the police building. She sat in wait, keeping an eye open for anyone who matched Rex’s description. 

After loitering for a couple of hours, she eventually saw a man with blonde hair and blue eyes escorting a man in handcuffs. The handcuffs were made with special material that negated powers, preventing people from escaping.

Empress watched carefully as the man went inside the building, waiting for him to return.

After the man dropped off the prisoner, she stalked him from behind, following him as he made his way around the city.

Suddenly, the man careened down an alleyway, leaving Empress’s sight. 

Vivian hesitated for a moment before dashing after him. 

As she turned the corner, a fist flew towards her. She hastily threw up a barrier in an attempt to block it.

The fist crushed through her defenses and plowed into her stomach. The force of the blow tossed her out of the alleyway and made her cough up some blood. A few of her ribs were broken.

Her mind whirled in confusion until she saw blue eyes staring down at her.

“Hello, Empress,” Rex sneered, “I’ve been expecting you.”

“How did you know I was following you?” she asked, wincing in pain.

“A friend of mine was watching the boards and gave me information on anyone who accepted my bounty,” Rex laughed.

“After that, it was just a matter of being cautious. You’re obviously no professional. I saw you coming from a mile away,” Rex smiled triumphantly.

Empress cursed inwardly. She had been too naïve.

Without hesitating, she instantly summoned her barriers and sent them flying towards Rex.

He snorted in derision. With a few super-powered punches, he tore through the force fields as if they were made from paper.

Abandoning her strategy, Empress whipped out her rapier, sending it flying towards Rex’s throat.

Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

Rex didn’t even move. The tip of the rapier struck his neck and snapped in half.

Empress’s eyes went wide.

“I thought you only had super strength?!” she exclaimed.

Rex grinned ferally, “I have super defense too.”

Empress went pale. The situation was taking a turn for the worst. She discarded her broken rapier and pulled out her barrier pistol.

She fired a full magazine at him, only for the bullets to break upon impact.

Rex laughed, jumping towards her. With a fearsome punch, he caught her across the arm, turning it into powder.

Empress gasped in agony, quickly dashing backwards out of range.

Ideas raced through her mind. After a moment of hesitation, she shot an incredibly tiny barrier towards him.

Rex raised a mocking eyebrow, ignoring the barrier completely. However, it crashed into him with a thud, sending him flying across the street. He groaned in pain, confused.

Empress sighed in relief. By compressing her barriers to their smallest size, she was able to reinforce them, increasing their power.

She fired multiple barriers towards Rex, tossing him around like a ragdoll.

The barriers weren’t powerful enough to penetrate his defenses, but the blunt trauma caused plenty of damage.

Rex staggered to his feet, bells of alarm whirling through his head.

He immediately turned around, attempting to run away.

Empress summoned a barrier in front of him, cutting him off. Rex punched at it without hesitation, only for his fist to rebound off it of it.

His eyes went wide in disbelief.

“Layered barriers,” Empress told him haughtily, it was her turn to laugh at him.

“You might be able to punch through one barrier, but five? I don’t think so.”

Rex’s face turned unsightly.

“Kill me and you’re finished,” he told her, “I’ll make sure every member of the Northfront Police Department kills you on sight!”

“I already have people trying to kill me. A dozen more won’t matter,” Empress sneered.

Condensing her barriers, she fired a bullet, hitting Rex between the eyes. He died instantly.

+1000 notoriety.

+1000 experience.

+100,000 credits.

Force field mastery has reached level 6!

Level 11 achieved!

Vivian’s mouth went wide in glee. For every level of her barrier mastery, she could create another force field. Now that she had the idea to compress and layer her barriers, her power would drastically increase every level.

All of a sudden, Empress was reminded of the pain. Her arm had been destroyed by Rex.

“I better go to the hospital,” she sighed inwardly, “Hopefully the bills won’t be too expensive.”

She traveled to the nearest medical center and requested to see a healer. The doctors onboard whistled in appreciation of the injury, causing Vivian to frown to annoyance.

Eventually a man wearing a lab coat walked up to her.

“I’ll heal it for 10,000 credits,” he told her bluntly, his face devoid of expression.

Empress felt her heart clench up in pain, but handed the credits over.

Under the assistance of a shining white light, her arm was restored to its proper condition.